Liam stood in the center of the Demon King's chamber, claws twitching, heart pounding like a jackhammer.
He was inside the book. Actually inside it.
And not as the protagonist.
Not even as a side character.
He was the boss-level villain whose entire role was to die in a flashy explosion of evil laughter and plot convenience.
Nope. Not happening.
"System," Liam muttered. "If this world follows game logic, I should have—"
DING.
A transparent screen popped into existence before him with an elegant chime that somehow managed to sound both ancient and smug.
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]Welcome, Demon King.Current Objective: ❗Survive Chapter 63Status: [You Are Very Screwed]
Unlocking Beginner Package...
A small treasure chest floated in midair, glowing gold.
Liam blinked. "Okay. Now we're talking."
The chest opened with a ping, revealing several floating icons:
[Skill Scroll: Shadow Step Lv.1]
[Demon Core Fragment x1]
[Starter Cultivation Manual: "Sin Vein Codex"]
[Emergency Teleport Token (One-Time Use)]
System Note:You will not be given a second one.Try not to die, please.
"Oh, so now the game's passive-aggressive," Liam muttered, grabbing the scroll. As he touched it, knowledge flooded his mind.
Shadow Step — short-range teleportation, no casting delay.
"Nice," Liam breathed. "This is officially better than anything that dumb hero got."
He opened the Sin Vein Codex next. The manual detailed a unique cultivation method tailored to demonic beings, channeling negative karma, fear, and chaos to refine spiritual power.
In short: the more people feared him, the stronger he became.
He looked out the window toward the horizon—where smoke rose from the Black Ridge.
"Good," he muttered. "Because that hero's about to get very afraid."
Suddenly, a second alert blinked to life.
[Incoming Battle]Enemy Detected: [Holy Vanguard Squad – Elite Unit]Time Until Contact: 10 minutes
Of course.
Liam bolted across the room, throwing on the black, rune-covered armor that seemed to assemble itself around him. It hissed with dark energy and fit like a second skin.
A knock came at the door again.
This time, it was a different maid. No stitches. Glowing red eyes. Taller. Probably a vampire. Definitely scary.
"Your Majesty," she said with a bow. "Do you wish to make your stand at the gates, or… shall we prepare the teleportation array?"
Liam hesitated.
Ten minutes. First mini-boss fight of the book. This would be where the hero's forces get their first win, striking a blow against evil.
Only now… evil wasn't playing along.
"No," Liam said, stepping forward, his cape billowing like he knew what he was doing. "I'll greet them personally."
The vampire blinked. "You will?"
A cold grin spread across Liam's face.
"I need the XP."