A Demon's Journey

As time passed, Sargan proved to be a valuable asset to Rhea's cause, constantly employing his tactical prowess to help her gain more resources and weaken the factions of her brothers.

Through the use of spies within her faction, Sargan had managed to gather crucial information about the movements and whereabouts of her enemies. In fact, he had even managed to differentiate the spies that belonged to which faction.

He used this information to great effect, launching surprise attacks against them and exploiting their weaknesses.

Sargan's efforts paid off handsomely as his tactics allowed Rhea's faction to kill three Demon Kings from Xander's faction and two from Dante's faction.

It was a significant achievement, one that greatly weakened the forces of her brothers.

Rhea was pleased with Sargan's strategies and rewarded him handsomely for his service in the form of Soul Gems.

She knew that his expertise would be vital in the coming battles, and she made sure that he was well taken care of.

As the Soul Gems were precious and powerful, Sargan wasted no time in utilizing them to rapidly advance his cultivation.

Within a short span of time, he had reached the pinnacle of the Demon Lord Rank, making him one of the most formidable warriors in Rhea's faction.

However, Sargan understood that the spies within Rhea's faction had outlived their usefulness.

Xander and Dante were bound to discover that Rhea had been employing these spies to destabilize their factions, and as a result, they would likely sever ties with them.

There was even a possibility that they would form an alliance and launch a coordinated assault on Rhea's stronghold.

Fortunately, Rhea was in possession of vast resources and had implemented a comprehensive spirit detection array that would alert her to the presence of anyone entering or leaving her territory.

Additionally, she had established a killing array capable of siphoning the demonic ardor output of anyone she chose, redirecting that energy to empower her own comrades.

By doing so, Rhea's allies would grow exponentially stronger while her adversaries would be severely weakened, making their defeat all but assured.

As time went by, the factions appeared to have settled down, while their respective subordinates engaged in minor skirmishes along their borders.

It had become commonplace for even Elite-Ranked Demons to perish in these skirmishes.

However, news of Zara, the powerful and eldest heir of the Olmer Clan, quickly spread throughout the Purgatory realm.

It was rumored that she and her elite subordinates were making their way towards the Nightshade Forest to obtain a newly discovered Dark Ice Elemental Spark.

Zara was known for her mastery of close-ranged combat and her affinity for the ice element. She believed that this rare spark would be the perfect match for her physique and bloodline.

The Olmer Clan had a unique bloodline trait that allowed them to absorb elemental sparks of either the Ice or Flame Element without experiencing any downgrade in their cultivation.

This made the discovery of the Dark Ice Elemental Spark all the more valuable to Zara.

In fact, it wasn't just Zara who felt enticed by the Dark Ice Elemental Spark. All the Olmer Clan members who had yet to ascend to the Demon King Rank, including Rhea, Xander, and Dante, were intrigued by its potential.

However, the three siblings knew better than to attempt to seize the spark from Zara, who was more than capable of defeating them all despite her siblings' combined power.

Therefore, Rhea had initially decided to disregard the news and focus on recruiting neutral Demon Kings from the Olmer Clan to her faction.

But Sargan had a different approach in mind.

"Announce that you intend to challenge Zara for the Elemental Spark," Sargan suggested with a sly grin.

"Are you crazy?! My faction isn't strong enough to survive an onslaught by Zara!" Rhea exclaimed, her frustration evident in her voice.

Sargan remained composed and responded with a smile, "I know. But if you remain passive like this, nothing will ever change. Zara will continue to remain the strongest and you will never be able to bridge the gap and become the true heir to the Olmer Clan."

Rhea stopped her pacing and turned to face Sargan, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "...I plan to fight Zara, but not now. Our factions' strength is just too far apart!" she declared firmly.

Sargan nodded understandingly and replied, "I know that. And the method I am suggesting doesn't pit your faction against hers."

Rhea's interest was piqued as she asked, "What do you mean?"

"We will fight Zara in Nightshade Forest. If you defeat her and inflict an injury or maybe even kill her, you will become the heir to the Olmer Clan," Sargan suggested with a sly smirk.

With a deadpan look, Rhea responded, "…Were you not listening when I mentioned that she was the strongest member of Olmer Clan of my generation. There is no way I can defeat her in a battle."

"Not even if I assist you?" Sargan asked with an amused smile.

"…You haven't witnessed her power, so you don't realize just how much of a monster she is," Rhea spoke.

Sargan rolled his eyes in disdain, "Is she strong enough to kill a Demon King?"

Rhea's pupils narrowed upon hearing those words, but she responded quickly, "No. But she will have Demon King protectors who will make sure to prevent any attack of such caliber to get near her."

Sargan waved off her worries while speaking, "Don't worry about those protectors. I have a strategy to deal with them."

"…What would that be?" Rhea asked curiously.

"I have heard there are three Demon King beasts in Nightshade Forest. I am sure they will be very useful," Sargan spoke with a grin.

"…Shadowfang Ravager, Bloodfire Leviathan, Voidwing Harbinger..." Rhea muttered the names of the Demon King Beasts in Nightshade Forest.

Each of these was a terrifying beast that could slaughter thousands of Demon-Lords effortlessly.

Shadowfang Ravager is a massive wolf-like creature covered in pitch-black fur with razor-sharp teeth and claws. Its eyes glow with an eerie red light, and it moves with incredible speed and agility.

Its unique ability is Shadowstep, which allows it to teleport short distances through shadows, making it nearly impossible to catch or outrun.

Bloodfire Leviathan is a giant, serpent-like creature with blood-red scales and fiery eyes. Its body is covered in flames that never seem to burn out, and it can breathe fire with devastating force.

Its unique ability is Bloodrage, which causes its attacks to become more powerful as it takes damage, making it an incredibly dangerous opponent.

Voidwing Harbinger is a bat-like creature with jet-black wings and razor-sharp talons. Its eyes are a deep, soulless void, and it emits an aura of pure darkness that can extinguish light sources.

Its unique ability is Voidflight, which allows it to teleport through shadows and emerge from the darkness to attack its enemies, making it a formidable opponent in both close and ranged combat.