4 Reflections from the Old Demon King

Silence.

Within the white light, the projection of the Demon King slowly lowered his gaze to Xia Mi.

"Aren't you going to say something? Words of gratitude, perhaps? Or an oath of office?"

"I thought this was a pre-recorded video."

Only then did Xia Mi realize that the virtual Demon King was speaking directly to him.

"Of course not! This is the last vestige of my demonic aura!"

The white glow surrounding the virtual Demon King rippled briefly before settling back down.

"So, you're the new heir to the Demon King throne?"

"Is there still a way to refuse the title?"

"Absolutely not."

The virtual Demon King looked at Xia Mi with disdain. "You've been chosen as the heir to the throne, yet you ask such questions. You truly lack the soul of a Demon King."

"..."

"Are you done? I'm leaving."

Xia Mi turned to leave.

"Wait! I was the previous Demon King, after all. Don't you want to hear about my inauguration?"

"Not really. I have fields to tend to later. Also, you were overthrown by the hero in just a few years. Doesn't that embarrass you?"

Xia Mi's words pierced Luwaka's heart like a knife.

Indeed, there had been 71 Demon Kings on the continent so far, and Luwaka, the 71st, had the shortest tenure. From the moment he was discovered by the hero, he lasted only seven years.

"I..."

Luwaka faltered.

"It's not my fault. During my reign, the heroes were incredibly aggressive. They attacked me on sight, without even bothering to exchange any banter."

"Are you sure it's not because you kept teleporting into a hero's wife's bedroom?"

Luwaka looked utterly guilty. If he could sweat, he would be drenched.

"I must warn you, the heroes are becoming more powerful. Even as the Demon King, you must not neglect physical training. While the Demon King possesses immense magic, physical strength remains a crucial weakness. When a hero with a large chest and curvaceous hips swung her sword at me, I nearly lost half my life. Curse it! Indulging in pleasures led me to this downfall!"

Wait, what's with his odd fixation on the heroes?

Xia Mi nodded, listening.

"Do you have any recommendations for physical training?"

"Yes. 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10-kilometer run every day."

"...".

It indeed seemed like a game that incorporated every possible trope.

"Sadly, I never managed it," Luwaka sighed deeply. "And remember, avoid being obsessed with succubi! They severely harm one's physical defenses!"

Xia Mi glanced at Luwaka's exhausted face, thinking about his teleportation habits and peculiar skills.

It all made sense now.

This was a lesson learned from one's own grave mistakes. Though he was dead, realizing his errors was commendable.

"I understand."

Xia Mi nodded slightly to Luwaka, respecting him for his posthumous introspection.

Luwaka closed his eyes, and the white light around him began to fade.

"I've said all I needed to. It's time for me to leave this world. Please burn a few succubus figurines for me in my memory."

He wasn't remorseful at all!

After the previous Demon King disappeared, Xia Mi was preparing to leave when he noticed a golden-haired elf staring at him.

"I finally found you! The new heir to the Demon King!"

The owner of the crisp voice was Lureia Yuzer Elga.

Lureia stood at the entrance of the stairs, blocking Xia Mi's path. Her jade-green eyes stared intently at him.

Isn't this the flat-chested elf I met outside the Demon King's castle?

Xia Mi recognized her immediately.

How did she end up here?

Ignoring her questions, Xia Mi adopted a neutral expression and began to move rigidly, pacing back and forth on the stairs. After a few rounds, Lureia caught on.

"Damn it! Don't pretend to be a background NPC! Even NPCs wouldn't have a villager appear underground in the Demon King's castle!"

Lureia loudly exposed Xia Mi's ruse.

She had secretly followed him and witnessed everything that had transpired.

Although she couldn't hear the conversation between Xia Mi and the virtual entity, nor see what he gained from the platform, it was undeniable that he was the Demon King's heir. And the ceremony was undoubtedly the malevolent passing of the Demon King's legacy.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just a law-abiding villager. I happened to visit the Demon King's castle when it was open for tourism. I spent a year's savings from farming to appreciate the diverse scenery." Xia Mi replied, seeing his disguise had failed.

Currently, he was just a powerless villager, and being confronted by an elf was not ideal. He had planned to use the [Demon King's Teleportation] skill to escape, but it was still on cooldown.

Thus, he had no choice but to try and deceive the golden-haired elf.

From his perspective, he could only see some basic information about the young girl.

[Name: Lureia Yuzer Elga]

[Race: Elf]

To get more detailed information, he'd have to physically touch the elf in front of him.

Given his lack of knowledge about her capabilities, he remained cautious.

Lureia, too, hesitated.

She realized that she might have found the Demon King, but she was completely unprepared.

If it came to a fight, she, an elf who hadn't even mastered intermediate sword techniques, might be thrown into the abyss beside the stairs.

Both were stuck in a stalemate of inaction.

"Enough with the nonsense. No villager would come to a place like this."

"You mustn't be blinded by stereotypes. Associating a skirt with femininity, thinking of elves as busty blondes, and assuming a villager in the Demon King's dungeon is the Demon King itself. Such thinking can be lethal. Why can't a villager have a rich and entertaining life?"

Lureia glanced down and met Xia Mi's disappointed gaze.

After a pause, her ears reddened, and she covered her chest with her hands.

"Bastard! Don't look at me with those pitiful eyes! You brought up the elf example on purpose, didn't you?"

"I may be a villager, but I'm honest and wouldn't resort to such insinuations."

Xia Mi shook his head with a righteous demeanor.

"Enough! I saw everything! Surrender now! You're facing the next generation hero of the elf clan, Lady Lureia!"

Lureia threatened, pointing a finger at Xia Mi's nose, suppressing her urge to flee.

He was just a newly chosen Demon King heir, and their strengths should be evenly matched. There was no need to panic.

Seeing the elf maintaining her distance, and appearing somewhat simple-minded and fearful, Xia Mi quickly understood.

Either she considered him a powerful entity, not to be approached lightly, or she was extremely weak and would self-destruct upon close contact.

Spotting her hesitation, Xia Mi tried to sway the situation. "Which villager wouldn't want to visit such a place?"

The two continued their standoff, each trying to outmaneuver the other in this game of wits and deception.