"Status"
As soon as I uttered those magical words, a new translucent window immediately popped up in front of me.
-------STATUS WINDOW-------
>> Demon King Vanir |
>> Titles: King Of All Demons, Overlord, Evil Origin, Cassanova Of Corruption
>> Level: 1 (EXP – 0/100)
>> Race: Devil
>> HP: 100/100
>> MP: 1000/1000
>> ATK: 50
>> DEF: 50
>> AGI: 50
>> INT: 50
>> STA: 50
>> LUK: 1 (Fixed)
✦ Racial Skills: Aura of Evil lvl.MAX, Uncanny Form lvl.MAX ,
✦ Acquired Skills: None (Reset due to Soul Transfer)
✦ Free Attribute Points: 0
-------------------------------
After studying the details this status screen was showing me, my eyebrows couldn't help but shoot up in surprise!
"Huh. Aren't these stat points a little...?"
Was this generous bundle of stat points really mine? With the same level of effectiveness from the actual game...?
In my mind, questions started popping up as I skimmed over the information written on the screen. After all, going by my game's knowledge, whoever this status screen belonged to was an absolutely broken character!!
Fifty points in every stat at the first level?
Even the playable Hero characters of the original game only had a maximum of 10 points in their specialized stats at the beginning of the game!
Of course, everything drastically changed when they got their hands on their own Divine equipment, but that just changed their leveling method and speed. Their overall potential was always fixed, which could be estimated from that character's stat points at lvl.1.
Obviously, with the original game world's setting being 'Magic', this limit was not too restricting for the powerful supporting characters.
Also, since NPCs had to level up and increase their stats through hard training, their level would never be at '1', causing such limits to be effectively useless for them. And because it wasn't an open-world game, there was no way for me to check a toddler's level and confirm such information!
Well, I didn't have any skills at the moment, and since I never saw this 'Devil' race in the game, I also knew nothing about them – I guess those things would balance out my status advantage somehow...?
Well, whatever. It wasn't like I'd need some wacky game skills when I was physically inside the game!
*Ping~*
[■■■■■■'s Quest: Completed!]
As I was internally pondering such things, a sudden pinging sound brought me back to the real – or rather – game world.
[Quest Reward: Player System integration will now begin!]
[Player System Integration | Progress… 10%... 30%... 70%... 100%]
[Player System Integration | Complete!]
*Dringgg~*
[New Quest Generated!]
-------QUEST WINDOW-------
>> Tutorial Quest: The Demon King's Awakening!
>> Quest Description: An otherworldly miracle has weakened the divine seal placed on the Demon King, causing him to finally awaken from his long slumber. But forcefully breaking through the seal has caused his powers to regress immensely!
✦ However, as the ruler of all demons, you cannot be weak! Regain your powers and show your subjects that their lord is back!
>> Clear Condition: The Demon King's sealing location has transformed into a vicious dungeon due to his wicked aura leaking out. Conquer this dungeon and reclaim your old equipment from its deepest floors!
>> Rewards: EXP+500, Demonic Sword – '???', Shop Currency+2
>> Failure Penalty: Other demonic creatures will devour you and become the new Demon King.
-------------------------------
⇒ [ Accept / D̶e̶n̶y̶ ]
"Ah, shit. Here we go again..."
This time the deny option was straight-up disabled.
Did I upset the guy behind this game-like system too much?
From the Quest description, it was quite clear that the being who brought me here wanted me to play the sealed Demon King's role. Now the question was...
"...Hmm?"
...wait...
...now wait a minute...!!!
I think I didn't notice it immediately because of the sudden and chaotic things that kept happening around me, but how could I have missed something so big?!
Holding my breath, I slowly brought out my slightly shaking hands in front of my eyes.
...but what was reflected in my eyes weren't the usual rough, worn-out hands of a failed adult man nearing his thirties, but a smooth, unblemished hand with soft, milky textured skin.
They certainly didn't feel like my own hands, and neither did they feel like the hands of a ferocious Demon King as I had suspected just now.
Just whose body was this...?
"Status!"
Once again summoning my status screen in a hurry, I carefully read through everything that was written there.
[>> Demon King Vanir |
There it was – my name, placed right after the Demon King's name...
'...but why...?'
Why was my name after the Demon King's? And why was it inside these angular symbols!?
"...Hey, Mr. 'Great Existence', I...I'm not inside the actual Demon King's body now, am I...?"
[...]
"...Again, no response huh?"
'This.... this great existence might be a bit more powerful than I first imagined, huh?'
I unconsciously bit my lower lip.
This guy was actually powerful enough to swap my soul and place it inside a new body without me being able to do anything, or even noticing...
No wonder this guy didn't care to investigate anything about the person he just forced inside a game. Perhaps, it wasn't about knowing or not knowing about me.
Maybe, this being truly didn't give a hoot about what I could, or might do...?
'Heh, isn't this a checkmate then...?'
Well, it really had been a long while since I last felt such emotions.
Getting your freedom snatched away by some random God's whims, forced to do their bidding, and being pushed around according to their desires?
Indeed, it has been a long time....
So much so that I nearly forgot this unpleasant feeling that was now swirling within my chest!
*crack* *crack~*
As I heard the crisp popping sound coming from my knuckles, a dark smile slowly spread across my previously solemn face.
...I really felt like shit right now, but what other choice did I have?
Without even the power to resist being pulled into this world, going against the flow any longer could only land me in a deeper swamp of trouble, nothing else.
"Since I have no choice in this anyway, just begin your game already! I will accept my role as the Demon King!"
[Quest Accepted!]
As soon as the translucent window flashed, I felt the thin blood-colored roots under my bare feet beginning to squirm around like little worms.
*rattle~!*
A small tremor spread through the ground, and the unmoving dark crimson vine a few meters away from me suddenly stirred awake with a violent shudder.
"...Wow, seriously? That creepy thing was a damn monster all along?!"
Without any equipment and no idea how strong this game-character body was, I immediately took a defensive stance.
"Well, can I at least check its levels and stuff? Woah...!"
*swoosh–!*
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Instead of a response, a nimble yet deadly appendage from the crimson vine angrily shot toward me, indirectly answering my question with a deadly blow.
"Fine, damn it! Have it your way!"
Hurriedly dodging out of its way, I cursed out in annoyance.
*BAM–!*
The incoming vine violently smashed into the ground, sending a wave of dust and soil flying everywhere.
Facing a plant-type monster without any sharp weapon was bound to be difficult, no matter the world – real or game. Not to mention, I didn't know how to use the 'Magic' of this world yet!
With no other choice left, I lunged after the retracting vine appendage, with nothing but my bare hands to count on.
After all, when all other options fail, I could only count on a nice dose of good old violence to solve all my problems!
*Swisssssh–!*
Putting as much power as possible in my legs, I lunged after the retracting vine.
Without any weapon to count on, my only option right now was to damage its main body as much as possible.
After all, fighting a plant monster was always about how efficiently you could rip apart its main body!
But, just as I was about to reach it, another slender blood-red vine suddenly snapped towards me from my left side.
*Swisssssh–!*
"Ughh!"
I immediately ducked, letting the vine appendage harmlessly pass above my head.
'Damn it, that was a close call…'
But I had no time to rest.
The appendage I was trying to use as a cover to get closer to the crimson vine's main body was already coming back, and this time with even more ferocity!
I had no way to deflect it, and my bare body's defense would definitely not be enough to withstand even a single strike unscathed…
'And conquering this dungeon is just a freaking tutorial?!'
*Swooosssssh–!*
*BOOM–!*
Tilting my body to the right, I rolled out of the way just before the vine smashed through the spot I had been occupying just a moment earlier.
...*cough*…*cough*…
Coughing out the dust that was kicked up from the impact, I jumped on the appendage that was starting to retract back to the main body.
But just as I made the jump, the slowly retracting appendage suddenly jerked back, before retreating rapidly before I even had the chance to ride it to its main body.
"...What? Ugh!"
I could only fall down to the ground helplessly, left to eat the cloud of dust it left behind...
"...Dammit, this thing is intelligent too?"
There was no way to explain its actions if it wasn't. Instinct alone wasn't enough to make its movements that precise!
"...Arghh, give me a break!"
I nimbly evaded one more vine appendage coming after me, before trying to jump on it after it missed.
*BOOM–!*
"*cough*... Stay in one place, dammit...!"
*Swisssssh–!*
...but the appendage seemed to have some kind of sixth sense it was using to always sense my leaping motion, retracting itself in a hurry before I could jump on it.
As a result, I had no way to land a proper hit on it, being so far from its main body and without any weapons to boot, while its precise and swift attacks kept draining my stamina with every casual move.
"Hooo..."
Unable to see any way to win, I exhaled a deep breath.
'Really, it hasn't even been a full decade...'
Did my combat sense get that rusty already? I couldn't even beat a simple demonic vine monster with the high-performance body of a supposed Demon King...?
'...is this also a calculated move by you, Great Existence?'
Did I really have to reveal everything I have, just to beat this one, trashy game monster?
Just as I was contemplating this, I noticed something alien squirming under me.
…squirm…squirm…
...
Suddenly, the entire world around me seemed to slow down...
In this almost stagnant world, I saw the thin, blood-colored roots – which I mistook as grass earlier – squirming incessantly under my feet.
Scenes appeared one after another in my mind – the squirming roots, the vines precisely striking where I was, a plant-type monster, the initial tremor when it awakened...
My eyes rapidly traced the squirming roots to their source – the raging demonic vine in the distance, before I felt the corners of my lips slowly curling upwards.
Now when I looked towards the next vine appendage precisely targeting my position...
'There it is....it's weakness!'
...I could finally see a path to my victory!
...
Time resumed its usual pace once again, and I jumped back from the place I was standing before.
*BOOM–!*
A vine appendage swiftly smashed through the ground once again, but I wasn't disheartened by my failure to counterattack anymore.
Taking a few steps back, I crouched down and forcefully grabbed the thin roots spread all over the ground.
*Swish* *Swish* *Swish*
Immediately, I saw the appendages coming out of the crimson vine starting to get agitated.
"Heh... So I was right, huh? These roots are like your eyes and ears."
I felt a smile of accomplishment spread across my face. I knew I wasn't that rusty yet!
"Haah...!!"
With a satisfied smirk on my face, I pulled on the bloody roots with all my might!
*snap* *snap–!*
Crisp, snapping sounds came out from the thin roots spread around me, as they were pretty easily ripped off the ground, viciously torn away from their main body.
*drip*
"Ugh…"
A disgusting black liquid dripped down from the torn roots, assaulting my nose with a terrible smell.
Throwing the now-lifeless roots away, I once again distanced myself from the spot I was standing at before, only to see it getting smashed into oblivion by multiple blood-colored appendages, all at once!
"Whoa, seems like you're pretty angry now."
Wasting no time, I got to work once again. But this time with a wide, toothy grin on my face.
"Hehe. You got too many weeds in your lawn, Mr. Crimson Vine! Let me clean it all up for you!"
Everywhere I passed through, I made sure to completely rip out every last one of the bloody roots spread across the ground!
*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM–!*
The angry appendages swiftly followed after me, riddling the entire place with small craters and broken rocks.
"Don't worry, Sir! It's completely free of charge!"
Even as I reassured my angry customer, my feet and hands never stopped their work.
Luckily, even though the vine appendages were extremely fast, they could only react after the main body sensed me through its roots.
As long as I knew that fact, I could easily outrun those angry vines with the fifty points of agility I had!
…
…
In just a few minutes, the entire field was filled with torn pieces of roots, and craters from the angry vine's wild rampage.
"Hehehe. How is it, dear customer? I wonder if my humble lawn-mowing skills were to your liking?"
With a wide smile on my face, I landed on top of the clearing I just made, right in front of the now-blind vine.
*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM-!*
The crimson vine was still smashing its appendages into everything near it, not letting me get any closer to its main body.
Its entire body shuddered in rage, flattening everything around it, trying to find the perpetrator who ripped out its sensory organs from the ground.
But no matter how much it struggled now, there was no way for it to locate me anymore.
I patiently waited for it to calm down. There was no need to face it immediately in a tiresome frontal battle.
I simply let it rampage around for as long as it wanted, and while it thoroughly exhausted itself, leisurely studied its attack patterns.
…
*BAM* *BAM* *Bam–!*
Soon, the rampage stopped. The crimson vine was still writhing around in place, occasionally shuddering in a powerless rage from time to time.
"Hmm... It's time."
Taking a deep breath, I replayed the vine's movements inside my head for the last time.
'No matter how weak this monster looks now, I shouldn't underestimate it...'
Even with my current body's capabilities, I still couldn't let my guard down against an opponent planted here by that 'Great' existence.
After running around and harvesting all the bloody roots in the field, I had a pretty good idea of just how fast and strong this Demon King's body was.
But the issue of a proper weapon was still there – without a weapon, how was I supposed to take down this monstrosity?
Even now, the roots I had uprooted earlier were visibly regenerating in front of my eyes, starting from the intact parts near the vine's main body.
There was no doubt that the appendages would have the same, if not even stronger regenerative powers!
As I was contemplating on how to efficiently deal with it, my gaze was inevitably drawn to the excessively sharp-looking nails I now had on my slender fingers.
Humans had long since abandoned using their nails as a weapon, because of the far better weapons that they could forge using stronger metals.
However, nails – or rather claws – were still one of the strongest weapons known to wild animals, monsters, and even otherworldly demonic creatures.
And if this body really belonged to the Demon King of this world...
'It should work...'
As the vine's appendages finally became stationary, I slowly lowered my body into a lunging stance. Next, focusing my mind, I directed as much power as I could toward my legs...
*BOOM–!*
....and took off!
Unsurprisingly, from the extreme force of my lift-off, the solid ground under me caved in a little while I was sent flying like a ballistic missile toward the blind and unsuspecting crimson vine!
*Whoosh–!*
Maybe it noticed something from the sudden tremor coming from the ground, its stationary appendages shook a little, before rapidly moving toward its main body in a shield formation.
It was still attempting to block any incoming attack!
I was once again amazed by its intelligence, or perhaps the extremely sensitive survival instinct it possessed.
Well, nothing that it could do mattered anymore...
In the blink of an eye, while it was still raising its appendages into the air, I was already on top of it.
"Hupp–!"
Holding my hands in the shape of a karate chop, I directed my sharp nails toward the now-vulnerable main body of the vine.
*Gushhh~!*
...And pierced through the stone-like bark of the vine, quickly scrambling the soft and mushy inner part of it!
"Ughhh! Damn it!"
A liquid far more disgusting than its root juice sprayed all over me from the wound, making me wince from the immensely acrid smell.
"Haaaa...!!"
But before the vine could retaliate, I pushed my other hand into the wound and tightly grabbed onto the opening I just made, before violently ripping it apart with both of my hands!
The vine shuddered and struggled to slap me down with its appendages, but after its recent rampage and now suffering a grievous wound, its futile efforts didn't amount to much.
"DIEEE!!"
Still unsatisfied, I grabbed onto it once again and ripped through its main body, feeling the remaining struggles of the crimson vine slowly begin to die down.
*Ping~*
[Congratulations! You have defeated a lvl.3 Bloodthorn Vine!]
[EXP Points Earned: +50]
A system window appeared in front of my eyes, confirming the kill.
I sighed and relaxed my body a little, before immediately grimacing from the terrible smell spreading everywhere from the vine's corpse.
"...just 50 EXP from that vine, huh? It sure was difficult for a mere level 3 monster…"
Well, the difficulty had actually spiked due to the lack of a proper weapon. Otherwise, with my current stats, it should've been much easier to slash apart the vine, without even having to rip out the roots from the ground first.
"Oh well, let's just take it as a lesson to not rely on your weapons too much..."
*Ping~*
[Congratulations on your First Kill!]
"Hmm...?"
Just when I thought I would have to clear the entire dungeon with my bare hands, a pinging noise greeted me with a surprising message!
[First Kill Reward: Bloodthorn Whip (Rare), 'Inventory' has been unlocked!]
"A whip? Uh, well, I guess it's better than absolutely nothing...?"
It was certainly a weird choice of weapon, but I couldn't really complain about it.
...And even if I did, who would listen to them after I pissed off that 'Great Existence' earlier?
"Inventory!"