[.....]
The system was speechless.
Ren smiled as he got to his feet and stretched himself out. He looked around the cave. "So, instead of leading an army to war against heaven, I can just open a noodle shop and make some money."
[...]
Ren ran a hand over his chin in thought. "I can live a peaceful life in the mountains too. And if I remember correctly, there are lots of handsome men in this novel! Even side characters."
"So I can find a husband, retire to the mountains, and live a peaceful life. Then I can successfully be a salted fish."
[.....]
"What?" Ren stared at the screen. "Can't I do that?"
[Well... You won't be forced to lead the same life as the character did. But you can't escape the character's tragic fate at the end.]
Ren blinked. "Huh? So I'll still die at the hands of the male lead even though I sell noodles?"
[Yes.]
Ren broke out in a cold sweat, his legs wobbling. He could imagine the male lead crashing into his future noodle shop with his huge sword and taking off his head.
"So there's no way to change my fate??"
[You can't escape your fate without getting rid of the evil seeds you planted.]
"Huh? Evil seeds? What the hell are those??"
The system explained, and Ren immediately understood.
Before the Demon God was sealed, he had cultivated and planted a devious spell into the world.
He had used the seven deadly sins to create ancient demonic beasts, all drawn from his spiritual core. All were considered his offspring.
He had done this to extend his powers into the world for a future attack. It was his way of planting chaos slowly before he took over. They would make his rebellion seamless.
And now, they were tied to his doom. Because as long as these ancient spirit beasts existed and grew, he would be steps closer to becoming more powerful as a demon and attracting his tragic end.
[So, to reverse your fate, you have to find these ancient beast babies of yours and tame them away from their evil path.]
Ren blinked, summarizing it all in his head. "So, if I want to have my happy ending and be a salted fish in this world, I have to find my babies and tame them from doing the evil they were created by me to do?"
[Exactly.]
Ren couldn't believe he was using the term "my babies." He had never imagined having babies in his life!
But it wasn't such a strange thing in the novel. In the heaven and demon realms, men could have babies based on their beast forms and spiritual cultivation.
Ren closed his eyes and sighed. "Taming some babies shouldn't be hard..." he muttered. "Beast babies based on the seven deadly sins: wrath, pride, greed, envy, lust, sloth, and gluttony..."
He forced a smile. "It shouldn't be hard. I've helped some co-workers take care of their babies before. So how hard can it be?"
[So, to proceed, which route do you want to take?]
[1. Follow the path of the original Demon God.]
[2. Babysit your beast babies to reverse your fate.]
It was an easy choice for Ren. "Second option, please."
[Recorded.]
[Congratulations. You have successfully activated your BEAST BABY BABYSITTING SYSTEM.]
[You will get instructions on what to do in the process of babysitting, while gaining tasks to accomplish and earn rewards.]
[A GUIDE ON HOW TO BABYSIT YOUR ANCIENT BEAST BABIES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS!]
Ren nodded. "Seems fair. Shouldn't be hard, then." He ran a hand through his long hair. "So, what now? Should I start going?"
[First, you have to go and retrieve your babies.]
[Venue: The Red Moon Mountain.]
[Activate Map when needed.]
Ren nodded. "Okay then. Off we go." He got out of the coffin. Ren stared at his feet, which were bare and dirty, and at his whole outfit, which seemed shabby. He really had been locked in here for a thousand years, for sure.
There were no mirrors around to tell, but he was sure he looked a mess, from his hair to his feet.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
[To proceed with your mission, you need a key figure. You cannot access the Red Moon Mountain and get the babies alone. You need someone else.]
Ren stared at the screen before him. "Huh?"
[Remember: You did not create these ancient beasts alone. You used your core and someone else's. So you need that person's spiritual energy to access and take care of these beasts.]
Ren blinked. Shivers ran down his spine as he recalled this information—the information about who the system was talking about.
[You need ZURAN, your Disciple.]
Ren almost gasped.
He knew that name. And he knew what came with that name.
In the book, the villain and Zuran were given little mention. Their story wasn't even a full arc. But it was vivid.
Zuran was the young orphaned lad the Demon God had picked up. One who agreed to be his disciple after his empty promises. Or so.
One would think this Demon God would treat his disciple well. But hell no; he made him into a slave. A freaking lab rat.
The psychotic Demon God had taken Zuran in because he had a special spirit core. He was a rare phoenix demon whose power blended well with what he needed to create.
And so, he made him into a lab rat, running endless tests on him—tests that could kill, tests that harmed Zuran beyond words. He never cared about his health or emotions; he only used him to create his project: the beast babies.
Their dynamic was toxic: a loyal lab rat and a psychotic master. It became complicated, and Zuran grew to hate the god he once admired. He hated the Demon God; he wanted him dead. But he couldn't take down the Demon God alone.
And so, he spent 1,000 years with the Demon God, running his nasty errands outside while serving as a slave and a punching bag.
Ren gasped, staggering. He recalled detesting their dynamic in the book, but he didn't know much about them since they weren't highlighted that much.
"He clearly wants me dead. That disciple wanted to kill his master every day!" Ren muttered. "How the hell am I supposed to be around him?!"