บท 3: Cause and Death
[Where is the Demon King?]
In this popular novel I've written, I was surprisingly experiencing one of the most violent events I've written as a part of it.
To be exact, I was trapped in that world of a novel I had written, in a strange role… a victim.
Without a doubt, being reincarnated or getting a second chance by switching consciousness with a character from another universe was the dream that a reader and an author could not fail to have.
Getting lost between the lines of describing a battle or the world someone liked was a normal thing to happen to a person.
It was gratifying to happen for both parties — the author and the reader.
However, even though I also had this pent-up urge inside me, I didn't even dare to thank the entity behind it.
To begin with, all I was going through in those times was a method of penance.
In this case, a torture process or something for me to atone for my sins…
''Huff…Huff!'' Panting, I kept running.
I looked around, perplexed.
Strange letters in a language I didn't recognize were carved into the walls above each entrance to the Demon King's countless rooms.
However, impressively, I was able to read them with no problem.
OK. This was common in scenarios like this, in which the author found himself trapped within his own work, making him able to understand things more easily.
But while this was a common scenario, it still felt uncomfortable.
Maybe because I was experiencing it myself rather than just documenting it in a chapter of some of my work.
Many would find it amazing, but you wouldn't know what it felt like to be able to suddenly read unfamiliar letters until you experienced it for yourself.
Was this the effect of my so-called "Sixth Sense from Beyond" ability or something the contract from hell had granted me too?
I didn't know, so I kept moving forward hesitantly.
I passed several large rooms, including the kitchen, the exquisitely decorated mess hall, the armory filled with weapons, the storehouse for magical items of great value, the alchemy laboratory, the prison, and the place where the escort animals were housed.
''Shit.''
I had already lost count of how many times I had desperately tried to find a safe place to take shelter.
Of course, it was obvious that there were no signs pointing to a secret passage or anything like that.
I mean, it would have been weird if they put something like that on display for anyone to see, but couldn't they at least mark it as an emergency exit in situations like this?
I must say, there were a lot of weird inconsistencies like being able to read a language I had never heard of before, but that couldn't be avoided now.
I needed to concentrate, try to remember something useful I'd written about this place.
However, naturally, the layout of the Demon King's castle, which never appeared again after the Prologue – as he literally DIED here – didn't magically appear in my goddamn head!
Shit!
Why the hell couldn't I be like a clichéd protagonist of those famous stories from my past life?
In these other possession stories, when a writer or avid reader entered the world of the book, they knew immediately what to look for.
I had written something like this once, but now that I was experiencing it first hand, it just seemed ridiculous!
What ordinary human being, used to a peaceful world and its modern perks, would be able to think so fast when being taken to another world?
It didn't make any sense, if you stopped to think about it.
''What should I do?'' I asked, stroking my temples.
I didn't have a single clue about these things, even though I wrote the original manuscript of the story that was unfolding on this planet.
First of all, to be honest, I never thought of things like that.
Why should I waste time describing or imagining places that weren't part of the main stage? — that would only be a waste of my time!
However, let's be honest here, I was pretty sure I wouldn't remember the full layout even if I set it up correctly from floor to ceiling.
I looked down and analyzed my clothes.
At first, even the things I was wearing were just fancy clothes that the demonic royal family wore, with not a single special magic item for me to wear.
In short, in the middle of a war, I was the only unarmed idiot.
— Kapong! Klaang! Kong!
I needed to at least find some room to shelter in the meantime, right?
It would probably be the most logical and reasonable decision I could make right now.
The problem, you ask me? Well, this place was as complex as a vast labyrinth.
''Bloody place.''
I didn't know if I would ever find a way out, but in this situation I had no other choice but to wander around this castle even though I had the title of Prince of the Demon Realm.
Certainly, in the eyes of the Eclipse Alliance — a sort of association that the heroes and protagonists were a part of — I was a worthy target that carried with it a phenomenal reward.
In other words, at this very moment, with this weak body and no tools to defend myself, I was nothing more than a sack of gold capable of enriching anyone who found me wandering those areas.
OK. calm down.
Everything will be fine as long as you keep your wits about you.
I need to think more deeply.
I mean, I really didn't know what I expected to happen, but I had to at least force myself to think some more.
''I need to make a plan. Yeah, that's it.'' I stated, shaking my head up and down.
First of all, there was no way to figure out the structure of the Demon King's castle right now, no matter how long I thought about it, as I didn't even know it to begin with.
This place shouldn't even be as vast as it is now, based on the surface settings I'd used to describe it in the source material.
Besides, I couldn't count on any help now.
We were in the middle of a fight for the life or death of an entire people.
I didn't even see any of my loyal subordinates, or anything similar, that could help me or tell me where to go in the face of this chaotic situation.
However, as a prince, shouldn't there be someone like that glued to my side?
In stories like the one I'm in, they should be characters who provide common sense explanations of the world and the current situation without being asked to do so.
In war scenarios, they were recurrent.
It was something like, "Oh, this is this and that is that, but in this situation, this is where you… Blah, blah and more blah!"
And then, at the author's will, they would either die soon after fulfilling their unfortunate role as infodumpers or become my advisers.
''It's a pity I don't have someone like that.''
I couldn't tell if it was due to the war or if it was because I was the writer of this novel, making the Reapers think I didn't need someone like that.
Anyway, clearly, I couldn't count on that support.
OK. At least I could say two things now:
1 – That mission was more complicated than it looked. Staying alive was hard enough now, let alone surviving the onslaught that will unfold after the barriers come down.
2 – The Demon King will die in today's battle.
Well, both were partly my fault.
I didn't know if there was a genre for it, but I tried to write this novel in the style of a post-final story.
A kind of epilogue.
A relatively happy world after the supposed "main story" came to an end.
The part where everyone would live happily ever after, after defeating the threat of the Demon King.
The world after the story of the legendary heroes' journey to defeat the cruel Demon King come to its conclusion after the death of the abysmal and violent being.
This was basically the scenario for [Where is the Demon King?].
''At the very least, the hero and his group, who are the protagonists of the original imaginary story, must die here as well.''
Basically, they'd be one less problem in my path if everything went according to plan.
So, with their deaths, the only way they were mentioned in history was when they were praised as the heroes who saved the world from calamity.
Except in the Prologue, they had no crucial appearances.
There was no other way, I had to come up with something. Some plan based on my prior knowledge.
I had to find a way to survive that catastrophe.
''It's not like I would be shaken by the Demon King's death. He is not truly my father, only the father of this body."
I mean, if it had been a day earlier, I could have done something to increase his chances of survival, but the original story planning was already underway.
It was too dangerous to intervene now.
It was obvious that I needed someone to guide me, but I couldn't see a single hair's glimmer of anyone alive in those huge hallways.
It was likely that they might already be dead or trapped in battle with human forces trying to surround the castle from the outside.
At the very least, the group of heroes that infiltrated the castle's basement should be fighting the Demon King in the audience hall.
I didn't need to worry about them for now.
My plan was to find a way to escape through some underground passage, but I didn't even know where the entrance was.
The hero knew this Castle better than I, the Demon Prince!
What a mediocre situation this was...
— Baaam! Drummm! Draaam!
The sounds coming from the main stage were truly terrifying.
It was lucky I wasn't there to witness it.
After the Demon King died, the castle would finally fall at once.
The strong magical barriers that were supported by the Demon King's Mana had crumbled, and human soldiers would rush here like waves surging in the sea.
Survivors of the enemy faction, myself included, would be slaughtered unilaterally.
''Hunf.''
I smoothed my head uncomfortably.
I couldn't look in the mirror, but I could feel a pair of horns on my head.
It wasn't like he knew how different I looked from humans, but that alone was enough to reveal that I was a demon.
So how could I survive in a situation like this?
Like, no matter how much anyone knew about the future, if she went back in time right when she was about to get hit by a truck, right?
It was a good analogy.
And to make matters worse, I had discovered that I had died a short time ago, but here I was, about to die again.
''Ah… Aah… Ah…''
I was already out of breath, because I ran around the castle not knowing where I was.
Was there nothing special about the Demon King's bloodline?
Or was it because I was too young?
''No. None of those options…'' I said, panting. ''This body is just too weak…''
It was strange to think that I was 17 years old and had as weak a stamina as that.
This body was supposed to be in the prime of youth.
Frankly, it made me question even more as to the talents and advantages that that blood brought with it, but for now it's clearly useless.
Right. Let's calm down for now.
First, the horns.
The horns on my head were a serious problem and I needed to get rid of them ASAP.
If someone from the human army caught me like this, I should be grateful if they just silently cut my head off.
Honestly, with all the demons had done, there was a good chance they would do even worse.
Unimaginably excruciating torture would be just the beginning.
Hmm..
If I knew how to use magic, maybe I could have changed my appearance with magic — wasn't my Magic Power potential ''SS''?
Wait…
''Huh!'' I had a sudden epiphany. ''That place! How could I let it go unnoticed?''
I stopped running and quickly turned around, running in the opposite direction.
Magic.
This branch and its methods could be surprisingly simple. So simple that you could call it ridiculous in some ways.
That was why it was so convenient for me, right now.
''Must be in that direction…''
Although I had no idea about the detailed layout of the Demon King's castle, I definitely remembered the places I passed by.
Still, I didn't know what was in these rooms or what I could do in them.
However, in one of those places I passed by, there might be something that could somehow save me.
—- Kabang!
The tremors were starting to subside. It looked like the fighting had stopped for a while.
Shit.
If the Demon King dies, the castle will, ironically, instantly become hell itself and I will be doomed for good.
There is no more time to waste.
''Come on!''
*****
''It's here.''
The place I entered was the magic item storage.
I had no idea what was there, but there had to be something in that place that could help me.
At least, so I hoped. It was my last shot.
I quickly looked around.
There were a lot of magic items floating around there, but they weren't things I wanted.
I moved forward without looking back.
I went to the scroll store where the magic scrolls were piled up to the ceiling.
On the wall, the note indicated that there were a few missing, but luckily it looked like there were plenty of scrolls for me to choose from.
OK. The only thing I was looking for was nothing less than a teleportation scroll.
Getting out of this place somehow was my number one priority right now.
Thinking about how I would get rid of the horns might come later—outside alchemy could certainly help me with that.
I mean, I wasn't sure what I would do next, but that was something to think about after I got out of here alive, right?
I looked to the side. A list of items was left on a table and I read it.
[Ice Blow]
[Absolute Zero]
[Blizzard]
[Flaming Storm]
There was an extensive scroll cabinet that was apparently full of powerful magic scrolls, but now it was empty.
It was a pity not to have a useful scroll to defend myself, but there was nothing to be done now.
''Fuuu...''
As a writer, there were a lot of things in the world that I wasn't informed about, but I knew about common sense and the general worldview of this planet.
The discrepancies couldn't bother me so much now, I figured.
First, the scrolls.
Scrolls that made casting spells easier were sinfully expensive and difficult to make.
Scrolls containing such powerful attack magic were being treated as powerful strategic weapons by modern standards.
For me they were crucial, as they could even be used by those who didn't know how to use magic, simply by opening them and making their willingness to use them explicit.
So obviously they were worth the fortune they cost to make.
However, as if fate were sabotaging me, currently, the magic scroll locker that contained these mighty magic scrolls was basically empty.
I narrowed my eyes, but there was nothing but a thick layer of white dust.
We were in the state of an all-out war, it made sense that the soldiers would have taken everything they could with them.
The problem here was if they had taken all the teleportation scrolls with them.
It was definitely a possibility.
''Please be here…''
I rummaged through the huge storeroom of parchments and examined countless pieces of paper on the shelves.
Most of the attack scrolls were taken out, but the storage was still overflowing with other items that had been left behind.
One notable thing was that many subtype spells were left behind such as charm, illusion and etc.
Obviously, however, teleportation was one of the highest level magic spells in this world.
It wouldn't make sense for me to let such an immoral setup be easily accessible.
For starters, teleportation scrolls weren't common, but this was the Demon King's refuge himself, so I was getting my hopes up on that.
''Jackpot! I found it!''
Among the pile of countless aged and dust-covered parchments, I finally found it.
[Teleport] – labeled on the outside.
I looked at him blankly. I really didn't know where to go.
Whatever! I'll think about where to go after I open the scroll and cast the spell.
After all, as long as it wasn't this place, I was fine in any other region.
My desperation was such that even somewhere in the human realm it was fine with me.
That's why I opened the parchment quickly, breaking the paper seal.
''Here we go..''
I waited…
Nothing happened. A holographic system window popped up before my eyes.
[An illegal action was detected.]
[The "To Survive" event is still active! The barrier's still on.]
[Teleportation is prohibited in this area.]
I had forgotten one crucial factor.
The barrier made it impossible to use space-related skills or magic that moved through the space within it.
Even though the Demon King was dead, was the barrier that interrupted space travel still active?
''Well, if that weren't the case, the heroes would have just teleported and not used a decrepit secret passage.'' I tried to justify my rough and thoughtless writing.
The heroes didn't need to teleport, they just entered the Demon King's castle through a secret passage.
Wasn't it obvious? If they could teleport, why would they use a dirty, crumbling secret passageway?
Shit.
If I had thought of something like that while I was still alive on Earth, I wouldn't have been punished like that in this life.
''I don't know about warp gates, but teleportation scrolls are out of the question.''
There could certainly be such a gate somewhere, but even if there were, I wouldn't know where it was and would have to venture through the Castle once more.
It was a huge risk.
— AAAAAAAAHH!
Guttural screams began to echo in the distance.
The human army must be pushing the demon army back now that the morale of this realm's soldiers had fallen to the bottom like raindrops on a city.
My eyes roamed the vast hall.
If I had some offensive magic scrolls here, I would have tried to buy time with them.
However, there were only magical auxiliary scrolls, which had no use in war, here.
I was the Prince of the Demon Realm, but I ended up being a powerless loser dog.
Furthermore, the fancy clothes I wore on my body were just to show that I was the main character of the Demon Realm...
''I'll have to risk it...'' I sighed deeply.
I didn't know if this would work, but that was the only thing left for me to do now.
There might be other methods, but to survive, I had to gamble with my life anyway.
In this situation where I was completely surrounded and didn't know the location of the secret passage, I had only one objective. [To survive.]
I even thought it would be nice to have just a few extra scrolls with me, but I quickly discarded them and threw them away.
If I had something with me, it would be very suspicious and affect my plan as a whole.
To begin with, the magic spell I wanted to use was low level, but in my current situation, it was the most suitable spell to get me out of trouble.
One. Just one—a crucial spell that without it, my plan wouldn't even remotely work.
''Chameleon.'' I uttered, feeling a strange sensation electrify my body.
[Use of external magic detected!]
[The effects are not dangerous.]
[Casting Cloaking Magic.]
My plan was stupid but it would have to work. I had no option but to change my appearance.
So, in a trick I once saw in a movie, I would disguise myself as a human prisoner captured by the Demons.
For a second, I had a stupid thought and compared myself to a spy. There is! Pathetic.
[The process has been completed.]
Now there was only one step left. Hide convincingly.
Walking down towards the place where the [Prison] was, I smelled the rotting smell in my nose as I ripped my clothes as much as I could.
I left the jewelry and ornaments behind without a second thought.
''I hope everything goes well.''
From then on, I would depend on luck and nothing else.
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Quattr0 I hope you enjoyed! Remember to comment your thoughts and vote with your Power Stones, it will motivate me to pump more chapters! OBS: We will have more chapters later today, stay alert!
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