"Is this the afterlife... ha, haha?" he muttered, a strange calm settling over him. "I really did die after all."
Surprisingly, there was no panic—only a profound sense of conflict. How could he find peace in such a disorienting void?
"It's so dark in here."
The darkness wrapped around him like a shroud; he couldn't even see his lower body.
The void stretched infinitely before him, and he wandered, each step echoing in the vast emptiness.
Clank. Clank.
The sound resonated through the stillness, mingling with anguished whispers that flickered like elusive shadows.
Each drop of water sent ripples of haunting familiarity through the air.
Whoosh—
The wind howled, a mournful wail that carried the weight of unspoken sorrows, stretching for miles before brushing against his ears.
"This?!" he gasped, disbelief washing over him as a radiant light pierced through the gloom. An irresistible force drew him toward it, urging him closer.
...
In the northern region, deep within a demonic cave, chaos erupted.
Anguished screams of demonic beasts reverberated through the air, their stampede sending tremors rippling deep within the earth.
A mysterious hole gaped open, feeding off the life essence of everything that stood before its might.
Cracks spread across the ground, and soon, an eerie silence settled, swallowing all signs of life.
Then, a ruin materialized out of thin air, its ancient stones glinting ominously.
Creatures fled in terror, their chaotic actions igniting a tide of monsters escaping into the darkness.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Birds fled the forest, while cracks erupted over the mountains, sending rocks tumbling down.
"Did you hear that?!" a hunter exclaimed, his shock evident.
"We should inform the village head!" his companions shouted in resonance, urgency lacing their voices.
He was Neil, the leader of a small band of hunters—the pride of their village. As the tremors intensified, he urged his group to leave the hunter ground, the place they had long called home.
Thud. Thud.
They raced to the entrance of their village, where anxious faces awaited them.
"Sniff... are you guys okay?" a girl cried, tears glistening in her eyes.
"Don't worry. We're fine. Where is the tribe elder? I need to see him quickly,"
Neil said, forcing calm into his voice.
He navigated through the ground, heart pounding as he followed the narrow paths, finally finding the elder, whose face was etched with urgency.
"Neil... it's not safe here. We have to evacuate. Gather everyone at the manor; we must abandon this place."
"But elder, this is our home," Neil pleaded, gritting his teeth as desperation crept into his tone. "The resources we've painstakingly captured—must we really abandon them? Let me investigate with my group first. I don't want to forsake our ancestors' efforts and pride without knowing the threat."
The elder studied him for a moment, weighing the gravity of the situation. "Very well. But be cautious. If you encounter something your group cannot handle, you must return."
...
In the shadowy corner of what seemed an endless abyss, an all-consuming darkness enveloped the vast expanse, swallowing every hint of light. Yet, amidst this gloom, a rare flicker ignited, casting an ethereal glow that danced across the void.
A voice resonated from the depths, cold and hoarse: "You... child of chaos... what do you desire?"
"What I want..." his voice echoed through the stillness, a tremor of longing beneath the surface.
"I want to..." But before he could finish, he reached out toward the source of the voice, his fingers stretching into the emptiness, tightening around the loose, intangible presence like a predator ensnaring its prey.
A devious smile crept across his face, its malevolence illuminating his features as he spoke. "I want to devour you."
"You dare?!" The voice writhed, attempting to escape, but it was futile.
The air shimmered, revealing an eerie majesty, a dark grandeur that sent chills through the abyss.
"Good, good, good! Ha ha ha! How long has it been?"
Its laughter echoed, reverberating through the air like a haunting melody that lingered in the shadows.
"Accept me, child! Mu HAHA HA HA!" Eerie laughter reverberated through the vast abyss, its hoarse voice causing tremors to ripple through the darkness.
Calamities began to unfold as if an ancient sealed monster—a demon god—was about to emerge.
Its terrifying pressure caused the whole abyss to flicker; light slowly revealed itself, transforming the utter darkness into a realm filled with crimson gloom.
"Hehe. Hehe hehehe. Interesting." His heart thumped with excitement; what he wished for was finally happening, the opposite of how he had lived his entire life!
"To think that I would actually live again after my ninety-ninth attempt... hehe. Come to think of it... what was my name again?"
"Forget it! From now on, I shall be known as Chrove!" he laughed wantonly.
"Eerie fire or whatever you are, sign a contract with me, or I'll devour you,"
Chrove threatened as he gazed intently at the lump of will he held.
"Hmph! Arrogant kid, either you accept me or devour me, no contract." the will retorted, its voice dripping with disdain. It thought to itself, Ignorant child—devouring me will get you killed, hmph! After you die, I will take over your body, hehe. HAAHAHA!
The will began twitching with excitement, producing strange, unsettling noises that echoed through the darkness.
Chrove instantly opened his mouth, the stench of his breath powerful enough to penetrate the will's defenses.
"What the fuck?!" it retorted, but Chrove ignored its cries. For the first time, the will felt a genuine threat.
"Stop!" it gasped, panting. "Alright, I'll sign a contract!"
Chrove was not satisfied.
He stared intently at the lump of will, his eyes narrowing as he threatened another wave of attack.
The will, furiously defiant, shot back, "STOP! I said I will sign!"
"Hmph! I clearly said you'll be my slave," Chrove declared, his gaze piercing through the will, which twitched in indignation.
"No! Me, the Grand Twilight Demon!? Dream on!"
Whoosh—
Another wave of breath engulfed the will, a dark mist swirling around it, constricting tighter with each moment.
Finally, the will ceased its struggle, its energy dimming, its nonexistent body brimmed of misty stench.
"AHHH! Stop STOP"
"Alright alright! I... I'll acknowledge... you!"
"What?" Chrove smirked, a glimmer of triumph in his eyes.
"I said I'll acknowledge you, damn it!"
"Master. Say it."
The will retorted, clearly reluctant, but when Chrove opened his mouth to unleash another breath, it shouted, "Master!"
"Good." A wicked grin spread across Chrove's face, satisfaction flooding through him. He felt an exhilarating rush, the taste of power so close at hand. He began to depart, eager to explore the land with the will's guidance.
Yet, before he could take a hundred steps, a bolt of fiery red lightning struck him from the sky!
The sole survivor of a world
The one who had bullied a grand demon...
Dead!