Dayo ran with every ounce of strength in his legs, his chest heaving, his breath ragged. Behind him, the guttural roars of two mutated beasts echoed like the toll of death bells. His face was a mess, streaked with tears, dirt, and snot, as despair carved itself into his trembling features.
He had once smiled at the announcement of the Rapture, believing it would free him from the cruel grind of life. But reality was far worse. The apocalypse did not save him. It shackled him with horrors beyond imagination.
Before the world fell apart, Dayo was nothing more than a bullied high schooler. Weak. Shy. Always the target. His classmates mocked him, shoved him, laughed as his lunch was stolen. His family never stepped in to defend him, telling him instead to "endure." For years, he endured in silence, until that silence became chains around his soul.
And now, in this twisted world, even survival mocked him.
He sprinted blindly, his fear so overwhelming that he failed to notice the massive stone ahead. His foot smashed into it with brutal force.
CRACK!
He fell hard, sprawling across the ground. Pain shot up his leg, and as he lay there trembling, realization dawned, cold and merciless.
"I'm dead. This is it. Is this really how I go? Weak, pathetic… forgotten?"
Hot tears blurred his vision. Hatred welled up in his chest, thick and poisonous. Hatred for his bullies, for his family, for the world that abandoned him. Hatred for himself.
And then, something stirred.
Inside his body, a darkness awakened. Thick, black energy coiled in his chest, swirling violently until it condensed into a tiny black orb. The orb pulsed like a second heart, feeding on his hate, swelling larger and larger until it grew to the size of a tennis ball.
The mutated beasts lunged, claws stretched to shred him apart. Dayo couldn't even scream. He was paralyzed, a rabbit before wolves.
But in that moment, a shadow dropped between predator and prey.
A man in a black robe appeared out of nowhere, fists slamming into both beasts with explosive force.
BANG!
The creatures were sent flying backward, crashing into the ground with startled howls.
The man drew a sword in one smooth motion. Fire roared to life along its blade, bathing the battlefield in crimson light. His voice thundered:
«RAGING FLAME SWORD!»
He charged. The flames carved arcs of destruction, cutting through the beasts before they could even rise. One slash. Two screams. Then silence.
Dayo sat frozen, eyes wide, his heart hammering in awe.
"Who… who is this man? Why… why would he save me?"
No one had ever stood between him and danger before. No one. Dayo's lips trembled. For the first time, he felt what it meant to be protected.
The man, Drake stood tall, his aura blazing with confidence and dominance. Even as he casually flicked the blood from his blade, his very presence shook Dayo's heart.
"That aura… I want it. I want to walk like that. To breathe like that. To exist like that. Someone strong, someone untouchable. Someone people can't look down on."
The black orb inside Dayo pulsed harder, as though answering his desire. It darkened into purple, compressing violently, but then stalled, as if waiting.
Drake sheathed his sword and walked toward him. Every step radiated the weight of power. Dayo's chest tightened. His mind screamed: I want this. I want to be like him!
The orb shook violently, then detonated.
Dayo screamed as if his very soul had been torn apart. His body convulsed, spasming uncontrollably. His vision blurred, bloodshot eyes rolling back as agony ripped through every vein.
A glowing text seared across his vision:
«EVOLUTION TO DEMON LORD SEEDLING WILL COMMENCE NOW.»
If the pain before had been a pinprick, this was an inferno. His flesh burned, his bones shattered and reformed, and even his spirit felt like it was being dragged through molten steel.
Drake froze. He'd seen mutations, evolutions, transformations, but nothing like this. Dayo's screams clawed at the air as he tore at his own skin. Purple mist hissed from his body, thick and suffocating.
For an instant, Drake considered ending it. His hand gripped his sword. Better a clean death than endless suffering.
But then, he saw it.
The mist swirled, and from within came the steady, thunderous sound of a heartbeat.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Drake's eyes widened as the boy's frail body transformed. Skinny arms thickened with muscle. A bony chest expanded into one of explosive strength. His aura surged, not wild or bestial, but commanding, sovereign, inevitable.
Dayo roared, a primal cry that shook the ground. It was not the scream of prey. It was the cry of one who demanded the world kneel.
The mist cleared, revealing him. Naked, yet clothed in a presence so overwhelming it made even Drake stiffen. His eyes glowed faintly purple, not demonic hunger but the cold promise of a ruler. Weak creatures would bow before him without knowing why.
Drake's lips parted in shock. "A… monster born from despair. No.." He clenched his fist. "A sovereign just like myself."
A notification appeared in front of Dayo:
«CONGRATULATIONS, PLAYER DAYO. YOU HAVE EVOLVED INTO A DEMON LORD SEEDLING.»
«TO COMPLETE EVOLUTION: REACH LEVEL 70 AND DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE FOR POWER.»
Dayo's heart raced. Demon Lord… Seedling? Me?
And then, heaven itself reacted.
The clouds split apart, thunder rolling like war drums. Golden letters appeared in the sky for the entire world to see:
«WORLD ANNOUNCEMENT!»
«CONGRATULATIONS TO PLAYER DAYO FROM AFRICA FOR BECOMING THE FIRST DEMON LORD SEEDLING!»
«REWARD: 100 GOD COINS + 10 FREE STAT POINTS IN ALL ATTRIBUTES.»
Across the globe, humanity erupted into chaos.
In America, a military bunker deep underground fell into silence as generals stared at the glowing letters.
"Demon Lord… already? And he's from Africa?" one muttered. Another slammed the table. "This changes everything. If one can ascend this fast, others will follow."
In Europe, a cathedral full of desperate survivors gasped. A priest clutched his holy book with trembling hands. "Demon Lord… Africa has birthed the first child of darkness. Is this the end… or a new beginning?"
In Asia, cultivators hidden in ancient monasteries opened their eyes for the first time in decades. One master whispered, "The world recently changed and yet the Seed has sprouted. The world shall bow, willingly or not."
And in Africa itself, reactions were split between awe and fear. Some survivors cheered, hopeful that one of their own had gained power great enough to protect them. Others trembled, whispering that Africa had birthed a monster destined to bring calamity.
Back in the forest, Dayo stood trembling, his new body radiating heat and authority. For the first time in his life, he felt… alive. Strong. Fearless.
For the first time, he believed,
He was meant to rule.