The Throne Room smelled of ozone and dried blood.
It was a cavern so large it had its own weather system. Storm clouds gathered near the ceiling. At the far end, sitting on a throne made of black dragon bones, was The Emperor.
He didn't look like a monster. He looked like a middle-aged man in a sharp suit, reading a book.
But the air around him was heavy. Just looking at him made my knees buckle.
Status Check.
[Name: Lucifer VI (The Demon Emperor)]
[Race: Primordial Demon]
[Level: ???]
[Status: Bored]
"Question marks," I thought. "Great. If he sneezes, I die."
I walked down the long carpet. My siblings were already there, kneeling on the sides. Darius was glaring at me, looking like he wanted to set me on fire.
I reached the center and knelt. "Greeting, Father."
The Emperor didn't look up from his book. "You broke my rock, Valerius."
"It was in my way," I said.
The room went silent. You don't talk back to the Emperor.
The Emperor closed his book. Snap. The sound echoed like a gunshot. He looked at me with eyes that looked like burning coals.
"For twenty years, you were trash," he said softly. "You slept. You ate. You complained. Now, suddenly, you devour an ancient artifact in a single breath."
He leaned forward. The pressure in the room increased. I felt gravity double.
"Was it an act?" he asked. "Were you waiting for the right moment to bite?"
My heart was hammering against my ribs. If I said the wrong thing, he'd kill me. If I acted weak, he'd kill me.
I decided to double down on the arrogance.
I looked up and met his gaze.
"A sword stays in the sheath until it's time to cut," I lied. "I didn't see a reason to draw it before."
The Emperor stared at me. Then, a slow, terrifying smile spread across his face.
"Good," he said. "Ambition is the only virtue I respect."
He stood up.
"You have proven you have an appetite, Valerius. So, I will feed you."
He snapped his fingers. A servant unrolled a massive map of the continent on the floor.
The Emperor pointed a finger at the top right corner. A dark, ugly smudge on the map.
"The Deadlands of Nokaar," the Emperor announced. "It is a cursed territory. Nothing grows there. It is overrun by Undead, feral beasts, and Rogue Spirits. Three Governors have died there in the last year."
My siblings gasped. Darius smirked, hiding a laugh behind his hand.
Banished, Darius was thinking. Father is sending him to die.
"Valerius," the Emperor commanded. "I name you the Lord of Nokaar. Go there. Tame it. Or die trying. That is your reward."
"Understood," I said.
Everyone looked at me with pity. The Deadlands was a graveyard. It was a punishment, not a prize.
But I was looking at the map with my [Gluttony] eyes.
I saw the reports floating in my mind.
Region: Nokaar
Population: 0 Humans, 10,000+ Undead
Threat Level: High
Resource Density: Extreme (Mana Crystals, Monster Cores)
My brain did the math instantly.
Undead: They are just moving bags of XP.
No Humans: No witnesses when I use my terrifying powers.
Cursed Land: The curse is pure dark energy. I can eat energy.
To everyone else, this was a death sentence.
To me? It was a private grinding spot.
"Father," I said, standing up. "I accept."
"Oh?" The Emperor raised an eyebrow. "You don't beg for a safer land? You don't ask for gold?"
"No need," I smiled, and this time, it was a genuine smile. "I'm feeling hungry. A place full of things to kill sounds... appetizing."
The Emperor laughed. It was a deep, booming sound that shook the dust from the ceiling.
"Go then, Wolf," he roared. "Eat your fill."
[One Hour Later - Outside the Castle]
I was packing my carriage. Well, "packing" meant throwing a few bags in while Rax, my lizardman servant, cried his eyes out.
"We're going to die!" Rax wailed. "Nokaar is hell! The skeletons there wear armor! The ghosts scream at night!"
"Relax, Rax," I said, checking my stats one last time.
[Strength: 7] -> Too low.
[Agility: 11] -> Decent.
[Mana: Level 1] -> Needs work.
I looked at the horizon.
"Rax," I said. "Do you know what happens when you put a predator in a cage full of prey?"
"Uh... he gets fat?"
"Exactly," I grinned.
I climbed into the carriage.
"Driver! To the Deadlands. And don't stop for anything."
I leaned back in the seat. The "Lazy Prince" arc was over. The "Tyrant Lord" arc was beginning.
I was going to that wasteland, and I wasn't leaving until I had eaten every single monster on the map.