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Year 201
The demon king took its time, and we waited.
So, I went on the offense, and wanted to claim a few more demon champions for myself.
Just like the [Forest Rod], which I clearly wish I had more, I wanted more of these infestors.
I could find uses for them.
Someday.
Ally stood like a machine back in Freshka, and I quickly commanded it to ‘sleep’ in one of my bio pods, safe in the valley.
I didn’t want an infestor like her walking about the city, mainly because I felt such abilities were more suited to be hidden.
A spy is most effective when no one suspects a spy.
Thus, only Stella and a few others were aware of it, and I made it a point to make them know it.
“What are your weaknesses” I asked Ally, like, I tried my luck whether it’s possible to directly ask a former demon the answer.
“I don’t know.” It wasn’t so easy, sadly.
We watched the star-ways with great interest.
One of the paths glowed bright, but it wasn’t yet ready for the demon king.
There were tell-tale signs when the demon king was about to cross, and so far, we have not seen it.
Down in the Southern continent, we continued our great game of demon-parasite whack-a-mole, and eventually, I managed to catch two more demon champions.
One was a general of a destroyed kingdom, named Genid, and another was a King, King Rhoma of the Sanndea kingdom, which is no more.
Since everyone alive was infested and incurable.
These two demon champions did not reveal anything new.
They were similar creations of the Infestor King, and had no memories.
As our reach expanded in the South, I finally managed to catch something I was looking for.
A rift.
“What are you doing” Stella asked as my trees approached a rift.
She sensed some unusual magic fluctuations, a little more drain than usual.
“Another demon champion”
“Not exactly.
While waiting for the demon king, I’ve decided to go on the offense.”
Stella’s eyes squinted, and then widened as she realised what I’ve just meant.
“Wait.
You need the entire team here-”
My roots and vines approached the rift, and slowly tested out its magical resonance.
Like the previous demons, I needed to know the exact mana frequency to confuse the rift, such that it would let me through to the other side.
“Why” Stella asked as she felt the energies passing through the void portals.
“I have nothing to lose, and I realised, with my seeds, that I should use them offensively.
Playing defense is tiring.” I have two seeds left.
From what I gather, it does take a while for any ‘destroyed’ tree to respawn as a new seed, but with both Threeworlds and the other world remaining close by, I was willing to do it.
It’s my first attempt at launching an offensive attack.
From what I learned from Snek, I suspect that the demons most likely do not have means of communication with other demon types, and that each demonic world is largely independent, though there were some means of coordinating invasions.
I needed a solid presence in one such world, if I wanted to know what exactly happened.
I couldn’t learn about the demons without seeing them in one of their controlled worlds.
The last time, I needed the forest rod.
I wouldn’t use the forest rod now.
With the [seed of aeon], I could use my clones as disposable ‘scouts’.
My only risk was if they ‘possessed’ my clone bodies, but I suspect that’s impossible.
I spawned more artificial minds, just in case.
I needed the backup.
“We don’t know what our homeworld is like.
We were created, and before we could see or sense, we were flung to this world through the rifts, sent to infest anyone who feels strong.”
I also learned that my infestors used to have some kind of ability to ‘see’ strength, that’s inactive as they are currently unpowered.
Could they infest something like me I suspect probably not, since a soul tree like myself should be invincible in its native domain.
When asked, they seemed to answer.
“We don’t know, but we are programmed to try.”
Huh.
That was rather strange.
I soon found the resonance needed to get myself through the rift gates.
My roots and vines went through!
Stella immediately winced as my roots went through.
The first thing I attempted to do was see.
A gate.
I saw a gate.
The gate was on a platform, and around the gates were those same void crystals.
They were some other demonic structures around those void crystals, and this time, I was able to sense some magic flowing through it.
But immediately beyond the dry platform was water!
This demon world was not dry! If anything it was more of a corrupted world.
There were demonic trees and large gigantic monsters that would not be out of place in the rottedlands.
I saw large blobs, filled with hundreds or thousands of those demonic parasites being hauled by large demonic creatures.
They were pushed through the rift-gate, and they appeared on the other side.
The blob didn’t survive the transfer, but the parasites did.
I immediately extended my roots and my vines into the water, and I felt the pollution and dirt.
No, this was some kind of muck.
I’ll have to analyse the details later.
The last time I sent my roots through the rift, some demons saw it and immediately cut us off.
I wasn’t going to let that happen to me now.
I immediately deployed my [seed of aeon], right here, right next to the rift gates.
I felt my seed sink into the water, and then little roots extended out of the water.
I sensed my seed’s root searching for dirt and earth.
Barren.
Even though there was water, the ground or dirt felt lifeless and weak.
It was a little like the moon, but different.
The moon was just naturally empty, it’s surface covered with moon dust that needed to be rehabilitated gradually.
This world was drained, as if every bit of life that once was, had been sucked out by the demons.
I knew through my clone that the demons did this to their captured worlds, and that meant, Snek’s world was on a timer.
Eventually the demons would drain the world until it had no ability to support life
Was that how it always went
I had to check with Lilies.
< Lilies.
You said the demons won before.
Do you remember how long those demon-ruled periods were When was that >
> We do not recall the exact time as we were dormant, but from what we know, it was not very long.
Almost one hundred years.
We hid within the depths of the lake, and time was lost to us.
It was then we heard the will of the world, once.
> The gods summoned their chosen.
Novel Bin 