My Family in the Novel?

Chapter 124: Please Choose

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of a great being such as you visiting me?"

inquired the demon king, a tone of casual respect in his voice.

Sipping on a drink prepared by his diligent subordinates, he displayed an air of nonchalance despite having just woken up and been greeted by an uninvited guest.

Nevertheless, he refrained from voicing any complaints, recognizing the stature of the being before him and extending the courtesy such a guest deserved.

The demon king observed the child sitting in front of him, meeting his gaze with curiosity.

A seasoned ruler with millennia of experience, the demon king sensed an underlying power in the seemingly ordinary child.

Though the child's divinity felt minuscule, an innate instinct, honed through countless defeats and a cautious existence, warned the demon king against underestimating the true potential hidden behind the façade.

Unfazed by the unexpected visit, the demon king maintained his composure. He had faced numerous challenges and adversaries over the eons, and this encounter was no exception.

The demon king's piercing gaze shifted, taking in the presence of two additional figures who had materialized alongside the child.

To his right stood a wolf—a creature outwardly unremarkable, but the demon king felt an unsettling connection, as if the wolf were consuming his very soul with its penetrating eyes.

A shiver ran down his spine, a rare reaction for a demon king accustomed to confronting formidable foes.

Beside the child stood a figure that caught the demon king's attention—an elf, or so it appeared.

Yet, upon closer inspection, the elongation of her ears fell short of the characteristic length of elves he was familiar with. A half-elf, then.

With silvery-grayish hair cascading in waves, she exuded a striking beauty that, in the demon king's estimation, could rival even the most alluring succubus within his realm.

The demon king found himself intrigued by the diverse assembly of beings that had entered his domain, each one carrying an enigmatic air that hinted at untold depths of power and purpose.

The abrupt and theatrical cough from the young boy Loki cut through the room, instantly redirecting the demon king's attention.

The demon king, now fully aware of the unusual visitors before him, maintained an air of caution as Loki, the self-proclaimed messenger, introduced himself with a disarming smile.

"Sorry for suddenly visiting, oh great demon king of this realm. My name is Loki" he said, his tone carrying a blend of politeness and mischief. Loki's hand gestured toward the wolf at his side, Fenry, whom he affectionately referred to as a "pretty good puppy." Loki's playful demeanor didn't waver as he continued, stroking Fenry's head with evident joy.

"Puppy, huh?" said the demon king in disbelief.

Loki chuckled, enjoying the subtle annoyance displayed by the wolf.

Loki's attention then shifted to the elegant woman, Victoria, standing beside him. A veiled threat accompanied his nonchalant introduction, creating an undercurrent of tension.

"And the beautiful lady over there is Victoria. She's my disciple, you see. So if you ever look at her with a hint of a lustful gaze, I'll gauge your eyes out, okay?"

The words hung in the air, both a jest and a stark warning. The demon king, fully aware of the potential consequences, felt a chill run down his spine.

Loki's seemingly carefree demeanor belied a power that surpassed mere theatrics, leaving the demon king to grapple with the realization that every word uttered held a weighty promise of dire consequences.

Gulping audibly, the demon king acknowledged the unspoken rules of this impromptu meeting.

In the aftermath of the tumultuous encounter, Loki's imperturbable demeanor contrasted starkly with the fervent protests of the demon king's subordinates.

"A mere visitor dares to threaten our king! Know your place!" shrieked a particularly zealous demon, only to be echoed by others clamoring for retribution.

"That's right! My king, please allow me to take his eyeballs out; this puny little thing dares!" another demon howled.

"My king, allow me to punish this arrogant kid!" yet another voice chimed in.

Exasperated, the demon king swiftly employed telekinesis to clamp down on their insubordinate voices. A heavy sigh followed; the weight of command apparent in his troubled countenance.

He glanced at Loki, who responded with a nonchalant giggle and an affable smile, an incongruity amid the chaos.

With a snap of his fingers, the clamorous demons vanished, leaving Loki and the demon king in an uneasy silence.

"I'm sorry for the disrespectful act," the demon king offered, seeking to mend the strained atmosphere.

"No, it's okay. I'm quite used to others getting annoyed by my very presence alone," Loki replied, his smile unwavering.

"I-I see," stammered the demon king, grappling with the uncertainty of whether to maintain his authoritative stance or extend a more sincere apology.

Sighing In the somber halls of his forbidding castle, the demon king, ruler of the demonic realm, brooded over the perplexing visitation of a powerful god. The intrusion raised pressing questions, foremost among them being the uninvited presence of a deity of such magnitude.

Even the esteemed primordial goddess Eris required permission to enter his domain, and the demon king found himself baffled by this exception.

As the Grand Harvest loomed on the horizon, the demon king's time became an increasingly precious commodity.

His responsibilities were manifold—sending demons to the mortal realm, overseeing their activities, and scrutinizing the mortals' summoning endeavors.

The impending chaos of the Grand Harvest demanded his meticulous attention, and the unexpected arrival of a god only added to his mounting concerns.

The demon king, a shrewd strategist, recognized the significance of the Grand Harvest.

This cosmic event marked a crucial threshold where the forces of positive and negative within the entire sector faced a threshold.

An interruption or disturbance in the cosmic balance triggered a cleansing, and the world itself temporarily granted dominance to the negative forces, typically embodied by demons.

For the demonic realm to thrive and match the power of the gods above, the demons needed souls to propagate and birth more potent entities.

The demon king, a formidable force in his own right, understood the delicate dance required to maintain equilibrium amidst the cosmic forces.

The gods in the heavens wielded energies that dwarfed those of the demons, making it imperative for the demonic realm to partake in the Grand Harvest and seize the opportunity granted by the world itself.

In some realms, the event of the Grand Harvest manifested as an apocalypse, offering a reset to entire civilizations and serving as a method to ensure the continued balance upon the very world they inhabited.

The demon king pondered the intricate game of balance he played alongside his rival and somewhat co-worker, Eris, the primordial goddess.

As the Grand Harvest unfurled, he harbored a certainty that Eris had already designated a hero in the mortal realm.

His paramount concern lay in uncovering the identity of this chosen one—a task that would enable him to orchestrate the timely entry of his high-ranking demons into the tumultuous fray.

The demon king recognized the delicacy of the situation. Releasing a sudden torrent of high-ranking demons from the depths of hell into the mortal realm would spell catastrophe.

Hence, the presence of a hero, blessed by the highest-ranking god, became an essential countermeasure. This hero held the power to tip the precarious balance.

As the world teetered on the brink of chaos, darkness, and negativity, the hero emerged as the beacon of hope—a manifestation of positivity destined to dispel the encroaching shadows.

Despite understanding the necessity of this delicate equilibrium, the demon king harbored a profound disdain for the role it played in the grand scheme of cosmic balance.

The influx of souls harvested from slaughtered humans promised prosperity for the demonic realm, yet it came at the cost of sending his subordinates on a perilous mission—a veritable suicide pact with the inevitable outcome of falling before the hero's blade.

"Demon king, I know you have a slight change of plans regarding the upcoming Grand Harvest of this realm, so let's strike a deal, shall we?" said Loki.

Surprise etched across the demon king's face as he processed Loki's words. "How?"

"Oh, it's nothing really. I just have a really good friend, you see, who can see through anyone's intentions. And you, my wonderful demonic friend, seem to have a pretty interesting yet chaotic idea, hahaha," said Loki with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" questioned the demon king. His overly fearful demeanor transformed into one befitting a demon king.

His entire body morphed into darkness, and thousands of multi-colored eyes stared at Loki.

The threatening display was an instinctual response, and the demon king had no choice.

His plans for the upcoming Harvest hadn't been shared with anyone. The only one privy to the information was the primordial demon, Blair.

No information should have leaked regarding his plans. If anything got out, chaos would ensue, with gods, demons, and even the world itself coming after him.

Although he knew he couldn't defeat the person in front of him, he was prepared to face the consequences, as everything he had done was for his beloved daughter.

"Now, now, let's not get riled up, shall we? What I'm offering here is actually something that will help you. I'll explain everything later regarding how I know, but first—" said Loki in a nonchalant voice, seemingly unfazed by the demon king's growing aura of negativity.

Loki clapped his hands twice, and suddenly, four cards floated in front of him.

They landed on the small table between them, and golden runes were written on them.

As the demon king couldn't read runes, Loki snapped his fingers, and soon the demon king recognized what was written on them.

He was surprised and unintentionally spoke the words aloud.

"The God's Final Whisper" "Heroes Death" "Grand Marriage" "Corrupted Light" the demon king read each card.

"Now, demon king, please touch each card and see which scenario you would want to see happen in this pathetic sector" said Loki seriously.

He stared at the demon king with a serious expression, his divinity wrapped around his body, dwarfing the demon king's demonic aura.

The demon king just stared at the cards presented to him, still in shock and unsure of what to do.