Chapter 14 : The Tyrant’s Rebirth

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The Underworld.

“Where… is this?”

A confused soul wandered through a grotesque and terrifying world. 

He had the appearance of a young boy. 

Judging by his faintly translucent and delicate features, he must have been quite a handsome child in life.

The sky, the land, the rivers, even the moon overhead—everything was red, filled with the pungent stench of blood.

“…I see. I’m already dead, hahaha…”

A strange laugh escaped his lips. 

It sounded like a self-deprecating sorrow, but also like the precursor to an emotional breakdown.

“AHHHHHHH—!! WHY!?”

Suddenly, a violent roar burst from his mouth. 

His eyes turned crimson, his face twisted into a demonic, terrifying expression.

“I was the eldest son! Everything should have been mine! Why… why were you so unfair!? Father! Why did you never once look at me!?”

His roar, filled with bitterness and fury, echoed through the world. 

The overwhelming wrath he unleashed caused the nearby souls to shrink back. 

To them, he was a lunatic who had lost all reason, yet exuded terrifying power.

“I tried so hard—to become the child you always wanted! I gave everything for you… for Mother, who loved you till the day she died! But why… why did you betray us!? Father…”

Even in the depths of heartbreak, no tears fell from his eyes. 

For he was no longer flesh and blood—just a hollow soul, a cluster of empty energy.

But the sorrow slowly turned to rage, and then to hatred and murderous intent.

“You betrayed Mother… betrayed the love I had for you. You trampled on everything we were. You broke the promises you once made. I hate you. Even in death, I won’t forgive you. I’ll make you pay. I’ll make that woman and her son suffer the most agonizing deaths. This is what you owe us!”

His fury burned so intensely that it nearly erased all traces of reason. 

The hatred was like a brand, scorching his very soul with a mark that would never fade.

But then—

A beam of light shone down upon him.

In an instant, the violent aura froze. 

His overwhelming anger receded like a crashing tide. 

He lifted his head in a daze, looking up toward the light.

Rather than “light,” it was more like an eerie depth—a strange, profound glow of purple.

The ominous violet radiance pulsed with a dangerous energy. 

The other wandering souls, who had hidden from the boy’s madness, now scattered in fear—for compared to this boy, this light was far more terrifying.

But the boy… looked at the light and began to weep in joy.

Because within that glow… he felt it—that warmth that once came from his mother’s embrace.

“Mother? Is that you, Mother? So… you’ve been waiting for me all this time…”

He stretched out his arms, yearning to embrace the eerie light. 

And what met him was not an embrace, but consumption.

But he didn’t care. 

All he wanted was to hold that warmth that reminded him of his mother—even though he knew better than anyone… it wasn’t really her.

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…

His consciousness slowly faded, and like a peacefully sleeping infant, he rested serenely—no longer in pain in this warm, strange world.

Who knew how long he slept. 

But however long it had been didn’t matter—he yearned for this warmth.

But then…

“…What is this…? Who’s there?”

He slowly opened his eyes, sensing something. 

In that void-like world, he rose to his feet.

Someone was there. But where? He couldn’t tell.

It felt distant… and yet strangely close.

But rather than fear or danger, that presence brought a strange gentleness that captivated him.

Until a voice rang out.

“Wandering soul of the underworld, eyes clouded by violence and slaughter, lost one—I shall grant you a miraculous rebirth.

I shall give you the power to fulfill your desires.

Spread your fury across this unjust world.

Go forth.

Let all witness your existence.

Let all things submit to your wrath.

Enslave the living within the cage of your fury.

You shall become the one and only tyrant of this world—the King who commands the demon race and tramples all beneath him.”

Immediately after, a curtain of light appeared before his eyes—as if inviting him to pass through it.

As the voice echoed in his ears, he didn’t know whether it was real or not—but his body trembled with excitement.

“Is this… real?”

He could barely believe what was happening before him. 

But deep down, he instinctively felt that the voice wouldn’t lie to him.

That warmth—aside from his mother, he had never felt it from anyone else. 

Even though, in his heart, he knew perfectly well: this wasn’t his mother.

And yet, in that moment, he was like a devout believer, ready to kneel before the owner of that voice and offer up his unwavering loyalty.

With overwhelming emotion, he reached toward the curtain of light. 

A pillar of violet light shot into the sky, and in the next second—his feet landed on solid ground once more.

The earth seemed to wail in fear of his rebirth. 

With every step, he could feel the tremble of the land beneath him.

His field of vision was higher than before. 

The wild, brutal power within his body made him feel better than he ever had.

Wherever he walked, living creatures scattered in terror. 

Whatever his hands touched withered and decayed—that was his new power. 

The power of calamity.

He arrived at a lakeside, crouched down, and gazed into the reflection on the water’s surface.

What he saw was tall and imposing, terrifying and grotesque—a true monster.

He stood nearly five meters tall, his muscular frame covered in dark red skin. 

His green eyes glowed with a wicked light. 

A pair of exaggerated coiled horns curled backward from his forehead. 

His gray hair stood up like the quills of a porcupine.

No trace of the handsome young boy from his past remained. 

In the reflection, there was only a fearsome beast.

“Hehehe… Hehehehahahahahaha—!!”

He showed no sadness at all. 

Instead, that monstrous face split into a horrifying grin. 

His laughter echoed like a death knell, scarring the hearts of the nearby forest creatures. 

Faces twisted in fear, they fled once again—desperate to escape the presence that instinctively terrified them.

“This is exactly what I needed. I’ve returned from hell—to execute the traitors and cast the world into my shadow. Such greatness… deserves a form like this!”

A breeze swept across the land, like a gentle palm brushing over his bristling gray hair, whispering in his ears.

“Live well… my child.”

The voice was gentle, full of love, compassion, and sorrow—reverberating in his ears long after it was gone.

He basked in the voice’s warmth. 

His towering figure knelt to the ground, his expression solemn, as two full streams of tears flowed from his terrifying green eyes.

“Ahh… Mother. I will. I’ll give you the world you always dreamed of. Please… watch over me.”

In his heart, the being who had spoken was not only the god who had given him hope, but also the one who had given him this strong body, this terrifying power—who had reshaped him anew.

His second mother.

When the voice finally faded, the massive figure rose once more, surveying the empty forest around him.

“Then let it begin here. But first…”

The great figure paused, contemplating something of utmost importance.

“My old name… is no longer needed. I need a new one— a name that will one day be etched into the suffering of the world.”

He looked down at his strong hands, brushing them against the thick trunk of a tree. 

The once-flourishing tree instantly rotted and withered. 

With just a light push, it cracked apart and collapsed into splinters on the ground.

“Calamity… Maseba… Yes, that’s it.From this day forward, my name shall be Maseba Dum Deverip.This name will march with me… as I conquer this world.”

He didn’t dwell on it too long. 

Maseba had made his decision.

The name of the Demon King: Maseba Dum Deverip.

Maseba, the bringer of calamity.

Dum, the herald of destruction.

And Deverip—his late mother’s surname.

Perhaps that was the last fragment of humanity that the demon king named Maseba still carried within him.