Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest-Chapter 384: Mab’s Torture and Atlantean Wonders

With the bet came the intense training.

He didn’t know if Mab was usually a stern teacher, but the more days passed, the more he suspected she was a sore loser. Even Achilles failed to renew his usual twisted versions of physical training after he became flexible enough to endure. But she... How could energy manipulation leave him sprawled in a pool of sweat after each session? Surely, her methods were wrong, especially her sadistic grin...

How could they not when a searing agony coursed through his veins? To make matters worse, it was ethereal, making it impossible to alleviate. Widening his circuits to increase output, she had said. The only thing he felt was that she was widening the ground to bury him.

Of course, he had believed it was normal at first, that his body needed time to adapt—a bit like a novice doing his first push-ups. Now, he felt scammed by a tyrannical military instructor...

The worst part? He had been at it for a month yet hadn’t even smelled the scent of magical theories. How was he to infuse his essence with effects? Not a single clue. Still, he had to admit the training wasn’t brainless torture.

By expelling and absorbing his chaos repeatedly, his output increased, but not only that. He had a better grasp on how much power he wanted to use. The other exercises bore fruit, too.

Though stressful and frustrating, replicating objects down to the smallest scratch improved his control to new levels. He had tried with his space folding to get a better feel, noticing that when he had needed precious seconds during his underworld expedition, he could almost do it with a mere thought after a brief month.

Now, he somehow acknowledged her method... begrudgingly.

Despite the long training, he dedicated a part of his attention to his city. Atlantis developed on the right track, and new villas emerged from the sparkling pavements with each passing day. Of course, not the antique oikas.

They had served his citizens well but were too outdated, especially after he found intriguing blueprints in the dockyards, wood refinery, and smelting grounds.

Like the other few, these buildings came with the city and were nothing short of mind-blowing.

The mana cutters, saws, gravity presses, and electromagnetic platforms that lifted heavy blocks like cranes or suspended them mid-air to allow for easy carving had even baffled Muramasa and Durgrim. But not more than the blueprints.

Each building and ship they gripped with their trembling fingers felt like a hammer striking at their sanity.

Personal transportation devices that could cut through the sky? Ships that could discharge mana into the raging sea to counter the waves? They had even seen an unfinished project that would have put Ra’s bark to shame had those Atlanteans mad geniuses completed it: a flying warship sturdy enough to travel through the stars.

Like them, he had remained slack-jawed for a few seconds before excitement kicked in. No wonder the gods became jealous and sank Atlantis eons ago! And now that it had reemerged, they would fear it.

Since Michael was a weaponry expert, he had asked him to work with his craftsmen to complete the research. Hopefully, they would give him good news before the end of the year.

The rest moved smoothly. Garduck recalled the soldiers from the military camp. With the six troublemakers, he began to clear the wild east.

Though he remained at the back to provide commands, beast camps fell under their march one after another. Bodies piled into reeking mounds, and beast cores filled their pockets as the army that had stagnated for years finally rose through the tiers.

His greater djinns became djinns sultans, and his incubus kings became balors, with a few furthering their evolutions into fearful archdemons.

Fortunately, the Dragon’s Maw Citadel’s dense chaos hastened their evolutions, and the future looked even more promising.

Thinking about the citadel, demon, dark elf, and human soldiers never ceased to emerge. The army grew in power and numbers daily but also in versatility. The foot soldiers came from the lower tiered-core, while the higher one formed minotaurs and hippogriffs!

He still had very few of both, but it didn’t stop Gawain from hurriedly finding him.

"Let me build a flying cavalry division!" Gawain had said, his eyes sparkling.

He could understand the knight. Who wouldn’t want to ride mythical creatures? Since the idea aligned with his vision, he appointed him leader of the flying cavalry.

However, the situation changed after two months of peace.

Oberon’s fairies marched on the half-empty forest camp, forcing Mordred to fall back into Atlantis.

Losses were minimal since the bastard retreated without putting up a fight as if he didn’t know about shame. But the maritime city was now exposed.

Out of rage, folly, or believing their easy victory meant his side had weakened over time, Oberon commanded a part of his army to conquer it.

Fairy wings buzzed, and mana hummed as they surrounded the city. The citizens took asylum in their houses, trembling behind their furniture each time they saw their enemies’ confident smirks, hovering weapons, and mystical powers.

But Oberon’s show of strength rapidly turned into a bitter lesson—Atlantis’ defences weren’t to be underestimated. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

The crystals hovering above the towers drew red lines over the fairies’ ranks as if to warn them. And when they didn’t take them into account...

Mana roared, and scalding beams erupted in a cacophony of air-splitting noises. Hellish infernos engulfed the winged creatures, drowning their screams of misery in raging flames and painting the sky a fiery orange.

’Damn...’ Everyone lowered their weapons, sharing the same thought and incredulous expression. They hadn’t even moved, but the battle was over?

Not that he would complain. The layer of safety comforted him as much as it shocked him. At a glance, he estimated that anything under the eight tier ended up vaporised. Even the fairy commander fled the scene, blood dripping from his destroyed arm and pale lips.

Since safety was ensured, Ozymandias requested a meeting. His presence became irrelevant with Atlantis’ technology, and it was beyond time for him to focus on himself.

"I can’t continue to waste time when divinity is waiting. I’ll rule one of your realms for you." Eyes narrowed, Ozymandias stated rather than demanded.

Used to his annoying pride, Adam nodded. "Sure. Statues and everything. Don’t forget to care for the citizens, though. That’s my only request."

"Who do you take me for?" Ozymandias left with a snort.

This was what they had agreed upon eleven years ago, so little needed to be said.

With the Pharaoh gone, Adam resumed his training. Yet Mab had more surprises in store... and also torturing methods.