Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of the frantic footsteps of the new hero's party echoed in the winding corridors of the crumbling Demon Lord's castle.
Their hearts beat loudly, realizing it was the moment they had been waiting for. Their journey, the sacrifice, tears, sweat, and blood. All of it is for this moment.
To beat the Demon Lord.
The ancient stone walls were covered in creeping vines that had blackened with age and decay.
Despite being the place for the strongest beings in the realm, the place doesn't have any luxury. It's just another abandoned castle filled with countless skeletons littering the hallways.
Each of the skeletons wore artifacts and legendary gear blessed by the titan. It was clear they were not just another mongrel on the road, but each skeleton was a hero slain by the demon lord.
"...don't be disheartened!" Maximus, the hero, exclaimed, trying to boost the party's morale. "We have prepared for a decade to defeat the Overlord and free Otherworld from his evil clutches!"
"Let's go, Maximus! We are ready!" A dwarven warrior roared, raising his hammer, which still had dried blood on it.
It was the blood of the demon lord's favorite pet, Cerberus, who had been guarding the castle.
"All these tears and sweat! We will finally become the new heroes of Otherworld!" an elf woman said, excitedly tapping her staff on the ground.
The others joined the cheers, following Maximus with a brisk step.
Dear reader, you may wonder why this hero set their life on a path to defeat the Overlord. The answer to this is simple: riches and bitches.
Maximus will get to marry the princess of his choosing, while the rest get authority and power. This all was thanks to the immense bounty reward set by no other than the Overlord himself.
As scummy as it may sound, the temptation of the gold and kitties was their biggest motivation!
With that thought in mind, the party continued onwards and soon found themselves standing before a set of massive, iron-bound doors that led to the throne room.
"This is it. My door to riches," Maximus mumbled as he attempted to push them open with a loud creak, only for him to find out that he could barely move it.
"Fucking hell… What is this the gate? Can't they at least oil the doors regularly? Help me out here!"
Hiding their slight gloat, the party worked together and managed to force the door open once, and they stumbled inside, breathless but ready for battle.
Who had thought that opening the gate to the throne room would be such a challenge? But the moment their eyes fell across the room, they realized it wouldn't be as easy as they had thought.
The throne room was vast and looked oppressive, a place that seemed to drain the light and hope from anyone who entered. The high ceiling was lost in darkness, and tattered banners hung from the walls, their once bright colors faded and grim.
But what caught Maximus' attention was the floor. It was littered with broken weapons and the skeletal remains of those who had come before them. But among them was something he didn't expect to see there.
"...that can't be. Isn't that the holy sword?" Maximus pointed out to the party, which was just as shocked as he was.
The Holy Sword was a weapon given to their kind by one of the strongest titans, Alexander, solely to defeat the Overlord. Yet, the sword was broken in half, and all its powers and mighty abilities seemed to have been drained.
"You guys sure took your time. Did you finish your bathroom time yet?" a dry, raspy voice rang out, getting their attention.
"Did you miss out the toilet sign? Hmm… it must have dropped again. Kekeke, I should have at least hired a maid."
Taken aback by the voice, the party looked around. At the far end of the room, on a throne carved from the bones of dragons and other mythical beasts, sat the Demon Lord.
Despite being a mere skeleton, he released an aura of immense power and malice. His bony frame was adorned with ancient, tarnished armor and a tattered cloak over his shoulders.
His expressionless skull rested on one bony hand. Instead of being alarmed by the party's intrusion, the Overlord seemed almost bored, as if he had been waiting for this moment for far too long.
Having found their target, Maximus stepped forward, his eyes blazing with confidence.
"Your reign of terror ends today, Demon!" he exclaimed as the rest of the party rallied behind him. "We will be your end."
The Skeleton Overlord's hollow eyes seemed to glimmer with excitement. He liked Maximus more than the previous hero, who was too busy eyeing his comrade's body.
"kekeke, I will congratulate you guys for being the 777th challenger. Welcome to my abode," Overlord said, mockingly pointing at the countless skeletons around.
"What do you think of my other guests? What makes you think you will be any different?"
"We have trained for a decade. All for this battle!" said the Mage, a young woman with a staff that glowed with magic. "We know all about you and your tricks. This time, you will fall."
Overlord smiled, slowly getting up from his throne, his bones creaking as he moved.
Damn, I should have stretched more.
"Well, less talk, more action. Don't you all come to kill me? Kekeke, oh wait, but I am already dead," the Overlord said while stroking his invisible beard.
"I am alive, but I am dead. Hmm, what makes me then? Oh yeah, I am a skeleton." His tone then turned icy, followed by a chilling gaze, "The Skeleton Overlord."
Out of nowhere, the air around the room grew cold as the doors were shut tightly with a bang, causing the mage from earlier to yelp. There'll be no escape for anyone.
Then, a dark, oppressive energy filled the room as the Overlord unleashed a fraction of his aura. Within seconds, the group was on the floor. Just by releasing his aura, the demon lord had squashed their internal organs.
He stood there watching the hero's party as they puked the slurry of their blood and organs out of their orifices.
"And here I thought I would actually get to use the blade for once," the Demon Lord sighed, sitting back on his throne.
Aiden, or the demon lord, couldn't even remember how long it had been since he was summoned to the Otherworld.
He had fought countless heroes in the hopes of returning to his world. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like it would happen this time either.
Just as he was about to give up, a long-forgotten screen appeared before him.
[Congratulations, Host! You have defeated the 777th Hero Party!]
[Eternal Quest has been completed!]
[Final scenario is unfolding!]
Finally!
Before Aiden could smile, a loud shout interrupted him.
"Even… if I can't kill you… I will rid this world of your existence!" Maximus, the hero teetering at the edge of death, yelled.
Ah, so this is the scenario. Fine, I'll play along for the last time.
Aiden acted panicked as he ran towards Maximus to stop him. The hero smiled and kept cursing the demon lord until he disappeared with a bright flash.
At the last moment, he thought he saw the demon lord smile, but he collapsed soon, joining his comrades in the afterlife.
***
"Finally! I'm back!" Aiden roared at the top of his lungs.
Not only had he returned home, but he had also gained a lot of treasures that could be converted into real-world money. In simple words, he was perhaps the richest person on Earth!
"No time to rejoice, I have to make the most important decision of my life," Aiden mumbled, turning serious as he sat on the pristine wooden floor. "Now then, what should I spend my money on?"
Getting a console to play games was a must.
"GTA 6 should have been released by now, right?"
As he was scratching his non-existent beard, something caught his eye. The room he was standing in was like a luxury suite. He didn't remember his family being rich enough to afford a place like this.
The more he looked around, the weirder the place got. It was filled with everything he had been planning to buy! Consoles, snacks, latest devices, and whatnot.
"What the hell is going on in this world?"
Just then, a familiar-looking screen appeared before him.
[Congratulations, Host! As a reward for your excellent performance, you have inherited the Property Manager system!]