Chapter 13: Fight Against the Hero with a System

[Unexpected Event: Early encounter with the demon king]

[Chance of survival in case of combat is %0.00000000001]

{Mission: Find a way to survive}

#Reward: 5000 Hero points

Aric stared at the mission notification, his eyes wide with surprise.

'5000 points? This is the jackpot! If it's an unexpected event, there must be a way to survive...' he thought.

Lowering his sword, he kneeled before Jasper and said,

"Forgive my rudeness for not recognizing you, my lord."

Jasper, looking down at Aric with an uninterested expression, replied,

"Oh...? So, you recognize me?"

"Of course."

"Who am I then?"

Aric slightly raised his head and answered,

"You are the Magnificent Demon King, Jasper Shaw, my lord."

Jasper pondered for a moment before responding,

"So, the one who gave you this 'system' thing told you about me and set me as your target... interesting."

"D-did you just say system, my lord?"

Jasper nonchalantly replied,

"Yes, I did."

Aric began to panic, sweating profusely as he thought,

'How does he know about the system?! Only I should be able to see it!'

[Excessive stress detected, calming measures applied]

Jasper, with a curious glint in his eyes, said,

"Wow, it can even detect your emotions, huh?"

Aric, with a bewildered expression, responded,

"Can you see the writings in the air?"

"Yes."

"How?! How is that possible?"

"Hmm, probably because of the blood cells I implanted in your brain."

"You implanted what in my brain?!"

"Looks like the calming measures aren't really working."

Jasper stretched his arms and said,

"Enough chit-chat, draw your sword and let's start the fight."

Aric took a few steps back and stammered,

"D-do we really have to fight?"

"Of course, it's clear your master is targeting me. I need to see how strong his servants are."

Aric drew his sword,

"Fighting the Demon King just two months after reincarnating in this world... I wanted to live differently and be useful, but I'm just as unlucky as in my past life."

'Let's do some roleplay like Asmodeus, he seemed to be having fun,' Jasper thought then with a booming voice, commanded,

"Straighten your stance! And stop trembling!"

Aric, jolted by Jasper's voice, corrected his stance and put on a determined expression, thinking,

'Helping your opponent, huh? According to the system, my chances of winning are extremely low but not zero!'

Aric empowered his sword and attacked. His first strike was vertical, but Jasper casually sidestepped it.

Then, he launched into a series of horizontal and diagonal attacks, but none of them reached Jasper.

Jasper, with his hands casually behind his back, dodged all the attacks with simple side steps and slight movements.

Aric grew increasingly frustrated, "Fireball!" He launched fireballs to Jasper's sides and stepped forward to thrust his sword.

Just as his sword was about to reach Jasper, he vanished. Moments later, Aric felt a tap on the back of his head, losing his balance and falling to the ground.

"Not bad," Jasper said.

Aric shouted in frustration, "System, take control!"

[Do you approve the system taking control?]

[Cost: 500 Hero Points]

#Accept

#Decline

As Aric tapped accept, his eyes turned from blue to yellow, and his face took on an emotionless expression.

Aric's eyes glowed yellow as the system took over. He stood up with mechanical precision, his face devoid of emotion.

Jasper yawned, scratching his head. "Alright, let's get this over with. I've got an alchemy experiment to complete." 

Aric, now fully controlled by the system, dashed towards Jasper with blinding speed. His movements were flawless, each strike calculated to perfection. He unleashed a flurry of attacks, his sword a blur of motion.

Still yawning, Jasper nonchalantly parried each attack. "You know, this reminds me of the time I was trying to catch a troublesome ingredient for a potion. That thing was quite fast, just like you."

Aric's attacks grew more intense, his frustration evident despite the system's control. He leapt into the air, summoning a massive energy blade that crackled with power.

"Take this! Ultimate Blade of Devastation!"

Jasper looked up, mildly impressed. "Oh, that's kinda neat."

The blade descended with a deafening roar, the ground shaking from its sheer force. Just as it was about to hit, Jasper raised a finger and tapped the blade, instantly dispersing it into harmless sparks.

Aric landed, panting heavily. "Impossible... how...?"

Jasper shrugged. "I guess I'm just built different."

Aric, refusing to give up, activated his final move. "System, initiate Overdrive Mode!"

A glowing aura surrounded Aric as he powered up to his maximum potential. The ground cracked beneath him, energy surging through his body.

Jasper sighed. "Okay, now you're just being dramatic."

With a primal scream, Aric charged at Jasper, his speed breaking the sound barrier. He aimed a punch straight at Jasper's face, the air around his fist distorting from the sheer power.

Jasper blinked, then caught Aric's fist with his pinky finger. The shockwave from the punch blew Aric's hair back, but Jasper remained unfazed.

"Nice try," Jasper said with a bored expression. "But I think it's time to end this."

Jasper flicked Aric's forehead, sending him crashing into a nearby mountain. The impact created a massive crater, and Aric lay there, dazed and defeated.

The system's voice echoed in Aric's mind. [Warning: Vital signs critical. Retreat recommended.]

Jasper stretched and looked at the sky. "Well, that was fun. Time to get back to my alchemy." 

As Jasper walked away, Aric, barely conscious, muttered, "Who... who is this guy?"

Jasper heard Aric's mumbling from that distance and glanced back, offering a small, lazy smile. "Just a demon king for fun." 

Jasper walked through the familiar corridors of the castle, heading towards a room where he knew Sylvaine was resting. He sensed two people's presence inside and decided to check in. Pushing the door open, he stepped into the room.

Inside, Sylvaine, with her striking silver hair, was on top of Raven, the dark elf assassin. They were on the floor, with Sylvaine's face close to Raven's neck and their clothes slightly disheveled. The scene looked incredibly compromising at first glance.

Sylvaine was trying to help Raven with an injury, holding a bandage tightly to stop the bleeding. Raven, grimacing in pain, had her hands gripping Sylvaine's arms. She let out a moan from pain. "Ahhh..."

Jasper froze in the doorway, his usual blank expression giving way to wide eyes and a raised eyebrow. Sylvaine and Raven looked up, their eyes widening in shock.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt," Jasper said, his voice as nonchalant as ever. "I'll just... leave you two to... whatever this is."

Sylvaine scrambled to her feet, her face turning crimson. "Jasper wait, it's not what it looks like—"

Raven, through her pain, managed a smirk. "Actually, it kind of looks exactly like that."

Jasper, already halfway out the door, waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, no worries. I have to find some drakonian roots anyway."

The door closed behind him, leaving Sylvaine and Raven in an awkward silence. Raven's smirk widened.

"Well, that was... interesting," she remarked, her voice dripping with amusement.

Sylvaine sighed, still holding the bandage. "Great. Now he probably thinks we're..."

Raven chuckled, clearly enjoying the situation. "At least he didn't stick around to make it more awkward. Now, about this bandage..."

Sylvaine shook her head, though a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Yeah, let's get back to fixing you up."

Meanwhile, Jasper continued down the hall, his mind already shifting back to more mundane concerns. "I wish something like a 'Dimensional Alchemy Product Store' exist in this world..."