How fascinating. Truly fascinating.
Once again, he had encountered a monster.
By merely coming into contact with such a being, he had already earned the right to become one of the Thirteen—those who would decide humanity's fate.
Of course, Brynhildr still needed to observe him carefully. She had to figure out what the Four Supreme Pillars, the highest-ranking among the 72 Demon Pillars, were plotting. What scheme were they weaving behind the scenes?
Let us rewind time to when King Solomon first touched the realm of the divine.
Though Solomon had now brushed against the fabric of the universe and seemed capable of wielding what mortals called "magic," he was still far from mastering true magic. At this point, he had only grasped the basics. He needed to learn how to transform and release magic in various ways—not just forming a ball of fire in his hand. He had to shape flames into different forms of attack, project them, compress them, and make them explode. All of this required independent research and creation.
That said, could demi-gods, who had not ascended to true godhood through the divine magic circle, not use magic? Of course not. Demi-gods could indeed wield magic, but it was still far from the magic used by true gods. True gods could tap into the fabric of the universe, the power of the Root, to unleash magic of an entirely different dimension.
At this point, Solomon seemed to have touched the fabric of the universe, but that did not mean he could unleash magic on the same level as the gods. The limitation was simple: he was human, and gods were gods. The difference in their physical strength was too vast. The power of magic he could wield largely depended on how much his body could withstand.
As Brynhildr continued to watch, Solomon seemed to grow tired of playing with the transformations in his hands. Was he simply going to return to sleep?
After half a month of intermittent observation, Solomon had successfully created what could be considered true magic. To Brynhildr, this magic seemed rudimentary, but that was because she had learned directly from existing magical knowledge. Solomon, on the other hand, had developed it entirely on his own.
"Ah~!"
That was the sound of Gray yawning. Though the observation over the past half-month had not been continuous, the total time still exceeded a hundred hours.
Let us fast-forward half a year and see if there were any significant changes.
During the day, Solomon was busy with various affairs as usual. At night, he was likely still working on creating magic.
In the grand hall where Solomon met with his ministers, the deputy officials from the twelve administrative regions reported on recent situations in their respective areas.
"This is the current situation in the Sixth Administrative Region, Your Majesty."
After finishing his report, the deputy official from the Sixth Administrative Region wore a sorrowful expression.
According to his report, the Sixth Administrative Region had been attacked by nomadic tribes at the border, resulting in heavy losses. They needed sufficient resources and funds from the capital to rebuild and prevent those despicable nomads from crossing the border and launching sneak attacks.
After listening to the report, Solomon neither grieved nor raged. He simply let out a sigh.
"Is that so? How much do you think is needed?"
Following Solomon's question, the deputy official proposed an amount that made the other officials frown.
Seeing this, Brynhildr decided to skip ahead.
At the same time, she retracted her disgusted gaze from the deputy official. This man might deceive others, but he could not deceive her eyes. The deputy official was lying. The amount he proposed was likely exaggerated, as he intended to embezzle a significant portion.
However, just as she was about to look away and fast-forward, something strange happened.
"Ahhhh...!"
Accompanied by a sharp scream, the deputy official's right ear fell to the ground.
It was a bizarre sight. How could an ear fall off like that? It looked as if an invisible blade had suddenly severed it.
Had Solomon cut off the deputy official's ear with a wind blade? But Brynhildr had not seen the king make any move to cast a spell. He had been sitting naturally on his throne.
"Aakos, lying is not good, you know?"
Faced with this scene, Solomon narrowed his eyes and spoke in a slightly playful tone.
This indicated that the deputy official's ear falling off was definitely related to Solomon. But how had he done it?
"Your Majesty, what? No, I don't understand what you're saying, can—ah!"
Another scream erupted, this time as the fingers of his right hand were crushed into pulp by something invisible.
"So, can you explain what's happening in the Sixth Administrative Region, Aakos?"
"Your Majesty, I don't understand—ahhhhhhh!"
A heart-wrenching scream, so loud that everyone in the hall could not bear to watch. This time, an eyeball popped out, and half of his face was torn off by an invisible force.
At this moment, no matter how foolish the others were, they understood that the deputy official's bizarre condition was related to their king. Their king had become exceptionally mysterious.
"Next time, your heart will be ripped out, Aakos."
Solomon narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly, instantly causing the screaming Aakos to kneel on the ground.
"I'll talk, I'll talk..."
The Sixth Administrative Region had suffered such losses because the regional executive had colluded with outsiders, allowing the nomadic tribes to plunder and then split the spoils. They always came up with various reasons to demand resources from the capital.
After the deputy official finished speaking, his condition became even more miserable, as he seemed to have tried to hide something and was attacked by the invisible force again.
"I see. Then you can go to hell."
Solomon, seated on the throne, smiled slightly and waved his hand.
In the next instant, the deputy official, lying on the ground, was lifted by an invisible force, and his body began to twist and deform severely.
"No, no, ahhhhhhh...!"
The deputy official, still screaming, was eventually twisted into something utterly unrecognizable as a human. His skin split open, and bones protruded—a truly horrifying sight.
So, what exactly was happening?
Brynhildr witnessed this scene and did not see Solomon use magic. Could his magic have reached an unimaginable divine level in just half a year?
Wait, she sensed something, but she could not see it. No, it was not that she could not see it. She could vaguely see the air distorting.
Could it be?
Brynhildr summoned the Akashic system interface and, after some manipulation, saw something.
At this moment, her expression changed. There was indeed an extra figure on the scene.
It was a demon.
Was Solomon controlling a demon?
Although it looked somewhat humanoid, its twisted appearance would terrify any human. It had two horns on its head, a ferocious face, and a beak-like mouth filled with irregular sharp teeth. Its limbs were long, with sickle-like claws, and its body was covered in reptilian skin and scales. Bat-like wings and a tail further proved its identity as a demon.
This demon, invisible to others, was the one tormenting the deputy official. Humans could not see it because the demon had been granted the ability to become invisible. Yes, the demon had been given the power of invisibility, as this demon was not a high-ranking one and would not usually possess such an ability.
So, was it Solomon who had granted the demon this power?
Brynhildr's gaze returned to Solomon, and she could not help but take a sharp breath.
Earlier, she had noticed a lion and a large dog lying on either side of Solomon. At the time, she had thought nothing of it. But after using the Akashic system to glimpse the truth, she realized these two were no ordinary animals. They exuded an unusual aura, and the demon's gaze toward them was filled with reverence.
Brynhildr now understood their identities.
**Marbas**, the fifth-ranked among the 72 Demon Pillars, commanded thirty-six legions of hell and could uncover the truth. Nothing could escape his sight, whether hidden treasures or secret matters. He could not be deceived. He was also knowledgeable in healing and mechanical arts and could grant the summoner the ability to transform. His usual form was that of a lion.
So, in front of Marbas, any lie the deputy official told would be instantly exposed.
As for the large dog, it was **Glasya-Labolas**, the twenty-fifth-ranked among the 72 Demon Pillars. His form was that of a winged dog, and he was knowledgeable in science, understood the past and present, could distinguish friend from foe, and could make others invisible. The demon's invisibility must have been his doing.
Two of the 72 Demon Pillars lay obediently at Solomon's feet.
Gray, who could now see the demon, felt an even more terrifying aura and looked back.
"Sister Bryn, that lion and dog... they feel so terrifying, as if radiating dark energy. Are they magical beasts?"
"That's Marbas and Glasya-Labolas."
"Marbas and Glasya-Labolas?"
Were those the names of magical beasts? No, those were the names of two of the 72 Demon Pillars! Ah, right, some of the Demon Pillars took the form of animals.
Realizing this, Gray's eyes widened in shock. Were two Demon Pillars serving at the feet of a human? No, that could not be. This was becoming increasingly consistent with the historical records she had seen.
Was Solomon truly just a human? Or was he some illegitimate child of a god? If he were the illegitimate child of a god, then this situation would make sense. If not, then perhaps an adopted son.
In any case, Gray found it too exaggerated. A human commanding the 72 Demon Pillars? That was impossible. So, she leaned toward the idea that the chief god had ordered the 72 Demon Pillars to obey Solomon.
"How did he subjugate them?"
Brynhildr also murmured, unable to comprehend.
To command the 72 Demon Pillars, one would first need the approval of a specific individual—the King of Hell. But what qualifications did a human have to borrow the 72 Demon Pillars from the King of Hell? Who did he think he was?
If he were the son of a god, then it might be possible. Could he really be the son of that god?
In fact, during this Ragnarok, Brynhildr had also identified a candidate who was connected to that god and could be considered his son. That human was Adam, created by the god in his own image. As a human created in the image of a god, Adam naturally possessed some of the god's abilities. However, he had turned against the gods and killed one due to specific events.
Of course, the god he had killed was not the one who had created him but a lesser snake god. Though not particularly powerful, killing a god was still no small feat, and he had done it effortlessly. This was only natural, as he had been created in the image of that god. In a sense, Adam could be considered a god in human form.
In any case, Solomon's ability to command the 72 Demon Pillars must be related to that god.
Brynhildr continued to watch until the sun set.
As the light faded from the horizon and darkness engulfed the sky, a sudden change caused Brynhildr's expression to shift.
The sky was covered in magic circles, forming a massive hemispherical dome that enveloped the entire nation. A single Demon Pillar could not accomplish such a vast magical feat.
At the same time, seventy-two pillars of light rose into the sky.
Seventy-two pillars of light—meaning all seventy-two Demon Pillars were present in the human world!
"S-Sister Bryn, look at that!"
Gray's voice trembled as she pointed in a specific direction. Brynhildr followed her gaze and saw that the people on the street were behaving strangely.
The humans showed no signs of panic at this change. Instead, most continued their daily activities as if nothing had happened, while another group did something that left Brynhildr stunned.
This other group lined up in an orderly fashion and headed toward a stone wall. A door resembling a gate to hell appeared on the stone wall. As the door opened, the group walked through.
And this door was not the only one. There were four such doors in the capital, one in each direction.
This was too strange, too bizarre!
Brynhildr rose into the air, breaking through the magical barrier, and looked down at the city.
"This—!"
She saw another scene entirely—a typical human city at night, with nothing unusual.
After a moment of confusion, she realized that the magic circle was concealing the truth.
Then, let her enter the other side of the door and see what was happening there.
Although this was a historical record, with all seventy-two Demon Pillars present, Brynhildr still had to be cautious.
So, she disguised herself as someone from this era and blended into the crowd, following them through the door.
Gulp—!
That was the sound of Gray swallowing nervously. She was also following behind.
When they reached the eerie door, Gray saw her sister step through without hesitation and disappear. Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes and stepped forward as well.
After a brief sense of resistance, she felt herself bump into a familiar back that brought her comfort. Only then did she open her eyes.
"Huh?"
Gray was stunned because she saw the same place she had just entered.
It was as if stepping through the door had brought her back to where she had started.
Could the door be rejecting them?
"Sister Bryn, we—"
Her voice cut off as her eyes widened in shock. She saw something wrong.
The city, which should have been bathed in the soft silver light of the moon, was now illuminated by a terrifying red glow.
The sky was also a deep red, as if the moon's light was not the cause, but the sky itself was red.
The bustling night streets were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the area was eerily quiet, with few people in sight. Instead, many demons were walking about.
A sudden strange cry drew her attention to the sky, where a group of demons was flying in a specific direction.
What was going on? It was as if demons had taken over the city in an instant.
No, could it be that Sister Bryn had fast-forwarded, skipping to a time when the city had gone from being human-controlled to demon-controlled?
But was there such a time?
"This is a mirror dimension!"
Her sister, also stunned, suddenly said this.
A mirror dimension?
After a moment of confusion, Gray understood.
A mirror dimension referred to a space created at the exact coordinates of the real world, replicating the same scene.
Immediately, Gray's expression turned to one of disbelief.
A group suddenly started using magic among the crowd that had entered, flying off in a specific direction.
Another group used magic to enhance their bodies, leaping between buildings.
"Today's lesson will be practical combat."
"Really? Our practical combat lesson isn't until next week!"
This was a conversation between people who looked envious at those using magic.
What was going on?
Looking toward the palace, it appeared to have been transformed into a demonic fortress.
The crowd that had entered quickly formed several lines, each heading toward different gates of the demonic palace.
Following her sister, Gray approached one of the gates and saw another shocking scene.
**Paimon**!
In the large room, Brynhildr saw another Demon Pillar, one of the Four Supreme Pillars.
One of the Four Supreme Pillars, Paimon, appeared to be a teacher instructing humans to use magic.
The other rooms were likely similar, with other Demon Pillars teaching.
Peeking into other rooms was indeed absurd. Not all taught magic; some taught scientific knowledge far ahead of this era.
Then, peeking into another room.
Hmm? This room discussed information about angels?
It was similar to a modern human biology class, which taught detailed information on human anatomy and evolution.
In this room, they were discussing the biological information of angels.
"For this type of angel, if you want to kill it, you must..."
The lesson even revealed the weaknesses of angels and taught how to kill them?
This was insane. Gray was sweating profusely and biting her hand to prevent herself from making a sound.
The secrets about angels being revealed here were forbidden knowledge, something even Valkyries were not supposed to hear. Yet, it was being casually disclosed to humans.
Ahhh, she had not heard anything.
Ah! Wait, Sister Bryn!
She hurriedly caught up to Brynhildr, who was heading toward the next gate.
"Mmm—!"
Gray, walking beside her sister, was suddenly muffled and dragged away from the gate by Brynhildr, who was also sweating.
At the end of the hall was Solomon, but that was not the main point. Several Demon Pillars were also present, including **Baal**.
That was no ordinary Demon Pillar. He might be able to sense them.
Although Gray did not get a clear look at the people in the room, she could feel the oppressive aura from within, as if a group of monsters had gathered there.
Not lingering, Brynhildr took Gray and left the area, heading to another section.
This was the learning area. Earlier, they had heard about practical combat and training areas. Let us go take a look.
Entering a spacious area, the two were stunned by what they saw.
"Boom—!"
In front of them, a group of demons was engaged in fierce combat with human mages.
Overall, the demons were easily overpowering the human mages.
Of course, a few exceptional individuals seemed to be able to fend off the demons.
"Are they... training the humans?"
Gray muttered in disbelief as she watched the scene.
Humans trained by demons to become mages, forming an army—it was hard to imagine any nation in the human world being able to resist. Conquering the world would not be difficult, right?
So, was Solomon planning to conquer the world?
Was he trying to create a magical nation?
"Heh heh heh, ha ha ha...!"
Brynhildr started laughing, her face slightly twisted.
She did not believe that these humans, trained with the help of the 72 Demon Pillars, were meant to conquer the world. That would be a waste of their potential.
She had a thought, one she could hardly believe—that Solomon's preparations were for a war against the gods.
If Solomon had been preparing to fight the gods, then his ability to command the Demon Pillars could not have been granted by the gods.
That would be like lifting a rock only to drop it on your foot.
How did he subjugate the 72 Demon Pillars?
She needed to find out the truth!
Rewinding the historical record, let us see what really happened!!!
To summon a demon, one must first possess magical power.
After learning about the world's phenomenon of manipulation art—magic—through Revelation, Solomon (Bai Yue) successfully acquired magical power through numerous experiments.
Once familiar with the flow of magical power, he began preparing the summoning ritual.
First, it took him several days to complete the demon summoning circle.
Next, he had to use magical power to activate the circle and summon the corresponding demon.
However, as a human, his body's capacity was far inferior to a god's, so he could not inject enough power to activate the circle in one go.
Thus, he needed to continuously inject magical power until the circle was fully activated, without any interruption. Otherwise, he would have to start over.
But what happens when his body's magical power is depleted if he cannot interrupt the process?
Overexertion would mean burning his life force.
And even burning his life force would not be enough to activate the demon summoning circle.
So, of course, he borrowed power from the Root of the universe.
Although borrowing power from the Root seemed to grant him infinite magical output, it was not good.
If a human body borrowed too much, it would be eroded and assimilated by that power.
"It's almost done."
After a week of effort, the demon summoning circle was almost fully charged.
The massive demon summoning circle before him was now glowing, emitting a faint blue mist.
Glancing at his hand, pressed against the circle, he saw strange, twisted patterns and black spots spreading from his palm to his arm, chest, and even part of his face.
These were the signs of overusing the Root's power.
Suddenly, the light from the demon summoning circle changed from blue to dark red, causing him to smile. The circle was fully charged.
At this moment, he felt a faint connection. He sensed hell, and the gateway to hell was opening.
The space above the summoning circle distorted, forming a black, spherical vortex like a black hole.
The black hole, rotating counterclockwise, suddenly stopped and began to spin in the opposite direction, releasing a powerful gust of wind.
The gateway to hell was now fully open.
Then, the black hole trembled and began to distort.
No, it was not distorting—it was transforming.
In an instant, a demon with four black wings—no, a fallen angel—appeared before him.
This fallen angel was **Belial**, formerly a Power Angel, said to be the first angel created by God. After his fall, he became one of the Seven Princes of Hell, the Lord of the 72 Demon Pillars.
He knelt on one knee, bowing his head.
"My lord, what is your command?"
As the Great Demon King of Hell, the master of the 72 Demon Pillars, Belial lowered his proud head and spoke with reverence.
In this world, only the lord could make him act so subserviently.
In this world, only the lord could use this demon summoning circle to summon—no, enslave—him.
This demon summoning circle was essentially an enslaved person summoning circle, so he had no choice but to obey the lord unconditionally.
Whatever the lord commanded, he must do.
So, what did the lord want this time?
Hmm? Something was wrong!
The space around him did not carry the sacred aura of heaven. It did not feel like he was in the heavenly realm. Instead, it felt like... the human world?
Still bowing, he glanced up and saw a pair of legs. The person did not radiate a divine aura, only a human one.
Hmm? There was something unusual about this human aura.
He raised his head sharply and saw a human, not the lord he expected.
Since it was not the lord, this person had no right to make him kneel.
On the contrary, kneeling before a human was a disgrace to his dignity as the King of Hell.
Standing up, he towered over three meters tall and looked down at the human with disdain.
"Human, you—"
"Can you sit down? You're so tall, it's straining my neck to look up at you."
In an instant, an irresistible force compelled Belial to sit down.
For a moment, Belial was stunned.
Had he been commanded by a human?
Anger welled up within him, and he was about to release his killing intent, to lash out, to grab the human before him. But just as his hand was about to touch the human, it was like an invisible wall blocked him.
More accurately, a force prevented him from harming the human.
It was as if this human had become his master.
What was going on?
It seemed this human had used a summoning circle explicitly designed for him to summon him from hell.
Realizing this, Belial's expression shifted to one of shock.
"Damn it, lord, you scum! You've made me serve a human!!!"
Belial could not hold back his rage and began to curse, not bothering to hide his killing intent. The air around him vibrated with the intensity of his anger.
He had had enough!
"Hey, can you calm down? I think you've misunderstood something."
The human's calm demeanor only fueled Belial's fury.
"Misunderstood? You're just a human. How dare—"
"Silence!"
Bound by the summoning circle's compulsion, Belial had no choice but to shut his mouth.
"Belial, it seems you really hate that lord, don't you?"
"Hmph!"
"So, how about we work together?"
The human's suggestion caught Belial off guard.
"Work together on what?"
A mere human wanted to work with him? Especially knowing how much he hated that guy?
This was ridiculous. Was he suggesting they rebel together?
"How about we work together to kill a god?"
What did the human say? Kill a god?
Was he joking?
But as Belial looked into the human's eyes, he saw no trace of deceit.
The human's narrowed eyes gleamed with a dangerous light, sending a shiver down Belial's spine.
At this moment, the Great Demon King of Hell felt a palpable pressure emanating from this human.
Belial's pupils contracted as he sensed something no human should possess—magical power.
It would make sense if this human had some divine bloodline, but Belial could tell at a glance that he did not.
This human had defied the common sense of the gods, reaching the realm of the divine with a human body!