Demon Race.
A word symbolizing those who were different from the massive human population.
This word of exclusion, “Demon Race,” also included demi-human races like elves and dwarves. The Demon Race was even treated like livestock. They were slaves, born from the moment of birth to be abused.
Then, there was someone who rose among these people. Calling himself a king, he gathered those who were abused and despised into one.
This was the birth of the Demon King’s Army.
At that time, the Seven Kingdoms, which shared hegemony over the continent, were focused entirely on their own territorial disputes.
The Demon King’s Army gradually increased its power. However, not one of the Seven Kingdoms attempted to keep them in check.
The reason was simple. The balance of power between the Seven Kingdoms was delicately matched at the time. The Demon King’s Army itself wasn’t frightening. However, if they attacked the Demon King’s Army and became weakened, they would easily become prey for another kingdom. A weakened predator was nothing more than suitable food for other predators.
The Demon King anticipated this as well. And so, the power of the Demon King’s Army grew until it could no longer be ignored. They had finally become a threat to humanity.
The Seven Kingdoms signed a pact. The term of the pact was the annihilation of the Demon King’s Army. The allied forces of the Seven Kingdoms moved to subjugate the Demon King’s Army.
But they suffered a crushing defeat in their first battle against them. The first reason was that the strength of the Demon King’s Army had exceeded their expectations. The second reason was that they had not included their elite troops. Even while allied, they were greedy, hoping their rival nations would be weakened.
The momentum of the Demon King’s Army after their great victory was unusual.
The Seven Kingdoms continued to lose in subsequent battles, and over 30% of the continent fell under the Demon King’s rule.
Thus, the hegemony of the continent began to shift from the Seven Kingdoms to the Demon King’s Army.
Once the balance of power collapsed, it could not be restored, and the Seven Kingdoms suffered consecutive defeats.
That was when the Seven Kingdoms sought the owner of the Holy Sword blessed by the Goddess.
The Heavenly Sword, which was said to be able to make great evil surrender. With it, the powerful strength of the Demon King could be suppressed.
They held onto such legendary beliefs.
Prominent warriors from the Seven Kingdoms all tried to become the owner of the Heavenly Sword.
However, many couldn’t even approach it. The Seven Kingdoms sought someone who could enter the barrier.
And thus, the Hero Summoning began.
A Hero appeared, blessed by the System. As expected, the Hero was chosen by the Heavenly Sword. Then, he grew rapidly.
The Kingdom of Aitesos gained high prestige within the allied forces thanks to the success of the Hero Summoning. Having obtained the tactical weapon known as the Hero, the allied forces of the Seven Kingdoms won their first victory in a full-scale war against the Demon King’s Army.
It had been only 1 year since the Hero was summoned.
The Hero, who was unexpectedly outstanding, personally led the army to pressure the Demon King’s Army, eventually engaging in a one-on-one battle with the Demon King himself.
The duel between the Hero and the Demon King.
The Demon King chose a one-on-one duel with the Hero even though he was in an advantageous situation. As if it were impossible to avoid a fight with him in the first place.
As a result, the Demon King was defeated by the Hero, and the Demon King’s Army, having lost its master, rapidly declined. The Hero became a hero of the nation. He was the man who defeated the Demon King and saved everyone on the continent. A benefactor who risked his life to fight for people he had nothing to do with from another world.
Many people on the continent respected and loved him.
But it wasn’t everyone.
There were many who envied him after he became a hero. In particular, the powerful and the kings found the Hero’s existence very uncomfortable.
The only saving grace was that the Hero had lost his strength due to the Demon King’s curse. The Hero stepped down from his position and went into seclusion.
Once again, the Seven Kingdoms began their wars. The Kingdom of Aitesos, which had benefited greatly from the Hero Summoning, was particularly powerful.
Meanwhile, the King of Aitesos committed acts of tyranny. It was all because they had become the most powerful kingdom on the continent.
He decided to eliminate the existence of the Hero, who still remained in the hearts of the people.
At that time, the Hero was enjoying a comfortable life of rest thanks to the consideration of Lord Lania. The King ordered the Lord to execute the Hero for treason. He intended to get rid of the uncomfortable presence without dirtying his own hands while passing the infamy onto the Lord.
The Lord protected the Hero instead of killing him. That action touched the King’s nerves, and a subjugation began on the grounds of treason. Due to internal betrayal, the Lord was poisoned, and the Lord’s young daughter came to rule the territory.
There was an absence of the charismatic Margrave Lania. It was naturally assumed that the King’s army would win the war. However, the situation began to flow in the opposite direction.
The return of the Hero, who was thought to have lost his strength. After suffering an unbelievable defeat, the Kingdom of Aitesos began to fall into a rapid decline. As a great kingdom collapsed, surrounding predators began to swarm and bite at it. This was the moment when the hegemony of the continent changed due to this war.
And the Hero began a new war. The prologue of a long war opened, and countless lives were sacrificed. The hegemony of the continent passed to the Hero. The Seven Kingdoms were replaced with new monarchies, and the Round Table Conference was established. So that no more blood would be shed in meaningless wars.
The unending wars of the Seven Kingdoms. I created the Round Table Conference to break that endless chain reaction. When there is a dispute, representatives from each country meet and decide. Of course, this is only a temporary measure.
That’s why I replaced all the kings of the nations.
One nation. The unification of the continent. I believed that would at least reduce the days of bloodshed. In fact, according to what I heard from that foolish elf, peaceful days without war had been continuing.
Until mysterious mages suddenly appeared. A new war broke out because of them, and the new Demon King’s Army was born.
“I see.”
I know the situation since I’ve heard the gist of the story. All the rules of war disappeared because of the new Demon King’s Army.
“Since then, new Heroes have been summoned as well.”
“New Heroes?”
“But they were all defeated. No, they were rejected even by the Heavenly Sword.”
‘Wasn’t the Heavenly Sword something any Hero could use?’
If a Hero doesn’t have the Heavenly Sword, they’re no different from a steamed bun without filling.
“It seems some cities blessed by the Goddess are still safe. They say the immortal army cannot enter them.”
“Really?”
Survivors on the continent are still fighting their struggle to survive. It’s already been over 15 years there. Are there still people who remember me? Maybe someone I know is still alive.
“But why are you explaining so diligently?”
At my words, Lia wore a bitter smile. Her face looked as if she were hoping for salvation once again.
“Are you asking me to help that world again?”
My life is here. Speaking coldly, my activities there have ended. I created peace and gave it to them. In this place, I have my foundation as a person and my own battles.
“No.”
The girl who appeared as the dungeon Boss. The monsters who looked at me and hoped for salvation. I don’t know what kind of distortions they experienced in the space between dimensions.
I’m not some kind of all-purpose cheat key. I am only one person, and my limit is protecting where my hands can reach. It’s not like I’m the guardian of Earth or anything.
“You have already made so many sacrifices that you can’t possibly do any more, Hero. I don’t want that either.”
Lia said that while preparing cooking ingredients.
“I just want to repay the grace I received from you for as long as my remaining life allows.”
“Didn’t you say High Elves live for over a thousand years?”
“When you came to our village before, I felt so sorry that you couldn’t even have a proper meal. I’m happy that I can do something for you today.”
She keeps cooking while changing the subject. My head feels complicated. Even though I hadn’t said it, I took some pride in having risen to the top of that world and achieving peace.
Sob…
Suddenly, the sound of sobbing came from the kitchen.
I said it was fine, but of course, it wasn’t fine. She was smiling and acting tough, but she wasn’t in a state of mind to be laughing. It wasn’t a problem that one person like me could handle anymore.
I saved many people, but I cannot save everyone. Only within the line where my sight reaches. Because that is the only consideration I can provide. I said nothing to the sobbing elf. There was no comfort I could give her.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Chicken.”
Suddenly, Lia began to mutter to herself.
“You can no longer run through the meadows. You won’t be able to meet your friends or family anymore.”
‘What’s wrong with her?’
“Through your death, our Hero will feast. By eating your meat and consuming your life, I will remember that you were born into this world. Sob, sob.”
The elf, with tears streaming down her face, split the body of the raw chicken on the cutting board in half and pulled out its guts. Even as she pulled them out with her own hands, she began to wail once more.
I’m not sure if I should be relieved or not that she wasn’t crying about her family, but because she felt sorry for an animal.
Spicy braised chicken.
To think she remembered that I once said it was a dish I liked. I’m moved all over again. Especially since it was made by a vegan(?) elf.
“Here, please eat, Hero.”
After placing the food on the table, the vegan elf looked at me as if she resented me.
‘Hey, did I ask you to make it?’
‘Didn’t you say you wanted to make it?’
Let’s see how it tastes. I’m hungry anyway. I picked up a chicken leg and took a bite. A spicy yet sweet flavor swirled in my mouth.
‘Hmm, this is better than I thought.’
Even though they were from the same other world, the food Karin made wasn’t something humans could eat.
‘This is actually quite delicious.’
Sob, sob.
Why did my appetite increase even more seeing the pointy-eared girl acting so pathetic in front of me?
The Hanul Guild had now become one of the best guilds in the Republic of Korea, both in name and reality. They had overtaken the Hunters, who were previously ranked fourth, and moved up a step in the rankings.
Hanul’s four teams were operating smoothly. The training Center, which Lee Hyunbin had recently started operating, was also showing quite good results. The newbie Hunters who completed training were beginning to stand out.
From a guild that only showed a large deficit and was on the verge of being disbanded, it was now growing rapidly into a top-tier guild. Because of this, gossip about the competition between the eldest son and the bastard son within the group was frequently used.
The profligate eldest son and the capable bastard son. The weight had already shifted significantly toward the bastard son, Im Jaejoon.
‘Now, we just need to break into the top three.’
It had been a long time since the deficit turned into a profit. The revenue from magic stones had become an amount the group could no longer ignore.
There were already many executives within the group trying to get on Im Jaejoon’s good side.
Im Jaejoon looked out the window. Grand buildings rose high into the sky. In the other world, he had become the Demon King and risen to the highest position, and here, he would rise to the top as a manager.
Of course, that goal wasn’t the end. The steps of a goal were bound to get higher the more one climbed them.
That was when it happened.
It grew dark outside the window. As if ink had been splashed over it in an instant. Gazing at the sudden onset of night, Im Jaejoon turned around.
“Greetings…”
A man wearing shabby clothes like a beggar — no, he actually smelled terrible. Im Jaejoon’s brow furrowed slightly. What was more disgusting than the smell coming from the man’s body was the opponent’s repulsive magic power.
“O, Demon King of the Reverse.”
The man raised his dark hands as if in worship, revealing teeth that were not just yellow but rotten black.
“From where do you think you’re calling me with that filthy mouth?”
Demon King of the Reverse. That was the title Im Jaejoon’s previous life had held.
Despite Im Jaejoon’s cold reaction, the beggar’s smiling face did not fade. Instead, he bowed his head further and raised both hands.
“The Immortal has sent me.”
The Immortal Demon King. Im Jaejoon was not the only Demon King in existence. The suspicious movements that had been emerging recently; Im Jaejoon had already suspected as much.
“The Immortal has said that he felt great sorrow upon learning that the Reverse, who was trapped in a wretched snare by the vile and cowardly Hero, had fallen to the level of a human.”
“I see, The Immortal said that.”
A sneer naturally formed on Im Jaejoon’s lips. Did the beggar realize its meaning? The beggar continued speaking as if to tell him not to misunderstand.
“The Immortal has now become the master of dimensions and plans to conquer this place soon as well. Knowing that the Reverse is here, he personally said he would lend you a legion.”
“A legion?”
“They are the greatest warriors who have overcome death.”
The beggar’s eyes gleamed menacingly. A blatant sneer formed on Im Jaejoon’s smooth, handsome face.
“He wants to use me?”
His tone was stiff.
“Please do not misunderstand. Lending a legion to the Reverse, who has lost his forces, is not intended to place you beneath him. To possess the power to handle a legion, one simply has no choice but to receive the grace of The Immortal.”
Having lost his body as a Demon Race and been born as a fragile human, Im Jaejoon was no different from a dead being to them.
“This is the place I will conquer, so tell him to get lost to another dimension.”
“…”
When he spoke of his master so insultingly, the light in the beggar’s eyes changed. As if finding that amusing, Im Jaejoon continued.
“I’ll say it again. Get lost.”
“Even though you were defeated by the Hero, instead of taking revenge, you are helping him. It is my master who is giving you an opportunity.”
“He’s your master, but he’s not mine.”
At Im Jaejoon’s words, the beggar’s shoulders shook as he laughed.
“Get out.”
Im Jaejoon’s eyes gleamed. It happened in an instant. The beggar’s body burned into ashes in a flash. The beggar’s voice, remaining in the ashes, mocked Im Jaejoon one last time.
“For a Demon King who has lost his pride, nothing remains but ugliness…”
Im Jaejoon looked at the ashes and opened his lips.
“What good does having horns do other than making you smell worse?”
Before anyone knew it, the shroud of night was lifted, and day returned.
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