With Esil, a guide familiar with the Demon Castle's internal structure, leading the way, the journey ahead became exceptionally smooth.
After all, not only did she know the location of each floor's permit, but she could also inform Natsuki Subaru in advance of the various demon lords' weaknesses and habits, allowing the entire conquest to proceed with virtually no delays.
Slay the floor's demon lord, collect the permit, activate the portal to the next floor ......
The entire process was like a precise and efficient cycle, without the slightest hesitation.
Wielding Kasaka's Venom Fang, Natsuki Subaru advanced unstoppably. The demon lord of each floor couldn't last more than three moves against him, either being cornered and slaughtered by the Shadow Soldiers led by Igris, or having their vitals precisely pierced by his Kasaka's Venom Fang.
As the number of battles accumulated, Natsuki Subaru's level soared, and his various stat points continuously stacked up. This, coupled with his increasingly terrifying mana reserves and physical strength, meant the power of his Shadow Legion also rose with the tide.
Igris's sword skills grew sharper, and the coordination among the ordinary Shadow Soldiers became more seamless. A single glance from Natsuki Subaru was enough for them to swiftly change formations, whether to encircle or assault, without needing any additional commands.
Sometimes, before Subaru even had to act, the Shadow Soldiers could annihilate small squads of demon guards on their own through their默契 coordination. ......
[Notification: You have successfully eliminated the 89th floor's Demon Noble, Mog.]
[Notification: You have obtained the 90th floor's access permit...]
[Notification: Obtained equipment Obsidian Staff...]
[Notification: Obtained item Demon Horn...]
[Notification: Level up...]
A series of System prompts sounded in his mind. Natsuki Subaru deftly sheathed the cold-glinting Kasaka's Venom Fang, looked up at the cracked dome of the 89th-floor castle, and said calmly:
"Alright, 89th floor cleared."
He had to admit, ever since Esil, this turncoat guide, had joined him, the pace of clearing the Demon Castle had quickened by at least three times.
Back on the lower floors, Subaru had to search aimlessly for permits in the vast, maze-like castle, sometimes even accidentally triggering hidden fire traps or poison arrow mechanisms, wasting a good half hour.
But Esil could not only pinpoint the location of each floor's permit but also inform him of the demon nobles' fatal weaknesses in advance, allowing him to avoid countless troubles.
Speaking of which, a full 52 hours had passed since he first stepped into the Demon Castle. But according to the time flow conversion between the castle and the outside world, it had only been a little over 5 hours.
"At my current pace, it will take another 10 hours at most to reach the legendary 100th floor and meet the Red Monarch who commands all the demons of the floors—Baran."
Natsuki Subaru mused to himself.
However, then again, to be the king of all demons in the Demon Castle, Baran's strength must far exceed that of any demon lord he had encountered before. He would definitely be tough to deal with. But no matter how difficult, he had to clear the dungeon and get out. This wasn't just to complete the mission of clearing the Demon Castle, but also to return to the world he knew.
"~Sigh, all these negotiation gifts I carefully prepared are now completely useless."
The demon girl Esil crouched down, opened her large backpack, and sighed helplessly as she looked at the neatly arranged items inside.
Inside the bag were high-grade magic crystals in velvet boxes, gleaming gold insignia, and treasured red wine. There was also a palm-sized red stone, a rare ore mined from the deepest veins of the Demon Realm, so valuable it could drive mid-tier demon nobles into a frenzy.
Esil had specifically brought these things when she followed Natsuki Subaru to the upper floors. Her purpose, of course, was to use these gifts to open negotiations when they encountered powerful high-level demon nobles on the 80th floor and above, reducing unnecessary conflict.
But she never expected Natsuki Subaru's strength to far exceed her expectations. He had simply crushed his way through with absolute brute force, not even giving her a chance to present the gifts.
"If you can't use them, take them back. Either let your family use them, or trade them with other families for supplies."
Natsuki Subaru glanced at Esil, who was organizing her backpack, and said casually.
He was, of course, aware of Esil's intentions in bringing these items, but for him, negotiation was an option he had long since abandoned. After all, he had tried to negotiate with the demon lord on the 83rd floor, only for the other party to feign agreement before turning around and summoning guards for a sneak attack. The lord of the 85th floor had mocked him directly, saying a human was unworthy of negotiating with demons, and had charged at him with a greatsword. Over time, Natsuki Subaru completely gave up on the idea of negotiating with demons.
If you can't solve the problem, then solve the person who is the problem. Showing mercy to these demons who believed in the law of the jungle would only bring trouble upon himself.
Natsuki Subaru thought to himself.
"That won't do." Esil immediately shook her head, stood up, her expression turning serious. She took a step forward, looked up at Natsuki Subaru, and explained earnestly:
"Lord Subaru, the administrators from the 90th floor onwards are all high-level demon nobles. They are on a completely different level from the ordinary demon nobles of the previous floors.
Not only are they stronger themselves, but they also have organized demon legions under their command, numbering from thousands to tens of thousands.
Even if you are powerful, forcing your way through will consume a great deal of mana. If you were to run into two demon nobles working together, the situation would become dangerous.
It is safer to obtain the permits through negotiation. These gifts might help us secure peaceful passage, and they might even voluntarily clear the way for us."
Natsuki Subaru didn't speak upon hearing this. His gaze fell on Esil's nervous face. After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly asked in return:
"If I were weaker than all of you demons, do you think those high-level nobles would be willing to negotiate with me? Wouldn't they just treat me as food that delivered itself to their doorstep?"
"Ah…"
Esil was taken aback. She opened her mouth, but found she couldn't say a word as the rules of the Demon Realm flashed through her mind.
The weak don't even have the right to speak; they are simply slaughtered at will by the strong. This was a law etched into the blood of every demon.
"It seems you already have your answer." Natsuki Subaru withdrew his gaze and looked back towards the shimmering golden portal in the distance, his calm voice tinged with a certain clarity.
"In this cruel world, only the strong survive. The law of the jungle is an unchanging rule."
Speaking of which, when he had just been transported to this world, he could only run for his life when facing the huntress Elsa's pursuit. At that time, he understood deeply that strength was the foundation of everything. Without strength, all negotiations were just empty talk.
"Lord Subaru…"
Esil looked at Natsuki Subaru's profile. He looks so cool like this, she thought.
It's worth mentioning that Esil grew up in the Demon Realm and understood the cruelty of the law of the jungle better than anyone. Her own uncle's territory had been annexed by a stronger demon noble because his family's ranking was too low. In the end, not even his bones were left.
If Natsuki Subaru hadn't displayed such overwhelming strength all along, her own family probably wouldn't have handed over the permit so easily and would have instead united with other demon families to besiege him.
"Exactly." Natsuki Subaru's voice pulled Esil from her thoughts. He started walking again, heading towards the golden portal.
"I remember you said before that you demon nobles compete for jurisdiction rankings over the floors. The higher the rank, the more resources you get, right? After I clear the Demon Castle, I will help your Radir family become number one among all the nobles."
"Eh…"
Hearing this, Esil's wine-red eyes lit up instantly, like stars being ignited. The smile returned to her once-tense cheeks.
A rise in family rank meant access to more mana mines, a larger territory, and a greater say in matters. This was her father's lifelong wish and the goal of the entire Radir family.
But after the initial surprise, a question that had been bothering Esil for a long time resurfaced. After a few seconds of hesitation, she finally asked Natsuki Subaru in a small voice:
"Please… Lord Subaru, why did you spare my family back then? With your strength, you could have just destroyed our castle and taken the permit by force. There was no need for the agreement between us."
"Because of you."
Natsuki Subaru answered curtly, without a hint of hesitation.
After all, Esil was the first talking demon girl he had met in the Demon Castle. Plus, her personality wasn't weak... hmm... she knew how to assess a situation and was flexible.
The moment she knew she couldn't win, she surrendered immediately, without any hesitation. She could also provide accurate intelligence and the locations of the permits, giving her real, tangible value.
More importantly, she was easy on the eyes. Her delicate features, long purple hair, and lively eyes were much more pleasant to look at than the ferocious, spiky male demons.
If it had been any other male demon, he probably would have just killed them outright without wasting a word.
Of course, it all depended on his mood at the time. If Esil hadn't been willing to surrender back then... Natsuki Subaru wouldn't have shown any mercy.
You could just say it was all a coincidence of fate.
"What?"
Hearing this, Esil's cheeks instantly flushed crimson, as if scorched by fire. Even the tips of her ears turned pink. Her heart began to pound like a frantic deer in her chest, and her breathing became a little ragged as she stammered:
"Be-because of me? Lord Subaru, wh-what do you mean by that… do you think I-I'm useful, or…"
"It's nothing special." Natsuki Subaru didn't seem to notice Esil's strange reaction. His tone suddenly shifted, becoming serious.
"Esil, the 89th floor is cleared. You can go back to your family now."
"Eh?"
The blush on Esil's face vanished in an instant, replaced by sheer shock and disappointment. She stared blankly at Natsuki Subaru's back, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly.
"Lord Subaru, you're sending me back? But there are still floors 90 to 100. I can still guide you, tell you about the high-level nobles, and even help you organize the loot… In short, I won't be a bother."
"Because on the upcoming floors, the enemies will only get stronger."
Natsuki Subaru turned around and looked at Esil, explaining patiently:
"I made an agreement with your father. As long as you showed me the location of each floor's permit, I would handle the rest of the fighting myself.
The combat intensity of the high-level demon nobles on the 90th floor and above is incomparable to the demon lords of the previous floors. The slightest misstep could lead to injury. Having you here will only distract me. There's no need for you to risk your life with me."
These were Natsuki Subaru's true feelings.
Esil's strength was, at best, enough to handle demons below the 80th floor. Against enemies from the 90th floor and up, she would have trouble even protecting herself.
Besides, she had already helped him clear several floors, fulfilling her part of the agreement. He had promised her father he would keep Esil safe, and he had to honor that promise. Therefore, Natsuki Subaru didn't want to put Esil in a situation where she could be killed.
He was confident he could clear the remaining path with his own strength, even without her guidance.
"...Am I that useless then, Lord Subaru?"
Esil's voice grew quiet, and she lowered her head, her eyes filled with grievance and a hint of unwillingness.
"...I don't want to be a burden to you. I want to help you."
"It's not like that." Seeing her dejected look, Natsuki Subaru's voice softened unconsciously. He took a step forward and gently patted Esil's shoulder, comforting her.
"How should I put this… Anyway, thank you for your guidance during this time. Without you, I couldn't have cleared up to the 89th floor so quickly.
But the battles ahead are too dangerous. I can't let you get into harm's way. This isn't about you being useless; it's about me not wanting you to get hurt."
Natsuki Subaru never treated those who helped him poorly, especially a companion like Esil who had been so helpful along the way.
"But… Lord Subaru, I want to be with you until the very end!"
Esil suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with determination.
"I want to witness you clear the entire Demon Castle with my own eyes. I want to see you defeat Baran."
"Er…"
Natsuki Subaru fell silent for a moment. Seeing the unyielding persistence in Esil's eyes, he finally gave a helpless smile.
"Alright, then we'll go together. But you have to promise me that when we encounter danger, you'll stay behind me."
"Yes! Thank you, Lord Subaru!"
Esil immediately broke into a brilliant smile, her previous dejection vanishing completely. She quickly caught up to Natsuki Subaru, even hopping a couple of times in excitement. Her long purple hair flew behind her, tracing a beautiful arc.
What followed was just as Esil had said. From the 90th floor onwards, the difficulty of the Demon Castle suddenly doubled. Nearly every floor was a fierce battle.
The castles were no longer guarded by scattered demon knights, but by organized demon legions. Some wielded giant shields and long spears, forming an impenetrable shield wall that could block most physical attacks.
Some demon lords even controlled a dark green corrosive venom that could melt solid rock on contact.
_____
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