"Only when he can kill you at any moment, can he overturn all the rules. If you don't want to die, you must resist and reclaim that power. The first step to freedom is to create an opportunity to survive on your own strength."
Hexagon said nothing more, seemingly lost in thought. Batman turned and walked away. He found the Elder So Snake Demon, who, at this moment was also looking for him.
The Elder So Snake Demon put on a profound smile. He said, "Master, you defeated the powerful Revival General, captured the Central Mine. Soon, you might control the entire mining area. I have never seen a Demon Lord as wise as you..."
He finished speaking and bowed. He curled his demon snake tail, lowering himself and pressing his finger against his brow, lowering his head to Batman and said, "You are the hope of revival for the So Snake Clan. We hope to follow you and build great achievements..."
Batman looked at him then asked: "What's the deal with the So Snake Demon Clan? What's your deal?"
The Elder So Snake Demon did not get up, just said in an even tone, "Indeed, you've noticed. We are different from the other slaves in the mine. So snake demons were not always a weak race, on the contrary, we once followed Belil into battle."
"In the era when His Majesty Beel was still a Demon Prince, the So Snake Demon Clan put their hopes in him. The wise old leaders of the So Snake Demon declared loyalty to Beel, accompanied him on his campaigns, and achieved glorious victories. The leader was then ennobled and became the duke of a frontier territory, just like Duke Astro."
"But then, a Medusa named Das seduced His Majesty Beel and became the queen of the new country."
The Elder So Snake Demon revealed an expression of hatred, gritting his teeth and said, "This vicious queen, in order to support her own people, wanted to completely eliminate the So Snake Demons, who were also of the snake demon type."
"She personally orchestrated a conspiracy, which made His Majesty Beel suspicious of the loyal So Snake Demon leader. In the end, So Snake Demon's leader was killed by His Majesty Beel. All the So Snake Demons were demoted to slaves, and cursed to be unable to use magic."
"And a Magic Race, after losing its magic power that it relies on for survival, cannot compete with other powerful demons by relying solely on physical strength. The So Snake Demons had no choice but to retreat into the mines, because only by becoming slaves did we have a chance of survival...".
When he finished speaking, he lowered himself again. In a humble tone, he said to Batman, "In my ancestors' records, I once peeked at the glory of my ancestors. Your demeanor is no different from a younger Beel. Please lead us to claim new territories!"
"You want me to be the new Demon Lord?" Batman asked.
"Yes, Master. You have the potential. As long as you can take control of the mines, General Rotten Heart's territory and army are enough for you to establish your own forces. If you can lift the curse for the So Snake Demons, we will certainly be loyal to you..."
Batman observed the crisscrossed wrinkles on the face of the Elder So Snake Demon. This reminded him of another person, an old man who tried to sell drugs to him as medicine when he was staying in the slums.
Batman observed that people like these, especially the elderly, always exhibited a habitual humility and flattery in their expressions and manners, not deliberately pretended, but deeply imprinted in their souls.
Now, this elderly demon worships him as a savior, hoping that he will lead the So Snake Demons to regain their glory. But Batman felt something was off. A strange feeling surrounded him.
Batman couldn't possibly feel any sympathy for demons. Everything he was doing now was merely to understand humans through demons.
In fact, these two races are very similar, both having the same kinds of wisdom, habits and social dispositions. The only difference from the human society is that as a human, Batman does not have to worry about consequences in this place. This is his testing ground where he can fully express his abilities.
Following the script, Batman knew he should accept the loyalty of the So Snake Demons, then employ them, as a clearly more intelligent race compared to other demons, to lead these demons, and continue to deepen his tactics to create a more efficient war tactic and achieve victory step by step.
He would be crowned the new king and gain vast territories. But to maintain such territories, he must build a powerful army. To build a powerful army, he can't operate without equipment. Thinking about solid armor, it needs to be cast from minerals. For enough minerals, he will need miners.
Some are generals and others are slaves. Therefore, the fate of slaves will lie in the hands of the generals. In the endless cycle of dynastic fate, there is no escape from this predicament.
But for Batman himself, he asked himself, did he come here to be a Demon Lord? What use would he have for the territories of Hell?
Indeed, a grand victory that unifies Hell will be engraved as a medal of honor, hung in his collection room. Perhaps it could be his trump card when dealing with some demons that went to the human world in the future. But, is that enough?
Batman saw the oppressed demon slaves in Gotham's struggling underclass.
From their birth to their growth, they are bound in a small area of land. They have never seen the outside world, they don't even understand what resistance is, let alone that destiny can be in their own hands.
Batman took a stand, so they regarded him as a savior, believing that he would certainly become a powerful king. But this would only impress them and then continue to obey their rulers day after day.
Is this a bad life for them? Not necessarily. They know nothing, therefore almost have no desires, and without desires, there is no pain.
But Batman would rather call this numbness. Their ignorance is not their choice, but the product of injustice. If he leads such numb people to win one battle after another, what he would end up with is another unjust world.
Batman suddenly realized that if he and everyone else continued to see him as a savior, nothing would change. No matter who the king is, it is impossible to change the status of the people at the bottom.
But who can they rely on without a savior?
In the respite of the war, Batman began to think about deeper issues.
But just like in Gotham, peace and victory are only temporary. Things always slid in the wrong direction and then, inevitably, slid into the abyss.