The Record of Orc Civilization - Chapter 454: The Architect of Discord

Blackblood Bastion, North Bog Forest.

Furfur’s footsteps echoed between the stone corridors and marble floors. The darkness of the path he trod was no obstacle; magma, appearing almost sentient, flowed perpetually beneath the pores of his skin, serving as a natural light source that emitted a steady, crimson glow.

There was no haste in his movements. He stepped with extreme caution, as if concerned that his sheer body mass and the searing heat of his magma might mar the beauty of the marble beneath his feet. Before long, he arrived in front of a pair of double doors made of black gemstone, adorned with reliefs of suffering.

Furfur raised a hand as thick as a tree trunk and knocked with a slow, nearly clinical precision.

“Uncle, it is I, Furfur. I have come to report. I humbly ask for a moment of your time,” his voice, which usually thundered like a volcano on the verge of eruption, now sounded far softer and filled with reverence.

“Ah, Furfur, my nephew. You’ve finally come to visit me. Enter. I have no desire to speak with you through a door,” came a reply in a voice that sounded remarkably polite, yet Furfur could still detect the underlying vibration of cunning within it.

It wasn’t that his uncle harbored ill will toward him, but rather that it was the inherent nature of a Lucifer to maintain a hidden agenda for everyone.

Wary and respectful, Furfur opened the door and bowed slightly as he entered the room. Though the doorway was quite high, he didn’t want the sparks of magma atop his head to melt the precious lintel.

His gaze immediately landed on a Demon with four magnificent bat-like wings perched upon his back. The figure, who had been contemplating the beauty of the starry night sky from the window, now turned to face his nephew. A pair of curved horns adorned his head like a grand royal crown. A long tail swayed behind him, covered in sleek, snake-like scales. Furfur also noted a golden spear hanging neatly in the corner of the room.

“Good evening, Uncle. Forgive me for disturbing your time,” Furfur said, bowing low before the Lucifer.

“Ah, there is no need for such formality, my Nephew. You may visit me whenever you wish. However, I know you haven’t come merely for a social call. What brings you here on such a star-studded night?” Lucifer asked with an inscrutable smile.

“The rat you ordered me to imbue with the Mana Demon Core has completed his task. I have come to report the results of your command, Uncle.”

“Oh, truly? Did he manage to claim many victims before his end?” Lucifer asked. His expression shifted instantly, resembling a child who had just pulled a prank and was eager to see the victim’s reaction.

“He succeeded in incapacitating twenty-two targets and personally killed one of them. However, before more extensive damage could be done, the Wilwatikta authorities caught wind of his presence and neutralized him,” Furfur answered calmly, preparing the core of his report.

“Ah, I see. Have I underestimated Wilwatikta’s intelligence network? Hmm…”

“No, Uncle. Your plan was not flawed. It was only that the rat I chose was not competent enough, thus marring your design,” Furfur interjected quickly, attempting to pull the blame onto his own shoulders.

“Hahaha… you needn’t be like that, Furfur. If I am wrong, then I am wrong. There is no such thing as coincidence in this world. As your superior, I should have investigated more deeply whether your choice was appropriate. Regardless, I am certain the grudge held by that rat has already spread and infected the other rats in Wilwatikta, has it not?”

“You are absolutely correct, Uncle. At this moment, many are beginning to heed his incitement. Dissatisfaction with the kingdom has spread into their very homes.”

A surge of admiration swelled in Furfur’s chest. He knew that among Those Who Came Before, not a single one could be underestimated. However, only Lucifer had the power to make him shudder in fear.

When first ordered to give a Mana Demon Core to a lowly Hobgoblin, Furfur had been skeptical. What could such a weak rat possibly achieve? The creature was so fragile that a single breath from Furfur could have incinerated him into ash. He had thought the plan was an exercise in futility.

Yet, in less than half a year, that little rat had infected Wilwatikta to its very roots. Though Leon’s life was short, Furfur was certain his influence would be the spark that eventually burned Wilwatikta to the ground. Lucifer was terrifying not just for his raw power, but for his ability to create a massive conflagration from a single, tiny spark. As a lord of magma, Furfur deeply appreciated that skill. Though he was the son of Momon, Furfur was proud to call himself the nephew of Lucifer.

“Hahaha… do not overpraise me, Furfur. I wasn’t even certain this plan would fully succeed; I merely placed a piece on an empty square and waited for an opportunity. To be honest, I didn’t place much hope in this particular pawn,” Lucifer said nonchalantly, without a hint of arrogance.

“But Uncle, is the information you possess now not enough to confirm Wilwatikta’s true identity? Why must we wait for the movements of that rat first?” Furfur asked. This time, his curiosity overflowed; he wished to learn from the grandmaster who treated every pawn as a trap.

“Is that so? Does that mean what you found in the rat’s memories matches my concerns?” Lucifer asked back, maintaining a calm smile as if he had already predicted the answer.

“Precisely, Uncle. Wilwatikta is not a kingdom founded by a new Mana Species on the Meer Continent. Nor is it a kingdom resulting from escaped human experiments or aliens from beyond this world. They are… a kingdom built by Monsters.”

Despite having confirmed it multiple times through Leon’s memories absorbed via the Mana Demon Core, the shock still lingered in Furfur’s heart. He had never imagined that the monster species, long considered mere pests, were capable of forming an organization as powerful as Wilwatikta.

As far as he knew, Monsters were a cursed species hated by Mana. There wasn’t a single drop of Mana in their bodies. Although some possessed unique abilities like regeneration or certain immunities, they were still viewed as nothing more than insects that could be crushed with a flick of a finger.

Yet, what he had witnessed in Wilwatikta defied all his understanding. They possessed strength capable of rivaling—and even surpassing—Mana users. Even the strongest monster among them had been able to defeat Foras—Furfur’s strongest son, whose intellect was acknowledged even by Lucifer himself.