Chapter 135: Jan's Plan

"This is a fine place, Master."

Pixie skipped along the narrow, gloomy mine tunnel, a warm, radiant smile on her small face. To anyone else, the pitch-black tunnels ahead would have been enough to strike fear into their hearts. But for a deep gnome, being able to escape the terrifying, bottomless surface world and return to the Underdark was like stepping out of hell and into paradise. The little one, previously so sullen, had returned to her naturally cheerful and romantic spirit.

"Are you planning to build a dungeon here, Master?"

Following at Jan's side, Ilis inquired with curiosity. Her knowledge of Demon Lords and dungeons was limited to legends of the Underdark. In truth, she did not fully understand why a Demon Lord would leave the Lower Planes for the Main Material Plane, let alone build a dungeon. She had assumed the Demon Lord came to the Underdark to unify the subterranean world, but when Jan started wandering around the surface, Ilis began to grow confused.

"Of course, Ilis."

Hearing her question, Jan nodded, his hands clasped behind his back.

"I think you should know well enough that we demons didn't come to the surface for a vacation. In fact, there is only one thing we are here to do... You should know exactly what that is."

"Do you mean..."

Hearing his reply, Ilis pondered for a moment, her eyes lighting up with a brilliant glow. "Could it be..."

"Precisely. Destruction, slaughter, and death. To plunge this land, bathed in light, into an abyss of absolute despair is our only goal. That is why we are here, and I believe you understand that clearly by now."

Hearing this, far from showing fear, Ilis’s gaze toward Jan became increasingly fervent.

For the inhabitants of the Underdark, the surface is an evil, terrifying, and dangerous place. Due to various historical reasons, the races living in the Underdark harbor deep, irreconcilable grudges against surface dwellers. This is true for Elves and Drow, Dwarves and Duergar, and even the half-vampires, Tieflings, and Yuan-ti of Onyx City. To them, the most logical course of action is to root out the opposition entirely and kill them without hesitation. This has nothing to do with justice, evil, kindness, or fairness; it is a primal, life-or-death struggle between opposing races that has persisted for centuries and will continue for centuries more. Standing from that perspective, any talk of mercy or communication is meaningless.

Ilis was no different. Though she might appear no different from anyone else on the surface, in her eyes, those humans were little more than goblin-tier existences. Although she had traveled with Jan through many human towns and experienced their lives firsthand, what of it? Would humans spare goblins simply because they stopped their indiscriminate killing to form a structured, civilized society?

"Those not of our kin will always have different hearts"—this sentiment was a universal truth on the continent of Krain.

Upon grasping the meaning behind Jan's words, Ilis became visibly excited. Returning to the surface to defeat the children of light and reclaim their homeland was a shared goal for everyone in Onyx City. Ilis was no exception. Hearing this good news, she could not suppress the excitement rising within her.

"Then, my Lord, are you planning to use this place as a breach to launch an assault on the surface? If so, I believe Onyx City would be more than happy to cooperate with you."

"There is no rush for that yet."

Facing Ilis's suggestion, Jan waved a hand. "In fact, I do not intend to launch a large-scale battle... Ilis, have you not realized it yet?"

"Realized what?" Ilis frowned in confusion.

"Master, if you will allow me to speak frankly: these humans are incredibly fragile. Most of them are not even qualified warriors, let alone qualified slaves. I believe that with your strength, crushing these humans would be the simplest of tasks."

"Well said."

Hearing her confused inquiry, Jan nodded, then stared at the young girl with a faint, inscrutable smile. "Still haven't figured it out? Your answer was already hidden in your previous question."

"Eh?" Ilis froze, seemingly catching onto something, and her expression shifted slightly. "Do you mean..."

"Exactly. As you said, most humans in this world are essentially fragile insects that could be crushed in a heartbeat. But Ilis, why don't you think about this: in the Demon Realm, I am not the only Demon Lord. Whether in the past or present, there have been countless powerful Demon Lords in the Lower Planes. By all logic, humans are so weak that they wouldn't even need to act personally; dispatching a few low-level demon armies would be enough to sweep across the continent with ease. Yet, why is it that even now, this continent remains intact, and the children of light continue to live bathed in holy radiance?"

"This..." Ilis was left speechless. At first, she truly believed the surface dwellers were weak and defenseless—that even the military might of Onyx City alone would be enough to annihilate these surface vermin. But now, she realized the matter was far from simple.

"Humans are a very peculiar race. When they discover they are facing a crisis, they unite and manifest unimaginable power for the sake of survival. It is precisely because of this that humans are the most powerful force on the Krain continent, not the Dwarves, Elves, or Dragons. It is possible to inflict damage through a frontal assault, but making them disappear entirely is quite difficult. Furthermore, the more pressure you apply to the human race, the more troublesome they become. If possible, I have no desire to invite such unnecessary trouble."

Jan’s expression turned somber, and he gave a cold snort.

This was his biggest difference from his older brother, Klein. Klein had become obsessed with the total annihilation of humanity; his rage and hatred were the driving forces behind his power, but they also blinded him. Jan believed that if given the chance, Klein would gladly stab every human to death with his sword, letting their souls wail forever in the flames of hell.

That was why he had been so aggressive from the start. Jan had heard more than once on the surface about the mysterious Necrotic Empire in the western swamps, steadily advancing and attacking the human world. This made Jan grit his teeth in frustration, yet he could do nothing about Klein.

Unlike his brother, Jan—who had once been human himself—preferred to guide humanity toward their own destruction by exploiting their inherent flaws. It is true that humans unite against a common enemy, but once the pressure of survival vanishes, they immediately descend into internal chaos. Look at the First Great War of Heaven and Earth: how united humanity was then! The Nine Holy Kingdoms united all races to fight for survival. Humans, Elves, and Dwarves abandoned their differences, standing together in close-knit unity to defeat the invasion from the Lower Planes.

But what happened afterward?

The demons returned to the Lower Planes, but the Krain continent did not enter a period of lasting peace. Soon, civil wars erupted. Due to cultural differences, Elves and Dwarves withdrew from the coalition and returned to their homelands. Humanity itself fell apart due to conflicting interests. Not only that, but during these conflicts, many of the powerful weapons and legacies of the past were lost entirely due to internal attrition.

The magi-tech warships of the Mage Kingdom of Kylewo once dominated the skies and were even called the strongest magic weapons, capable of rivaling the Dragon race. But after the Great War, the high maintenance costs of these warships, combined with their terrifying power, caused concern among many factions on the continent. Eventually, they united to force the mages to abandon these powerful weapons. The Mage Kingdom itself split apart over this choice; after an internal battle, it was divided into three, and the legendary techniques for crafting those magi-tech warships vanished entirely, lost to time.

Things that the demons couldn't fully destroy in a hundred years were undone by human infighting in less than five. It is clear that humans are their own worst enemies.

For Jan, he hoped to hide his identity, weave his way through human society, and gradually lead them to ruin. It was like a virus created by a hacker; a simple, brute-force attack might paralyze a network, but it becomes useless once the opponent sets up a firewall. The best way to make a virus effective is to disguise it as something people want—like "Company Update Schedule," "The Hidden Path of Charitable Donations," or "Maiden Misery: Exploring the Pale Flesh Beneath Wet Uniforms," and so on.

Only when humans open Pandora’s box themselves will they taste the bitter fruit of their actions.

Because of this, Klein’s actions, in Jan's view, were actively counterproductive. His undead army, no matter how powerful, was meaningless. Perhaps he could kill tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions. But that would only force those factions and races to set aside their prejudices, causing divided kingdoms to reintegrate and abandoned alliances to raise their banners once more. When the entire surface race united, they would become as solid as rock, and nothing would be unconquerable.

*What a damn pig of a teammate...*

Silently cursing his cheap older brother in his heart, Jan pulled back his thoughts. He couldn't control what others did, but that didn't mean he was out of options. Chaotic situations were best for fishing in troubled waters, and the bridge effect was applicable regardless of the circumstances.

"Pixie."

With that thought, Jan refocused and spoke. Hearing his call, the deep gnome trotted over immediately, looking at him with curiosity.

"Is something the matter, Master?"

"If I were to ask you to take five goblins and build a dungeon beneath this mine, how long would it take?"

"This..." Pixie wrinkled her small nose, thinking hard. "It would take about ten days or so. Based on your design, Master, there’s quite a bit of work to do..."

"And what if I wanted you to open the entrance to the dungeon on the other side of the mountain?"

"The other side?" Pixie was startled. Jan merely swept a glance at her. *Obviously.* The dungeon was meant to harvest the surrounding resources. If he had just arrived at the Eagle Plateau and suddenly a bunch of monsters appeared, looting and pillaging, it would be a miracle if no one grew suspicious.

"Hmm... in that case, it might take half a month."

"Very well." Jan nodded in satisfaction. "You have half a month. I need you to build a dungeon here. Enya will handle the portal side; you just focus on building it according to the design..." Jan turned to Ilis. "Ilis, I'll assign you thirty Xenomorphs. Stay here and ensure Pixie's safety. Also, if there is anything troublesome in the depths, clear it all out. Understood?"

"Yes, Master."

Facing Jan's order, Ilis nodded, feeling a sense of relief. Although as a Perfect Being, she didn't fear sunlight, she was a half-vampire after all and didn't enjoy being under the sun all day. Hearing that she could return to the depths of the Underdark, the girl relaxed. However, shortly after, she looked at Jan curiously and blinked.

"But... Master, we don't have many soldiers or slaves under our command. That problem..."

"Don't worry, Ilis." Jan flashed a smile full of confidence.

"There will be bread, and there will be milk..."