บท 1: System
I shuffled down the crowded street, my eyes darting from one passerby to another. Horns, tails, scales—a sea of demonic features surrounded me. Despite my lack of scales or a tail, my own tiny red horns marked me as one of them. Just another face in the crowd of demons going about their day.
Yeah, you heard that right. I'm a demon. Not the soul-stealing, human-tricking kind you might be thinking of, though. Nah, we're just another race in this crazy world I've found myself reincarnated into. Wild, right?
As I weaved through the throng, I couldn't help but notice the mundane normalcy of it all. Demons munching on apples and oranges as they hurried to work. Others lazily strolling towards cafés, bread in hand. It was almost disappointingly... ordinary.
Me? I had my sights set on the old Ferland Grand Theatre. The humans had just released a new flick—"Rome Can't Be Touched" or something like that. Some historical drama starring that big shot actor, Lewis Light.
As the theatre came into view, I felt my eyebrows rise. The line for tickets snaked around the block, a writhing mass of horns and tails. Now this was unusual. I mean, I'm no stranger to the Ferland, but I'd never seen it this packed.
So there I stood, a demon among demons, waiting to get a glimpse into the world of humans. Funny how things turn out, isn't it?
The line crawled forward at a snail's pace. By the time I reached the ticket booth, I'd counted every crack in the sidewalk twice over. The old receptionist peered at me from behind thick glasses, his wrinkled hand outstretched for my I.D.
I couldn't help but chuckle as I pushed back my hood. "One ticket, please."
Recognition flickered in his rheumy eyes, and a smile creased his face. "Well, if it isn't young Prince Arthur! Our most loyal patron." He rummaged around for a moment before sliding a ticket across the counter. "This one's on the house, Your Highness. I know you've been itching to see this film."
I blinked, taken aback. "Seriously?"
He winked, his grin widening. "Of course! I own this theatre, remember? Wouldn't joke about free tickets."
"Thanks," I managed, genuinely touched by the gesture. But my warm fuzzy feelings didn't last long. The grumbling from the queue behind me saw to that.
"Ugh, look at the old man sucking up to the useless prince."
"Yeah, most worthless royal in history. Why even bother with him?"
"Nothing like his brothers, is he? Just trash. All he does is drool over human films and books. Total failure."
I had to stifle a laugh. They sounded just like my parents. At least I was consistent in disappointing everyone.
The old guy's smile faltered; he'd clearly heard the comments too. He gave me a sympathetic nod, wordlessly urging me inside.
I shot him a grateful look and scurried into the theatre, leaving the muttering crowd behind. As the cool, popcorn-scented air washed over me, I couldn't help but grin. Let them talk. I had a date with ancient Rome, and nothing was going to spoil it.
Besides, being the family disappointment had its perks. No one expected anything from you, which meant you could do whatever the hell you wanted. And right now, what I wanted was to lose myself in a human story for a couple of hours.
As I settled into my seat, the lights dimmed, and the familiar excitement of a new film washed over me.
The screen flickered to life, and I leaned back, ready for whatever Rome had to throw at me.
As the opening credits rolled, I couldn't help but glance around the dimly lit theater. Demons packed most of the seats, their horns creating a sea of shadowy silhouettes. Here and there, I spotted the stocky forms of dwarves – a rare sight in these parts. Guess I wasn't the only one with a thing for human flicks.
The film, "Rome Can't Be Touched," was a adaptation of one of my favorite books, "Rome Will Conquer." I'd been itching to see how they'd bring it to life on the big screen.
As the story unfolded, I found myself getting sucked in. It followed this guy Nero – no, not the emperor, just some dude with the same name – born in 20 BS to some fancy Roman family. The usual story, you know? Kid learns to ride horses, swing a sword, all that jazz. But then he grows up and becomes Caesar's rival. Classic underdog tale.
Oh, right. I should probably explain the BS thing. It stands for "Before Solarus." See, back in the day, humans didn't have their big, powerful god. It was all old-school deities running the show.
Then bam! This Solarus faith pops up out of nowhere and suddenly it's all the rage with humans.
And get this – they start getting weirdly powerful.
I mean, before Solarus came along, humans were basically demon chow. Sure, they had their little empires and whatnot, but compared to demons? Please.
As the film rolled on, I found my initial excitement waning. Don't get me wrong, Lewis Light was killing it as always, but the story? Not so much.
Halfway through, I was fighting the urge to groan out loud. Looks like the director decided to get "creative" with the adaptation. And by creative, I mean they butchered it. So much for staying true to the source material.
The grumbling from the other demons told me I wasn't alone in my disappointment. Great minds think alike, I guess – even if those minds belong to demons who'd probably love to see me fall flat on my face.
I shook my head, a sigh escaping my lips. What a letdown. If I ever got the chance to make a film, I'd never pull this kind of stunt. Stick to the story, people. Is that so hard?
And then, out of nowhere:
[Ding!]
[You have awakened the Entertainment System]
Wait, what?
I blinked, staring at the transparent interface that had just popped up in front of me. Glancing at the demon next to me, I tried to gauge if I was the only one seeing this weird floaty menu thing.
The demon caught me looking and shot me a disgusted glare that clearly said, "Stop being weird, you freak."
Right. So I'm either going crazy, or this is some kind of personal hallucination. Fantastic.
Unable to focus on the trainwreck of a movie anymore, I decided to bail. As I shuffled past annoyed demons (sorry, not sorry), my mind was racing. An Entertainment System? What the hell did that even mean?
"Leaving already, Your Highness?"
I turned to see the old guy at the ticket booth, eyeing me curiously.
"Yeah," I shrugged, trying to act normal while a freaking magical menu hovered in my vision. "Film's not up to snuff."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "What can we expect from dumb humans, eh?"
I forced a laugh and nodded, not really in the mood to defend human creativity at the moment. My mind was too busy trying to process whatever the hell was going on with this "system."
As I strode away from the theater, I stroked my chin, eyeing the interface warily. An Entertainment System, huh? Was this some kind of cosmic joke? Or had I finally cracked under the pressure of being the family disappointment?
Either way, one thing was clear: my boring day had just gotten a whole lot more interesting. And potentially more insane. But hey, when you're a demon prince who'd rather watch human flicks than learn the finer points of soul-crushing, what's a little madness between friends?
Now, if I could just figure out how to use this thing without looking like I was swatting at invisible flies...
บท 2: First Mission
Now, if I could just figure out how to use this thing without looking like I was swatting at invisible flies...
I glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then tentatively reached out to touch the floating interface. To my surprise, my finger actually made contact with... something. It wasn't solid, more like a tingle of energy.
Suddenly, a new notification popped up:
[First Mission: Make your first ever film that will be a box office success.]
[Reward: Computer Technologies]
I nearly tripped over my own feet. Computer Technologies? As in, the stuff of my previous life? My mind started racing with possibilities. Programming, video games, and who knows what else?
It was like being offered the holy grail of entertainment. And all I had to do was make a successful film? Ha! Piece of cake. I mean, how hard could it be, right?
...Right?
As I walked down the bustling demon-filled street, my excitement was tempered by the reality around me. Sure, we'd entered the industrial age, but let's face it – our entertainment scene was about as exciting as watching paint dry on a hellhound.
Don't get me wrong, the books and films we had were keeping me from losing my mind completely. But if I'm being honest? I was bored out of my skull most of the time. There's only so many times you can read "101 Ways to Terrorize a Human" before it gets old.
But now? Now I had a chance to shake things up. To make this world a little less dull, a little more... fun.
I couldn't help but grin. Me, the family disappointment, the demon who couldn't even summon a decent fireball – I was going to revolutionize entertainment in this world.
Of course, there was the small matter of actually making a film. And making it successful. Oh, and doing it all without anyone finding out about my magical floating computer buddy.
No pressure or anything.
But as I looked around at the same old dreary demon world, with its predictable chaos and mind-numbing "evil" routines, I felt a spark of determination. This world needed a shake-up, and I was just the demon to do it.
Now, if I could just figure out where to get a camera in a world that thinks "moving pictures" means portraits that occasionally blink...
This was going to be interesting. And by interesting, I mean probably a complete disaster. But hey, at least it wouldn't be boring.
First things first, though. I needed cash. Cold, hard demon dollars to fund this crazy film project of mine.
I had about 10,000 dollars squirreled away in savings. Now, before you start laughing, let me put that in perspective. In my previous life that would be like 100,000 bucks. Not too shabby, right?
...Except when you compare it to my siblings' savings. Then it's about as impressive as a imp's fireball. But who cares? For once, I had an advantage. Sure, it was a weird, possibly hallucination-induced advantage, but I'll take what I can get.
As I trudged towards Ferland Bank, my mind was buzzing with film ideas. What could I make on a shoestring budget that would still knock demons' socks off?
I thought back to some classic low-budget hits from my previous life. "Night of the Living Dead"? Nah, demons would think it's a comedy. "The Blair Witch Project"? Please, that's like a typical Tuesday in the demon realm. "Clerks"? Hmm... that could work if I replaced the convenience store with a soul-trading post...
But first, I needed to get my hands on a decent camera. And not just any camera – a color one. I'd been tinkering with camera tech for a while now. See, while I'm about as magically gifted as a potato, I've got a knack for mechanics. Go figure.
I even tried praying to the dwarven god of craftsmanship once. Fat lot of good that did. Turns out, demon prayers don't exactly zoom to the top of their priority list.
Finally, I reached Ferland Bank. As I walked in, the smell of brimstone and old money hit me like a wall. Ah, the sweet aroma of capitalism, demon-style.
"I'd like to withdraw my entire savings," I told the teller, trying to sound princely and not at all like I was about to blow it all on a harebrained scheme.
The teller's eyes bugged out so far I thought they might pop out of her skull. Which, you know, isn't entirely impossible for some demon subspecies. She scurried off to get the manager faster than a human running from a hellhound.
The manager appeared, all oily smiles and obsequious bows. "Prince Arthur! What an... unexpected pleasure. We just need to verify your identity. Standard procedure, you understand."
Yeah, standard procedure my horns. But I plastered on my best "I'm-a-prince-don't-question-me" smile and went along with it. Signatures were scribbled, identities confirmed, and finally, I had my cash.
As I walked out, I could practically hear the whispers. "There goes the worthless prince, probably off to waste his money on more human nonsense."
If they only knew. I was about to create something this realm had never seen before. A cinematic masterpiece. Or a complete train wreck. Either way, it was going to be one hell of a show.
With my newly acquired funds burning a hole in my pocket, I set my sights on the center district. If there was a decent camera to be found in this realm, that's where it'd be.
I shuffled over to the nearest bus stop, trying not to look like I was carrying enough cash to buy a small hellhound farm. A few minutes later, a bus that had definitely seen better days (probably in the last century) screeched to a halt in front of me. I climbed aboard, the smell of brimstone and regret hitting me like a wall.
As I plopped down on a seat that was more spring than cushion, I could feel the weight of demonic stares boring into me. Great. Just what I needed – an audience.
Part of me wanted to stand up and announce, "Yes, it's me, your favorite trashy demon prince! Please, hold your applause." But even I'm not that self-deprecating. Instead, I just sank lower in my seat and pretended to be fascinated by the graffiti on the window. "Humans suck" – how original.
After what felt like an eternity, we finally reached the center district. I practically leapt off the bus, grateful to escape the silent judgment of my fellow passengers.
As I approached the electronics market, a wall of noise hit me. For a place selling cutting-edge tech, it sounded more like a medieval bazaar than a Best Buy. But that's demon commerce for you — why have a quiet, orderly shopping experience when you can have chaos and haggling?
The market sprawled out before me, a maze of stalls mostly run by dwarves.
And the noise? By all that's unholy, it was deafening. They were shouting, bargaining, and occasionally threatening customers with well-crafted hammers, and was that... was that a chicken? In an electronics market?
I wove through the crowd, dodging elbows and the occasional fireball (someone haggling over prices, no doubt). The cacophony was enough to give even a demon a headache.
As I weaved through the chaos of the market, a familiar face popped into my mind. George, my dwarf buddy. We'd spent countless hours tinkering with gadgets together, though most of our experiments ended with a bang. Literally. The guy had a talent for making things go boom.
Still, he might know where to find a decent camera. Or at least point me in the direction of someone who wouldn't try to sell me a cardboard box with "CAMRA" scribbled on it.
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