WorldCrafter - Building My Underground Kingdom

"In that case, I want to see the seal," Ben said firmly. "There's a daemon I'm looking for."

"Which one?" Isabella raised an eyebrow. "There are plenty of daemons here. But if it's one of the sealed, they're all in the same place, unless it's one of those that escaped."

"Escaped?" Ben leaned forward slightly. "How many daemons have you actually fought here?"

"In total, seventy-two were sealed in this land," she replied. "Of those, thirty-three were unsealed during the war. Three managed to escape. The rest are still locked away."

'Three escaped…?' Ben's mind raced.

With how dense the barriers were around this region, it seemed impossible for a daemon to just slip out unnoticed. Which meant… they didn't leave the region at all.

They were still here, somewhere in the kingdom.

"If three escaped," Ben said, narrowing his eyes, "then this situation isn't over, is it?"

Isabella nodded. "Exactly. That's why I sent someone to find you."

Her voice lowered slightly. "Zeratul told me about you. And truth be told, I was… intrigued by your golems. But the real reason I called you here, was because of those three daemons."

Ben studied her expression. She was serious. No games now.

"…How are you related to Zeratul?" he asked, his tone calm but pointed.

"We're family," Isabella said flatly. "Let's leave it at that. He went missing some time ago while tracking one of the escaped daemons."

"What's the daemon's name?"

"Belial," she replied without hesitation. "Last seen near Velmora territory. His abilities include shapeshifting… and mind control."

"No wonder he got away," Ben muttered. "I can help. But before that, we need to make a deal." Forabetterreadingexperience,visitM(VLEMPYR).

His eyes narrowed slightly. "You should already know what I'm after, so what's your answer?"

"Helping you fight against them, huh?" Isabella leaned back in her chair, expression unreadable. "Give me time. I can't answer that right now. In the meantime, pick something else."

Ben drummed his fingers on the armrest, considering his options.

He could ask her to stay out of the Ashking affair, but deep down, he knew she wouldn't agree. The Ashking still held considerable power and influence, and Isabella, like any ruler, surely had ambitions of her own.

That made things tricky. Even if they cooperated now, they could still end up on opposite sides later.

Ben knew this: if she refused to stand against the Templars, then she was a threat. And threats had to be dealt with.

Taking full control over the Nephirid Kingdom was non-negotiable. Without it, he had no real chance of winning the coming war.

Even with Isabella's resources, he'd still need to rally support from the surface clans, each with their own interests, loyalties, and grudges.

"Apophis. Do you know that daemon?" Ben asked suddenly, his voice calm but direct.

The moment the name left his mouth, Isabella's expression shifted.

"How could I not?" she replied coldly. "That's the daemon who started everything. But why? What's your connection to her?"

"I want to capture her."

"Capture… her?" Isabella let out a sharp laugh. "You're confident in your strength, I'll give you that. But do you even understand how powerful she was?"

Ben didn't blink. His gaze locked onto hers. "Just tell me, was she sealed with the others, or is she one of the three that escaped?"

"She's one of the three," Isabella said, her tone darkening. "But calling it an escape isn't quite right. She… disappeared. Even during our last clash, she never showed herself."

Ben leaned forward slightly. "Then I want all the information you have on her. And if I take down Belial, I want all the spoils."

Isabella's eyes narrowed, but a faint smile tugged at her lips. In her view, Ben was far too confident. She had firsthand experience with the chaos and bloodshed these daemons brought.

Even sealing them cost countless lives. Defeating them outright? That was a fantasy.

Still, she agreed. They continued exchanging information late into the evening.

Ben learned that the magus Zeratul had hired was indeed sealed alongside the daemons, though it remained unclear whether by force or by choice. More importantly, he learned that the ancient kingdoms were in no state to interfere. After the civil war, each faction was licking its wounds, rebuilding, and watching one another cautiously.

To Ben, that meant one thing, it was time to start his rebellion. If he could seize the Ashking's territory, he'd gain the leverage he needed to negotiate from a position of strength. More importantly, the ancient kingdoms wouldn't be able to interfere, at least not for now.

But there was a trade-off. With the civil war's aftermath still fresh, Isabella wouldn't commit troops to any outside conflict. So Ben would be on his own for now.

Still, he didn't walk away empty-handed. Isabella provided him with a generous fund and a silver medallion, a royal insignia marking him as her personal agent. It would grant him freedom of movement throughout the kingdom and protection from nosy officials.

As he examined the medallion in his hand, Ben sighed. "Elvira's probably already made a move… and knowing her, Draeven's in it too. I just hope they're not clashing with the Ashking yet."

The ancient kingdoms were out of the picture, for now. That left only the Ashking. The last major threat.

Ben knew well how terrifying absolute power could be. Even an army of thousands meant little when standing before a single god-tier being. Numbers could be crushed. But strategy and timing? That might give him a chance.

He steeled himself. There was only one path now: complete this mission as quickly as possible, secure Isabella's support if he could, and if not, rush back to reinforce Elvira and Draeven.

With his mind set, Ben stepped out of the castle.

The city spread before him, its towering spires strikingly similar to the Nephirid capital. But there were small differences.

No golems patrolling the streets. No mistreated slaves lining alleyways. The atmosphere felt… lighter.

He checked the information Isabella had given him.

"Last seen in the slum sector," Ben muttered, eyes narrowing. "Of course it's the area with the weakest security."

But part of him was suspicious.

'With Belial's ability to shapeshift and manipulate minds, slipping among nobles would be easier than hiding in the filth. Maybe this location is a trap… or maybe he's already in plain sight where no one dares to look.'

Ben adjusted his cloak, gaze sharp as he stepped into the streets. 'Time to find out.'