Chapter 2: The Demon Prince and the Liches

I woke up with a groan, feeling like I had slept for a long time. I opened my eyes and saw that I was in a coffin, surrounded by dust and cobwebs. The coffin was made of stone, carved with ancient symbols. It looked old and worn out.

"Velios, you jerk!" I yelled, remembering how he summoned me to this world and made me his successor. "You said you were going to give me a nice place to stay, not a freaking tomb! What kind of demon king are you?"

I waited for an answer, but there was none. He probably couldn't hear me from wherever he was. Or maybe he just didn't care. I sighed and decided to get out of the coffin. Maybe there was a way out of this place.

I pushed the lid of the coffin and lifted it. It was heavy, but I managed to move it. I threw it aside and sat up, stretching my arms and legs. The coffin had a cushion and a blanket inside, but they were dirty and smelly. It was not very comfortable.

I got out of the coffin and stood up, feeling a bit dizzy. I looked around and saw that I was in a large hall, filled with more coffins and statues. The hall was dark and gloomy, with only a few torches on the walls providing some light. The air was stale and musty, and I could smell something rotten. The floor was covered with rubble and debris, and the walls were cracked and crumbling. It looked like this place had been abandoned for ages.

"Wow, this place is a mess," I muttered, wondering what happened here.

As I was about to walk toward one of the statues, I noticed something weird on my wrist. It was a holographic screen, floating above my skin. It looked like a menu from an RPG game, with various icons and options.

"What the heck?" I exclaimed, tapping the screen. It responded to my touch, showing me different information.

The first thing that caught my eye was my name and race.

Name: Ren Hoshikawa

Race: Demon

"Wait, what? Demon?" I gasped, feeling my face. "Did Velios turn me into a demon? "

I looked at my reflection on the screen and saw that I had changed a lot. My hair was black and long, reaching my shoulders. It was messy and unkempt, covering my forehead and hiding my horns. I had four horns, two on each side of my head. They were black and curved, like a goat's. My ears were pointed, but shorter than an elf's. They stuck out from my hair, giving me a slightly animalistic look. My teeth were sharp and jagged, like a shark's. They showed when I smiled or opened my mouth. My eyes were gold, with hexagonal patterns around my pupils. They glowed slightly in the dark, making me look more demonic. My skin was tan, from spending a lot of time outdoors. My body was slightly muscular, from working out and training with guns and explosives.

"Okay, this is weird," I said, trying to calm down. "Maybe it's just a cosmetic change. Maybe it's part of the deal."

I scrolled down the screen and saw more information.

Level: 1

HP: 100/100

MP: 160/160

EXP: 0/100

Attributes:

Strength: 8

Agility: 12

Vitality: 10

Intelligence: 16

Wisdom: 10

Luck: 8

"Level one? Seriously?" I groaned, feeling insulted. "I thought Velios was gonna make me overpowered. How am I suppose beat those four with these? This is pathetic."

I looked at my attributes and saw that they were pretty average, except for intelligence. That was probably because of my love for guns and explosives. I knew a lot about them, thanks to my hobby and research.

"Well, at least I'm smart," I said, trying to cheer myself up. "Maybe that will come in handy."

I continued to scroll down the screen and saw more information.

Passive Skills:

Gun Mastery: Increases proficiency with firearms.

Explosive Expertise: Increases proficiency with explosives.

Demon King's Blessing: Increases all attributes by 10%.

Racial Skills:

Demon's Growth: Increases EXP gain by 50%.

Demon's Regeneration: Increases HP and MP recovery by 50%.

Demon's Memory: Grants photographic memory.

Active Skills:

Creation: Allows creation of items using MP.

Fireball: Launches a ball of fire at the target.

Bullet Time: Slows down time for a short duration.

Summon Gun: Summons a gun of choice.

"Wow, these skills are awesome!" I exclaimed, feeling excited. "Especially creation and summon gun! I can make anything I want with them!"

I wondered how they worked and decided to try them out.

I activated creation and saw a list of items appear on the screen.

"What should I make?" I asked myself, scrolling through the list.

There were many options, from weapons to food to clothes.

I decided to start simple and chose a bottle of water.

The screen showed me the cost of the item, I confirmed the selection and saw a bottle of water appear in my hand.

"Wow, it worked!" I said, feeling amazed. "This is so cool!"

I opened the bottle and drank some water. It was cold and refreshing.

I activated summon gun and saw a list of guns appear on the screen.

"What should I summon?" I asked myself, scrolling through the list.

There were many options, from rifles to shotguns to snipers.

I decided to go with my favorite and chose a pistol.

The screen showed me the cost of the item, I confirmed the selection and saw a pistol appear in my hand.

"This is awesome!" I said, feeling ecstatic.

I checked the pistol and saw that it was a Glock 17, one of my favorite guns. It was fully loaded and ready to fire.

I looked around and saw a statue of a knight holding a sword and shield. It looked old and rusty, but still imposing.

"Perfect target," I said, grinning wickedly. "Let's see how you like this."

I aimed the pistol at the statue and pulled the trigger.

A loud bang echoed through the hall as the bullet flew toward the statue and hit it in the chest.

The statue cracked and chipped, but did not fall.

"Damn, this thing is tough," I said, feeling annoyed. "Let's try again."

I fired another bullet at the statue, this time aiming for its head.

The bullet hit the statue in the forehead, causing it to shatter into pieces.

The statue collapsed to the ground with a loud crash.

"Ha, take that!" I shouted, feeling exhilarated. "That felt so good!"

I looked at the screen and saw that I had gained 10 EXP from destroying the statue.

"Nice!" I said, feeling proud. "I gained some exp!"

I checked my status and saw that my level was still 1. My HP and MP were still the same but my EXP was now 10/100.

"Awesome!" I said, feeling happy. "This is so cool!"

I celebrated and started thinking about my future. I imagined myself dating a beautiful elf, with long blonde hair and green eyes. She was wearing a white dress and a flower crown, and she smiled sweetly at me.

"Ren, I love you," she said, hugging me.

"I love you too, Elora," I said, kissing her.

Then I imagined myself with a harem of other races, from humans to dwarves to beastmen. They were all gorgeous and loyal, and they adored me.

"Ren, you're the best," they said, surrounding me.

"Thank you, my lovely ladies," I said, feeling like a king.

I chuckled at how silly and unrealistic my fantasy was. There was no way I could have a harem in this world. It was too dangerous and complicated. Besides, I was not that kind of person. Though it would be an interesting way to pass time.

I decided to think about how to get out of the ancient ruins. I remembered that my clothes would give away that I was from another world. I looked at my school uniform and saw that it was dirty and torn. It was also out of place in this medieval setting.

I checked how much MP it would cost me to create a set of clothing that would blend in with this world. I saw that it was surprisingly cheap, only 10 MP. I decided not to question the cost and proceeded with my plan.

I activated creation and saw a list of clothing appear on the screen. I chose a simple outfit that consisted of a white shirt, brown pants, black boots, and a brown cloak. I confirmed the selection and watched as my school uniform transformed into new clothing.

"Wow, that was fast," I said, feeling impressed. "This is so cool!"

I wondered if it would be enough and decided to add an eyeglass to complete my look. I activated creation again and chose an eyeglass from the list. It cost me 5 MP. I confirmed the selection and saw an eyeglass appear on my face.

I checked my reflection on the screen and saw that I looked like a scholar or a traveler. I hoped that it would help me avoid suspicion and trouble.

I also decided to switch my Glock with a revolver; Pfeifer-Zeliska .600 Nitro Express Revolver. It was one of the most powerful handguns in the world, capable of firing bullets that could pierce through armor and walls. It was also very loud and flashy, which suited my style.

I activated summon gun and saw a list of guns appear on the screen. I chose the revolver from the list. It cost me 100 MP. I confirmed the selection and saw the revolver appear in my hand.

"Wow, that worked too," I said, feeling ecstatic. "This is awesome!"

I checked the revolver and saw that it was shiny and sleek. It had six chambers, each loaded with a massive bullet. It also had a wooden grip and a long barrel.

"This is beautiful," I said, admiring the gun.

I put the revolver in my holster, which was part of the clothing set. It fit perfectly and felt comfortable.

I checked my screen and wondered if it had a map feature. I tapped the screen and saw an icon that looked like a map. I tapped it and saw the screen switch to show me a map of the area.

"So it has a map feature after all," I said, feeling surprised. "But does it just shows where I'm going only?"

I looked at the map and saw that it was detailed and accurate. It showed me where I was and where I needed to go.

I saw that I was below an ancient castle, which was located on top of a hill. The castle was surrounded by walls and towers, and it looked majestic and imposing.

"Wow, this place is huge," I said, feeling awed. "I wonder if Velios lived here."

I saw that there was a tunnel and a lot of stairs that led from the ruins to the surface. The tunnel was long and winding, and it looked dark and scary.

I said, feeling nervous. "I hope there are no monsters here." Now don't get me wrong, I'm confident with my guns but if I'm dealing with a wave of monsters. I'm gonna start running, I'm brave not stupid as hell.

I sighed and began following the map's direction to the surface. I complained about the long walk and wished for a faster way out.

I continued walking to the surface, following the map on my screen. The tunnel was long and winding, and it looked dark and scary. I could hear strange noises and smells, and I felt like I was being watched.

I wished I had a flashlight or a torch, but I didn't want to waste my MP on creating one. I decided to rely on my eyesight and the faint light from the torches on the walls.

As I was walking, I heard a clicking sound, like bones hitting each other. I was curious and scared at the same time. I hid behind a wall, covered by the shadows. I activated creation and made a small mirror, using 5 MP. I used the mirror to see what was around the corner.

I cursed under my breath as I saw an undead creature. It looked like a skeleton, but with some flesh and skin still attached. It wore a black robe and a hood, and it held a staff in its hand. It had glowing red eyes and sharp teeth. It was a lich, a powerful magic caster.

I checked and saw that there were five more liches behind it. They were all walking in a group, talking in a language I didn't understand.

I sighed and wondered if I should take a diplomatic approach or avoid unnecessary conflict. I decided to go with the latter since I didn't want to fight six liches at once.

I revealed myself and stepped out of the shadows. The liches quickly noticed me and went into a fighting stance. They pointed their staffs at me and prepared to cast spells.

"Who are you?" the leader of the liches asked me in a raspy voice. "How did you get past the guards protecting the resting place of our master?"

I decided to use an alias, just in case. "I'm Nyakura," I said, lying. "I'm just a traveler who got lost in these ruins. I didn't see any guards."

The liche snorted and glared at me. "Don't lie to me, demon," he said. "You're here to disturb our master's slumber, aren't you? You're here to steal his secrets and treasures, aren't you?"

I noticed that he easily figured out that I was a demon, probably because of my horns and eyes. I shook my head and tried to look innocent.

"No, no, of course not," I said. "I don't even know who your master is."

The liche gasped and looked outraged.

"What? You don't know who our master is?" he yelled. "How dare you be so ignorant! Our master is the great Velios, the demon king! The ruler of this world! The lord of all evil!"

"Damn it Velios! You're the worst boss ever!" I cursed Velios for having the worst places to reincarnate me. I wished he had sent me to a nice city or a peaceful village, heck I'd take a volcano over a creepy ruin full of undead. But then I realized that this could be an advantageous situation if I played my act right. Maybe I could use my connection to Velios to get out of this mess.

I decided to try a bluff and playfully said to the liche:

"Oh, I see. So this is my senior's palace. I didn't realize I teleported here by mistake. My bad."

The liche leader became enraged and readied a spell to incinerate me. He raised his staff and shouted:

"How dare you mock our master, you insolent brat! You will pay for your disrespect with your life!"

He was about to unleash his spell, but then he suddenly stopped and knelt in front of me. He lowered his head and begged for forgiveness.

"Please, please, spare me, your highness! I'm sorry for the insults and the disrespect! Please don't kill me!"

I became confused as to why the liche leader suddenly changed his attitude. I wondered what happened to cause such a reaction. I haven't done anything yet! Why are you all kneeling? What's going on here? Was there a demon princess behind me!? I don't want to turn around.

**-

The liche leader who was kneeling couldn't believe it. His glorious master had an heir secretly hidden and he almost attacked the new ruler.

In his eyes, Nyakura had greatly angered him for casually calling his master Velios his senior. He thought that Nyakura was a foolish and arrogant demon who didn't know his place. He wanted to teach him a lesson and make him pay for his insolence.

But when he tried to attack him, he was overwhelmed by a dreadful aura that made him feel like he was facing death itself. He wondered if his master had resurrected once more, but then he realized that the aura was coming from Nyakura.

He looked at Nyakura and saw that he looked very similar to Velios. He had the same horns, ears, eyes, and hair color. He also had the same aura of power and authority.

He quickly concluded that Nyakura might be his master's son, and therefore his rightful heir. He panicked and stopped his attack, fearing that he had offended the prince of demons.

He knelt on his knees and ordered his men to do the same. He hoped that Nyakura would spare them for their ignorance and mistake.

***---

Ren could only stare at the six Liches and wonder what the hell did he just do now.