I Died and Became a Noble's Heir

Chapter 429: 38,550,000 Death Tokens

Three days passed in a blur.

Jack’s demon army moved across the floor twenty-three like a wave of destruction, hunting everything that wasn’t specifically protected.

The jungle fell silent except for the sounds of demons feeding. The swamp waters ran red with blood. Even the wasteland, which was already a harsh environment, became a graveyard.

Jack stood at the edge of the clearing where he’d first bound the fifteen panthers, watching notifications scroll past his vision in an endless stream.

[Dread-rank Jungle Raptor slain - 500 Death Tokens acquired]

[Dread-rank Swamp Serpent slain - 500 Death Tokens acquired]

[Nightmare-rank Wasteland Scorpion slain - 18,000 Death Tokens acquired]

[Dread-rank...]

The numbers kept climbing.

Five thousand Dread-rank creatures eliminated. Each one is worth five hundred death tokens.

Two thousand Nightmare-rank creatures killed. Each one is worth eighteen thousand death tokens.

The math was staggering.

[Total Death Tokens acquired from demon army harvest: 38,500,000]

But the system wasn’t done yet.

A new notification appeared, this one marked with a different identifier. Tracking kills made by the bastard Prince himself.

[Prince Rhys of Caeloria has eliminated 100 Dread-rank entities]

[Death Tokens Acquired: 50,000]

Jack raised an eyebrow behind his visor. Rhys had been busy on three. One hundred Dread-rank kills meant the prince was being pushed to his limits by Pho, which was a good thing.

’Good,’ Jack thought. ’Pho’s training is working. If Rhys can find a way to increase all his stats by 20%, we will be able to make some good progress.’

[Current Death Tokens: 73,219,250]

Then came the experience notifications, and these made Jack’s red eyes glow brighter:

[Experience awarded: 112,500,000]

[Prince Rhys - 100 kills]

[Experience awarded: 250,000]

[Total Experience Gained: 112,750,000]

The rush of notifications was overwhelming. Jack felt his Prince of Thunder class surge forward, breaking through level barriers like they were paper.

[Prince of Thunder Class Level Up!]

[Level 4 → Level 5]

[15,000,000 EXP threshold reached]

[Prince of Thunder Class Level Up!]

[Level 5 → Level 6]

[75,000,000 EXP threshold reached]

[Prince of Thunder Class: Level 6]

[Progress: 25,306,500/200,000,000 EXP to Level 7]

[5 Skill Slots Available]

[Current Skills: 3/8]

Two full levels in a couple of days. This would have taken weeks if not months to grind all these tokens by yourself.

But the system had one more reward to deliver.

[Monster Core Collection Complete]

[Dread Cores acquired: 5,100]

[Nightmare Cores acquired: 2,000]

The cores materialized in his system storage.

Glowing orbs of condensed mana and essence, each one a concentrated packet of power that could be used for crafting, enhancement, or sold for additional tokens.

But the most important thing is that these cores could be used for upgrading any of his soul-bound entities. Increasing their rank by having them consume cores.

This was by far the best use of his system. To be able to increase a creature’s rank beyond what it could ever accomplish on its own.

Kaedor had been watching the entire process in silence, his rings clicking softly as he observed Jack. Finally, he spoke, his voice carrying genuine confusion.

”Master, I understand harvesting for death tokens and experience. But why kill ninety-five percent of the floor’s ecosystem? You’ve left the three Disaster-class entities and the Alpha panther with almost nothing to eat. You’ve turned this entire floor into a wasteland.”

Jack’s red eyes tracked across the devastated landscape. The jungle was eerily quiet now.

No bird calls, no rustling of small creatures through the undergrowth.

The swamp had stopped its usual chorus of croaks and splashes. Even the wasteland seemed more desolate than before.

”That’s exactly the point,” Jack said calmly.

Kaedor’s confusion deepened. ”I don’t understand.”

”Stormfang, the Voidweaver, and the Hydra are apex predators,” Jack explained, his tone carrying the patience of someone explaining something obvious to someone not so smart.

”They’ve ruled this floor for who knows how long, never having to worry about food or competition. They’re comfortable. Lazy, even, despite their power.”

He gestured at the silent jungle around them.

”Now I’ve eliminated their food supply. Ninety-five percent of the creatures they would normally hunt are dead. My demon army protects the panthers, Mistborn, and minotaurs. They’re untouchable. That leaves only three significant food sources on the entire floor.”

Understanding began to dawn on Kaedor’s face.

”Each other,” the merchant demon whispered.

”Exactly,” Jack confirmed. ”Stormfang will hunt the remaining creatures first. The few stragglers my demons missed. But those won’t last more than a day or two. Then what?”

”Then they turn on each other,” Loryn said quietly, having listened to the conversation in silence. His purple eyes showed appreciation for the strategy’s brutal efficiency. ”The Voidweaver and the Hydra will fight over territory and the remaining food. Stormfang will have to choose whether to challenge one of them or starve.”

”And when they’ve weakened each other fighting over scraps,” Jack continued, ”when they’re desperate and hungry and willing to take risks they normally wouldn’t...”

”They’ll come to you,” Kaedor finished. ”Because you’ll be the only source of food left on the entire floor. The panthers, the Mistborn, the minotaurs. All protected, but all potential prey if they’re desperate enough to challenge your demon army.”

Jack nodded. ”Desperation makes even the strongest creatures take stupid risks. I don’t need to hunt them down. I need to wait for starvation to drive them to me.”

”That’s...” Kaedor searched for words. ”That’s absolutely ruthless, Master.”

”It is, but I don’t want to waste time hunting three disaster-class monsters,” Jack corrected. ”Why waste time and resources hunting three Disaster-class entities individually when I can make them come to me in weakened states? Why risk my army in confrontation when I can use the environment itself as a weapon?”

Loryn’s expression showed something approaching respect despite the brutality of the strategy. ”Young master, most people would try to hunt these creatures directly. Fight them at full strength, risk significant losses, and possibly fail. You’ve turned the entire floor into a trap that will deliver them to you weakened and desperate.”

”That’s the plan we’re going with.”

The clearing fell silent as the weight of Jack’s strategy settled over them. He hadn’t just harvested death tokens and experience.

He had fundamentally altered the entire floor’s ecosystem to serve his purposes. Stormfang, the Voidweaver, and the Hydra were no longer apex predators ruling a thriving ecosystem.

They were starving animals in a wasteland, and their only options were to fight each other, challenge Jack’s protected creatures, or die of hunger.

All three options served Jack’s purposes.

[Current Death Tokens: 73,219,250]

[Prince of Thunder Class: Level 6]

[Progress: 25,306,500/200,000,000 EXP]

Jack looked toward the massive tree where Stormfang nested, feeling the Blessed One’s presence through his enhanced perception.

The creature was restless, confused by the sudden silence across its domain. It had felt the mass slaughter, sensed the devastation of its territory.

Soon, it would feel hungry.

And then it would make a choice.

The trap was set.

Now all Jack had to do was wait.

’How many days until they fight each other? I give it two days at most. I’ll bet that the Hydra will strike first. ’