Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest - Chapter 4: The Green Menace

Beings that create and control monsters and demons, beings that build and reign over malicious labyrinths, the chosen individuals to possess an overwhelming Unique Skill… They are the Demon Lords.

The protagonist of a war fantasy novel, Theo, competes with his rival and antagonist, Luke, for the position of Supreme Commander. Having been reincarnated into Luke’s role, he struggles to fulfill his duties as the villain. “It seems like principles as a soldier, the duties I should uphold, don’t matter to you at all.” Even if misunderstood by Theo, Luke silently remained faithful to his role as the antagonist. After completing all his duties, Luke successfully gave Theo his happy ending, cast aside his military uniform, and retired from the army. Now, Luke planned to create his own future story without interference from anyone. That was the plan, at least… “Why go this far? I’m no longer a soldier, and if you really think about it, we were never on good terms anyway.” To make matters worse, not only had he unexpectedly reunited with Theo, but now, Theo was persistently and seriously pressing him in a way he hadn’t imagined. “I want to know you better.” It was a completely incomprehensible statement, and it wasn’t even an appropriate answer to the question. The protagonist came to the antagonist and suddenly asked for help, simply because they wanted to know him better?

The year was 2026, and the world wasn't what it used to be. Ever since the Abyss Gates cracked open three years ago, spilling monsters and dungeons across the planet, life had turned into a chaotic mess. Cities were half-ruined, half-rebuilt, and people clung to whatever normalcy they could find. Hunters—those brave or crazy enough to fight the monsters—became the new heroes. Everyone else? Well, they just tried to survive.Fin wasn't a Hunter. He wasn't a hero either.He was just… Fin. A lanky 19-year-old with messy brown hair, a chipped front tooth from a dumb skateboard accident, and a power that everyone called useless. Absorption. Sounds cool, right? Like he could suck up energy or steal someone's strength. Nope. All it did was let him “feel” things he touched a little more than normal. He could tell you the exact texture of a brick wall or how warm a coffee mug was—big whoop. No fireballs, no super strength, no flashy moves. Just a glorified touchy-feely trick.“Fin, you gonna eat that sandwich or just stare at it like it's gonna confess its life story?” Meg's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.He blinked and looked across the rickety table at his best friend. Meg was short, loud, and had a wild mop of dyed purple hair that she swore made her look “intimidating.” It didn't.

The days where adventurers would roam the land and grow strong are long gone. More than 99.9% of the world's population is level 1, and in fact, leveling just isn't something people think about anymore, as almost every spawn point on the planet has been gone for close to a thousand years. Only the elites, the super rich, or the super lucky have access to spawn points, and because of this, they are like Gods among men: like superheroes. For people like Zach, life is a mundane, ordinary experience of getting up, going to school, working, and then going back to bed. But that's all about to change when he stumbles upon one of the only unknown spawn points in existence. And in doing so, his life is about to descend into a wild chaos he never could have expected. (Lit RPG, fantasy, action, slow burn)