[Contractor Giacomo Casanova of Demon Lord Amdusias has declared defeat. The victory goes to Demon Lord Gremory.]
[Demon Lord Gremory has gained 25,000 mana.]
[With a total mana of 110,000, Demon Lord Gremory is now ranked 70th.]
[With a total mana of 66,000, Demon Lord Amdusias is now ranked 72nd.]

-Kraaaah!

Amdusias let out a roar filled with fury.

Casanova had resisted until the very end, but it was nothing more than a futile struggle.

Lee Shin had completely devastated Casanova’s forces, leaving not a single building standing.

Now, the defeated Casanova trembled before Amdusias.

-You despicable, lecherous fool! I had expected you to have at least some talent, yet in the end, even that shallow skill of yours has been laid bare!

Having been an outstanding soldier in life did not necessarily mean one would excel in the ranking battles.

In fact, many had failed because they clung to the biases formed by their past experiences.

Taking that into account, Amdusias had chosen Casanova.

His versatility, his lack of prejudice, and the flexibility he had gained from experiencing various dramatic situations.

But this was the result.

At first, he had performed as expected, but soon, his lack of depth and effort led him to this downfall.

“A-Amdusias! P-Please, just one more chance…!”

“A chance? Oh, of course! Until I find a new contractor!”

Casanova, thinking he hadn’t been completely cast aside, lit up with hope.

But Amdusias continued.

-That doesn’t mean I can forgive your laziness, which has brought me to this disgrace!

“W-What…?”

-Until you win in the next ranking battle, you shall reside where you were originally meant to be.

“W-Where I was originally meant to be…?”

-Where do you think a wretch whose life was filled with fraud, threats, and rape belongs?

Casanova’s face turned deathly pale.

-Begone!

Thud!

Amdusias kicked him roughly with his front foot.

“Guaaah! No—!!”

Casanova, sent flying backward, was sucked into a pitch-black, swirling hole.

Lee Shin watched the scene with tense eyes. Witnessing someone fall into hell—it was only natural to feel fear.

‘When I made my contract with Gremory, she also said she’d return me to my ‘original world.’’

For Casanova, who had already died, his original world was hell.

Amdusias turned his fearsome gaze toward Lee Shin.

-Speak your wish! I am Amdusias, the Lord of Music. I can grant you the ability to skillfully play any instrument or the talent to compose timeless masterpieces!

“And you can also grant mana.”

Gremory added. Amdusias glared at her with irritation.

‘I don’t really have anything I want.’

Lee Shin had little interest in music.

“Ask for mana.”

Gremory urged him from the side.

Lee Shin shook his head.

“I don’t want mana.”

“Why are you rejecting mana?”

Gremory asked, sounding frustrated.

“I heard that gaining mana turns you into a demon. I don’t want to become a demon.”

Gremory let out a sigh.

“But if you want to keep winning ranking battles, you’ll need mana. There are functions in the ranking battles that require mana.”

“Functions?”

“Yes.”

“Even so, I don’t want to become a demon.”

“I know what you fear. But don’t worry. You can always give up your mana and return to being human.”

Gremory suddenly grabbed Lee Shin’s hand.

“Trust me. I don’t lie.”

[Truth.]

The ability Lee Shin had obtained from the high-ranking demon Eltima activated.

‘She’s telling the truth.’

Demon Lords could hide the truth, but they couldn’t turn lies into truth.

“If I gain mana, will my body or mind undergo any unnatural changes?”

He wanted to avoid growing horns or developing an inherently evil nature.

“Don’t worry. Unless you desire it, no changes will occur.”

‘Then I don’t really have anything to lose.’

Lee Shin nodded.

“I want mana.”

-Tch, fine…

Amdusias glared at Gremory as if he wanted to kill her, but she simply snorted in response.

-As per the laws set by the Demon God, I will grant you 1% of my mana.

Fwoosh!

Dark mist rose from Amdusias and began seeping into Lee Shin.

Though uneasy, Lee Shin silently accepted it. Given the contract, Gremory wouldn’t put him in a situation that would harm him.

Soon, he felt something writhing inside his body. And then—

[You have obtained 660 mana.]
[With mana, you can appoint up to six Apostles and bring them under your command. You can also grant Apostles weapons, armor, and abilities.]

‘Apostles?’

[Apostles: Elite warriors of the battlefield who follow the Contractor’s will. Once appointed as an Apostle, an individual cannot be summoned by another Contractor. Weapons, armor, and abilities can be granted to them.]

‘So, it’s a way to claim exceptional figures like Columbus or Robin Hood before other Contractors get them.’

Lee Shin quickly grasped the concept of Apostles.

Even after Amdusias left the battlefield, he continued to ponder the matter.

‘How much mana does it take to appoint an Apostle?’

[Appointing one Apostle costs 300 mana. You can appoint up to six Apostles, and they can be replaced at any time.]

‘I have 660 mana, so I can appoint two.’

Lee Shin thought about Columbus and Robin Hood.

Columbus had great instincts and courage, making him useful for reconnaissance—but in the end, he had still been a slave.

Robin Hood was an exceptional archer, more skilled than other bowmen, and could also serve as an officer, issuing commands.

Just as he was about to appoint both, another thought crossed his mind.

‘How much does it cost to buy weapons, armor, or abilities?’

[Granting an Apostle a weapon or armor costs 300 mana. Granting an ability costs 1,000 mana.]
[An Apostle can only have one weapon, one piece of armor, and one ability at a time. They can be replaced, but doing so requires the same amount of mana.]

‘300, 300, 1,000…’

Lee Shin fell into deep thought. He needed to make the most strategic decision.

After a moment—

‘I appoint Columbus as an Apostle.’

[Do you wish to appoint Christopher Columbus as an Apostle? This will consume 300 mana.]

‘I do.’

[Christopher Columbus has been appointed as an Apostle. You can check details by saying ‘Apostle List.’]

“Apostle List.”

A message appeared in his mind.

[Christopher Columbus (Human, Slave)]
Weapon: None
Armor: None
Ability: None

‘Grant Columbus armor.’

[Armor will be randomly assigned. This will consume 300 mana. Proceed?]

‘Proceed.’

The message updated.

[Christopher Columbus (Human, Slave)]
Weapon: None
Armor: Leather Boots (Movement Speed +5%)
Ability: None

‘Nice!’

Lee Shin clenched his fist in satisfaction.

The reason he had invested in Columbus instead of appointing Robin Hood was reconnaissance.

By making Columbus an Apostle and granting him armor, he would be even more useful for scouting.

‘Even a slight increase in defense would’ve been good, but this exceeded expectations.’

Lee Shin suddenly turned to Gremory and asked,

“Do monsters have Apostles too?”

“Of course. Elves, Dwarves, Orcs—they all exist.”

“Then Casanova must have had Apostles as well.”

“Naturally.”

‘So Apostles aren’t game-changers on their own.’

When fighting Casanova, he hadn’t noticed any particularly special units.

That was proof that Apostles weren’t overwhelmingly powerful.

Since ranking battles were similar to real-time strategy games, there had to be a level of fairness.

But ultimately, people were only as useful as how they were employed.

Choosing Columbus for reconnaissance had been an excellent decision.

“Now do you see that I was right?”

“Yes, I’ll need more mana in the future.”

Lee Shin admitted without hesitation.

Gremory looked at him with a knowing smile.

“You’ve made a wise choice.”