In the east outer rim of the Bone Sea, several Greater Demons rose to the surface level amidst the floating bones after noticing the reduction of Lesser Demons in the sea region.
It wasn't just a small reduction either.
Although Lesser Demons were just expendable pawns to the Greater Demons, even the Greater Demons would be alarmed when they noticed hundreds of Lesser Demons missing from the sea region.
"You! In a few words, explain what has happened in this sea region! Where are the rest of the Lesser Demons stationed in this area?"
After sweeping a glance at the few Lesser Demons on the Bone Sea's surface level, one of the Mid-rank Greater Demons immediately grabbed a Lesser Demon-level Imp by its neck and interrogated it.
Without surprises, the Mid-rank Greater Demon's overbearing action terrified the Imp.
The Mid-rank Greater Demon was not only significantly larger than the Imp Lesser Demon, but it was also a member of the Two-headed Cyclop Clan, one of the Nine Great Clans renowned for their enormous bodies.
"L-Lord Greater Demon, i-it would be better to let Lord Suron, w-who is in charge of this sea region, answer your queries!" the Imp replied with difficulty.
Ka-cha!
The Mid-rank Greater Demon ruthlessly snapped the Imp's neck before tossing its lifeless body into the Bone Sea to feed the sea monsters.
"I said to answer my question in a few words, not pass the job to someone else!"
The Mid-rank Greater Demon snorted before grabbing another different Lesser Demon from the group and questioning it.
This time, the Lesser Demon was a female Harpy Demon with black talons, red-feathered wings, and three pointy golden feathers on its head, the distinctive trait of the Gold-feathered Harpy Clan.
"What about you? Are you going to answer my question or waste my time?"
The Harpy Lesser Demon struggled to even gulp under the Mid-rank Greater Demon's grip and intimidation.
The Harpy Lesser Demon chose to carefully contemplate its words before opening its mouth to speak, lest it also ends up losing its life.
Ka-cha!
Unfortunately, the Mid-rank Greater Demon also snapped the Harpy Lesser Demon's neck after it took too long to answer.
After picking its third target, the Mid-rank Greater Demon finally receives an immediate answer.
"Lord Suron has been sending groups of Lesser Demons to investigate the disturbance in the east, Lord Greater Demon!" the Bull-Horned Lesser Demon stated.
"A disturbance in the east? What kind of disturbance?"
"Darkness Energy in the secret realm's atmosphere has been gathering towards the Abyssal Wood Forest's direction from time to time, Lord Greater Demon!"
The Bull-Horned Lesser Demon answered honestly yet nervously as it sweated profusely, uncertain when the Mid-rank Greater Demon would snap its neck on a whim.
However, the Mid-rank Greater Demon simply tossed it aside, sparing its insignificant life after receiving a satisfying answer.
The other Greater Demons watched in silence as the Mid-rank Greater Demon swept the Lesser Demons another glance.
A calm voice came from the Mid-rank Greater Demon's left side before it locked its gaze on a Lesser Demon from the Evil Eye Clan.
"You're Lord Suron?"
"I am, Lord—"
Puchi!
The Mid-rank Greater Demon made a sudden move and sliced off Lord Suron's left arm with a water blade before he could react.
Lord Suron could only grit his teeth and swallow his grievance and humiliation.
"A Lesser Demon dares to call itself a lord in my presence? You must be tired of living. I will spare your dog-life this one time on the account that you are part of the Nine Great Clan."
"You have a problem with dogs, Lord Celimurt?" another Mid-rank Greater Demon suddenly broke its silence after feeling offended by the comment.
The second Mid-rank Greater Demon had a dark humanoid body, but its black dog head clearly shows its ancestral relationship to a breed of dogs.
It was a member of the Black Jackal Clan, a demon clan that was considered noble even among the Nine Great Clans.
"I do have a problem with some lowly dogs, but the Black Jackal Clan is different from them—or do you think the Black Jackal Clan is the same as them, Lord Setma?"
"Hmph!"
Lord Setma could only snort without answering after facing Lord Celimurt's insidious question.
"Alright, don't bother me while I am investigating the situation," Lord Celimurt stated.
A few minutes after Lord Celimurt resumed interrogating Lord Suron, he understood the whole situation.
Lord Suron had been sending groups of Lesser Demons to investigate the western disturbance repeatedly without a single demon returning, and like that; several hundred Lesser Demons disappeared.
It was clear that the Lesser Demons were all killed by humans.
When the Greater Demons understood that Lord Suron wasted so many demon lives to investigate something that was clearly the work of the humans, a Greater Demon from Evil Eye Clan killed Lord Suron in a fit of anger.
Lord Suron was decapitated and killed without an intact corpse.
His scattered body parts sunk into the Bone Sea, and the seawater bubbled before only the bones floated back up to the surface level a short while later.
"What an embarrassment to my Evil Eye Clan," the Evil-Eyed Greater Demon spat.
Even after sporting around with Lord Suron's head, it couldn't appease the anger in his heart.
The Lesser Demons of lower-ranking demon clans are pawns, yes, but when hundreds of them are sent to their deaths without any gain, it would only lower the Evil Eye Clan's influence among the Nine Great Clans.
"We will have to rethink whether we should continue leaving the Lesser Demons of your Evil Eye Clan in charge of supervising the Bone Sea's outer rim regions, Lord Lebrantz."
The Mid-rank Greater Demon from the Evil Eye Clan was called Lebrantz.
"Hmph! Even if you want to change them, you will have to see if the elders in the Nine Great Clan agree with—Hm?"
Lord Lebrantz suddenly paused when his evil eye noticed an even more significant change than previously described in the Abyssal Wood Forest's direction.
"What kind of phenomenon is this? …Don't tell me we've been wrong about the Demon Emperor-level Tomb's location this entire time? I need to report this to the elders quickly!"
"What's going on? What did you see, Lord Lebrantz?"