Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

After an hour of sprinting through the forest's dense foliage, Adam and Karna emerged before a cave.

Thick fog swirled out of its threatening mouth, permeating the air with a sense of supernatural danger that felt out of place compared to the surrounding verdant nature.

Adam's soul chilled as his terror for the mysterious abilities of the cave's dwellers twisted his lips in an uncomfortable grimace.

"The fog of the dead... is it too late to return?"

Karna's lips rose in disgust as he pointed his golden spear at the crypt of the fallen.

"Undead creatures can't contaminate your territory. Show the result of your training and eradicate them for the citizen's safety."

Lips quivering, he offered his mentor a conflicted nod. His steps heavy, he walked to the entrance, the smog blowing a stale scent of decay into his nostrils.

Heartbreaking wails echoed from its depth, but were they real or just a manifestation of his fears? He didn't know.

What he did know, however, was that he wouldn't sleep while it remained uncleared. Exhaling, he lifted his leather mouth mask, its protection against the scent an unexpected yet well-appreciated feature.

Then, he stepped into the unknown, his knuckles white on his blades' pommels and a silent prayer fighting against his shaking mind.

Like a ravenous beast, the fog engulfed him. Cold as winter, it bypassed his armor to lick his skin.

An icy shudder rocked his shoulders, and his lips parted to let out a low whimper.

"Let's come back another time, Karna. This place is worse than the demon realm in more than one way."

However, the gentle but firm encouragement he had expected to hear didn't resound... only the oppressive silence and distant wailings answered him.

"Karna? Karna?!"

He turned—no Karna.

Cold sweat dripped down his back as his breath quickened and his feet blurred back.

"I'm out! Make me fight the gryphon in the west. I won't falter, but not mysterious shit like this!"

A few steps should have been enough to do so. Yet no matter how many he took, the outside's fresh wind didn't blow his hair, and the entrance remained as elusive as the crypt's insidious threats.

Simultaneously, Karna's spear whistled through the air.

BOOM BOOM BOOM

Each strike ignited a raging inferno of solar flames. Yet, the ice wall that appeared to cover the crypt's entrance the second Adam stepped inside didn't melt or crack.

"Who's interfering?" His fingers twitched, and a steely glint flashed in his eyes. "Nothing can happen to you, Adam!"

Instantly, he called for the weapon capable of vaporising the lands: the brahmastra.

As the sky rumbled in terror to answer the swirling ball of destruction, a voice, elegant yet cruel, detached and dripping with pride, reverberated. Continue your journey on empire

"Stop this futile fuss, half-god, or witness the queen of magic's powers."

Echoing it, the rumbling sky froze. Snow rained down, covering the ground before condensing into ice spears.

Karna's eyes darted between their golden glows and the crypt, his weapon trembling in his hands. After all, only a few saw this glow with their own eyes, and even fewer survived to tell the tale.

After a second of hesitation, his lips parted. "What is a divinity of frost and winter doing in a mortal realm?"

He squinted, dismissing the brahmastra and shaking his head. Against a goddess, he would have to engulf half the realm in destruction. The worst part? He would only wound her—and even that didn't consider her divine artifacts. No. Talking was the best option here.

Still, his solar energy brightened under his skin as he steeled his resolve to call for his last weapon, one that could pierce even divine protections.

However, her voice echoed again, forcing a deep frown to crease his brows.

"Don't you trust your lord's training? Would you burn your trump card for nought when I come with an opportunity?" Her voice echoed mischief as she continued. "And do you think I can't kill you before you use that weapon? Naïve! You're still too weak to compete against an ancient goddess!"

He knew she was right. At the slightest hesitation, he would die powerlessly. Worse, he could only use this weapon once in his lifetime before it returned to its rightful owner. But could he let Adam fend for himself? More importantly, could he trust that goddess not to go after him?

He clenched his jaw, the answer as clear as the sun. No! What defined him first and foremost was his unwavering loyalty. Even if it had cost him much in the past, he would never change that part of him even at the cost of his weapon or life!

Solar flames engulfed his figure to answer the raging inferno igniting in his eyes.

His hair swirled upwards, and his clothes evaporated, revealing his muscular torso as they rushed into his hand.

A dark frame, large and pulsing with divinity, emerged from them. Two sharp edges and a golden frame crowned by an open eye glinted for a second before his body shone brighter than the sun.

Amidst the crackling and sizzling noises of melting ice and ground, his voice thundered.

"With this strike, I'll bring sunset to your life. Vaporise everything in the name of the king of gods." His voice cracked as his skin darkened under the weapon's power before he called its name. "V..."

However, she cut him off with a snort.

"Oh, you poor, valiant thing. Did you really think you could scorch winter's breath?"

WHISTLE

Frozen winds burst out of the sky to accompany her words. The ground, alight and liquid like magma, froze in a split second.

Karna's sun-like figure followed, an ice coffin sealing his lips, movements, weapons, and strength.

His eyes trembled at the barren land of ice and frost extending before his trembling eyes as his consciousness slipped away. With it, his weapon dematerialised in a sea of bright particles that returned to his body as darkness engulfed his mind.

Then, her sigh echoed.

"My Highness wasting her breath with you is an honor you didn't deserve. Yet, you tried to tickle me with a divine weapon? Such devotion. Yet, your fiery spirit pales next to winter's chill. Let it lull you while I deal with your lord."