When Lin Qi awoke, he found himself seated high upon a throne forged from obsidian and eternal ice.
Beneath the throne lay an endless sea of monsters.
Soulfire blazed in the eye sockets of the skeletal warriors. The horns of the abyssal demons gleamed with an ominous sheen in the dim light. Wraith sirens drifted through the air, whispering words that muddled the mind.
They were roaring their cheers for the birth of a new Demon King, and for the destruction and terror about to sweep across the world.
The din nearly tore the towering roof from the Demon King's castle.
Yet in Lin Qi's mind, a scene utterly at odds with the moment appeared in chilling clarity.
It was the ending CG the world's will had fixed for him: a golden-haired hero, holding a holy sword, running him through on this very throne.
A tragic symphony would swell as he turned to ash in the light, becoming the indispensable villain in the heroic epic sung by generations to come.
The world's will wouldn't let him bring his high-level character to the beginner village and slaughter everyone. So, to survive, he could only become a master of schemes.
He raised a hand, and the cheering died down.
“Spread the word. The Demon King's army is disbanded.”
In the deathly silence, he added a second order.
“Effective immediately, the Demon King's castle is becoming the Continent Risk Investment and Sustainable Development Company. Our new motto is...”
“Build high walls, store plenty of grain, and never seek hegemony.”
