Describing the effects of Lord of End was tricky for Damien.
In simple terms, it was a fusion of relative and absolute evil.
If complete, Lord of End would let Damien absorb all the world's malevolent thoughts, converting them into Magicule to enhance himself.
This was an effect, not growth, so it had a time limit.
When the effect ended, the boosted Magicule would dissipate.
But while active, Damien's combat power would be terrifying.
"It feels a bit like Milim's Lord of Wrath Satanael."
"The more malevolent thoughts I absorb, the stronger I get."
Damien could imagine the horrifying power he'd wield if he gathered the world's evil.
"What's with it being incomplete?"
"Side effects." Violet explained. "You can absorb malevolent thoughts, but they'll erode your sanity."
In its incomplete state, this skill could easily drive Damien out of control.
"Oh, crap!"
Hearing this, Damien immediately scrapped any plans to test Lord of End.
Power he couldn't control was better left untouched.
He had no desire to go insane.
"So, how do I complete this Ultimate Skill?"
"Absorb pure soul energy."
Violet was referring to the method for awakening as a True Demon Lord.
With Justeaze by his side, Damien could absorb souls without fear of corruption.
"But where do I get souls?"
Absorbing souls didn't destroy them completely... they'd turn into soul cores, leading to a less fortunate next life.
Still, killing without reason didn't sit right with Damien.
If he were that kind of person, Artoria wouldn't have chosen to follow him.
"Should I wait for a human kingdom to attack, like Rimuru did?"
With enemies, Damien could absorb their souls without guilt.
Even a saint like Artoria wouldn't show mercy to invaders, letting threats slip away.
"Or…"
Damien glanced at the Void Ark, currently on cooldown. "If I could find a world crawling with monsters, that'd be perfect."
Did such a monster-filled world exist?
Absolutely.
Worlds like Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Highschool of the Dead, Attack on Titan, or traditional dungeon-crawling isekai worlds.
Those places would let Damien quickly gather souls to awaken as a True Demon Lord.
"Seven days…"
Damien stretched lazily. "Alright, I'll rest for seven days."
"After that, I'll find a world perfect for collecting souls and awaken as a Demon Lord in one go!"
For now, Damien's task was to introduce Artoria and Justeaze to his monster subordinates.
Both women were officially part of his group, and he needed to assign them roles.
Justeaze would handle establishing the Soul Guild.
Artoria, as she'd requested, would serve as his personal Guardian Knight.
"Oh, and there's Sakura and the others."
Damien stepped out of the house.
Standing in the courtyard, he released Sakura, Illya, and Irisviel.
"Where… are we?"
The two girls looked around, bewildered.
Irisviel wasn't much better. Though an adult, the sheltered noblewoman had never seen the natural splendor of another world.
The clear blue sky and dense surrounding forest captivated Sakura, Illya, and Irisviel.
"Welcome to my world, Sakura."
Damien reached out, patting Sakura's head.
Without hesitation, she dove into his arms, nuzzling affectionately.
"…"
Illya watched, her eyes tinged with envy.
Learning from her mother about her father's abandonment, Illya was still grappling with pain and sorrow.
Thankfully, her mother was there for her.
Otherwise, Illya didn't know how she'd cope with the despair.
"You're Illya, right?"
"Nice to meet you. I'm Damien."
He crouched to meet Illya's gaze. "You can live in the castle as usual."
"If you get bored, you can come play in town."
Damien planned to make Einzbern Castle the Soul Guild's headquarters within the Void Ark.
The Void Ark would become his palace, accessible only to monsters he'd named.
Einzbern Castle's elegance perfectly suited his vision for a palace.
It just needed some renovations and expansion.
Violet would handle that.
Ugh…
Am I being too lazy, relying on Violet for everything?
The thought flickered, but Damien brushed it aside. What's this about relying? Violet and I are one and the same. Her work is my work!
What's that called?
It's called working to support myself!
"…"
Violet seemed to sense his thoughts, shooting him a faintly exasperated glance.
"Huh?"
Damien looked at her, but she was all calm. "Did you just…?"
"Nothing at all, Master."
"No, you definitely... "
"Really, nothing, Mas-ter!"
"Fine…"
Damien admitted that dumping everything on Violet wasn't exactly fair. "I'll work hard too."
"That'd be a big help, Master."
Clearly, Violet could be a bit cheeky.
Slacking was fine.
But leaving everything to her was a bit much.
[Foreign Lifeforms Detected]
[Scanning…]
The trio's arrival triggered a response from the Voice of the World.
However, they were merely recognized as otherworldly beings summoned by Damien.
They gained physical capabilities to function in the Cardinal World.
But that was it.
No Intrinsic Skills, Unique Skills... nothing.
[Irisviel (Unnamed)]
[Race: Flesh Golem]
[Magicule: 3,500 EP (C-rank)]
[Illyasviel (Unnamed)]
[Race: Flesh Golem]
[Magicule: 4,000 EP (C-rank)]
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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