'How long has it been?' I wondered to myself as I stared blankly at the ceiling.

With my small body lying on the concrete floor, I could feel a cold sensation on my back, slowly relieving all of my soreness.

It was a comforting feeling that I wished would remain forever, until this coldness permeated my very being, stopping my thumping heart and declaring it over.

My gaze remained fixed on the ceiling above, waiting for something to pop up and help me solve my current predicament and uncertain future.

But alas, even though I had transmigrated into a fantasy world, the delusions created by novelists in my previous world were unlikely to exist here. The cheats that accompanied the main character to become the strongest, the blue panel that gave rewards and quests, the almighty system that would help me achieve my purpose and dream—these were impossible to find here.

After all, I wasn't even sure if I was a main character myself. I had transmigrated as a demon, waking up tied to a cross with a painful burning sensation, having my limbs cut off without any reason. I found myself in a carriage of slaves forced to walk for miles until we reached our destination, only to realize that we were not slaves about to be sold and serving a wealthy family, but rather slaves meant to entertain people as we fought for survival and the chance to be free.

How could I be the main character? Even if I am, does it seem that this development was too overwhelming for a beginning?

If I truly were the main character, I suppose it would only be natural for me to yearn for a cheat that could assist me completely. Yes, it's a lame thing to do, but can you blame me? Can you blame me for desiring such power?

After hearing what the King had said, I knew it was the only way for me to survive. It was the only way for me to achieve my dream during this second chance of mine.

Perhaps it seemed foolish in the eyes of others to hope for a cheat rather than relying on oneself, but for me, I had no other choice. It was simply impossible for me to live when that time arrived.

"Ha..." With a heavy sigh escaping my lips, I closed my eyes and placed my now unshackled arm over my forehead, allowing my mind to wander as I recalled the events that had transpired on that fateful day.

***

The sun shone brightly, casting an unrelenting heat upon the land below.

At the top of the raised platform, King Ab-Adal rose from his chair, addressing the demon slaves who were still recovering from the sudden release of pressure.

He didn't find their retching disrespectful; instead, he found it quite amusing, especially as he observed the twisted expressions on the faces of the Parliament members.

Though he had no intention of attacking them, his display of power instilled fear and terror within them. He was confident that they had received his message loud and clear.

'You all want to dethrone me, huh?' he muttered inwardly, 'Are you sure you have the power to do so?' he mocked.

Then he turned his attention back to the demons and began addressing them.

"Welcome to the Shahara Kingdom, demons, or should I say my slaves?" he proclaimed.

"First and foremost, I don't wish to waste any time on vermin like you. Clearly, your disgusting faces are equal to the slight effect of my power, making me want to vomit too."

The crowd turned to each other, hearing the King's ridicule. They let out satisfied laughs, jeering and joining in the mockery of the demons.

As the demons began to recover, they were greeted with jeers that shattered their pride into pieces.

"Hahaha, His Majesty is absolutely right!"

"Your ugly faces are enough to make even orcs lose their appetite!"

"Yeah, even in different languages, no singular thing could describe your ugliness!"

"I bet the heavens regret creating all of you!"

"You plagues should have gone extinct long ago!"

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

King Ab-Adal watched as the mocking words reverberated throughout the platform. His lips, hidden behind the veil, curled up slightly. When he had had enough, he raised his hand and gestured for the crowd to stop.

As silence settled over the place, King Ab-Adal continued,

"As you can all see, whether you like it or not, your fate now rests in my hands. Your future will be determined by my words. It may be frustrating to feel this way, but what can you all do? Compared to the past, you are nothing but insects ready to be trampled upon..." he said, his tone laced with mockery.

The demon slaves, who had endured humiliation and mockery, were forced to lower their heads upon hearing these words. They gritted their sharp teeth, wanting to retort, but deep down, they knew that what the King said made sense.

They could do nothing but silently vow in their minds that someday they would pay back this humiliation tenfold. And even if they couldn't, they were aware that someone would. Perhaps that someone was among them at that very moment, silently uttering the same words and making the same oath.

***

'Fuck! Why am I even transmigrated as a demon!?' Xhin cursed under his breath. 'Am I really that ugly?'

Since the time he transmigrated here, Xhin hadn't had any chance to look at himself. At first, he thought he was quite handsome, considering the charm of his other head down there, but after hearing the crowd mock them, he had second thoughts.

'Perhaps I'm really ugly?' he thought to himself, then quickly dismissed the idea.

'No, no—how can I have a beautiful wife if I'm ugly? Well, maybe it's possible since I'm no longer in the world where the era of celebrity reigns and their looks were the standard,' Xhin mumbled to himself. 'Sigh, I really hope that's the case; if not, I guess I will say goodbye to my dream girl'

Then he heard the King speak again,

"The destruction you brought upon us took away not only millions of lives but also billions of smiles. The wailing of lonely children for their deceased parents still echoes in my ears. The pleas and cries of the people as they embrace the corpses of their loved ones, all of it remains etched in my mind to this day, even as I sit as King. I swear to heaven that I will remain in this position until I avenge them!

"Now is the time for payback. Now is the time for the demons to hide and cower with their pack! Because I will not stop until every last one of you, every remnant of you, remains in this world. And I swear it to the Lord!"

The crowd, upon hearing this, couldn't help but feel something come alive within them. Their hearts started to beat faster as they clenched their fists and raised them. They all stood up from their seats, erupting in cheers.

"Wahhh!"

Then suddenly they all stopped as they saw the King wasn't finished and was about to speak again.

"From this moment forth, in this very place, I, the King of Shahara, Ab-Adal, announce to you all the enactment of The Seventh Decree, where these demons will have to fight each other for our entertainment, for our economy...

"The Opening of the Arena!"

Deathly silence filled the place, with only the sound of ragged breathing and the beating of hearts remaining audible.

King Ab-Adal looked at his people that have an expression of disbelief, clearly showing that his shocking announcement of the Seventh Decree was too hard for them to process.

An amused expression formed on his face, hidden behind the veil. King Ab-Adal nodded his head to his people as he turned his back to them, walking through the backdoor that led to his palace.

The knights who were supposed to guard him only snapped out of their daze when he was already at the backdoor.

But King Ab-Adal didn't mind this as he continued walking. He was in a good mood, considering his goal for today had been accomplished.

By the time the crowd comprehended what had just happened, the King was already gone. But even so, they didn't stop cheering at the top of their lungs.

"Rahhhhh!"

The entire crowd around the platform went crazy. Even the Parliament members against the King were doubting their thoughts about being his enemy.

"Opening of the arena? Will I have tons of money if I start a gambling place along?" one of the Dukes thought.

Thinking of how much money he would make, he couldn't help but hurry home to prepare for gifts and plead for allegiance with the King.

But sadly, he wasn't the only one who had the same thought, as some of the Dukes were already at home buying and contacting someone to sell luxurious gifts.

With this, King Ab-Adal had truly achieved his goal. Not only did he deal with the demons, but he also resolved his problem with the Parliament and had the opportunity to improve his country's economy.

As the saying goes, "killing two birds with one stone," but the King had hit three birds with a single blow.

***

The moment the King uttered those words, the demons felt as if the world itself had betrayed them. Their hearts palpitated as they shook their heads in fear, unable to believe anything they were hearing.

Amidst the loud cheering and shouting of the crowd, the demons' shackles locked, and they surrendered to their fate, giving up all hope. It was a truly pathetic sight for once proud demons.

"Fighting each other?" Xhin muttered softly, still unable to believe it.

Looking at the fully grown demons around him, he knew he had no hope of survival.

Being the richest man in his world, he had always been accustomed to having others do the dirty work for him. Fighting was something he had never trained for, not even once since childhood.

Of course, he knew how to throw a punch, but fighting with weapons? Nah, he would die without even putting up a proper fight.

"No, no, no! I-I'm not going to die... I will make sure that I'm not going to die," Xhin muttered. His eyes became wide open, and he started biting his nails as a crazy expression formed on his face. The unimaginable pain he had experienced before seemed to have affected his mind.

"I'm not even sure if it's a death match... Yeah, don't give up hope... I know a cheat will appear soon..." Xhin comforted himself.

Then suddenly, he stood still, his face pale, staring blankly ahead. "What if it is a death match? What if I don't have any cheat, unlike those in the web novels I've read?"

He brought his hands to his head, gripping his hair tightly, mumbling the same words repeatedly.

"I'm dead... I'm going to die..."