Aaron blinked slowly as he woke up in a strange place. The room was simple yet beautiful, the scent of damp wood mixing with the breeze drifting in from the open window. To the right, a small table stood in the middle of the room with an embroidered rug beneath it.
He straightened up, recalling past events, and his eyes widened in horror. He rushed immediately to the door to try and open it, and it was already unlocked. Before him stretched a long staircase leading downward from his room.
Ignoring the details, he bolted out of the cabin. The moment he stepped outside, the vast forest surrounded him in all directions. He froze as hot breaths brushed against his neck. Slowly, he turned, only to find a massive green snake behind him, its upper half towering steadily while its lower body coiled gracefully beneath it.
It stared at him for a while before slithering around him, as if studying his every detail. Aaron held his breath, his hands trembling from shock and fear, though he tried desperately to remain calm.
From behind him, Darius appeared. He bent down to Aaron's level, then lifted him under the arms like a small child. Aaron was stunned—he forgot all his previous fear for a moment, then began kicking and cursing.
"Let me go, you bastard! Put me down right now!"
Darius tilted his head in mild surprise at the boy's sudden temper, then set him down. But the snake had no intention of leaving him alone. It lunged toward Aaron swiftly.
He instantly retreated, pressing himself against Darius.
"Keep it away…! Keep it away from me! I hate reptiles!"
he screamed loudly, hiding behind him.
Darius stared at him for a moment, seemingly debating whether to help or not. Aaron's cries only grew louder.
With a sigh, Darius reached out his hand and gently patted the snake's head. His voice was cold but carried a trace of warmth.
"Calm down, Rosalia."
The snake let out a faint hiss under his touch, then rubbed her head against his hand like an obedient pup.
Darius turned, scooped Aaron under his arm again like a child, and carried him back inside the cabin. He set him down on a chair in the kitchen and sat across from him.
"So, Aaron Vicedividia… as I said before, our meeting came sooner than I expected."
Aaron didn't answer. He simply stared into those black eyes, weighing his words before speaking.
"Do you… know me?"
Darius nodded and began to explain, calmly and without a hint of concern.
"I will be your guardian from now on… King of Demons."
....
'What kind of nonsense is this?'
That was the first thought in my head as I listened to him. First, how did he know I'm the future Demon King? Second, who is this man? Third, why does he treat me like a baby?
I sighed in annoyance, the tension around me easing slightly. After what felt like an eternity, I finally gathered the courage to ask:
"Then, can you explain what you mean in detail?"
The man showed no visible reaction. He studied me briefly, then spoke in a deep, gravelly tone.
"My duty is to train you into the perfect Demon King. Laziness will not be tolerated, and I have no intention of letting you refuse."
I barely had time to process his words before he continued.
"I will be your guardian—the Evil Guardian."
I coughed deliberately, frowning, then replied coldly:
"I have no intention of becoming a Demon King, nor do I plan to train."
Darius raised a brow, then stood, pushing his chair back. As if I had been spewing nonsense, he picked me up again and carried me outside the cabin once more.
"Run."
It was a single word, spoken in the driest tone I had ever heard. I opened my mouth to protest, but found myself running anyway—because that damned snake was chasing me again.
"You senile old man! I'll get my revenge, just you wait!!!"
«Tak… Tak…»
«Click… Tak…»
Behind me, the snake slithered at terrifying speed, devouring the ground beneath her. Every time I thought I had shaken her off, her hot breath scorched my ears again.
'Damn the day I entered this novel.'
The forest floor was muddy and slippery, branches dangling everywhere. It was far more difficult than I had expected, and my shoes were barely worthy of being called shoes anymore.
Suddenly, an idea struck me. Based on the cartoons from my past life, adventurers always faced this kind of situation. The foolish ones climbed trees, but my favorite character used to weave between trees in curves.
'I'll make you ride a roller coaster, you disgusting reptile.'
This swamp-like forest was the perfect stage for my plan. I darted between trees, looping around their sides, jumping and sliding, repeating the trick over and over.
I didn't dare look back. All I focused on was executing the plan as skillfully as I could. And indeed, she was no longer behind me—her branches-snapping slithers had gone silent.
I emerged completely from the forest. Of course, I wasn't stupid enough to return to Darius. I swore never to go back there again, never to leave my room.
I slipped through the hole in the wall and headed for my room in my usual way. Grabbing some clean clothes, I headed straight for the bathroom.
...
Aaron lay on his bed, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling. He recalled his life before death. Just a rookie lawyer, twenty-six years old, with high hopes for his budding career. He had already solved many cases—simple ones, but still an achievement at the start of his professional life.
He was an orphan, without father or mother, yet he never cared about that. He wasn't the type who wallowed in family tragedies or drama. He ignored everything, perhaps as a habit developed to protect himself.
Despite his efforts, he was fired from his law firm simply for quarreling with an employee who had powerful connections.
'Damn classism.'
he muttered softly.
But his gloomy reflection was cut short by the system's voice he despised so much.
[System Alert]
User recognized: Aaron Vicedividia
Rank: Demon King (Partial Seal)
Age: 11
Level: 1
[Stats]
Strength: 8 → 9
Speed: 7 → 8
Endurance: 6 → 7
Intelligence: 9 → 10
Magic: 8 → 9
Luck: 5 → 6
[Skills]
Demon's Eye (Inactive)
Will of Darkness (Locked)
Control over Magical Creatures (In Training)
[Main Quest]
Title: Survival
Description: Earn the trust of your appointed guardian.
Reward: Unlock 5% of Demon King's Power.
Duration: Unlimited
[Side Quest]
Title: Overcoming Fear
Description: Face "Rosalia" without panic.
Reward: +1 Strength, +1 Endurance.
Duration: 3 days
[System Note]
All stats have been increased by 1. Please continue training.
Aaron's eyes widened in shock. First, he now had skills—and that was all he cared about.
"Finally… this body is useful. But wait…"
His shoulders slumped when he realized the abilities were still locked. Of course—they required training, not just running a few kilometers.
He rubbed his forehead irritably. The first thing he rejected was the side quest.
"Go to hell, you and that damned snake."
Without hesitation, he skipped the main quest as well. He had sworn never to set foot in that forest again, not even over his dead body. His stats were trash, but at least they had risen a little.
Aaron huffed in annoyance, closed the system interface, and decided to sleep—but his stomach had other plans.
«Grrr…»
«Grrr…»
«Grrr…»
He groaned, covering his head with a pillow. Night had already fallen, and he had eaten nothing but breakfast. No servants, no food in the western castle he now inhabited.
Thinking about it, Aaron wondered how the original owner of this body had even survived, healthy and well-fed.
'Author's power, obviously.'
He concluded quickly and dropped the thought. He wasn't one for complicated reasoning.
Suddenly, black-purple light flickered in the corner of the room, and a skull appeared.
Aaron glared at it.
"You again, coward?"
The skull—Tarac—lay down beside him.
"That's information I can't answer. So stop calling me a coward."
Aaron ignored him, closing his eyes. But Tarac wasn't planning to let him sleep.
He pulled out a bowl of roasted meat, boiled rice, and fresh fruit, and began eating comfortably.
The smell of food jolted Aaron upright. He instantly shoved Tarac aside, stealing the meal and devouring it himself.
Tarac's jaw literally dropped.
"Hey! Can't you at least ask politely?!"
Aaron kept eating without a word, then said coldly:
"From today on, you'll bring me five meals every day."
Tarac shouted furiously:
"You think I'm your servant?!"
Aaron smirked mischievously, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
"No… my maid in a pink dress."
He was referring to the nightgown Tarac had worn the night before. The skull nearly exploded with rage, but Aaron didn't budge. He calmly gnawed on a chicken thigh.
"Weren't you the one who said, 'I, Tarac Sirin, commander blah blah blah… will serve my lord Aaron blah blah blah…'?"
Tarac opened his jaw, then closed it. He had no comeback. Slowly, he retreated and disappeared, while Aaron continued eating, a satisfied smile stretching across his face.
"Finally, no more sneaking into the kitchen."
.....
The Second Nightmare:
Aaron found himself in a dark forest. The trees and plants were stained black, and white fog filled the place.
The cawing of crows was unbearably loud. The ground was barren, lifeless. He inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself.
"Just a dream… I'll wake up soon…"
He repeated the words over and over as he searched for an exit.
Through the fog, gradually clearing, he saw a massive stone castle. Its colossal walls blocked any view beyond, standing several meters away.
«Click… Clack… Tak…»
The grinding of rusty bones filled the air. The crows' cries turned to wails before they scattered in fear. Skeletons rose from the earth, skulls brittle and about to shatter, joints rotting and caked in dirt, empty dark sockets glowing faintly.
His heart pounded like a clock tower. The sight was so terrifying he could not speak.
One step. Two.
Then he ran.
The empty eye sockets lit up blue, and the skeletons gave chase.
"Help meeeee!" he screamed hoarsely.
His voice broke, strangled, as though something smothered it, fading until it was barely audible.
His eyes widened in terror. The skeletons sprinted with unnatural speed, phasing through trees.
His breath grew shallow, his skin burning as he neared the castle. Gradually, a mark etched itself onto his neck—a face covered in thousands of delicate skeletal hands.
His palms slapped against the castle's stone walls. He searched desperately for an entrance but found none. Looking back, he saw the skeletons closing in.
«Click… Clack…»
The sound grew sharper in his ears. Bony hands clutched his body, covering his eyes, sealing his mouth.
Then the same deep, ominous voice returned
"Seal....open the seal"
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Sorry everyone there was a mistake in the chapters, I fixed the mistake 👋🏻