The Demon King.

A terrifying existence that strikes fear into the hearts of all.

Throughout history, three high-ranking demon clans have successfully ascended to the title of "Demon King". Without exception, they all acquired immense power, enough to dominate all the demons in the world.

The most recent Demon King appeared four hundred years ago.

"Fennir the Blood Wolf".

He was the most savage and arrogant Demon King to date.

It is said that this high-ranking demon possessed the ability to freely change his form.

Every full moon night, he would transform into a giant wolf over ten meters tall. In this form, Fennir would become exceptionally bloodthirsty and had even annihilated entire towns overnight, taking the lives of thousands of residents single-handedly.

This is how he earned his fearsome reputation.

All creatures of darkness could feel his immense power and willingly submitted to him.

Under Fennir's command, the demons and monsters gathered like never before. They built the most arcane and terrifying Dungeon, which future generations would refer to as the "Temple of Abyss".

From this Dungeon, the demons and monsters expanded their influence, growing into a nation.

Fennir's army was unstoppable.

In just ten short years, they occupied half of the continent. Many countries were completely destroyed, and races such as humans, elves, and beastmen became displaced.

The entire world was shrouded in darkness and fear.

Then...

A hero emerged.

...

On a moonlit hill, as Lorne listened to Arianne's story, he tossed the last shovel of dirt onto the grave of the holy knight Arnold.

"Hmm... It seems that where there is a Demon King, there must be a hero. I've heard this story before. The hero, guided by a goddess, collects seven divine artifacts and then battles the Demon King for three days and three nights, ultimately destroying him..."

"That's about right," Arianne replied.

She picked up a relatively smooth stone from the ground and placed it in front of the grave, serving as a makeshift tombstone.

"In that battle, the hero and the Demon King perished together. Afterward, the seven divine artifacts were inherited by the hero's seven wives, who became the first 'Seven Holy Women'."

"What? Seven wives?" Lorne paused for a moment, as this part was new to him.

He thought to himself, so this hero had quite the harem...

What a deeply sinful man.

"Wait a minute. The divine artifact you used before, called 'Nassir the Holy Sword', right?" Lorne recalled Arianne's sword, formed from condensed light, and asked, "Could it be that it was the sword the hero used to defeat the Demon King?"

"That's correct. But don't worry, I won't use it to strike you," Arianne playfully poked Lorne's cheek with her hand. "I can't bear to harm such a cute slave. After I finish training you, you should become quite useful..."

Lorne's face flushed slightly, and he turned his head away.

Ah, here we go again.

This person always makes jokes that make people blush and flutter.

Doesn't she have any shame?!

"Let's get to the point, Lorne."

Arianne slowly sat down on a stone and continued, her right hand gently brushing her ear to tidy up her hair tousled by the evening breeze. Her violet eyes looked into the distance at the mountains, as if staring at a distant past.

"Before his death, 'Fennir the Blood Wolf' left behind a prophecy."

"A prophecy?"

"Yes, he said..." Arianne's voice was soft as she answered, "'Before me, there were Demon Kings, and after me, there will be Demon Kings. Even if I die, fate will choose another demon of my kind to make a 'pact' with, and the 'trial of the road' will begin. It is a dangerous path, but as long as one reaches the end, they will become the new Demon King.'"

A demon of my kind?

Lorne furrowed his brow, pondering these intriguing words.

Arianne continued:

"For four hundred years, this prophecy has been passed down among demons and monsters. Before this, no one knew how a Demon King came to be. It wasn't until 'Fennir the Blood Wolf' spoke those words that people finally had some clues.""The church believes that the so-called 'path' should only be a metaphor, representing a series of tests. Fennel has done many illogical things in his life, but strangely enough, these crazy behaviors have ultimately brought him good results, either greatly enhancing his strength or successfully expanding his influence..."

Hmm...

This must be the work of the "System," Lorne thought.

This sounds like completing tasks issued by the System and then receiving corresponding rewards... Hmm, this should be the essence of the "trial path," a series of main quests.

In that case, the three demon kings who appeared before were most likely also former owners of the System?

Just at this moment...

Arianne yawned, and tears welled up slightly in the corners of her eyes due to fatigue:

"Is that enough, Lorne? I've already said everything that needs to be said. Let's stop here for today. Next, all you have to do is follow this 'trial path' and become the new demon king!

"Don't worry, I'll always be by your side. No matter what difficulties you encounter, your servant will help you overcome them!"

With that, she clenched her fist with determination.

"So, what do you say, do you agree, Lorne?"

...

Agree?

Are you kidding, I still have a lot of questions.

"You haven't finished talking yet, Arianne? The most crucial question, you haven't explained it yet," Lorne looked at her eyes very seriously and said.

"Oh?"

"That is, why do you want me to become the new demon king? As the saint of the church, shouldn't you do everything you can to prevent this? And..."

And, why did you know that the so-called "contract" would appear in my Dungeon?

But before Lorne could finish speaking, Arianne replied coldly, "It's annoying to chase after a girl so persistently, you know. There are some things I don't want to say right now. When I want to say them, I will naturally tell you. For now, let's just leave it at that."

Arianne slowly stood up.

"I'm not a good person. Whether it's the church or the country, I don't care if they are all destroyed."

When she said these words, her expression became quite complex.

There was sadness, helplessness, and deep-seated anger.

...Lorne was momentarily speechless.

Obviously, Arianne had some hidden emotions she didn't want to reveal. This young girl was full of secrets. Perhaps one day she would speak out, but clearly not now.

"Alright, don't be so serious. Look at your expression, like a little dog being scolded by its owner," Arianne tried to lighten the mood as much as possible, "Oh, wait... Not 'like,' but 'just like'?"

"Hey hey, have I been demoted from a slave to a pet?" Lorne shook his head and smiled wryly.

"Anyway, it's all the same. By the way, it's already late today, we should rest now, right? Before sleeping, I want to take a hot bath. Where's the bathtub?"

"Bathtub? We don't have such luxury here at my place."

"Huh?" Arianne widened her eyes in shock, "Don't you usually bathe? Even if you're a monster, personal hygiene should still be important, right?"

"Go about 300 meters that way, and there's a small creek." Lorne pointed with his thumb behind him, "We usually take care of it there. If you don't mind the cold, you can go there to bathe."

"Well, I guess there's no other choice... Your Dungeon is really poor, not even a bathtub," Arianne reluctantly accepted the situation, "By the way, when I'm taking a bath, you won't come over to sneak a peek, will you?"

Sneak a peek?

Lorne chuckled, mocking Arianne's chest:

"No, there's nothing to see on you..."

...Dung, dong.

Before he finished his suicidal words, the word "danger" suddenly lit up above Lorne's head. Arianne raised her hand, and the golden sword, "Nassir the Holy Sword," radiated a golden light, already transformed.

"I'll give you three minutes to think about your last words," she said with a smiling expression.Hello there.

Didn't we agree that you won't use this sword to strike me?!