"I'm... the Demon Lord!? Me, a Demon Lord!?"
It was astonishing to discover that I was neither a mere human nor a hero but a Demon Lord. This was not what I had envisioned, but here I was.
Could it be possible for someone as weak as me to be a demon lord?
I couldn't help but feel inadequate in front of the Dark Elf, who was showing me such respect and reverence.
"I'm... a Demon Lord?"
"Yes. The mark on your chest is the undeniable proof," she said.
I glanced down at my chest. Indeed, just below my right breast, which is usually covered by my bra, there was a distinct mark.
"That is the mark of the Demon Lord. Currently, there are seven Demon Lords in this world, each ruling their own territory and confronting heroes. As the eighth Demon Lord, you will need to establish your own base."
"Wait a moment. I'm still trying to process all this.
I needed a moment to gather my thoughts. I had to consider what I needed to do in this world and the meaning behind Goddess Saraila's command to survive. I had to make sense of my current situation.
"So, I've been reincarnated as a demon lord in this world. My purpose is to confront heroes and lead the forces of darkness to victory, correct?"
"That's right."
"But, as you can see, I'm extremely weak. Is that going to be a problem?"
"No problem at all. As a demon lord, your power surpasses that of my subordinates. Once you learn how to wield it, you will have no enemies around you."
"Is that really true?"
I didn't feel like I had any power at all.
"Subordinates, you mean... you?"
Still kneeling, she placed her hand over her chest and assumed a position of loyalty.
"I am Cornelia Villentse, an independent Dark Elf. I shall serve the new demon lord. Please call me Cornelia."
"Um, Cornelia, what should I do next?"
"First, let's tackle this dungeon. By clearing the dungeon, you will get accustomed to combat and this world."
Cornelia stood up and continued.
"Before that, however, you should learn the basic techniques of fighting."
That made sense. Even if I possessed great power as a demon lord, it would be meaningless if I didn't know how to use it.
"Understood. Please guide me."
We were currently at a resting spot on the stump of a great tree, which was ideal for practice as it was free from monster attacks.
"First, let's work on casting magic."
"I can use magic too."
"Of course. Magic is something that anyone can use. While casting it is relatively simple, controlling its power and precision is challenging. For now, just extend your hand forward."
I did as instructed, extending my right hand.
"Now, chant 'Fire Flare.'"
Is that all I need to do?
"Fire Flare!"
Suddenly, flames burst from my palm with great force.
The fire shot straight out, like a flamethrower. I instinctively tried to pull my hand back, but Cornelia quickly restrained it.
"No! Demon Lord! Changing the trajectory of the spell mid-cast is dangerous. For spells like this, which don't stop until you consciously cease them, try to keep your hand steady while the spell is active."
"I'm so sorry." But this is terrifying!
"I understand it's frightening. However, you won't feel the heat."
"Indeed, I don't feel any heat. Why is that?"
"When casting magic, a barrier forms to prevent the spell from affecting the caster. The flames you see are not directly emanating from your palm. They're created with a slight gap, so the barrier prevents you from feeling any heat."
I see. Despite the intense flames, I didn't feel any heat.
"For spells like this one, which continue until the magic is exhausted, closing your palm will stop it. Once you master control, you'll be able to stop it with mere concentration. For now, let's close your palm to end the spell."
"Okay."
I slowly closed my hand, extinguishing the flames without feeling any discomfort.
"What you've just done was simply cast a spell. Anyone born into this world can perform it. However, controlling magic requires significant training."
What does controlling magic really entail?
"Let's practice to see how it works."
Saying that, Cornelia extended her hand towards me and cast the same fire flare spell.
No way!
If she unleashed such powerful flames at this close range, I would be burned to a crisp!
But my worries were unfounded. The flames did have intensity, but they didn't come near me. Instead, they altered their path in front of me, curving unnaturally and extending off in another direction.
The flames continued to twist and spiral around me.
"This is how you control magic-by changing its trajectory or altering its output," Cornelia explained.
"That's incredible. You can control it so precisely."
"Controlling magic involves overlaying your will onto the spell. This allows for various applications based on your imagination.'
"Imagination?"
"Yes. It's quite abstract, making it hard to explain in words. You'll need to gain experience to master it."
"That's right."
"Next, let me explain about skills."
Skills.
I recall receiving a few skills from the beautiful Saraila.
Language comprehension and alchemy.
Language comprehension is currently active, but I still don't understand Alchemy. I've heard it involves combining various items to create something new, but I don't even know how to start combining them.
Saraila mentioned that I should learn through practice, but with my initial knowledge being so lacking, I can't even get started.
"Skills are special abilities that each person possesses. With experience, you can acquire many skills. However, there is a limit to the number of skills one can acquire in a lifetime, and this varies from person to person."
"Individual differences?"
"Yes. Of course, a Demon Lord would have an extraordinary number of skills they can hold."
"Is it possible to check which skills one possesses?"
"You can't visualize them without the necessary items, but you should be able to sense them if you focus on them."
"Sensing them?"
"It's a bit abstract, but if you think about which skills you have, you might remember them vividly in your mind."
It was truly a matter of sensation. Just as Cornelia said, focusing on the skills allowed me to grasp them quite clearly.
In addition to language comprehension and alchemy, I also had a skill called wind claw slash, which was unfamiliar to me.
Skills can be recognized, but their usage isn't always clear. I didn't know how to use Wind Claw Slash. It's a mystery how I even acquired this skill.
"Excuse me, but I have a skill I don't remember acquiring. I'm not sure how to use it."
"What skill is it? I might be able to help if you describe it."
Cornelia, with a confident expression, asked, and I told her the name of the skill. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"That's the technique of the unicorn bear we defeated earlier. It's a skill that uses its sharp claws to cut through the wind and create a slicing wind like a scythe. It's quite puzzling that a demon lord like you has acquired it."
"Could it be that one can rarely learn techniques from defeated monsters?"
Cornelia shook her head.
"No, that's not possible. Learning a monster's technique is not feasible. It's never happened before. The skills and techniques of monsters are fundamentally different from those of humans, so it shouldn't be possible to acquire them."
"Really?"
But I do seem to possess it.
Maybe this technique can be activated just by saying its name, like magic?
I tried to use the skill by chanting its name, but it didn't work.
It seems magic and skills have different methods of activation.
"There are two types of skill activation: one through actions and imagination, and the other through constant activation."
"I can somewhat grasp the constant activation skills, like language comprehension, but I'm unsure about activating skills through actions and imagination."
Constant activation skills are those like language comprehension, which are always in effect.
"Skills activated through actions and imagination are generally used by envisioning the skill and performing the associated action. For example, a swordsman might use a flash-like sword technique by imagining the movement while swinging the sword, which activates the skill and naturally adjusts the movement."
In that case, I'll try to imagine the skill's attack, as Cornelia described earlier: slashing through the air with sharp claws to create a slicing wind.
Wind Claw Slash
I don't have sharp claws, but I imagined slashing the air with claws and chanted the skill name. To my surprise, a powerful, slicing wind was released from my hand, obliterating the massive trees in the forest. The scale and power were extraordinary, far beyond normal. Cornelia watched with awe and excitement.
"You truly are remarkable. To possess such power..."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. The technique you used should only have left deep scratches on the surface of the trees, but the power you unleashed far exceeded that. It didn't just damage the surface; it completely destroyed the surrounding trees."
"Indeed, the power is vastly different. Is it true that the strength of a skill varies depending on the user?"
"Yes. The stronger the user, the greater the power of the skill. For someone like you, such power is to be expected. In fact, it might still be lacking. Now that you've learned how to fight, let's proceed to the dungeon."
Even though I've only learned how to use magic and skills, I wonder if I'll be of any use. After all, Wind Claw Slash is the only attack skill I have.
Cornelia's broad smile seemed to dismiss my worries.
"I'd like to handle the dungeon exploration myself. Please just observe. Despite my appearance, I take great pride in my strength, so you need not worry!"