The Author's POV

I knew that whatever lay ahead would be a stark contrast to how I had left it back then. But nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to witness.

"Holy fuck."

The words escaped my lips before I could even think to stop them. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I turned to look at Brutus, who was standing next to me and noticed that he had the same expression as I had. 

Or at least, thought I had. 

"What is this?"

He asked, his voice filled with what could only be described as shock.

Knowing that I wasn't the only one feeling this sense of shock, I grinned.

'It's nice to know that I'm not shocked just because I'm biased.' 

I pressed my hand against his shoulder and took in the view in front of me. 

"This, my friend, is Immorra." 

While muttering those words, my breath caught in my throat, and my heart started racing. Although I had just recently communicated with Silug and had even made the others go to Immorra, I never actually went there myself.

I hadn't stepped foot in the place yet. 

This was the first time in a very long time that I had visited this place, and the sheer magnitude of everything that was in front of me was so overwhelming that I could not help but stare in disbelief.

'The barrier looks sturdy as well.' 

A shimmering energy barrier that radiated an otherworldly hue encircled the city. When I reached out with my hand to touch it, a faint ripple spread throughout. 

'It can definitely hold out well against a Duke rank.' 

I wasn't too sure about Prince Rank. 

I had to test it. 

'Still, what's more impressive is the city…' 

The towering skyscrapers that stood at the heart of Immorra were sleek and shiny, their surfaces reflecting the neon lights that illuminated the streets below. 

But it wasn't just the buildings that caught my eye.

The streets were bustling with activity, with orcs, elves, and dwarves all going about their business. I watched in amazement as they moved about their day, their lives intertwined in a way that I had never seen before.

And then there were the trees.

'...My god.' 

They encircled some of the buildings, and some were just as tall as the skyscrapers themselves. Their leaves rustled gently in the breeze, and I couldn't help but marvel at the sight.

Further into the city, the buildings became taller and more imposing, their architecture a testament to the ingenuity of the city's engineers and designers. 

'This really the same place?' 

I couldn't help but marvel at the sheer scale of it all.

But it wasn't just the buildings that impressed me.

The most striking feature of the city was the imposing city walls that encircled it. Made of reinforced steel and towering high into the sky, the walls were rather imposing.

"This is definitely a nice improvement over what they were before..." 

I couldn't help but feel a sense of security as I gazed up at them, knowing that they were protecting the city from any potential threats.

And then, as if to further solidify the fact that this was no longer the same Immorra of my memories…

I felt it.

"Mana"

It was thin, but it was there.

Layers of it lingered in the air, and I could feel its power coursing through me. And then, as if that wasn't enough, I caught sight of several psyons floating in the air above me.

"They actually did it."

I muttered to myself, in awe of what I was witnessing.

A while back, Jomnuk told me that the elves knew of a way to create mana.

I hadn't put much thought into it at the time, but now I realize just how significant this was.

The fact that they had managed to create a city that was alive with mana was beyond what I had expected, and it filled me with a sense of wonder.

"It's still on the thin side, but it's here..."

I whispered to myself, unable to tear my gaze away from the city before me.

For a moment, I was lost in my thoughts, my mind racing with all of the possibilities that this city held. 

And then, as if to snap me out of my reverie, I heard the soft flap of a pair of wings.

"Y,you're finally here." 

"Suriol."

When I turned my gaze, my eyes paused on a familiar demon, and my eyes opened up a bit. As soon as I looked at the demon in front of me, the shock that I had previously felt from the city vanished almost instantly.

The state in which he was in. 

It… It wasn't good. 

He appeared to be very shriveled, and even standing in front of me appeared to be a challenge for him. When I looked at him, a variety of conflicting feelings flooded over me, and I decided to approach him.

"It looks like you've had it rough." 

He gave me a sour smile but didn't say a word. It seemed like speaking was too much of a hurdle for him in his present state. He eyed me with some trepidation.

"H.. have you?" 

"Don't worry." 

I patted him on the shoulder and looked at the city. 

"You've done a good job. It's right that you get what I promised you. Here." 

When I removed the core that belonged to Prince Kuzma, Suriol's expression changed immediately and became more upbeat.

"T,thank you!" 

He took the core from my hand and hastily brought it to his mouth. 

A change took place almost instantaneously, and the atmosphere all around us became thick with demonic energy. 

It didn't take long for Suriol's emaciated body to start making a full recovery, and his eyes, which only a few moments ago appeared to be cloudy, made a speedy recovery.

During the time that this was going on, I whirled around to face Brutus. His eyes flashed me an expression of sudden comprehension, and he nodded his head in my direction.

I nodded back. 

'It looks like there won't be any problems.' 

Good. 

"Hahahaha." 

A boisterous and cheerful laugh brought me back, and when I turned my head, I witnessed Suriol jumping up and down with joy, laughing like a maniac. 

"…" 

It was a sight that made it difficult for me to find the right words to describe it, and even Brutus was rendered speechless by his behavior.

But the demon in question didn't seem to care as he flapped his wings and flew into the air. 

Swoosh! 

His speed was extremely fast, and not only did he seem to be a lot faster than the last time that I fought him, but it also seemed as though his strength had undergone a significant transformation.

"Oh? Congratulations on your breakthrough." 

I broke into a grin as soon as I realized what had taken place, and Suriol materialized in front of me not long after. His demeanor as a whole had altered, but the sparkle in his eyes was just as strong as before.

"Thank you…" 

His gaze… 

He almost seemed touched at the moment, and I found that rather amusing to see. 

"For a very long time, I've been attempting to work my way up to the Prince rank... I tried all sorts of methods to get there, but none of them were successful."

Duke, no, Prince Suriol stared right at me as he continued. 

"I had almost given up hope when I was brought to this planet to look out over it, but who could have predicted that I would eventually be able to get there after nearly dying?" 

"What can I say? The diligent get rewarded." 

Just before I sent Silug and his army to earth, I had a conversation with him, and during that conversation, he informed me of all of the contributions that Suriol had made. 

He detailed to me how Suriol had taken charge of the administrative matters of the city and handled everything to the greatest possible extent.

'Who would've thought it was by this much?'

Initially, I didn't give it much thought and just wanted to thank him for his hard work, but after I saw the condition of the city, I realized that the reward I had given him was probably not enough after what he had done to the city. 

I was honestly extremely pleased with the result. 

"I'm very pleased with your work. Keep up the good work, and I'll think of giving you another reward." 

I flashed Prince Plintus's core at him, and Suriol's expression hardened. 

"You… you have another one?" 

I smiled at him. 

"Just do as you're told." 

"O,okay." 

Silug nodded with a stiff face. 

'Good.' 

I didn't just flash him the core for the sake of making him work harder. 

It was also a warning to him. 

A warning that Prince ranked demons were not something that I couldn't handle anymore. I believed he was going to be faithful to me, but several events that transpired in my life taught me not to put too much faith in anyone besides a select few. 

If any. 

"Ah, right!" 

Suriol pounded his closed fist against the surface of his open palm as if suddenly recalling something important. 

"What is it?" 

I asked, curious about his sudden behavior. 

Looking at me, Suriols' wings expanded. 

"Wait here for a moment. I've got something to report." 

Swoosh! 

His figure disappeared from where he was standing, and the area around me turned quiet. Staring in the direction of where he was headed, I turned around to look at Brutus. 

"So, what do you think?" 

"About the demon?" 

"No, the city." 

"…It's good." 

Brutus spoke quietly after a short pause.

Although he had a neutral expression on his face, I could tell from the sparkle in his eyes that he found the city to be more enjoyable than he was letting on.

I couldn't help but grin at that, and my lips were just about to move when Suriol made his way back into view.

"I'm back." 

"This?" 

When I turned my head, I was shocked to see him holding a demon in his hands. Suriol brought him forward. 

"I caught him snooping a while back and was wondering about what we should do with him? As I did not know what to do with him in your absence, I kept him alive, but now that you are present, I await your instructions."