I Formed a Party with a Girl via an Adventurer Matching App - Chapter 37

 The Elite Four Assembly

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This location was an incredibly alien wasteland, situated an immense geographical distance away from the fortified adventurer town that Kent and Cordelia called their home base.

The sky here was permanently plunged into a sickening twilight. Endless, dense canopies of pitch-black storm clouds systematically blanketed the horizon, punctuated by the sporadic, violent roars of localized thunder. Naturally, because the terrain was entirely denied the life-giving properties of healthy sunlight, the earth beneath was completely withered, desolate, and decayed.

The scattered trees were emaciated and dying, their roots clawing at a highly brittle, reddish-brown soil that cracked and turned to dust at the slightest disruption. Whether one looked to the absolute left or the absolute right, the environment was thoroughly saturated with an oppressive, melancholy silence—a completely bizarre and unnatural realm.

Within these borders, the biological species known as humanity maintained zero sovereign existence. On the rare occasions humans were found here, they were systematically categorized as nothing more than "livestock" or "laboratory test animals."

Instead, the supreme dominant rulers of this alien wasteland belonged to an entirely different taxonomic classification: monsters.

Among these entities, the high-ranking monsters who possessed an exceptionally advanced degree of cognitive intelligence maintained a rigid structural hierarchy, executing a strict system of military ranks and societal castes just as humanity did. And the absolute peak dictator ruling over the infinite menagerie of monsters scattered across the face of the earth was designated by a singular, terrifying title: The Demon King.

Situated deep within the absolute heart of this wasteland was a colossal fortress boasting an exceptionally malevolent silhouette. This was the primary base of operations—the stronghold where the Demon King, supreme sovereign of all darkness, resided alongside his direct executive generals, a cabal universally feared as the "Elite Four."

Inside the massive architecture that humanity referred to as the "Demon King's Castle." Seated atop an exceptionally massive, comically luxurious throne, a high-ranking monster let out a slow, solemn observation that echoed through the chamber.

"I am given to understand that Lydia, the Slime Queen, has been systematically eliminated."

The speaker's physical form was completely enveloped within a heavy, pitch-black robe, rendering it entirely impossible to discern any facial features. The fabric hood covering the head was partially frayed, allowing a pair of massive, imposing horns—closely resembling those of a Caucasian tur—to protrude majestically. The horns were stained a sinister, dark purple hue, possessing a highly reflective sheen that made them look permanently wet. Emerging faintly from the voluminous sleeves of the robe were a pair of abnormal, monstrous hands, tipped with razor-sharp, pitch-black claws.

Kneeling side by side directly before this monstrous entity were two high-ranking subjects. Upon receiving the sovereign's observation, one of the kneeling figures immediately offered a sharp, concise acknowledgment.

"Indeed. Her stronghold was apparently subjected to a lightning-fast decapitation strike by human adventurers. There were absolutely zero operational indicators leading up to the assault, and according to field reports, her entire fortress was dismantled by a party consisting of a mere two individuals—a single man and a single woman. It was almost certainly a high-level infiltration operation. Because the enemy's breakthrough velocity was entirely too rapid, our local garrisons had zero operational window to deploy reinforcements."

"Hmm…… a textbook breakdown in communication and mutual support among our regional commanders, it seems."

"I offer zero excuses for our structural failure, Your Majesty."

The entity addressed as Your Majesty—the Demon King enveloped in the pitch-black robe—shifted his massive bulk slightly, adjusting his posture atop the throne.

The two high-ranking monsters kneeling before the dais exchanged a thoroughly uncomfortable, sideways glance.

"However, if I may offer perspective, Your Majesty," the monster who had been speaking open his mouth again, explicitly attempting to pivot the atmosphere of the room. "While Lydia, the Slime Queen, technically occupied the third seat of the Elite Four, she secured that position purely on account of her exceptionally long tenure of service. In terms of actual, demonstrable combat capability, she was functionally the weakest link among us. Consequently, there is absolutely zero reason for Your Majesty to harbor any psychological distress over her loss."

"Hmm. Is that truly your assessment?"

"Without a doubt, sire. Gabiroff, who holds the fourth seat, is a relatively recent addition to our ranks, which is the sole reason his formal seniority is lower. However, in terms of raw tactical efficacy, his combat metrics are light-years ahead of anything Lydia could ever muster."

"Hmph. A valid point."

"Precisely. After all, Gabiroff is a highly accomplished Golem Master who has dedicated centuries to perfecting his mastery over the dark arts. Of late, he has barricaded himself deep within the 'Death Golem Dungeon' to conduct specialized research, but his operational capacity is exceptionally high, even when evaluated by my personal standards."

Nodding continuous approval in a blatant bid to placate his sovereign, the speaker was an entity who looked every single bit like a classic, textbook monster. His entire body was mottled with an irregular, copper-like patina that looked like rusted metal.

His facial features were exceptionally hideous, defined by a pair of mean, narrow eyes, while a pair of massive, leathery wings—each easily matching his entire body length—extended from his back. He belonged to the taxonomic classification known as a "Gargoyle." Having served the Demon King faithfully since antiquity, he commanded immense authority, occupying the proud position of the first seat among the Elite Four. As the Demon King's most trusted right hand, he effectively functioned as the supreme military chief of staff for the entirety of the Demon King's Army.

This specific Gargoyle—whose name was Jonathan—nonchalantly continued his report to the throne.

"On a related note, I realize I have not encountered Gabiroff within the capital grounds of late…… Am I correct in assuming he remains thoroughly entrenched within the lowest depths of the 'Death Golem Dungeon'?"

The entity who answered his query was not the Demon King, but rather the secondary monster kneeling directly alongside Jonathan the Gargoyle.

"Oh, Gabiroff? Pretty sure he got absolutely slaughtered in the deepest sector of the Death Golem Dungeon a while back."

"Say again?!"

Delivering the catastrophic report with absolute nonchalance was a monster who, unlike the Gargoyle, possessed an entirely humanoid anatomy. At least upon a cursory glance, her physical silhouette presented nothing less than the form of an exceptionally gorgeous, breathtaking woman.

Her light, wisteria-purple hair was styled into soft, elegant waves that cascaded down her back. Her entire body was covered in a rich, sun-kissed, exotic brown skin that exuded an intense, mesmerizing charm.

Her physique was tightly encased in a highly reflective, glossy black bodysuit. However, to say she was "encased" was a bit of a stretch, given that the bodysuit itself featured an exceptionally high exposure rate. Roughly seventy percent of her voluptuous, melon-like breasts was completely exposed at the top, while the midriff section was entirely hollowed out, drawing intense visual focus to a highly prominent, lewd corruption crest etched directly over her womb. Her lower torso was framed by a low-rise T-back cut so minimal that the fabric of the bodysuit covered far less skin than it exposed. A simple choker encircled her neck, complemented by matching gloves that extended all the way up her biceps, and her long legs were finished with sleek, minimalist boots that tightly hugged her anatomy from her mid-thighs down to her toes.

However, the specific biological characteristics that firmly classified her as a monster were the pair of small, twisted horns protruding from her head, a pair of leathery, bat-like wings extending from her back, and a remarkably long, slender tail that flickered lazily behind her.

"Like, his mandatory status updates had been totally lagging for ages, right? So I was like, 'Ugh, fine, whatever, I guess I'll check up on him,' and sent a few of my subordinates down there. Turns out he was like, totally and completely dead."

"W-Why on earth did you withhold an operational update of this magnitude until this exact moment?!"

"I mean, hello? All that guy ever did was lock himself in his room making creepy, gross golems, and then he'd always try to hit on me with those super gross eyes. It was just, like, so incredibly gross?"

"You did not need to utilize the word 'gross' three distinct times in such a short sentence! The man was a sitting member of the Elite Four, for heaven's sake!"

"Okay, but I'm literally telling you right now, so what's the big deal?"

"It is a massive deal…… ugh, but I suppose attempting to instill basic administrative discipline into your skull is a complete waste of my breath."

Letting out a thoroughly defeated, exhausted sigh, Jonathan the Gargoyle rubbed his temples, while the female monster simply stared down at her own sharp, manicured claws with an air of complete, lazy indifference.

Her name was Evangeline. Her taxonomic classification was a Succubus—an entity possessing a terrifying, supernatural capability to thoroughly manipulate human hearts and systematically drain their life force to the absolute dregs. While her visual profile mirrored that of a beautiful woman, she commanded immense tactical respect within the hierarchy, securely holding the second seat among the Elite Four.

"Oh, by the way?" Evangeline added, as if the detail had only just crossed her mind (though in reality, it literally had only just occurred to her).

"The leftover golems wandering around the dungeon apparently said that the people who absolutely wrecked Gabiroff were also a party consisting of a single man and a single woman."

"A man and a woman…… you say."

Lydia, the Slime Queen. And now, Gabiroff, the Golem Master.

The operational reality that two high-ranking executive commanders directly subordinate to the throne had been systematically eliminated in rapid succession was a variable that could no longer be ignored. Furthermore, the data heavily suggested that the exact same duo was responsible for both incidents……

The Demon King remained entirely silent, but beneath the deep shadow of his hood, it felt as though his gaze was boring directly into his two remaining subjects. Sensing the heavy shift in the room's pressure, Jonathan the Gargoyle shifted uncomfortably, shifting his weight to speak—but Evangeline preempted him entirely.

"Honestly? Just leave the whole thing to me."

"……Evangeline."

"I mean, yeah, they're a duo, but one of them is just a normal human guy, right? If that's the case, he's basically free real estate."

Flashing a sharp, predatory smile that prominently exposed a pair of exceptionally sharp fangs, Evangeline let out a low chuckle. Watching her expression, Jonathan the Gargoyle felt his throat tighten, swallowing hard.

It was an undeniable truth. Within the ranks of the Elite Four, if one were to measure raw, unrestricted destructive output, Jonathan the Gargoyle was indisputably the strongest. However, if the target of the operation was specifically limited to a human male, the entity who could claim the absolute highest operational success rate was undoubtedly……

"Like, seriously, don't sweat it. I'll just skip on over there, activate my Succubus traits, and squeeze every single drop of life out of him until he's completely dry."

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