"Lord Damien?"

Soon after, Benimaru, Shuna, Shion, and Souei followed Ogerpon into Damien's wooden house, kneeling respectfully.

They intended to ask why Damien had summoned them.

But upon looking up, they noticed a change in him.

This?!

Such a powerful aura!

How did Lord Damien grow so much stronger so suddenly?

Damien's evolution left them stunned.

They knew monsters underwent a transformation called evolution upon breaking through bottlenecks.

But Damien's evolution was eerily silent.

They'd seen him just an hour or two ago.

Now, his aura had surged from early B-rank to this overwhelming level.

The gap between 10,000 and 9,999 magicules was just 1 point.

Yet that single point felt like a tangible, crushing pressure to the ogres.

"Oh, sorry, my bad."

Damien reined in his unstable, post-evolution magicules, suppressing his presence to B-rank levels.

This eased the ogres' discomfort.

It also made them realize why Damien seemed so much stronger.

Was Lord Damien hiding his strength all along?

No wonder!

Benimaru thought, How could a B-rank monster unleash such cataclysmic magic?

It makes sense if he was concealing his true power.

Growing more convinced, Benimaru pondered Damien's real strength.

A-rank?

Definitely, given the oppressive magicule aura he'd just exuded.

But Benimaru suspected that wasn't Damien's full power.

Could Lord Damien be Special A-rank?

The thought gripped him. Yes, even Lady Ogerpon is A-rank. For her to follow him, Lord Damien must be even stronger.

Special A-rank.

That was the most powerful existence Benimaru could imagine.

Beyond that lay the legendary Demon Lords (Demon Lord Seeds).

"Don't be nervous. I called you here to discuss something."

Damien calmed the four, then spoke gently. "I'd like you to become my familiars. Are you willing?"

"Familiars?"

"Yeah, like Ogerpon."

Damien paused, framing it in terms they'd understand. "Think of it as followers or 'retainers.'"

With his Capturer Unique Skill and strength surpassing theirs, Damien could forcibly bind them.

But he disliked coercion.

And he wanted genuinely loyal subordinates.

"Familiars are different from regular followers. They're more like my companions."

Damien didn't mention the benefits, focusing instead on the bond.

To him, familiars shouldn't be tied to profit.

Saying, "Become my familiar, and you'll get stronger," would taint the oath, making it less pure.

"I'm willing!"

The first to speak wasn't Benimaru or Souei but Shuna.

"It's an honor to be companions with Lady Ogerpon."

Shuna added, "And if not for Lord Damien's intervention, I'd have died to that bug monster."

"A life debt can't be repaid easily."

"I may be unworthy, but I wish to serve at your side."

With that, Shuna gracefully bowed to Damien.

"Uh…"

Damien hesitated but didn't refuse.

Whatever her reasons, Shuna's desire to repay him was sincere. That was enough.

"No need for that."

"As my familiar, we're family now."

Smiling, Damien said, "Welcome aboard."

"That's not fair!"

Seeing Damien accept Shuna, Shion turned to Benimaru apologetically. "Sorry, Young Lord, but I also want to be Lord Damien's familiar."

"I understand."

Though called the Young Lord and heir to the village, Benimaru's title was nominal.

At least, Shion and Souei hadn't formally sworn fealty to him.

The four were childhood friends, not master and servant.

Shion's reason mirrored Shuna's.

In that desperate moment, Damien and Ogerpon had saved them.

A life debt was paramount.

Now that Damien offered, why would Shion refuse?

Besides, Damien emphasized he sought trusted companions, not slaves.

That sincerity alone could sway many ogres, let alone Shuna and Shion, who owed him their lives.

"May I ask, Lord Damien, what are your plans?"

Souei, usually taciturn, spoke up. He wasn't opposed to following Damien.

The Ogre Tribe often worked as mercenaries across the Jura Forest.

Being Damien's retainer wasn't much different from mercenary work.

The latter was temporary; the former demanded lifelong loyalty.

Damien's strength and Ogerpon's power fit the monster world's need to follow the strong.

But if that were all, the original story's Gelmud wouldn't have failed with the Ogre Tribe.

What truly moved Souei was Damien's definition of familiars.

Not servants or underlings, but family.

For such a lord, Souei was willing to pledge his loyalty.

"My plans?"

Damien said, "Probably to gather strength and become a Demon Lord."

Demon Lord!!

The words stunned the four, their faces etched with shock.

"You have such ambitions?" Souei's expression grew solemn, but his tone was earnest. "I'm willing to be your shadow, aiding you in achieving Demon Lord greatness!!"

Finding a lord of such caliber, worth dying for, was Souei's dream!

"Shadow, huh…"

Seeing Souei's sincerity, Damien nodded. "Alright, I'll be counting on you."

***

Hi guys, I hope you're all doing well! I want to share that I'm currently working on a new project related to Lord of Mysteries.

If you're interested, feel free to visit my profile and start reading. Below is a brief summary:

[Lord of Mysteries: Incarnation of Chaos]

Have you ever wondered what would happen if someone from a Lovecraftian world got isekai'd into another world built on Lovecraftian themes? Well, it's absolute chaos.

Meet Alaric, a human(questionably) survivor of the madness and chaos caused by a certain crawling chaos, who, thanks to the kindness of a certain bubble daddy, got isekai'd into the "fake it till you make it" world.

What will he do in this strange new world? Climb the ladder of power to become that impossible god unless you're just a pawn of a certain russian priest or a certain goth mommy?

Or become a cheshire cat, leaping onto the 4D chessboard to disrupt the schemes and mind games of these bizarre folks?

For Alaric, it's not a tough choice. But before he picks either path, he must, of course, uphold the time-honored tradition of isekai'd victims(questionably) that forms the foundation of this world.

What's that tradition?

Keeping a diary.

---

[Alaric's Transmigration Diary]

[Day 1: I encountered Amon. Used a special technique to summon a projection of the Ancient Sun God, who personally delivered a heavy slap to Amon. Hope Amon appreciates this weighty paternal affection.]

[Day 2: I received an invitation from the Aurora Order. Told them I want it all... looks, brains, and combat prowess... and invited them to join my newly founded Joker Club.]

[Day 3: I met Leonard and acknowledged Gramps Pallez. Declined Leonard's enthusiastic suggestion for the old man to move in with me, as I'd rather not have a old man critiquing my every move, even in private moments.]

[Day 4: I told Klein I plan to pray to a deity named The Fool. Watched his eyes widen in shock and kindly offered him some eye drops.]

[Day 5: I listened to Medici perform a two-hour comedy routine. Suggested he go professional and invited him to share a meal.]

.

.

.

[Day 666: I fully absorbed a certain crawling chaos fragment within me. From now on, I am the Fifth Pillar.]