One day, in the Berun Empire, there was a young man named Cedreg, a 16-year-old adventurer with black hair and a height of 170 cm. He came to accept a quest at the Adventurers’ Guild.
“Hmm… is there any easy quest? Ah, here it is.”
Cedreg pulled a quest sheet from the board and walked over to the reception desk.
Receptionist:
“Oh, Cedreg. What mission are you taking today?”
Cedreg:
“I’m planning to gather herbs in the Forest of the Death Knight.”
Receptionist:
“The Forest of the Death Knight? That place is the Demon Lord’s territory. And besides, anyone going there needs to be at least Rank C. You’re only Rank F.”
Cedreg:
“You don’t need to worry. The Demon Lord hasn’t appeared for 500 years. Also, many adventurers have hunted the monsters there, so there aren’t any strong ones left—only low-level ones like slimes and goblins.
And I’m just gathering herbs, not fighting, so it’s safe.”
Receptionist:
Sigh “If you say so… then go ahead. Good luck, Cedreg.”
Cedreg:
“Thank you. I’m off.”
After that, Cedreg prepared his equipment and headed into the forest.
“Why does it feel so dark in here today…? Maybe it’s just my imagination.”
He continued searching for herbs.
“There it is—the herb I was looking for.”
He crouched down and carefully gathered the herbs growing near the roots of a tree. About 30 minutes passed as Cedreg kept moving deeper into the forest.
Suddenly—
It felt as if he had been teleported into a castle.
“Huh!? What was that just now? What’s going on? Where am I!?”
A sinister aura spread throughout the area. An indescribable fear filled the air. The surroundings were dim, barely visible.
Then—
Something began to emerge from the shadows.
It had a humanoid shape, but stood about 2 meters tall. Its body was muscular, with long fangs and sharp claws. It wore only a cloth around its lower body, its skin dark with a crimson hue.
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It spoke in a low voice.
“So… a human? I haven’t seen one in 500 years. You must have wandered into my castle dimension. How pitiful.”
Cedreg immediately realized—
The being before him was the Demon Lord, who hadn’t appeared for 500 years.
His body trembled. He couldn’t move.
Still, he tried to draw his weapon—his twin daggers.
The Demon Lord laughed.
“A pathetic weapon like that… what do you think you can do to me? Hahaha!”
In an instant—
The Demon Lord thrust his hand straight through Cedreg’s stomach.
“Gah—!”
Blood spilled from his mouth as his body collapsed. A massive hole was left in his abdomen.
As his life faded, Cedreg thought:
“Why… does my life have to end like this…?
I never even knew my father… my mother died from illness…
And now, at the end of my life… I couldn’t even fight back…
All I did was cower in fear…
I’m… so pathetic…”
Demon Lord:
“How lucky I am… a boy like this came straight to me for my amusement. Hahaha!”
He laughed as Cedreg’s blood pooled on the ground.
“Once I kill you, I’ll devour you… and finally, after 500 years… I’ll be free. Hahaha!”
With that—
He sliced off Cedreg’s head.
Thud.
The Demon Lord approached, eager to feast—
But suddenly—
Cedreg’s body stood up.
Without a head.
“…What…?”
The Demon Lord froze in shock.
“What is this!? How is a human still alive with a hole in his body—and even without a head!? What are you!?”
Cedreg picked up his own head… and placed it back on his neck.
The wounds healed instantly.
Then—
It didn’t stop.
Two more faces began to grow—one on each side of his head.
Each had a horn on the forehead and a single eye.
The central face had two eyes and two horns.
His body expanded—
Reaching nearly 3 meters tall.
Bone-like wings burst from his back.
A terrifying aura of death enveloped his entire being.
The Demon Lord couldn’t even meet his gaze.
The pressure alone felt like it would crush him.
Then he realized—
“A being with three faces… four eyes… four horns… bone-like wings… and an aura of death…
Don’t tell me…
The Dark Emperor…!?
The one said to have existed 5,000 years ago—long before my time!?
I thought it was just a legend…!
Why is it inside a human body…?
Reincarnation…!?”
Just the mere presence of the Dark Emperor made the Demon Lord want to flee—
But his body wouldn’t move.
In a single instant—
His body was sliced into pieces horizontally.
Without Cedreg—no—
Without the Dark Emperor even moving.
The Demon Lord felt terror from the depths of his soul.
The aura of the Dark Emperor felt as if it could devour his very existence.
But—
A Demon Lord does not die so easily.
He pulled his body back together, piece by piece.
At that moment—
Cedreg suddenly collapsed.
His body returned to normal.
The Demon Lord stood there in shock.
“What… just happened…?”
But he no longer had any intention of killing Cedreg.
Because now he understood—
This boy…
Was the Dark Emperor himself.
A being like a god… and the embodiment of despair.
And strangely—
He was fascinated by Cedreg’s power.
So he made a decision.
He would become Cedreg’s servant.
When Cedreg woke up—
He remembered nothing.
As if it had all been a dream.
His wounds were gone, as if nothing had ever happened.
And in front of him—
Sat the Demon Lord.
As soon as the Demon Lord saw him awake—
He immediately knelt down.
“Please… allow me to serve you. I wish to stay by your side.”
Cedreg was completely confused.
Why would a Demon Lord want to serve him?
Was this some kind of trick?
If he refused… would he be killed?
Or worse—
Would the world be destroyed?
After thinking it through—
He made a decision.
“…Being friends… should be fine, right?”
The Demon Lord smiled.
“Thank you… then I shall be your companion.”
Cedreg:
“If you go outside looking like that… it might be a problem.”
Demon Lord:
“That won’t be an issue.”
The Demon Lord transformed into a human—
Long golden hair flowing past his shoulders, about 185 cm tall, with a handsome face.
Cedreg stared in awe.
“Whoa… that’s amazing! You can do that!?”
After that—
The Demon Lord opened a dimensional gate.
And the two of them returned to the Forest of the Death Knight.
Then—
They walked out of the forest together.
Heading toward the city.
