In the southern region of the Magical Spirit Continent, inside the treasure chamber of an S-rank dungeon.
Splurt!
A blade burst out through Dick's chest, instantly shattering the source of his magic power.
Pain. So much pain…
Blood surged back up his throat, suffocating him. Eyes wide with fury, Dick struggled to turn his head.
The woman who had accompanied him for a hundred years—his wife, Mina—was gripping the Sword of Holy Judgment, the blade that had pierced straight through his heart from behind.
"Dick Grudia, the greatest paladin in the world… you've worked hard all this way."
His consciousness began to blur. Mina's smiles from the past replayed endlessly in his mind.
"Once you're dead, I can break through to level 100 and become the legendary Hero!"
Faced with overwhelming benefits, the person he trusted most had chosen betrayal.
"Forgive me, Dick… The temptation of joining the world's nine great powers is just too strong. I… I don't have much lifespan left."
When had Mina become like this? She used to be such a pure, innocent girl.
She never cared about money or power. No matter what, she stayed by his side.
"I'll give you the grandest funeral. All the big figures will come. Your name will live on forever…"
Her voice faded. Dick's consciousness slipped away as he slowly closed his eyes.
His seventh rebirth—ended in failure.
…
…
[Beep beep beep. The Strongest Hero System is rolling back. Please wait…]
[Rollback successful. Host has returned to age nineteen. Remaining rollback attempts: 92.]
The cold system broadcast ended. Dick's awareness returned, his aged body once again young.
But the clear eyes of youth were gone. In their place lay depth—countless emotions, the weight of many lifetimes.
[Please select a talent to retain. Countdown: three minutes…]
Every magical profession had corresponding talents, similar to passive skills.
The system began counting down. Dick didn't hesitate. He decisively chose one of the paladin-exclusive talents: Magic Resistance.
He'd planned this long ago. As a frontline tank, a paladin's talents were mostly resistance-based.
And in a world of swords and magic, magic resistance was obviously the most important.
In his previous life, Dick had been a level 99 paladin. His Magic Resistance was maxed out, reducing magic damage by 50%.
Percentage reduction—conceptual mitigation. Any form of magic could be reduced. Absolute tankiness.
After the choice was made, the system voice disappeared—and wouldn't appear again for the rest of this life. Incredibly irresponsible.
The Strongest Hero System sounded amazing, but in reality it only showed up at the start. After that, Dick was on his own.
Looking around, he realized he'd returned to the original shabby wooden cabin.
The fireplace had gone cold. A blizzard raged outside, yet thanks to the retained talent Extreme Frost Resistance from his third life, he didn't feel cold.
Beside him, eighteen-year-old Mina slept peacefully, breathing evenly, her sleeping face sweet.
They had once been neighbors. Both orphaned young, they'd relied on each other for years—closer than siblings.
Remembering the recent betrayal, Dick clenched his fists. He suddenly flipped over, straddling Mina, wanting to vent his rage.
"Damn it… I loved you so much. Trusted you so much. I was even planning to give you the Hero qualification…"
Through thick and thin? A lifetime together? Growing old side by side? All lies.
"Mm… Dick?"
Mina woke from the choking, immediately seeing his twisted expression. Instinctively, she felt afraid.
Eyes bloodshot, Dick grabbed her throat. Betrayal left a nauseating taste.
"Di… Dick… what's wrong…?"
Her face contorted in pain as she struggled, clawing at his hand—but couldn't break free.
Drip. Drip…
Tears fell onto her pale face.
Dick was crying—sobbing uncontrollably.
In the previous life, they'd adventured together for a hundred years, surviving countless hardships.
Mina had saved his life more than once. Yet in the end, she still chose betrayal, chasing power and authority.
Dick let go.
He couldn't kill this eighteen-year-old Mina—the innocent girl who cared only about him.
"Cough… cough…"
She gasped desperately for air.
Dick curled up at the foot of the bed, clutching his head and weeping. This was his first cycle spanning over a century. The pain was unforgettable.
"Don't be afraid, Dick. I'll always stay with you…"
Mina came beside him. No harsh questioning—just gentle comfort. His breakdown made her heart ache.
By morning, Dick hadn't killed her. Instead, he packed his things and left alone.
In this life—and all future rebirths—he decided to cut ties with Mina completely.
If adventure had corrupted her, then this time she would live an ordinary life, preserving her kindness and innocence.
…
Eighth life: Dick chose to become a Mage. By 137, he reached max level, the strongest mage, earning the Hero title.
But it didn't last. Conflicts with three other Heroes led to him being ambushed and killed.
Ninth life: He retained the mage talent Overcharged Mana Regen, became a Blacksmith, and died accidentally at fifty-nine during a dungeon expedition.
Tenth life: Keeping Mineral Identification, he became a Rogue—and was stabbed in the back by his most trusted apprentice at eighty.
…
Fifteenth life: The long-ignored Mina rose to prominence. By chance, she became a max-level paladin and obtained the Hero title.
Ironically, she never betrayed anyone this life—yet she was betrayed herself.
After losing the Hero title, she completely darkened. Through twists of fate, she became a Dark Witch, spreading calamity.
That life, Dick burned everything to protect the nation he'd built—only to be killed by Mina anyway.
In later rebirths, his first act after rollback was always killing Mina preemptively.
Any former love had long turned to ashes in the wind.
…
Eighteenth life: Dick became an Archer, maxing out by forty—the youngest Hero of that era.
At sixty, he joined seven other Heroes to hunt down an unconventional female Hero.
Her name was Isurna—the strongest he'd ever seen.
Originally a max-level swordswoman, she abandoned the Hero title and became a Fallen Witch, opposing the entire world.
Eight against one—yet she slaughtered them all.
From that moment, Dick understood:
Even among Heroes, the gap could be as vast as heaven and earth.
So he shifted strategy—spend several lives accumulating strength before unleashing it all.
…
Nineteenth life: A traveler, exploring every corner of the world, learning every race and landmark. Died on the road.
Twentieth life: A scholar devoted to collecting every book in existence. At 150, he founded the world's greatest library—then died of illness.
Twenty-first life: A rebellious double agent, constantly switching allegiances among top factions. Died during a purge.
Twenty-second life: An adventurer who conquered nearly every dungeon. Fame and fortune gained—then died when an S-rank dungeon collapsed.
…
Fifty-seventh life.
Dick finally felt ready.
Experience made him supremely confident. He planned to kick Heroes aside, crush Witches, and walk an invincible path.
At just thirty-five, he became a max-level Berserker.
Then Isurna killed him.
As the strongest Hero—and strongest Witch—she almost always reached max swordsman level before thirty, then for various reasons abandoned the Hero title and became the dreaded Fallen Witch.
…
Fifty-eighth life.
Dick tried killing Isurna while she was weak—but repeatedly failed, even dying because of it.
Not until the sixty-fifth life did he confirm the truth:
Isurna possessed overwhelming luck. The world itself seemed to protect her—as if she were the chosen protagonist.
…
But there's always a way.
Sixty-sixth life: Dick changed tactics. He sought Isurna immediately—not to kill her, but to win her over.
This time, she fell in love with him. They married and had three sons and four daughters.
Long pregnancies left her no time to grow stronger. She became a happy mother, staying home with the children.
Dick, meanwhile, reached max swordsman level in her stead, becoming the world's strongest Hero. The other eight Heroes didn't dare utter a word.
Just when he thought himself invincible, a new villain appeared:
Alice, the Witch of the End.
Once a level 100 Mage Hero, her heart core shattered in an accident, leaving her crippled.
Yet misfortune became opportunity. Through countless strange encounters, she broke past all limits—reaching level 101.
Predictably, Dick died again. Completely crushed by Alice.
Strange—she'd never appeared in previous lives. Why now?
In the next life, he investigated relentlessly.
Turns out, in earlier timelines, Alice had always died early at Isurna's hands, never getting the chance to grow.
…
Sixty-eighth life: Dick killed Mina first, then Alice, then conquered Isurna—rising to life's peak.
Anyone with potential to become Hero or Witch was either eliminated or enslaved. No threats remained.
But when nothing should go wrong… something always does.
That life, Dick died in his own castle—murdered by his most beloved youngest son.
For dozens of lives afterward, he could never enjoy peaceful old age. Ambushes, betrayals—again and again.
Family, friends, lovers—those he trusted inevitably turned on him for profit or ambition.
Whether building clans, founding nations, even establishing religions—his endings were always tragic.
At his peak, crowds worshipped him. In old age, they abandoned him—and even kicked him while he was down.
With each tragedy, the light in his eyes faded. The fiery passion from his first rebirth grew colder.
Until the ninety-ninth life, when Isurna betrayed him and he died in his own bed.
Dozens of lifetimes together. Dozens of lifetimes of trust. Dozens of lifetimes of love…
All reduced to drifting ashes in the final moment.
Dick's heart died completely—along with his last shred of kindness.
[Detected: host performing the 100th rollback. Fail-safe mechanism activated…]
When he came to, he was once again lying in that original broken wooden cabin, eyes empty as the system spoke.
[Loading…]
What was my original reason for rebirth?
Dick fell silent, recalling his very first life—remembering that laughable youthful passion.
[Load complete.]
I just wanted to become a Hero. Protect the weak. Embrace this beautiful world.
But this world isn't beautiful.
Those in power are petty schemers.
Heroes decay into tyrants obsessed with pleasure, ignoring others' suffering.
Witches are cruel disasters, turning the world into hell for their obsessions.
This scarred world needs rebuilding.
It needs an absolute powerhouse.
A resolute ultimate villain.
In that case… I'll become the Demon King.
[Ding~ Congratulations, host. You have bound the Strongest Demon King System. Immune to all interference from the world's will. Enjoy destroying the world!]