The Damned Demon

Chapter 1: Killed The Demon King But...

July 9, 2023, The Day of the Demon King's arrival on Earth…

"It has been an honor to fight you, Demon King. But I am afraid this is where your story ends," A young man looking around twenty-five said with his blade pressed against the neck of the Demon King, whose appearance was quite intimidating, especially because of his menacing fangs and dangerous dark red eyes that seemed to pierce through one's soul.

On his head there was a dark crown with two large, sharp horns curving inwards.

His skin was pale as expected of a vampire and was the strongest demon ever known to humanity.

The young man was bleeding and bruised all over. He was still astonished at himself that he managed to bring the Demon King to his knees, the most powerful boss ever to appear.

Entire countries were in lockdown, and people had gone into hiding just because of his presence. Most people were already thinking that the Demon King would uproot the entire world after killing all the Hunters.

The Demon King was a Doomsday-level Threat, and yet this young man was still standing even though this battle was the toughest he had ever fought. And even though the Demon King was kneeling, his entire being still emanated an indomitable aura.

"You are right, young Hunter. But your story is only getting started, Cedric," The Demon King said with a obscure smile as cracks formed across his body.

Cedric had a confused look, but before he could say or do anything, the Demon King's body suddenly turned into a dark red light and shot into his body.

"HUH?!" Cedric was shocked as he thought that the Demon King might be trying to take over his body or something.

But moments passed, and to his relief, nothing happened, and the Demon King was gone.

'Did I just imagine that?' Cedric thought that maybe he saw things due to how injured and exhausted he was.

However, when he looked at the spot where the Demon King was kneeling before, he furrowed his brows in bewilderment. He knew that sometimes the corpses of the bosses from the Shattered Dimension disappear into thin air while leaving behind rewards or treasures in the form of rare or exotic weapons, accessories, potions, and so on.

But he was disappointed to see that even after taking down the most dangerous boss the world had ever seen, there was not even a single common grade drop or anything.

What kind of sick joke was this? He almost died trying to kill such a powerful boss, and yet he gained nothing.

'At least the world will be safe, including my Aira,' Cedric mumbled inwardly as he softly smiled, thinking about the person he loved most. He no longer felt so disappointed, though he felt as if the Demon King never truly unleashed his strength.

And for some reason, what the Demon King told him just before he died was still lingering in his mind.

"Nevermind. I got to go back and tell everyone the good news. I am sure Aira would be proud and the world can finally feel relieved," Cedric mumbled to himself with a bright smile as he began to descend from the mountain peak.

Hunters were considered as heroes by the people of the world since they were the only defense they had against the Demons who always tried to sabotage and sow chaos and death in their world. These Demons were coming from a different dimension with powers and abilities that far surpassed any ordinary human.

The common people surely can't stand any chance against these evil creatures and could only put their faith in Hunters...the humans blessed by the angels, giving them the ability to use mana and used their powers to fight Demons to protect the world.

Within just two minutes, Cedric was surprised to see his team, and even the members from other Hunter teams gathered in front of him. He wasn't surprised to see other Hunter teams since the World Hunter Association had sent their best teams to battle the Demon King due to how terrifying he was.

However, all of them suddenly came down with some sickness, and Cedric had to proceed alone to fight the Demon King. He didn't mind it since he thought at least this way, he wouldn't have to worry about any of his team members dying.

But now he was surprised to see them all here since he thought they were probably still resting in their camps.

However, his gaze immediately got pulled towards the 5 8" tall radiant-eyed beauty with a slender curvy figure and picturesque face walking towards his direction with teary eyes. Even though her face was a bit pale, it couldn't diminish the radiance of her big hazel eyes. Her silky auburn hair was long and unfolded over her back like a river till her thighs; her luscious red lips, coupled with her delicate nose and her overall appearance, made her appear quite stunning.

She wasn't wearing her hunter armor, but Cedric could understand why since she was already sick before he and his team even set out to battle the Demon King. It was already a surprise that she suddenly rushed here, but he knew it was because she was worried about him and made him once again realize how lucky he was to have her and be alive to continue to spend time with her.

"Aira, I am so glad to see you here. Are you okay? Your face still looks a bit—"

"Ced! I…I am fine, but I…" Aira's voice was breaking up as she buried her face against his chest, making Cedric feel a bit guilty, thinking that he must have made her really worried by going after the Demon King alone, and now she must have been overwhelmed by relief to see him alive.

"Shh, Aira, don't cry. I am still alive and kicking. Don't get worried because of the blood. I will be alright right after drinking some potions. I exhausted my stock during my battle with the Demon King," Cedric chuckled as he hugged her and patted her head.

He and Aira were childhood sweethearts and had almost spent most of their lives together to the point of even fighting together as Hunters, where she played the role of a Spelldancer in his team. The two were well renowned to people as their heroes. They had been practically inseparable for most of their lives. With her presence on the team, none of them have to worry about quickly running out of mana while knowing that she had their backs. She was the best among the best when it came to the role of playing a 'Spelldancer, known to be good at casting quick spells on the move to support her team.

"B-But I—"

"Cedric, you really came back, huh?" A tall man with a bulky build and carrying a huge hammer in his hand said with slightly furrowed brows. He played the role of a 'Bulwark' in Cedric's team and had been fighting alongside him for years. As a Bulwark, his part in any battle was indispensable since he helped reduce the pressure on the team by taking the brunt of the strongest attacks dealt by demons.

"I know it's surprising, Derek. Even I thought I was a goner," Cedric said with a slight shake of his head while remembering his battle with the Demon King.

"It is very surprising indeed. I mean, none of us had ever witnessed a Doomsday-level threat, and there was no telling if we could even win, especially when all of us came down with some sickness. You have been surely hiding your true strength, eh, Cedric?" A slim man of average height chuckled awkwardly as a bead of sweat trickled down his temple. He played the role of a 'Hound' in Cedric's team, and Cedric considered not only him but Derek as his very best friend, especially after fighting together for so long and having each other's backs.

His role in the team couldn't be ignored as he was someone who dealt most of the critical attacks while catching the demons unawares and was quite good at gauging their strengths.

"Nah. You know me, Lenny. I just got lucky," Cedric said with a wink.

"But you should not have come back, Cedric," Derek said with a low sigh.

Cedric blinked with a puzzled look as he asked, not noticing how Aira's fingers were clenching his armor even more firmly, "Eh? What was that, Derek?"

Derek's expression became a bit cold as he said, "I said you should have died so that we could have avoided this unpleasant situation."

Chapter 2: The Painful Betrayal

"I what? Derek, are you drunk or what?" Cedric asked as his brows pulled together, feeling that something was off.

He didn't realize it before because he was distracted after surviving the battle against the Demon King. But now he noticed that all these Hunters before him were looking at him with serious, unkind expressions.

He could see them tightening their grip around the handles of their weapons while their eyes became focused. All these signs only happened whenever they were about to engage in battle, which didn't make sense since this was supposed to be a moment of happy reunion unless…

"I have never been more clear-headed, Cedric, especially since our mission involves taking you down before you could threaten humanity," Derek said in a gruff voice as the others exchanged glances.

"Enough with the jokes, Derek. I am not in the mood for this," Cedric said as his tone turned serious. Even though he said these words, Cedric felt these guys weren't playing around.

Lenny's expression also became solemn as he said, "Cedric, I am sorry, but this is no joke. The WHA has decided that you should be put away. The other Hunters had voted for the same as well. Honesty…this was a very hard and tough decision, but considering the circumstances, we have to do this."

"What circumstances?!" Cedric's tone became unfriendly as he asked with a glare.

Derek stepped forward and said, "The Oracle had passed down a new prophecy, and it mentions your name and that you will one day bring about doom in this world. The Oracle has never been wrong and never will. We already know how powerful you are, and this prophecy made us realize that one day you will lose yourself in bloodlust and power. It isn't that surprising since Hunters in the past had fallen prey to themselves. But you are different…You are already the strongest among us, but if we let you grow even more, then nobody in this world can stop you. It is the will of the heavens that the Oracle was able to pass down the prophecy before it was too late."

Cedric dryly chuckled as he shook his head with a look of disbelief, "Aira, do you hear the nonsense they are spouting? Tell me—" Cedric forgot his words when he saw Aira slowly walking away from him with a lowered head while covering her face.

"A-Aira?" Cedric didn't want to believe what he was seeing but seeing her silently walking away from him made him feel like his world was starting to crumble down.

Aira's expression was continuously faltering as she meekly looked at him with watery eyes, "I-I am sorry, Ced…I—"

"That is enough, Aira. You don't have to stay here any longer. Come with me," A woman in her late thirties, clad in armor, stepped forward and grabbed her wrist to lead her away. She was one of Aira's friends, Lena, and someone Cedric was friendly with as well…until now.

"Lena, don't you dare bring her away! Aira, what the fuck are you doing?!" Cedric still didn't want to believe what was going on. Even if everyone else were to turn on him, the last person he expected to turn on him was his girlfriend, whom he had known since childhood.

He had lived, fought, and bled alongside Aira for the most part of his life. He and she were there for each other through thick and thin, no matter the situation. They were practically inseparable…or so he thought.

Aira stopped in her tracks as her figure trembled, but she still had her back turned towards Cedric.

Cedric, who had his arm extended in her direction, had his eyes quivering in disbelief, sadness, and dismay. But then she continued to walk away as Lena led her away, and her figure began to fade in his vision.

"Aira…no…why…" Cedric mumbled as his voice cracked. The pain of his injuries seemed to bother him the least now. But it was the pain of his heart being slowly torn apart that was hurting him the most.

Why would his own lover betray him? Did he imagine her love for him all this time? No…This cannot be…

"Don't be angry at her. It is only best for her that she walks away. Associating with you any longer would only make her a target as well," Derek said without a change in his expression.

She left me to save herself? Was she really that selfish and cowardly? All because of a stupid prophecy?

'Heh…what a joke…So your promise about living and dying together was just a line to fool me?' Cedric wryly thought as he remembered something that had happened more than a decade ago.

"It's time, Cedric. This is it," Derek said as he lifted his heavy hammer with both his hands while the other Hunters began to slowly surround a devastated Cedric.

"Don't worry…You will still die as a hero, and your legend will live on. There are countless Hunters who would be willing to die to leave their mark in history. You should consider yourself lucky," Lenny said as he took a deep breath, preparing himself for the most unnerving battle of his life.

"Shut up…all of you cunning dogs…" Cedric mumbled with an empty look as he lifelessly drew out his blade.

"Do not fight back, Cedric. You are outnumbered, 25 to 1, and your injuries are another story. Just let this end quickly, and you won't even know any pain," Derek said with a narrowed gaze.

"Pain? You think I haven't felt enough already? I trusted you all…especially you two…my own team…You two even invited me to stay and have food with your family countless times. But I should have known all of you were just opportunistic dogs waiting to backstab me like cowards," Cedric said as his gaze became frigid.

Lenny swallowed his saliva as his heart thumped nervously. Even for a Catastrophic Level Threat, the World Hunter Association never sent more than ten Hunters to take care of it or two teams.

But for Cedric, they sent 25 Hunters whose ranks ranged from A to S class like Derek. However, Lenny wasn't that surprised as he knew how powerful Cedric was, especially since he was at the peak of S rank. Even if he was now in an injured state, Lenny had no doubt some Hunters would surely fall.

"I will take you all on!" Cedric said as his blade began to shine with a blinding golden light and charged forward with a resentful shout.

All twenty-five Hunters charged at him at the same time as well with a battle cry, ready to take down the strongest Hunter in the world.

….

30 minutes later…

"Ha…ha…How pathetic…You don't even have the balls to face me alone," Cedric said in an exhausted tone as he continued to bleed profusely all over his body while kneeling on the ground and holding onto his glaive for support.

"Cough…cough…you were not even in your best state, and yet you killed twenty of us. Even Lenny is barely standing," Derek coughed out blood as he wiped the blood off his lips with a grimace. One of his eyes was a bloody hole as blood trickled down his face. He was severely injured and standing before Cedric, yet not in a state as bad as Cedric's.

Dead, bloodied corpses were lying around Cedric while the battlefield was a scorched mess. Half of the mountain was wiped out, while the rest was just scorched land.

"This only made me realize how really dangerous it would have been for all of us if we had decided to let you live," Derek added with a wary glint in his eyes as he slowly lifted his heavy hammer with a grunt to deal the finishing move.

"Just get it over with…you piece of shit," Cedric said with a vengeful look as he looked up. He was no longer worried about dying since he realized that there was nothing to live for. The WHA whom he had loyally served since the beginning of his Hunter career, his friends, his own team, and even the love of his life had betrayed him. What was the point of struggling? It was best to let go…

Cedric saw the heavy hammer coming down on him slowly as it filled his vision. And before he knew it, he was plunged into a cold dark abyss.

Chapter 3: 14 Years Of Hell

Cedric felt as if he was drowning in eternal darkness as all the memories of his life flashed before him, making him feel that everything he did was useless. Despite growing up to be the strongest hero, he was too blind to see the true nature of the people closest to him.

He felt so woeful he just wanted to disappear into nothingness and forget everything. He didn't expect that it would be even more painful even after dying.

But right when he thought this, he felt a strange coldness filling him, making him wonder why he was feeling all this if he was dead?

—

"Father, who is this strange-looking child? Where did you bring him from? His appearance looks weird. He doesn't look like any demon we know."

"He is only five years old, Rona. And be nice to him since you will also have to help me take care of him for the years to come. He is not from around here, so he will look different. I happen to find him abandoned by the Infernal Volcano. It's a miracle he survived but unfortunately, his mind is crippled and can't use mana as well."

Cedric was puzzled hearing this conversation while also faintly seeing glimpses of a place he had never seen before. He could barely make out that he was holding a tall person's hand, and before him, there was a small girl whose face was blurry and looking at him. However, her eyes which were dark red, didn't look human, and after vaguely making out her appearance, why did she seem like a demon?

"What the hell am I seeing? When did I experience this?" Cedric had his entire life flash before him right after he died. So he thought what he was seeing now were his memories as well, but he never remembered such events.

—-

"Ugh, why did His Majesty bring home this wretch? I even have to clean his shit up every day. Eat this if you want, you retard!"

*Thwang!*

Cedric saw a plate filled with food and some liquids being thrown over him by some woman who also didn't seem human. But he couldn't clearly make out the details since everything seemed blurry again. However, he sure as hell felt pissed off upon feeling the wet food falling down his face and his body.

"Jenna! Please…you can't keep doing bad things to that poor kid. What if the king learns about this?"

"Ha, who cares about this ugly cripple? His Majesty has bigger things to worry about, and he barely comes here. Besides, if this thing can't speak or think, who else is going to know, hehe..."

He shook his head inwardly, thinking that this could not be his memory since he doesn't remember going through such things but then why was he feeling so angry and hateful?

The scene kept changing one after the other while this boy became older and older. But in every scene, he would feel a heaviness in his chest, especially when each time he felt(saw) this boy getting mistreated and tortured by those around him.

Sometimes they would kick him or press their feet against his face. Sometimes they would immerse his face in a bucket of muddy water as if trying to drown him but pull him up before he could die. But the worst didn't even come close. Some of the nasty ones would injure and break the bones of that boy(him) and then heal him to make it look like nothing happened.

Not a day did they ever leave him alone, and Cedric felt like he was also experiencing this along with this boy. Never had he felt such strong killing intent and couldn't understand why all of them were torturing him(that boy).

If there was a living hell, this was it.

—-

"Rona, this is the first and final time I am giving you an order. You have to marry him even if you feel like you are marrying a corpse. There will be no more discussion on this. He will turn 18 tomorrow, and we will have the wedding."

"Father…how could you do this to me? Do you really want me to spend my entire life looking after him? Ignoring my feelings, he can't even hold any feelings in the first place. He had been sleeping on the same bed for 14 years, totally lifeless. I still don't understand why you took him in. His life is as miserable as it gets. Whenever I see him, I feel like he doesn't want to live anymore."

"You have no idea what he truly feels. Things might seem confusing and shocking, but all I can say is that if you truly believe how much I care about you, then promise me you will do as I say. That is all I have to say now."

"..."

—-

"Look at how peacefully the future Royal Consort is sleeping. How dare this crippled white-haired trash dare take my place?!"

"Careful, Young Lord! The walls might have ears."

"Shut up, you fool. Nobody here will dare to say anything anyway. And this cripple wouldn't even scream even if I tortured him, haha. Every servant, maid, and guards has pissed and shit over him for the past 14 years, and yet he is too dull to even say a word. The best he can do is open his eyes while I try and get a scream out of him, hehe. Last time I failed but this time, I have the Dark Blood Beetle. Once it enters through his mouth, it will make his heart feel like it is exploding every second."

"T-Then wouldn't he die?"

"Nah…the Dark Blood Beetle is too weak. It will kill itself within an hour or so without killing the victim. But we have an hour to enjoy ourselves and see if he screams, hehe."

Cedric felt something slimy entering his mouth as he helplessly watched some young man force some weird creature into his mouth. All this felt so foreign yet familiar to him, but he was unable to move his hands or legs to kick this dirtbag away.

He wished all this was just fake and something his mind was making up after his death. But he could feel his body tense up as if he was really feeling nervous and scared, along with seething anger that was making his nerves quiver.

But suddenly, he felt his heart being slowly cut by a blunt blade…the pain indescribable but agonizing enough to make one pluck out their heart, to say the least.

And the worst part was he couldn't move a single inch and was helplessly lying on some bed watching the blurry face of a young man mocking and laughing at him.

He could only endure this excruciating pain while all he could feel was his blood boiling in painful humiliation and resentment.

Cedric didn't know if the emotions he was feeling belonged to this 18-year-old boy or his own emotions after getting influenced by experiencing this despicable scene. It all felt short, but at the same time, Cedric felt as if he had experienced 14 years' worth of pain and suffering even though it was not really him who suffered.

But despite having no idea what was going on, Cedric was affected by the things he saw, and he simply wished this to end as if the pain of the betrayal he experienced wasn't enough.

And as if his wish was answered, everything became dark and silent while Cedric felt like he was floating. However, his mind became clear in this strange stillness as he reflected on something.

The only thing he realized from his own life and what he saw from the eyes of this unknown boy was that the world doesn't play nice to those who follow the rules and stick to their morals, even if they never harmed a bee in their life.

To survive, no matter which world, one has to become a demon that devours others before they get devoured.

"Sigh…what's the point of thinking all this…I am done anyway…" Cedric thought in despair when he suddenly felt like his entire being was getting sucked to someplace else

But as if he wasn't shocked enough, he began to feel the cold air brushing past his skin and could smell the stench of blood passing by him. And before he knew it, he was able to feel his limbs and even move his fingers, 'I am not dead??'

Chapter 4: Who, Where, What Am I?

Cedric didn't know what to think and immediately checked his stats to make sure,

[]

Name : Asher Enren

Race : Night Elf

Gender : Male

Level : 1

Rating : 0

Life Crystals : 0

HP : 95 / 95

MP : 0/0

STR : 18

DEF : 19

INT :20

DEX : 20

[/]

Passive Ability : [ Denizen of the Night - Total Darkness will be your ally, giving you the ability to see clearly and enhanced stats ]

Talents : [ Favored by the Night - When night falls, your HP and MP will increase by 5% || (0/5)]

Skills : -

"A night elf? What the…" Cedric's thoughts froze as he couldn't make sense of all this information but seeing the name, 'Asher', he felt it was too familiar, as if the name belonged to him. Before he realized it, he unconsciously considered himself to be Asher.

But before he could think of anything further, he could feel his eyes and tried opening them as he was welcomed by a blurry vision of a snowy land with the skies very cloudy and dark. It was snowing as well, and he could feel the snowflakes brushing past his body.

As his vision cleared up, he could see dark red liquid flowing over the snowy ground like a stream, and only when he got a clear grip of his mind did he recognize it as blood!

He turned his head straight in confusion, only to get startled by a man's voice, "Hey, this fella is still alive. Are you guys too blind to not check the dead? Some of these fuckers know how to play dead."

"How weird. I was sure I had killed everyone, especially the demon that looked weird. This is the first time I am seeing a demon with such a different appearance. I wouldn't forget killing such a strange demon. But who knew he was lucky to survive my blows. Too bad he is too weak to survive this time, hehe," A woman giggled as Asher heard her footsteps getting closer.

Asher was feeling disoriented while his ears were ringing. But he did hear what these two just said, and before he knew it, he saw a young woman's face looking down at him as she said, "Whoa, he is really alive. But what the hell? There is not a single wound on his body. How is this possible? Never mind, I will just cut through his chest nice and easy this time," Saying so, the woman raised her sword and brought it right down on Asher.

Asher didn't bother to think of anything, but his battle-honed reflexes surfaced as he quickly rolled to the side and kicked her in the stomach.

*Crack!*

[ 30 HP Damage Dealt ]

[ Critical damage bonus - 50 HP ]

"AHH!!" The woman cried in pain as she got knocked off her feet and fell onto the snowy ground. However, her facial expression was frozen in horror as her eyes became lifeless.

"You…You killed my girlfriend…!" A scrawny man wearing shoddy armor was shocked out of his wits, unable to believe what he just saw. How could someone die from just one kick?

"What the fuck? How did we miss this one? I will get him!" A young man with a bulky build shouted from behind as he charged toward this strange demon with his dagger pointed at him.

"Wait, no!" The scrawny man screamed as he clutched his head.

Asher casually turned around and saw this bulky man charging at him with both his arms extended and a dagger in his hand.

"How dumb…" Asher scoffed, seeing the amateur way this guy was rushing at him. He didn't even bat an eye as he caught the bulky man's hands and twisted his hands in such a way that the dagger was facing him.

"What?! No! You can't be this strong!" The bulky man panicked as he saw this demon making his dagger close in towards his own chest. But no matter how much strength he tried to use, the demon's hands weren't budging. All he could see was his cold look of contempt. No…it was as if he didn't even consider him a threat.

Asher simply pushed the dagger into the bulky man's chest and watched him fall to the ground with a shocked expression before bleeding to death.

"Ah! Don't hurt me!" The scrawny man was beyond horrified and began to run in the opposite direction. He accepted this Novice Level quest thinking that it was supposed to be a piece of cake but who knew a monster was hidden among these trash demons?

Asher saw the hunter band around the scrawny man's arm and felt vengeful as he threw the dagger in his hand right at his back.

*Sssptk!*

The dagger dug through the back of his neck and to the other side as the scrawny young man collapsed on the ground with blood flooding his mouth.

Asher was too distracted by what was going on to notice the bits of information popping up before his eyes.

[ Quest Completed ]

[ Rewards -> +4 Life Crystals/ +1 Talent Point ]

[ Rating Increased : 0 -> 15 ]

[ Next Level Up at Rating : 60 ]

Instead, he was looking around as he tried to make sense of things, especially the snowy environment. There was a small wooden building lying in shambles around him and two male demons lying dead on the ground, wearing some sort of armor.

He died in a mountain, but now he seemed to be in a totally different place. He thought he was still getting attacked by Hunters trying to kill him.

But he took a look at the two of them he had killed. They only had common-grade armor and weapons, which did not even deserve a glance from him.

"F ranked Hunters? No wonder…" Asher mumbled in a daze as he remembered how dumb the way they attacked him was.

He then slowly looked at his hands, only to be shocked by the pale gray color of his skin. It looked as pale as a corpse. Even his hands seemed a bit more elongated and larger than they should be.

He touched his face, his eyes, and his ears only to become even more bewildered. He had pointy ears, and his facial features didn't feel like how they should be. He had long, thick white hair that felt smooth to the touch and was dancing in the air. When did he have such long hair of such peculiar color? This was definitely not his face nor his body, obviously!

He surely wasn't 6 8" tall, and he definitely had more muscles even though he could see lean muscles on this(his) body. But the most shocking part was that he was not in his human body!

He remembered what he saw in his stats and mumbled inwardly, 'I became a Night Elf? What kind of race is that…'

He was once a Hunter slaying demons to protect humanity, and ironically he became a demon now who just killed three Hunters. Yet he felt as if it came to him naturally.

He deduced that somehow after his death, he transmigrated into the body of a demon of a strange race named night elf, no matter how absurd it seemed. This also meant that he was probably in the Demon Realm now. No wonder the air and the dark environment around him seemed strange yet familiar to him.

Was this a dream, or was he given a second chance to punish those who wronged him?

He didn't want to believe the former and thought that all this was happening for a reason.

He felt that the Demon King probably had something to do with all this…at least, that was what his gut was telling him.

He thought he would be disappointed that he lost all his powers, but no…it didn't matter if he was just a level 1 now. All he needed was another chance. He had started from nothing when he was a human. Surely he can do it again.

'This is my second chance…I have to set things right,' Flames of vengeance were slowly spreading in his mind as he thought about the cruel betrayal he faced, especially from the WHA, his own team, and ex-girlfriend.

'I will make you all pay…'

Chapter 5: Married?

Asher realized he was getting ahead of himself since he hadn't even figured out his current situation.

He didn't care who his current body belonged to or how the previous person ended up dying. All he cared about was moving forward and finding out more about this demon realm he was in. He had only visited demon realms through the gates that appeared on Earth, but he never stood for too long to explore them since the gates would always close quickly once the quest was complete.

Those who accidentally got left behind never came back, and Asher didn't even have to guess what happened to them.

But now that he was a demon, he wasn't worried about blending in, but his ignorance about life in the demon realm could make him end up in trouble.

Still, right when he was trying his best to not feel disappointed, he noticed something he had glossed over before,

[ MP - 0 / 0 ]

'What the fuck does this mean? I am manaless? How is this possible?' Asher was devastated and realized that he couldn't really sense any mana in his body. Then didn't this mean that he was doomed despite getting a second chance? Without mana, how could he possibly dream of getting stronger? Without mana, one cannot evolve their body to the next level.

"There he is!"

Asher was distracted from his thoughts when he heard multiple footsteps and voices from behind. He quickly turned around with a wary expression, only to see multiple demon men with green skin, pointy nose and sharp teeth. He recognized them as goblins, though these didn't seem to be the less intelligent types. Goblins were usually considered as low level demons but even among them, a small fraction of them were stronger and intelligent ones.

They were wearing armor and had weapons with them as well. As if by instinct, Asher was prepared to fight them since situations like this were what he had experienced for most of his life.

His whole life, he had slayed demons, and the instinct to kill them had been ingrained in his bones.

However, now he didn't know exactly why, but he wasn't feeling any repulsion or anger towards these goblins as a whole. This was something he realized he had lost after being reborn as a demon.

As a Hunter in his previous life, he had loathed demons since whenever they arrived on Earth through the gates, they would kill, destroy, pillage and commit all sorts of evil to indulge themselves.

He had lost a lot of dear ones to them, which in turn motivated him to become the strongest Hunter. But now, that hatred that had motivated him in his past life was strangely absent. He wondered if it was because he became the very thing he once used to hate.

He decided to play it safe and was about to ask something when one of them said, "Phew, we panicked for nothing."

"I told you guys. There is no way this blockhead could get that far on his own. The Royal Consort is crippled in the head as well, after all."

"Tsk, are you blind? Look at all the blood and the bodies around here. There was definitely a battle here, but how come our Royal Consort seems alright without a scratch? His servants are all dead. Was it the Hunters? I heard that a gate opened somewhere around here."

'Eh? What nonsense are these guys spewing?' Asher was bewildered by what he was hearing. At first, he thought that they might have mistaken him, but then he felt that it didn't make sense. These guys definitely knew whom they were talking to.

"What's going on?" Asher finally asked since he wanted to get some control of this weird situation.

All five men raised their faces with expressions of shock and disbelief as if they couldn't believe what they had just heard. Their reactions only confused Asher even more when one of the men mumbled in a surprised tone, "The Royal Consort can speak?"

"What the…So I didn't imagine that?"

"We should let Her Majesty know!"

'Eh? Royal Consort?' Asher couldn't wrap his mind around what they were mumbling. And hearing how they addressed him as 'Royal Consort' meant that he was the husband of a demon queen! Did the Demon King's daughter already succeed his throne so fast?

How could a level 1 with no mana like him have such a status? What kind of person did this body exactly belong to before?

And seeing how surprised they were after he spoke made him wonder if the previous owner of this body never spoke. Was he mute or something? No...they mentioned he was crippled in the head? Did they mean he was mentally retarded before?

"Please, Your Highness. Come with us. We will get you to safety," The men hurriedly said as Asher followed them since they didn't seem like they were kidding. It was better to play along and learn more about his situation.

On the way, Asher asked the guard walking beside him, "Tell me what you know about me."

All five men exchanged surprised glances. It seemed as if they were still not used to hearing him speak or act like this.

"Ahem, Your Highness, I don't know if you remember everything that happened in your life, nor do I know if the rumors are true but based on them, it was said that you were born without the ability to think or act. And even after growing up, things never changed," The guard said while his fellow guards observed the expression of their Royal Consort.

'So the previous guy was really born mentally disabled? As if being manaless wasn't enough,' Asher mused and could only imagine how such a life must have sucked. He remembered the strange visions or memories he saw right after he had died. Now he realized that those memories belonged to this body. But these memories were still vague and blurry.

He also noticed that even these guards considered him pitiful based on their attitude and words.

Before he spoke to them, they were even talking casually around him, but now that they realized he was no longer mentally disabled, they were careful with their words, even though it was only because of his status that he was still finding it hard to believe.

Killing the Demon King still felt like yesterday, and today he was already married to the Demon Queen. What kind of joke was that?

"What about the Demon King? What happened to him?" Asher asked since he felt all this was a bit weird.

The guards again had looks of surprise as the one walking beside Asher answered with a baffled look, "Your Highness…our Demon King, unfortunately, died a year ago."

"Yes. It was all because of those fucking Hunters! They killed our king and continue to enjoy their petty lives," Another guard said with a look of remorse and seemed to have been a loyal servant of the late Demon King.

"How unfair. If only we had the strength to kill those powerful Hunters, we would have already taken up any such quests and wrecked their ugly homes. Unfortunately, we are too weak to do anything," Another guard lamented.

'An entire year passed after I died? What the fuck…' Asher didn't know how to react after realizing this fact since the memory of him being betrayed by everyone he knew was still fresh in his mind.

"Then what happened after that? Who ascended the throne?" Asher asked with squinted eyes, having two guesses in his mind about who the successor was.

Chapter 6: The Battlemaster...Right Hand Of The Queen

"Of course…his daughter, the demon princess, sorry, I mean the Demon Queen, ascended the throne right after," The guard answered, though when he mentioned the words 'Demon Queen', a glint of fear crossed his eyes.

"Then when did I become the Royal Consort?" Asher asked with a narrowed gaze.

"Uhhh…actually, Your Highness was already engaged to our queen for a very long time, and the marriage happened right before the late Demon King left for his final quest. We don't know why but the Demon King had taken Your Highness at a very young age, planning to wed you to his daughter once the time comes," The guard explained while still finding it surprising and puzzling, wondering why the late Demon King would wed his precious daughter to a retard with no power at all.

Even now, after he seemed to have gained intelligence, he was no stronger than a commoner.

Asher became silent as he deeply thought about what the guard had said. Based on his words, the Demon King surely knew something he didn't. Otherwise, all the decisions he took just don't make sense.

And based on how the guards were discussing the Demon King and his daughter, it seemed that the two of them shared a strong father-daughter bond which would then rule out the fact that he forced his daughter to marry him out of spite or something.

"There you are! Why were you all taking so much time to bring him back?" A frustrated shout of a woman echoed in the area as Asher looked up after pushing away his thoughts.

He saw a tall woman with red skin and big glimmering dark blue eyes that seemed quite eye-catching. She had long dark red hair with bangs, long yet thin eyebrows, and luscious dark red lips. And on her head, there was a band from which two dark red horns were extending towards the sides.

She was wearing a revealing dark silver breastplate that showed off her upper bountiful breasts while her well-built six-pack abs were completely visible along with the rest of her flat stomach.

Her arms had metallic red vambraces, and the dark silver chausses covered most part of her legs. Still, it revealed a glimpse of her silky upper thighs and added to her overall seductive yet intimidating charm.

Most men would drool after seeing her hourglass figure, but if they saw the piercing look in her dark blue eyes, they would think twice before looking at her again. Her face was pretty enough to stand out even among other beautiful women, yet her intimidating expression and the aura she was giving off would make people look at her in a careful way.

Asher could tell that she was a high-ranked demon and seemed quite strong, too, just based on her disposition.

And quite scary, apparently, after he saw the guards beside him bow their backs fully as they profusely apologized, "F-Forgive us, Battlemaster! W-We were searching everywhere we could to find His Majesty. And there is also good news!" One of the guards quickly stepped forward and whispered something to her, making her squint her eyes as she looked at Ash with a doubtful look.

She motioned with her hand to stand aside and asked Ash in a stern voice, "Do you know your name, Your Highness?"

"Of course I do. But what is your name?" Asher asked with his hands behind his back. He didn't know why but he could sense some hostility from her toward him. He decided to first play along and find out more about his situation.

Her eyebrows raised as if in disbelief, "He can really speak? How come this became suddenly possible? Do you remember anything, Your Highness? No…since you don't know my name, you must be ignorant about everything."

She looked at the guards and said, "All of you get ready to leave and write me a full detailed report of what happened and whatever you saw. I need it on my table within 2 hours. Now, get out of my sight."

The guards bowed in fear as they scurried off before they accidentally infuriated her.

Asher noticed that this woman must be quite a frightening figure in the demon kingdom.

She turned towards Ash and said, "And you, you can call me Lady Ceti, and I am the Battlemaster, or since you can't understand what that means, I am the right-hand woman of Her Majesty. Now, follow me."

'The right-hand woman? No wonder she seems so overbearing,' Asher realized some things as he silently followed her towards a carriage drawn by red-eyed demon horses. She addressed him casually right after the guards left, making him realize that despite his official status, he held no power or respect. But that was something he expected, considering what he was before.

Still, that didn't mean that he would let this woman keep looking down on him forever. After everything that happened, he had hardened his heart to make sure that no matter who or what, they all would fall before him as long as he could destroy those who tried to destroy him.

Asher got into the carriage along with Ceti, who sat opposite him. And right when they took off, she kicked his leg with her feet and said, "Hey! Stop daydreaming and listen since you have no idea who the hell you are."

Asher took a deep breath, feeling insulted by getting kicked, but he suppressed his anger since he still didn't have a full idea of his situation. As a veteran Hunter in his past life, he knew not to let his emotions get the best of him.

He also didn't know much about the Demon Realm since nobody stayed in this realm too long to learn anything. And those who did never came back and were considered dead for obvious reasons.

All he knew was that centuries ago, the first Hunters were born when some light from the skies struck certain humans around the world. After that, all of them started receiving certain "quests" in their minds which warned them of the demons that were going to attack their world.

And those who successfully completed their quests would receive rewards that allowed them to surpass their human limits and become something more. Everyone thought that it was the gods who came to their rescue by creating "heroes" among them to ward off the demons at the right time. But in the present era, the World Hunter Association seemed sure of the fact that it was angels who gave humans a chance to protect their world.

This only made Asher more curious about the demon realm since he could find out more about the enemies he had been fighting for most of his life. But, of course, his priority was still the vow he made to himself after transmigrating.

Ceti didn't like how Ash was looking at her. She felt as if he was looking at something beneath him, but she then thought that it was all her imagination, considering how clueless he must be.

"The guards told me that they already briefly told you who you are but don't misunderstand your status just because you are the husband of our queen in name. You better keep your head low and exist as if you don't exist, just like before. Then everything will go on peacefully. Just don't cause a nuisance for our queen. This is my fair warning to you. Otherwise, you will see my face more often. And trust me…you don't want to," Ceti said in a sharp tone.