I'm going to refer to Alice as a she when it's describing the stuff that happens in the first part of this chapter, but I'll start calling him Zenix and a boy after that time.
***
The two monster-humans she saw the first thing she woke up casually wrapped her bare body in a swath of cloth. Their actions told Alice that they personally didn't give a shit about the fact that she was a baby, or that they were absolutely sure nothing would happen. It was probably the latter. She didn't even have the strength to move; a baby's bodily strength was just extremely pitiful.
The horned woman walked several feet away, and brought out some kind of black rod out of nowhere. She brandished it like a knife and started to draw in the dry ground. A strange symbol started to appear. It was a large, black circle with strange, alien runes circling the outside. Inside, 5 more circles were arranged without overlapping, and the empty center of the circle had a 6 pointed star drawn in it. Runes and lines were seemingly randomly placed along the shapes, and a faint voice could be heard flowing out of the drawer's mouth. They were unrecognizable, though. More and more strange designs were added to the circle, before Horn-Woman breathed out and backed away from the design. Any person who ever played games could recognize it; it was a magic circle! And with the complexity of it, it was clearly a very high class one. Although it was only 3ft by 3ft.
'A magic circle?! I really am in Alayzes!'
Alice stared in fascination as the dull black patterned circle suddenly shined in a blood red. Sparks spat out of the lines and shapes like it was a firework, yet no noise revealed itself. The horns-lady backed away from the glowing sigil and motioned towards the wolfman holding her baby body.
"Alright, it's done... Mycas, put the lord in."
"Yes, I know. C'mon, get out of the way. You're in my face, Riselic."
The horn-lady, now known as Riselic, snorted in derision and shifted away from her position in front of Mycas the wolf guy. He stepped forwards towards the circle and lowered Alice's body into the center of symbol, forcing her to stay still as she started to struggle with all her strength. (It was just some wriggling around, so it isn't really struggling)
Alice REALLY didn't want to touch that circle. What if it was some kind of curse? What if it could kill her? What if it turned her into a llama? Not that she knew if llamas existed in Alayzes. Either way, that circle was giving off this extremely unlikable vibe that made her head ring with 'GET AWAY!'. That vibe told her that she would hate the moment she touched that, since her life would be extremely terrible for many years. She kept wriggling frantically and making Mycas grunt in annoyance. Even so, the circle kept approaching her steadily. He then got the point and drew her away, glaring at his partner.
"The lord doesn't seem to want to touch that magic... Riselic, you DID remember to use dark magic for the circle, right? Or at least blood magic?"
"Are you insulting me?! I am the most knowledgeable and most powerful magic-type demon in the entire demon world, do you really think I would forget that?! Of course I put dark magic!"
"Then why does he hate it so much? He should be attracted to it, not trying to avoid it."
"How am I supposed to know? He's a demon, so if he doesn't like it, then I have no idea why."
"Are you really the most knowledgeable demon? Shouldn't you at least know that?"
"No, I don't know. And yes, I am the most knowledgeable demon! Can you name every single demon including all the sub-types and the halfbreeds?!"
"No, I can't. Anyway, I guess I'll just force him in."
"If he remembers, you'll get decapitated."
"I'll just blame you."
"I'll kill you before you can."
"Just try."
Alice stared in bemusement as the 2 began to bicker about whether Mycas would get decapitated first or Riselic would kill him before that. They suddenly got a strange glint in their eyes. Noticing that evil look in their eyes, she realized she was tricked by their argument. It was all as a distraction to distract her! Mycas suddenly tossed her into the air, towards the circle. The sparks being spit from the sigils intensified by several times, and reached for her like claws. Before she could even cry out or react at all, a deep, crimson red engulfed her vision. It felt like being dunked in warm, red, murky water yet still staying dry.
A strange torrent of dry water hit her full on in the face, knocking her out.
***
When Alice opened her eyes again, she found herself standing in a large room. It was a circular room made out of dark grey stones, and there was a large mirror encased by a flawlessly designed golden frame standing in the middle of a raised platform. Almost as if commanded, she started to walk towards the mirror.
'Here, you shall decide your fate, demon.'
A deep, male voice rang out in her head as she stepped onto the platform with the mirror. It held no expression or emotion in it, yet had a deep, frigid atmosphere that seemingly froze her surroundings with a single word. Alice couldn't help but reply.
"Who are you- Huh?"
She jerked in surprise. Her voice brought much shock to her. First of all, she could speak. Not only that, but she felt her body wasn't that of a baby's anymore. Third, the voice was one of a young man- probably of 19 or 20 years old. As strange feeling passed through her, yet it wasn't her emotion. It seemed like it was the mirror's emotions. Emotions of amusement. The deep voice continued to speak.
'Interesting... So you have retained your memories of your past life?'
"Past life?"
'Indeed. Do you not know what those memories of living as a human girl in real life mean?'
"What do you mean? I'm alive and kicking! And how do you know of the real world?"
'You do not need to know. However, I will just say that everything that has happened to you the past few minutes have all been because you died in real life.'
"What?!"
The voice made a small chuckling sound even though it sounded completely fake.
'Even I don't know the complete details. However, it is true. You have been reborn into this world as- what was it you "Players" called it again? Ah, yes. You have been recreated as an NPC. Non-player-character.'
"..."
'I will not mention any more of this subject to you. Besides, I am only here to allow you to pick your future path.
"Future path?"
Alice stared warily at the foggy mirror that was the source of the mysterious voice in her head.
'Yes. Now, what do you wish to become in this world of ours? A conqueror? A wandering traveler? Or do you wish to become an Adventurer like those other people from your previous world?'
"Why should I answer you?"
'If you do not, you will stay here and enjoy my company for eternity.'
"What?!"
'Do you not like that option?'
"Hell no!"
'Then what do you wish to be?'
Alice started to think at this question; that evil talking mirror was starting to annoy her for some reason, even if she didn't even know why.
"I....... I want to become someone who will beat the crap out of whoever you are and go home."
'That is not an option, oh violent lady.'
"Then I want to go back home."
'You can dream that, but that is impossible as well. And you know as well as I do that dreams don't come true.'
"..."
'What do you want to be?'
"I don't really like you... so can I contact the creators of this game and have them delete you?"
'No.'
"I wan't exactly asking you."
The mirror stayed silent for a whole minute before replying in an annoyed voice.
'Haah... Really, you are quite a strange one... Very well, if you shall be this way, then I will choose your beginning for for you.'
"What?! Wai-"
'You shall take the path of the conqueror. You shall become the lord of your race and lead your armies to take over the Human World. Your power will be unrivaled, and your army shall sweep through the lands like a storm. The world will suffer at your hands!'
You have decided on the starting path of the Conqueror! However, this is only the start. The path of the Conqueror is a long and difficult one, and your future actions will influence your future. If you do not like this path, then you must change your actions to deviate. However, there will be repercussions.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Alice stared in absolute horror at the window that was floating in front of her. Almost as if mocking her reaction towards the screen, he voice started to speak again, but this time with a slight sound of genuine laughing.
'Enjoy your new life, Demon King Zenix.'
The previously foggy mirror in front of Alice suddenly cleared up, showing the shocked reflection of a 19 year old young man with black horns sticking out of the sides of his head and black flame-like tattoos running down his left arm. The reflection suddenly distorted like it was being sucked into a single point, and an incredible pull started to drag the man across the stone platform, and towards the mirror. He was sucked into it like how water would be pulled into a drain. His last words could be heard as his head sank into the mirror.
"DAAAAAAMMNNN YOOOOOUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!"
***
Note: I'll be calling Alice by his in-game name Zenix now.
***
"Urrrrp"
Alice, no, Zenix opened his eyes to the sight of Mycas throwing up. As well as Riselic. No, seriously. Right now, the 2 demons were completely surrounded by 15 more similar looking demons with extremely demonic looking faces. Every one of the attackers had pitch black spears that were caked in either Mycas or Riselic's black blood, and the 2 themselves were in terribly condition. Countless stab wounds openly poured that oily dark blood onto the dry earth and one could see the haggard look of death that was clearly showing itself on their faces.The 17 demons that were just obviously fighting turned around to look at the sudden appearance of Zenix.
'What the- I've better get away!'
He immediately turned around and ran as fast as he could- or tried to. The moment Zenix tried to turn around and move, his previously movable legs suddenly trembled and collapsed under him. He looked at his legs in shock and noticed why. They had somehow de-aged from a 19 year old's legs to the ones of a 1 year old baby! And so had the rest of his body!
"My lord...?"
Mycas softly whispered in both surprise and horror. The 15 attacker instantly reacted towards those words; they completely destroyed the circle formation that was surrounding the 2 injured demons and charged at full speed towards Zenix. Which took less that 1 second for them to somehow pick him up, wrap him up in an extremely soft and smooth cloth, then put him in some kind of box with a cushion underneath and close the lid on the surprised Zenix.
"......."
It all happened so fast that he never even noticed the fact that he was in a dark box while wrapped in cloth until at least 10 seconds after it occured. When Zenix tried to yell out in anger for his release, what came out was an illegible babble. And some tears for mourning for whatever was happening to him.
"ABAAAHHHHHHBAYAMBABABABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHBABABABABABAAAABAAABABAAAAAAYAAYAYAABA
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"SHUT UP, BRAT!"
An angry and gruff yell exploded from the outside of the box just as he began to release his pent up distress. Zenix's baby cry froze for a moment, before he decided that he had enough of the people who were making his life hard. And cried even more.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHWAAAAAAAAAAAABABABABAAAAAAAAAAWAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHMAMAMAMAMABABAAAAAAWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!"
"SHUT UPPPPP!!!!!!"
The lid of the box was violently ripped open by what looked like the source of the enraged voice that originally yelled at him. Zenix stopped screaming in distress, sensing an extreme hostility from the face staring in anger at him.
"Damn, this brat has the loudest voice in all of existence! Is this really the future demon lord?! What the hell is wrong with him?!"
A man that looked like he was at least 50 stared in a pissed off fashion at Zenix. His eyes were a molten gold, and scraggly, silver hair hung down in strands of oily rope. Wrinkly skin shined with grease that didn't seem to have been washed for the past 5 years. His breath smelled more foul than anything that could ever be called foul. Dry lips purple with some kind of wine-like liquid spat spittle at Zenix, which missed terribly and landed on the edge of the box. His eyes flared even more angrily. The clearly unclean silver haired man reached his stinky hands towards baby Zenix and picked him up.
"Tch, at least that Teleport Interference spell I made worked... And this brat doesn't even look like a demon, the only way to tell he's the demon lord are those Oblivion marks on his arm..."
"Lem-e-goah!"
Zenix tried to cry out in protest towards the disgusting tight grip of the scraggly man, and to his surprise, semi-formed words sprang out. He wasn't the only one surprised. The man jerked in surprise, and that disgusted face turned into one of both surprise and evil satisfaction.
"Oh? So you can talk... Brat, do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Yes! Leme Gwoh! Hurshtz! Stinkry!"
The man's devious face became even more devious.
"Oh hoh... Interesting..."
He suddenly let go of Zenix with one hand, and used the free hand to bring up a chair and sat himself in it. He placed Zenix on a table. He instantly scrambled to move away from him, when he noticed his surroundings. He looked like he was in some kind of ruined stone building that was refurbished into a home.
The stone walls of the square room were all made of some extremely worn rocks, and there were also remains of destruction littered around the room, with large slash marks and cracks that ran around the perimeter. The ceiling had a large hole in it, which led to what looked like the next floor. There was a layer of wooden planks that covered the hole and seemed to be the 2nd floor. The room itself had an old, wooden table in the middle, a fireplace in the far side of the back wall, and a wooden counter with several cabinets underneath next to the table. There were 2 chairs next to the table. Also, a wooden door that seemed to lead to the outside was in the front wall, which was opposite to the fireplace. A set of old, stone stairs led to the 2nd floor.
"Listen up, brat. From now on, you will live here with me. I will teach you how to use your demon magic, give you training, then let you go to become the demon lord. And you will do everything I say, no complaints, or I will leave you to be eaten by the monsters around here! You got that!?"
"Vha?!"
"What I just said! And DO YOU GET IT?"
"Bu-"
"NO BUTS!! NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
"I vun wanna dro dis!"
"...............DO. YOU. UNDER. STAND."
"...................................."
"...................................."
"......Yes.........................."
The dirty, wrinkly man smiled evilly at that reply. Zenix instantly regretted ever saying that single word.
"Fine then... Just sleep in the box, and I'll wake you up tomorrow. You have some jobs to do."
"Bhut I'm tsoo zmall!"
"Hmph. A high-class demon like you takes exactly one night to grow to the size of a 6 year old child, you know."
"Bhut I'm svill too zmall!"
"Shut up! You do as I say! Now
Zenix was suddenly assaulted by a powerful drowsiness, and fell asleep then and there.
***
Sorry for releasing so late... But I've been stressed out about life lately, so I can't really focus on anything now. I've just restarted working on this though so releases will be coming out more often.
Also, should I include the period of him growing up or just make a massive timeskip? Because I saw some people complaining about how they didn't like it and that they should just do timeskips and others saying that they like the growing-up period.