Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

"What?! I can even get that item?"

His eyes widened at the old parchment drawn to the runes pulsing with mysterious energy as the rough fabric spoke of forgotten history befitting an epic item.

Yet, a furrow creased his brows as he remembered its uses and how annoying it had been to craft in a specific game.

"It helps fix newbie mistakes... Who knows, it may be helpful far in the future, but for now? Not really."

He scratched his head, throwing the parchment into a dark corner of his mind, and rose to his feet.

With nothing else to do, he descended the stairs and opened his door, planning to have breakfast and use his daily summoning at the Gate.

The fresh morning air blew his long hair and the bright sun kissed his skin as the fresh morning scent filled his nostrils.

However, he halted and gazed at his subjects' red faces and trembling frames.

"The lord has evolved! He's no longer an imp!"

Garduck's fists and roar pierced the sky as the others clapped in congratulations.

Ifrit fired bright flames in celebration while the six mischievous demons rushed to pat his body in innocent curiosity.

Even Ozymandias observed him, intrigue flashing in his blue eyes.

"I'm less reluctant to work with you now that you're more than a mere imp."

Despite the ancient pharaoh's crude words, he heard the faint trace of approval in his tone.

Wukong followed. With a mischievous smirk and a meaningful glance, the monkey king sized him up and down intently, making him realise something.

'I'm almost naked!'

His cheeks burning in shame, he rushed to the nearby warehouse and retrieved a piece of fabric he tied around his chest and waist, cursing himself inwardly for the shameful display.

Even if it didn't seem to bother his subjects, he had to set the example as the lord.

'And I don't like exposing my body, anyway! I'm not a pervert!'

Fortunately, Muramasa's chuckle and words comforted him a little after he returned.

"Now that I've seen your new form, I'll adjust the armor I've prepared for you." He tapped his finger on his cheek pensively. "Fetch it in an hour. It'll be ready by then."

A warm feeling spread in his chest as he received everyone's congratulations. Even the three human sisters and Alice joined in.

Finally, he noticed Luna's proud figure and the intense glare she cast at him in confusion.

'Did I do something wrong?'

If he did, he had no idea when, since he had slumbered through his evolution before she returned.

However, she didn't speak when their gaze met. Instead, she snorted and took heavy steps towards her house.

'I'll ask her later.'

He scratched his forehead before focusing on the territory.

"Report everything that happened during breakfast."

As he sat on the log facing the demonic altar, the smell of cooked meat wafting an enticing scent that tickled his grumbling stomach, Bart started his explanation.

"Your evolution took a day and a half, my lord. We used that time to build the farm. Then, Ozymandias asked us to focus on the brick kiln along the river. Alice helped us find the best spot and supervised the process. Sun Wukong asked us for a distillery and fresh wine, but we don't have the blueprint yet. Finally, Muramasa built more tools and took in two apprentices from our demonic citizens."

After pinching the bridge of his nose at the lost daily draw, summoning, and time, he nodded at their choices, trusting Ozymandias' judgement with architecture and buildings.

"Continue listening to Ozymandias and follow his recommendations. The territory is four times bigger now. Reserve the western bank of the river for the farms." He nodded at the tomte, adding. "As promised, they are under your management, Tomte.

The aged demon caressed his beard, eyes sparkling with delight, and nodded in gratitude.

Meanwhile, he turned to Sam and pointed at the warehouse behind him.

"I bought a few crops in preparation. Sow them and monitor their growth."

He saw the demon's eager nod as he tucked his fingers around his chin and pondered.

'Demeter's harvest hall gives my territory a tremendous advantage in farming. I wonder if I should promote it in the early stages and develop trade with established cities.'

He tapped his finger on his lips as he rose to his feet, finding the idea attractive but also complex to put in place.

'I doubt humans and other species would want to trade with demons. They are just that prejudiced against us. Should I recruit more humans and set caravans up? That way, they won't know where the merchandise came from. I'll think about it after the first harvest. By then, I might have summoned a specialist versed in commerce.'

He emerged from his thoughts before the Gate, ready to summon his two new subjects.

However, he first opened the lord's market and traded 5000 units of food for the same amount of wood, solving his shortage problem.

Then, he upgraded the Gate to level six by investing 850 units of stones, 1150 of wood, and 80 of metal.

Gate LV6

HP: 900

Materials required to level up: 400 units of stone, 500 units of wood, 50 units of iron, demon lord shaky hut lv6.

[You have an 83.94% chance for a common creature to walk out, 10% for a farmer, 6% for a specialist and 0.06% for a mythical figure. Daily summoning raised to three for reaching level five.]

The corner of his lips rose into a satisfied smile at the extra daily summon and increased rates.

'Even if the chances of getting a mythical figure are still a joke.'

With a chuckle, he proceeded with the summon.

After the usual spectacle of swirling flames, three demons stepped out.

His brows rose in surprise as he noticed their loyalty hovered between thirty and sixty.

A smile broadened his lips the next second as his eager voice echoed.

"Welcome to my territory, dear citizens. You can fill your stomachs around breakfast for now. Speak with Garduck and Bart afterwards. They'll find the right occupation for you if you're willing to work. If you're not, you can take a few days to observe the territory and adapt. But remember that we won't feed slackers forever."

A heavy sigh escaped his lips after his brief introduction, Shihan's kind and dependable figure flashing in his mind as the three demons walked to the demonic altar.

'She always welcomed everyone and spent time convincing them...'

Feeling his mood worsen, he shook his head to recompose himself and went to check the demonic altar's changes.