Demon Leveling

“Hey, kid… do you think this is fair?” The King of Hell was seated on his magnificent throne as his malevolent smile slowly faded. His dark skin and crimson tattoos were only complemented by his muscular physique and intimidating persona. His six crimson eyes glowed as he asked the question, with two of his four arms firmly gripping the armrest while the other two arms were folded. “For eternity, I am left to govern this wasteland while my older brother gets to have the spoils of the heavenly realm.” This supreme entity—the one known as the Devil—was rendering his complaint to a single individual who was forced to kneel in his presence. The trembling man did not dare to raise his head, lest he would see the six generals that faithfully stood beside their ruler’s throne. Or worse… cast his gaze upon the King of Hell himself. In this throne room that reeked of sulfur and oozed with darkness, this single person felt so out of place that he was more confused than afraid. Why in the world was he here? And why was he being told all of these things? “The God you all worship isn’t even my creator, but my brother. Our parents gave us this world as an inheritance and he got all the good stuff. He decided to fabricate a whole lot of nonsense about me. Like… what the hell?” The generals who stood beside the majestic throne of the King all closed their eyes and nodded empathetically. This certainly wasn’t the first time they were hearing all of these things. “I’m now seen as a vile dictator. Someone unreasonable and absolutely evil. I mean… do I look evil? Do I?” Yes! Yes, he looked evil. He was the Devil in every sense of the word, and his appearance did not betray that title. With crooked horns that extended far above, and dark hair that seemed to flow down his body, his aura alone was the epitome of chaotic despair. “But all of that will change! My chance has finally come once again, and this time I do not intend to lose!” At this point, the young man before this King and his strongest subjects had reached the breaking point. “U-um…” He slowly raised his hand as he cautiously lifted his face. “What does that… have to do with me exactly?” It felt like a rude question—not the kind you would ask someone like the Devil—but this young man had long passed his limits. If he kept this up, the ensuing rambling would go on forever. “Ahh… that’s right. You… you are my candidate!” “E-eh…?” Dumbfounded was the mildest way to describe how the young man felt once he heard what was just said. “Every six hundred and sixty six years, per the Deed of Inheritance that our parents left behind, I can challenge my older brother for the right to swap territories. In essence, I can finally gain control over the Heavenly Realm.” While he understood all of that, this young man could not fathom why he was the one chosen. “On the sixth hour of the sixth day of the sixth month, I choose the sixth candidate to arrive in hell as my representative. That is you.” In essence, it was just a totally random selection, and he happened to be the one chosen. “Listen up, kid. You’ll be returning to Earth, since that is the venue for this season’s challenge.” “R-Returning to Earth after death? You mean like the Harbingers?” Back in his world, there were people who died and came back to life, possessing special abilities that defies logic. They were known as Harbingers. “That older brother of mine has already started sending his candidates. Unlike me, the requirements apply very loosely to him. He can choose as many candidates as possible, while I’m stuck with only one.” It indeed felt like an unfair situation, one that compelled the young man to open his lips despite his initial hesitation. “T-then maybe you should put more thought into choosing your candidate and not just selecting randomly…” “But six hundred and sixty six is my lucky number.” The Devil responded, almost as if surprised that the young man didn’t know this. “W-well, then how many of these challenges have you won using this lucky metric of yours?” The expression of the Devil made it obvious what the answer was. “None…” He croaked. “I see. So why not place more thoughts in—?” “You mere mortal! How dare you question our King’s decision?!” One of the generals suddenly raised her voice. She had a very sexy body, wearing very thin-layered underwear, revealing the rest of her crimson skin. Compared to her very alluring body and attractive face, however, she had a fierce personality. “Calm yourself, Lilith. He isn’t wrong.” Upon hearing the words of her King, Lilith instantly bowed and stood upright. The rest of the generals, who were already getting angry at the young man, and would have eventually burst out in their lord’s defense, also followed suit. “I may have been careless in my last choices, but I believe I must be on the mark on this one…” A crooked smile formed on his hideous face. “Kid… you will represent me in this challenge.” The young man, in an attempt to escape responsibility, had suddenly been thrust into it. “In return, you won’t have to spend an eternity in this place. You’ll be given a second chance at life, and you’ll be able to make better choices.” It didn’t seem like a bad deal. “Succeed, and you will be rewarded even more. You will rule Heaven with me on my right hand side. I believe that was the reward my older brother gave to the last winner of the competition.” The young man gulped. It seemed like a lot of responsibility to be placed on his shoulders—especially since he knew what awaited him both in this world and the land of the living. “You might be worried about your current set of abilities, and how insufficient they are in achieving the great things I expect of you, but don’t worry. I don’t plan on leaving you high and dry.” The young man’s face lit up the moment he heard this. “You will go through basic training before returning. My six generals here will tutor you.” “E-ehhh?!” “Concerned, huh? There’s no need for that. We have all the time in the world, so don’t worry about that.” The Devil answered. “T-that’s not what I—!” “When you return, you’ll be much stronger than how you were before you died. That won’t make you invincible or anything, but it’s a start.” “H-hold on! I thought—!” “I also don’t plan on abandoning you when you return to Earth. I’ve set up a system that allows you to grow over time. As long as you are diligent, you should be able to see the results.” It didn’t seem like anyone present was interested in listening to him. All they wanted were results. “And what if I fail?” He was finally able to ask his most burning question. For a moment, no one answered his question. And then… “You will suffer here for all eternity, just as you were supposed to.” In the essence, his rightful punishment. “I’m giving you a second chance here. This deal will help us both.” The Devil wasn’t wrong. He would be granted power and knowledge—becoming a Harbinger for Hell. “You said I can grow over time. Do you mean Leveling Up? Like in a game or all those novels I read online?” “Yes! You’ll be leveling up with the help of my demons.” “I see…” This was not a dream, neither was it an hallucination. All of this was real. “So, what will it be… kid?” The young man already knew what his choice would be. After listening carefully to what he was told, there was no other reasonable choice in his mind. “I’ll do it. I’ll be your candidate.” He smiled as he slowly rose to his feet. “If I can have a second chance and become stronger… I’ll take it.” A bright smile formed on his face, and his eyes began to shine brighter than ever before. “Oh? Any specific reason why you want these things?” “Hm?” “I mean, it seemed like you weren’t interested initially. What changed?” Upon hearing the question, the young man’s smile deepened. “My name is Seth, and for the longest time I’ve lived a pretty shitty life.” He said. Even after death, it seemed his shitty life was bound to continue in hell. However; “I want to change it—my shitty life.” Seth spoke, his gaze locked with the King of Hell. … His new master. “That’s all there is to it.”