The staircase leading to the 102nd floor was within the castle.
As we descended the well-maintained stairs to the lower levels, a bright light began to emerge from below. The entire floor was made of highly durable crystal, specifically designed for combat training and other rigorous activities. Since there wasn't any need for other functions, the floor was quite barren.
Accompanied by Elrodea, my assistant, all of my subordinates followed me as we entered the 102nd floor.
Inside the arena, Gregor, a creature I had created, was waiting. This beast, an S-ranked monster, had a unique setting that allowed it to revive just one minute after being defeated. Gregor, standing at a towering 4 meters with massive arms and legs, looked like an imposing beast straight out of a nightmare. Its appearance was reminiscent of that of a minotaur, complete with intimidating horns and a pair of giant swords gripped in its hands. As soon as it caught sight of us, it let out a bone-chilling roar that echoed through the arena.
Even as its creator, I couldn't help but feel a shiver of fear run down my spine.
Maybe I went too far in creating such a terrifying creature just to test my subordinates' strength... A humanoid training golem would've sufficed, right?
There are so many creatures in my arsenal that I haven't even explored yet, so it wouldn't have been strange to find one with a less horrifying appearance.
As I gazed at Gregor, my legs involuntarily took a step back.
"Um... Rafaena, if you would..."
"Understood. I will demonstrate the power that you have entrusted to me, Master."
"Mary, could you also be ready, just in case?"
"Do you need me to fight as well?"
"No, it's for healing, in case Rafaena gets into trouble. Just a precaution."
It's not that I don't trust my subordinates, but I need to be prepared. I can't afford to lose her in a sudden turn of events.
Rafaena, a delicate woman dressed in a nun's habit, began to walk toward the colossal creature that was nearly three times her size. Despite the overwhelming presence of Gregor, she showed no signs of fear. Instead, she began to taunt the beast.
In response to her provocation, Gregor roared again and charged forward, raising his massive swords to strike. Though I initially thought its large size would slow it down, the beast's attack was surprisingly swift. But Rafaena effortlessly dodged the blow, her habit fluttering gracefully as garters and thigh-high stockings briefly peeked out from a slit in her robe.
Then, with one hand raised, she unleashed her only combat spell toward Gregor.
"Devastating Breath: Pain Blow!"
"Graaaahhhh!!!!"
Her spell exploded with tremendous force against Gregor's side, sending its massive body flying across the arena and crashing into the wall. As Gregor struggled to recover, Rafaena prepared for her next spell.
"Lightning Hell: Hell Lightning!"
The spell's power was as overwhelming as her emotionless incantation. A storm of lightning bolts rained down on Gregor, shattering the arena floor with their sheer force. By the time the thunder subsided, Gregor was already motionless.
She defeated it in just two hits.
There was no fear or hesitation in Rafaena's expression as she chanted her spells. Her calm demeanor was almost unnerving. With such a display, I found it hard to gauge Gregor's true strength. But considering that Gregor was an S-ranked monster, defeating it meant that my subordinates could likely handle even a hero's minions.
As Gregor's body dissolved into black smoke and dispersed into the air, I knew it wouldn't be long before a new Gregor was reborn.
Rafaena, having completed her task, returned to me and knelt.
"Master, have I proven my strength worthy of a guardian?"
"Of course! I didn't expect you to defeat it so easily; I'm honestly impressed."
"Your praise honors me, Master."
Now, who should go next? Harumena or Altrius? Altrius is a dragonoid, a dragon-human hybrid, with immense physical strength. I've heard that she's exceptionally powerful, relying on brute force in combat. The weapon I assigned to her is the Death Scythe, a massive black scythe as tall as she is. With such a formidable weapon, she should have no trouble handling an opponent that Rafaena just defeated.
So, the one whose combat abilities I need to assess first is...
"Alright, Harumena, you're up next."
"As you wish."
I wonder how Harumena, a succubus, will fight. Given that she's specialized in magic, her attacks might be similar to Rafaena's. Could she also end the battle with just two hits?
The interval for Gregor's revival ended, and the same black smoke reappeared, coalescing into its familiar form.
As Gregor let out its resurrection roar, Harumena took action, spreading the bat-like wings from her hips wide and gliding swiftly toward Gregor. She closed the distance quickly, adjusting her stance as Gregor swung its massive swords at her. But before the blades could reach her, she placed a hand on Gregor's body and whispered a spell.
"Void Hole."
In an instant, a gaping hole appeared in Gregor's torso. The beast's blood and organs spilled out from the gaping wound, dropping to the ground as gravity took hold.
Gregor collapsed without even a final cry, disintegrating into black smoke.
As Harumena gracefully flew back, she landed elegantly with a satisfied smile on her face.
"It's done."
Wait a minute.
Are these girls too strong?
Is Gregor really that powerful? According to the settings, it should be, but seeing it defeated so quickly makes me doubt that a little.
"It seems your subordinates are indeed powerful," Elrodea commented suddenly.
"Is this because of my abilities as the administrator?"
"Yes. The strength of the subordinates you create is influenced by your own power. The stronger the administrator, the stronger the subordinates."
So, because I'm a Demon Lord, are my subordinates this powerful?
I should probably still see Altrius in action, but it's starting to feel unnecessary.
Gregor revived once more, and when Altrius stepped forward, she defeated it with a single strike, just like Harumena. In fact, Altrius was even faster. By the time I blinked, Gregor's body had already been torn apart, disintegrating into smoke in the blink of an eye.
It all happened so fast that I couldn't even follow her movements. It was over in a flash.
"...Amazing."
I never realized Altrius was this powerful.
As her brilliant, lightning-fast attack ended, my awe-filled voice was accompanied by a frustrated sigh from Harumena beside me.
"I didn't expect to be this strong either. The influence of the Demon Lord's power is astounding. There's nothing to say but 'impressive.'"
Though Cornelia praised me, I felt a bit embarrassed since I hadn't actually done anything.
I turned to Mary, who had been on standby, just in case.
"Mary, I'm sorry to have made you prepare for nothing."
"It's alright, Master. It's always better to be prepared, and I'm glad everyone is safe."
Mary, a dryad with plants growing from her body, answered with a relieved smile.
"Master! If it pleases you, I'd also like to fight Gregor. I want you to see my strength, and I want to know just how powerful I really am."
Cornelia fixed her gaze on Gregor, who had revived once more, and spoke firmly.
The determination in her voice conveyed that she needed to prove herself worthy of recognition.
"Understood. Then show me your strength. But be careful."
Once again, I asked Mary to prepare. Cornelia, who began to approach Gregor, was a mage. Would she use the dark magic typical of the dark elves, or perhaps the wood and wind magic she had displayed earlier on the way here? While I believed that I had grown closer to Cornelia, I still didn't know much about her-what kind of person she truly was or just how skilled she might be.
She was the first person I met in this world and the one who saved my life. I should try to learn more about her since I'll be relying on her a lot in the future.
Gregor noticed Cornelia as she drew closer.
As the distance between them narrowed, Gregor let out a thunderous roar, charging toward her. The distance closed rapidly, and he swung his right arm with surprising speed for someone so large. Cornelia elegantly dodged, stepping back to create space, but Gregor wasn't going to let her off that easily. He swung his massive sword from the left, but she dodged it just as gracefully. Now, it was Cornelia's turn to strike.
At close range, she cast a spell aimed at testing his defenses-not powerful enough to defeat him in one blow, but enough to inflict some damage on his muscular frame.
"Flame Burst!"
The explosion's roar and intense heat spread throughout the area, causing Gregor to stagger backward. His abdomen, hit directly by the spell, had its outer layer scorched, and the short fur covering his body was singed black.
However, the attack didn't seem to deal significant damage, as Gregor immediately lunged at Cornelia again. He raised his massive arms and brought them down in a heavy swing toward her. The force of his attack was so intense that I could hear the wind slicing through the air. Unable to dodge in time, Cornelia conjured a barrier to temporarily block the attack.
"To think she has mastered barrier magic-how intriguing," Elrodea mused beside me.
"Is barrier magic really that rare?" I asked.
"Barrier magic isn't something typically learned. Only a select few can master it. I've mentioned the nature of this world to you before how monsters don't exist outside of dungeons."
"Yes..."
"That means that in normal life, barrier magic isn't necessary. That's why it's not widely known, and most don't know how to acquire it. It's simply not part of this world's common knowledge. However, in wars between nations or conflicts involving the Demon King and the Hero, magic is used. Unlike other types of magic, barrier magic can only be learned from someone who has already mastered it. Both the hero and the demon king are born with the ability to use it. Their followers typically learn it from them, gaining the means to protect themselves during battles. However, she hasn't yet learned this magic from you, the Demon King."
That's true. I didn't even know such magic existed, so I couldn't have taught it to her.
"So, the fact that she knows this magic means she was either a soldier in a national army or..."
"A follower of the hero...?"
If that's the case, then...
Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass caught my attention. I looked over to see that Cornelia's barrier had been shattered by Gregor's strike. Although she seemed momentarily shaken, it appeared she had anticipated this outcome. She quickly evaded with magic just before the barrier broke. After retreating a short distance, Cornelia launched another spell at Gregor before he could attack again.
"Snake Bind!"
A thin layer of black smoke appeared at Gregor's feet, which then transformed into countless snake-like forms that coiled around his body. The restraint was so powerful that the mighty Gregor couldn't move at all. No matter how hard he struggled to shake them off, the snakes only tightened their grip, drawing anguished roars from him.
Having kept a safe distance, Cornelia prepared to end the battle, casting a spell far stronger than her previous one.
"Hell Flame Burst!"
The intensity was overwhelming. Black flames erupted from her, surging toward Gregor. The roar and the ground-shaking impact sent a massive column of black fire shooting upward, engulfing Gregor entirely. The sight of the black flames was both eerie and terrifying.
The beast's scream was chilling to the core. Unable to move, Gregor was consumed by the flames until his body was reduced to ash, disappearing into the black smoke.
Cornelia, slightly out of breath, returned to my side.
"How was that, my lord?"
"Cornelia, you're more than strong enough. I can confidently entrust you with this."
Even as I said this, I couldn't shake the thoughts from my conversation with Elrodea. The matter of the barrier magic-it's difficult to bring up directly with her, but I need to know more.
"Now that we've assessed everyone's combat abilities, let's return to the castle and discuss our future plans."
"Yes, we need to establish a solid foundation for defense and living arrangements first, right?"
Leaving the defeated Gregor behind, we decided to head back to the castle. I set aside my concerns about Cornelia for now, focusing on the tasks that needed to be done first.