Chương 3: Cursed weather
The sky above was a swirling mess of dark clouds, and the rain poured down in relentless sheets, drenching Veyron to the bone. The forest path was a muddy quagmire, each step squelching underfoot, sucking him deeper into the muck.
"Damn this useless world!" Veyron shouted to the heavens, shaking his fist. "First, that prissy Goddess strips me of my powers, and now I'm forced to wade through this—"
SPLAT!
A particularly deep puddle swallowed his leg up to the knee, nearly sending him sprawling. He yanked his leg free with a disgusted grunt, mud splattering all over his tattered armor. "Oh, wonderful! Just perfect!" he seethed, wiping muck from his face. "I've gone from being the most feared demon lord to some filthy... swamp rat!"
[System Alert: Reminder, Host! Complaining does not increase your stats! ♥]
Veyron stopped in his tracks, veins bulging in his forehead as the annoyingly cheerful system screen popped into view again. "Oh, you think you're funny, do you?" he snarled. "I swear, if I had even a sliver of my old powers, I'd obliterate you into—"
[System Notice: Threats detected. Warning: Host cannot destroy system functionality. Please redirect your anger in a productive manner! ♥]
"Productive manner, my ass," Veyron muttered under his breath, trudging forward. The rain was coming down even harder now, drumming against the leaves like a thousand tiny hammers. His once-impressive demonic aura now barely flickered, reduced to a sad, sputtering wisp of energy that couldn't even keep him dry.
CRACK!
A deafening clap of thunder echoed through the forest, and Veyron jumped back just in time to avoid a massive tree branch that crashed down in front of him, nearly flattening him into demon paste.
He stared at the splintered wood with wide eyes, then slowly turned his gaze to the sky. "Oh, is that how it's going to be?!" he shouted. "Trying to take me out with branches now? Pathetic! You'll have to try harder than—"
THUD!
Mid-sentence, he slipped on a patch of wet leaves and went crashing to the ground, face-first into the mud. For a moment, he just lay there, utterly defeated, rain pooling in the crater his fall had made.
"Why... why am I still here?" he groaned, pushing himself up on his hands and knees. "Why am I—"
[System Hint: Host, perhaps it would be wise to find shelter. Extended exposure to the elements can cause illness, which will reduce your charm stat significantly! ♥]
Veyron's eye twitched, and he let out a frustrated growl. "Oh, now you're worried about my well-being? You useless pile of code—"
[System Notice: Host has earned the achievement: "Muddy Moron." Reward: None. Just the satisfaction of knowing you've hit rock bottom.]
Veyron's scream of rage echoed through the forest, startling a flock of birds from the trees. He was seething, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles cracked. "Fine! Shelter! I'll find shelter if it will shut you up!"
Trudging onward, the forest seemed to stretch endlessly before him, each step heavier than the last. The storm showed no sign of letting up, and he was starting to feel a chill seeping into his bones. I used to command legions... now I'm reduced to... this, he thought bitterly.
Just when he thought things couldn't get worse, he stepped into another puddle—only to realize it was much deeper than it looked. With a yelp, he sank in up to his waist, flailing to pull himself free.
[System Alert: Host has fallen into a "Stupidly Deep Puddle." Achievement Unlocked: "Wet and Angry." No reward. ♥]
"Enough with the achievements!" Veyron roared, wrenching himself free and sloshing through the mud. "How about an achievement for not strangling this idiotic system?!"
But as he stumbled out of the puddle and through the underbrush, he noticed a faint glow ahead. Lights—soft, golden, and warm—filtering through the trees. For the first time since he arrived, hope sparked in his eyes.
"A village," he muttered, a wicked grin spreading across his mud-streaked face. "Finally, somewhere civilized. And where there are people... there are women."
Ignoring his aching limbs and soaked clothes, Veyron pushed through the last of the dense foliage. As he stepped into a clearing, the sight before him was almost beautiful: a small village nestled at the edge of the forest, the soft glow of lanterns casting a welcoming light against the stormy night.
[System Notice: New Area Discovered: Rivenwood Village! Potential demi-humans detected.]
"Oh-ho, now we're talking," Veyron purred, brushing a hand through his wet hair to slick it back. "Let's see if this pathetic little backwater has anything worth my time."
But as he took a step forward, a massive gust of wind blew, sending his tattered cape flying over his head. He stumbled, tripping over his own feet, and went tumbling down a muddy slope, landing in a graceless heap at the village's edge.
The villagers stared at him with wide eyes as he lay there, soaked, muddy, and utterly defeated.
Veyron groaned, pushing himself up slowly. "This world... will pay for this humiliation," he muttered, before flashing a wicked grin at the nearest confused villager. "But first... let's see what kind of hospitality you can offer an exiled demon god."
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