Indeed, the geniuses with Accumulation could feel and see their store of Accumulation reducing from their stat screen and it is reducing at a fast rate. Some of them will run out in a week. The longest survival will last a year at most. The sight of their hard-earned Accumulation wasting away without being spent on useful things hurt them more than the threat to their lives. All that effort put into stockpiling Accumulation made waste by some parasites.
"Now, to the summary. There is a way out for you. You just need to acquire a lot of the parasites from other sources to complete yours. If you're lucky you will only need to kill one other demon to complete yours, if you're unlucky you need to kill a 100. It's because of the uneven distribution of the parasitizes. That's the solution. Don't think about trying to get someone else to remove it for you since the only person that can do it is the demon lord and I doubt she is in a helping mood."
The demon lord is certainly in a mood but it is not a helping mood. She isn't known for giving even when she is in a good mood. To ask her to help another demon when she is in a bad mood might just lead to her eating you. That is what she is known for.
The demons listening gulped. Either they fight for their lives and probably die fighting, or they do nothing and definitely die. The choice is obvious but no one wants to be the first to make a move lest they are ganged upon.
"What are you waiting for? Go on and fight. You can even fly but no one can interfere with someone else's evolution. That will guarantee you certain death. I'll be here watching faithfully and make sure no one interferes. Show me your worth. Achieve excellence or die trying."
He can evolve mid-rank demons into demon dukes but they won't be as good as evolving high-rank demons, especially the geniuses and the controllers of fortresses, into demon nobles. Those that are strong have qualities that he wants in subordinates.
Infernox might be a demon duke, but he isn't the best he can be. He has an Epic sin ability which is one of the reasons he survived the slaughtered. But Aeternus isn't content with Epic. There's still legendary above it. That's why he is forcing these high-rank demons to make a choice.
Still, no one moved. Aeternus felt a little disappointed in them.
"Give them a little push." He said to Infernox.
Infernox influenced the ones that he had made to fall into insanity when he used his aura on them. This group snapped and attacked the demons closest to them. That was the trigger that kickstarted the free for all. A bloodbath started immediately.
Aeternus smiled to himself. He had called all these demons here to force them to participate in his selection process. He felt good seeing them fighting for their lives with desperation. He was standing on Infernox huge palm while watching the show below.
He made a lot of changes to his initial Chaos spark ability. The ability of the parasites to siphon energy is a means to force resistant high-rank demons to fight. He could feel his Accumulation get stronger but the flow from the parasites is only a little. Most of the siphoned energy is wasted during transmission.
He couldn't have his way with everything. Either the chaos parasites are highly virulent or docile. If they're virulent then the efficiency of transmission will be greater than the adaptation for evolution. He made them docile so that the host will have a 100% adaptability and survival rate of evolution.
That decision made the transmission efficiency fall as low as 1%. This is already enough for him. The parasites are still guzzling the energy of others which is enough incentive for them to get rid of the parasites and the only way to do that is to allow the parasites to combine when there are enough fireflies. He will be able to form his house with the best of the best. He will focus on Accumulation siphoning some other time.
The fight going down wasn't chaotic like the previous fight. The high-rank demons aren't in a frenzy, even the insane ones are just insane enough to be the first to jump into a game that might cost them their lives. They picked their opponents and stuck to them. It is a majorly one on one fight.
Some chose their opponents carefully. For example, the geniuses with Accumulation avoided each other. The controllers of fortresses avoided each other and hunted the other weak and unpopular demons. They are being rational and are using their skills efficiently so the fight is going to take a long time.
Aeternus was carefree as he watched. He has time to spare. He has already reached this stage, he can wait a while to see the fruit of his effort.
Meanwhile, someone else is panicking.
The demon lord felt like her non-existent pants are on fire. Ordinary fire can't hurt a demon but this fire is not ordinary. Any fire related to Aeternus cannot be ordinary. She has been getting one bad news after the other all related to that weird demon.
First, it is the fact that he has Accumulation. It meant that Aeternus has joined the ranks of powerhouses in the abyssal plane. Second, is the announcement that he can create a house. It was unbelievable but Beelta expected it. Third, is the ridiculous statement from the Lord of chaos that he can evolve high-rank demons that swear fealty to him to the rank demon noble.
Her 7 poor hearts were still struggling to accept that ridiculous statement. Now, she wishes the train of calamity had ended there because what came next is worse than ridiculous. The suspicion about Aeternus's ability to create demon lord combatants is simply insane.
It is enough information to stop her heart. The anxiety would have been the death of her but the suspicions were confirmed quickly. She didn't have to experience the agony of waiting. Instead, she exchanged it for the agony of hearing about how Aeternus is forcing all the high-rank demons in that fortress to fight.
It is a no-brainer that Aeternus has to be stopped. Everything and anything possible has to be done to stop or sabotage the process. It might be a futile endeavor but she felt that no sacrifice is too large for the possibility of preventing what she considers her doom. That's why she called for a meeting between her and the established noble families.
In fact, she intended to call for the meeting of all noble demons in the plane but she took things at a measured pace. If she can convince the 8 prime demon nobles, then convincing the others will become highly possible if not certain. These 8 ganged up on her during the war 10,000 years so they have enough enmity between them but they answered her call for a meeting.
Their consciousness appeared within the meeting place. They didn't actually go there with their real bodies. To go to the demon lord with their bodies is to ask to be eaten. It is utter foolishness and these demons don't want to die of foolishness or the more likely cause of death, murder at the hands of the demon lord.
The demon lord's consciousness is also the only part of her that arrived. Moving her real body around is stressful. If there's a reason to come with her real body, then she will come with it. For example, if a demon noble is foolish enough to come with his or her body. The taste of power is great. If you can't grow stronger, then the taste of powerful beings will substitute nicely.
"Something has to be done about the Lord of Khaos. He has gone too far. He has crossed the bottom line of balance. He is practically killing more than ten thousand high-rank demons to further his agenda. That's absurd. Such a loss will make the strength of the plane impotent in our fight against the gods. It is madness and should not be allowed. We should strike him with everything we have."
She continued to rant and complain about the graveness of their situation until she was stopped by a demon noble. The demon asked a question calmly.
He is a humanoid demon taller than 6 meters and glowing in bright light. As a demon of pride, he hated being forced into such a weak position because of the existence of the demon lord. He would usually sneer and make snide comments in a meeting called by the demon lord but today he is serious. A discussion about Aeternus warrants that much from him. It is the least he can do. Anything less will be a disservice in the face of the potential ramifications of Aeternus's actions.