(Furfur 3rd POV)

(Blackblood Bastion, North Bog Forest)

"...and they will choose between those two options!" Lucifer smiled confidently.

Furfur, who had been listening to Lucifer’s analysis of what the species known as Arion would do, could only gape in amazement.

He knew his uncle Lucifer was the smartest demon of all time. His intelligence extended beyond theoretical knowledge to situational analysis and military strategy.

However, Furfur never expected Lucifer to be able to predict their enemies’ actions from a conversation he hadn’t even attended.

Nevertheless, Furfur still had questions. "But Uncle, how do you know that the Arion species has only Moku as their strongest fighter?"

Lucifer smiled and replied, "Well... it’s quite simple. I deduced it from Moku’s own story! He said his species is only a few years old. Isn’t it strange for there to be a fighter as strong as me or Those Who Came Before in such a short time?"

"In that case, why are we cooperating with them? Shouldn’t we eliminate them all immediately to prevent any Arion from becoming as strong as you?" Furfur was puzzled by Lucifer’s decision.

Lucifer laughed, covering his mouth with his hand. "Hehehe... My dear nephew, why would you trust everything an enemy says? Isn’t that quite naive?"

Furfur furrowed his brow, black smoke beginning to billow from his head, a sign of his deep confusion.

"Forgive my ignorance, Uncle. But I really don’t understand what you mean. You said you knew Moku is the only strong fighter from his species based on his own story. But then you said it’s naive to trust an enemy’s story. So, which is it, Uncle?" Furfur scratched his scalp in frustration.

"HAHAHA... You Momon family members really are muscle-brained. What I mean is, we shouldn’t fully trust what the enemy says, but that doesn’t mean we can’t analyze the truth from their stories!"

"Hmm... what do you mean, Uncle?"

"Furfur, why do you think Moku said his species is still very young?" Lucifer asked, his eyes glinting with mischief.

"Hmm... Isn’t he lying?" Furfur tilted his head.

"Fufufu... yes, but why is he lying?" Lucifer asked again.

Furfur paused, trying to turn the gears in his mind, now possibly clouded with smoke. Unable to find the answer, he could only shake his head in resignation.

"Don’t be disappointed in yourself. Each of you has your own strengths and weaknesses," Lucifer said, patting Furfur’s shoulder.

"Thank you, Uncle," Furfur smiled.

"The reason Moku said that is because he wants us to see him as weak. More importantly, he wants us to believe he is telling the truth.

"Imagine if he said there were others in his species far stronger than him. We would immediately know he was lying.

"Why would someone who isn’t afraid of death reveal such a secret to the enemy? It makes no sense, right?"

Furfur nodded. It wasn’t because he understood what his uncle wanted him to answer, but because he was trying to keep up with Lucifer’s explanation.

"So, when he says his species is still very young and has only a few strong fighters, we have no choice but to believe him. Moku himself gains nothing from lying about this. If his species is perceived as weak, they will become targets for stronger species. But should we really trust his words?"

Furfur shook his head. Again, it wasn’t because he understood what his uncle wanted, but because he genuinely didn’t know the answer.

"You’re right, the answer is no. We can’t trust his words entirely. If Moku had the same intelligence as you, I might believe him 100%.

"Maybe he has a strong warrior’s spirit and doesn’t want his lies to be his last words, or maybe he just isn’t thinking ahead. But Moku isn’t that kind of person!"

"How do I know? Because he managed to defeat Foras with equal strength. It’s true Foras is from the Momon family, but he’s the only one among you whose intelligence I must acknowledge.

"Even Abaddon once said that if Foras had been born as Those Who Came Before, it might not be me leading our forces!"

"You’re giving him too much praise, Uncle," Furfur said, puffing out his chest proudly at the mention of his son.

"It wasn’t me who said it, it was Abaddon. And you know Abaddon isn’t one to waste energy on compliments. Hehehe... But I don’t mind because I recognize your son’s intelligence, and you have every right to be proud.

"Ah, back to the topic!

"To defeat Foras with equal strength requires not just battle IQ but also strategic prowess. Coin Determination combined with Amalgam of Death is a surefire kill for anyone trapped within it.

"While Moku destroyed the Amalgam of Death with his strange power, Foras’ strength lies in his stealth. Anyone who can defeat Foras with equal strength must have a strategic mind on par with your son.

"So, as intelligent beings, we can’t fully trust his words. But from his answer, there are two possibilities regarding their true strength.

"The first possibility is that Moku’s words are entirely true, and they really are weak. The second possibility is that something prevents their strongest fighters from coming to this world, leaving only Moku.

"Whatever the reason, it likely involves gathering Mana-rich bodies like those of Mana Species. That’s why they agreed to fight against us—to collect Mana Demon corpses.

"That’s why I’m confident we can’t determine their true strength without seeing it firsthand. Therefore, I asked you to propose cooperation with them to fight the other Mana Species on this continent, regardless of Moku’s response."

"Ah! So that’s why you concluded they only have two choices: to hide or fight against the humans!" Furfur exclaimed, clapping his hands together as he nodded in understanding.

"Hahaha... You’re only half right. The reason I concluded they have only two choices is because those are the only options available to them. But it’s how they execute those choices that I’m eagerly waiting to see!"

"What do you mean?" Furfur asked, still confused.

"If they choose to hide completely, then they are the first possibility. But if they choose to hide while continuing to gather Mana-rich bodies, then they are the second possibility.

"If they choose to fight but do not deploy their strongest forces, they are the first possibility. But if they fight and deploy their strongest forces, then they are the second possibility.

"From their choice and the process they follow in making that choice, we can deduce their true strength!"

Furfur’s eyes widened as he listened to Lucifer’s explanation. He felt a shiver run down his spine at the sheer brilliance of Lucifer’s deductions.

No matter what the enemy did, they would be able to determine the full strength of the enemy without losing a single soldier. It was terrifying yet made Furfur respect Lucifer even more.

"But, Uncle... What if they don’t choose either option?" Furfur asked.

"Hmm?"

"I mean, what if they decide to cooperate with the Mana Species on this continent to fight us?"

Lucifer was taken aback and stared at Furfur intently, making Furfur tremble with fear. Before Furfur could say anything, loud laughter echoed through the room.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

Lucifer laughed so hard he clutched his stomach, his body bending backward as if unable to contain the force of his laughter.

Furfur could only smile nervously, a cold sweat forming on his forehead. He didn’t understand what was so funny or why Lucifer was laughing, but he was relieved that his terrifying uncle wasn’t angry with him. If Lucifer hated you, not even Momon could save you. Perhaps only Asmodeus’s words could influence Lucifer.

Lucifer’s laughter gradually subsided, but he continued to chuckle and his body still shook with amusement. He patted Furfur’s shoulder so hard it hurt, not out of malice, but as an expression of his joy.

"You are truly amusing, my nephew... I didn’t know you had such a sense of humor! HAHAHA... I really should talk more with you original demons from the Momon family... phew... sigh... That was truly funny..."

Then Lucifer abruptly stopped laughing, and his face turned deadly serious. It was as if he had a switch for his emotions, changing so quickly that Furfur was taken aback.

"If they are smart, they will not choose that option.

"The war against the Mana Species on this continent is nothing more than child’s play for us. Our goal is to reduce the number of Mana Demons here, which keeps increasing over time.

"Additionally, we might have the hope of reviving the Daemon through the birth of a strong Mana Demon. However, if we truly wanted to dominate this continent, it would be as easy as flipping a hand.

"As I mentioned earlier, Moku is a smart man, and he must see this disparity in power.

"But if he is foolish enough to think he can use the Elves, Humans, or Warbeasts as his shield, then we will show him the true power of demons.

"After all, we do not need anomalies like him and his species."

Lucifer’s smile widened, and Furfur could only manage a weak smile, his body still trembling with fear.