[The Imperial Capital]

The Evernight Territory struggled to rebuild itself amid a sea of ruins.

Countless residents toiled ceaselessly for survival and labor.

Yet in the core domain of the Demon Clan, in the imperial capital where all the clan’s powerful nobles and ancient aristocrats converged, the scene was the polar opposite: a realm of revelry and extravagance.

If Evernight City in the Evernight Territory was a fragile sapling teetering on the edge of survival,

Then the Demon Clan’s [Imperial Capital] was a colossal ancient tree with roots entwined deep in the earth, its canopy blotting out the sky.

Its prosperity and advanced state could leave any first-time visitor dumbfounded.

Even many Demon Lords, upon their initial visit to receive their investiture, felt as though they had stepped into another dimension entirely.

The Demon Clan’s [Imperial Capital] was not built upon the ground.

Instead, it floated atop a massive, artificially modified levitating mountain.

The mountain’s base and surroundings were ringed by countless floating platforms of varying sizes.

These were linked to the main city by thick, pulsating energy chains etched with deep blue demonic runes.

Together, they formed a three-dimensional, sprawling urban cluster.

Those runes, like the veins of a living creature, continuously drew immense energy channeled from deep within the earth’s veins.

This sustained the city’s suspension and operation.

The primary ways to reach the imperial capital were through teleportation arrays distributed in the core territories of various Demon Lords across the Demon Clan’s heartlands.

Alternatively, one could board the regularly scheduled magical airships—colossal vessels resembling giant whales—for docking.

From afar, the imperial capital appeared as a massive black obsidian gem embedded in the night sky.

Countless tower spires pierced through the clouds.

The architectural style fused Gothic sharpness with futuristic streamlined curves.

Enveloping the entire city was not the faint glow emitted by magic and artifacts as seen in the Evernight Territory.

Instead, it was an enormous, semi-transparent dark energy shield: [Eternal Dusky Canopy].

Above this canopy, magical projections simulating sun, moon, and stars slowly rotated.

They provided stable, gentle [moonlight]—cool and constant.

Thus, within the imperial capital, there was no true distinction between day and night.

It was forever immersed in a luxurious yet eerie “eternal twilight.”

Approaching the city, one could sense its astonishing level of magitech.

On the massive aerial port platforms, all manner of magical vehicles flowed endlessly.

There were luxurious private transports gliding silently on anti-gravity runes.

Multi-carriage magitech trains loaded with cargo and passengers sped along fixed light rails in the sky.

One could even spot individuals in simple magitech wing suits darting nimbly between the upper levels of buildings.

The air hummed with the low drone of mana engines, the spatial ripples of activating teleportation arrays, and the subtle waves of information streams transmitted via magical networks.

Inside the city, the sights grew even more fantastical.

The streets were broad and pristine, paved with self-cleaning black glossy stone.

Flanking them were skyscraping structures whose outer walls were covered in magical screens displaying dynamic images and information.

Shop windows showcased a dazzling array of magitech goods.

From household auto-cleaning brooms and constant-temperature preservation boxes,

To personal entertainment magic theater terminals and remote communication crystals,

To powerful enchanted weapons, armor, and even small combat golems—everything imaginable was available.

The public lighting system used neither flame nor oil lamps.

Instead, soft magical orbs floated in mid-air, adjusting brightness as needed.

The city’s transportation network was intricately complex, encompassing ground roads, underground mag-rails, and aerial lanes.

Residents used magic badges akin to identity verification for convenient access to public transport or payments.

Information transmission was instantaneous across vast distances.

Through city-wide maginet nodes, magical contracts, real-time messaging, and remote transactions became incredibly swift and secure.

At these nodes, messages, commands, and even magical contracts could be rapidly transmitted and processed.

Here, every inch of land was worth a fortune.

Every breath seemed to burn gold coins.

The Demon Clan residents here—be they commoners or nobles—were invariably dressed in resplendent attire.

Their garments were made of exquisite materials, cut in the latest fashions.

Their demeanors carried an innate sense of superiority and a blasé indifference to the surrounding splendor, as if it were utterly commonplace.

Their average standard of living far surpassed that of nobles in the frontline Demon Lord territories.

In fact, even a Demon Lord from those borderlands might not live as well as an ordinary city dweller here.

Here, land was truly worth its weight in gold.

Yet beneath this pinnacle of prosperity lurked currents of corruption and apathy.

In the core districts, the mansions of the entrenched ancient noble families pushed luxury to its extremes.

These residences were less homes and more miniature palaces and fortresses.

They often featured private aerial gardens, floating pools, and even small gladiatorial arenas.

Deep into the night, these places blazed with lights, filled with decadent music that never ceased.

Inside the mansion of Augustus, one of the hereditary grand dukes of the Senate, a grand banquet was in full swing.

Crystal chandeliers refracted mesmerizing light.

The air mingled with the scents of expensive perfumes, aged demonic brews, and roasted rare magical beast meats.

Succubi servers—scantily clad and strikingly beautiful—flitted among the guests like butterflies through flowers.

Their graceful dances and perfectly timed ambiguous touches were themselves a costly “delicacy.”

In a corner, a band of elven musicians and demonic sorcerers played languid, seductive melodies.

The notes seemed laced with magic, stirring the guests’ desires.

In the dance floor, noble men and women entwined in embrace.

Their movements had long transcended elegance, brimming with overt provocation and the raw venting of possessive lust.

“Ah, my dear friend, have you heard that colossal joke?”

A noble clad in a robe embroidered with intricate family crests using gold thread and countless tiny magical gems—his body obese as a mountain—shifted with effort.

He swirled the viscous crimson liquid in his cup, akin to fresh blood.

His face piled with schadenfreude as he grinned, baring his teeth, and continued.

“That muscle-brained idiot from the Ashen Territory, Cliff—he’s completely done for this time! Tsk tsk, skewered by human holy light like a kebab. They say not even ash remained!”

“Hmph, just a brute who only knew force.” A tall, slender noblewoman with sinister eyes elegantly sliced a dragon rib. “The taxes he paid annually wouldn’t even cover one of my aerial honor guards—good that he’s dead. It frees up a spot. Maybe my useless son can go temper himself there.”

“Tempering? In that backwater?”

Another noble waved exaggeratedly, then covered his mouth with a fan, emitting a dramatic gasp.

“Spare me, darling—that place has nothing but rocks and filthy low-tier monsters! Not even a decent opera house! If anywhere, it should be a place like the Evernight Territory… hmm, the one that recently struck a deal with the Goldmelt Caravans and is showing some promise.”

“The Evernight Territory? That newly ascended Demon Lord called Vivian?”

The obese noble raised an eyebrow, his face twisting with disdain and contempt.