Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

A warlock's effectiveness depends entirely on their supply of sacrifices. If they can reliably obtain sacrifices to recharge their magic, they become a well-rounded powerhouse, with solid firepower and quick recharge times. However, when the supply of sacrifices runs dry, they're nothing more than an elemental mage with poor sustainability, despite having decent firepower.

'And the higher their level, the worse this becomes,' Justin thought.

Unlike in the early stages, later-stage monsters are powerful enough to inflict critical injuries on pioneers in the blink of an eye. So, trying to keep these dangerous creatures alive just to serve as sacrifices for the warlock? That's a surefire way to get killed by being too reckless. In reality, the entire team ends up sacrificing themselves for the warlock. And no pioneer is going to take that lightly.

There are only two ways to solve this problem:

'Either hunt strong monsters that give a large amount of experience in short, intense bursts, or do what I did: form an elite team, minimize experience sharing, and make it easier to gather sacrifices.'

Both approaches are risky. The former means constantly fighting enemies stronger than yourself, and the latter means you're likely to die in the process of becoming an elite force. In the end, a warlock who values their own life will always be treated like garbage.

'Well, I powered through the toughest part of becoming elite by leveling up rapidly with skeletons early on,' Justin thought with a chuckle, glancing around at the frozen expressions of the Grand Dukes.

After a brief pause, he spoke again.

"When I first came here, I already knew how warlocks would be treated."

『....』

"And yet, I kept talking to you lot to teach you some reality. After all, a deal can't be made if the weaker side doesn't realize they're at a disadvantage."

When both sides understand their positions, deals can be made. But if someone doesn't know they're at a disadvantage and tries to act tough, the deal falls apart. That's why Justin had gone through the trouble of playing these mind games. To show, with a confident face, that he was the one with the advantage.

"But now I s『Yes, by the time the second wave ended, we aee it wasn't necessary. You already knew your position from the start, didn't you?"

lready knew that every warlock regretted their choice,』 Abraxas admitted.

『Abraxas! You traitorous bastard…!』

『Shut up!』

The other Grand Dukes snarled at Abraxas for revealing this, but he continued, unfazed.

『It was a nightmare. Our entire existence revolves around supporting the growth of warlocks. But if that purpose disappears, who knows what will happen to us?』

"What do you mean, 'what will happen'? The system will get rid of you. Why pretend you don't know that?" Justin replied coolly.

『You cursed brat.』

Abraxas grimaced as if Justin had pointed out a truth they'd been trying to avoid.

『I hate to admit it, but you're right. If we lose our purpose, we'll most likely be discarded. The higher powers above us have always operated that way.』

Abraxas's words caused the other Grand Dukes to freeze. It was as if he had stirred up a fear they had been trying to suppress. Abraxas, pausing to collect himself, then continued, his voice steady.

『And I don't want to disappear. So if you become the Apostle of Eternity, I will acknowledge your right to that title.』

『What!?』

Justin let out a small laugh, understanding why Abraxas was making this offer now.

'So he thinks that if I pick one of the Grand Dukes, he'll be excluded.'

It wasn't an unreasonable assumption. Most of Justin's strategies so far had been unconventional. He rarely used straightforward methods. Given that, it would make sense for Abraxas, the Duke of Deception, to feel aligned with Justin's unpredictable tactics.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The problem, however, was that the power Abraxas offered was closer to that of a traditional mage.

'Despite being the Duke of Deception, his powers are more suited to a traditional magic user.'

Meanwhile, Kargaron provided the strength of a warrior to a mage, Astaroth offered powers of deception, and Keresis specialized in curses—abilities perfect for blindsiding an opponent who underestimated Justin as a mere mage.

From this perspective, it made sense why Abraxas thought he'd be excluded.

'He's got it all wrong,' Justin thought.

It wasn't that Justin preferred trickery—he just made use of whatever worked, drawing on techniques that had been effective in the games he'd played. But to Abraxas, who didn't know that Justin had been ranked first in those games, it looked like Justin was constantly devising new tricks.

It was a laughable misunderstanding, but it made the first step of this negotiation much easier.

"Well, thanks for the offer. As a token of gratitude, if the other Grand Dukes refuse to make me the Apostle of Eternity, I'll become your apostle instead," Justin said with a smirk.

『What!?』

『Hahaha!』

The other Grand Dukes glared at Justin in shock, while Abraxas burst out laughing. Then, looking at Justin with an expression that said, "Don't make empty promises," he waited.

From the moment Justin made that offer, the other Grand Dukes had no choice but to recognize him as the Apostle of Eternity.

"So, what will it be? Do you want me to become the Apostle of Eternity, or would you prefer I serve under Abraxas? Your choice."

『...Damn it.』

The other three Grand Dukes hung their heads in defeat, cursing under their breath. It was as good as a declaration of surrender.

"Ding! You have proven your qualification to the Four Grand Dukes of the Demon Realm as the Apostle of Eternity."

"Ding! You have been promoted from 'Warlock' to the advanced class 'Apostle of Eternity.'"

"Ding! Additional perks have been granted for obtaining a hidden class."

"Ding! Please equip the quest item to begin the promotion ceremony."

And with that, the Crown of the Hexagram appeared before Justin's eyes.

The crown, shaped like a hexagram, was strange. It looked less like a crown to wear on one's head and more like a metal sculpture. It was so bare, with only the framework remaining, that it seemed like an unfinished, discarded piece of junk.

Without a word, Justin reached out toward the shabby hexagram-shaped crown. As his trembling hand grasped the crown, the item description appeared.

〈Crown of Eternity〉

Type: Quest ItemDescription: A crown prepared for the Apostle of Eternity. Made from the essence of the Abyss, the crown will materialize only once when its owner is chosen. Only one person, throughout both the past and future, can receive the approval of all the Grand Dukes. Even if the owner dies, a new apostle will not appear.Other: Exclusive item, cannot be transferred, stolen, or destroyed.

Seeing the item description, Justin couldn't help but smile. He tried to maintain a poker face, but it was hard to suppress the overwhelming sense of joy.