He closed his golden eyes and let out a breath.
Doubts, thoughts, fears, hesitation, cowardice, lack of motivation. His mind became clear to him, and he detached from himself for but a brief moment.
All this time, a sense of worry and fear had been gnawing at his heart but he had subconsciously denied it.
No, he had not become a demon, this was some kind of dream. Let's do the best in the dream, yo!
It was funny. Five stages of grief, the first was denial.
He was in grief?
"Hahah…" He laughed but the laughter turned into coughs.
He was in grief!
Deeply regretful that he had died. So sad his life meant shit. When he died, he died. Nobody was there on Earth to remember his small little existence.
Argh...!
He was bewildered, filled with unknown fears. When he got a new life, he was filled with so much fear, he had always been escaping his past whenever the thought echoed within him.
Rubbing his face to clear the saliva, Mark opened his eyes. Shone they did, golden and bright.
Fuck this.
The world was colossal.
He was so small in comparison to the forest, the forest was so small in comparison to the land it was on, and the land he was on was so small compared to the grand skies, and the skies were so finite compared to the galaxies.
He was just a leaf in the wind of life.
Yesterday, he had died when fate decreed and had been reborn then—He had no control or authority in deciding those things.
In the cosmos of reality, he was but a dust among the infinite dusts and nothing beyond that. He was a meaningless part of the wide spectrum—he barely even existed.
If he died today, it barely mattered; Dona would be confused and afraid.
In his last life, he didn't have any chance of aiming for the unreachable. In his last life, he was the normal of the normal men. The most normal. He did not have many goals; he did not have much to struggle for.
He saw it all as a chore and he paid for that. His life ended meaninglessly.
But not again. NOT AGAIN!
HE WILL NOT DIE WITH REGRETS!
NOT AGAIN!
In this life, I am still very insignificant. Just a minor character, a small demon.
But this time, I hope to rise above the masses and see the grandest views that no one but the best can see!!
I want to experience the high society. The peak of life. The true epitome of what it had to offer!
In this life, He wanted to travel through all corners of the world, across the entire universe.
He swore he would chart the stars!
I want to taste all the delicacies and drink all of the finest alcohol the world has to offer!
I want to practice the fiercest abilities, fight the strongest foes, and sleep with the most beautiful women!
"Only then will this second life not be a waste!"
And for all of that, he needed to be the undisputed best.
"I'll fucking conquer the world for the sake of it."
He growled out those words.
He meant it. Each syllable.
Then what?!
What else did I want to do with this life of mine?
Hmm...
"I also want to understand why I was reincarnated and what the violet screen in my mind is..."
After a while, Mark chuckled.
All of his ambitions seemed beyond him. Too grand. But he was ready to chase dreams now. For he believed his meaninglessness the last rodeo was because he was a dreamless man.
"For my dream, if I had to embody my demonism and kill everyone in my path, I would kill everyone. I want to see the top of the world—the maximum of life, and I am doing that no matter what."
The limit of true enjoyment and worth of living.
What can life offer?
Grand journeys into the unknown places? The unmarked territories? Women? Wine? Delicacies?
Everything.
He wanted to taste the best of it.
If someone was against him doing that.
"I'll walk up, even if it is in the wake of a mountain of corpses!"
Until he reached the top.
He will climb that mountain, not to let the world see him, but to see the world from the top.
Ah, why did he feel so free?
It almost felt as if he had gained wings.
There was no more being disappointed by his own life.
There was no more standing around.
He would become the best version of himself, the ultimate version of himself, and that was that.
He was a demon, so what?
He will conquer himself, then will conquer the lands for what they had, and then take what he wanted before letting go of the rest.
Wasn't that the way of great men?
He was ready if that was what it took to reach the top of the world.
He will follow his heart and live a life without regrets.
He didn't want to grieve.
Tears. He rubbed them off before they stained his cheeks.
Whatever he wanted to do, he would do it.
If it was evil in other's gaze, let it be so. Evil he will be.
Still, he will not regret it.
He was still following his own desires and living to his fullest!
Even if he died chasing it all, he would have no regret!!
It finally felt as if his body and mind had become one. A weight seemed to have left his back.
For his dreams, he could live.
That was his reason.
As he huffed in some breath, something happened.
Suddenly, Mark's body began to light up like a red bulb, and a warm feeling budded around him.
Something seemed to be bathing him in warmness, and with eyes full of wariness, he looked around.
The violet screen buzzed in his mind.
[Will of the Demon World detected a pure, 'Demonic Heart that doesn't conform to anyone else other than one's own self' within you. It is blessing you with good fortune!]
[The Will of the Demon World gifts you a unique Treasure, the "Seal of Destiny."]
[The Will of the Demon World gifts you a "Portal Key" to an unconquered World.]
[The Will of the Demon World blesses you with the ability to understand all languages of the Other Worlds!]
Mark was stunned.
But as he was thrown into the middle of his chaotic thoughts, the light around him vanished, and everything returned to normal. Dona had come running towards him, and she was shaking him in worry. Growling.
Mark took a deep, stifled breath.
On his left hand, a key had appeared, blue in color, sleek and demonic in design. On his right hand was some kind of tattoo that had appeared out of nowhere. Well, within him, then, must be a pure Demonic Heart.
One that strived for the best.