A Reincarnated Demon’s Life of Wonder

"I'm back with good news! ...is it tea time?"

A gothic fairy appeared out of nowhere as I kept Lily and Mira company after the disaster yesterday. We're inside a shop that can be described as both "fashionable" and "gaudy". 

Its basic structure is the high-class restaurant Facility that can be placed on the urban floors, but it's decorated with golden ornaments to the point of being tasteless. Mira, you had to decorate Damavand-City with as much gold as possible, didn't you?

"Wrong. Some jerk forced a nasty magitech choker on Lily. This is something akin to a comfort party for her." - Garami

That nasty "Chaos Cult Choker" was apparently on her neck after Lily's group had defeated a Mirror Imitation that resided somewhere on the surface world. The choker didn't activate until recently, so Iron and Zaria did not know of it. But after it was activated...let's say that Figaro and the other birds deserve to be invited to this party as much as their master.

And considering the timing and circumstances, I have a good guess on the culprit who gave that choker to her...

"But anyway, did you finish your job?" I asked GM who was eying the huge table of sweets that Mira and Lily were working themselves through.

"Yes, sir! As requested, I have discovered the secret behind the Ability Slots! Praise me!" - GM

"If there is anything to praise. What's the gig?" - Garami

"*Cough*, the Ability Slots are enabled when you make it consume 3 different types of materials, as well as sacrificing 3 skills to it." - GM

"Hmm? What are you guys planning now? It sounds too expensive to be any good." - Mira

"It's about the new item I have. Instead of coming with pre-added stuff, I gotta design my abilities for it," I replied while showing off the Nightmare Demon's Dagger. 

"Huh...and you have to spend so much on it? Even skills? If it needs that much, the effect should be something impressive." - Mira

"Ehh...sorry, no. The equipment's new effect will be based on all the traits and abilities of the consumed materials and skills. If you used only materials made of solid metal and defense-type skills, your equipment would gain incredible defensive skills. But if you mixed some soft materials or otherwise skills not fit for defense, then..." - GM

"It would end up as a washed-up skill?" - Garami

"Yes... At worst, the effect would do nothing at all because the materials and skills cancel each other out." - GM

I see. Gotta think about the combined result of the skills and materials instead of simply throwing in the rarest stuff I have.

"Also, I may have discovered an incredible loophole regarding the Ability Slots!" - GM

"We can use the guys captured in the Kigal-Note as skill replacement, right?" - Garami

"How did you know!?" - GM

Pure luck, but I didn't answer her to make her believe that I used deduction or something to think that up. Even Mira and Lily are looking at me with impressed eyes! Poker face, poker face. I gotta keep up my poker face...

"What happens to those who have their skills taken?" - Lily

"It's not specifically their skills. Garami's Kigal-Note can access pretty much any ability in the Terra Sol World System, but the output is low, and she needs to have a specimen who has a natural affinity for an ability. Let's say that Garami stored lady Filyn into the Kigal-Note. The Kigal-Note could then activate the charm-based racial abilities of a Lilith, but it could not make use of lady Filyn's abilities with the Evil Eye, nor access the effect of [Pride]." - GM

"That's a bummer. And what happens to the creature in the Note? It's not like the Note is using their skills directly." - Garami

"Yes, as you suspect, they will not lose their skills, nor does the Kigal-Note lose the opportunity to use that creature's abilities ever again, just like how Garami can re-obtain any skills she's sacrificed, albeit at a much steeper price." - GM

"Hmm...the captured creature gets off scot-free?" - Garami

"No. They will experience a Waning-like ailment that lasts for one month at the least. Their bodies will be exposed to intense pain during that period, and they will not obtain any EXP or skill- or class proficiency at all during that time." - GM

That's not something I would wish even for my worst enemy! There goes the idea of copying the abilities of Onyx and the others...

"Ah, and another thing; you can only use one copied skill from the Kigal-Note. You have to contribute the last two on your own." - GM

Tch. 

"Anyway, where are we? This place is flashily gaudy." - GM

"That's uncalled for! Say it's cool!" - Mira

"Y-yesh!?" - GM

"While we're on the subject, is there something else to this place except its golden accessories?" - Garami

Mira started to explain her piece of work at long last, even if she had a good reason to skip on it yesterday.

The floors of Damavand-City are made of either the Ruin-type or the Forgotten Realm-type floors, granting it a city-like appearance indeed, even if ruined.

There are lots of gold ornaments or Facilities on all the floors, along with vicious traps. A trait of these golden items is that they allow you to trap the area nearby for less FP than normal. A big risk for a bigger gain, I guess.

Mira also mentioned that she had placed special golden pedestals that needed to be activated across several floors that unlocked a gate placed on every fifth floor. These are heavily trapped and hidden within special areas that you need to cross vicious rives, lakes of lava, or great bushes of flora. It's like an Ini*na J*nes movie here.

And the monsters are...heavily influenced by Mira and the Dungeon Boss of this Territory, Alabast's tastes.

Yeah...heavily. 

"Hey, if you got anything to say, just say it." - Mira

"...wow, I knew I could rely on you, Mira." - Garami

"Don't patronize me!" - Mira

What a troublesome Sprite to keep in a good mood. Should I give her a gacha run? But the sweets have drained my CP and there's still the reformation of the new Territory Phire obtained yesterday. As if the two new ones that Garn and Lunatic brought in today weren't enough...

Let's throw the responsibility onto Onyx. 

"I'm sorry. Is there something you wanna do?" - Garami

"Trying to sneak away? ...well, I do want to visit Flint's workshop." - Mira

"Oh? Still waiting for your new armor?" - Garami

"That too, but I want to ask him to create some anti-panda weapon." - Mira

Ah, she has the same suspicions as me...

"We don't know if the so-called Champion of Chaos is the culprit or not." - Garami

I am leaning toward "guilty", but we lack proof at the moment. Not that the panda disappearing right after she exploded the Mirror Imitation is helping her case.

"I know. Just making sure of stuff~." - Mira

"Death to fake pandas! I had a slight dislike for her at the start, but now I wanna skin her!" shouted Lily after separating her face from the cake table.

Whoaaaa...the Champion of Chaos is not getting a trial here.

"And that freak may be connected to Solomar, so it's better to be prepared." - Mira

"She is? Why do you think so?" - Lily

"If the Demon King has someone with the nickname of "cult lord" in their ranks, then the idea that the "Chaos Cult" is connected to them as well." - Mira

True. This "Cult Lord" is a different name for Solomar's General representing Chaos. All of the Generals have an alternative name, which goes like this:

• Fire General: Battle Lord
• Water General: Horde Lord
• Wind General: Humility Lord
• Earth General: Rune Lord
• Light General: Invention Lord
• Darkness General: Irritation Lord
• Ice General: Scam Lord
• Metal General: Crafting Lord
• Life General: Botanic Lord
• Death General: Undead Lord
• Order General: Law Lord
• Chaos General: Cult Lord

These guys have lots of rumors about them going in Solomar and nearby areas. Three of them are already dead though. The Wind General, Springwood, got cut in half by Filyn in the Demonic Sea, and I finished off the Light- and Life Generals with the Hydra Poison trick.

Not that those two were any formidable in battle. They only took care of Solomar's science group and crop cultivation. No fighters by any means. They also acted as Generals in Filyn's cover organization, along with Springwood and Woden the Earth General.

Then there's the Death General who's the Overlord of Invidia and not a real member, then there's the Fire General AKA the Champion of Fire, and Filyn's real target for vengeance.

I got some idea regarding who or what the last Generals are, like how the Order General is just a bureaucrat who keeps the law in Solomar, but other than that, I got no clue. Especially regarding the Horde Lord, Irritation Lord, and Cult Lord. The last guy is mostly due to there being so many different rumors about him that we can't filter the truth from the lies.

It's the mentioned part about the Cult Lord that makes me unsure whether the Champion of Chaos is an enemy or not. We have too little, no, too much information about that guy to determine who they are, and what they even want. 

I presented this line of thought to Mira to make her calm down, but-

"I'm still gonna clobber the guy when I meet him! Those cultists made their headquarters in the slums where I lived as a child, and each night someone there would disappear without a trace. I had nightmares about them for years..." - Mira

It's just a personal grudge!? Not that I mind if you crush those guys to pulp.

"Calm down already. I've already assigned Iron and Karnel to the Solomar-group, leaving only space for one more from our Guild to join them. And they won't even venture into the city, so the odds for meeting any wicked cultists are lower than low." - Garami

"We're not invading the city!? Even when we have such a great opportunity?!" - Mira

"That's...no, let's include Flint in the conversation. Lily, you wanna-" - Garami

"I got sweets, so I'm happy here~." - Lily

That glutton. Not that she would bring any strategic advice anyway...

With that, Mira and I went for Damavand-Volcano, which doubled as the location of Flint's workshop.

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Kigal-Note/Undead/Skeleton: Undeath Horseman