~Chapter 6~
I felt my scarce magic being scraped to the very bottom, so I focused my eyes and endured.
‘Please be a normal demon beast.’
The power of a demon beast depends on the summoner’s magic; if the magic is small and weak, a weak demon beast appears.
Black light began to thin into mist and soon filled the empty room.
‘…It’s eating my magic continuously.’
Worried about running out of magic, I tried to stop, but the summoning circle wouldn’t let me.
Once the summoning starts, it only stops if the summoner faints, the circle breaks, or the summoned beast fails to appear.
‘…This is bad.’
I might die before becoming the great Demon King.
Just before my vision blurred, the circle stopped spewing mist as it absorbed magic.
Ku gu gu gu-
I sat down and stared blankly.
Through the black mist, glowing eyes flashed sharply.
‘Summoning succeeded.’
That was a relief.
“Contract…”
I needed to make the contract quickly…
“Ah…”
My body suddenly collapsed forward.
Only after a dull pain hit my head did I realize I’d hit my forehead on the floor with my back bent.
“Are you the one who summoned me?”
A voice deeper and more eerie than the cave’s echoed heavily.
I should answer, but I had no strength even to move my lips.
‘My… magic.’
It was completely gone.
‘Who summons something this huge?’
A giant snake filled the ceiling.
A huge serpent, biting its thick tail while circling.
There were stories it was the first demon race, or that it would be the last.
Rumors said only the first Demon King ever saw the snake release its tail.
I didn’t know which was true.
When I was the great Demon King, I didn’t really need demon beasts.
I became Demon King after I matured and awakened by myself.
Anyway, that didn’t matter now.
The problem was this huge summoned beast ate all my magic.
The bigger the beast, the more magic it costs to summon.
‘Why am I lying like this?’
Weak from using just a tiny bit of magic, I could only blink, and the demon beast seemed embarrassed too.
“Ahem, why no answer?”
I didn’t have strength to move my lips.
“Uh, are you the next Demon King…?”
The eerie voice became thin and nervous, asking cautiously.
‘Is it hallucination?’
Some small eyes sparkled somewhere on the snake’s curled body.
Much smaller than the eyes flashing in the mist earlier.
‘Did I see wrong?’
My vision was blurry, so maybe.
“Um… if others are here, please introduce them…”
The hesitant voice wasn’t a hallucination.
Maybe it didn’t sense me as the summoner and looked for another.
Confused, but the big snake didn’t disappear, so it was real.
It hurt my pride a bit.
“Ttebam…”
(* “You…” *)
I slowly closed my blurry eyes and spoke. The other was startled.
“Abara alpha etti… ttebam naman, Uroboros.”
(* “Next time, come small… your name is Uroboros.” *)
Summoning a giant snake biting its own tail in such a tiny body.
‘I’m amazing after all.’
I thought only one name fit the snake and then passed out.
Afterwards
To be honest, my first demon beast summoning was a disaster.
Not because of the summoned beast, but because it reversed the summoning and disappeared.
Normally, no matter how big the demon beast, it wouldn’t be a problem.
But now, I’m not Demon King, a weak half-blood with all magic sealed.
Though the contract seemed made, the summoned beast couldn’t keep form and vanished.
Plus, my magic was totally depleted.
It would take a long time before my magic refilled.
‘I’m doomed….’
I had to live without magic for a while.
‘How did the great Demon King get this weak….’
Sad.
How could I do good deeds in such a pitiful body?
‘I need to do something soon.’
Time passed uselessly, making me frustrated.
While lying on the floor, I heard a neat knock.
I got up from rolling on the floor.
‘At least I made one servant before magic ran out. Good.’
Otherwise, I’d be in trouble like this.
“It’s about time for dinner.”
Syphon glanced at me.
“Got it.”
She helped me put on an old dress that looked like it was picked from trash.
‘Ugh.’
It was even tacky.
‘I need to change the situation.’
I’d find a good partner and make a deal.
‘No money, but I can help with my memories.’
If I tell a profitable story, they’ll give me something in return.
I’m the great Demon King—I can even read the stars.
Demon Kings are candidates for gods, specifically candidates for Demon Gods.
So, while not gods, Demon Kings are closest to gods.
Maybe because of that,
Demon Kings had the power to read stars.
Stars represent every living thing, and the sky represents the world holding them.
The highest god in the heavenly realm, the Chief God, created the world and controls fate.
Demon Gods stood equal to the Chief God.
Therefore, Demon Kings, before becoming Demon Gods, could vaguely read fate.
Some call this prophecy, others call it a curse, or a power of salvation.
I once pretended to be a prophet in the human world.
Sometimes I had prophetic dreams, because I unconsciously connected deeply with the world.
Demons believed Demon Kings were bridges between gods and demons.
Sent down to save the demon world from crisis.
Ah!
Of course, I thought it was all nonsense.
“Are you going as is?”
Syphon frowned occasionally due to my still clumsy speech.
When I was active in the human world, I spoke a different language, so learning this one was hard.
The book Syphon got me is called:
<The Miracle Empire Language You Can Learn Even at Zero Years Old!>
…But no miracles.
Even studying three hours a day, I still hadn’t improved.
‘Such a pain.’
When can I become a carefree noble?
They said money makes life easy in the human world.
Without money or magic, I was a worthless poor kid.
“Yes, you’re good to go like this.”
Syphon gently fixed my clothes.
“Hmm, kind, good.”
I patted Syphon’s bowed head.
After getting scared the first day, she became a proper servant.
“By the way, what’s wrong at home?”
I looked at Syphon and asked.
“…What?”
“Someone close to you has death energy.”
Am I saying it right, Syphon? Is that how they say it in the empire language?
“…What?”
“They will die soon.”
Seeing she didn’t understand, I said it plainly.
Syphon’s face stiffened.
Her expression turned cold and sad, sharp like frost.
Her reddened eyes glared at me—not a loyal servant’s look.
I was trying to give good advice but didn’t understand why she acted like that.
“Why?”
“…Are you cursing me? What did I do wrong? I did everything you told me…”
“Curse?”
Her sad voice made me pout and frown.
‘A curse.’
Why would anyone curse my servant for such a small reason?
“I only speak what I see with my eyes. That’s all.”
A blue star mixed with black shimmered near Syphon.
But that star’s power wasn’t hers.
Since it mixed somewhat with Syphon’s star, the person close to her was clear.
“Not yet. It doesn’t look completely like it.”
There was still a chance to reverse it.
“They’re sick.”
“…Sick?”
“Yes. The water nearby is troublesome.”
I jumped on the mat Syphon laid out.
Magic was running low.
“Got it. And come again.”
I had to listen carefully to help.
“Syphon is my loyal first servant. When I say ‘help,’ she helps.”
As my first servant, she would help if I asked.
“Let’s go.”
I followed Syphon, walking quietly toward the dining hall.
