1 I Am The Chosen Devil  

In the real world, in a certain economic zone of the Heavenly Empire, inside a certain apartment building.

A slightly unkempt man with dark circles under his eyes was sitting in front of a computer, his black pupils moving back and forth with the images playing on the screen.

"This is outrageous! Ace died like this! Damn Red Dog and Blackbeard! If it weren't for you, Ace wouldn't have died!"

The man watched another man's death scene on the screen, angrily slamming his soda on the table, though it was a light slam.

The scene playing on the screen was from one of the four masterpieces that once swept the entire ACG world, "One Piece"!

At this moment, the scene playing in One Piece was Ace blocking Akainu's punch for Luffy during the Summit War.

"This is outrageous! If only I could travel to 'One Piece'! I would never let Ace die, and I would make Red Dog and Blackbeard pay!"

The man looked at the slowly falling figure of Ace on the screen, shouting towards the computer screen with sorrow and anger, tears welling up in his eyes, a "manly tear"!

The man's name is Zavia, a hardcore anime lover, also known as an otaku, or chuunibyou, who likes Devil May Cry, self-proclaimed "Devil Hunter V", because he especially likes the character Vergil.

"Zavia" was not his real name, but one he gave himself.

Zavia had his own name, but he didn't acknowledge it, because of what happened to him when he was a child.

When Zavia was 8 years old, he witnessed a scene that he would never forget in his life—his father, holding a knife, stabbing his mother fiercely in the kitchen.

Zavia's father had a tendency for domestic violence, and it was severe. His mother had been silently enduring it all along.

Every time there was domestic violence, Zavia would always hear his father's angry shouts, followed by his mother's sobbing, but later on, his father would always apologize to his mother, promising not to do it again next time.

But every time he promised not to do it again, it was followed by another round of beatings and insults. Zavia's mother had once been beaten into the hospital.

Therefore, Zavia harbored extreme hatred towards his father, but ultimately it was just hatred; he dared not speak out.

Finally, one day, his mother, who had been silently enduring, could no longer take it, and she asked for a divorce from his father, giving all the money to his father and only asking for Zavia's custody.

That night, their argument was loud. Zavia, hiding outside the kitchen door, looked on with a terrified expression at everything that was happening inside the kitchen. However, with that one look, his mother disappeared from his life.

It was also that day that Zavia completely cut ties with his father; he left that home, that family that had caused him and his mother so much pain...

Zavia angrily watched the ugly face of Akainu on the screen, eating a few potato chips in his hand. He felt very angry and eager to rush into the world of pirates to kill Akainu.

Buzz——Buzz——

Suddenly, the phone next to the mouse rang, and Zavia picked it up to see that it was from his group of silly online friends. With just one look, he knew it was another mention of everyone.

Using the familiar unlock code, Zavia entered the chat group, and his right thumb and index finger skillfully swiped across the screen of the phone. In an instant, various messages entered his mind.

"Tsk, I thought it was something important, it's just Onmyoji drawing an SSR once? What's there to show off about? Geez!"

Zavia observed the contents of the phone, nothing more than a silly online friend playing Onmyoji, drawing an SSR with each draw, then going crazy boasting in the group. Do you think Zavia would be angry? Of course, he would be angry! This guy draws an SSR with each draw! He's freaking lucky!

But he pretended not to care, with a feeling of being sarcastic by others, Zavia clicked on the next episode of One Piece, deciding to restore his injured soul by watching anime.

After about two hours of watching, Zavia pressed the pause button, stretched lazily, and looked at the clock on the wall.

Hmm, it's already 2 a.m.

"Is it already this late?... Well, forget about cultivating immortality tonight. My hair has been falling out a bit lately, let's just wash up and go to bed."

Zavia tidied his somewhat messy hair, sounding a bit helpless. He had been cultivating immortality quite a bit lately, only a few weeks.

Just as Zavia was about to turn off the computer and get ready to go to bed, suddenly, a golden light emanated from the computer screen, filling the entire room.

"What... what's going on?!"

Zavia shielded his eyes with his hands to relieve the pain from the strong light, while feeling strongly shocked and puzzled by what was happening.

"Young man, congratulations, you are the chosen one."

"Who!?"

A voice full of majesty entered Zavia's ears, startling him.

"Who am I? Instead of me saying it, why don't you come and see me."

The voice said so, and then the golden light emitted an even stronger light, filling the entire room.

"Huh? What's going on?"

As the golden light slowly faded away, Zavia lowered his hands and opened his eyes, feeling a sense of astonishment at the scene before him.

Standing in front of him was a person, no, rather than saying standing, it was more like floating, because he had no feet, floating in front of Zavia like a ghost.

"Young man, congratulations on being chosen as the inheritor. From now on, you will travel to various worlds, constantly tempering yourself and..."

"What the HELL!!"

The figure... the man's half-raised finger slowly lowered, seeming to be displeased with Zavia interrupting him.

"Wait, wait, wait, inheritor? Various worlds? Tempering? Can you explain that to me? And why am I here? Or am I dead? Why?..."

Zavia seemed extremely shocked, asking questions at a speed that he would hardly achieve in his lifetime.

"Oh, so that's the question. Alright, listen to me."

Hearing Zavia's question, the man's displeasure on his face faded slightly, and he began to explain Zavia's questions, which made Zavia inwardly complain: Did you understand me speaking so fast?!

"In fact, this matter is not too complicated. Young man, I just said you were chosen, right? I know you are gradually accepting it in your heart now, because you like to imagine a lot of things. First of all, let me tell you here, what you have encountered is indeed what you most want to encounter, a reincarnation!

Then, about you being chosen, well, how should I put it, you were chosen, it's completely a coincidence."

"Ha!!?"

When the man said that Zavia's selection was a coincidence, Zavia couldn't help but be shocked. This sentence shattered all his fantasies just now, and he thought he was some kind of 'Child of the World', or some kind of rare genius once in a hundred years, but it turned out to be random!?

"Well, I know you're feeling a bit up and down right now, but the fact is, oh, well, alright, young man, you are the chosen one by the great ancient god, the demon lord. From now on, you will travel to various worlds to temper yourself, and then become the next demon lord!" The man sighed lightly, then resumed his authoritative tone and said to Zavia.

At this moment, Zavia's eyes were dull, feeling a bit unpleasant inside.

(Damn! Finally encountered something that no one else has encountered, thought it was the chosen one, but it turns out it's just random!... Oh well, let's just accept it. After all, it's something that others envy.)

Zavia quickly calmed his inner dissatisfaction and excitement, then put on a happy expression.

"Well then, where's my newbie gift? Since it's my first time traveling, shouldn't there be some kind of cheat or system or something?" Indeed, Zavia's true nature as a silly online friend was revealed in an instant.

"Well, you're right. This is the gift left by the demon lord for the inheritors, as you said, it's a newbie gift, but only this time. Take it, and by the way, this gift will be determined according to your preferences."

The man's hand produced a golden light cluster, after some explanation to Zavia, he handed the golden light cluster to him.

Zavia took the golden light cluster, and the moment his fingers touched the cluster, the golden light cluster instantly enlarged, enveloping Zavia's entire body. He only felt something entering his brain, itching, but the next moment, he was in extreme pain.

"Ah---------------!!"

Zavia fell to the ground with a thud, feeling excruciating pain all over his body, as if something was drilling into his bones, devouring something bit by bit.

"Hmph, it hurts, doesn't it? That's right, it should hurt. Being reborn is not as simple as you imagine, just a light shining down on you. Before that, you need to endure the pain of ten thousand ants gnawing at your heart. But rest assured, you won't die, why, because I'm here!"

The man crossed his arms, coldly laughing while comforting Zavia. Although it was comforting, it was more like teasing. In his eyes, everything was so natural.

(Damn it! Why is it so painful?! It wasn't this painful in those novels! I guess you really have to experience it firsthand to believe it.)

Zavia changed from kneeling to lying down, the light in his eyes gradually blurring, lying there motionless, clearly in great pain, but unable to feel his body.

"Hmm? Can't hold on anymore? Sigh, that's why I said it, the human body is too weak, well, since you've spoken, I'll help you."

The man sighed lightly, then a green light appeared in his hand, as he pushed his hand forward, the green light slowly entered Zavia's body.

Instantly, Zavia felt the pain lessen considerably, the light in his eyes gradually returning, his breathing also gradually returning, although not much, but much better than before.

After about half an hour, the golden light cluster enveloping Zavia gradually became faint, then disappeared into the air.

"Hmm? Is it all right now?"

Sitting on the side drinking tea, the man put down the tea cup he had just finished, his gaze shifting to Zavia beside him.

At this moment, with the disappearance of the light cluster, Zavia struggled to stand up from the ground, looking at his right hand in astonishment, unable to speak.

The scars that were once on his right hand due to domestic violence had long since disappeared, replaced by a piece of snow-white skin, without a speck of dust.

He looked down at his abdomen, his firm abdominal muscles faintly visible, his lungs seemed to have been washed, Zavia had never felt breathing so refreshing.

The man snapped his fingers lightly, and a mirror appeared in front of Zavia's eyes. He looked at himself, his expression on his face was dumbfounded.

His white short hair was casually scattered, his blue eyes wide open, seemingly writing the words "unbelievable", all over his body, his muscles and abdominal muscles were faintly visible, making people feel very secure.

"Is this... Vergil?"