A few days later, the beasts' activity across the other continents began in earnest.
Furthermore, several individuals had begun their invasion of the continent where we resided. They were reportedly attacking port towns, devouring marine life along the way.
Until now, their movements had been sporadic and chaotic, but they were now showing signs of organization. Though they appeared to be simply rampaging, a distinct pattern emerged when one traced their movements across various regions.
It was proof that these normally individualistic beasts had unified. Having gauged the strength of the Demon King’s Army, they had likely devised a counterstrategy.
The situation was unfolding exactly as Gwen had predicted.
While each harbored their own hidden agendas, the beasts had made the predation of my soul their top priority. With that goal in mind, they had begun to act as a single, cohesive force. They likely intended to cooperate only until I was neutralized.
The interior of the continent remained in a state of total confusion. However, actual damage caused by the beasts was minimal; the populace was simply being misled by a web of conflicting information. The various nations seemed unable to decide on a unified response. For the time being, they maintained a wait-and-see approach, focusing solely on subjugating any beasts that manifested within their own borders.
The upper echelons of these nations were well aware of the Demon King’s power. They understood that the best course of action was to avoid any unnecessary provocations. It was a truly wise decision.
(Peace is still a long way off...)
I leaned my cheek against my hand as I skimmed through the reports. I could hardly believe all of this had transpired in just a few days. That was how much the momentum of the world had accelerated.
Everyone was desperate.
Only yesterday, a hero-like figure had reportedly emerged in a small port town. After a valiant struggle against a massive horde of beasts, they had fallen in battle. It seemed the Will of the World had manifested to intervene, but its strength had clearly fallen short.
Even heroes do not always taste victory. There are many instances where they lose their lives during reckless advances. While it was remarkable that an ordinary person could kill a beast at all without specific countermeasures, they lacked the power necessary to annihilate the threat.
The Demon King’s Army was active throughout the continent. My role was to expose the beasts' locations and dispatch my forces to those coordinates. Any defeated individuals were teleported to the Valley of the Dead to serve as my nourishment. Thanks to this, my power continued to swell, and I felt not even a shred of depletion in my magic power or miasma.
I remained in the Royal Capital, focusing entirely on my role as the command center. Since I was the beasts' ultimate target, I judged it best not to move around excessively. Instead, I enchanted the equipment of the Demon King’s Army with specialized spells, ensuring they could eliminate the beasts on their own. For those capable of wielding magic, I personally taught them dedicated techniques.
Compared to our previous encounters, the subjugation process should have become significantly easier. In fact, the Demon King’s Army was winning consecutive battles everywhere. They were accumulating remarkable military achievements while keeping casualties to a minimum. Judging by the reports from my executives, they were handling the combat without any major crises. A system had been established where I could confidently leave the minor skirmishes to them.
While commanding the army, I worked on expanding the range of my sensing magic to encompass the entire globe. I used this to flush out any beasts currently in hiding. This was my first attempt at expanding my perception to such a scale, and I was struggling slightly, but the work was progressing steadily.
Once I have exposed every last beast, I intend to make my move. I will annihilate them in a single, short-term decisive battle to solidify world peace once and for all. Depending on how things unfold, I also intend to eliminate the beasts lingering outside the world. It might also be wise to establish a permanent barrier to prevent further incursions.
In any case, I planned to settle the matter of the Beasts of the Outside World within the next few days.
However, the turmoil did not end there.
While the Beasts of the Outside World were rampaging, a strange phenomenon occurred. Specifically, a certain religious order across the sea had supposedly succeeded in the advent of God. According to the order's public statement, their prayers had finally reached the heavens.
If this were merely a rumor, I could have dismissed it as the delusions of the faithful. However, this entity hailed as "God" had actually crushed the beasts that were attacking the people. Following that feat, it loudly declared its intent to wipe out every beast within the territory.
It claimed that the creatures wreaking havoc across the lands were the "Beasts of Calamity." It further asserted that they were kin summoned by the Demon King, and that the world would only find peace if the Demon King who commanded them was destroyed.
Upon receiving this information, several nations immediately began drafting a Demon King Subjugation Plan. There were already whispers that armies were preparing to cross the ocean. It certainly helped their cause that many had viewed the Demon King as a threat from the beginning; such rumors had always been whispered in the shadows.
With the divine mandate of "God's Voice" behind them, the people finally took action in earnest. The current Demon King was now branded the World's Enemy, targeted by every nation across the globe.
Ironically, it was the exact dynamic I had envisioned.
"God, is it...?" I muttered.
As the words left my lips, a peculiar presence manifested beside me.
"In this world, there are no administrators resembling gods."
I turned toward the speaker. Standing there was the Great Spirit, possessing the body of Yura.