Chapter 111: The Day the King Was Born
The Master of the Demon Realm, the Corrosive Evil Lion Sabnock, strode forward with an air of majesty. His blue fur rippled as he fixed his multifaceted eyes on the path ahead, completely ignoring Rest and Lübesse, who had been standing in his way, and continued straight on.
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
From the moment of his birth, Sabnock was destined to be a “King.” He was born in the heart of a land known as the Demon Realm. His parents, a pair of Corrupted Beasts, had triumphed over their kin and other monsters in the struggle for survival, claiming that territory as their den. Five cub lions were born, but they soon turned on each other, and only Sabnock, who would later become King, survived.
“In all the heavens and earth, I alone am supreme.”
Had Sabnock been able to articulate human speech, those would surely have been his words. Bathed in vast amounts of Mana and having devoured his siblings to enhance his strength, the cub lion grew rapidly, eventually slaying his parents and leaving the nest.
From that point on, it was a life of battle. He fought daily against monsters that sought to claim the magical power of the Demon Realm, killing and devouring them. Before long, the cub lion had grown to an astonishing size compared to others of his kind, surrounded by subordinates who revered him as their King. Though Sabnock had established a solid position as the Master of the Demon Realm, his next adversaries were the beings known as “humans.”
The Demon Realm was a fertile land, conducive to agriculture, and with the special magic that released Mana, it was destined to develop into a city. Many leaders sent armies to attempt to slay the “King” in their quest to conquer the Demon Realm. Sabnock led his subordinates, the Corrupted Beasts, and crushed those foolish humans.
“I am the King. To disturb the land of the King is an act of disrespect.”
Sabnock did not attack humans merely to consume them; it was a matter of pride as a conqueror. Allowing humans to trespass on their territory would tarnish his dignity as a King. Thus, he had to drive them away. He would thoroughly kill, crush, and trample upon the fools who dared to invade their domain, teaching them their place.
Sabnock believed his actions were justified. At least, that was his conviction. Ever since he began to indiscriminately slay humans, no one dared to venture into the depths of the Demon Realm that belonged to them. The peaceful days for the Corrupted Beasts continued for about twenty years.
“Alright, let’s go! This bear won’t suffice. Bring me something bigger!”
However, humans are creatures that forget fear. On that day, after a long absence, a few humans dared to step into the territory of the Corrupted Beasts. It had been twenty years since anyone had entered their domain. This time, it was not an army but merely a handful of individuals.
They could be ignored. Sabnock was not so idle as to chase after a stray insect.
Yet, as fate would have it, these little insects emitted an exceedingly unpleasant odor. It was a special scent that stimulated the fighting spirit of monsters—the foul stench that humans referred to as a “Magic Attractant.” Were they trying to lure them into a trap? It was a most distasteful situation. Only the lower beasts, devoid of intelligence, would lose their sanity to such a Magic Attractant. How disrespectful it was to equate himself, a King, with such lowly creatures.
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
Sabnock swatted away the foolish humans. He did not bother to check whether they lived or died; there were more pressing matters at hand. They had dared to engage in such a ridiculous act. It seemed humans had forgotten the terror of the “King.” Just as he had done twenty years ago, he would kill, crush, and trample upon them, reminding them that they were beings beyond their reach.
Leading his young subordinates, the King left his territory and marched straight toward the direction where the humans had gathered. He decided to teach them their place by indiscriminately killing them. If the mood struck him, he might even crush the Royal Capital, their nest, where humans were densely packed.
As the King stepped out of his territory, two small insects appeared and launched an attack. They were capable enough to threaten his subordinates. He played with them for a while but soon realized it was a waste of time and chose to ignore them and continue on.
“No matter how strong they are, they are still insects. They cannot kill a lion.”
He was the “King.” No matter how much the insects clung to his legs or how weak his subordinates were, he could not afford to stop. A King does not walk the correct path; rather, the path is forged in the wake of a King’s steps, becoming the royal road.
Sabnock pressed on. For the sake of demonstrating his path and his pride, he sought to exterminate the humans.
“Star Eater!”
“GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?”
However, Sabnock was soon forced to halt. For the first time in his life, he let out a scream of pain. He quickly realized the source of his agony—the insect he had swatted away had somehow leaped back onto his back.
“Star Eater!”
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!?”
Once again, a chilling incantation echoed as searing pain coursed through him. The black sphere in the insect’s hand gouged into the flesh of Sabnock’s back, the Master of the Demon Realm.