Lee Shin continuously scouted Eltima’s base, carefully calculating the timing.

He meticulously determined the moment when his opponent would be at their weakest and he himself would be at his strongest.

‘That moment is now.’

Eltima had just summoned six Dragons from two Magic Circles.

If he had been even a little late and allowed Eltima to summon more than ten Hellhounds after the six Dragons, the attack would have failed.

Lee Shin’s forces, having entered enemy territory at the perfect moment, immediately launched their attack with upgraded weapons.

Three Dragons had emerged from the outer Magic Circle, but in an instant, two were torn apart by a barrage of bolts from the crossbowmen.

The last remaining Dragon fell soon after.

With the outer Magic Circle completely destroyed, Lee Shin directed his troops into Eltima’s main base.

The slaves accompanying them began constructing two Arrow Towers right in front of Eltima’s stronghold.

In response, Eltima summoned six Hellhounds from the Magic Circle in his base.

Capable of being summoned in pairs, Hellhounds were a valuable asset in situations like this.

Three Dragons, six Hellhounds, and even the Claws—all of them charged forward in a counterattack.

However, Lee Shin had already accounted for this scenario.

‘Shield soldiers, hold the front and buy time.’

‘Crossbowmen, retreat while firing bolts.’

‘Halberdiers, flank and focus solely on the Claws.’

A precise tactical maneuver unfolded.

The shield soldiers blocked at the front while sixteen crossbowmen slowly retreated, unleashing bolts as they moved.

The key to this strategy was the halberdiers.

Circling to the right, they concentrated their attacks on the Claws engaged in battle.

The long halberds skewered multiple Claws at once.

“Kieeek!”

A Dragon spewed venom at the crossbowmen and withdrew to avoid the relentless volley of bolts.

“Urgh!”

“Aagh! The poison...!”

“Endure it and keep firing!”

The crossbowmen, their expressions hardened with determination, continued their relentless assault.

And finally—

[Arrow Tower has been completed.] [Arrow Tower has been completed.]

‘Retreat! Surviving crossbowmen, get inside the Arrow Towers!’

The seven remaining crossbowmen took cover inside the two Arrow Towers.

Two Arrow Towers constructed right in front of Eltima’s base! Eltima’s monsters hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

‘Their future is already lost, considering how many of their production units have been wiped out.’

The halberdiers, having massacred a large number of Claws, stood out as the MVPs of this battle.

Lee Shin issued his next command with ease.

‘Prepare for their final desperate struggle.’

As expected, Eltima threw every remaining unit at the two Arrow Towers.

No, rather than an attack, it was more like a desperate charge to their doom.

The Dragons were the first to fall to the bolts raining down from the Arrow Towers.

The Hellhounds were slaughtered, and even the Claws were annihilated.

Eltima must have attempted another summoning from the Magic Circle, as six more Hellhounds appeared. However, Lee Shin had already reinforced his forces by summoning two new crossbowmen and two shield soldiers.

‘Finish it.’

Lee Shin ordered an all-out attack. No further tactics were needed.

[High-ranking Demon Eltima has declared defeat. Demon Lord Gremory is victorious.] [Demon Lord Gremory has gained 20,000 Mana.]

“I lost.”

High-ranking Demon Eltima’s once pale face darkened like ink.

“Today is my victory. Try again next time.”

“...Yes.”

Eltima stared intently at Lee Shin.

“Human.”

“...?”

“Tell me what you desire.”

“What?”

Lee Shin frowned, puzzled by Eltima’s unexpected words.

Gremory explained to Lee Shin from the side.

"When a human defeats a demon, it holds special meaning."

"What does that mean?"

"A human who defeats a demon can demand something from the demon. This is true even in a ranking battle."

"So, can I ask for a wish every time I win?"

"You can ask for one wish from each demon you defeat. Of course, you have to win first."

This was the first time Lee Shin had heard of such a thing.

'So if I make it to first place, that means I can ask for a wish 71 times in total.'

Surprised, Lee Shin glanced at Eltima.

"What can you do for me?"

In truth, he didn’t really have a specific wish, but he asked anyway.

"I am Eltima, who can see through lies. I can give you the ability to discern lies. And..."

Eltima hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"I could also give you a portion of my mana."

"Mana?"

"If you possess mana, you would ascend from being a mere human to a demon. That could be a good wish."

Eltima seemed reluctant to share even a small portion of his mana. Mana appeared to be incredibly valuable to demons.

However, Lee Shin was repulsed by the idea of becoming a demon.

"Just give me the ability to discern lies."

Though it wasn’t essential, he thought it could come in handy at some point.

"Understood."

Eltima placed his hand on Lee Shin's head.

Fwoosh!

A dark, formless energy flowed from his hand and seeped into Lee Shin's head.

Eltima withdrew his hand and spoke.

"You can now discern whether someone’s words are lies as long as you come into physical contact with them."

"Do I have to touch them?"

"Yes. There's no way a mere human like you could fully access my abilities."

Lee Shin couldn't be sure just from hearing that.

Without a second thought, he grabbed Gremory's hand.

"Would you like to tell me a lie?"

Gremory smiled mischievously.

"I have no intention of keeping my contract with you."

[Lie.]

A message appeared in his mind.

"So it's true."

Lee Shin was fascinated by the ability.

"Well then, I’ll be on my way. Goodbye..."

Eltima, the high-ranking demon, disappeared in a pitiful manner.

Gremory smiled brightly.

"We won!"

"Yes, I told you I was confident."

"I can't even remember the last time I won like this!"

"You’ll have to get used to it from now on."

For Lee Shin, who had fought countless battles in the e-sports world, the fight with a beginner felt uneventful and indifferent.

"You’re really reliable."

Lee Shin felt embarrassed at Gremory’s praise. Her beauty was truly demonic.

"Please continue to take care of things from now on."

"Leave it to me."

They left the first battlefield, Asteia, and returned to the Demon Realm.

As soon as they arrived at Gremory's palace, they planned to send Lee Shin back to his original world, as promised.

"Just remember one thing."

"What do you mean?"

Gremory suddenly grabbed Lee Shin’s hand.

"I have no intention of keeping my contract with you."

Once again, a message appeared in his mind.

[???]

This time, Lee Shin couldn’t tell whether it was true or false.

Surprised, he looked at Gremory, who smiled at him.

"The Demon Lords is not someone as easy to deal with as Eltima. You’ll need to be prepared for the battles ahead."

"...I’ll keep that in mind."

"Well then, goodbye until we meet again."

With a soft smile, she opened the dimensional door and sent Lee Shin back.