"Ahhh! Damn it! I want to go home! Ahhh!"
Ren Ping'an, eighteen years old, former mountaineering enthusiast, and current victim of misfortune.
When he opened his eyes again, Ren Ping'an found himself lying face down on a smooth surface, in the exact position he had fallen unconscious in. However, the foothills he had last seen certainly wouldn't have boasted a pure-white, cathedral-like building.
"I must be dead... Did I reincarnate? Or is this heaven?"
"This is the Celestial Realm! Congratulations—"
A voice, brimming with vigor and enthusiasm, echoed through the pristine white hall. It reminded Ren Ping'an of a certain sales pitch he'd once heard: "Hey, handsome! Interested in swimming or fitness?"
"Oh no, this feels oddly familiar."
As an avid reader of countless clichéd isekai stories, Ren Ping'an instinctively guessed what was happening.
Sitting up, he glanced at the figure before him: a radiant angel clad in a flowing white gown. Her pale-golden hair cascaded to her waist, shimmering as beams of light filtered through, giving her an ethereal and mysterious aura. In her hands, she held an ancient holy book, emanating an air of reverence.
Yet despite the sanctity of the scene, Ren Ping'an could feel the angel's overly enthusiastic workplace energy. He had seen this zeal before—usually in fresh graduates, untainted by the harsh realities of life.
Acknowledging the reality of his death, Ren Ping'an decided to take the initiative:
"I think I know where this is going. Let me guess—you're about to give me some overpowered ability, toss me into another world as a corporate slave hero, and to keep me motivated, a string of beautiful girls will be thrown my way. In the end, I'll defeat the demon king, marry a princess, and—"
"Not quite! That package has been discontinued for a while now. But we do have—"
"Discontinued? Okay, then is it the one where I get a jack-of-all-trades profession, but I'm forced into a support role, get abandoned by my team, and then lead a carefree life while occasionally encountering new girls who—"
"Um, no, not that one either. That package is sold out, and restocking is... uncertain. But may I interest you in—"
"Wait, so it's not that? Then it must be the one where you give me cheats, reincarnate me, and make me complete some task for you in exchange for freedom. Of course, I'll end up spending my days surrounded by—"
"Ah... well... I'm afraid we've run low on inventory for the fully immersive reincarnation experience. The head of the Rebirth Division wants to save those worlds for premium clients."
The angel's voice grew quieter with each word, her initial enthusiasm now replaced by the awkwardness of a magician caught mid-trick.
Ren Ping'an smirked to himself. Yep, she's definitely an intern. Can't even keep her secrets straight without spilling the beans.
"Alright, alright. What options do I have?" he asked, deciding to show some mercy.
The angel's eyes lit up with renewed energy. She flipped to the last page of her holy book, revealing a hand-drawn landscape. Her vibrant voice returned:
"Take a look, sir! This world boasts picturesque scenery, harmonious coexistence between humans and demons, and is perfect for—"
"Hold on. There's only one option left? What happened to my right to choose?"
"Well," the angel said cheerily, "you can choose whether or not to go. Not everyone wants to reincarnate, you know. If you prefer, you can cross the bridge, drink the soup, reset your attributes, and start over!"
Ren Ping'an froze for a moment. He was young—cut down in his prime. The thought of resetting everything felt like too much of a waste.
"Fine. I'll go. But you'd better explain this world in detail. If it's the last option, there must be a catch."
The angel hesitated briefly, then confessed:
"Well, this world doesn't lack heroes. What it needs is a new demon king to lead the demon race to greatness. You see, the current demon king reached out to us, asking for a replacement."
Ren Ping'an's eyebrow twitched. Now this is a twist.
"So, what's the deal with this world? Spill everything."
The angel sniffled a bit, then spoke:
"Fifty years ago, humans and demons fought a massive war. Both the hero and the demon king were gravely injured. Neither could guarantee a victory without catastrophic risks, so they signed a Holy Peace Accord under the supervision of the world's will, promising no large-scale wars for a hundred years."
"In the fifty years since, humans have sent small adventurer teams to raid demon lands, while demons have focused on defense. The current demon king, on his last breath, asked us to send someone to take over his duties."
Ren Ping'an chuckled. "So, basically, this world is at peace for the next fifty years?"
"Yes," the angel admitted. "Most people who get reincarnated don't find it exciting enough. Stability is boring for them—they just want bloodshed and chaos."
"And what about the others?"
"Well, the younger ones all went to Gary Stu worlds to become overpowered high schoolers. The older ones? They've been snatched up by the Urban Mercenary Division. If I don't seal this deal, I'm getting fired!"
Ren Ping'an sighed. "Fine. I'm somewhat satisfied with your pitch. Now, tell me about the perks."
The angel brightened. "Once you conquer a world, you can either become its ruler or return here to sign another contract for your next adventure."
"Alright, deal. My name's Ren Ping'an, by the way. A peace-loving soul."
"I'm Anna, an angel intern. But after this deal, I'll be promoted! Let me grab the contract."
"And don't forget the cheats!" Ren Ping'an called after her.
Moments later, Anna returned with two contracts radiating divine energy and a roulette wheel.
"Now, Mr. Ren, let me explain. The Demon King contract provides you with a maxed-out stat panel and one unique talent. Here's your roulette for selecting it!"
Ren Ping'an examined the wheel, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't these hero talents? Did you grab the wrong one?"
Anna froze, then sheepishly flipped the wheel to its other side, revealing a much darker set of options:
[Pride]: Dominate lesser beings with an aura of superiority; verbally command obedience.
[Envy]: Steal a random ability from an opponent during each battle, with no time limit.
[Wrath]: Enter a berserk state, doubling all stats at the cost of halved reason, with effects gradually wearing off.
[Sloth]: Instantly terminate any ongoing event, at an unspecified cost.
[Greed]: Drain the life force of all beings within range.
[Gluttony]: Absorb all ranged attacks and convert them into counterattacks.
[Lust]: The purer your appearance, the stronger your charm over the opposite sex.
Ren Ping'an's eyes locked onto the final option. He clasped his hands together and prayed fervently:
"Lust, lust, lust..."
"Congratulations! You've obtained the talent: Pride!"
Ren Ping'an scoffed. "Hmph! Useless wheel! I didn't want Lust anyway!"
After an extremely basic training session, the preparations were complete.
"Off you go!" Anna chirped.
"Wait," Ren Ping'an interjected. "What about my true demon king name?"
"Ah, yes! Spin the name wheel!"
---
And so began the tale of Mephisto Pheles, the peace-loving demon king, before his journey to the demon realm.