The first step he took was electric. For the longest time, his soul was squeezed and compressed into a tiny orb, every movement threatening to crack it. Now, although his soul was split in two, he had total freedom over his every action.

He sprung up into the air, pirouetting in the air like a dancer, twisting every piece of his doll-like body. Drawing mana from his luminous core, he impacted the ground like a comet, smashing through layers of dirt. For just a few moments, he wreaked havoc in the middle of the forest, felling trees just to see that he could.

“Laevius. Come join me,” Viv said, and despite the doll’s mouth not moving, a voice was projected from inside its body. He held out his arm in front of him.

A bolt of lightning fell from the sky, striking his arm with tremendous force. Electricity ran through his body as the puppet shuddered. “There you are,” he said, holding the spear his soul had conjured. It was the only held weapon he had ever needed.

Viv spun the spear in his hands, slowly at first, but becoming faster and faster as his movement became smoother. His soul reached out, pressing against the puppet’s hand, and he felt the solid weight of the lightning spear, perfectly balanced. The constant prickle of electricity made Viv stop, engulfed in a sea of memories. He had fought a thousand battles with the spear in hand, and he would fight a thousand more.

A straight thrust, a wide sweep, a lunge and a passing strike. Every action was painfully slow, each step deliberate. It had a rhythm to it, a dance between a demon and a spear. The spear became a part of his body, crackling through the air, creating a dazzling pattern of electricity. When it touched the sky, a scar was left behind, leaving Viv’s mark on the world.

He snapped out of his daze, a part of the forest gone. Felled trees littered the ground, a circle of a hundred metres clear around him. He slowly breathed out, his old habits returning to him. Plunging the spear into the ground, Viv sat down, his legs crossed.

His new body was tall and lithe, doll-joints visible whenever they weren’t covered up by red and black clothes, loose enough to allow acrobatic movement. He had long blue and violet hair that reached his back, a slender but pointed face with black eyes that radiated intense madness.

He had split his soul in half, but even half of it was enough to summon his soul weapon. It would not be enough to handle a soul transformation, unless he wanted to damage his soul. Concentrating on the golden core, the red had completely faded away, blue veins of electricity in its place. It shifted upwards to where his heart would be, providing mana like it would blood.

It was enough to cast fifth tier spells, possibly sixth if he drained the core dry. Viv held out his hand in front of him, treating the core as his demon heart. “Void’s Descent,” he muttered, the world around him fading to black. A colour deeper than the darkest of nights split open the ground, annihilating everything it touched. The noise was the worst part of it - a silence so loud it could split one’s soul apart. It was best to not stare at it, for it would strip away everything held dear to one’s heart, leaving behind a lifeless husk.

Viv nodded at the scene before him, his core dimming significantly. The spell was much more powerful than he expected, and the only explanation was his core - it made every demonic spell twice as strong. The other half of his soul opened a screen, staring at his titles.

[Title Forge]

Devouring Title -

Devoured Title -

Available Titles - Shadow of Former Glory, Spellweaver, Dreamer, Flawed Mark of a Royal Dungeon, Soul Manipulator.

He had received a title in celebration of his new body, but now that he had access to his old spells, anything the title could provide was completely useless. The maw of the shadowy behemoth called the title forge stared through his soul, awaiting its next meal. He offered it a part of his power, a mark the system had given to him, proving that he had accomplished something.The behemoth closed its jaw, biting down on the intangible title, shattering it to pieces. And as it did so, a red radiance spilled from its eyes, granting him power in exchange.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Title Gained - [The Reborn Demon Lord]

+300% Mana Regeneration.

+200% Demonic Creature Strength.

+200% Demonic Spell Effectiveness.

[Title Forge] Menu can be accessed.

[Create Lesser Demon] Menu can be accessed.

Innate Ability Access - [Eyes of String].

Spell Access - [Spear of Black Lightning].

The moment he gained his new title, the world changed. In his eyes, reality changed its meaning, unravelling into an uncountable number of strings. Everything in the world was made of string - every emotion, every idea, every living being. Even gods were nothing more than monsters, keeping their immortality by tangling their strings, attaching them to the world below. That was the fundamental truth of existence.

His eyes were a gift and a curse. If he had never been born with them, he wouldn’t have experienced the depths of humanity’s darkness, and he certainly wouldn’t have become a Demon Lord. As his eyes focused again, he began to see less and less, the strings merging together. He was no longer able to glimpse the individual thread.

For a moment, he collapsed, blind to the world before him. Then, he picked himself back up. He had once been blind, a newly formed greater demon capable of only seeing the most basic of strings. That memory carried him forward, shaking his soul out of the daze induced by seeing the world’s secrets laid bare.

He looked around, no longer seeing strings of fate or divinity. Still, the dungeon unravelled before him, and he could see what was truly going on. His core was the epicentre of everything - every string in the dungeon was linked to him. In a way, he was a god ruling over his domain, capable of performing any miracle in his domain.

In reality, he observed his core, tracing the soul strings leading away from him. Every action he took was supervised, every bit of power he received came from a higher concept, something he wasn’t able to perceive just yet. For a brief moment when his eyes were truly open, he was able to see Auberon’s concept of immortality, his way of syphoning power from the mortal world. His immortality depended on dungeons. In a way, he was similar to a god.

Viv sighed, examining every corner of his dungeon in detail. The only other higher power he saw was related to Zagon and his eldritch eye, but that was to be expected. Viv had an idea about the creature that chose the goblin as his apostle. If It was to blame, then he was playing a dangerous game by keeping Zagon around.

He smirked, raising his spear and pointing it at the goblin. Zagon gulped, sensing the lightning gathered on the tip. He kept silent, his head lowered, his third eye tied shut. He couldn’t resist Viv’s commands even if he tried, and if it was his time to go, then he was ready.

After several seconds, the intensity in the air faded, Viv’s spear hanging limp in his hand. “I’ve been playing a dangerous game ever since I became a Demon Lord. I’m not afraid of danger, and when the time comes to face It, I’ll do it with open arms.”

He watched Viv walk away, his steps heavy. Zagon had seen the determination to kill in his master’s eyes, felt the murderous intent from his soul. Except, he wasn’t looking at Zagon. His eyes were focused on something far, far away.

After touring the dungeon once again, he returned to his dungeon core, staring at the suit of crystal armour. He had made his preparations long before. The fairy king was overwhelmingly strong, but even he had things he cared about. Auberon’s story was deeply ingrained in myth, and every story had a hint of truth in it.

He kneeled down next to the armour, its strings laid bare - an ancient spell ran through the crystal, drawing its power from lumirock. He put his hand on the armour, and like an eldritch horror, string detached from his core, completely engulfing the magical item. It was gone soon after, though he could see traces of it absorbed by his core. Most of it was syphoned by his connection with Auberon.

Main Quest 11 Complete.

Reward - Meeting with the King of Fairies, Auberon. King’s Guard (A), Crown of Summer (grade 7), Phantoms of the Wild Hunt (grade 6).

The golden screen appeared before him once again, formed by his own strings. This time, it was different. The dungeon began to shake and tremble, submerged in a wave of resplendent light that touched every corner of his dungeon. Like rain, it was absorbed by the ground below it, connecting his entire dungeon with a gate of light that materialised from thin air.

It was made entirely from light, though carvings could be seen on it as if it was stone. Depictions of Oberon, Titania, the Wild Hunt and other mythical fairies adorned the gate, each telling a different story. At the very top were two white stag’s horns, radiating light and majesty that made Viv’s soul want to prostrate itself. He channelled mana through his legs, preventing them buckling from the weight. The black strings became gold, and he could see no longer.

“I will return,” he said, his words lingering in the air with the promise of destiny. Then, he stepped through the gate.