The Queen of Demons’ right hand, the First Heavenly King, Kimi the Coldhearted, opened his eyes.
A snow-white ceiling came into view, and on it, a line of Blood-red Chinese Characters read: “If you see these words, it means your resurrection succeeded.”
What… happened?
Kimi the Coldhearted felt his mind in a haze, momentarily forgetting who he was.
That’s right, resurrection… Why was I resurrected… That’s right, I wrote these words—who am I? Kimi the Coldhearted? A human nightmare, these words aren’t the script of the demon race… I… I remember, I’m a transmigrator from Earth… but exactly who?
His memories of the past had become a muddled mess.
He lowered his gaze and continued reading.
The Blood-red Chinese Characters said: “Your resurrection means you failed to assassinate the Queen of Demons…”
Huh?
“After resurrecting, you must kill the Queen of Demons. Otherwise, she can use the two Rules of Enslavement from the Book of Worlds, planted in your soul, to torment you again. You know what she’ll do to Traitors.”
Torment Traitors!
Those four words branded themselves into his mind, like a red-hot iron.
The memory of the Queen of Demons forcing him to witness the entire process of tormenting a Traitor flooded back to him all at once.
The Queen of Demons had summoned a group of Goblins and said:
“As long as you all link together with him, you can seize his power.”
The Goblins then shrieked and leaped at the Traitor hanging there, commencing the “Ultimate Humiliation.” They put in all their effort, truly believing they could seize power and finally break free from their miserable fate.
The scene was disgusting, depraved, and bloody. Not just the other Heavenly Kings—even Kimi the Coldhearted himself could barely stand it.
Yet throughout it all, the Queen of Demons sat in her high-backed chair, one hand propping up her chin, a smile playing on her lips, as if admiring a piece of art.
***
In the end, the “Traitor” died.
The Queen of Demons ordered the Goblins to eat him and absorb his power.
Each gesture only underscored her cruelty and need for control. She turned her head, eyes landing on Kimi the Coldhearted, sizing him up, her tongue slowly gliding across her lips as she said, savoring the thought:
“If only it were you being punished. I bet you’d last a long time.”
“Ugh!”
Kimi the Coldhearted’s stomach convulsed violently. He shot up from the bed, turning aside to retch, but nothing came up—just bitter bile scorching his throat.
No, it can’t be like this. I can’t show any weakness.
***
Kimi the Coldhearted forced himself to swallow back the urge, tried to steady himself, and said, “My lady Demon King—”
But his arm met only empty air, and he crashed heavily to the floor. The impact jarred him completely awake.
That was just a memory, not reality. It was from long, long ago.
But she’ll use the same methods against me, the Traitor—maybe even worse…
The thought coiled around Kimi the Coldhearted’s heart like a venomous snake, squeezing ever tighter. He rolled over and looked again at the ceiling.
There was one last paragraph of Blood-red Chinese Characters on the ceiling:
“Remember, if possible, try to retrieve the Original Body Head. There is power hidden within. Absorb its power and figure out a way to kill the Queen of Demons. If things don’t look good, end it early—there’s a Sacrificial Dagger at the bedside. It’s painless.”
“If ‘Birdclaw,’ that damned wish-granting machine, really can grant a resurrection, then writing all this wasn’t for nothing. But remember, there will be a price. Be ready for it.”
“Finally, if your memories return, you’ll know the riddle for burning these words away.”
Kimi the Coldhearted braced himself on the bed and stood up, feeling weak, but most of his memories had returned. He looked up and said:
“Burn.”
***
At his word, the bloody script ignited, turning to drifting ashes that fell onto the bedside—where a snow-bright Sacrificial Dagger was embedded deep in the stone bed.
Kimi the Coldhearted reached for the Sacrificial Dagger.
That pale hand just managed to grip the thick hilt of the dagger. The skin on the back of the hand was smooth, the fingers long and slender, nails neatly rounded.
Wait, something’s off.
Kimi the Coldhearted blinked at his own hand. He remembered his hands were big, strong enough to crush a grown man’s skull with one hand—so why couldn’t he even grasp the dagger’s hilt fully?
He brought the back of his hand closer for a look.
Delicate skin, white with a hint of red, faint blue veins beneath.
He froze, gaze moving up, seeing a slender forearm, ivory smooth, wrapped in a sheer, loose, puffed sleeve embroidered with gold patterns—girly and dainty.
Kimi the Coldhearted was stunned. “What? Where’s my Divine Scales Blessing? Where’s my invulnerable scale armor?”
But the words that came out were in a crisp, melodious female voice.
The once gruff, hoarse tone that could strike terror into enemies had vanished. Now, this voice would probably arouse “other” interests in foes.
Kimi the Coldhearted shivered, then looked down.
He saw a gently rising and falling chest—no more of the thick muscles that could burst out of shirts. Leather laces hugged a slender waist, a green skirt covered half the thighs.
Full thighs stretched from beneath the skirt, white and tinged with red, blue veins visible. Down further, round knees, calves disappearing into wide knee-high boots with rolled tops, making the legs seem even more delicate.
He touched his face, felt a pair of long ears, then immediately reached down between his legs. The sensation at his fingertips made his mind go blank. What he was familiar with was gone, replaced by something warm, soft… different.
He—no, she.
Even someone like Kimi the Coldhearted, after ten thousand battles, a thousand murders, a hundred brushes with death, was dumbfounded for a long moment.
How did I become an Elven Maiden? Wait—my power?
She immediately raised her hand and whispered: “Burn.”
Nothing happened.
***
The vast magic that once surged through her veins was gone, the blessings from the Four Demon Gods, gone without a trace.
Now, she was just an ordinary Elven Maiden.
“No!”
She cried out, dashing to the room’s only full-length mirror. Reflected was the image of a silver-haired Elven Maiden.
Her hair reached her waist, long ears like budding willow leaves, round golden eyes like a deer’s, and a face no man could easily forget.
Yes, beautiful, but…
She glanced at the armor stand with the massive Blood-colored Plate Armor, thick and heavy—just one armored leg was wider than her waist, with a frightening Skull Cloak draped on it.
That set could protect someone from both magic and blades, but with these frail limbs, there was no way she could wear it now.
Still hoping against hope, she reached out to lift the leg armor. It was so heavy it dragged her arm down—she couldn’t budge it at all.
This fragile female body had no power. Without power, she couldn’t find the head, and without that, couldn’t recover her strength. No, I must get my body back—but for that, I need the head…
It’s over.
Just thinking of falling into the Queen of Demons’ hands now, as an Elven Maiden, made her shudder—she’d surely suffer ten times the pain of the Ultimate Humiliation.
***
She looked at the Sacrificial Dagger in her hand—the edge was sharp, easily able to slice through ribs and heart.
Might as well end my otherworldly journey for good. This damned fate, this damned “Birdclaw,” I’m done playing along.
She reversed her grip, aiming at her chest, the dagger tip pressing against the soft swell.
With a flick, she drove the dagger into the stone bed, burying it to the hilt.
“No, there’s still hope. Want me to give up? Not a chance.”
Just as the words left her lips—
The stone door to the chamber swung open with a bang, revealing two Demon Warriors, each holding blood-stained axes, tall and imposing.
Six eyes met; both sides froze in surprise.
The two newcomers, their four eyes raking over the former Heavenly King Kimi, grinned.
“Where’s Heavenly King Kimi? Not here?”
“The traitor Kimi sure knows how to enjoy life, keeping such a beautiful elven lover.”
She glared coldly at them, then lunged for the Sacrificial Dagger she’d just thrown.
The Blue Bird-headed Demon Warrior flung a hand axe: “Thunk!”
The axe blade sank into the stone bed—had she not reacted quickly, it would have taken off her hand.
She turned to face the two Demon Warriors, her gaze lingering on the Dog Collars at their necks. She remembered having one too, placed by the Queen of Demons herself.
“See her proud, icy face? Haha, elf, you’ll be begging soon.”
“Let’s have our way with her first. Once we’re tired of her, she’s useless, we’ll sacrifice her.”
“She doesn’t even know to be scared.”
“Probably can’t understand what we’re saying.”
The Blue Bird-headed Demon Warrior strode forward, reaching for her chest: “She’ll find out soon enough.”
She didn’t move, and barked in demon tongue: “Dogs! Kneel!”
The Dog Collars at their necks flashed. “Bang! Bang!” Both Demon Warriors dropped to their knees, palms pressed to the ground.
The one at the back shouted: “Impossible! How can you command us like our master, Heavenly King Kimi?”
“Only he could—” The Blue Bird-headed Demon Warrior up front shuddered, exclaiming, “Are you… are you actually Heavenly King Kimi, resurrected as a long-legged elf?”
Why are those who believe in the Blue Bird-headed Demon God always so sly?
She clenched her fist. The Dog Collar on the Blue Bird-headed Demon Warrior tightened, digging into his neck, cutting off his breath.
“I am Heavenly King Kimi’s personal maid.” She released her fist, and the Blue Bird-headed Demon Warrior gasped for air. “Tell me the results of the battle in the Throne Room.”
Neither Demon Warrior dared slack off. They took turns explaining, and after ten minutes, she finally understood the situation.
Kimi the Coldhearted’s assassination technique, “Burn,” had caused structural damage to the Demon Castle, melting half of the Throne Room’s wall.
***
The Hero and the Demon King both vanished.
With the Demon King gone, the demon race had started a free-for-all in the Demon Castle to decide who would become a Candidate for Demon King.
“Find Heavenly King Kimi’s head. Bring it here.” she said. “You know how.”
The Blue Bird-headed Demon Warrior said, “But the two of us might not be strong enough, my master.”
They were testing her current strength.
Without a word, she clenched her fist again. The Blue Bird-headed Demon Warrior again struggled to breathe.
“My command must be obeyed!”
“Yes!”
The two Demon Warriors stood up and hurried away, not even bothering to close the door.
She watched them disappear through the doorway, letting out a sigh of relief.
These two were her trump cards.
Her power was sealed in the head, and wouldn’t leak out for some time, so the others wouldn’t notice.
If all went well, these two mutts could retrieve the head in advance.
Then she’d have a chance to deal with the Queen of Demons. But for now, her top priority was to escape this uselessly beautiful Elven Body and reclaim her manhood.
If something went wrong and the head wasn’t recovered in time, and the power inside leaked out, she might never be able to absorb it, and could be trapped in this weak form for life.
The thought that she might never return to her two-meter-tall, muscular body made her anxious.
Suddenly, shouts came from outside the door:
“Who’s there!”
“Ah!”
“Thud!”
A Blue Bird-head rolled past the door, a Dog Collar still fastened around its neck.
Her face went pale, and she cursed in her native tongue: “***ing fate!”
…Wasn’t that trial period a bit too short for these two mutts?