This chapter wasn’t sponsored—I just hit a productivity streak and couldn’t stop myself from translating another one right away. Enjoy!
P.S. Thanks for all the lively replies on the previous chapter! Chatting with you all felt like being in the coolest book club ever. Haha!

From the Translator: Shiro

Although Asagi’s issue was temporarily resolved, Vandalieu still had other pressing concerns weighing on his mind.

“How do I become even stronger? That’s the question,” he thought as he considered his own training.

“Do you really need to become stronger than you already are?” Randolph retorted, seemingly taken aback by Vandalieu’s worry. Meorilith nodded in agreement, sharing Randolph’s sentiment. It was as if they had heard a hero who had already saved the world by defeating the Demon King express a desire to become even stronger, and understandably, they were perplexed.

“Of course,” Vandalieu responded, unsatisfied with his current strength.

“Despite being counted among the strongest in the world. Alda and Heinz, surely believe they could defeat me; otherwise, they wouldn’t be trying.”

Vandalieu was self-aware—he knew he wasn’t weak, having defeated the incomplete Demon King Guduranis. However, that didn’t mean he felt invincible.

“Their belief in their ability to defeat you might be a misconception. History has recorded countless instances of those who overestimated themselves and faced ruin. Even gods have made such mistakes,” Randolph argued convincingly, pointing out that both Rodcorte and Alda had made such repeated blunders.

Vandalieu acknowledged this but also reflected, “I haven’t always emerged unscathed and victorious without struggle.”

He faced reincarnators sent by Rodcorte and worshippers of Alda’s gods, barely managing to survive at times. His victories didn’t come effortlessly. If he had neglected his preparation or the effort to become stronger, or if he had been less fortunate, Vandalieu might have been defeated… At least, that’s what Vandalieu himself believes.

“What if Alda truly has a strategy to defeat me? Dismissing it as a misconception without taking action is too risky,” Vandalieu added.

He speculated that Alda might have some secret plan. Even if Alda was simply overconfident, Vandalieu thought it prudent to prepare for such possibilities.

His caution stemmed from the fact that Alda possessed pieces of the soul of the Demon King Guduranis. According to Vida, the fragments of Guduranis’ soul were held by the gods who survived the battle against him—Vida, Alda, and Rodcorte, who had distanced himself to prevent Guduranis’ complete resurrection.

After Alda defeated Vida in their conflict, he took over the management of the fragments of Guduranis’s soul that Vida had been overseeing.

Since Rikudou was implanted with Guduranis’s soul fragment and was a reincarnator—and since Heinz’s group knew nothing about Rikudou—it can be inferred that Rodcorte, not Alda, was responsible for implanting Guduranis’s soul fragments in Rikudou.

This suggested that Alda had properly managed the fragments as expected of a god. However, Vandalieu harbored doubts.

“Alda has the fragments of Guduranis’s soul, including those he seized from Vida, and likely retrieved those managed by Rodcorte as well… There’s no guarantee he won’t unleash them against us,” Vandalieu mused.

Alda had been properly managing the fragments of Guduranis’s soul, at least until recently. However, Rodcorte made him aware that Guduranis could put up a good fight against Vandalieu, and more importantly, that Vandalieu could defeat a released Guduranis.

That’s why there is a possibility Alda would use Guduranis in their fight.

However, if anyone else heard Vandalieu’s line of reasoning, they would likely dismiss it as absurdly speculative—much like when Heinz argued that the demon lord might one day revive from within Vandalieu himself for consuming Guduranis’ soul fragments.

“Naturally, this scenario is considering the worst case in a potential war with the Holy Nation of Amid. I’m not intending to publicize this theory,” Vandalieu clarified.

“Well, without evidence, it’s hard to say… After all, no one really knows what gods do on a daily basis,” Randolph conceded.

“The core question here is whether special training is necessary—and I now see that it absolutely is,” he acknowledged, realizing they might face Guduranis’s remaining soul fragments, which made Randolph grimace.

In the previous battle, Randolph struggled against just one of Guduranis’ artificial spirits conjured using magic and cheat abilities and couldn’t genuinely contend with Guduranis himself. The long stretch of facing weaker opponents might have contributed, but even Randolph, an S-class adventurer known as Randolph the “True”, couldn’t deny his lack of capability.

“Damn it, I watched the Demon King Familiar’s projection and I know I couldn’t win against Guduranis either,” Schneider said with a bitter shrug. When Randolph glanced at him, he nodded grimly. Boneman, Knochen, and the evil god Lissana also shook their heads—clearly agreeing it would be impossible.

“If it’s only one soul fragment… depending on the body used, there might be a way to handle it, assuming I incarnate Vida,” Darcia responded.

“Similarly, if it’s just one fragment, while I might not defeat it, I could at least buy some time. However, that might prevent me from being useful to the great Vandalieu,” Gufadgarn added.

Darcia, with her special body and transformation equipment, could incarnate Vida to boost her abilities significantly. While she couldn’t handle a complete Guduranis, she might somehow manage a random body hosting just one fragment or suppress it forcefully. Gufadgarn was confident she could manipulate the battlefield using her spatial control to dodge rather than battle.

However, Gufadgarn, like Jane Doe, a ghost with spatial attributes, can turn the tide of battle by supporting the entire battlefield. It would be a significant disadvantage if she were forced to focus exclusively on a single fragment of Guduranis’s soul.

“Simply put, if the Holy Nation of Amid—or rather, Alda—were to unleash Guduranis’ sealed soul, Vandalieu must be the one to handle it,” Meorilis concluded, acknowledging that Vandalieu, as both emperor of the Vidal Empire and their strongest fighter, was their best hope if Guduranis should return.

“Though it’s questionable that an emperor should also be our primary combat strength, I’ll set that concern aside for now.”

Notably, Asagi and his group, who researched ways to safely seal [Demon King Fragments], already shared their findings through Duke Gerald Birgit’s documents. However, these methods focused on Guduranis’ bodily fragments, and it remained uncertain if they applied to soul fragments.

Even if applicable, their discovered method required defeating the fragment’s host to activate the seal, meaning fighting remained unavoidable. While not useless, Vandalieu’s group acknowledged reliance on Asagi’s research alone could be perilous, revealing its limitations.

“Well, the previous Guduranis was formidable because it possessed [Instinct], [Memory], and multiple soul fragments. It also had a body constructed from flesh fragments, along with cheats from reincarnators like Shaman, plus the souls of both Rikudou and Edgar. If dealing with just one soul fragment and a randomly chosen body, Randolph, Schneider, and Boneman could possibly handle it.”

“It’s especially convincing coming from you,” Schneider admitted, acknowledging the weight of Vandalieu’s firsthand experience from consuming both Guduranis’s physical fragments and soul fragments.

“If the Holy Nation of Amid possesses any intellect, they would likely release multiple sealed fragments simultaneously into carefully chosen, specialized bodies—not random ones,” Randolph countered, his words casting a shadow of tension over the group. Given what Alda had witnessed in the previous battle, such a calculated approach seemed entirely plausible.

Although Alda may not want to fully revive Guduranis, desperate enemies often make rash decisions. Given Alda’s past actions, it would be unwise to trust his judgment that “this much is safe”—especially during a crisis.

“…Somehow, it feels like facing Marshukzarl was a better deal,” Schneider commented.

Marshukzarl, while cold and calculating, was still rational and, most importantly, a fellow human living on the same earth. As a result, you could trust—at least to a minimum degree—that no matter how desperate he became, he wouldn’t resort to methods that might destroy his own nation.

Alda, however, is a god who resides in the divine realm. Even if the Holy Kingdom of Amid were to fall, his followers exist beyond the Bahn Gaia continent, so his existence would remain unaffected. That’s why, if Alda is cornered, you can’t help but assume he might do absolutely anything.

In fact, while Schneider and his group remain unaware, Alda believes defeating Vandalieu and his allies would justify reducing humanity to its state from 100,000 years ago—when only 3,000 survivors remained after the battle with Guduranis.

That said, he likely wouldn’t have reached such an extreme conclusion under normal circumstances. And it’s worth noting that Schneider wasn’t the one who eliminated Marshukzarl—it was Alda and his fanatical followers.

“Regarding the special training… I have to admit that I can no longer expect any quick, dramatic increases in my strength,” Vandalieu confessed.

Even at that moment, experience poured in through his Demon King Familiars accompanying explorers of the Vidal Empire. He was also set to receive [Demon King Fragments] hoarded within each Duchy and temples that Tercatanis couldn’t assemble.

Yet, none of it promised a significant spike in power, as Vandalieu had already achieved considerable strength. Just as a hypothetical leap from ten to twenty meant a visible enhancement, an increase from one thousand to a thousand and ten was negligible—a mere error margin.

“Quite so. Anyone who becomes considerably strong eventually encounters this stagnation. It’s unavoidable,” Randolph observed.

The growth of those who surpass a certain level of strength tends to slow down. This is a completely different issue from the “growth wall,” where leveling up becomes extremely difficult.

Unlike a leveling bottleneck, becoming stronger requires an ever-widening experience gap.

For instance, an S-class adventurer’s level 1 demands far greater experience than a novice’s from job change 1 to 2. The widening disparity is even more pronounced between basic and advanced skills as each level up.

Additionally, finding worthy opponents becomes increasingly difficult; while a rank 3 beast is easily encountered in the wilderness, even the deepest levels of challenging dungeons might not contain a rank 10 creature. High-level dungeons are rare, and sparring matches between humans can never truly replicate the intensity of real combat.

Fighting weaker foes means diminished returns, with leveling rates for jobs and skills slowing drastically. Ideally, A-rank adventurers either accept static strength or pursue gradual, ongoing training over extended periods. Even the “Storm of Tyranny” reached their limits despite pursuing dragons and other formidable foes.

“Therefore, I’ll abandon my training,” Vandalieu concluded, accepting the futility in seeking worthy opponents. Instead, he decided it was time for his allies to undergo his training instead. His plan entailed changing perspective.

<<<< ++++ >>>>

In a landscape of gray skies, a desolate wasteland dotted with pools of crimson, demons milled about a scene resembling hell—one of Vandalieu’s [Inner Worlds], a demon dwelling.

‘Juoooo…’

‘Phew… There’s no end to them…’

“Indeed. But more importantly…”

There, Boneman, “Sword King” Borkus, and Vigaro were fighting against enemies.

“Uooon …”

An amorphous threat wreathed in red-black liquid containing crystals, likely inspired by slime-type beasts.

“Gyat gyiggii!” screeched a humanoid beetle-like creature equipped with staves, claws, and shields—perhaps modeled on bug or demi-human monsters.

“Grrrr,” growled a giant tiger-like creature sprouting numerous eyes, horns, and wings, seemingly based on beast-type monsters.

All enemies were clearly above rank 13, possessing [Status Effect Immunity], strong resistance to both physical and magical attacks, extraordinary regeneration, and—despite their appearances—superior combat skills.

“More importantly, Vandalieu, could you stop making those silly noises? It’s completely killing the tension here.” Vigaro complained.

“Grrrr… Vigaro, you shouldn’t chat during training,” replied the ‘enemy’—a Demon King Familiar made by Vandalieu.

Yes, what Vandalieu referred to as ‘my training’ involved sparring against the Demon King Familiars he created in a format that was almost identical to real combat.

Among Vandalieu’s group, he is the strongest. This means that Vandalieu himself can act as the perfect sparring partner for his companions, either as a match in strength or as a slightly stronger opponent, which makes the training more effective.

Furthermore, Vandalieu has the ability to create Demon King Familiars, which are extensions of himself. If he focuses his magical power on making a Demon King Familiar for combat purposes, it becomes appropriately powerful. By selecting the fragments to use and adjusting how the Demon King Familiar operates, he can customize their fighting style and set specific challenges to suit the needs of his training partners.

“Still, Vandalieu, that growling saps the tension,” Vigaro noted, given Vandalieu’s clone knew only rudimentary theatrical skills.

“Is that so…? How about a ‘fnyaa~’?”

“No, please spare us,” retorted Vigaro.

“Kid, that ain’t it, no way,” Borkus added.

“Master, silence would improve the atmosphere,” advised Boneman.

“Understood. Let us resume,” Vandalieu said.

Instantly, Demon Familiars emitted a chill of killing intent, and stormed forward with frightening speeds.

“Juooo! [Flowing Water Slash]!” Bone Man unleashed, dismantling himself to counter the oncoming slime-form Demon King Familiar.

His [Bone Blade] technique could slash through liquids, but the familiar’s body—[Demon King’s Blood]—proved highly viscous, and even when cut, its inner crystals easily evaded his blade while regenerating instantly.

Bone Man’s task was to sever all inner crystals simultaneously.

“[Surpass Limits]! [Dragon Slayer]! [Twin Dragon Hunt]!” clamored Borkus.

“[Steel Wall], [Steel Body], [Whirlwind Wave], [Spiral Thrust]!” countered the Beetle Warrior-form Demon King Familiar, engaging in an intense blade storm. Borkus’ and Vigaro’s challenge was straightforward: defeat the enemy before them.

“Nuuu! [Magic Wall]! [Demon Body]!”

Vigaro grimaced as his fellow Demon King Familiar, despite its beast-like appearance, unleashed a barrage of long-range attacks—energy beams shot from eye stalks, fiery oil sprayed from gaping maws, compressed air and blood launched from trunk-like tails, and electricity crackled from vibrating muscles.

Vigaro had to either close the distance or rely on his limited ranged abilities, defending himself with spirit-armed shields.

The Demon King Familiars fought with near-lethal intensity against Vigaro’s group. Any lapse in concentration or treating this as “just training” would result in serious injuries—though [Delayed Death] spells would quickly stabilize the wounded before they received blood potion treatments in bulk.

The killing intent emitted by the Demon King Familiar is actually controlled by magic that dampens the effects of [Great Killing World] and focuses it into a precise direction. Without such a roundabout solution, Vandalieu would be unable to direct any killing intent at his allies.

T/N: [Great Killing World] is the skill Vandalieu whipped out during his battle with Guduranis back in Chapter 358. It’s a spell that doesn’t just make you fear death—it wraps you in its cozy, terrifying embrace, making the whole world feel like it’s out to get you. Basically, it’s like being in the worst horror movie ever, except there’s no popcorn and no escape.

Knowing this, Vigaro and the others fought with complete dedication, not wanting to face the shame of losing in front of the watching demons.

The Demon King Familiar disappears once it exhausts the magical power imbued within it, leaving behind materials such as horns, bones, and flesh that were used to create it. However, if Vigaro and the others resort to a prolonged battle of attrition to achieve this, it won’t be considered as successfully passing the trial. In that case, Vandalieu will simply create another Demon King Familiar.

And as this wasn’t a dungeon boss battle but special training, overcoming trials resulted in nothing tangible beyond Vandalieu’s praises and thanks—given regardless of outcome.

Moreover, post-trial breaktime involved reviewing the session with Vandalieu and observing demons, planning further trials and executing them.

The ultimate goal isn’t simply to clear these trials—it’s to prepare for defeating Guduranis when he returns in an incomplete form.