Of course, Ophelia did not say that complacently because she simply trusted Yong-ho's unrivaled power. Yong-ho had Aamon, who could be said to be part of him, and when he was going to see Gardimundi, Catalina and Kaiwan would be accompanying him in the reception room. In other words, Ophelia didn't want to create a situation where Yong-ho would meet Gardimundi without any preparation.

"Even if the King of Fury really asks for an alliance with us, there is something for us to think about. In other words, we have to find out what kind of alliance she wants," said Tigrius, who changed the main topic back to the matter of alliance.

"Looking at the objective indicators alone, the power of the King of Fury is overwhelmingly superior to the House of Mammon. So, she might not want an equal alliance, but something like a tributary."

It was an a.s.sumption that made them frown. But the possibility was still there. It could be found only in a fairy tale that the stronger country offered an equal alliance to the weaker country. The reality was much more severe and heartless.

Tigrius continued, "Currently, the House of Mammon has already begun an invisible war with the King of Gluttony. I think it's important to know whether the King of Fury is aware of that."

Yong-ho, who closed his eyes for a moment, sorted out his thoughts and asked, "What is the worst situation?"

"It is when you become the enemy of the King of Fury," Ophelia replied immediately.

Yong-ho nodded and said, "Okay, that's enough. Let me listen to what the messenger has to say first before going further."

Yong-ho stood up from his seat after devising his own response in his mind.

Then he asked Eligos, who was about to get up as if he suddenly hit upon something.

"By the way, where are you taking me now? To the Demon King's room on the first floor?"

He asked because it was unreasonable for Eligos to escort the messenger to the first floor of the Labyrinth of Greed, not the House of Mammon.

Tigrius replied quickly, "Usually, an outsider like her is led to a place like a reception room."

"But we don't have such a place here."

Tigrius looked back at Eligos as if to double-check with him.

Put on the spot at the moment, Eligos hurriedly bowed to Yong-ho and said, "Sorry. I didn't know if we would need a reception room so quickly because we have enemies around us."

"Well, I'm not blaming you now… So, where are you taking me now?"

Before answering immediately, Eligos made eye contact with Ophelia, who made an embarra.s.sed expression like him, then awkwardly said, "It's a VIP room at the gambling hall."

***

The Ten Warriors, the royal bodyguards of the King of Gluttony, consisted of eight subordinate spirits and two general spirits.

Abigor and Amdusias, who was watching the King of Envy's war with the King of Pride while leading their troops from the northern area, hurriedly lept to a s.p.a.ce after being summoned by the King of Gluttony. Since they pa.s.sed through the facilities that the King of Gluttony had previously installed in his estate, they could actually cross the entire territory of the King of Gluttony in less than an hour.

Since they were summoned so urgently, Abigor, the devil with the head of a leopard, and Amdusias, with the head of a pure white unicorn, were quite embarra.s.sed. They were even more perplexed because they already knew that the Ten Warriors except for them had already been summoned.

When they noticed that an Afsaras were more scared than usual, they felt that something big enough to anger the king happened.

The closer they got to the reception room where the king was waiting for them, the more anxious and worried they became for no reason. However, Abigor and Amdusias were faithful enough to be included in the Ten Warriors. Paying more attention to the event that angered the king than the king's anger itself, they hurried to the reception room.

"I, Abigor, am honored to see Your Excellency."

"I, Amdusias, am honored to see Your Excellency."

The King of Gluttony was sitting at the end of the s.p.a.cious room decorated with translucent fabrics with ceilings, walls, and floors. He was almost naked as if he just had s.e.x, and there were several half-naked or naked Afsaras lying all over the room.

The King of Gluttony threw one Afsaras on the floor who was groaning as if she was about to die and gestured to Abigor and Amdusias.

"Come closer."

The king's order was absolute. Suppressing a sense of uneasiness, Abigor and Amdusias approached the king. The king poured liquor into the cups for the two in person.

As soon as they gulped it down, the king said, "Abigor, Amdusias. I'm going to make you my subordinate spirits from now on."

He made a bombsh.e.l.l announcement.

Abigor and Amdusias couldn't open their mouths in amazement mixed with various meanings.

The number of his subordinate spirits was limited. Nonetheless, the king just announced that they would make the two his subordinate spirits.

Was there a "vacancy" now? If so, what happened?

Although they had doubts, they were full of joy at the same time.

How long have they earnestly coveted this position?

Even though they were not his subordinate spirits, they rose to the status of the Ten Warriors.

It was clear that if they could become his subordinate spirits and directly share the power of the king, they would be able to reach a much higher level than now in terms of power.

But the King of Gluttony didn't give Abigor and Amdusias time to think about it.

As soon as he was done talking, the king put his big hands on the shoulders of the two to perform the ceremony.

It took just one minute or so at most.

Abigor and Amdusias felt they were reborn completely anew. They roared in great joy and pleasure and felt thrilled by the mighty mana that soared inside their body.

The King of Gluttony's voice was heard again in the ears of the two who were indulged in spiritual ecstasy.

The king said calmly, "I haven't given you all yet. There is a little more I can give you. Close your eyes and try to relax. Subdue your mana."

Abigor and Amdusias immediately followed the king. They closed their eyes and suppressed their soaring mana. It took almost ten minutes or more for them to do it because they were just done reinforcing mana as a result of their transformation into his subordinate spirits.

And finally, they managed to subdue all their mana.

Abigor and Amdusias became calm and waited for the king's next words.

The King of Gluttony withdrew his hands from their shoulders then touched their chests.

The king tore the hearts of the two and pulled out their hearts immediately.

It happened so quickly. The moment they felt the pain, the king was done already.

"Oh, your Excellency..."

Abigor barely managed to open his mouth. Amdusias collapsed, vomiting blood.

Instead of looking at the two, the king stared at their beating hearts in his hands.

He began to eat them full of essence entirely. Then he activated the power of 'gluttony.'

He still felt he was lacking.

Although the mana he gained by eating the two after making them his subordinate spirits was greater than that of those who died, the king felt he was still lacking in mana. The loss of his eight subordinate spirits in succession was so devastating to him.

The King of Gluttony stretched out his hands. Then he chewed Abigor and Amdusias alive, who were still breathing because of their strong vitality. His newly aroused "gluttony" strengthened him by drawing every little power from what he had already eaten.

The King of Gluttony now lost all of the Ten Warriors.

The King of Violence and the King of Fury were still healthy and active. And the war in the north would be finished within a few months, no matter how long it would take.

It was a precarious situation. After sitting idle and pa.s.sing time like this, there would unfold a situation in which the King of Gluttony himself would be eaten as the "weakest" king, to his embarra.s.sment.

He had to avoid it by all means. So, he made the decision while crus.h.i.+ng Amdusias's bones.

Although they tended to forget it easily, overwhelmed by the Seven Deadly Sins, each king had his own power as a demon king.

With his current "power" as the King of Gluttony, there was still a possibility for him to turn the tide. So, he had to recover even a little more power if he could.

Although he hardly used his power after becoming one of the six kings, it didn't mean that his power was weakened or disappeared. He believed that the power that had sustained him from the time he was an insignificant demon would give him a chance to overtake again.

Therefore, the King of Gluttony did not hesitate. That was why he restored his strength by killing the remaining two of the Ten Warriors who barely survived until now.

He continued to eat his loyal servants.