Chapter 114: Demon King (1)

“Not enough…”

After exhausting every possible connection, pulling strings she didn’t even have to devote herself to Rudera Pang, the Demon King Diana realized that, as she is now, it would be impossible to reach her goal.

To earn the title of [Demon King], one must accumulate experiences at the highest level, rising to a state so refined that only after achieving a seemingly unattainable score of 666, a task one might only accomplish once in a lifetime, would the title finally be within reach.

Though she’d reached a stage close to divinity, where success might be within her grasp someday, achieving such an impossible score hundreds of times could require countless years—an uncertain future.

“Yet there is only one Demon King. Only I can take that title in this world.”

If anyone else were to obtain the title of Demon King before her, she would be forever deprived of it.

This wasn’t just any title.

It was a title personally endorsed by Rudera’s system, acknowledged by the continent’s greatest being, the GM, who declared her status and prowess to the world.

To be robbed of such a title—to lose the pinnacle she’d spent years building as the Demon King—would mean the ruin of her entire standing.

Clenching her teeth, she bit down on her slender fingers.

“No… Anything but that…”

She, who once watched over the GM’s antics with a calm smile, was now biting into her bleeding fingers, her desperation evident.

The title in Rudera’s system.

If only she could claim the [Demon King] title!

If only she could secure her place as the multi-colored Demon King!

The Rudera system was created by the supreme god, GM. 

Numerous beings had tried to hack or manipulate it, for even gaining access to part of it would grant powers equivalent to the GM’s “miracle potion.”

However, none had ever succeeded.

Only one—the pinnacle of dark wizards, Akuyuham—had briefly managed to deceive the system. 

Yet, since then, due to the emergence of a new system manager, [Guide], no one could even trick its watchful eye.

Thus, Diana, the Demon King, had never attempted to interfere with the system.

Even a Dragon Lord, a master of magic and mystery, had deemed it an impossible task, one she wouldn’t waste her strength on.

But now, she had no choice.

This was the most important undertaking of her life.

An essential task for her as the Demon King.

Fortunately, she possessed certain privileges as the moderator that the GM himself had granted her. 

Though she couldn’t fully manipulate the system, she had just enough power to intervene in the community authority, a part of that system.

With that power, the Demon King took action.

It would be ideal if she could earn the [Demon King] title, personally created by the GM, but that was impossible.

In that case, she would create the title herself.

Though a mere decorative title with no real significance within the system, she would make it so that others mistook this title as the true Demon King title.

With her mastery over the manipulation of demonic energy, Diana began her incantation.

Even with moderator privileges, her time to meddle with the system was limited. 

She engaged for a brief moment, accelerating her thoughts in the process.

This was the Demon King’s desperate title alteration, an art she’d never had to employ before, as she had always held an air of confidence.

“Success…”

In the infinitely long 0.2 seconds, the Demon King achieved her goal and collapsed from exhaustion.

Some time later, when she regained consciousness, she saw the title shining in magnificent colors in her status window.

But this alone wasn’t enough.

Others needed to see it, to recognize her as the true Demon King.

With trembling fingers, Diana pressed the “Invite Message” button.

Ding

[Rudera Pang]

[Demon King] Diana has invited you!

Check it out now!

-> View Details

“It’s done!”

The sight of a single word displayed in the message to the Dragon Lord made her heart swell with joy.

She did it.

Now, she was truly the [Demon King].

The thought that she’d hacked into the system to alter her title was unimaginable.

Once, Arch Lich Akuyuham had intervened in the system with his dark magic to modify part of his status window. 

For this, he was caught and forced into servitude as a “coding slave,” yet he’d demonstrated that players could access Rudera’s system, leading to a drastic strengthening of its security.

Since then, no one had managed to tamper with it, and it was deemed flawless…

“Could it be that only a Demon King could pull off something like this?”

Using the community moderator privileges I’d granted her, she’d drilled a tiny hole through the system’s impenetrable security to alter the title.

Though it was impossible to acquire the actual [Demon King] title, she managed to disguise her current title as [Demon King].

With a clever ruse akin to adding a decorative skin, she’d made herself appear as if she’d earned the Demon King title.

An incredible feat achieved by a transcendent figure, almost reaching divinity, using access rights to a part of the system.

All it amounted to, however, was a decorative title with no real effect.

But why?

No matter how she intervened, Rudera’s system held boundless potential.

To risk such a perilous attempt to tamper with the system for the mere sake of title alteration… 

It seemed almost trivial.

As if the feat of the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons amounted to nothing more than this.

…Is this hard to understand?

My father, too, is utterly absorbed in games, so if she finds Rudera Pang that entertaining, then it must be truly enjoyable.

But to think that she, who oversees community management at my command, pulled off this audacious act.

I informed Guide of this incident and requested an upgrade in system security.

“Master. Should I properly discipline the Demon King?”

“It’s fine. I’ll handle it this time.”

“But you’re supposed to be asleep right now.”

“I’ll just say I woke up briefly to instruct a follower. Or maybe I’ll say I can still exert some power even while asleep.”

The Demon King, huh.

Once, she was a figure of dread. 

Back when I first created Rudera, she was an overwhelmingly powerful monster, far beyond what an ordinary human like me could even imagine.

But as she continued to engage in Rudera for her own enjoyment, managing the community as a moderator, she became a familiar presence to me.

She may not know me, but I’ve always been watching her work. 

Over time, I found her endearing, especially her quirky way of speaking, with phrases like “~~ is what I’ll do.” 

That’s partly why I assigned her to act as the host and moderator for the tournament. 

She was no longer the fearsome Demon King in my eyes, but rather a cute little moderator.

In truth, I wasn’t even that upset. 

If she had done it to gain some special item or sought to abuse the GM’s powers, I might understand her ambition. 

But to go through all this just for a shiny, two-letter title? 

In some ways, it was… adorable.

I pondered how I should punish the Demon King.

***

My prophet. 

My one and only prophet, Diana.

I hadn’t anticipated this.

Why have you tarnished my authority?

I didn’t expect the sleeping GM to reprimand me.

Had he been fully conscious, I would never have dared. 

No matter how carefully I trespassed, he would surely have noticed my mistake.

Yet, he had fallen into a deep sleep, sacrificing himself to protect Rudera, and I couldn’t resist my temptation.

But… was he actually awake all along?

I hold you dear and blessed you as my crimson prophet, yet you betrayed me.

He is the great god, the master of Rudera. 

Even while asleep, it makes sense that he could retain enough awareness to intervene.

Thinking back, I realize how blinded I was by that title.

Thump.

I dropped to my knees.

I had committed a grave sin against the god who had entrusted me with such a responsibility.

I had to atone somehow.

“Great GM. Please punish this foolish and incompetent prophet. Blinded by the title you bestowed, I have committed a sin.”

For what felt like an eternity, I pleaded for forgiveness, weighed down by an immense pressure in the stillness. 

The idea that I had approached the divine now felt absurd.

I could barely hold myself steady under this crushing weight.

Was this… a true god?

After a while, I rambled on with what barely counted as an excuse, and the GM proclaimed to me:

You betrayed the trust I placed in you. You cast aside the greatness I bestowed upon you as a prophet and sinned.

“Please punish me.”

Yet I love you.

Love?

“…GM?”

Love, for a traitorous sinner?

Out of love, I granted you the position of prophet. Out of love, I forgive you.

Was love the reason he granted me this power?

Then, is this love a god’s love for a follower, or…?

My mind swirled in confusion.

Why would the GM say he loves me…

I grant you four months’ time.

With a crackling sound, my status window broke, then pieced itself back together.

[Error] Diana

My title in the status window had changed in a strange way.

The title of [Demon King] is erased. 

For the next four months, no one shall obtain the Demon King’s title. 

Yet the one I have chosen, the one I have decreed, the one I love, shall be able to claim this Demon King’s position.

Four months’ time.

Show me. 

Rise by your own strength. 

Prove why you are the Demon King.

Within the GM’s reprieve, I sensed the boundless compassion in his words.

He wanted me to seize the position of Demon King by my own power and to accomplish feats worthy of that name.

As if he were a lover watching over the one he cherishes from afar.