22nd day of the month of the gray dragon (March) 3:30 PM

  As the lizardmen prepared for the coming battle for survival, a figure watched from the shadows at a safe distance, aided by some sort of telescope.

  Wow! they are working very hard; surveillance is sky-high! Luckily I have this magical artifact!

  The mask covering his face made him immune to low-level magical perception, so it was impossible for the lizard druids to detect him. He moved the telescope toward the center of the village, noticing some soldiers explaining some sort of attack plan, or so it seemed. They were drawing on the dirt, so he couldn't know for sure. There was a limit even for him.

  Even though they won the last battle, their numbers have fallen below 10,000. Furthermore ...

  His gaze shifted in the opposite direction, where the massive, highly equipped undead army stood. Laplace's eyes nearly popped out of his head at the sight of such magical arsenal. Even with his mask on, no one could fail to notice that his mouth was hanging open in amazement. Never in his life had he seen such a large army assembled in such a short time—and Laplace had lived for a good few centuries, at the very least.

  How did he manage to create such a powerful army in such a short time?! We underestimated this Almodeus! I'll have to speak to the right people about this!

  At that moment, he heard the sound of branches breaking behind him, but instead of hiding, he remained in plain sight, as if he knew who was approaching. Besides, Laplace was no fool—he only fought those he knew he could defeat without risk.

  "Gerud! I was just thinking of you!"

  He declared amusedly, noticing his masked colleague.

  "Keep your voice down, Laplace! If they hear us, we'll be caught in the crossfire!"

  The other admonished him, waving a gold-headed walking stick in front of the jester's mask, who merely chuckled in his face. Gerud was acting like the leader, but he was the weaker of the two. Deep down, Laplace knew the other was a coward at heart, but he had no problem assisting him as an underling for the time being, given the compensation He had guaranteed him. Not that money was the real motive behind the jester's collaboration.

  "Come on Gerud, calm down or your cholesterol will skyrocket! Hahaha!"

  He commented, laughing like a madman, before suddenly becoming serious again. It was as if his personality had suddenly changed.

  "I did the research you asked me to..."

  Gerud dropped his irritated manner and smiled under his mask, approaching with interest.

  "Ohhhh! Tell me, tell me!"

  “This is not good news, unfortunately.”

  He replied, sighing bitterly and letting his arms fall like two weights tied to a rope. Laplace had always been a theatrical man.

  “It seems this Almodeus isn't just a charlatan! Look over there!”

  The jester pointed to the undead army, still arrayed at the front.

  "There are more than fifty thousand undead soldiers..."

  Laplace pointed out, turning to Gerud, who looked astonished to say the least.

  "I-Impossible! Not even He would be capable of arming so many troops with enchanted weaponry!"

  "Yeah..."

  "What do we do, Laplace? If He finds out, he'll be furious!"

  The masked demon asked, completely terrified.

  "Calm down, Gerud! We're not out of the game yet! We just need to speed up our dear Yeddu's evolution into Doom Troll!"

  The jester replied chuckling, hiding the insecurity he was feeling. He, too, was astonished by all that war force that had appeared out of nowhere. It wasn't just the number of undead that astonished him, but the magical weapons. How could anyone possess all that material to craft them? Not even the dwarves could have accomplished such a feat in less than six months of non-stop work. The enemy must have been preparing for an exorbitant amount of time for the invasion.

  Who is this Almodeus? How does he manage to have such strength that it rivals that of one of the Twelve Archdemons?

  At that moment, they noticed a green light in the distance, which gradually grew brighter as it approached them. That bright glow took the form of a young woman with green hair, an aqua-green dress, and dark green markings under her closed eyes.

  Wow...that’s a lot of green.

  "I'm sorry to interrupt your afternoon discussion, but I have some questions for you."

  The woman spoke, surrounded by that strange light as if it were a sacred cloak.

  "Who the hell are you?!"

  Gerud asked, confused. Was she another of Laplace's henchmen? Possibly, given that he had managed to recruit even Vennominon, a proud snake man.

  "She's a dryad..."

  The jester muttered, taking a step back.

  "A-A dryad?! Y-You're joking, right?! Right?!??!?!"

  Gerud was bursting with anxiety. Dryads were the protective creatures of nature, and this one in particular was one of the guardians of the Dark Jade Forest. A dryad would have been a huge deal in itself, but the one before them seemed extremely powerful. It wasn't surprising, however: she was connected to the entire forest, and with all that magical substance in the Dark Jade, it was obvious she was stronger than a normal dryad.

  "My name is Trinity."

  The woman introduced herself, keeping her eyes closed and giving a short, formal bow– she seemed almost friendly.

  "Sorry to disturb you, dear intruders, but I couldn't help but overhear what you were talking about. Could you share it with me?"

  She asked, her tone calm and composed.

  "Sorry, but we can't."

  Laplace replied, taking a further step back, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the woman. He was confident he could defeat her under normal circumstances, but the problem was the area they were in: the forest itself. Some races benefited greatly from the environment, and dryads were among them. In the forest, the level of the dryad before them surpassed even that of Laplace.

  "I see, then let me ask you another question: are you responsible for all this devastation in the forest?"

  The woman's tone became slightly more stern, but her reassuring smile seemed to hide her true mood.

  "W-We...here, we...hem..."

  Gerud grumbled, for some reason feeling compelled to tell the truth—probably due to some ability the dryad possessed. Luckily for him, Laplace silenced him before he could spill any sensitive information. A punch to the head, and the demon in the plague doctor mask immediately reverted to the spineless coward he'd always been.

  “Ouch!”

  "Don't fall for her trick, Gerud! Dryads are very convincing! Almost as convincing as succubi!"

  "Hmm, I see I won't be able to get anything from you."

  The woman muttered, bringing her right hand to her chin.

  "If that is the case, then you are of no further use to me. By the authority given to me by the High Dragon, I sentence you to death for the crimes you have committed against the forest!"

  Her gaze now matched her stern tone. Trinity’s blue eyes widened and she stopped smiling, looking more like a stern judge than a beautiful woman. The nearby trees seemed to lean forward, as if they were the jury in the dryad's court: they were lending their strength to the judge that also played the part of the executioner.

  "What?!!!!"

  Gerud cursed herself for not having been more cautious. Now he would die in that remote forest just because He had sent him there. He would definitely take a vacation after conquering the forest. Gerud deserved it; he had been working like crazy for over eight months.

  "Gaia, the Strength of the Earth! Come to me!"

  The dryad wasted no time in casting a summoning spell. The trees' energy merged with Trinity's, creating a massive figure on horseback before her. The knight wielded two long lances and was clad from head to toe in green armor with golden scales, while his trusty steed was covered in pitch-black breastplates.

  "B-But that's a level 60 monster! It's Medium-High Tier! Are we crazy?!"

  Gerud blurted out, hiding behind Laplace. There were several systems of monster categorization in that world: the Tier system, which normally used three terms: Low, Medium, and High. It was also possible to add sub-levels, such as Medium-Low or Medium-High. This initial system was too simplistic in some cases and was used primarily by commoners or low-level adventurers who lacked extensive knowledge of monsters.

  The one used in an academic context was the Level system, which included a numerical scale from 1 to 100, the latter considered the maximum level even for deities. The monster summoned by Trinity—Gaia, the Strength of the Earth—was a Level 60 monster, considered Mid-High Tier. In its Tier, it was second only to Des Gorgitus, the supreme masked beast.

  "Oh, it's getting bad... really bad!"

  Laplace commented, eyeing the imposing knight before him. Not even he would be able to defeat that, especially if Trinity empowered him. Moreover, even if they eliminated him, the dryad had enough energy to surely summon at least one more. The situation was clear to both demons: they had to flee or fight and die.

  "Go and punish them with your spear, Gaia!"

  The dryad ordered, causing the knight to charge the two demons. Instinctively, Gerud began to run for his life, while Laplace stepped between the two and got impaled from side to side, falling to the ground like a sack of garbage. The attack had punctured his intestines and part of his lung: he couldn't have survived.

  "Oh, no! Laplace! He 'll be mad at me for this!"

  Gerud shouted, knowing he was next.

  "This is what happens to those who oppose the forest! We promised the High Dragon we would protect it! And we will do so at all costs..."

  Trinity roared, waving Gaia around to charge again, this time aiming for Gerud.

  "M-Mommy!"

  The demon shouted, running away in vain, as the knight quickly caught up with him. Gaia raised his weapon and prepared to strike, before a marble struck him in the back of the head, drawing his attention.

  "Hey, Mr. Spear! I'm still alive!"

  Laplace roared, rising from the ground. He had a huge, bleeding hole in his stomach and his clothes were covered in dirt, but he managed to stand without a problem. How he was still alive after a fatal blow was a mystery to everyone present, including his supposed ally.

  "Gerud, I think we should get out of the way!"

  With a quick movement of his hand, the jester threw marbles to the ground, detonating them and raising a cloud of smoke.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The dryad raised a confused eyebrow, as if she had just witnessed a futile move.

  "You really think this will be enough to make you run away?"

  Trinity asked, approaching the cloud. With a wave of her hand, she made the nearby trees absorb the smoke, then expelled it back into the air, but from the opposite direction. Soon, everything was visible again, except for one small detail...

  "How?"

  The woman opened her eyes in surprise, noticing that the two masked individuals had run away.

  "Long-range teleportation magic? I underestimated the opponent. They're not just any Lesser Demons..."

  She huffed and looked at the undead army in the distance, her expression irritated.

  "There's too much wrong here. What the hell is going on?"

  She muttered under her breath, before stopping suddenly, as if she had sensed something.

  "Duality, come here please..."

  In the blink of an eye, a second dryad appeared behind Trinity, wearing the same dress and cloak of light; the only difference between the two was the length of their hair and their height. The second one was slightly shorter and had a short bob cut.

  "Did you call, sister?"

  Duality asked reverently.

  "Yes. Can you stay here and observe the situation? I have something to take care of..."

  Trinity replied, pointing to the undead army.

  "Certainly, dear sister. Do you want me to intervene?"

  "No, we have to avoid starting a battle we can't win. Do you know anything from Mono?"

  The second dryad shook her head at that question, sounding displeased.

  "No, unfortunately. Our younger sister hasn't given us any news about that newly founded town yet. We only know that it's been named Almy and appears to be under the command of a girl, whom everyone refers to as Lady Almodea..."

  Hearing this information, Trinity looked back at the undead army. Something didn't seem right.

  "Almodea? The demon leading this army is called Almodeus. Do you think they're connected?"

  "I don't know, sister. However, it is confirmed that this Almodea is also a demon."

  “First Almodeus, then these two masked guys, and finally Almodea. What the hell are all these demons doing here?”

  “I-I don't know, sister. However, from what we hear from Mono, the town of Almy seems peaceful and seems to be improving the lives of its inhabitants. It has welcomed the surviving Oni, and the goblins have all gathered in that area. I sense some dark energy off the scale, but it doesn't seem evil.”

  Trinity snorted at her sister's uncertain words. There were still too many mysterious points.

  "We still know too little! We need to figure out who this Almodea is, who this Absolute Lord named Almodeus is, and who those two who just escaped are!"

  Why have all these supposed demons arrived in our forest now? If only the Great Verdugo were here...

  "Duality, stay here and update me. I have something to take care of..."

  Trinity reiterated, before disappearing into thin air, splitting into green particles that were absorbed by the nearby trees.

  "Dear sister, be careful..."

  Duality murmured, placing a hand on her chest. She was truly worried, especially since the forest's guardian deity couldn't intervene personally at the moment.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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  22nd day of the month of the gray dragon (March) 8:30 PM

  While a battle for the survival of the lizardmen raged at the edge of the swamp, Shaco combed the northwest edge of the forest, searching for the orcs. It was now clear to everyone that they were in the trolls' lair, but Shaco's employer had hoped to find some escaped orcs to gain further information, but by then there were none left.

  "What a bore! I thought it would be fun! Instead, it's deadly boring!"

  The clown muttered, quite irritated, but still maintaining an amused tone.

  "I've been looking for the orcs for Almodeus for a week, but nothing! Every village is deserted! Has everyone got the diarrhea?"

  "Could be..."

  A figure commented, appearing behind the clown.

  “Oh, Sein! How long have you been here?”

  “A few minutes. Sorry for not introducing myself right away, but I was just admiring your greatness, Master Shaco.”

  “I see, I see! Have you come to give me a hand on this boring evening, my dear assistant?”

  He moved a finger, tapping the bell on one of the tips of the girl's jester's hat. Despite also wearing a smiley face mask- that allowed her to talk normaly- Sein's face was as red as a tomato.

  “Y-Yes, Master Shaco.”

  “Now, let's get this shitty job done and go home! I have a lot of penguin jokes I need to rehearse!”

  Shaco approached a tree and climbed up it with an ease that would have made even the most skilled climber pale.

  "You know, Sein...This forest is really weird! There's a desert area with some trees, a swamp, and a damn lake! All that's missing is snow and—oh! There's that too! In the mountains! Fantastic, hahaha!"

  The clown did a somersault backward and landed on the ground, crushing a small flower that was struggling to grow in the arid area. His disregard for the environment—and for anything other than his antics, to be honest—was evident.

  "Could you be more careful?"

  A voice made him turn abruptly. He found himself facing a woman with green hair and blue eyes, whose light made her seem phosphorescent due to the sunset. Her gaze held a small smile and a calm expression, almost dizzy and friendly. But Shaco could see far beyond that pretty face: that woman's killer instinct was suffocating.

  "And you are?"

  "My name is Trinity. I am one of the dryads who protect this forest."

  "A dryad, huh? Well...you can't find anyone as beautiful as you! Ahahahah-Ouch!"

  Shaco's laughter was interrupted by a powerful blow from Sein. If there was one thing the girl hated, it was when her master complimented other females, especially those with a more sinuous and mature body. The dryad shrugged at the compliment and maintained her calm, solemn demeanor. She wasn't one to be taken in by flattery.

  "I'm not here to be flattered, demons. Besides, I'd be curious to know why there are so many jesters in my forest."

  Shaco used a finger to raise his static eyebrow, turning to Trinity in confusion.

  "Oh-Oh-Oh! I'm not just a jester, my dear! No-No-No! I'm Shaco, the crazy clown! A jester, yes- but not just that! I'm both!"

  The eccentric presentation, complete with half-rhymes and singsong, drew a small laugh from Trinity, who took a step forward towards the clown.

  "Nice to meet you, Shaco. I couldn't help but notice that you're hunting down orcs for a certain Almodeus...you often speak loudly."

  “Were you spying on me and I didn't notice? Ouch, I'm getting old!”

  “No, Master Shaco....You're just clumsy when you're bored.”

  “Maybeeeeeeeee...”

  Shaco simply shrugged and laughed ironically. After that little show, he turned to the dryad, as if waiting for her to ask him more questions. Trinity's arrival had added spice to the boring mission—and he loved seeing Sein jealous, even though he genuinely didn't know why.

  “Speaking of this Almodeus-“

  "You know him? Boring guy with a fixation on the letter A! Always giving me boring things to do!"

  "Hm...I see. May I ask why you're searching for the orcs under his orders?"

  "I shouldn't tell you, but..."

  Shaco looked around, as if he didn't want to be heard—not that he really cared—especially given the fact that Sein was literally standing next to him, furious as ever.

  "Almodeus wants to conquer the entire Dark Jade Forest! Hahahaha!"

  "Really?"

  “Yes, yes! He wanted to subjugate the orcs like he did the goblins and the Oni!”

  “And why does he want to do it? Power? Wealth?”

  "What do I know? From what I understand, it's because he wants to avoid problems in the future. You should ask him—I'm not much of a fan of the whys!"

  "I noticed..."

  The dryad sighed and took another step forward.

  "Can you tell me more? Like if you know a certain Lady Almodea, ruler of the city of Almy? Or what your master plans to do with that army of undead in the swamp?"

  "I shouldn't even tell you this. I doubt Sein would let me go without complaining. But... I don't give a shit! I'll tell you everything!"

  “Master Shaco...Perhaps you should consult Lord Almodeus first. Don't you think that's the right thing to do?”

  “What a drag, Sein! Can't you see I'm trying to make the pretty lady here laugh? I— Ouch!“

  The clown fell silent abruptly when a large hammer conjured out of nowhere struck him in the groin. Sein hadn't shown any mercy after that last comment. She knew full well her master was joking, but she couldn't stand it.

  “Nice shot…Ouch...”

  “Yours was a bad joke, Master Shaco.”

  “Yeah...I think someone isn’t reproducing anymore.”

  "Pffff!"

  At that funny sight, Trinity began to laugh uncontrollably, losing all trace of seriousness. It was too much for her. The two were perfect playwrights. To her, it was all calculated, and Shaco hadn't actually been hit in the crotch with a giant hammer. However, the truth was quite different.

  "Finally someone who laughs at my eccentric bullshit!"

  The clown commented, standing up straight. The pain seemed to be completely gone. Shaco glanced at Sein, ready to dodge the next blow before losing his entire package.

  "You're a funny guy, I can't deny that, dear Shaco. But I'm serious! I'd like to know more, for the sake of the forest. Besides, you trampled on a flower, you owe me one..."

  Shaco shrugged and pulled a flower out of thin air, handing it to Trinity.

  "Are we even?"

  The dryad opened her eyes in surprise—it was the first time anyone had offered her such a gift. She glanced quickly at Sein. Given the comic relief Trinity believed was in play, she expected the girl to explode, yet she was surprisingly calm. She had now realized that to keep the conversation going, she would have to take part in this charade.

  "I say that-"

  She reached for the flower, but a spray of water came out, hitting her full in the face.

  "Ahahahaha! Everyone falls for it!"

  Shaco burst out laughing like a lunatic, while Trinity began wiping her face, an irritated expression on her face. Sein chuckled, as if she'd been expecting this all along.

  "You know...that was actually fun."

  The dryad's irritation vanished and a small smile, followed by laughter, spread across her face. She had somehow found the irony of the situation amusing.

  "You have a sense of humor, greenie! I like you!"

  "Don't call me greenie, please..."

  Trinity gave a quick cough and tried to regain her composure, but was only partially successful.

  "Since you don't want to talk, could I have an audience with your boss? I'd like to see what kind of person he is."

  "Oh, sure! But be careful, he is…very dangerous!"

  Despite Shaco's clownish attitude, Trinity understood that the clown wasn't joking – not about the last part at least.

  “So…when can I talk to you?”

  “I think tomorrow might be a good date. I'll be there, okay?”

  “I'll trust you, Shaco. Dare to betray me and— “

  “Relax! Do I look like a traitor to you?”

  “No, but looks can be deceiving.”

  “Yes, it's true!”

  The clown gave a chivalrous bow and removed his jester's hat, only to reveal an identical one underneath. How he managed to wear two remained a mystery, but Trinity knew it was just another comical gag.

  “So, greenie...do we have a deal?”

  “Deal.”

  Trinity replied, shaking the other's hand. There was nothing behind it: no magic, no secret skills. Somehow she knew there was no malicious intent behind that gesture—not on Shaco's part, at least. Sein was furious! The dryad immediately sensed an incredible killer instinct directed at her from the short girl. She had no idea why, yet it was so.

  “Master Shaco...”

  Said the little jester, forcefully separating the two's hands.

  “I say we go. We don’t want to anger Lord Almodeus, do we?”

  “Already? But I was having a blast!”

  “I’ll give you a little candy if you come with me right now like a good boy.”

  Shaco crossed his arms, almost unsure of what to do.

  "I would not know..."

  “I’ll also tell you a joke about penguins.”

  “Oh, I’m in!”

  Trinity was stunned by the clown's sudden change in demeanor. She was truly confused now. She didn't know if the two were still acting or if they were truly serious. Looking back, the entire exchange she'd had with those clown demons had been a kind of low-grade comedy. And now that they'd vanished into thin air, she didn't know what to think.

  “What...What the hell just happened?”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  23rd day of the month of the gray dragon (March) 4:30 PM

  Almodeus sat in the camp, not far from the lizardmen village, now conquered and under his control. It had been simple enough, since Hardshell had done all the work. Anxy, however, had returned to the tower, still embarrassed.

  That girl needs more confidence. She may be a Demonic Dullahan, but sometimes she seems afraid of others even if they don't see her directly. She's in danger of losing her head...literally.

  Anxy was the best user of holy magic among them, so Almodeus considered her one of the most valuable allies he had. However, he was a little sorry that she was so fearful of everything, even voicing a complaint. It wasn't healthy.

  At least she obeys without any problems, unlike-

  "Shaco! The King of Laughter is back!"

  At that moment, Shaco appeared on the table in the center of the room, scattering some confetti to the floor. Needless to say, he interrupted Almodeus's thoughts without further ado.

  Speaking of the devil...

  Almodeus sighed, raising a hand to his forehead. He sighed a few more times and gestured with his other hand, indicating that the clown should start with the report.

  "I hope you finally brought me some good news, Shaco."

  "Unfortunately, I have nothing on the orcs, but one of my clones met someone who would like to speak with you, big boss!"

  Almodeus's eyes widened. Who could possibly want to talk to someone like him?

  "Show them a seat..."

  "With great pleasure! Hey, babe! You can come in!"

  The clown took a leaf he had hidden in his pocket and threw it on the ground. It began to charge with green energy, soon revealing the figure of a mature woman.

  "What the fuck!?"

  Morello roared, sitting at the table across from Almodeus. The subordinate raised his rifle, before Sergio abruptly lowered it. The two exchanged a knowing look. The woman had appeared out of nowhere, but she had been announced and it would have been disrespectful to be aggressive beforehand. Moreover, the announced woman in question was a dryad, considered a minor deity by the common people.

  "She's a dryad! Show some respect, brother! Besides, both Shaco and Lord Almodeus are here. It's safe!"

  "The one in the brown suit is right. I'm just here to talk..."

  Trinity declared, shifting her gaze to Almodeus, as if to peer into the soul he didn't possess. Her eyes widened slightly as she realized the power of the demon before her.

  "You were right, Shaco. Your boss is really scary."

  She commented, taking a step forward and trying to remain composed.

  "My name is Trinity! I am the dryad in charge of protecting this forest. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Almodeus—also known as the Absolute Lord."

  She continued, giving a short bow.

  "The pleasure is mine. But tell me, what brings a dryad to my presence?"

  "I just want to understand what you want to do with the forest. I've been told you want to conquer it, is that correct?"

  Almodeus's face shifted toward Shaco, knowing he'd been the one to tell Trinity everything. The clown simply whistled as if he were innocent, earning him a glare from the demon. Now Almodeus understood why Sein had returned so annoyed the day before. Shaco had probably been up to some antics of his own.

  What a nuisance. But... I could gain something from this situation.

  "Yes, what you say is true."

  Almodeus muttered, then rose from his throne, towering over those present.

  "Are you here to stop me?"

  "I wouldn't say so, no."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I'm not stupid. I know you're a demon, and I also know you're beyond my capabilities."

  Trinity declared, showing no fear even before the Absolute Lord.

  “I sensed it clearly when you used your magic to make the goblins' crops bloom...I thought it was a magical artifact, but I see I was wrong.”

  The dryad took a step forward, approaching the colossal demon.

  "I came here to ask you to have mercy and at least stop the extermination! Please..."

  "May I know why you come to me to beg for mercy, but you didn't go to stop the trolls from exterminating the Oni?"

  At that question, Trinity smiled, as if she already had the answer ready.

  "We are the guardians of the forest and its inhabitants. Internal battles are part of natural selection, but you...are like a parasite!"

  "You have a lot of nerve calling me a parasite! Even though it's not entirely wrong..."

  Almodeus leaned over Trinity, looking her up and down. Her beauty was undeniable, but there was something more beneath that smirk and confident air she displayed. It was merely a mask for a deeper feeling he knew all too well: fear.

  "Did you just come to ask me to have mercy on the forest?"

  "Yes! Please don't destroy everything! You have great power, use it wisely. This place is sacred...it may be useful to you in the future."

  "And what do you give me in return?"

  The dryad sighed and knelt, bowing. It was clear she was doing it all against her will.

  "Our blessing and absolute loyalty. I am willing to put myself at your complete service, but please stop the slaughter!"

  "Stand up..."

  Almodeus pulled Trinity to her feet and approached, leaning toward her- as if to show her he was on her side.

  "I'm willing to accept your request. However, there will be more deaths anyway. You're aware of that, right?"

  "I know...that's why I'm here too. I want to ask you for help, Lord Almodeus!"

  The demon opened his eyes in surprise. Had he heard correctly? A dryad wanted his help? Now he'd seen it all. He hadn't expected a creature representing natural life to ask him- fear itself- for help with something.

  "What use could my help be to you?"

  "Besides you, there are other demons in the forest. But unlike you, they don't want to make deals."

  “We already know there are other demons. Don't worry, we'll take care of them.”

  “You don't understand!”

  Trinity roared, finally losing her composure. She was in no position to speak that way to the future ruler of the forest. However, she had no intention of lowering her head and making the other think he could do whatever he wanted. The pledged loyalty was absolute, not total. The dryad's message was clear: if Almodeus harmed the forest, they would rebel—regardless of the inevitable punishment.

  "Demons are working with the Troll King! They're making him evolve into a Doom Troll!"

  "A Doom Troll? They want to make him part demon?"

  Almodeus raised his hand to his chin. He'd completely ignored Trinity's disrespect and was focusing on the most pressing news: the presence of a potential disaster troll. Now a lot of things were coming to a head.

  The red eyes on the trolls I killed in Gurd village a while back were due to the Ruthless Devourer ability.

  Almodeus knew that skill well. It could be learned by various species that could naturally evolve easily, as trolls did. Theirs was a race highly adept at adapting to their environment, so much so that they could be found anywhere on the planet; from the coldest frozen lands to the driest desolate wastelands. Once acquired, the Ruthless Devourer skill gave its possessor the ability to absorb the energy of those they devoured, but that wasn't the end of it. The ability could be partially shared with anyone of choice. In practice, if a troll with Ruthless Devourer ate a prey, all the trolls it shared the skill with would gain the same energy as the first. Furthermore, there was one final devastating effect.

  Certain races in particular could use it to evolve in unnatural ways, becoming something they were never meant to be. In the specific case of trolls, it was the must mentioned by Trinity: the Doom Troll.

  “Why would they do something like that? A monster like that is powerful, but also highly uncontrollable.”

  "I don't know, but please stop him! He'll destroy everything just to conquer the forest!"

  "And you come asking me for help? Fear itself?"

  “I have no choice. We realized it too late, we were too busy with—”

  Trinity fell silent abruptly, as if she wanted to avoid revealing something.

  “I understand. I understand.”

  Almodeus simply replied before offering her his hand.

  "Let's do this: I eliminate the Doom Troll, in exchange you help my daughter Almodea run the city of Almy, are you up for it?"

  “Your daughter?”

  The dryad seemed hesitant at the proposal. It was to her advantage, but there was always talk of making a pact with an extremely powerful demon. It was dangerous—in fact, risky...but she had no other choice. She had to save the forest first.

  "I accept. I only ask you to have mercy! Don't turn this beautiful place into a wasteland."

  "Trust me, as long as my daughter likes this place, you'll be safe from me. I may be a demon and fear personified, but I'm also a father."

  The dryad smiled at those words, which somehow gave him a tiny hope to believe in.

  "Thank you for everything, Lord Almodeus. Now I must return to my sisters to help them. I give you my blessing."

  With that, the dryad disappeared without a trace.

  Curious woman...

  Almodeus thought, sitting back on his throne, ready for the next audience.

  “Very good! I think we have a lot more to talk about now.”

  He turned towards Sergio and Morello, with a serious expression.

  "The trolls will be our next target. Let's focus all our forces on invading the mountains!"

  “Yes, yes sir!”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Trinity reappeared in front of what looked like a hollow tree. Her two sisters, Mono and Duality, were already there waiting for her.

  "How did the hearing go? We lost contact as soon as you teleported. There must be some protective spell protecting the undead camp.

  Asked Mono, the youngest of the three.

  "Yes! There was some extremely powerful magic interfering with communications!"

  Added Duality, the middle sister.

  "Don't worry, everything went well!"

  Trinity replied, trying to reassure her younger sisters. She put on a slightly strained smile, which only partially allayed the two younger dryads' anxiety. After the disappearance of the Cerberus of the Waters and the strange sudden madness of the Sand Crocodile, only the three of them remained to defend the forest; they couldn't disappoint their kind master.

  "Are you sure, dear sister? You don't seem very convinced to me..."

  "True, I'm sorry. I'm just very uncertain right now."

  The dryad sat down on a boulder and sighed, as if exhausted.

  "It's all happening so fast! Too much going on at once!"

  The woman blurted out, finally letting go of her mask of seriousness and confidence – giving free rein to her deepest frustration.

  “First the demons turning the Troll King into a monster, and now this Almodeus who's subjugating everyone! Not to mention Almodea and the city of Almy! How did we get to this point? Where did I go wrong?”

  The two sisters approached, ready to support Trinity in her crisis.

  "You didn't do anything wrong, Trinity!"

  "Mono is right! The Supreme Verdugo would be happy with what you're doing!"

  "You say?"

  The dryad's insecurities were swept away by her sisters' smiles, which infected her and made her laugh lightly.

  "Eh eh... I hope it is true. Anyway, I made a deal with Almodeus."

  That revelation left the others stunned, and they took a step back in surprise.

  "What do you mean?"

  "Did you manage to send him away?"

  "No.…"

  Trinity shook her head and stood up, walking over to the tree behind her.

  "Unfortunately, he's intent on conquering the forest; I knew it at first sight! He said he'll help us defeat the Troll King, and then he'll bring peace...I hope, at least."

  "Peace? But he's a demon! And he commands an army of undead, nevertheless! Nothing is more unnatural than him!"

  Mono roared, disappointed by her older sister's words.

  "Mono, calm down! I'm sure Trinity wasn't fooled, right?"

  Duality stepped in, trying to calm her younger sister down.

  "Yes, I'm not that stupid!"

  Trinity added, smiling and patting Mono on the head, calming her down.

  "I wanted to fight, but unfortunately one look was enough to tell me that that Almodeus is beyond our capabilities..."

  "Is that powerful?"

  "He was almost on par with the High Verdugo- the Strong Wind Dragon- protector of the forest and our master."

  Dismay was written on the faces of the two younger sisters- they looked like they were about to faint.

  "A-Are you kidding? It would be on par with one of the most powerful Primordial Dragons? Impossible!"

  "I thought so too, but I saw his aura...it's terrifying! And not only that! I think he was even holding back while we were talking! I don't want to sound paranoid, but I dare say that maybe, and I stress maybe...Almodeus could be even more powerful than the Supreme Verdugo."

  At those words, Mono and Duality went into a complete panic. They seemed on the verge of dying of a broken heart at any moment.

  "Impossible!"

  "S-She's right! Not even the Primordial Demons are that powerful! I mean, maybe after they get a name, but even then—"

  It was at that moment that Duality suddenly fell silent, as if struck by a flash of genius.

  "Almodeus is a name...Ohhh, damn!"

  "That's right, it's a demon with a name and can’t be controlled. I believe those mechanical demons you saw wandering around the forest were his."

  “They were actually doing some reconnaissance just before all this shit started. Not to mention that one of them was talking about looking for orcs. If they were allies of the demons serving the Troll King, they wouldn't need that information.”

  "You're right, Duality. Besides, someone like Almodeus wouldn't need a Doom Troll. His power goes far beyond anything we know. But we do have a weapon against him!"

  The eldest of the dryads approached the others, as if she didn't want to be heard.

  "His daughter runs the town of Almy, from what I understand."

  "A demon with a daughter? Never heard of such a thing..."

  The younger dryads' astonishment was understandable. Demons could physically have children, but they lacked the instinct to reproduce—so the general notion had spread that this specific race reproduced asexually, such as spontaneous birth through rituals or the like. In truth, demons didn't reproduce at all. Even the body of a mere Lesser Demon couldn't age beyond a certain point, so it wasn't possible for them to die of old age. What purpose did an heir serve in this case, then? It didn't, which is why demons rarely produced offspring. Trinity deduced that Almodeus must fall into one of the very few exceptions in that case.

  "I know, but let's use it to our advantage! If his daughter is happy here, the forest will remain peaceful!"

  "That's not necessarily true! His daughter could be worse than him!"

  “No, I’ve been keeping an eye on her and she doesn’t seem that bad.”

  Mono declared, taking the floor.

  “She spends all his time with an Oni secretary and occasionally talks to a creepy giant woman, but she hasn't done anything bad, on the contrary! She seems to treat everyone very generously, even a runaway troll!”

  “Keep an eye on her, Mono! We can't let anyone fool us. We can use her against Almodeus if is needed.”

  “As you wish, sister. I'll be right back to see what she's doing.”

  With that, Mono disappeared without a trace.

  “What a hot situation. At the mercy of a demon.”

  "You're right, Duality. If only the Great Verdugo were here..."