Demon's Evolution

The Princess's Worries

City of light.

Princess Ladia was staying inside one of the magic towers of the city. The reason being the coming dungeon exploration happening in a few days of the heroes.

Ladia was not worried about the heroes in the slightest, but she cannot afford to lose too many heroes in the process. Although it is necessary for her to pick out the useless bunch from the rest, she hoped that most of the heroes survived.

After all the weight carried by a single hero is tremendous, if brought up right they will act as the frontline and power of the whole empire.

Who would dare deny or ignore the might of a group of heroes?

"Elder, I heard the intel of the three dungeons is available, can I take a look at them?"

"Of course Princess"

Soon enough the intel was on the princess's table.

After seeing the information on the three dungeons, Ladia grumbled,

"The first two dungeons are fine but what is wrong with the third? A rare monster was seen inside the third dungeon?"

"If that is true, it will be like sending the heroes to their death"

Ladia knew the strength of a rare monster. Although it is of no trouble to her, for the heroes who only had less than two weeks of combat training, was just the same as sending them to their deaths.

In no way anyone, even a group of heroes, can manage to kill a monster of the rare rank.

One had to know that the heroes are still currently at LVL 1! Because they have only been training with the Captains till now. Their first hunt should have been an easy one, if the first hunt left them in fear or traumatized, they will never accept to go on another hunt.

Ladia was troubled, there were only three dungeons near the City of light, it was all common rank dungeons but an anomaly has appeared.

{The Tranquil chambers- Common rank dungeon}

-Blood-Toll Harpy - Common rank

Cruel, corpse-eating creatures, harpies endlessly seek their next meal, careless of whether it comes from the living or the dead. With equal zeal, these vicious scavengers set upon travellers or claw open fresh graves, stripping bodies of riches and flesh. Then they carry back any treasures or appealing bones they find to reeking nests situated in cramped caves or rotten trees.

{The Winter Vaults- Common rank dungeon}

-Bone Naga- Common rank

Nagas are intelligent serpents that inhabit the ruins of the past, amassing arcane treasures and knowledge.

The first nagas were created as immortal guardians by a humanoid race long lost to history. When this race died out, the nagas deemed themselves the rightful inheritors of their masters' treasures and magical lore. Industrious and driven, nagas occasionally venture out from their lairs to track down magic items or rare spellbooks.

Nagas never feel the ravages of time or succumb to sickness. Even if it is struck down, a naga's immortal spirit reforms in a new body in a matter of days, ready to continue its eternal work. The bone naga is the weakest amongst the naga race due to its weak skeletal body.

{The Abomination Maze- Common rank}

Aldani -Common rank

An Aldani resembled a lobster the size of a human being, walking on two humanoid legs but they could swim like lobsters. Its face was also similar to that of a human, though encased in chitinous armour and with eyes on stalks. Despite their frightful appearance, Aldani avoided conflict. Reclusive and xenophobic, they hide in their lakes and rivers. If disturbed, Aldani tries to frighten intruders away without killing them.

A presence of a Rare rank monster in a common dungeon can only mean one thing.

She knew a monster had evolved to the rare rank. A monster on its 2nd evolution is way more dangerous than a monster who was born of Rare rank.

Even though the Aldani are known to avoid conflict, no one should trust that a monster would show mercy to its enemies.

But she was wrong.

"Your highness, the rare rank monster seen wasn't an Aldani but a Blue Slaad"

"What?!! Why didn't anyone report this to me before? Do you know what the presence of a monster like Blue Slaad means?"

{Blue Slaad- Rare rank}

Slaad are undisciplined and have no formal hierarchy, although weaker Slaad obey stronger ones under threat of annihilation. Slaad have horrific cycles of reproduction. Slaad reproduce either by implanting humanoid hosts with eggs or by infecting them with a transformative disease called chaos phage... With each transformation, the Slaad retains its memories.

Ladia knew the terror the monster called Slaad can cause, there have already been cities, even kingdoms that have gone to ruin due to the terrifying ability of the slaad to mutate any living creature to one of their kind. 

This was no longer a simple dungeon exploration.

"Elder, how many captains are here in this city?"

"The city has 5 captains of C- class and the head of the city is of B-class, but the head went outside the city for an important commission by Duke Ifrit."

How could a city have such a pitiful amount of troops?

"Are there any mages available for hire in the adventurer association?"

"Unfortunately there is none, your highness."

"Not even a single apprentice mage is available? How is this possible?" Ladia was furious.

Mages are divided into many tiers based on their might and capabilities.

The lowest being the apprentice mages who just started their magic career to the untouchable Arch Mages.

Mages are powerful beings blessed with the talent of magic. They spend their lives in the study and practice of magic.

The might of a Powerful mage is enough to change the tides of war. Such beings that can actually affect an entire war, their numbers can be counted on one hand. Anyone with a little affinity to any element can become a mage with the help of some resources, that's why Ladia was angered. The empire had no shortage of mages, they were in fact increasing day by day, there can be only one reason why none had appeared.

They were ordered by someone high enough in the ranks to stay hidden. A command from a Duke in this case.

Tch. Ladia was angered even though the emperor listened to her commands, moving the dukes was another thing.

Even though everything seemed peaceful for the empire, there was a dangerous power struggle occurring that could change the history of the empire.

And duke Ifrit was even more dangerous.

Even until now, all the spies sent by her failed to find any information on what the duke was planning.

She couldn't question the duke on why her spies never returned since it would reveal the fact of her planting spies on the Dukes. Ladia was stuck in a very dangerous position.

That's why the heroes are important to her.

If she could make the heroes answer to her commands then the dukes can no longer do what they wished. They too have to listen to her commands for they cannot afford to become the enemy of the imperial army led by heroes.

Only one duke is under the direct command of the emperor, the others are just powerful individuals who are given the rank of duke for their contributions to the empire  to satisfy their endless greed for a period of time

And it seems like they are running out of patience, even more so after the successful summoning of the heroes.

Duke Ifrit got his own dukedom and title after betraying the previous empire he served which led to the end of the previous mighty human empire.

Ladia was afraid in a sense, if only she had knowledge of the duke's plan, whether it was detrimental to the empire or not she would at least be relieved.

Ladia sigh, she was exhausted and tired of it all, she still dreamt of living a normal life once in a while.

But it is after all a dream.

She had too many responsibilities to even have time to relax, of course, she had her sisters and brothers, but they were too busy in their useless struggle for power.

Her foolish siblings will never know that she decides what happens in the imperial family, not the emperor.

The emperor is no longer what he used to be, now nothing more than a husk of his past self.

"Elder, tell the Head of the nearby city to come aid in the dungeon run, tell him it's the command of the princess"

"Yes, your highness"

"Also tell Captain Jerrud to provide the heroes with enough potions and equipment of fine quality."

Ladia hoped everything goes the way she planned.

What she missed was that the intel did not specify how many monsters of the Rare rank were seen…