Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

"Nothing's decided yet, but considering the importance of mobility, it might be better for Nathan to keep using the flute. The wyvern may have more attack power, but it's slower. The pegasus is better suited for escaping quickly."

"What? So Nathan is going to keep both?"

"No, he might transfer the wyvern instead of the flute."

"…?"

Rachel tilted her head in confusion. How could Nathan transfer the wyvern, a tamed monster, to someone else? It's not like it was an item. Ethan smirked and explained.

"A Tamer can transfer ownership of a monster they've tamed to another person."

"…!"

Rachel's eyes widened in shock. That statement implied two things. One, that as long as there was a Tamer, there was no need to covet flying items. And two, that with enough time and resources, it was possible to create an entire flying division. The latter was especially significant—it hinted at the creation of a strategic weapon capable of changing the entire course of the war.

As if she were silently asking if it was really possible, Rachel stared at me, and I smiled back.

"There's no rule saying you can't create an air force in a fantasy world, right?" I said, recalling how I had done that in World Rebuild.

It was truly an ambitious plan. So ambitious that, for now, all they could manage was just taking the first step.

"Well, even if we talk about an air force, it's going to be a long time before it becomes a reality. We don't even have a proper mount for the ground yet, so going off to find flying monsters right away doesn't make sense." Justin stated, looking over his companions.

"Ah... now that I think about it, you're right," replied one of them.

The beginning would have to be something simpler—taming regular monsters to use as shields. From there, once they found suitable creatures to serve as mounts, they could establish a cavalry unit. Only after gaining enough experience from running a cavalry could they even think about an air force. As it stood, they hadn't even found proper ground mounts, so it was still a distant dream.

'But even the fact that we can run test flights before that distant future comes is a promising achievement,' Justin thought, although he tried to sound humble to temper expectations. It was hard, though, to suppress the smile creeping onto his face.

For now, he couldn't fully control the creatures, but that wouldn't take much longer. As long as Nathan continued to level up, full taming would soon be within their grasp.

"Kreee!" came a screech from nearby.

"Yeah, yeah, I haven't forgotten about you. Don't worry," Justin said, turning his attention to the wyvern with a satisfied smile. Next to him, the dragon Fafnir let out a jealous roar, clearly feeling left out.

With a chuckle, Justin patted Fafnir on the head. "So, when are you going to grow up, huh? I'd like to ride you through the skies one day too."

"No matter how much you wish for it, I think you're being a bit greedy," Zachary said with a wry smile.

"Isn't a fully grown dragon something that rivals a level-90 boss? If the system is logical, it won't let you grow it that quickly," he continued.

"That's true," Justin nodded in agreement, though another possibility crossed his mind. Fafnir could already use a weakened version of a skill reserved for full-grown dragons. So unlike in games, where growth happens after a set number of turns, perhaps Fafnir could grow gradually. Even if he didn't become as powerful as a full-grown dragon, it would be amazing if he could grow enough to be used as a mount.

With that thought, Justin's eyes glimmered with excitement as he continued to stroke Fafnir, imagining the future.

"Since you're so full of energy, should I give you some work to do? I've been concerned about the tension among the residents," Justin said, casting a glance at Derek.

"Come on, don't be like that. I need to rest too," Derek replied, waving his hands dismissively as he stepped back.

After sending his companions away, Justin finally returned to the castle's bedchamber for a moment of respite. The lack of proper sleep since the previous day had left him feeling utterly drained.

"Man, it's times like this that make me envy warriors who invest in physical stats," he muttered to himself. Though his body ached for rest, there was still one more task he had to finish.

He called up his inventory and pulled out the item he had just received:

〈Invitation to the Ten Thousand Demon War〉

Type: Consumable itemDescription: An invitation from the Four Grand Dukes. Tearing this summons your soul to the battlefield of the Ten Thousand Demon War. Invitations are always given with proper etiquette, but this one represents submission, not formality.Other: Non-transferable and cannot be discarded.

Reading the item's description, Justin couldn't help but laugh. The system was openly admitting it now. This invitation itself was proof that even the Four Grand Dukes were wary of him.

'At level 30, they don't even need to summon me forcibly. Just like when I was at level 25, they could simply call me to the battlefield. But they've given me the choice this time for one reason only,' Justin thought, smirking to himself.

The fact that they were being so cautious, even about something trivial, meant they feared upsetting him. The aftermath of the last time they forcibly summoned him, nearly causing their destruction, was still fresh. But more than that, they wanted his approval.

'Honestly, I'd like to make them sweat a little until tomorrow,' he mused, but there wasn't much point in dragging it out, other than to mess with them. The Four Grand Dukes were already on the edge. The conditions wouldn't change whether he went now or later.

With that in mind, Justin tore the invitation in half with a satisfying rip.

"Ding! You have used the 'Invitation to the Ten Thousand Demon War'."

Your journey continues at empire

"Ding! You will now enter the battlefield as a guest."

As his vision was engulfed in darkness, Justin felt the familiar sensation wash over him.

"It's exactly the same as before," Justin muttered as he opened his eyes to the new scenery.

It wasn't the lava-filled domain of Kargaron, nor the noisy chamber where the three dukes had once forcibly summoned him. No, the violet sky and the grand coliseum were identical to his first visit.

His gaze wandered momentarily before landing on a figure nearby.

"I got your invitation," Justin said nonchalantly.

『....』

"You're not sending a shadow today? Done playing the mysterious mastermind?" he added, his tone teasing.

This time, the Four Grand Dukes were not hiding behind avatars or shadows. They had appeared in their true forms, watching him closely. It seemed they had no intention of maintaining the heavy atmosphere like before. Or rather, perhaps they simply didn't have the luxury to act dignified.

The first to speak was Abraxas, the Duke of Deception.

『Have you decided which of us will receive your blessing?』

"Hm."

Jumping straight to the point, huh? Justin noted their impatience, observing their nervous expressions.

"I'm still thinking about it," Justin said, pretending to be deep in thought as he casually scanned the four grand figures before him. His actions were deliberate, more to toy with them than anything else. But then, something caught his eye.

While the other grand dukes were clearly tense, Kargaron was looking at him with eager anticipation.

'What's his deal?'

Kargaron, the Duke of Violence and Bloodshed, had been the one to forcibly summon Justin in the past, trying to manipulate him. He was the only duke who had failed to grasp the power on display during the trial of authority. Of all the dukes, Justin had the most reason to despise Kargaron.

'He should be the one sweating bullets right now. So why…?'

As the thought crossed his mind, Justin came up with a hypothesis. To test it, he muttered softly under his breath.

"Physical stats…."

『...!』

『...!』

With just those two words, the atmosphere among the dukes shifted drastically. The other three stared at him in shock, while Kargaron broke into a wide grin.

That was all the confirmation Justin needed. His hypothesis had been correct.

With a short laugh, Justin glared at the grand dukes. "You guys… you can monitor what we pioneers are doing, can't you?"

『Th-there's no way! What kind of nonsense is that?!』

『You fool!』Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Kargaron's fierce denial was followed by Abraxas's panicked reaction. They were caught.

If Justin had been wrong, they would have reacted with confusion, not anger. The fact that they lashed out in denial only confirmed the truth.

"So that's how it is." Justin's lips curled into a cold smile.

Now that he knew the truth, there was no need to continue playing games with them. He wouldn't bother with long explanations or try to draw things out.

Justin sat down on a nearby fallen rock, exuding arrogance as he spoke, "Hand over the Apostle of Eternity. Or die trying."