Chương 38: Chapter 34 - A [Demon King] and his Army

The world was finally safe from the [Demon Lord], now we must face a [Demon King]? System preserve and save us! We cannot bear this burden any longer! Common reaction from Dryadal [Priests] Elsewhere in the OmniverseEngine The being known to a few small and unimportant worlds as "Admin" stalked the nearly uninhabited sector. He was flush with manipulation points, at least from the standpoint of a low-rank Game Master, and was looking for a new world to call his own.

One where he wouldn't have to report his dealings to the sector Hypervisor. A world similar to that infuriating backwater that he had found ages ago. He couldn't help the scowl that came to his face when he thought about that.

He had spent so many manipulation points adjusting its creation and then even created an avatar, only to have it all be wasted by that foolish and incompetent Demon Lord and the System rollback he somehow caused. At least I had my revenge. He thought with a tight smile. There had been some readings about an auxiliary dimension that was corrupted, and without an admin to dump it, it was only a matter of time before the entire world fell to corruption.

Admin let the grin grow as he passed by the destroyed portal to that backwater world… and felt his blood turn to ice. The portal to that world's control center was active. It was repaired. That was not the action of a mere Game Master. No, performing that action would require someone with much higher clearance than him. Someone of that level also likely had a way of tracking down who had destroyed it in the first place. Admin almost threw himself through the portal then and there.

He might have been able to beg for leniency so long as he spun the correct tale about trying to find the traitor in their midst, but then he stopped himself. Why would one of our Hypervisors repair this portal? He asked himself. It is an unimportant backwater world… in an unimportant backwater sector. Which means… Admin's eyes widened. It might not have been one of our Hypervisors. And that almost spiraled him into a panic. How could an angelic Hypervisor have made it so deep into demon territory?

What were their plans with that unimportant world? Admin almost turned and fled right at the spot to inform the Sector Administrator, but one thing held him back. To do that would be admitting to the taboo. He thought and froze in indecision. If he went to the Sector Administrator and said that a portal had been fixed… that would be the same as admitting that he knew it had been broken. In a portion of the sector that he wasn't really supposed to be in.

And that would also hint that it was not the first time he'd been there. Admin was in a difficult position, but he had one last idea. I will peek into the control center. He nodded to himself. If no one is there, there is no need to worry. If I spot an angel there, it will give me cause to report it, and I might not even be punished. If one of our Hypervisors is there… That was likely the worst outcome, but if he was quick enough, maybe he could check and leave before he was noticed.

And so, steeling himself, Admin poked his head through the portal to the Placeholder control center. And gave a relieved laugh when he saw that it was empty. He almost left it and went on his way, simply taking the win that he wouldn't be in trouble for his transgression, when he had a thought. I was looking for a new world. He mused as he went over to a console and brought up an ethereal keyboard. And my point total is high enough to force open that ridiculous gate, should I need to… Oh.

It seems that idiotic [Demon Lord] came through. Or was replaced by one that did. The gate was open, and that meant only one thing. Admin grinned.

"I promised him I'd send him home, after all," he laughed.

"To my home." With that, he began the process of creating an avatar. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to stick around long enough to watch as it destroyed the world and hunted that [Demon Lord] down, but he would just have to be satisfied with the memory sync after the fact. No one will save that traitor now. He thought as he exited the portal and left Placeholder behind.

Earlier"Wait, Admin's coming back?" I asked Joshua. Then I frowned.

"Actually, that's not that surprising now that I think about it. He wanted this place as his own personal paradise." I looked back at Joshua and raised an eyebrow.

"Why now, after all this time?"

"He could not return before," Joshua stated.

"He destroyed the connection between Placeholder and the rest of the OmniverseEngine, something no low-ranked admin would be able to fix."

"Ah, that explains a lot," I muttered.

"Wait. How did AltSys send me messages and stuff, then?" I asked.

"If no admins could get here, how did AltSys pull that off?"

"Time travel," Joshua replied.

"Of course," I deflated.

"Should have guessed." However, it piqued my curiosity.

"So, is he from even farther in the future, then? From a time past this point, since you must have been the one who repaired the connection?"

"Yes," Joshua nodded.

"Technically, the Game Master you've been conversing with does not yet exist."

"When will he start existing?" I asked.

"And do I ever get to meet him in person… you know… before I die?"

"You have a choice ahead of you," Joshua stated, more solemn than I have ever heard him.

"Should you make one choice, you shall never even speak with him again. Should you make another, you will speak with him again but not meet with him before you die."

"Well," I said after a moment.

"That was awfully cryptic. Care to elaborate on any of that?" Joshua shook his head.

"I do not wish to unduly influence your choice to come. It must remain your own."

"Thanks… I think," I replied. But maybe I could use some influence on my choices since I seem to be doing such a fantastic job of making them. I thought.

"So, you are unworried about Admin's return?" Joshua asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. I shrugged.

"Yeah, I figure you've got it taken care of," I replied. I chuckled a bit.

"In fact, I might even be looking forward to him challenging you so I can watch him get his asp kicked."

"And if you were to face him yourself?" Joshua asked.

"How do you believe that would go?" I thought about it for a moment and then grimaced.

"Poorly," I stated.

"And why is that?"

"I don't have any armor, my weapons are second-rate, and I would need to throw everything I have at him to make up for a difference of 25 levels." However, that got me thinking.

"Maybe… maybe if I had everything from before our final showdown. With the iPod and bardic magic for slowing him, Demon Slayer to back me up, and all of my best gear, I might be able to fight him to a standstill." My mind replayed our very first confrontation, where, even though I was level 25, I could barely track his movements, much less keep up with them. And where I was also basically one-shot.

"Yeah," I shook my head.

"Not a fight that would go well for me."

"And what if he were to come in person?" Joshua asked. I cocked my head.

"What exactly is the difference between him sending an avatar and coming in person? I know he was upset because his avatar got rolled back, but what does that even mean?"

"To come in person is to bring an admin's greatest strength," Joshua stated.

"If they are here in person, they can more readily use admin functions, and their strength will usually be adjusted beyond the limits of the world they are entering." I frowned.

"In Placeholder terms, that means?"

"Level 100," he stated.

"You could expect that if he came in person, his level would double that of the best avatar he would be willing to make."

"Oh," I stated. Then, I thought about that for a moment longer and thought about the gulf between even doubling from level 10 to 20.

"Oh, frick. Then why didn't he just do that right at the start?"

"Because while it brings the admin's greatest strength, it is also their greatest weakness," Joshua stated.

"The loss of an avatar is the loss of manipulation points, or more akin to the loss of a prized possession. However, should an admin go to a world in person, that means they are vulnerable to the rules of that world, up to and including death." Joshua shook his head.

"No, many admins do not risk such a thing. The ones who do tend to be either reckless, brave, or…" He looked me in the eye as if to drive home his last point.

"Desperate."

"Well, glad I don't have to deal with a desperate Admin," I joked. Joshua remained quiet, which spoke louder than anything he'd said up to that point.

"Wait, what the frick?" I asked.

"You're saying I'm going to have to fight Admin in the future? In person? How is that even possible? I mean, you're supposed to kill me! There's a prophecy and everything!"

"First, I never said that you would necessarily fight Admin in the future," Joshua stated. That eased my growing panic a bit.

"Though, I do recommend being prepared for the possibility." Aaand, just like that, panic was back.

"Second, do not be so sure that you understand the meaning of a prophecy until you have seen its fulfillment."

"Okay, sure," I replied. However, internally, I couldn't see how that was the case. The prophecy mentioned a coming [Hero] who would defeat me forever and bring about a new age. How could that mean anything else?

"Questions will need to stop there," Joshua replied.

"We have an early morning and a long road ahead. I will need my rest." I almost protested but then shut my mouth.

"Good night," I said instead.

"Good night, Titus," he replied, leaving me alone with my thoughts for the rest of the night. They were mostly in turmoil, but a part of them was a fragment of hope. After all, despite everything, I still didn't want to die.

Despite what Joshua had said about an early morning, it was apparently not so early that I couldn't say some goodbyes. And that's how I found myself in the guild saying farewell to the party members I'd watched over the past months.

"Take care of yourself, Jake," Lhoris said as he clasped my forearm and then, after a second, pulled me into a hug that I awkwardly returned. After thumping me on the back three times, he released me.

"We would not be where we are today without you, and our doors are always open to you, whatever you need."

"Thank you," I stated sincerely.

"I'll try to come visit, but I have no idea where I'm headed next or when I'll back." Or if I'll be back. I added silently.

"Oh!" Lhoris exclaimed.

"I nearly forgot! Here." He stated as he pulled out the sword I'd allowed him to borrow. I looked at it. You know… I wouldn't miss a single spare. I thought. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Keep it," I said aloud.

"Think of it as a wedding gift." His eyes went round.

"Jake… are you aware of how much this is worth? I couldn't possibly-" I shook my head.

"Just… take good care of it," I said. Then, looking at the other two party members.

"And keep them safe. Got it?"

"I will, I swear it on my life," he replied. And he would. I knew it. Lhoris is a good man. I thought. I'm glad I got to meet him. Next up was Kythaela, who gave me a much lighter hug.

"We'll miss you," she said.

"Make sure to stay safe and try to find a healer for your party if you can." She paused.

"Not that I hope you need one!" She said, her eyebrows raising in panic.

"Or-" I cut her off with a laugh.

"Thanks, Kythaela," I said.

"Make sure to keep that lughead you married alive, okay?" They both chuckled along. Then, it was time for the last one.

"Jhilsara," I said, taking her offered hand in a handshake.

"Farewell," she stated. Then, leaning in by my ear, she whispered, "Titus." My eyes shot open wide for a half second before I clamped everything down with my [Actor] levels. I turned it into a laugh.

"Why… Jhilsara!" I said.

"I didn't know that you could tell jokes!" Kythaela and Lhoris gave her curious looks that she didn't acknowledge.

"I simply thought you should know before you left," she stated, managing to keep the others in the dark. From there, I left the guild, waving goodbye, and met up with Joshua. I set my level and skills back to normal, and we were soon heading west at our best speed.

"You told Jhilsara that I was the [Demon Lord]?" I asked Joshua as we ran.

"Why?"

"Because she needed to know the truth sooner rather than later," Joshua replied.

"What else did you tell her?" I asked, wondering what he could have possibly said that would result in her not reporting me to the Watch. Or attempting to kill me. Or telling the other two who I was and burning that relationship to the ground.

"I told her everything that she needed to know," he stated simply, and that was the end of the conversation. … Even though I pestered him with other questions about the serious elf, it wasn't a conversation if I was the only one talking. We made good time, and soon, we arrived at the wall.

"Your first priority will be hunting down and killing the demon underlords," Joshua told me as we arrived… and were pretty much given run of the show. The Hero's Regalia was better than pretty much any ID badge out there.

"Alright," I nodded.

"No mercy for the demons?" I asked, half-curious. Joshua shook his head.

"No. They made their choice long ago, and there is no redemption available for them," he stated quietly. I blinked back surprise. Wow. That's… harsh. Then I remembered exactly who we were talking about. But probably fair. I cleared my throat.

"Alright, so, hunt down and kill the demons. You got it." I narrowed my eyes as I thought through his wording.

"Wait. You're not helping?" I asked.

"You will not need my help, and the experience will be more useful to you than me," he replied. I frowned.

"I mean, that's probably true, but we're still talking some demons in the upper teens and the twenties here. Also, I don't have armor that makes me invincible to them. Unlike someone." I needled. He ignored the jab.

"You should start with Trickery; you know how he is the best at getting past these fortifications."

"Okay, right to work then," I muttered. I pulled out my black mithril hand mirror to start an [Advanced Scry]- And flinched as it shattered into pieces, courtesy of Joshua's sword swing. I gaped at him for a moment.

"First off, ow," I stated as I dug a mithril shard out of my unarmored arm.

"Second off, what the frick!? I need my mirror to find Trickery! I was just doing what you asked!"

"And you will do so without using any cursed items, of which I rid you of your last," he stated. After he said that, the sword disappeared, and a look of compassion stole over his face as he helped me pick out shards.

"[[Restore Resources]]," he called immediately after, giving me back the scant 3 HP I'd lost.

"You could have just told me to destroy it," I grumbled. He shook his head.

"You would have obeyed, but this was the best way to teach you this lesson in a way that you would remember. Do not rely on cursed items. The price you pay for them is often greater than you know."

"Well, that's all fine and good," I replied.

"But I don't have a backup mirror. How am I supposed to find Trickery now?" Without another word, Joshua pulled out another hand mirror… this one made of regular mithril instead of the cursed stuff my old mirror used.

"Wow," I said as I looked it over.

"You even put the durability enchantments on it." I looked up.

"Thanks. Though those old enchants were probably overkill. It's not like-" I was gesturing a bit too much with the mirror, and it slipped out of my hand and clattered to the ground. I immediately picked it up and then refused to make eye contact.

"Well, I should go," I frowned as I realized something.

"It's going to be pretty hard to track him down just from the scry, though."

"You have my permission to teleport," Joshua replied. I paused and just looked at him.

"… Just like that?" I asked.

"Not worried I'm going to teleport away and try to get away from you?"

"You already contemplated that and determined it wouldn't work. Have you changed your mind?"

"No," I said with a shake of my head.

"But… then… why did we run all the way here? I could have gotten us here in a day with [Advanced Teleport]." I paused.

"Or in a single cast if you let me borrow some MP for a [Grand Teleport]. Why wait until now?"

"Teleportation, time, gravity, magnetism, and even your favorite offensive spell using electricity are all considered forbidden magic," Joshua answered.

"The primary reason for their ban is their danger, not their morality. But the secondary reason they are banned is their side effects." He paused.

"However, should an admin remove said side effects, and they be used responsibly, they are no different than any other tool."

"Huh, so are you gonna-" Joshua shook his head.

"No. Changing the magic system of this world is not why I have come here."

"Fair enough," I muttered.

"Well, let's get this show on the road, shall we? Grant me sight into the distant beyond to track both friend and foe. [Advanced Scry] Trickery."

Just like Joshua had hinted, Trickery had already made it across the wall along with his portion of the demon army. Unfortunately for him, [Advanced Scry] didn't care where he was, and to double his misfortune, a scry lock made an excellent target for [Advanced Teleport].

"Ah! Your lowliness! Humble greetings!" Trickery stated as he bowed before me. At least, that's what I felt like the magic from his illusion was showing as he tried to stalk around behind me.

"That still doesn't work on me," I replied, looking directly at him.

"But this will!" he said, brandishing his knife as other demons also started encircling me.

"You have no armor! You are unarmed! You are weak!"

"I could have just been hiding Herobane and Singularity in my inventory, you know," I replied.

"But, you're right. I'm going to have to make use of some backup weapons instead." As I said that, I pulled out twin paladium blades. Trickery blanched and backed away a step, as did all the other demons.

"It can't be," he muttered as he began shivering.

"It's a trick. You can't be him, too. You wouldn't have-""Yes, Trickery, that was me too," I replied, not bothering to hide it because I figured that intimidation could do nothing but help. I mean, I really didn't want one of those knives in my unarmored back.

"You, of all people, should have caught on. Now…" I pulled a mask out of my inventory and shoved it on.

"You can run if you like, but you'll just die tired," came my distorted voice. Whatever morale they had was instantly broken. They all turned to flee. And just as I promised, that only meant that they all died tired.

"Well done," Joshua said as I returned.

"Not a single one escaped." I almost replied and then realized I had left the mask on. I quickly removed it and shoved it in my inventory, after looking left and right to ensure no one else had seen me. However, I suppose I should have also been worried about getting caught teleporting back in if that was the case. Oops.

"Yup, told them I was Demon Slayer, and they all scattered like roaches," I replied. Then, I frowned after a moment.

"Hey, was that your plan all along? Get me to out myself as Demon Slayer so they'll never work with me again?"

"And if I said it was?" Joshua asked. I thought for a moment.

"I guess I wouldn't care too much," I finally said.

"Never liked the demons much anyway. And with the stunt I pulled killing the leaders off and then fighting everyone… Yeah, this probably didn't actually change anything. It's fine."

"Good," Joshua nodded.

"Then, get ready because once your resources are returned, you will need to take on Hysteria's army. Anger pushed them out in front, and they will reach the wall tonight."

"Yeesh," I muttered.

"Fighting the madness demons will be a bit rough." Then, I thought for a moment.

"Wait a sec…" I spun to face Joshua.

"Am I allowed a wardrobe change before I go?" Joshua smiled and gave me the go-ahead.

And that's how "Demon Slayer" ended up facing down the remaining demonic armies one by one, starting with Hysteria's. I might not have had the armor, but I had a backup voice-changing mask and a cloak. The armor underneath the cloak just had to be faked by an illusion instead. If the demons had been paying attention, they likely would have noticed that Demon Slayer was slower than normal and not doing as much damage.

However, it's hard to pay much attention when the terror of your past few decades suddenly pops up in front of you in the ashlands and tells you to run. Hysteria's army was the most difficult because fewer ran than in the other groups. That and I think I underestimated him because of how little damage he did when I had good armor. Anyway, after losing a bit more health than I was comfortable with, it was on to Anger's wrath demons.

Their clubs were at least easier to predict, even if they hit harder, and I came out of it with a bit more than a quarter of my resources, very grateful that I could steal whatever I needed the most with my enchanted swords. Avarice's group was the same but easier. Spite and Desire were complete pushovers because all Spite's group could do was make weaker copies of me, and Desire's group's attempts were completely nullified by [Asexual]. … AltSys had been right about that being a favor.

Tiredness failed to do anything more than make me yawn much more than usual, leaving Voracity. Voracity… could have almost been a disaster. I knew, intellectually, that gluttony demons could and would eat anything, but for some reason I don't think I registered that my Demon Slayer swords counted as a part of anything. I finished that fight with a huge bite mark out of one of the blades that rendered its enchantments inoperable.

It still dealt the same damage, but not having life steal or mana steal was slightly heartbreaking. It took the better part of a week, but almost before I knew it, I had defeated the entire host of Hell solo.

"Welcome back," Joshua greeted as I teleported back in.

"Thanks," I said.

"Where to next now that the demons are taken care of? I figure that we haven't visited the dwarves or-""We will need to remain here for the time being," Joshua stated. I raised an eyebrow.

"What? Why? The demons are all dead. The leaders will take around a year to respawn, give or take. We have a few months, at least!" Joshua shook his head.

"That would normally be the case, but Admin is about to make his move." I froze.

"Uh… yeah… I'm not anywhere near ready to take him on," I stated honestly.

"I would need way more prep time and gear if you want it to even be a fight."

"Do not worry," Joshua stated.

"I shall handle him this time." I immediately sighed in relief… and then a slightly manic grin stole over my face as I realized what that meant.

"I can't wait to see this," I said, rubbing my hands together.

Anger was shouting the other demons in Hell down into submission… you know, as usual. However, he had just learned from Trickery that not only had the [Demon Lord] betrayed them, but he had also been betraying them all along as that cloaked figure named Demon Slayer. And so, Anger raged. He raged at the other leaders. He raged at the riff-raff that followed them. He raged at the cage that was known to the outside world as Hell. However, he mostly raged that the leader they had been given was a failure of a demon.

He wanted to take over, but a part of him wished for a true leader. One who would cow the world, drive fear into the hearts of mortals and show no pity. Anger's wish was granted as a 10-foot-tall figure in dark spiked armor appeared.

"Attend me," boomed the figure's voice. Every demon scrambled to obey, and soon, all were kneeling before him. And they were right to kneel. Their new leader was awful and dreadful in the much older meaning of those words. A single look at him, or the mere hint of his aura was enough to press down on Anger's currently non-corporeal form and drive fear to his very core.

"Greetings, your lowliness-" Anger started… only for an impossibly fast great club to smash through where he would have been had he regenerated any more.

"What is the meaning of this?" the [Demon Lord]… no, [Demon King] asked as Anger's essence slowly reformed to the side of the club.

"Be not angry, your lowliness!" Anger shouted.

"We have been defeated in battle by a traitorous [Demon Lord]! We will accept your wrath, but only release it on the traitor first!" That seemed to give the giant figure pause.

"Defeated?... only today…" he muttered, just loudly enough for Anger to hear.

"Waste of MP… already bought an avatar… Not conquering this mudball alone."

"Get up and follow me," the [Demon King] barked as he headed for the portal. All the demons moved to follow, but Anger decided to speak up before he angered the [Demon King] more.

"Your lowliness, we cannot pass through until we've regenerated!" Anger said as quickly and subserviently as possible.

"I am aware," the [Demon King] growled.

"Follow." Then, he did something that felt… somewhat familiar. Like some of the bizarre rituals the [Demon Lord] had done.

"[[Force Respawn – All]]," the [Demon King] stated. And, just like that, Anger was fully regenerated.

"That expense was worth much more than your pitiful lives," the [Demon King] stated.

"So, do not disappoint me." Anger was filled with terror… and glee. He could not wait to watch the [Demon King] take the traitorous Titus to pieces.

A few days later"They're making really good time," I muttered to Joshua as I watched the encroaching army through an [Advanced Scry].

"You should be able to see them from the wall in an hour or so."

"Unfortunately, the [Soldiers] can already see the column of dust they are kicking up," Joshua replied.

"I will need to calm the panic. I will be back momentarily." And so, he left to ensure people that things would be fine, which, in a way, also reassured me a bit. Not much else happened after that until the army was easily visible from the wall by the naked eye.

"Come with me," Joshua stated when that happened. Then, without any further instructions, he jumped off the wall. I followed, and we dusted ourselves off from the landing. … It hurt a bit, but level 25 gave me more than enough HP to work with, especially since Joshua used [[Restore Resources]] right after. From there, the two of us approached the incoming army alone, me lagging slightly behind him like a subordinate. … which, let's be real. I definitely was. He could probably solo Admin and the entire army.

I couldn't. Admin called the army to a halt when he saw us coming.

"Why, if it isn't the traitor, partying up with the [Hero] once more," Admin sneered as he approached.

"Thank you for saving me the trouble of tracking you down. Your little [Hero] friend won't save me from taking you to pieces."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," I replied easily.

"I mean, have you met Joshua before?" At that name, Admin's eyes widened. He laughed nervously.

"No, you're not him." He took a step back." He wouldn't be here. He wouldn't come to a place this unimportant!"

"It is my prerogative to decide what is and isn't important," Joshua stated.

"Though, I must also say.

'Admin?' That is an awfully conceited name for a level 2 Game Master. Isn't it, Temper Tantrum?" Admin froze.

"You will not be harming this world while I am here," Joshua stated.

"If you, or any other demon takes one step closer to the wall from where you stand now, your lives will be forfeit. If you are within my sight at the end of the hour, your lives will be forfeit. If you speak another word to Titus in my presence, your lives will be forfeit." He pulled out his [Hero] weapon, converted it into spear form, and stabbed it into the ground.

"You have my permission to flee." And then, to my amazement, Admin did. I got to watch a level 50 [Demon King], who was the stuff of my nightmares simply turn and run at maximum speed… while screaming in terror?

"I gotta admit," I told Joshua as the demon army soon followed suit.

"I kinda saw that going differently in my head."

"He knew he had no chance of winning," Joshua said simply. I nodded slowly, then realized something.

"Wait. Did you call him Temper Tantrum?" I gasped.

"Is that his real name!?"

"It is," Joshua nodded.

"Oh, I am so going to make fun of him for that. Acting like the high and mighty Admin when he's named like a weaksauce wrath demon." Then I frowned.

"Wait… Temper Tantrum… you said he was a level 2 Game Master…" I groaned.

"Crud. He's a weak admin, isn't he?"

"Yes," Joshua nodded again.

"One of the weakest, even in his current sector."

"How are normal people supposed to win against admins, then?" I groused.

"They are not meant to," Joshua replied.

"An admin losing to a non-admin is a truly incredible circumstance. Now, come. We have much work to do." Joshua started back to the wall, and I quickly caught up. I had one last question on my mind, though.

"Why'd you let him go? Wouldn't it be a good idea to take down his avatar?"

"Because he has not yet fulfilled his purpose here," Joshua replied. And while I could have misread it, I thought I caught a hint of… apprehension, or maybe sorrow, on his face. And if there was something that could make an admin like Joshua worried, you can bet that my thoughts immediately spiraled toward nightmare fuel. We didn't say another word until we were back at the wall.