The Might of the Demon King
The Shadow Demon, one of the oldest and strongest magical beasts in this world.
As the saying goes, everyone harbors a demon in their heart, and in this context, the demon is the Shadow Demon.
It is born from the dark corners of the mind, feeding on negative emotions such as despair, anger, sorrow, and pain, growing stronger as it does.
Until one day, it evolves into its complete form, at which point it will devour the host’s soul, bursting forth from the host’s body like a chrysalis breaking open.
The number of Shadow Demons is extremely rare, appearing only once every few centuries, but each one is a harbinger of disaster.
It embodies evil and fear, reveling in the harvest of others’ souls, and possesses the ability to freely invade others’ minds. It is said that only those with the strongest willpower can defeat it.
And Zeke is just that kind of person.
In this life, just like in his previous one, he has relied on his powerful soul to accomplish feats that others can hardly imagine.
He devoured the Shadow Demon within him, completing the transformation process, and became a Shadow Demon himself.
…
“Shadow Demon.”
Florian’s body trembled uncontrollably; in an instant, he recognized this monster he had only seen in books.
Violent, evil, greedy, venomous…
It is the embodiment of all humanity’s dark tendencies, without friends, viewing all souls as mere food.
Thus, despite the Shadow Demon possessing great intellect, it has not been classified as part of the Demon Tribe, but rather as an uncommunicative magical beast.
Moreover, it is among the highest class of disaster-level magical beasts. By human classification, even a newly born Shadow Demon is a cataclysmic entity.
However, what Florian knows, his companions may not.
“Stop messing around!”
The Minotaur, undeterred, shouted as he swung his massive axe toward Gideon.
But.
“Boom!”
The Minotaur’s giant axe passed through Gideon’s body, smashing heavily into the ground.
The Shadow Demon has no physical form, making it immune to all purely physical attacks.
In the next moment, Gideon reconstituted his form, dark claws pierced through the Minotaur’s flesh, capturing his soul and swallowing it into his own body.
“Bang!”
Without a soul, the Minotaur’s body crumpled to the ground with a loud thud.
Seeing his strongest friend instantly slain, all the demons present were left in shock, only Florian remained with a sliver of rationality.
He understood that with their group of mere trifles, they could not hope to be a match for the Shadow Demon; they were only fit to be its food.
Thus, they could only run, and they had to scatter to maximize their chance of survival.
He shouted to his companions, “What are you waiting for? Run!”
Everyone immediately snapped to attention and fled in different directions.
But in the next moment.
“Shadow of Destruction.”
“Boom!”
Gideon, wielding the black energy of destruction, unleashed it instantly, obliterating those fleeing demons to dust. Only a few ephemeral souls drifted outward, which Gideon sucked into his body.
Feeling that terrifying mana, Florian froze in place, a warm stream flowing from his lower body.
“This, this is impossible! The Shadow of Destruction is a level 100 shadow-type skill! How could a newly born Shadow Demon be this strong?” Florian stammered.
“What’s so strange about that?” Gideon sneered, “I am the Demon King.”
In the next moment, Gideon’s body transformed into a massive, gaping maw that passed through Florian’s body, devouring his soul.
“Mmm, the soul of the Demon Tribe is truly exquisite.” Gideon displayed a satisfied expression.
However, soon after, a sense of loss began to engulf him.
“Ah, I barely had this form for less than five minutes, and it’s already gone.”
“Am I destined to remain a virgin in two lifetimes?”
“That’s just too tragic.”
“Woe is me, my meat pool and wine forest, my harem of three thousand.”
“Wait, it seems that if I don’t become a Shadow Demon, those things have nothing to do with me.”
“Is this the price of power? It’s truly disheartening.”
“But at least this time, I saved Joy.”
Gideon gently floated in front of the old woman.
Gideon extended his ethereal claw, lightly tapping Joy’s rough forehead. Healing energy gradually flowed in, and Joy’s health instantly returned to its maximum.
Gideon reached out as if to embrace her, but his body naturally passed through Joy’s form.
He smiled wryly; in his past life, he had only transformed into a Shadow Demon after Joy’s death.
This had become one of the knots in his heart.
He had imagined countless times that if he could turn back time, he would undoubtedly save her and fulfill all her wishes.
Powerful might, eternal life, boundless riches; he could even elevate her above all, allowing her to feel the reverence of all living beings.
Yet when that day truly arrived, Gideon hesitated.
Because seeing Joy again, he suddenly realized something: Is this really what she desires?
After all, he and Joy grew up in two entirely different worlds, and the gap in their thinking was immense.
Joy was raised in a peaceful village, where she once basked in the sun, enjoying the fragrance of soil and flowers.
He, however, had lived in this dark and oppressive place ever since he could remember, enduring the massive labor and unending humiliation and persecution from the Demon Tribe.
What he wanted was simple: an endless supply of wealth and supreme power.
But what Joy wanted…
To be honest, Gideon was not very sure.
However, he could ask her directly.
Gideon gently snapped his fingers, releasing a strange spiritual fluctuation.
“Hypnosis.”
Joy slowly opened her eyes, staring blankly at Gideon.
Gideon crouched down, gazing at the elderly woman before him.
“Joy, do you want endless riches?”
Joy shook her head.
“Joy, do you want eternal life?”
Joy shook her head.
“Joy, do you want supreme authority?”
Joy shook her head.
“Then, what do you want?”
Joy’s dry lips parted slightly, producing a hoarse sound.
“To return to my hometown.”
“Indeed, it’s this.” Gideon sighed gently, “Then, as you wish.”
“Boom!”
Gideon’s massive black wings suddenly unfurled behind him, enveloping Joy in his mana and soaring into the sky.
…
In a desolate, barren forest, a boy was desperately fleeing while carrying an injured girl on his back.
Behind them were countless goblins.
“Hant, don’t worry about me. Just go!” the girl said weakly.
“Shut up, Nia,” the boy named Hant panted, somewhat annoyed. “Do you know what will happen to you if a girl like you gets caught by them?”
“I know.” Nia’s eyes brimmed with tears, sobbing, “But you can’t run any faster with me holding you back.”
“I’m a man; how can a man leave a woman behind?” Hant shouted. “Don’t underestimate me.”
But in the next moment, an arrow sliced through the air, striking Hant in the left leg. He stumbled forward and crashed hard to the ground.
The goblins took the opportunity to pursue them.
“Man, eat. Woman, take.”
Despite the searing pain in his left leg, Hant struggled to stand. Gripping his sword tightly, he shielded Nia behind him and yelled at the goblin before him, “Come on, you bunch of trash! Don’t think I’m afraid of you!”
Though he said this, Hant knew in his heart that as a mere D-rank adventurer, he was no match for these fully armed goblins.
He feared that today, he and Nia would meet their end here.
But he was a man, and a man must protect a woman. If they were all destined to die, he would at least die in front of Nia.
Just then, disaster struck.
A dark figure descended from the sky, instantly stirring up a whirlwind. The fierce winds and sand blurred Nia’s vision, making her rub her eyes.
When she opened them again and could see clearly, a wailing scream echoed.
“Ah!!!”
Hant was unafraid of death, yet now, he beheld something more terrifying than death.
It was an entity beyond description—if one had to use human language, it might be called “the end of the world.”
“Shut up.” Gideon snorted coldly, then snapped his fingers. A potent spiritual fluctuation caused Hant to instantly lose consciousness.
Following that, Gideon swung his hand again, flames of hell erupted, incinerating the fully armed goblins before they even had a chance to react.
Nia slowly opened her eyes, as if she had just been unconscious for a moment but was awakened by the horrific screams.
Suddenly, she found Hant lying before her. Not knowing what had happened, she instinctively rushed to him and held him tight.
“Don’t worry, he’s not dead.”
A deep voice resonated before her. Nia raised her head slowly, but just as she was about to see what was in front of her, a strange sound echoed.
“Hypnosis.”
A peculiar spiritual fluctuation surged forth, sending Nia’s consciousness drifting away.
“Healing.”
Life energy flowed in, fully restoring Nia’s injuries in an instant.
Meanwhile, Hant also opened his eyes, slowly rising and kneeling in a dazed state beside Nia before Gideon.
“How can I serve you?” they both asked, eyes vacant.
Gideon nodded gently, producing a massive bubble from his body and handing it to Nia.
As the bubble popped, Joy fell out, landing in Nia’s embrace.
Then, Gideon extended his dark claw and lightly tapped the foreheads of the two.
“Memory Modification lv.max”
“Her name is Joy, a villager abducted by the Demon Tribe forty years ago.”
“You and she were saved by a warrior clad in black armor.”
“She has a brother named Roderick, a retired adventurer living at the foot of Hilsend Village in the Mornhart Kingdom.”
“Please deliver her back to her hometown; it’s the task entrusted to you by your savior, and you must complete it to the best of your ability.”
Gideon pondered for a moment, seemingly having nothing else to add. With a wave of his hand, the dark soul imprint formed, completing the memory modification for the two.
Gideon looked back at Joy in Nia’s arms and sighed helplessly.
“If possible, I’d like to stay by your side a little longer, but unfortunately, your hometown is within the protection domain of Saint Lania. As a creature of level 200 or higher, I cannot step foot there.”
“Humans and demons cannot coexist; this is an ironclad rule of this world.”
“Remaining by your side would only bring you trouble.”
“There will be someone more suitable to accompany you.”
“Zeke is already dead; forget about him.”
