Chapter 107: Best Friend’s Plan

In my sanctuary in the demon world, this perfect space crafted from black marble, I elegantly tilted a golden wine glass.

This sanctuary is a masterpiece I have perfected over thousands of years.

The golden patterns on the walls shimmered faintly in the starlight of the demon world, and on the ceiling, stars I personally collected shone for eternity.

Among them, this window… was specially crafted to look down upon the entirety of the human world.

‘Lycoris…’

‘My new tool has finally been reunited with that Frostia.’

Within the crystal sphere, the desolate, ice-covered land was clearly visible.

Right next to the zone of death created by Nis, was that dreadful icy wasteland frozen by Frostia.

“The spectacle created by those two monsters… is truly a magnificent sight.”

I muttered, savoring another sip of wine.

This sweet yet bitter taste suited my current mood quite well.

I watched as the giant silver ice dragon was engulfed in light, transforming into the form of a beautiful woman.

And in front of her, I saw Lycoris burst into tears of emotion and run forward.

“What a truly moving reunion. But…”

But such sentiments are not what is important to me.

The problem is when those two, especially Nis, will leave.

‘Nis…’

Just thinking of that disgusting snake sends a chill down my spine.

When I think of the end of the fellow evil gods she devoured…

It still gives me shivers.

Of course, I would never show it on the outside.

Concentrating my mind, I transferred my consciousness to the brooch I had given to Lycoris.

The Serenade Acadene, one of my finest creations.

It was originally a simple accessory, but with a little…

No, with a significant amount of magic cast upon it, it could now be used for such purposes.

Soon, their conversation began to come through clearly.

“Shall we return to Sia Kalt now?”

“Ah! Not yet!”

It was Lycoris’s voice.

Still that pure and lovely tone.

“Hmm?”

“My carriage is on its way here! My two human companions, Cecilia, Glacia, and Lotte are in it!”

Carriage? Companions?

‘Ah, right.’

I gently rubbed my temple with my finger, retracing my memories.

She had companions when she dealt with my followers in the Jenes Kingdom.

A mage, an archer, and a few bugs with distinct personalities.

Besides the butterfly I saw in the demon world, there must have been three more.

Interestingly, Lycoris seemed to cherish those bugs quite a lot.

She seemed to value them even more than the humans.

‘Is it because she was originally a flower?’

“Please wait just a little longer!”

“Alright, then let’s wait.”

At Frostia’s reply, I clicked my tongue slightly.

No, I should say I let out an elegant sigh.

“Leave quickly. I have a mountain of work to do.”

Especially the preparations for the revival of the Demon King Carpe.

‘Carpe…’

He was once the demon I cherished the most.

Intelligent, ambitious, and above all, he listened to my words well.

A truly exemplary subordinate…

“But your greed was excessive, you poor thing.”

I muttered, slowly swirling the wine glass.

The red liquid swirled as if representing my emotions.

Not satisfied with one Great Labyrinth, he tried to covet a second core…

And ended up exploding to his death.

The sound of that explosion echoed across the entire continent, which shows just how foolish he was.

“But now, you will become a perfect puppet.”

If I revive only his soul, he will have consciousness but will be a being that absolutely obeys my commands.

Maintaining his abilities from when he was alive while keeping him completely under my control…

Is this not the perfect subordinate?

However…

Even after several days, there was no sign of the carriage arriving.

“Is that carriage even coming?”

I rose from my chair and approached the window.

The cold air of the demon world touched my fingertips.

Through the sanctuary’s window, I began to scan the entire continent.

In the Heshet Empire, I could see my followers still working diligently, and in the various small kingdoms to the southeast, followers were fervently conducting rituals.

“They are all so diligent.”

A satisfied smile appeared on my lips.

After searching for a while, I found a magnificent carriage engulfed in flames in the Land of Death.

‘That looks like Lycoris’s carriage…’

“That flame… I see, it must have been created by that flame butterfly.”

Red flames enveloped the entire carriage, but it wasn’t burning.

Rather, it seemed to be acting as a protective barrier.

‘A bug with a strange ability.’

But inside the flames were a fat coachman and…

‘Hmm…? Are those supposed to be horses?’

There were only pig-like creatures.

“Why is it in such a state…”

I narrowed my eyes and looked closely.

‘Did they do nothing but eat for a month without moving?’

‘What a ridiculous sight.’

“But where did the others go?”

‘Don’t tell me…?’

With a feeling of suspicion, I turned my gaze towards the Great Labyrinth.

There, Lycoris’s companions were engaged in a fierce battle with monsters and demons.

“Oho… they fight much better than I thought.”

I exclaimed in admiration, slowly tilting my wine glass.

The performance of the giant ice hornet and the flame butterfly was particularly brilliant.

The hornet was freezing enemies with its giant ice stinger, and the butterfly was incinerating them with powerful flames.

“With skills like that, most foes wouldn’t stand a chance.”

But why did they have to enter the Great Labyrinth of all places?

Right now, it’s ruled by a demon named Ibolg…

A truly arrogant demon.

‘Ibolg…’

My hand gripping the wine glass tightened unconsciously.

Just thinking about him puts me in a bad mood.

He is a fool who, despite being a demon, denies me and harbors delusions of becoming a god himself.

For hundreds of years, he has been ignoring me, calling me a “fake god who only watches.”

“How dare he not know his place…”

A cold chill laced my voice.

But I soon returned to my elegant smile.

I found myself naturally cheering for Lycoris’s group.

It’s far better for Lycoris’s side, with whom I have a subtle relationship, to win rather than a clear enemy like Ibolg.

And that would be more advantageous for my plans.

“Lycoris…”

That child is a truly interesting being.

She became Mikel’s apostle, yet learned the art of murder from Bellona, possessing both a pure and a cruel side simultaneously.

Such a contradictory being is the perfect tool for my plans.

It was then.

Tiring!

With a sudden sound, a translucent selection window appeared before my eyes.

“This unpleasant thing again…”

I set down my wine glass slightly and frowned.

This system, created because of that otherworldly god 5,000 years ago…

It always appears without warning and ruins my mood.

We should have completely shattered that god of replication back then…

To think its remnants still linger like this.

[ 1. Select Glacia as an apostle. (3,100,000 Divine Power consumed)

2. Select Ryandel as an apostle. (2,500,000 Divine Power consumed)

3. Select Leivi as an apostle. (2,200,000 Divine Power consumed)

4. Select Lotte as an apostle. (2,700,000 Divine Power consumed)

5. Select Cecilia as an apostle. (1,000,000 Divine Power consumed)

6. Do nothing.
※ Current Divine Power: 4,704,398 ]

“…What did you say?”

I read the selection window again carefully.

‘Could my eyes be deceiving me?’

‘Selecting an apostle?’

“Does such an option appear just from cheering for them in my heart?”

But what was more bewildering were the names.

Glacia, Ryandel, Leivi, Lotte, Cecilia…

I had only distinguished them as the giant hornet, the metal spider, the flame butterfly, the mage, and the archer…

“I have no way of knowing which is which…”

I leaned back in my chair and sighed.

This is the biggest problem with this system.

It arbitrarily displays information I don’t even know.

It just shows how elaborately that god of replication cast its curse 5,000 years ago.

However… wait.

On second thought, isn’t this a tremendous opportunity?

I leaned forward in my chair and looked at the selection window again.

Ever since I learned that Lycoris had become Mikel’s apostle, I had been anticipating that the opportunity to select an apostle would come to me someday.

Across the celestial and demon realms, Mikel is the only god who currently has an apostle.

That’s how rare this opportunity is…

But for it to come so suddenly, and to be able to make one of Lycoris’s companions my apostle…

“This… I must change my plans completely.”

I stroked my chin with my fingers and fell deep into thought.

The original plan was to revive the Demon King Carpe and use him as a vanguard to bring chaos to the human world.

The fear and despair of humans become my power, after all.

But now, a more delicate approach seems necessary.

If one of them becomes my apostle…

I can strengthen my relationship with Lycoris.

It will be easier to avoid the scrutiny of the good gods, including Mikel, and most importantly, I will be able to grasp the movements of Lycoris and her companions in great detail.

Furthermore, through my apostle, I could gradually bring Lycoris to my side.

Tempting her naturally rather than forcing her…

That is my specialty, after all.

“If Lycoris becomes my ally…”

A cunning smile spread across my lips.

“I will make her the savior of humanity.”

A perfect plan began to form in my mind.

I would send monsters I control to each kingdom, and have Lycoris appear to defeat them.

I would send progressively stronger enemies to build Lycoris’s fame…

And eventually, make all humans worship Lycoris as their savior.

And at the very end, I will reveal it.

That the savior they believed to be Mikel’s apostle was actually staging a show with me.

The betrayal and despair the humans would feel then…

“Fufufu… just imagining it is ecstatic.”

I raised the wine glass again and savored the last sip.

Now, the problem is who to choose.

Looking at the Divine Power consumption…

Glacia is the most expensive, and Cecilia is the cheapest.

One million Divine Power…

Less than half of the others.

I needed to save Divine Power for future plans.

It would take an enormous amount of Divine Power to make Lycoris completely mine.

“Let’s go with Cecilia.”

‘Hoo… I hope it’s one of the bugs that Lycoris, who isn’t human, cherishes…’

[ Selecting Cecilia as an apostle. ]

At that moment, I saw a small flame burn even brighter in the distant Great Labyrinth.

The flame butterfly was Cecilia.

“…Excellent.”

It was a choice I was very pleased with.

Small but powerful, and a being cherished by Lycoris.

Perfect as my apostle.

And immediately, a new selection window appeared.

[ 1. Deliver a short revelation to Cecilia and those around her. (1,000,000 Divine Power consumed)
2. Do nothing.
※ Current Divine Power: 3,704,398 ]

“A revelation…”

This is the perfect opportunity.

I rose from my chair and approached the window.

The cold air of the demon world brushed against my cheek, but my mind was filled with a burning plan.

First, to win Lycoris’s heart…

Yes, I must become her ‘friend’.

I will use that emotion of ‘friendship’ that humans cherish so much.

“Lycoris, my dear friend…”

It’s a different method from Bellona’s.

Bellona is a being who purely pursues art, so she is not suited for complex schemes.

She was just lucky enough to meet Lycoris, whose values aligned with hers, which is how they could get close.

But I am different.

I can act out emotions as much as necessary.

And that acting is perfect.

I chose option 1.

[ Delivering the revelation. ]

My voice must be filled with warmth.

As if I were a friend who genuinely cares for Lycoris…

This is what acting is all about.

My voice echoed through the Great Labyrinth.

“I am the evil god Abraxas. I declare that I am the dear best friend of your companion Lycoris. And Cecilia, you are now my apostle.”

I could see small reactions from afar.

The surprised faces of the mage and the archer, their mouths agape in bewilderment, and the frantic movements of the bugs.

Especially Cecilia, my new apostle, was burning even brighter as if in joy.

“A pure being.”

A satisfied smile spread across my lips.

“Children like this are easier to handle.”

I emptied the wine glass and placed it elegantly on the table.

Now, everything will proceed according to plan.

Through my new apostle, I will observe Lycoris more closely and gradually bring her to my side.

And the Demon King Carpe…

I will revive that poor soul as well and have him join my new plan.

Since Lycoris will become the hero of humanity, she will need an ill-fated enemy to make her a hero.

“Plunge the world into terror and be vanquished by the hero, Carpe.”

Now it is time to start a more interesting game through my new apostle.

I shifted my consciousness to the Serenade Acadene brooch to check on Lycoris’s situation.

It seemed she had also noticed that the carriage was not coming.

The sight of her flustered, not knowing how to find the carriage, is quite cute.

‘Then I shall help you, my dear friend.’

I focused my magical power on the brooch, making it emit a faint violet light.

I made the light and shadow repeat regularly like a beating heart and adjusted it so the light stretched towards the Land of Death.

Soon, I saw Lycoris discover the brooch.

“I think Abraxas is telling us!”

Her pure voice came through the brooch clearly.

But soon, Frostia’s jealous voice followed.

“To think even Abraxas is interested in my Lyco…”

“Ah, no! I’m not particularly close with Abraxas!”

Hearing Lycoris’s hurried excuse, I let out a small laugh.

‘Oh my… we are going to become very close friends, my cute little friend.’

I intentionally reduced the brooch’s light by half, making it seem as if it were engulfed in sadness.

I could almost feel Lycoris’s panic.

Then, I heard Nis’s voice.

“If it’s that direction… it’s where the Land of Death and the Great Labyrinth are.”

‘Sharp…’

The smile on my lips vanished.

Nis’s excellent observational skills and sense of geography felt unpleasant once again.

She would be a dangerous element if we were to cross paths in the human world someday.

“Surely they didn’t do something as stupid as entering the Great Labyrinth…?”

As I heard Lycoris’s mumble, I made the brooch blink like a star.

I sent a signal of affirmation by repeatedly turning it on and off.

“You’re saying it’s true!?”

I adjusted it to blink faster and faster to express a strong affirmation.

“Perfect.”

Now Lycoris will follow my guidance to the Land of Death.

There, she will be reunited with Cecilia, who has become my apostle…

And that’s when the real game begins.

“Wait for me, my best friend. I will soon show you a truly surprising gift.”