According to the note, every Demon King throughout history has left some inheritance for their successor. However, Luwaka, you damn well spent it all!
Xia Mi realized that he might be the poorest Demon King in history. He even had thoughts of digging up Luwaka to flog his corpse for what he'd done.
Taking a moment to regain his composure, he pulled out the six pitch-black rings from the Demon King's ring and used his perception ability to check their details.
[Name: ???]
[Type: ???]
[Quality: ???]
Nothing but question marks. Absolutely nothing.
With no other choice, he placed the rings back into his spatial ring, turning his attention to the last item.
[Name: Monster Codex]
[Type: Item]
[Quality: Supreme]
[Function: Used to recall or create monsters recorded in the manual.]
Slowly opening the Monster Manual, Xia Mi found that the monsters within were categorized into three types:
Ordinary Monsters. Rare Monsters. Legendary Monsters.
Under each category, monsters were sorted by "race." The category of Ordinary Monsters had the most types, with creatures like goblins, slimes, and treants—common monsters in JRPG games—falling into this classification.
Rare Monsters came next, with the fewest being Legendary Monsters.
The manual provided detailed information about each monster, including where to gather materials, the monster's habits, attack power, special abilities, and more.
In the Monster Codex, 90% of the monster icons were grayed out, indicating that these species had been exterminated by heroes. But Xia Mi, possessing this manual, could resurrect these monsters by gathering the necessary materials. For each monster he recreated, he would gain experience. As he leveled up, he could unlock more advanced and diverse monster races. Given Xia Mi's current level, he could only access and create Ordinary Monsters.
Having played many games, this wasn't too surprising for Xia Mi. Essentially, the manual was like a side-quest book. Completing tasks would grant him experience.
[Manual Guide: Reviving an Ordinary Monster species will grant the Demon King experience and unlock new monster entries in the manual.]
[Note: The power of a Demon King is derived from three sources: the strength of the Demon King and the castle under his command, the Demon King's subordinates known as "Demon Envoys," and the vast legions of monsters. The Demon Envoys are the most potent beings under the Demon King, linked through a curse mark, and they are powerful enough to face heroes on their own. To avoid being defeated by heroes, a Demon King must have a large number of monsters to challenge adventuring parties and mercenaries, hindering their adventure.]
New Entry: [Codex Quest: Revive Monster Species]
New Entry: [Quest Reward: Upon completing the task, the Demon King will earn experience and unlock a new monster entry.]
Soon after, the Monster Codex issued a quest.
Being the heir to the Demon King was now an unchangeable fact.
So, Xia Mi decided to embrace this new role wholeheartedly. While becoming the Demon King was unexpected, he genuinely had an affinity for non-human girls.
He then considered the challenges of romancing a non-human girl in his village, especially the differences in their social statuses and the potential dangers she might face. But as a Demon King, he had the power and status to make his dream come true.
Returning to the present, Xia Mi began planning. He divided his goals into five-month segments. By the end of the first segment, he aimed to reach level 15, revive at least five Ordinary Monsters, have his first Demon Envoy, and maintain physical training. He had a clear roadmap for the years to come.
He then checked the information about slimes in the Monster Codex. As he was engrossed in his reading, someone knocked on his door. After putting away the manual, Xia Mi tidied himself up and answered it.
The sunlight streamed in, revealing a short villager with mismatched features that made him look somewhat human. His messy hair and worn clothes emitted an indescribable odor. Grinning, he greeted, "Xia Mi, you home?"
"Yes."
"Why's your door closed in broad daylight? Doing something private?"
"I was paying respects to your dad's grave."
It was Theo, a fellow villager known for his peculiar appearance and off-putting demeanor. Many villagers found him disagreeable, but Xia Mi had a soft spot for him, remembering how Theo had helped him when he first arrived in this world.
"What brings you here?"
After a friendly greeting, Xia Mi inquired about Theo's reason for visiting.
"Here, cucumbers," Theo handed over a basket containing several cucumbers. For some reason, they looked odd to Xia Mi, as if they were covered in some residue.
"I helped the widow at the village entrance move some stuff yesterday, and she gave me these cucumbers from her garden as thanks. I took half, and I'm giving you the rest."
"You mean the widow who accidentally crushed her husband to death because she weighed 300 pounds?"
"Yep, that's the one," Theo nodded. "I thought she was just a fat pig, but turns out she's quite kind. She even told me these are 'original-flavored' cucumbers and said to come over tonight if I wanted more. Aren't all cucumbers the same flavor?"
"I'm good, you keep them."
Xia Mi gently kicked the basket back to Theo, trying not to touch it.
"It's fine. I ate a few raw, and they're pretty sweet. Just a weird taste on the outside."
"Theo, maybe see the village doctor about your health," Xia Mi hinted, concerned.
"That old geezer? No thanks. Why are you looking at me like that?"
Seeing Xia Mi's lack of interest in the cucumbers, Theo took his basket back.
"Oh, right. We have to herd the sheep later. It's our turn."
"I know. I'll be there."
"I'll head home first and come to get you later."
Xia Mi watched Theo leave, taking a bite from one of the cucumbers.
Maybe it's best not to tell him after all.