Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

Chapter 967- Acquiring Few Henchmen

Demonic sigils and banners bearing the insignia of high ranking demon nobles marked the encampment. Fluttering in the wind above them all, was one flag more ominous and majestic than the others— the Demon Lord of Envy's banner.

Simon narrowed his eyes, he was finally here. The Demon Lord of Envy, the Second Apex War, the Seraphim of Honor… the historia will soon start to move and the events of the past will be reenacted once again.

He needed to prevent that to clear the trial. Taking a steadying breath, he flew down and approached the gates of the horde's fortress.

As the entire valley was covered in a powerful magical array, anything foreign that flew up was quickly shot down making the place an anti flight area. Thanks to that, Simon had to approach the place on foot.

"You there human, halt!!"

When he arrived before the stronghold, he was met with a sight that was both intimidating and grotesque. Two massive trolls stood guard at the entrance, their towering frames appearing intimidating and unshakeable.

But it was not only that, unlike your standard trolls, the ones standing guard near the entrance were Mutants. Beings who deviated from the standard of their race and mutated into much stronger species. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Nightmarish in appearance, their skin a dark obsidian, leathery and covered in jagged scars. Their muscles bulged grotesquely, veins pulsing beneath their skin and their breath heavy and rumbling.

The two trolls carried weapons that seemed as oversized as they were—one wielded a massive club studded with rusted iron spikes, while the other gripped a crude but deadly-looking axe, its blade chipped and crusted with dark stains.

The one who spoke was the one with the club.

"Human, why have you come here? Are you mad, or just eager to die?".

Simon stood his ground and answered "I've come under the orders of Duke Vordanaz. He told me to join the horde and speak his name. He said you would let me pass."

At the mention of Vordanaz's name, the trolls exchanged a glance, they seemed to be fully aware of who the human was talking about.

"Duke Vordanaz..." the troll with the axe grunted "He doesn't send humans our way. But if he gave you his name, then you must be something unusual."

He seemed to be scrutinising Simon. It was said that trolls were a race that had inherently low intelligence and high physical and magical abilities. But judging from the voice and words, they seem to hold quite some intelligence.

"You may pass, human," The second troll gave way.

That said, given how easily they trusted him, it appeared that even after mutating, the inherent troll like trait didn't disappear.

Simon entered the demon horde's encampment, but instead of directly seeking Demon Duke Vordanaz, he roamed the camp at random, taking in the sights and making mental notes of the layout.

He wanted to get a feel for this place, to observe its structure and gauge its strength before meeting with the Duke.

Wherever he went, the reactions were immediate and hostile. Monster of all shapes and sizes turned their heads, their eyes narrowing as they caught sight of him.

Low growls, whispered curses and sneering remarks followed him. A human in the middle of the Demon Lord's camp was like a rabbit wandering through a den of wolves. The demons gave him unpleasant, threatening looks, their malice palpable.

He was an outlier, an intruder. It was only a matter of time before he invited trouble. And trouble found him sooner than expected.

Simon continued his stroll, feigning nonchalance, but his senses were on high alert. It was then he felt a powerful presence, accompanied by several lesser but still formidable energies closing in on him.

A group stood before Simon, led by a tall, imposing figure—a Demon Earl. The others around him, all clearly subordinates, exuded a bloodthirsty aura. Their expressions were a mix of curiosity and contempt as they looked over him.

"Well, well, what do we have here? A human, wandering our camp without chains or collars? Now, this is unexpected" The Demon Earl sneered.

Just like how the group was observing him, Simon was sizing them up too. Demon Viscounts, perhaps a few Demon Barons. Their power levels were clear to him even at a glance.

 They were formidable by ordinary standards, but to him, they were no real threat. The Earl was the only one who was somewhat powerful, but even he was one whole rank below him.

In demon hierarchy, ranks were absolute. Unless one was a freak like Simon, no demon could defy that. That said, currently he was in the form of a human and reigning in all of his aura. Hence the confusion.

"Oi, Sir Melkan is speaking to you, why aren't you answering?"

The demon henchmen around the Demon Earl cussed. But even after all that, they got no reply from him. Heck, the human wasn't even facing them when they were talking to him.

Slightly angered, the demon earl named Melkan gestured one of his subordinates "Go on, see what this slave is doing here".

 From his tone, it was clear that he was assuming Simon was nothing more than a captured human, perhaps the property of some demon noble.

The henchman ordered, stepped forward brimming with arrogance. "Hey, you" When he was close enough to the human, he put his hands on the other party's shoulder and forced them to turn around.

 "Where do you think you're roaming, slave? Where are your collars and chains? Who is your master…?"

The henchman was unable to complete his sentence as the rest of it got stuck in his throat. He arched his head and looked up. He didn't realise it earlier but now that he was face to face with the human, he realised that he had to look up to see the other party's face.

The demon's confidence wavered, as a demon viscount he stood at a height of 1.90 metres which could easily dwarf most of the humans of this world.

However, the one standing in front of him, even at a glance stood a full head taller than him.