Chapter 5 : The prophecy of the demons

The prophecy of the demons is an ancient legend passed down through generations of demonkind. It is said to have originated during the Great War, a time when demons ruled vast territories and clashed with the forces of light led by the Heroes of Aurilea. The prophecy foretells the rise of a new Demon King, one who will unite the scattered Demon tribes and lead them to reclaim their lost glory.

The prophecy is inscribed on ancient stone tablets, a sacred site long forgotten by most. It reads as follows:

"In the darkest hour, when the flames of hope are but embers,

A chosen one shall rise, marked by the Infernal Brand.

He who bears the title of Demon King shall awaken,

And the shadows shall bow to his command.

From the ashes of defeat, he shall gather the broken,

The horned, the scale, the forsaken.

With the power of the Demon God, he shall wield the abyss,

And the chains of oppression shall be shaken.

Beware, for the path is fraught with blood and strife,

The Heroes of Light shall rise to oppose.

But the chosen one shall endure, for his will is unyielding,

And the fate of demonkind rests in his throes.

When the crimson moon ascends, and the stars align,

The Demon King shall stand at the precipice of destiny.

To reclaim the lost throne, to restore the balance,

And to herald the dawn of a new demonic eternity."

★★★

A demon male stepped forward. He bowed deeply before William, his voice trembling with a mix of reverence and desperation. "Great King, Chosen One, Envoy of the Demon God. Thank you... Thank you for protecting us. We accept you as our leader. Please, guide us. Show us the way to reclaim our honour, to rebuild our nation. We will follow your commands without question. Together, we will avenge the oppression that has been forced upon us."

[New Follower: Limir (Loyalty: 95%).]

Other demons also began to bow down to William.

[New follower: Miz (loyalty: 85%).]

[New follower: Baku (loyalty: 100%).]

[New follower: Lir (loyalty: 90%).]

William was flooded with notifications from the system. He received a total of 57 notifications. That is, 57 people had become subordinate to William.

Many people in this Demon village had died or been seriously injured due to the attack by the mercenaries. Because of this, there are very few people here now.

However, not all of the survivors accepted William.

A huge figure stood in the middle of the crowd, his arms folded across his chest. He looked larger and stronger than the other Demons. White hair, two large demonic horns on his forehead, and blue skin.

He looked at William, "I challenge you to a fight. Even though our Elder said you were sent by God, I still challenge you. I am Gur! The Head Hunter of Broken Horns, I want to fight you!"

"Gur," Limir scolded, anger sharp in his voice. "What are you doing? He is our new king. Bow your head! He saved us—saved you!"

Gur snorted a deep, guttural sound, "I will not bow to him until he defeats me in battle. It is my pride as an honoured warrior of the Broken Horns! And I cannot dishonour it! Although I believe the Elder and acknowledge that he saved us, I will not acknowledge his allegiance until I have fought!"

The other Demons looked at each other at this.

The Broken Horn Village was one of the last remaining demon settlements in the Great Forest. Although they had long since lost their glory, they still held on to their culture. As demons, they respected and revered the strongest. Therefore, they were often asked to prove their worth through battle, as strength was highly valued in demon culture.

Gur also believed that true leadership was achieved through strength. Although he had noticed William's strength when he fought the mercenaries. He knew William was very strong, however— he could not blindly follow someone who had not defeated him in combat. It was also a tradition that had been passed down through generations.

William raised one of his hands after observing the situation, and the demons fell silent, their eyes turning to him. His voice was calm but carried an edge of authority. "Leave him alone," he said. The crowd moved away as William stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Gur. "Your name is Gur, isn't it?"

Gur nodded, his jaw tightening. "Yes."

A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on William's lips. "I accept your challenge to a fight," he said, his tone simple. "If I lose, I will leave. But if I win, you will kneel with the rest."

The crowd gasped, whispers spreading. Gur's eyes widened in surprise, but then a slow, predatory smile spread across his face. "I accept! Prove yourself!"

The fight began with Gur charging forward, his massive fists swinging in wide, powerful arcs. William moved like a shadow, his movements fluid and precise, dodging each blow with ease. Gur's punches missed by inches, and William countered with a quick, sharp jab to the demon's ribs. Gur grunted, stumbling back, but he recovered quickly, his eyes blazing with determination.

William's fighting style was unlike anything the demons had ever seen. He moved with a grace that belied his human appearance, his strikes calculated and efficient. He used Gur's size and strength against him, dodging and weaving, landing precise blows that slowly wore the demon down. Gur swung wildly, his frustration growing with each missed strike, his movements becoming more erratic.

Finally, William saw his opening. He ducked under one of Gur's punches and delivered a powerful uppercut to the demon's jaw. Gur's head snapped back, and he staggered, dazed. William followed up with a series of rapid punches to Gur's torso, each strike landing with precision. Gur tried to swing back, but William sidestepped and delivered a final, devastating blow to Gur's temple.

The demon crumpled to the ground, unconscious. William stood over him, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. The demon was silent.

[Quest Complete: Defeat Gur in Battle.

Loyalty: 82%.

Rewards: +200 EXP. New Title: Pack Leader (Increases loyalty of followers by 15%).

Current Level: 6 → 7. Stat Points: Strength +1, Vitality +1.]

William looked down at Gur's fallen form and said, "He's just fainted. Take him away."

Two demons rushed forward, lifting Gur's limp body and carrying him off. Limir stepped forward, his eyes filled with respect. "My lord," he said, bowing again. "Please forgive Gur. He didn't understand your superiority."

William waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine, Limir," William said, "Also, I'm appointing you as my assistant from now on. Tell me, about the casualties and survivors in the village."

Limir's expression darkened, his shoulders slumping under the weight of the question. "Many of our people have died, almost more than half," he said, his voice heavy with grief. "Mostly men. Only I, four other men, and thirty-seven women and 17 children have survived."

William's jaw tightened, a flicker of anger passing through his eyes.

Then his gaze shifted to the floating System screen in front of him, which displayed a new message:

[Alert: Hostile forces will arrive in 21 days. Preparation time remaining: 20 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes.]

William's mind raced. Three weeks wasn't much time, but it was enough to prepare. He turned back to Limir. "Why haven't you arranged to heal the wounded yet?" he asked.

"Our herbalist is dead," Limir said quietly, his voice tinged with regret. "No one else knows how to treat the injured."

William nodded. "I can help with that," he said.

William worked as an adventurer before becoming a knight, where he learned how to heal wounds and injuries with minimal equipment. He's going to use those skills here.

[New Quest: Treat the Wounded.]

"Bring me herbs and other materials," William ordered. "We'll start treating the wounded immediately."

Limir nodded, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Right away, my lord," he said, turning to bark orders at the other demons.