Demonic Devourer's Development

"You see," I continued, grinning wildly, "I'm going to kill the bastards that call themselves gods. While I grow in my power to do the killing, you will do what you can to help me with that. Gather information on my opponents, help me pick targets… Your Bishop will be the one to direct you on that." I patted him on the shoulder, leaving a bloody smear on his robe. "He led you pretty well all these years, and I expect him to keep the same way."

"I'm most grateful to have that praise, my lord. I won't rest until your way to the goal is clear!" With a blaze in his eyes, Bishop knelt like the rest of the cultists. Then, he reached for the smear I left on him and with shaking, gnarled hand spread that blood over his lips like some weird lipstick.

I hoped he would dim on that reverence when we would be out of the cave again, because it was one thing to bask in it occasionally, and another to work with someone who, what? Baptised himself with leftovers of your dinner?

Ah, but that fear and my delight. This worshipping made me understand why some craved fame and admiration so much, and why others organised cults in their honour. Good for me that I could enjoy all that while also keeping my followers busy.

I left the party soon after that, since I said all I wanted to the cultists. Afterwards, I had instructions to pass on to Bishop and Yvenna directly. I tasked Yvenna with bringing me information on monsters and quests from the Guild—no need to bother Risha with that if Yvenna was available, and Bishop with finding me all he could about the bastards who called themselves gods. Their strengths, weaknesses, how to get to them, how to make them get to me (a less perfect option, since it won't kill them permanently, or even close to it, but killing a god in the mortal realm would strip them of most of their accumulated power, so it was a win for me either way).

Then, there was another matter, something I've been putting off for now.

'Pest, you told me you remember some spells that you can't cast because your magical abilities don't have a high enough level. Say, you level them up—what useful for me spells you will be able to cast?'

'Useful? Well, from the weakest ones, I know a spell that will create a barrier around your skin, like thin armour, but invisible and it has no weight. There's a spell that creates a flash of light that can dazzle your enemies. Spells that directly increase your stats, but they take more of magic manipulation… And when I level up my magic sensitivity, I'll be able to tell you if there's any magic traps ahead and stuff. There's even more, but I don't think you'd need a spell that lets you fall from any height without hurting yourself… Oh, and I'd be able to come up with more spells with time and experimenting. Maybe even the one that opens way to Heaven, you know…' Pest's voice grew sly. 'With enough EXP, Master.'

Damn, that sounded pretty useful. At least, when Pest described it… And his motivation to ask was pretty clear. Was it a good enough motivation? I supposed so.

'But you will be the one to cast all these spells. I will have to command you to do that, right, Pest?'

'That's how it goes. It's me who will be doing magic, after all. Even if you were under my control, like any normal monster-host, it'd still be me.'

This didn't sit as well with me, but as I thought more, I imagined that any normal mages—adventurers—won't be much of help to me. Why would the bastards that called themselves gods give people a key to their domain in a form of a spell? Pest was the only creature I knew that, if you believed him—and I ordered him not to lie—could come up with new spells of his own.

'Alright, Pest. How much EXP you said you need to cast the weakest of the useful spells?'

'Forty thousand. And I have zero, zero right now!'

'Well, grab these forty, level up what you need and report… But only when I would be awake this time, got it?'

Pest cackled. I was sure he enjoyed waking me up that morning... 'Yes, Master.'

What a pain in the ass. It was much more pleasant to do business with someone with nice voice and two boobs attached to their chest. Rosha, specifically. She already sold two of the eggs, and according to her words, was almost done with the third.

If you asked me, it would've been done ten times faster if she didn't haggle as much, but since two-thirds of this money were mine, I stayed patient. I already had thoughts in mind about how to spend this money. Using them all to buy cattle was one thing, but I thought about investing some in good adventure gear. Rosha's was great in quality, but my webs, as shiny and strong as they were, didn't give me any special bonuses I've seen high-end armour in the Guild's equipment store do.

It also costed enough to buy a fucking castle. Hey, that was an idea. I could buy a fucking castle, and hire myself servants… slaves, even—ones that won't be talking around about me, because of their contracts. Add some courtesans to that… And parties, with food and booze, music, decorations, and said courtesans dancing naked on the tables.

Since I was bound to spend most of my time travelling around the world's wildest places where all my comforts fit in my travelling bag, it was only fair if I spent my periods of rest in the most opulent, lavish manner I could imagine.

And speaking of that, I was due to meet Yvenna about the information on where I would go to hunt.