In this world, monsters run rampant. Otherworldly help us defeat the demons who taints the world with its darkness. Slay them chosen ones!
The heaven has taken far more from us. Its time to take it all back. Believer offer your soul and transform be part of the darkness and live eternally!
Which side are you?
Find your Fate in this desolated world.
"Brother-in-law, where's Mina?"
The moment I stepped into the living room, I spotted Benedique sprawled across our sofa like he owned the place.
One leg rested on the coffee table.
A bowl of chips sat beside him.
His attention was completely focused on his phone.
Despite being the heir to a ridiculously wealthy family, his posture resembled that of an unemployed freeloader.
"You finally decided to play Royale?"
He didn't even bother greeting me.
I wasn't surprised.
His obsession with the game had reached concerning levels.
"I haven't logged in yet."
"Oh."
Benedique immediately sat up.
His eyes lit up as if Christmas had arrived early.
"Then if you get assigned to the Heaven Faction, contact me immediately."
He puffed out his chest proudly.
"Username: Minalover."
I closed my eyes.
Of course it was.
The fact that my sister tolerated this man remained one of life's greatest mysteries.
"I really don't know what Mina sees in you."
Benedique looked genuinely offended.
"Excuse me?"
He pointed at himself.
"I'm handsome."
Another finger rose.
"I'm rich."
Then he flashed a dazzling smile.
"And most importantly, I'm handsome."
I stared at him.
The confidence.
The shamelessness.
The complete lack of self-awareness.
Sometimes I wondered if intelligence and embarrassment occupied the same part of the brain.
If so, Benedique had clearly sacrificed one for the other.
"You listed the same thing twice."
"Because it's my greatest strength."
"No."
I adjusted my glasses.
"Your shamelessness is."
"That's my second greatest strength."
I decided not to continue that conversation.
There were some battles even a top student couldn't win.
"What happens if I get assigned to the Demon Faction?"
The playful smile on Benedique's face faded.
"Then you're dead."
I raised an eyebrow.
"That serious?"
He nodded.
"There's an automatic hostility system."
"Hostility system?"
"If a Heaven player enters your detection range, the game can force a logout."
That caught my attention.
"Force a logout?"
"Yep."
Benedique pointed dramatically.
"Your character enters autopilot mode and immediately hunts nearby demon players."
I considered the implications.
"Interesting."
"Interesting?"
Benedique looked horrified.
"Most demon players spend their entire gaming time hiding."
"The balance sounds questionable."
"It is questionable."
He crossed his arms.
"Which is why Heaven dominates almost every server."
I nodded thoughtfully.
The concept was flawed.
Yet somehow that made me even more curious.
"Still."
I leaned back.
"I doubt the game will be difficult."
Silence.
Benedique stared at me.
I stared back.
Finally, he rubbed his face.
"What can I expect from the student council president, class monitor, and top student?"
"Don't flatter me."
"I'm not."
His expression became complicated.
"I'm genuinely worried."
I ignored him.
"Everything becomes simple if you understand how it works."
Benedique pointed at me.
"Can I hit you once?"
I blinked.
"Why?"
"I want to lower your IQ."
I thought about it.
"I doubt that would work."
Then I added,
"But if it hurts, I'll tell Mina not to text you tonight."
The effect was immediate.
Benedique nearly launched himself off the sofa.
"Brother-in-law!"
His voice sounded genuinely panicked.
"You can't do that!"
"I can."
"I've been loyal."
"You've been annoying."
"I've been well-behaved."
"You assaulted someone last month."
"He started it first!"
I wasn't interested in revisiting that argument.
The heir of the TY Group had indeed started it.
Benedique had simply ended it.
Violently.
"Besides," he continued, "you can't obstruct your future brother's love life."
"Hmph."
I picked up a nearby magazine.
"That's basically how a baby thinks."
Benedique pointed at me triumphantly.
"Exactly."
Then he clasped his hands together.
"So have mercy on me."
I was beginning to understand why my father always developed headaches whenever Benedique visited.
Before I could respond, a notification rang from his phone.
Ting!
The change in his expression was immediate.
His grin widened.
His posture straightened.
His eyes practically sparkled.
"Mina."
The transformation was almost disturbing.
A few seconds later, he stood up.
"She wants to go shopping."
"Don't spoil her too much."
I stood and headed toward my room.
"She might refuse to marry you once you're bankrupt."
"Me? Bankrupt?"
Benedique snorted.
"My sisters made sure I'd be financially secure for life."
Then he grinned.
"As long as I don't cause trouble."
I stopped walking.
Slowly.
I turned around.
"You not causing trouble?"
"Yes."
"I would believe that."
His smile grew.
"If you hadn't beaten the heir of TY Group unconscious."
"He started it first!"
"There it is."
"It's true!"
I shook my head.
"You should hurry."
"Why?"
I opened my bedroom door.
"My sister might find another man willing to buy her clothes."
The color immediately drained from his face.
Then he sprinted for the exit.
"You little—!"
SLAM!
The front door shook.
Silence returned to the house.
I stared at the closed door for a moment.
Then I sighed.
For someone with unlimited money, remarkable combat skills, and a powerful family background, Benedique's greatest weakness remained embarrassingly simple.
My sister.
...
I looked at the gaming cabin standing quietly in the corner of my room.
The sleek black pod reflected the evening light coming from the window. Mina had been pestering me for weeks to try the game. Even her troublesome boyfriend couldn't stop talking about it.
I let out a sigh.
"Well, I'll just try it out."
The cabin door slid open with a soft hiss.
I settled into the seat and placed the neural headset over my eyes.
A gentle voice echoed through the darkness.
Welcome to ROYALE.
Find your soul.
The moment the words faded, a warm light enveloped my body.
Unlike the virtual reality systems I had tested before, this felt real.
Too real.
The warmth seeped into my skin, my bones, even my thoughts. It was like floating in an endless sea of sunlight. Every worry, every burden, every memory seemed to drift away.
For a brief moment, I wanted nothing more than to remain in that comforting embrace forever.
Then the warmth vanished.
Darkness swallowed everything.
A distant voice echoed through the void.
"Congratulations, Consort! You have given birth to a healthy demon boy!"
Another voice followed. Soft. Gentle.
"Give me the child."
My thoughts froze.
A child?
Who were they talking about?
I tried opening my eyes but failed.
I tried moving my arms but nothing responded.
Panic surged through me.
Wait.
Why can't I move?
The voices grew clearer.
"Here he is, Consort."
Something warm wrapped around me.
A pair of delicate arms.
The rhythmic sound of a heartbeat entered my ears.
Then a woman's trembling voice spoke above me.
"What would be his name, Consort?"
A moment of silence passed.
The woman held me closer.
"Royen."
Her voice carried an indescribable tenderness.
"Royen Allevier Moonlit Morningstar."
The room instantly became quiet.
The maid who had spoken earlier sounded alarmed.
"Consort, you cannot name the firstborn of the Demon Lord with a name carrying such a peaceful meaning. It will—"
"The Demon Lord promised me."
The woman's tone remained gentle.
Yet everyone immediately fell silent.
"I can name our child whatever I wish."
The maid swallowed nervously.
"But Consort—"
BANG!
The door slammed open.
A terrifying pressure flooded the chamber.
The air itself seemed to tremble.
Candles flickered violently.
Several maids dropped to their knees.
"OUT."
The single word shook the room.
The maids hurriedly lowered their heads.
"Y-Yes, Consort."
Yet before they could leave, another presence descended.
Heavier.
Darker.
The suffocating aura that had filled the room moments earlier instantly retreated.
The newcomer laughed.
The deep laughter reverberated throughout the chamber like distant thunder.
"Husband."
The woman beside me sounded relieved.
"Good."
The man stepped closer.
Although my eyes remained closed, instinct screamed at me.
Danger.
Absolute danger.
Yet strangely, I felt no hostility directed toward me.
Only curiosity.
"My child should be like this."
His voice carried excitement.
"It is faint, but his aura is remarkably pure."
The room fell silent.
"A pure aura?"
one maid whispered.
The man's laughter grew louder.
"Unlike the darkness of our realm, his aura contains almost no trace of sin."
The pressure in the room intensified.
The maids began trembling.
"A blessing."
The man spoke proudly.
"A blessing granted to the Dark Realm itself."
I felt a rough finger touch my forehead.
"I was right to capture you, my Saintess."
The woman's heartbeat quickened.
"My light has finally borne fruit."
The Demon Lord's voice contained satisfaction.
"The Princess of Argadon has given me an heir unlike any before him."
"Husband..."
The saintess sounded embarrassed.
The Demon Lord chuckled.
"Though his name must be changed."
Immediately the arms around me tightened.
"You promised me."
The saintess' voice became firm.
The room froze.
For the first time, the Demon Lord did not answer immediately.
"You promised that I would choose the name of my first child."
The silence stretched.
Finally, the Demon Lord sighed.
A sigh that carried enough power to make the walls tremble.
"Consort."
His voice softened.
"Please grant me this one favor."
The saintess remained silent.
"You may name all our future children."
A faint sadness flashed across her face.
Her grip around me weakened slightly.
But we cannot have another child...
The words never left her lips.
Yet the sorrow behind them was unmistakable.
The Demon Lord's expression darkened.
For a brief moment, the shadows within the chamber became restless.
Then he spoke again.
"Add Nyx."
The saintess blinked.
"Nyx?"
"That is my final compromise."
The Demon Lord crossed his arms.
"Royen Allevier Nyx Morningstar."
A beautiful smile appeared on the saintess' face.
"Husband."
She leaned against him.
"You truly spoil me."
The Demon Lord laughed helplessly.
"Only because you are my wife."
He gently lifted her into his arms.
The terrifying ruler of the Dark Realm suddenly looked less like a conqueror and more like an ordinary husband caring for his beloved.
"Maids."
At once, several servants knelt.
"Attend to the First Prince."
"Yes, My Lord."
Reluctantly, the saintess handed me over.
As the Demon Lord carried her toward the royal chambers, whispers immediately spread among the remaining maids.
"The Consort's favor will only grow stronger now."
"Of course."
"She gave birth to the First Prince."
"And did you hear what His Majesty said?"
The maid lowered her voice.
"A pure aura."
The others exchanged nervous glances.
No one noticed the newborn child in their arms.
Or the consciousness trapped within him.
A consciousness desperately trying to understand one terrifying fact.
I wasn't playing a game anymore.
I had been born into it.