" Oh, Damn it! Ah! I want to go home! Ah.....!"
Eighteen-year-old Henry, once a mountain-climbing enthusiast, is now a young man who has, unfortunately, slipped and fallen off a cliff.
Upon opening his eyes once again, Henry finds himself sprawled on a smooth surface, The posture is exactly the same as when he fell into a dough and lost consciousness, but this time there is no longer the purewhite church at the foot of the mountain.
"I must be deceased indeed. But have I been transported to another world? Or perhaps, this is heaven?"
"Welcome to heaven!" At this time, a female voice as passionate and energetic as a pyramid scheme leader resounded throughout the pure white hall. The last time Henry heard such a voice was "When someone was selling swimming and fitness cards to him"
As a human being who knows the opening routines of other worlds, Henry can naturally guess the current situation.
He sat up, looking up at an angelic figure before him. She wore a long,white gown, her pale golden hair cascading to her waist. Light shone through her hair, casting an aura of mysticism, and she cradled an ancient looking bible. Her appearance inspired an inevitable sense of familiarity and reverence.
However, Henry still sensed a peculiar enthusiasm from her demeanor, akin to a fresh university graduate, ignorant of the harsh realities of society, glowing with anticipation for a beautiful, real world.
Confronting the stark reality of his own demise, Henry mustered the courage to inquire:
"So, I'm dead, right? Is this heaven?" he asked, as he felt a serenity, a bliss, a peace unlike anything he'd experienced in life—an enveloping sensation of being wrapped in pure love.
"Yes, sir, no doubt about it, you've arrived in heaven," the angelic miss replied with a gentle affirmation.
"Will I stay in heaven forever?" Henry questioned further, intrigued by the prospect.
"No, sir! Once everyone steps into heaven, they realize that what we call 'death' on earth is merely a relative and false concept for the soul; death doesn't really exist for us here," she explained with a serene smile. "Upon death, every soul swiftly journeys to another world, embarking on a new chapter of existence. This process is known as 'reincarnation' in Eastern philosophies.
And there's no need to fret; your next life won't replay the monotony or tragedies of the last one. The script for our coming lives is fraught with uncertainty and choices, and I'm quite optimistic you're in for a rather astonishing journey," she added, her voice like a cheering ray of hope upon noticing Henry's slightly crestfallen expression.
Bolstered by her words, a fresh wave of vitality surged within Henry.
Henry began to address his speculations aloud, "I know the routines in these novels and scripts. Let me guess, you're about to provide me withunparalleled abilities, then throw me into another world as a laborious hero. Along the way, gorgeous maidens will cheer me on until I eventually vanquish the demon king, marry a beautiful princess, and achieve the title of hero…"
Henry began to address his speculations aloud, "I'm aware of the clichés. Let me guess, you're about to provide me withunparalleled abilities, then throw me into another world as a laborious hero. Along the way, gorgeous maidens will cheer me on until I eventually vanquish the demon king, marry a beautiful princess, and achieve the title of hero…"
"Oops, Dear Mr. Henry, that package has been off the shelf for quite some time. However, we do have…"
"Oh, I see, then am I offered a multifarious profession, but expected to carry out the responsibilities of assistance? After being ruthlessly abandoned by my comrades, I start enjoying life, where sporadically, different lovely girls will cling to me?"
"Well, that's not it. The package you mentioned has been sold out, and the replenishment time is to be determined. Why don't you take a look at this one that is currently on sale..."
"Oh, my goodness, not that either? Am I expected to travel across the other world as the protagonist, accomplishing all sorts of quests and challenges, living the rest of my life with various Beautiful girl?" Henry asserted, an expression of longing on his face.
"Oh, my apologies! Sir, it's just that we don't have much stock left on this immersive otherworld scenario. The minister of the otherworld reincarnation department planned to save it and sell at a high price.", the angel's voice dwindling upon the confession, deprived of the initial enthusiasm, Like a magician who reveals her secret prematurely and appears embarrassed and uncomfortable
Henry thought to himself: She must be an intern angel, inexperienced, revealing the truth before an in-depth inquiry.
Given the circumstances, Henry tactfully provided a way out for the naïve angel, "So, what other packages can I choose?"
The baffled angel perked up immediately, flipped to the last page of the bible, displaying it to Henry. The page showed a hand-drawn landscape, and with an invigorated voice, she explained, "Mr. Henry, imagine journeying through this otherworld. Changing scenarios at will, exquisite sceneries, peaceful cohabitation of human and demon clans. An ideal fit for both travel and residence..."
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Wait, that's the only option left? Where's my choice?" Henry expressed his dissatisfaction.
"You still have the choice to go or not. After all, not everyone is keen on otherworldly reincarnations. If you refuse, you would cross the river of death, drink from the river, forget everything about previous lives, and start your next life as a baby.", The angel voiced out this mind-boggling piece of information cheerily.
After Henry thought for a moment, he felt that he was still very young when he died in his previous life, which could be regarded as an untimely death. He was still a little unwilling to reopen as a baby.
"Alright, I agree to proceed to this world. But you ought to give me a detailed explanation about the contract. Things that are hard to sell always come with a downside."
The truth is that this world does not lack heroes, but a significant demon king to lead the demon clan towards glory..."" as the angel spoke, her gaze slowly deviated from Henry's piercing scrutiny.
"Hold on! Miss Angel, I recommend you be honest with me, or I would report your misleading words, deceiving a naive and kind young man like me into choosing some strange and unknown option. How does it sound? Miss Angel, you wouldn't want to lose this job over this, right?" There was an overwhelming gesture in Henry's rebuke.
At the sound of this, the beautiful angel almost collapsed on the spot, her eyes swelled with tears. Being interrupted and unveiled continuously proved too hard and difficult for her as an intern angel.
"...Please don't, I can't handle it! I apologize, sir, I'll tell you anything you wish to know! Please don't complain, I can barely afford meals, woo woo..."
Henry studied the innocent angel fro a moment and then asked, "What exactly is wrong with the other world? Please disclose everything without leaving out any details."
Wiping her tears, the angel, trembling, began to explain, "In this otherworldly realm, a full-scale war broke out fifty years ago between humans and the demon clan. The demon king and the hero were mutually wounded, and neither party had the absolute confidence of eradicating the other. They both faced the prospect of complete destruction if they were to duke it out to the finish. Thus, they struck a sacred peace treaty under the witness of the 'World's Will' (comparable to the Earth's god). Both sides endorsed a pact that promised no full-scale war for a hundred years."
"For these fifty years, the human side has incessantly dispatched adventurer squads for sneak attacks on the demon territories, leading the demon clan to progressively switch to strategic defense."
"The current demon king, at the expense of the last remnants of his life, managed to contact our heavenly kingdom, hoping we could dispatch a new demon king to accede his position."
Upon hearing this, Henry marveled at how profound the plot was and commented, "Oh, I see. So this world won't have any large-scale wars, at least between humans and demons, for the next fifty years?"
The intern angel confirmed, "Indeed, which is precisely why most people willing to reincarnate don't prefer this world."
"Curious, why is that so?"
"As the world is too stable, for these individuals, stability equates boredom. They only wish to see wars and destruction—to see fields strewn with the dead and rivers flowing with blood, excitement for their dull nerves."
"Reincarnators younger than yourself have gone to higher, superior worlds to become super high school students, princes, princesses, or young masters. The older ones, none of them even glance at our department—all were swindled by the second department—the Urban Soldier King. So, if I can't close this deal, I would get sacked indeed! Sob..."
The intern angel briefly sobbed a few times. When she noticed no response from Henry, she conveniently stopped wailing.
"Well... Is there everything, are you satisfied with my service?"
"Suppose, what benefits am I entitled to?"
"Of course, Mr. Henry—upon clearing a world, you can choose to become the world's master or return here to sign another contract with me and continue your adventure."
Without any hesitation, Henry agreed, "No issues, let's get it signed. By the way, allow me to introduce myself. I am Henry—a proponent of peace."
"I am Anna—an intern angel. Having signed this contract, however, I am about to undergo formal employment. Please wait for a moment; I am going to fetch the contract."
"Remember to give me the system or other preferential skills an so on. As a novice, I need these basic survival skills...... "
After a moment, Anna returned with two sacred contracts and a wheel of fortune.
"Now, Mr. Henry, I am going to explain the difference between this Demon King and Hero Labor Contract. The latter offers a Level 1 panel and three top-level skills. The former presents a full-level panel and an exclusive high-level skill. We are currently signing up for the Demon King Contract, and there are two copies…"
Having signed the contract, Henry glanced in bemusement at the wheel of fortune Anna had brought back.
"Am I not supposed to be the Demon King? Have you mixed up the wheel solidarity?"
[Holy Light: Immune to necrotic and dark spells. Mediation of the Holy Light would enable faster recovery, and it could primarily range...]
[Justice partner: For each additional member in the hero squad, the hero will receive an all-attribute increase…]
[Words of God: To promise in the name of the deities, it could serve as the Holy Word for believers…]
[...]
Anna glanced at it as well, mutely removed the wheel, flipped it over, and placed it back.
The items on the other side of the wheel were:
[Pride: Exudes an aura forcing "lower statuses" to submit, and uses language to control them.]
[Envy: In every battle, a talent not possessed initially can be seized from the enemies randomly. It lasts indefinitely.]
[Fury: Immediately entering a state of rage, cognitive functions are halved whereas physical and spiritual attributes are amplified, dwindling back to their original state over time. The maintenance of ire prolongs the duration of this skill.]
[Lethargy: Abruptly terminates any ongoing event, the cost remains uncertain.]
[Avarice: Confiscating life from all living creatures within a certain radius.]
[Gluttony: Swallows all remote attacks, transforming them into personal assault returning to the adversary.]
[Lust: The purer the exterior manifestation, the stronger the attractiveness to the opposite sex.]
Henry skimmed through the wheel of fortunes, glanced and locked onto the latter item, and promptly merged his hands in a prayer, "Lust, Lust, Lust..."
"Congratulations! You have acquired the 'Arrogance' Talent!
"Hmm! Truly pearls before swine! This 'Lust' isn't necessary anyway! (✓)"
After concluding the rough on-the-job training, everything was set.
"Off we go!"
"Hang on, sir. You still have one draw for naming option unused. It's your exclusive Demon King real name~"
"Escaping poverty, getting rich overnight. It's right this moment! Draw!"
This is the entire experience of a great demon king named Murphy Ferrers, who was not too bad at heart and loved peace, before he was reincarnated into the demon clan.