Time flew by like an arrow.
After Alison and Golarial left, Orsaga idled away another two years in Augustus, living a life of carefree indulgence.
During that time, he didn't make any headlines or do anything particularly noteworthy. Aside from occasionally spreading diseases behind the scenes, he kept a low profile and made a decent effort at playing the part of a "well-behaved" demon.
Seated on a chair by the window, he gazed into the distance at a building where two figures were engaged in conversation. A flicker of interest surfaced in his eyes.
Even though the curtains were drawn, it was impossible to hide the strange energy radiating from the figure inside—it practically screamed for attention in Orsaga's vision.
That brilliant aura of spiritual power was like a gemstone hidden among sand, impossible to ignore.
As he looked more closely, he noticed someone else beside the figure—Sarah.
Although he couldn't hear their conversation, her respectful demeanor made it obvious who the man was.
There could be no doubt—aside from the dark god she served as her master, there was no one else it could be.
'He's strong... I probably wouldn't win in a one-on-one fight.'
To avoid alerting the other party, Orsaga didn't stare for too long. Once he had a rough idea of what he was dealing with, he shifted his gaze away.
Normally, even indirect observation methods like prophecy would have been detected by someone of that caliber.
But thanks to the innate cloaking ability of his racial trait, [Crimson Exoskeleton], as long as he didn't overstep, his clone alone wouldn't be detected by the target. After all, this was a power that even the world's will itself couldn't fully block—a key reason why Orsaga had been able to wander the Myling World unscathed.
Still, even without direct observation, by looking at the group of "familiar faces" approaching the building, he was able to piece together what was going on.
Those "familiar faces" didn't know him, but after living in Augustus for two years, Orsaga had gathered enough intel to know who they were.
Each of them held real political power in the city.
And the fact that they were now cozying up to an dark god spoke volumes.
In short, they were traitors to their own faction—not that allegiance meant much in this world, anyway.
'So the dark god is recruiting them... and the demons are, too. Looks like everyone wants a piece of this delicious pie. I wonder if either side is even aware of the other's involvement. If not, things are going to get interesting…'
With a chuckle, he muttered, "These nobles may not be particularly strong, but under the pressure of aristocratic honor, they usually have some backbone. Normally, they wouldn't be so easy to win over. If they were, then this world would be way too flimsy."
After thinking it through, he understood the reason: "So they've sensed a looming crisis and decided to compromise their principles…"
As for what kind of crisis? Most likely, they'd noticed their current gods weren't much use anymore and were looking for a more reliable source of protection.
As for how that would turn out—Orsaga wasn't optimistic. Dark gods and demons weren't exactly known for their charity.
Just as he was considering whether to step in—
A strange sensation rippled through his soul.
It was the Abyssal Contract he had signed two years ago, sending him a signal.
A grin spread across his face. 'Looks like it's finally happening…'
His long-awaited plan, two years in the making, was finally about to unfold.
There were many things in Augustus that intrigued him, but he'd had no real opportunities—until now.
And it was about time.
---
It was the same underground cavern where they had first gathered.
But this time, the number of participants had increased by nearly half. The demons present now numbered close to two hundred.
Clearly, more had been recruited over the past two years.
Orsaga, for one, didn't particularly care.
The other demons, however, weren't so indifferent. Some of them looked openly hostile, seeing the newcomers as competitors who might reduce their share of the spoils.
Not that they ever looked friendly to begin with—demons typically looked like they were ready to cut someone down for no reason.
The host was still Gewa, the same one from last time, although he now wore the appearance of a human male. He clapped his hands twice to draw everyone's attention before calmly speaking:
"First of all, thank you all for arriving on time. Over the past two years, I've completed all the preliminary groundwork. I'll now distribute some information to each of you. Please review it and select your target. Once you've decided, report it to me so I can keep a record."
With a wave of his hand, a scroll of parchment appeared in front of every demon.
Gewa continued, "Due to widespread monster attacks in the surrounding regions, Augustus—being the largest city nearby—has become a major destination for refugees. Its population has now surpassed twenty million. As you'd expect, the number of powerful individuals has also increased proportionally. There are over a hundred known demigods in the city alone…"
Orsaga didn't bother listening to the rest. He immediately opened the scroll in front of him and began scanning it intently.
The scroll listed names, appearances, addresses, strength ratings, and even monetary values for each individual.
From the city lord of Augustus to the heads of various departments, anyone with sufficient power or status was recorded.
Of course, you couldn't trust it blindly—there could be wolves in sheep's clothing. In a city of over ten million people, it was entirely possible that a few powerful figures hadn't made the list. You might think you were picking off a lone target, only to find yourself surrounded.
With that in mind, Orsaga took a moment to gauge the overall strength of the demons in the cavern.
There were 37 High Rank Demons and 144 Greater Rank Demons. Given that demons capable of infiltrating enemy territory were generally stronger than their rank suggested—and that even the weakest demon here was stronger than a native of the same level—he figured they could probably take down all the targets listed on the scroll. Even if another dozen or two demigods suddenly showed up, they'd still be fine.
Worst-case scenario, if Augustus was hiding something monstrous and wiped them out, Orsaga would just use the others as a diversion and make his escape.
'So no matter what happens, these guys will at least make good meat shields. I'm satisfied with that.'
With that thought in mind, Orsaga nodded contentedly.
Then he casually pointed at one of the entries on the scroll and said to Gewa, "Count me in for this one."
The entry he chose?
Augustus' Grand Library.
Even setting aside the tower spirit guarding it and the countless magical wards, there were four known demigods stationed there.
According to the scroll, taking that place would require at least three Greater Rank Demons—it was one of the most difficult targets listed.
Yet when Gewa sensed Orsaga's aura and saw he was only a High Rank Demon, he didn't even blink. He simply noted it down without comment.
After all, the Abyss was full of freaks. Who knew what Orsaga was truly capable of?
If he dared take it, Gewa dared write it down.
With Orsaga taking the lead, the rest of the demons quickly followed suit and picked their own targets.
"Now that everyone has chosen," Gewa said, "I won't say much more. Just make sure to keep your attacks restrained. I don't want the civilians completely wiped out—we need them as material to construct pollution zones. Don't waste them."
Only now did he mention the ordinary people of Augustus.
All the demons present knew the deal—once the Demigods were taken care of, the civilians would just be resources. Any two Greater-Rank Demons could easily wipe them out, so there was no need to prioritize them. They'd be processed once everything else was done.
A perfect example of a brutal truth from the Abyss:
If you're weak, your life and your wishes mean absolutely nothing. You exist to be used, like a fish waiting to be gutted.
____
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