Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

Luna tiptoed to his rising and collapsing chest, doing her best not to make any noise and awaken him.

Once she reached him, she gently placed her hand over his heart, feeling its chaotic beating and the essence rampaging through his veins with a grimace.

Unlike the other demons, Adam had forcefully sent his energy on a rampage to boost his physique. Yet, the absence of any form of control also damaged him, slowly driving him to his inevitable death.

Gritting her teeth, she sent a surge of demonic essence into his heart, using one of her racial abilities and muttering, "You can't die now."

A second later, she closed her eyes, and a deep furrow creased her sweating brows. Even if her body remained unmoving, her mind and essence raced at maximum capacity as she invaded Adam's mind.

With his low tier and lack of mastery, she pierced through his mental defenses as if they didn't exist.

However, she struggled against the abyssal, chaotic essence gnawing at his sanity and trying to swallow her the moment she appeared. Yet, her eyes burned with determination. She would find and force him awake.

"Where are you?"

Her voice pierced through the swirling landscape as she craned her head left and right.

Finally, she saw a small patch of dimming light amidst the darkness. Hope swelling in her drumming heart, she rushed to it at maximum speed, knowing that each second wasted would bring him closer to death.

In three seconds, she reached and cradled the small light before her vision blurred as she invaded it.

****

When she recovered it a moment later, she found herself inside a strange, almost empty room.

Despite the closed curtains and the somber setting, fluorescent lights illuminated a strange device filled with square buttons she had never seen before.

But she had no time to examine it, the rectangular frame behind it, or the bizarre seat before the desk supporting everything. Instead, she raised her palm and channelled green flames to see a little better.

As the crackling enlivened the dreary place, she turned towards the bed and sighed in relief.

"There you are."

Without wasting a second, she rushed to his sleeping figure and shook him with all her strength.

"You don't have much time left. Wake up!"

However, he remained unresponsive, but she knew he was fighting his own battle. She could see it, too. The crumpled bed sheet, his white knuckles, and the sweat dripping from his forehead. But more importantly, the soft words he kept repeating.

"I'll protect everyone. I'll protect everyone. I'll protect everyone."

Her chest tightened, and her eyes watered at his determination. Even in this horrible state, he thought about his subjects more than himself.

"You did! The greater demon is dead, and everyone survived thanks to your effort. You're the only one in danger now, so save yourself and let's return together!"

She clasped his hands as she spoke, trying to loosen them while shaking his arms.

With each torturous second crawling by, she noticed his face twitch, then distort, comforting her that he could hear her.

"Urgh!"

Her beautiful eyes lit up with joy as a pained grunt replaced his mumbles, and his fingers opened.

"Now! Wake up!"

Exhilarated, she watched as he opened his eyes and held his forehead in confusion.

Sitting on his bed, the memories of everything that had happened rushed into his brain before a grin split his face despite the headache assaulting his brain.

"I knew you would return. I trusted you."

He felt her warm hand resting on his and saw her burning neck as he stumbled to his feet.

Meanwhile, a red blush coloring her face, she turned not to see his face and urgently explained the situation.

"Stop with the nonsense. You are dying, and even if we somewhat stop the process, you might suffer from long-lasting consequences if we waste time. I'll wake you up in the real world in a second and help you control your energy."

He nodded, the gravitas of the situation sinking as she vanished from his room.

Then, he gazed at his gaming set-up and ran his hand on his keyboard with a reminiscent smile.

"I didn't reach the master rank, but I'll make sure to break the scale here and surpass everyone."

As his words hung heavy in the air, he left his dreams and woke up in his bloated body.

A blood-curdling pain assaulted him the second he opened his eyes, causing him to grit his teeth. Yet, Luna's soft hand resting on his back helped him focus as a warm sensation spread.

"I'll open a path with my essence. Condense and guide yours to follow it!"

Using her voice as an anchor to fight the pain, he focused on her essence, feeling it drill through the chaotic knots.

Determination flashing in his eyes, he followed her advice, working to restore his body's demonic balance while enduring the pain.

His bulging muscles gradually recovered their normal appearance as he shortened. Sweat dripped from his forehead, the sound of his stifled screams still audible, yet he clung to life, unwilling to give up.

Torturous minutes, warped in his perception of time to equate days, passed in the process as he finally recovered his original 1.3-meter size.

The energy rampaging also calmed down, flowing like a serene river as he collapsed on his chest.

His breathing coming out in rags, he raised a shaky thumb and stuttered.

"T-thank you for your help, Luna."

However, she sneered, not at him but at herself, because in the end, Morwen was right. She had deserted when he had needed her the most.

As she bit her lips, unsure about what to say or how to act, his exhausted voice echoed.

"Well done on following my commands. The secret operation worked out... as planned."

"What secret operation? I betrayed you! Why aren't you angry? People almost died because of me!"

She roared back, finding the situation surreal. No one would be this accepting, no matter the species. So, why was he covering her mistake instead of blaming her?

"No. I shared this plan with you after we defeated the Bonecrusher Golems. I'm the only one responsible for the situation. So, stop worrying and smile!"

"You fool..."

Her heart raced against her chest as she finally understood. Her initial suspicions and assumptions about his goals and character were wrong because he was just that kind. A demon with a good heart, what an irony. Or was it one of the gods' cruel jokes?

A defeated sigh escaped her lips as her guilt-ridden heart warmed.

"We both know it's not true, and no one will believe you. But whatever. From today, count me as a loyal subject who'll actively help the territory. I'll teach the others how to use their energy more efficiently and train with them to improve our teamwork."

Echoing her genuine declaration, a notification that made his lips curl into a delighted smile resounded in his ears.

[Congratulations! Luna's loyalty increased by twenty-five points.]

Yet, another notification replaced it, shining golden sun rays on his bruised face.

[Congratulations on beating the impossible tenth wave! Lord remaining: Adam.]