Chapter 81

A red gem about the size of a fingernail.

No doubt about it.

It was a gem of the same form as the soul stone that had contained Tina's soul.

Ding.

[Empty Soul Stone]

[Category: Quest Item]

[Grade: Unique]

[A type of sealing device that can collect and seal the soul of a target. The soul can be collected when the target's consent is obtained or when the target is defeated.]

[If the target's consent is obtained: 100% chance of soul collection]

[If the target is defeated: Very low chance of soul collection]

[If the target's level is higher than the user's level, the soul cannot be collected.]

* Currently, no souls are sealed.

* If a soul is granted, the soul stone will be destroyed.

"Now that the successor has become a proper Demon Lord, I believe it is appropriate to take an interest in the creation of subordinates."

Just like the previous box, there was a book at the bottom this time as well.

[You have obtained a beginner puppet creation blueprint.]

[It is linked with the Demon Engineering skill.]

"Oh."

This gift contained items necessary for the creation of subordinates.

- The Demon King was a magician and an alchemist, right? It seems that the gift box mainly contains items related to creation.

'Come to think of it, the previous box contained a field boss radar.'

And even the blueprint for that radar was included.

It seemed that the gift box might have a concept centered around creation, as Drek suggested.

"A pure soul and a powerful body. Both are necessary to create a proper puppet."

Drek said this and looked at Carp's chest.

There, Tina and Mirage, in puppet mode, were peeking out with their faces, listening intently to Drek's words.

Seeing this, Drek smiled like a kind grandfather and continued.

"Hehe. If the successor is as great as the Demon King, you might create a puppet as magnificent as the ones left by the Demon King. Anyway, it's quite an impressive feat. According to ancient texts, operating two puppets simultaneously is extremely difficult..."

"Ah, that's true."

Carp nodded.

Indeed, it was written in Dretsch's puppetry skill.

[Dretsch's Puppetry Lv. 10 (Master)]

- Increases the stats of all subordinates by 150%.

- Increases the experience of all subordinates by 150%.

- Reduces the MP cost of summoning puppets by half.

* The Demon King's puppet can only be operated one at a time.

The phrase "can only be operated one at a time" was specified at the end of the skill description.

Drek was now referring to this part.

"Maybe the compatibility was good."

"Hmm. It's impressive. Perhaps this too is part of the great Demon King's arrangement. Oh, Arclam..."

Carp awkwardly laughed as he saw Drek suddenly praying to the sky.

Of course, the reason Carp could operate two puppets simultaneously had nothing to do with compatibility.

The restriction was lifted the moment he obtained Mirage, thanks to the unlock feature. As a result, Carp could now operate not just two, but all seven puppets simultaneously.

- Well, it would be a bit of a stretch to do so due to mana limitations... but by the time I get all seven, that should be resolved. Anyway, the unlock feature is insane. What are they trying to achieve by removing all the restrictions put in place to maintain balance?

'What are they trying to achieve? It's just too good. With a 10-star skill class, this level of power is appropriate. It's fitting for a game made by a renowned game developer. The balance is incredibly well-maintained.'

- There's only one game, Lase, so calling it a renowned game developer is a bit of a stretch...

While an 8-star skill and a 9-star skill differ by one level in terms of numbers, the power difference is not just one level. The same applies to 9-star and 10-star skills, which have a significant difference.

Even considering its unpredictable activation, it is undoubtedly a uniquely powerful skill.

"Well, then, I should tell you about the next relic."

Finally!

Creating puppets was merely a side task.

The main reason Carp sought out Drek was to obtain clues about the next relic.

"Please go ahead. I'm ready."

"Hehe. Seeing your enthusiasm makes this old man feel good. Hmm. How should I explain this..."

Drek paused slightly and continued with an ambiguous smile.

"Actually, there's no need to go through great lengths to find the next relic. The third relic is in our possession, the Arclam."

"Ah, it's similar to the situation with Tina, then."

Tina was also a relic in the possession of Arclam.

However, at that time, the location was a cemetery, which led to an outbreak of undead.

"This time, it's not like that. It's stored in a safe place with no threatening factors."

"Is that so? Where is it located, then?"

In response to Carp's question, Drek gave a slight wry smile.

His expression seemed to carry a sense of regret, as if wondering how things had come to this.

"Right in the basement of the Arclam Palace. To be precise, the old capital of the former Arclam Empire."

* * *

Over 800 years ago.

The Demon King Dretsch unified the Arclux continent and founded the Arclam Empire.

However, after losing the Faith War, the empire fragmented, and the name Arclam disappeared into the annals of history.

"But that doesn't mean the lineage of Arclam was completely severed. We managed to avoid complete destruction by deceiving the eyes of the Faith."

Although the vast empire fragmented into kingdoms, and those kingdoms further split into small states, the bloodline continued.

-That's strange. As far as I know, there's no country named Arclam in Lase.

As if hearing the Centaur's question, Drek continued.

"Of course, we now use a different name. It was an unavoidable choice to avoid the eyes of the Faith."

History is the record of the victors, so a defeated nation couldn't even maintain its name.

"The name of the kingdom is Ramark. It's a recombination of the name Arclam."

-Ah, I've heard of Ramark. So it's an anagram of Arclam. It was probably a small country squeezed between powerful nations.

Currently, the Arclux continent is balanced by four major countries.

The knight nation of 'Gilliant Empire' in the south of the continent.

The mage kingdom of 'Zenonia' in the north.

The holy nation of 'Saint Rhul' in the west.

And the neutral nation of 'Lundaria Federation' in the east, where all players, including Carp, start.

'Wait, so all players are part of the Lundaria Federation?'

-That's not the case. The Lundaria Federation is a neutral nation, so you can easily move to other countries if you wish. Usually, after completing the second job advancement.

Of course, it's also possible to stay in the Lundaria Federation without leaving.

While the beginner city of Reichen was a tutorial space, the Lundaria Federation was a place where beginners learned about the game before their second job advancement.

The more serious stage begins after the second job advancement.

Currently, the Kingdom of Ramark is a small country sandwiched between the Gilliant Empire and the Lundaria Federation.

"The name of the third relic is Lindor of the Dark Army. He was a Death Knight who led an army of the dead."

"Death Knight!"

-Knights, dopplegangers, and now a Death Knight. The Demon King, you have unpredictable tastes.

The name alone exuded immense power.

After all, no one bearing the title of Death Knight was ever weak.

"That's great. So, I just need to go to the Kingdom of Ramark, right?"

"Exactly. However, the third relic has one flaw."

"Flaw?"

Carp understood why Drek had paused ambiguously when he heard Drek's next words.

"Currently, Lindor's soul stone is destroyed. Therefore, the successor must find a new soul to grant to Lindor's body."

Ding.

[The Demon King's Relic (3)]

[Category: Job Scenario Quest]

[Quest Restriction: One who inherits the will of the Demon King]

[Through consistent growth, you have earned the qualification to obtain the third relic. However, unfortunately, the soul stone of the third relic could not withstand the passage of time. Find a soul to replace Lindor's soul.]

[Quest Success: Proceed to the next quest]

[Quest Failure: Seal the Demon King's third relic]

* * *

"So, you're saying to use the soul stone for this."

-Now that I think about it, it did seem a bit odd. It doesn't make sense to use a soul stone just to create a beginner puppet. It's like the belly button is bigger than the belly.

According to Drek, there was no blueprint for creating a soul stone.

The soul stone currently given to Carp was the only one left from the 800 years ago when Dretsch created it. Using such a precious item for a beginner puppet was absurd.

"What a pity. Lindor was a quiet but kind-hearted knight... and now he's gone."

"Lindor is gone... I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"Everything has an end. May his final journey be peaceful."

Tina and Mirage were slightly saddened by the news of Lindor's disappearance but didn't grieve deeply.

It seemed their concept of death was a bit