Content Warning: This chapter onwards (the one labelled "The Demon Lord" contains sensitive topics that might upsetting for some readers, including but not limited to self-harm, suicide, and mental illness.
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His red eyes, set against black sclera, scanned the surroundings. He found himself in a sealing chamber adorned with protective spells—on the ceilings, the ground, and even the pillars. Encircling his limbs were thick and sturdy metal chains that seemed to stick painfully to his skin, preventing him to move at will.
A slight chill coursed through his body, and he soon realized he was encased in ice, safeguarded by spells. However, as once the strongest being in this world, there was nothing he could not conquer. These protective spells seemed like child’s play to him.
In mere seconds, he broke free from the magical ice.
Kasha!!
With a swift, powerful motion, he shattered the thick slab of metal chains that had bound him. The chains clattered and bounced off the cold stone floor, their sharp metallic sound reverberating through the vast chamber like thunderclaps.
He landed gracefully in the center of the room, his feet barely making a sound as they touched the ground, where an intricate rune was engraved into the floor. Its ancient symbols glinted ominously in the dim light, but it remained dormant because he easily tampered with it within seconds.
Scanning the chamber, his piercing gaze took in the remaining protective spells, each one noticeably weaker than he had anticipated. They flickered ominously in the shadows, yet they seemed more fit to be called decorations rather than protection spells as they were much, much weaker than he had expected.
Slowly he lifted both hands and stared at them, in his mind were myriad of questions.
“I should have died back then… but why…?”
He murmured to himself, bewilderment apparent in his voice.
The pain he felt from the cold blade that pierced his heart was real and the images of the enemies marching into his throne room were so vivid that they couldn't be mere imagination.
…who dared to revive me?
Suddenly, a luminous blue window flickered into existence before him, illuminating his surroundings with a soft glow.
[Host!!]
The Demon Lord straightened his back as he stared at the blue thing, hands returning to their natural pose.
“System?”
[After waiting for 600 years, finally you woke up!]
“600 years?” he repeated, his voice low and full of disbelief.
[Yes! It took me that long to regenerate your wounded heart and bring you back to life! That holy spear was indeed a formidable enemy for me, but there’s nothing I can’t do.]
His gaze hardened as he absorbed the information, and coldness returned to his eyes as they focused on the rapidly changing words that danced on the screen. Memories of his past flooded into his mind.
“…so I am alive because of you,” it was not a question, but a confirmation.
The implication of his revival stirred the anger inside him. This meant all the plans he had carefully set were in shambles. This was not how it was supposed to be—a hero was supposed to end the great evil and bring prosperity and peace to the world just like the prophecy had said.
He even used the prophecy for his own gain, but…
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…everything was in shambles.
[Of course, Host. As a system bound to you, I will make sure to keep you alive until you achieve your goal.]
The words from the system cut through the turmoil in his mind, causing him to pause. Slowly he craned his neck upward to see the window, “…goal? What goal?”
[Did you forget it already? Didn’t you say you wanted to be the strongest of all? You even named your goal ‘Become a Demon God’]
The system displayed what appeared to be his doodling when he was but twelve years old. There, scrawled in the bold handwriting of a child was the goal he had once pursued, accompanied by an ugly doodling of a buff stickman.
“…what happens if I don’t complete that goal?”
[Then we will be together for a while! Isn’t that exciting?]
He found himself frozen for a moment, struck by the realization of his predicament. The weight of his situation crashed down on him like an avalanche. After seemingly an eternity, he let a long sigh. He turned towards the remnants of the crystalline prison that had held him captive for so long, his fingers stretching outwards as he summoned his magic.
With a wave of his hand, he effortlessly recreated the magical ice and a corpse that looked exactly like him entombed within. Every detail was carefully replicated, from the icy sheen of the prison to the expression on his doppelgänger’s face.
Once he was satisfied with his work, he channeled his energies into restoring the sealing chamber to its previous state.
Now no one knew that the Demon Lord had escaped.
[Ready to take on the world once again, Host?]
“…” he did not answer it and turned himself into a human.
The towering, formidable presence of the Demon Lord dwindled as he shifted into the guise of an unremarkable human. The powerful aura that surrounded him was replaced by the humble appearance of a middle-aged man, short black hair framed his face, and plain commoner’s clothes adorned his smaller body.
At that moment, he was truly a human with nothing to his name.
[Host? Are you ready?]
Once again, he ignored the system. After casting his invisibility spell to render himself invisible to the naked eye and an ethereal spell to allow passage through walls and floors, he exited the chamber. He was greeted by a dark, long corridor illuminated by torches.
Without wasting any time, he performed a powerful jump. Thanks to his ethereal spell, he easily bypassed walls and other obstacles.
With remarkable ease he appeared above the ground. Under the rays of the sun, he was finally able to see the kind of city that was brave—or foolish—enough to keep his corpse intact.
It was a beautiful megapolis painted mostly in white. The cobblestones were pristine, and the houses were painted white with golden accents, signifying the city's holy nuance. Far from the city center were farms and ranches shielded by enchanted, sturdy perimeter walls. The centerpiece of this megapolis was a massive temple-like building located in the center of the city, flanked by tall walls of the same color.
…so this is what a human city looks like after 600 years.
The atmosphere was surreal as he navigated through the bustling marketplace. Colorful banners fluttered in a gentle breeze, advertising wares from every corner of the realm and the shouting of vendors enveloped the streets in a vibrant cacophony of sounds.
He did not expect to see so many races mingled in one place. He even spotted beastmen in one corner of the streets, gathering around while reading a map. Their large hands gestured animatedly as they discussed the best routes to take, whilst balancing huge sacks of fresh produce.
As he continued to explore, he caught a sight of a dark elf. Her skin shimmered like a polished obsidian under the sun, and her long, silver hair flowed gracefully down her waist. On her back was a big quiver of elven arrows, famous for its accuracy on the battlefield.
He was sure dark elves were extinct during the war, but apparently their ancestors managed to hide themselves well during the age of chaos.
“Oh.”
His wandering gaze turned towards an imposing cathedral rising majestically at the edge of the square. The structure radiated a sense of divine authority, built from pale stone that seemed to glow in the afternoon light. At its entrance stood an awe-inspiring statue depicting the Goddess of Light, a winged figure clutching a scepter in one hand while her other hand shielded her heart.
Slowly, he allowed his now brown eyes to drift upwards, taking in the imposing bell tower that soared into the sky.
“…”
[Are you going to climb? I bet the view is amazing up there.]
He continued to ignore the system and made his way toward the bell tower. Instead of jumping like he did before, he climbed the stairs on foot like an ordinary person.
The spiral staircase was endless.
He passed several tired visitors of the bell towers in silence, as they were unable to see him. Finally, after what felt like an infinite ascent, he reached the top.
The view was indeed magnificent, but that was not his goal.
He opened his mouth and murmured, “System.”
[What is it, Host?]
“…do you know why I annihilated almost half of the world?”
[Of course to demonstrate your prowess and gain experience.]
He chuckled. “I expected you to at least know about it, but no. It’s not that. I decimated them all for a single purpose, and I intend to achieve that purpose once again.”
There was a strange glint in his eyes as he savored the inviting view before him. He slowly closed his eyes and a small smile graced his lips, as if he were committing the panoramic scene to memory. Opening his eyes, he murmured in a calm voice,
“…nothing is interesting in this world anymore.”
Without warning he jumped from the 100 meters high bell tower.