Chapter 2: Massive change I feel really weird for the last few days. It was like someone is watching me from somewhere I don’t know. I tried going through the magic available to me which the cool sister instructed me to go through once I am here. I found eye in the sky which use is to look into somewhere from afar. Then there is this magic track which follows mana towards its source to counter it. I cast magic track to see what will happen but there is no response. Am I tripping? In the end I gave up. It felt weird but I guess it would be the cool sister watching over me. She was the only one outside from my scope so she is the only possibility. Now what should I do with this boring castle. I should thrash this and move into another. I discovered a few days ago that the cool sister did not lie to me and this Mirth was truly breath taking. The place was crawling with life. There would be beautiful creatures in various sizes and appearance. I prefer them compared to the beast I am greeted with. Seriously, why would they even exist in this world? They will only soil this world. Right! I almost forgot the gift of cool sister! I went back to the throne room and sat on it. Then I motioned my hand and a blue thing appeared in my front. I read it carefully and it is what I thought the first time I heard it from cool sister. How do I use this? I tried reading again to see if there is instruction. How will I take this out from this blue thing? I don’t see anything that looks like instruction… What to do? Ah I know! Violence solves everything. Let’s stretch our body for a bit. The cool sister is nice, she even thought of my dry body. “Ah…. It has been so long since I wreck something… Here I go.” First, let’s do for a simple punch. I gathered momentum towards my right arm and swung it with all my might. I felt the world spin as shaking occurred and I felt like the gravity was switching here and there. What is going on? I stumble but I hold on to the pillar next to me until the ground is peaceful again. Dust was floating here and there and I can’t see much but there is light. “Woah… My punch can create light… That was cool.” When the dust settled down, I saw what is causing the light to enter the throne room. There was a gigantic hole in the direction I punched earlier. It was like a tank shooting against a feeble wall. What the heck is happening? I don’t remember I can do something like this in the past. Sure, I am beyond human standards in the past but that is on my healing capacity and endurance. This strength… did I become a monster? “Oh… so this is what the cool sister mean by a demon lord.” I looked at my fist that was as perfect as it can be. Or did it healed already since I can do that in the past. I am undying… Ah… good times pass so fast. “Well… Let’s continue and try to break this thing up." " I don’t believe there is something I can’t break now.” I laughed as I rained barrage of punches and kicks heading towards the blue thing. I continued for a while and the ground was trembling like crazy. Hahaha! I like this one. Though it was not working so I stopped after a while. The heck is this thing! Is this what you call invincible? What if I wear it so that I will be nearly invincible too? Nah… I can’t even put a dent on it much more to bend it. “What am I going to do with this cool sister?” I looked up in the sky trying to see if she was really there. I can only see cloudy skies and there are no signs of her. “Well I should keep it for now I guess.” I walked towards it while still confused. Then I grabbed the blue thing but I remembered the devices the baldies use to operate back then. “No way right?” I was a bit stunned at how stupid I am! This is why I am caged! I am stupid! I lift my hand and push the small wheel from the blue thing. Then something changed and the wheel expanded taking up the whole blue thing. In the middle of it was a circle saying roll. Let’s see what we can get from this lucky draw! Immortal maid Nine-headed hydra Mystic turtle Undying bard Legendary gardener Arch Lich Undead emperor Legend Spawn World breaker Arch Wraith Devious Chef Limit break Free 2 more spin Ok… that’s a lot. Though I don’t like the sound of undead and lich neither the wraith sounds bad. Well I will get an extra spin if I can land it on free 2 more spin. I can get two from the selection. Well, let’s try our luck! I pressed the roll button and the wheel started to spin . I can barely see the things and so there was no way to cheat when I press stop. Will it continue for a bit when I press stop or it would instantly stop? Well, I can’t cheat anyway so let’s have fun with it. I pressed stop and the pointer instantly stopped. Well that does not follow common sense. I read the thing which I got. Limit break That was vague. I would prefer legendary gardener though. It can help me build my place. The heck is this? I pressed it to see what will happen. The blue thing changed again and now it describes this thing. Yada yada yada yada. Not so good… the heck does it mean to transcend mortal. I am already eternal and beyond humanity. What could this thing do? Nah I will keep it still. Since the cool sister gave me this then I will keep it. “Now then…” I looked around and saw that the place was full of holes here and there. “This looks like ruins.” Maybe I should go to somewhere nice. I am used living in the wild anyway so it would not change anything if I abandon this castle. I should find somewhere with lots of river and mountain. I should build my shack in there. Maybe a lake? There should be no human though, I might go berserk if I see one. Yup let’s leave this ruin behind. I roamed around the castle to see if there is anything I can carry with me. All I found was glowing items like some cheesy armor with a black glow. A helmet with horns? Why are they so corny? There was even a really wicked looking sword! LOL! In the end there is nothing useful to me aside from relic looking clothes. They feel marvelous so I stuff them in the bag I found lying at the basement of the castle. There was even a mountain of gold and jewelries and other shiny stones. Useless things… I gathered all the clothes I can get which nearly occupied the whole bag. “Now I am ready to move out!” I strapped the bag behind my back and went back to the throne room to pick the crystal ball the cool sister gave me. When I am done, I started heading out from the castle. When I am outside, I can see the whole view of the castle. It would have been majestic without holes huh. It was a bit dull though and really creepy so I would not like something like that. I would like a house with lots of colors but that can wait when I found a nice place for me. Now… how do I complete the mission the cool sister left me…? In the past, I toyed with their resources… Poison the sea, kill all animals I see, burn the forest and kill anyone I would encounter. What else is there…? I need to see what this world rely to survive. Destroy it and this world would also crumble just like in the past. Wait… the cool sister said not to destroy it though… Nah… they were trash anyway I think cool sister will understand. With those thoughts, I cast the highest magic I can use. With a snap of my finger a small black dot emerged from the castle and slowly expanded. Soon it consumed the castle leaving only a huge crater. “Hahaha! Fools! You think I will leave resources for you trash! I will destroy anything which I deem useless!” With that I started going to a random direction. Mirth Alliance Headquarters In a room 24 people was sitting in a table. Each seat represents the highest authority of their empire. They were the emperors of the entire Mirth which make the decisions when dealing with the demon lord. They were all aware that it was all a farce since the demon lord was just a piece of game board. Made to avoid internal conflict in their ranks. “Can anyone explain this madness?” the man seated in the center said while massaging his temple. “Yeah please do… What the heck is the demon lord doing?” “It was supposed to be Mirah of the Valeria house. Why is she not the demon lord?” “…” There was a sudden silence as they realized what is happening. The candidate for the next demon lord was not appointed. Now they have no control to this new demon lord and it was wreaking havoc all around. The monsters which is suppose to be the last line of defense was now roaming all around the land. Destroying whatever they can lay their hands on. Now it was like a real demon terrorizing their world. “It is time to make this alliance for real huh…” “A real demon lord…” Some were a bit frightened since this has never happened before. Sure they would make a crusade to crush the demon lord once every hundred years to keep appearance. They will win after countless sacrifice. The hero who slain the demon lord will also die together with the demon lord. Lastly there would be peace for another 100 years. The next 100 years, a new demon lord will rise and once again send forces in their borders to harass them. In reality, those demon lords are the slayers of the past demon lords. Unaware that those that they murdered were their role models in striving to become a hero. In the end, they will accept the burden to become the demon lord and keep humanity safe from internal strife. “What are we going to do?” “It was exactly hundred years since the last fall of the demon lord and the demon lord would not set up his barrier yet.” “Let’s see what he is doing then. I was curious who this madman is.” “Call your Arch Mages” Soon there was exactly 24 old men in a gaudy robes that entered from different doors which numbered 24 too. The old men nodded to each other in acknowledgement. They settled behind their respective emperors and remained silent. “Set up the eye in the sky. Look towards the demon lord’s castle.” “Yes!” The old men raised their staff and started mumbling very fast and after a few minutes of full mumbling in a language I don’t even know (LOL). Soon, like an eye opening a view is in their front and it made their body shook. The place was where the castle is but suddenly engulfed with a black ball and left nothing behind. Only a deep crater left behind where the castle of the demon lord stands. Everybody is frozen as they looked at the view in their front. Soon the view was starting to blur and disappear after a few seconds. “What was that?” All the emperors looked towards their respective mages for answer. All the mages are trembling uncontrollably. Sweats are visibly falling from their pale face and their eyes were clouded with fear never seen in them. The signs the emperor saw in their mages’ face was enough of an answer on how terrifying that is. They can also destroy castles but the castle of the demon lord is different. The castle is made up of the hardest material in the Mirth and was nearly indestructible. Magic was ineffective much more the physical aspect. Just the view earlier is enough to prove that the magic used is at least forbidden level. All the emperors know that every demon lord will be at overlord level but they have not seen them cast spells like that. They would cast massive quakes and plague but they can be countered with magic too. That magic that they saw though was an alien to them. “This is getting out of hand!” Now they realized what exactly they are facing. They are picturing themselves sleeping in their chamber but suddenly be consumed by the same spell. It made them shiver. “Find that one that casted the spell!” “We must cut this abnormality!” “Send all the hero level you all have in your empires! We don’t have any luxury in sparing any force we have!” In the end, the emperors left after agreeing to send their hero level agents to hunt down that new mad demon lord. They entered the door which they came from respectively. Suddenly the room was silent until a small slit in the air appeared. “So this is the place they gather…” A man with red hair and slim build stepped out from the slit. He looked around and saw that the room was audaciously extravagant. “So much comfort for the heads as expected…” The man walked around and inspected the things in the room to look for some interesting things but he was disappointed. “Well… to make them crumble… first destroy the one that keep control. Second cut off their source and enjoy humanity slaughter among them.” “Suppression” the room became stagnant like frozen water and even air seemed to stop. “I dare you to sit on your chairs once again.” The man laughed and released the suppression. “I hope you will love my gift. Not that you would have anytime to enjoy it though…” Then the man stepped into the slit again and left the room. Once again the room became silent like nothing happened at all. Northeast, Sky wrath fortress “Armored wyrens incoming!” “Ready the anti-air devices!” Roars of orders, reports, and roaring of creatures are mixing together in this place for five days. The fortress is holding on as creatures they don’t usually encounter were appearing in massive numbers. The surrounding was flowing with blood with broken pieces of either humans or beast. Everyone was mechanically slashing and hacking as if that is the only thing they can do. The officers commanding the army have black eyes already since they have not slept for even for a second. They force their eyes to remain open either by punching themselves of slapping. Their faces look funny but their expressions look ugly. You can actually see veins here and there. The air around the fortress smells rotten and if any normal one came, they will puke the very second they entered the area. The place look like a painting of apocalypse itself. The soldiers are constantly moving and not even one of them managed to get some rest unless they rest eternally. Everyone is only doing what they know since if they run then that would only mean certain demise. As the monsters will overrun them once the defense line breaks. “Is our reinforcement not yet here?” The commanding officer of the fortress asked his aide which has bruise and slap marks in his face. “Not yet sir.” The man has no more gas but forced himself to stay awake. “They will not come sir, other fortresses were facing the same event.” “I see” the man sighed and looked up in the sky which was filled with gloomy clouds. “This is where we fall then.” He can’t see the end of the monsters in his vision as they filled the horizon. They can hang on due to the monster being simple minded and they can use strategy to keep them in bay. The number of their adversary is overwhelming so sooner or later, they will still fall. “Please evacuate now sir… I will hold the port as long as I can.” The aide said in a determined voice. “No… You are too young to fall in this battlefield. There is so much for you to learn.” The commander placed his hand and ruffled the hair of the attendant. “Go back to the capital and tell the news of our demise.” The general tried to hand over his badge to his aide but the aide shook his head adamantly. “Father Sir! You must not! We can go together!” “That is why you still have a lot of things to learn.” The commander smiled weakly. “This is an order as your father and not as a commander. Take care of your mother for me alright?” “Father….” The aide fell in his knees while crying in a mess. “I don’t want to leave you here.” “I don’t want to remain here too but sometimes what we want is not the best answer.” The commander lowered himself the same level as his son and looked at him like he was burning the image in his mind. “Go… Theresa will be devastated if we both fall.” The aide accepted the badge of his father and took a horse. His tears falling as the image of the fortress became smaller and smaller in his view until he can’t see it anymore. He clenched his fist in the reigns and rode back to the capital in silence. “One day… I will crush the demon lord with my own hands. I will make you regret having born in this world!” The aide disappeared into the horizon leaving only a trail of dust in his path.