Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

His eyes widened as he read Karna's stats.

'They're on par with Wukong's except for his divine energy!'

He tucked his fingers around his chin, drawing conclusions.

Unlike Wukong, no seal hindered Karna's powers, and he seemed more inclined to join his forces actively. As for his condition? He didn't doubt the half-god would learn more than enough about his character through his subjects and territory setting. After all, no matter what he told him, it would only sound like the braggings of a desperate man.

He tapped his finger against his cheek, a pensive frown creasing his brows as his eyes slipped to the chaos forge and the barn.

Among his close subjects, the six troublemakers, Asna and Puck, remained to protect the territory during the raid. Of course, the regular citizens remained, but he doubted they could give Karna enough insights into his goals and personality. Therefore, he pointed to those two buildings.

"You can start with our legendary smith and his apprentice. Then, ask the three human sisters." A confident grin crept onto his face. "We went to the city together a few days ago. So, they'll tell you about how I'm outside the territory."

With a warm smile, Karna nodded and moved to the forge first.

Meanwhile, Adam rubbed his hands and chuckled in satisfaction as he watched his new mythical fighter's departing back.

Then, his eyes narrowed into slits as he walked to Tiamat's room.

Once inside, he observed the purple lock of hair coming out of the thick blankets for a second.

Without bothering to leave the comfort of her bed, her annoyed voice echoed before he could speak.

"Didn't I tell you not to talk with me? What do you want?"

He rolled his eyes at her, the words of gratitude he wanted to offer her melting in his throat.

"I just wanted to ask about the requirements for the third evolution and the time it'll take."

The blankets trembled as Tiamat's hands moved underneath.

"One thousand points of demonic essence. It'll take five days to complete the process. You should have brought the cultist leader's corpse back. Even if the possession failed, it contains enough demonic essence to help you push through." The blankets trembled as her chuckles echoed. "I know someone who'll run a lot today. Guess who?"

His lips twitched as he clicked his tongue and turned.

'Shit!'

Without wasting a second, he rushed back to the tower in the west, retrieved the corpse, and returned. Of course, he didn't forget to warn his subjects about his five-day evolution.

Back in his room, he collapsed on the wooden floor with a dull noise.

His chest heaving with difficulty and his breathing a mess of flowing vapor, he extended his arm to the leader's corpse. Sweat plopped, leaving a wet trail as he touched it.

Instantly, it vanished, and three notifications rang in his ears.

[Obtained: 250 units of demonic essence.]

[Obtained: Demon worshipper's leather top.]

[Obtained: Tier 4 core x1.]

Then, the notification he had been waiting for followed. Read the latest on мѵʟ

[Congratulations on reaching level forty and gathering a thousand units of demonic energy. Proceed with the third evolution?]

In a weak voice, he said yes before darkness encroached on his mind. Yet, relief, expectations, and a sense of defeat filled his hastening heart.

'I'm evolving on the floor again. But I wonder what I'll look like once I awaken.' His lips curled into a soft smile. 'I hope I'll become more handsome just to appreciate Luna's flustered face.'

With this last thought, he fell unconscious.

However, his body was anything but inactive.

Like a hungry beast, his DNA gulped the abundant essence to excavate new demonic features. But more importantly, the draconic lineage Tiamat had planted in him awakened a little more.

In a gradual process, his scales extended to cover his arms, shoulders, and sides. Then, they gathered on his elbows to form a natural pair of unbreakable gauntlets. Their colors changed, too. From a fiery scarlet, they darkened under the increasing influence of Tiamat's chaotic energies.

Fiery golden lines coursed through them, acting like natural separators and a reminder that he was transforming from an oni to an asura.

A cacophony followed as his bones groaned and shifted, and his lean muscles changed. Each fiber became as hard as a low-tiered enchanted metal, and their sizes increased to reflect his new life rating.

Finally, a thick layer of scales covered his red horns, which turned dark as they grew longer. Their demonic curves became more twisted, with indentations adding to their devilish style, while the same golden energy coursed at their thick base.

As Adam evolved, Garduck, Bart, and Luna managed the army and the loots before they returned to the goblin town.

There, Gork convinced four other specialists to move to their new lord's territory with him. He also appointed someone as his proxy and followed the army back.

Without surprise, his eyes sparkled the entire time as he discussed with Maven. The kobold's prowess had truly inspired him, even if he had no intention of picking up the sword. Still, he had earned his admiration as a fellow inhabitant of this forest.

The first stars shone in the darkening sky once they reached the territory.

The first thing they did was to store the cultists' corpses in the warehouse. Then, they distributed fresh meat to everyone.

After a celebratory dinner, Luna gathered the goblins in her house.

Standing before Durgrim's sleepy figure, she pointed at his missing arm.

"Can you do something to help him?"

Gork tucked his fingers around his chin, a pensive frown creasing his brows.

"If you asked me this morning, I would have said no. But now? I'm confident we'll figure something out with your skilled smith."

Luna nodded. "I'll keep him unconscious for a few more days to thoroughly burn all the toxins killing him from the inside. So, take your time to draft an outstanding design."

As they separated with a few words of encouragement, Karna's bright eyes softened.

All along and unseen by anyone, he had watched this odd mix of individuals support each other.

Without discrimination, they shared food and helped bandage the wounded. Humans, beasts, and demons lived in harmony here, something he never thought could happen. And somehow, it resonated with him. After all, even if he hadn't shared his legends, he had always cared for others, regardless of their status.

"Maybe my loyalty won't go to the wrong side this time..." He scratched his head. "Well, he's still a demon, so I'll observe a little more."