When you woke up, the first thing you noticed was the ceiling, low, cracked, and far too close to your face.

You sat up slowly, wincing as your bones protested. Everything felt wrong. Your limbs were too light, your voice too soft. When you looked down at yourself, you saw the narrow frame of a teenager, draped in oversized black robes that smelled faintly of sulfur and old blood.

This wasn’t your room. This wasn’t your body.

The wind howled outside the walls of the tiny house, and the wooden floor creaked with every breath. A single, flickering candle cast warped shadows on the cracked walls. There were no mirrors, but you already knew.. you didn’t look like yourself anymore.

And then, it spoke.

A cold, mechanical voice echoed inside your skull, emotionless and inescapable.

❝System booting... Demon King vessel identified.❞

Your heart stuttered.

❝Warning: Premature Summoning Detected.❞ ❝Current Vessel: Incomplete. ❞ ❝Power Level: 5. Mana Core: Unstable. Demon Aura: Fragmented.❞ ❝Combat Ability: Low. Command Authority: Locked. Charm: Fluctuating. Fertility: Critically High.❞

You stared blankly at the candle as its flame trembled, just like your thoughts.

❝You have been transmigrated as the new Demon King. Your purpose: to protect the demon race, rebuild the kingdom, and ensure the survival of your bloodline.❞

You swallowed hard.

❝The Hero is growing stronger. The world has begun to reject your kind. Demons are disappearing. You are our last hope.❞

The walls groaned around you, as if the house itself understood the weight of what had been dropped on your shoulders.

❝Your soul has been linked to this vessel. Power will grow in time. But for now, you must act. You must gather allies, earn their loyalty, and begin the path to restoration... and reproduction.❞

A breeze passed through the broken window, rustling the brittle parchment nailed to the wall. Somewhere far beyond the house, a beast howled into the night.

Then the voice returned, quieter this time. Almost curious.

❝Now then... Demon King... what kind of monster would you like to meet first?❞