The Rise of the God of Death
Chapter 47: Manmand
The raging monster bellowed, shaking the ground beneath its colossal feet. Its claws, dripping with molten blood, tore through the air as it charged toward Daimon with murderous intent.
Yet Daimon… stood still.
His eyes were cold. His expression — pure disgust.
He didn't flinch, didn't move. It was as if the outcome had already been decided — as if he had already won.
The monster's roar echoed like thunder as it lunged forward. Its aura distorted the air itself. It was only a few meters away now — was this truly the end?
Then, a voice boomed from behind Daimon.
"Burning Spear!"
A crimson spear of blazing fire materialized, spinning through the air with divine speed. The weapon pierced through the battlefield, tearing through sound and space itself before slamming into the monster's chest.
The creature screamed, summoning all its strength to resist the inferno. But it was futile. The spear exploded in a pillar of flame, sending the monster flying backward and even cracking the system's aura wall itself.
At the center of that chaos stood a man.
A man wearing a simple tank top and baggy jeans, his muscular frame gleaming with battle scars. His brown hair swayed with the heat, and his black eyes burned with unshakable confidence.
The Legendary Blacksmith.
A being beyond mortal understanding — Madmand himself.
He smirked, brushing soot off his shoulder.
"It's been a while, heh."
"I never thought I'd feel this kind of bloodlust again…"
The battlefield quieted for a moment. Daimon lay motionless on the ground, his body broken and bleeding. But even as death crept closer, something stirred.
---
[SYST–]
[SYSTEM OP–]
[SYSTEM OPERATING…]
A voice echoed within the void.
"What… what is that?" Daimon murmured, his consciousness slipping into darkness. "Where am I?"
[LORD DAIMON IS CURRENTLY INSIDE HIS INTERNAL MIND.]
"Huh? Who are you?"
[I AM JARVIS — THE RESULT OF MERGING WITH AN ARTIFICIAL BODY.]
[WOULD MY LORD LIKE TO REVIEW THE LAST 10 MINUTES?]
"...Why not," Daimon said, confused yet intrigued.
[VERY WELL.]
---
The world around him shifted, and the memories replayed.
The crimson spear had shattered the system's core wall. The system — composed of countless artificial bodies — lost its structure. The fragments of those bodies scattered like sparks across the battlefield, desperately seeking new vessels to inhabit.
Their search led them to Daimon — a near-dead body, a perfect vessel. They rushed into him, flowing through his wounds, invading his veins, and diving into his internal core.
But what they found inside was not what they expected.
They entered a vast, endless darkness — a void dripping with hatred, sorrow, and vengeance. At the center of that darkness flickered a faint line of light. The artificial minds, programmed to follow the light as a source of purity, approached it instinctively.
They reached out to merge with it.
But the moment they touched it…
A dark power erupted from within.
A wave of corruption swallowed them whole, bending their structure, fusing their data with Daimon's divine essence.
When the chaos settled, a voice emerged — calm, robotic, and absolute.
JARVIS.
The perfect artificial system born from the fusion of Daimon's power and the mechanical souls.
---
[MEMORY REVIEW COMPLETE.]
Daimon blinked as the scene vanished. "So that's what happened…"
He crossed his arms. "Alright, Jarvis. How exactly can you help me?"
[I HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL OVER EVERYTHING WITHIN YOUR BODY.]
[I CAN HEAL, ENHANCE, AND SYNCHRONIZE YOUR POWERS AT WILL, MY LORD.]
"Oh, really?" Daimon chuckled weakly. "Guess that's… cool."
"So… am I dead or not?"
[NEGATIVE. MY LORD IS CURRENTLY INSIDE HIS INTERNAL BODY.]
[WOULD YOU LIKE TO RETURN TO YOUR PHYSICAL FORM?]
"Uh, yeah, please."
[EXECUTING RECONNECTION…]
---
Daimon's eyes fluttered open.
Voices filled his ears.
"#####"
"§Élœ!"
"Hello?!"
"Is he okay?" Nil asked, kneeling beside him.
"I can't tell…" Lucy replied, worry trembling in her voice.
"He looks dead to me," Darren said, earning an instant glare from Lucy.
"I'd be sad if he died," Madmand added casually.
"SHUT UP!" Lucy screamed, smacking Darren across the head.
A groan escaped Daimon's lips. "Ugh…"
"He's waking up!" Nil said, relief washing over him.
"Yo, gramps — you alive or what?" Darren muttered with a pale face.
"Dad?" Lucy whispered.
Daimon reached up, touching her cheeks gently. His hand trembled, but his smile was soft.
"You look as beautiful as ever," he said.
"Dad…" Lucy broke into tears, hugging him tightly as he laughed weakly.
"And there he goes, forgetting us again," Darren muttered, pouting.
"Hey, how are you guys?" Daimon said, patting Lucy's head warmly.
"That's so not you," Madmand said with a teasing smirk.
"Oh, hey," Daimon said, laughing. "Sorry we didn't reunite properly."
Madmand waved it off. "Nah, it's my fault for leaving that kind of beast to guard the place."
The group chuckled together, the tension slowly fading.
"I swear, every time I see you fight, I'm amazed," Nil said, his eyes gleaming.
"That's gramps for you," Darren said proudly.
"I still can't believe he nearly beat a monster three times stronger than him," Nil added.
"Yeah, and almost died doing it," Darren replied, crossing his arms.
"We all know Dad wouldn't die to that thing!" Lucy said proudly, crossing her arms.
"Weren't you just crying your eyes out a minute ago?" Darren teased.
"YOU FREAKING BROOM FACE!" Lucy shouted, lunging at him with wild swings.
Manmand sighed. "Uhhh… sooooo…"
"Would you guys like to come inside now?"
The four froze mid-battle, staring at him blankly.
Then, as if remembering something, Darren stood up. "Right. I almost forgot why gramls risked his life in the first place."
"I bet he forgot too," Nil said, snickering.
Daimon smirked faintly. "Let's proceed. We still have a long way to go."
Together, they turned toward the path ahead — the mouth of the volcano glowing faintly red.
And so, the four of them walked forward — into the heart of fire itself.