The Birth of the Strongest Demon King

Arios Verheis was born as a disabled demon, unable to use magic like other demons. He was shunned by his own kind to the extent that even his father, Holden Verheis, abandoned him in the Death Forest, where no demon dared to enter except the Demon King.   Holden, who served as an advisor to the fifth-generation Demon King, Satuna, took such actions to protect his own reputation. He didn't hesitate to cast aside Arios when he was only nine years old and left him in the Death Forest. It was at that moment that Arios vowed to grow into a powerful demon and seek revenge against his father.   *** Huff... Huff... A young demon covered in blood ran desperately, gasping for breath. Tears streamed down his face as he ran, consumed by fear. Dozens of Cerberus relentlessly pursued him, denying the young demon any respite.   "Father, Mother! Please, help Arios!" Arios continued running, his steps faltering as he lost a significant amount of blood from the Cerberus' attacks. His tears mixed with the characteristic black-red demon blood. Arios had no idea where to run anymore in order to save himself.   The Cerberus closed in on Arios, who continued to run with the last remnants of his strength. Blinded by panic, he failed to notice a hole right in front of him.   "Aargh!"   Arios screamed as he fell into a deep hole. Even after taking several breaths, he still hadn't reached the bottom of the pit.   Bruug   Aargh.   After what seemed like an eternity, Arios finally hit the bottom of the hole. However, he immediately lost consciousness. The Cerberus that had been chasing him peered down into the hole and eventually gave up, unable to follow Arios into the abyss.   Arios lay there, battered and injured. The fall from such a height had broken his leg and several ribs. At the age of nine, despite being a demon, Arios had not yet grown his wings, which meant he couldn't fly like other demons.   ***   For several days, Arios remained unconscious until he woke up with a sticky substance on his face. Blinking his eyes open, he was startled to see a strange creature he had never encountered before.   Arios quickly recoiled in fear and shuffled away from the creature. "Fire Slime? Why is there a Fire Slime here?" It dawned on Arios that the being before him was a Fire Slime, a creature that should only exist in legends.   "Hold on! My injuries..." Arios touched his face and examined his body, only to be surprised by his complete recovery.   Arios glanced at the Fire Slime, which then left him and went somewhere else. "Wait! I want to express my gratitude!" Arios chased after the leaping Fire Slime.   Arios chased as fast as he could, his body feeling surprisingly light. Unbeknownst to him, his own physicality had changed during his time in pursuit of the Fire Slime.   Still fixated on the Fire Slime moving farther away, Arios failed to notice its trail. After a few breaths, he lost track of the creature. However, he spotted thick black smoke that obscured a corner of the area.   Arios stopped running and carefully observed the smoke. As he continued to gaze, he felt as if he was under an illusion. He saw a skull within the dense smoke, emitting sounds of anguish.   Bruug   Arios fell to his knees, terrified by what he saw. Just when he thought he had narrowly escaped the clutches of the Cerberus, he now encountered something that filled him with even greater fear.   Arios contemplated leaving the area, but suddenly the Fire Slime appeared behind him and pushed him into the thick smoke.   Terrified, Arios tried to resist the Fire Slime's push, but his small body was no match for the twenty times larger fiery creature. The vibrant red Slime continued to push Arios into the thick smoke, intensifying his fear. Cold sweat poured from his body as his face grew paler. "Help me!" "Help me!"   The skull's roar became more audible as Arios stood just a spear's length away from the smoke. Arios didn't know what to do since he seemed stuck to the Fire Slime and couldn't break free.   "What are you going to do to me?" Arios asked the Fire Slime helplessly. Unfortunately, the Fire Slime didn't respond at all, leaving Arios resigned to his fate.   Closing his eyes tightly, clenching his jaw, and tightly balling his fists, Arios felt his nails piercing into his skin.   Boing.   The Fire Slime forcefully pushed Arios into the smoke, causing him to be flung inside quickly.   Arghh!   Arios screamed loudly, keeping his eyes shut. However, as he took several breaths, he didn't feel anything strange inside the smoke.   Slowly, Arios opened his eyes, astonished to find no skulls at all inside the smoke, unlike what he had seen before.   Arios glanced behind him and realized that the smoke was merely an illusory barrier, according to his perception.   A sigh of relief escaped his lips. "Well, I'm fine," he murmured, while soothingly rubbing his chest.   Arios then turned his attention forward and furrowed his brow upon seeing a rusty sword embedded in a stone block.   Approaching the sword cautiously, afraid that it might be a trap, Arios found no evidence of danger. There was nothing there except for himself.   Arios, unable to sense any magic at all, was not affected by the intense aura of Dark Magic surrounding the area. He remained unaware that all the magical energy was focused on the rusty sword.   "What kind of sword is this?" Arios mumbled, observing it closely.   Being a young demon, his curiosity naturally piqued. Without much thought, Arios grabbed the sword's hilt.   As there were no adverse effects upon gripping it, Arios attempted to pull it out. With just a single breath, he effortlessly drew the sword.   "A surprisingly light sword," Arios remarked, carefully examining the now unsheathed blade. At first, Arios didn't feel anything. He thought the sword was just an abandoned weapon left behind. However, suddenly, the thick smoke that formed the illusory barrier was absorbed into the sword that Arios held, along with the dense dark magical energy within it.   Gradually, the sword also sensed its new owner and merged its magical energy into Arios' body. Arios was startled when he felt his grip on the sword growing hotter. It continued to intensify over time.   Arios wanted to release the sword, but it seemed that he couldn't let go. The heat spread rapidly throughout his body, causing him to scream in pain.   Arghhh!   Collapsing to the ground, Arios attempted to free himself from the sword's grasp, but it clung to him even tighter. The absorbed magical energy flowed into Arios' body. He continued to scream in agony as the heat and pain increased.   His veins appeared as if they were being burned. The previously depleted source of magical energy within his body was now replenished by the absorbed magic from the sword he held.   As time passed, the vessel of Arios' magical energy grew on its own. Arios fell to the ground, overcome by the excruciating pain.   Wings, previously absent, now sprouted from his back. Four demon wings emerged on Arios' back.   Simultaneously, Arios underwent a physical transformation. Despite being only nine years old, his physique became incredibly strong due to the fusion with the sword.   The rusty sword transformed into a gleaming black color as all the remaining magical energy within it was fully absorbed.   Arios appeared exhausted, having gained the power he had long dreamed of.