Maddy's husband was born into a wealthy family, his life largely planned out by his parents before he was even born. The eldest of two siblings, he was originally set to inherit the family company because of his natural talent and skills.
Yet after many years, his parents decided to pass the company to his younger brother instead, believing that, since he was in his forties and still childless, he would not be able to carry the family line into future generations.
Now… he had been reincarnated as what he had always dreamed of: a king
Maddy's husband's fingers tightened as pain flared through his chest again.
"The last thing I remember… I was drunk, and I hit her. That damn infertile woman dared to stab me with her scalpel. After everything I did for her, she showed no gratitude and killed me. F*ck her! If I weren't trapped in this body, I would've hunted her down on Earth."
His clawed hand clenched, knuckles cracking.
"Instead, I woke up like this. Not in my own body, but as something else entirely. A Dragonborn king. Cursed, praised, and half dead!"
He exhaled, voice heavy with resentment.
"Dracovitch Drakarian."
The old knight stiffened and rose halfway, alarm clear on his face.
"Your Majesty, are you alright? Your presence alone is enough. Leave the affairs of the kingdom to me, as your Dragonguard."
He lowered his head again.
"I have served many Dragonborn kings in my lifetime, and I swear I can rule as you would have wished. For now, please rest. Your body cannot bear this strain. The kingdom can endure, but you must live."
Following the old knight's concerns, the murmurs spread through the hall.
"This is it… the bloodline ends here. He's the last and in his current state, the demigods have ensured it. Not only will they vanish from history… the Dragonborns will be erased as well."
"Damn those demigods… even in death, they curse us like this. To think they left that golden scar on the king's chest… And with other kingdoms on the move, they could take advantage of this and wipe us out. Without Dragonborns, we're weak. We're doomed."
The murmurs grew louder, a tide of worry that pressed in on Drakovitch's from every side. He felt the weight of it, suffocating him, even as he struggled to make sense of the body and curse he now carried.
"From what I've learned the Dragonborn and the demigods have been at war for thousands of years. Just last month, the Dragonborn finally won. The price was everything. I'm the only one left, now trapped in this body, with the fate of the bloodline placed on me."
Rage surged through him, and his voice rose, cutting through the hall.
"Enough!"
The murmurs died instantly, swallowed by silence. He looked down at the kneeling knight, his eyes sharp despite the pain.
"I am no man if I rot away in bed. And I am no king if I allow this kingdom to perish."
In his mind, the weight of regret from his last life pressed heavier than the god's curse.
"I was given a second chance and this life will not be the same as before."
He forced his voice through the pain, raising it so the knights could feel it not just hear it, but feel it in their bones.
"My bloodline will not end here… the Dragonborns will not end."
Each word a hammer striking the hall making the hall fell silent.
"I decree the restoration of the Dragonborn. As long as I still breathe, I will create them again. We will produce heirs in numbers this world has never seen."
The old knight froze, eyes wide.
"D-did you mean… M-mass production, Your Majesty?"
"Yes… We will rise stronger than before. I will not die. And neither will my blood…"
Drakovitch met everyone's gaze, unwavering.
"I will impregnate every woman in this kingdom to bear Dragonborn for our future!"
Meanwhile, deep in the abyss, Maddy had finally finished her mineral buffet. She was not just full; she had absorbed numerous traits and added them to her body. Her form gleamed now, harder and more durable than before. Even her map had updated, the lower section of Area 5 fully filled in after she finished exploring the mineral chamber.
[Chimera Traits: Physical Hardness, Magic Nullification, Elemental Resistance, Conductivity, Crystalline Growth, Bioluminescence, Earth Mobility.]
Maddy rested at the center of the ravaged mineral room, surrounded by what remained of her feast, quietly proud of what she had accomplished.
"I really cleaned this place out. I don't just look tougher, I feel powerful. Those magic minerals gave me a real boost. I can feel how much magic is running through me now. At this rate, I might as well be the demon of gluttony."
With every trace of usable mineral gone, there was nothing left to consume. The room felt empty now, stripped bare by her hunger. She was about to figure out what to do next when her skin twitched.
A deep vibration rolled through the ground.
"That sounds like… partying?"
The tremor was rhythmic, nothing like monsters moving through stone. It felt messy and chaotic, like too many footsteps hitting the ground at once.
"That sounds human… Are there cavemen in hell? I mean—of course there would be humans here. Damn it, I've got to see them."
With her worm instincts and her new Earth Mobility trait, she moved underground like a professional swimmer, slicing through dirt with ease. In less than a minute, she followed the vibrations to their source and carefully pushed her head out to see what kind of "human party" it was.
What she saw wiped away her confidence in an instant.
"D-definitely not humans… those are the demons from earlier. Did I just pop out right into their home?!"
The same demons who had been harvesting worms were now celebrating. Drums, flutes, and other instruments made from monster parts filled the cavern with noise. They were eating worms in every way imaginable: fried, boiled into soup, even raw.
Maddy's stomach churned. The fullness she had felt moments ago turned sour as she watched her own kind being devoured by a five member demon family.
[New Map Acquired: Area 3]