Demon King After the End-Chapter 36

The deeper they descended, the heavier the air became.

The tunnel widened, transitioning from a rough natural cavern into something constructed. The walls here were reinforced with rusted iron beams, and the remains of old mining carts lay overturned on the tracks, their contents long since spilled and petrified.

Leading the formation wasn’t Gorran, but the Undead Bone Scorpion.

Its skeletal legs clicked rhythmically against the stone, its blue-flame eyes cutting through the gloom. It moved without hesitation, tethered to Leon’s will by an invisible thread of mana.

"It doesn’t breathe," Gorran muttered, watching the creature’s backside with a mixture of awe and unease. "It doesn’t tire. It just... walks."

"That’s the point," Leon replied, keeping his eyes on the path ahead. "A soldier that doesn’t eat or sleep is a logistician’s dream. Though it does drain my mana to keep it active."

Mora floated closer to Leon’s head, shivering despite the lack of wind. "This place feels dead-dead. Not cool-dead like the Tree. Just... empty."

"Quiet," Brahmir hissed from the shadows.

The group froze.

Brahmir pointed a jagged dagger toward the ceiling of the cavern ahead.

Leon looked up using his [Dark Vision].

Hanging from the stalactites, blended perfectly with the grey stone, were large, bulbous shapes. Webs—thick as ropes and grey with dust—crisscrossed the upper reaches of the tunnel.

[System Analysis]

Target: Iron-Weaver Spider

Rank: E+ Class

Description: Ambush predators. Their silk is reinforced with trace metals from their diet. Weak to fire. Resistant to slashing.

"Spiders," Leon whispered. "A dozen of them. Maybe more."

"I hate spiders," Gorran grumbled, gripping his axe. "Too many legs."

"Ready yourself," Leon ordered. "They know we’re here."

As if hearing him, a high-pitched chittering echoed from the ceiling.

THWIP.

A glob of grey webbing shot down, aiming for Mora’s glowing light. The spirit yelped and zipped sideways, the web splattering harmlessly against the stone floor.

"Ambush!" Mora shrieked. "They’re shooting snot at me!"

The ceiling erupted into motion. The Iron-Weaver Spiders descended on thick draglines, dropping like stones.

"Gorran, defend the rear! Brahmir, flank!" Leon commanded.

Then, he focused his mind on his undead minion.

Attack.

The Bone Scorpion didn’t hesitate. It lunged at the nearest descending spider, snapping its pincers. The spider hissed, its mandibles clashing against the scorpion’s hardened shell.

Sparks flew.

The undead construct didn’t feel pain. It ignored the spider’s bite and drove its stinger straight into the spider’s thorax.

SQUELCH.

Green blood sprayed, and the spider went limp.

But there were too many. Two more dropped directly in front of Leon.

"Your Majesty!" Gorran roared, trying to push through a wall of webs to reach him.

"I’ve got it," Leon said calmly.

He raised his hand.

[Skill: Mana Bolt]

A dark sphere blasted the first spider backward, cracking its carapace.

The second one lunged, fangs dripping with venom.

Leon didn’t dodge.

"Rise."

The command wasn’t for the spider attacking him. It was for the scorpion’s victim lying dead a few feet away.

Black mist exploded from the ground, surging into the fresh spider corpse.

TWITCH.

The dead spider jerked upright, eyes igniting with blue fire. It leaped—not at Leon, but at its former kin.

The attacking spider screeched in confusion as it was tackled mid-air by its undead brethren. Legs tangled, fangs gnashed, and in seconds, the living spider was overwhelmed.

[Minion Acquired: Undead Iron-Weaver Spider (Level 6)] [Control Capacity: 2/10]

Leon smirked. "Two down."

The tide turned instantly.

With an undead scorpion tanking the front and an undead spider causing chaos in the ranks, the living spiders broke formation.

Gorran capitalized on the confusion, his axe swinging in wide, brutal arcs that shattered chitin and bone alike. Brahmir moved like smoke, hamstringing spiders before they could retreat up their webs.

Within minutes, the cavern floor was littered with twitching legs and curled bodies.

Leon walked through the carnage, stepping over pools of green ichor. He selected two of the most intact bodies.

"Rise. Rise."

Two more spiders jerked to life, shaking off death like a heavy coat. They scuttled to join the formation, standing perfectly still alongside the scorpion.

[Control Capacity: 4/10]

"Four minions," Leon noted, feeling a slight strain on his mind, like a dull headache. "I can probably handle three more before my focus slips."

Gorran wiped slime off his shoulder, staring at the small squad of undead monsters waiting for Leon’s command.

"Majesty," the minotaur breathed, "if you bring these back to the village, the dark elves might worship you, but the goblins are going to soil themselves."

"They’ll get used to it," Leon said. "Let’s move. We’re close to the source."

They pushed past the spider nest and deeper into the "Iron Grave."

The natural tunnels finally gave way to a massive, man-made chamber. It was a hall of industry, abandoned and frozen in time.

Enormous chains hung from the ceiling, holding suspended cauldrons that had once carried molten metal. Conveyor belts of rusted iron stood silent. Piles of unprocessed ore sat in the corners, covered in decades of dust.

But what caught Leon’s eye wasn’t the machinery.

It was the walls.

Veins of shimmering, blue-tinged metal ran through the rock face like lightning bolts frozen in stone.

"Mana-Steel," Brahmir whispered, stepping out of the shadows. "And raw Iron. High grade."

Gorran let out a low whistle. "Look at that vein. It goes deep. If we get the furnace running... we could outfit the whole army in a month."

Mora flew up to a pile of ore. "It’s shiny! Can I eat it?"

"No," Leon said. "That’s for armor. Unless you want teeth of steel."

He walked toward the center of the chamber, where a massive structure loomed—The Great Blast Furnace. It was shaped like a demon’s skull, its mouth the opening for the fire.

"This is it," Leon said, checking the mission marker. "Secure this room, and the facility is ours."

CLANG.

A heavy, metallic sound echoed through the vast chamber.

The ground vibrated.

Gorran hefted his axe. "That sounded big."

From behind the massive furnace, a figure emerged.

It stood twelve feet tall, a hulking mass of black iron and bronze gears. Its chest was a glowing grate of orange heat, burning with a magical core that had survived for fifty years. It held a blacksmith’s hammer the size of a grown man.

[System Analysis]

Target: Furnace Guardian (Construct)

Rank: D-Class Boss

Description: An autonomous golem built to defend the forge. High physical defense. Immune to poison and fear. Powered by a Magma Core. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The Guardian’s head—a bucket helm with a single glowing slit—swiveled toward them. Steam hissed from its joints.

"INTRUDERS," a mechanical, grinding voice boomed. "PROTOCOL: INCINERATE."

Leon stepped back, signaling his minions forward.

"Gorran, don’t engage it head-on! It’ll smash that axe like a twig!"

"Then what do I do?!" Gorran yelled as the Golem raised its massive hammer.

"Distract it!" Leon ordered. "Minions—swarm!"

He pointed his hand.

The undead squad—one scorpion and three spiders—surged forward.

The Golem swung its hammer. WHOOSH.

The blow was slow but devastating. It smashed into the stone floor, sending shockwaves that knocked the scorpion onto its back.

But the spiders were faster. They skittered up the Golem’s legs, their fangs scraping uselessly against the thick iron plating.

"Webs!" Leon commanded mentally.

The three undead spiders turned their abdomens and fired thick streams of grey silk at the Golem’s joints—knees, elbows, and neck.

The Guardian roared—a sound like grinding metal—and tried to swing again, but the webs held fast, slowing its movement.

"NOW!" Leon shouted.

Gorran charged, ducking under a clumsy swing. He slammed his axe into the back of the Golem’s knee, right where the webs had tightened.

CLANG!

The metal dented, but didn’t break.

"It’s too thick!" Gorran shouted, retreating as the Golem kicked out, nearly taking his head off.

"Brahmir! The eyes!" Leon directed.

The shadow demon flickered into existence on the Golem’s shoulder, stabbing his daggers into the vision slit. The Golem flailed, steam venting furiously from its shoulders.

Leon stood back, analyzing. Physical attacks were doing chip damage. The webs were only buying time.

He needed to hit the core.

"Mora! Can you grow vines inside that grate?" Leon pointed to the glowing orange furnace in the Golem’s chest.

Mora popped out from behind a crate. "It’s fire! Plants hate fire, Boss!"

"Not normal vines!" Leon yelled, dodging a piece of flying debris. "Use the heat! Overload it!"

"Oh! Exploding Cinder-Moss! I can do that!"

Mora zipped forward, dodging a swat from the Golem’s massive hand. She hovered in front of the chest grate and blew a handful of red glowing spores directly into the burning core.

"Eat up, big guy!" she chirped, then zipped away.

The spores hit the magical fire inside the chest. Instead of burning up instantly, they fed on the heat, expanding rapidly into thick, glowing red moss that clogged the vents.

The Golem stuttered. Its movements jerked. The steam vents on its back hissed violently, unable to release the pressure.

"WARNING. CORE TEMPERATURE CRITICAL," the Golem droned.

"Now!" Leon stepped forward, gathering every ounce of mana he had left.

He didn’t use a mana bolt. He used raw force.

[Skill: Mana Manipulation]

He visualized a hammer of his own—a dense, heavy block of dark mana—and slammed it telekinetically directly onto the clogged chest grate.

CRUNCH.

The metal bars bent inward. The pressure inside the Golem spiked.

BOOM!

The chest plate blew open. Magma and gears sprayed outward. The Golem froze mid-swing, its single eye flickering.

It swayed.

Then, with a groan of dying metal, it toppled forward, crashing face-first into the stone floor.

Silence returned to the Armory.

Leon exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow. His minions stood still, awaiting orders, though one spider was crushed flat.

Gorran lowered his axe, breathing heavily. "tough bastard."

Ding!

[Mission Completed: The Iron Grave] [Rewards:]

Ownership: Vulk’s Armory & Mine.

Blueprint: Demonic Blast Furnace.

Facility Unlocked: Blacksmithing.

+2000 SP.

Bonus XP: Level Up! (Level 23 -> 24)

Leon walked over to the fallen Golem and placed a hand on its cooling iron shoulder.

"We have our forge," Leon said, a smile spreading across his face. "And with this... the army gets its teeth."