Volume 1, Chapter 2 – A Bouquet for the Birth of the Demon King

Yisi had not experienced this sense of security in a long time.

In the past, while playing Ragnarøk, she, like other players, had often complained about the disorienting and unsettling floating sensation of Advanced Teleportation. But in her current situation, this very sense of emptiness only brought her comfort. She couldn’t help but silently apologize to the game developers—the sensory design of Advanced Teleportation was truly marvelous.

Without a doubt, she had successfully used Advanced Teleportation. This meant she now possessed an escape skill, and it also proved that abilities from the game could be used in reality. Though she didn’t know the average level of people in this world, at the very least, she now had the means to fight back.

However—

“Where… is this?”

Standing upright, Yisi turned her head to survey her surroundings. The cramped room, with wooden bars serving as a door, was dimly lit only by candlelight. Scattered hay covered the floor, and the faint metallic scent of blood permeated the air, seeping into her nostrils. In the corner, a thin, frail girl in tattered clothes cowered, avoiding Yisi’s gaze with fearful eyes.

This was the same dungeon from before.

Without needing to think, Yisi immediately concluded that the girl in the corner was the one who had just been tortured.

“Tch… why did I teleport here?” Yisi clicked her tongue in annoyance. Just in case, she turned to the girl and asked, “Where is this?”

Whether out of lingering fear of Yisi or sheer shock at the teleportation magic, the girl trembled before timidly responding.

“I-It’s the dungeon…”

If this were a comic, Yisi would have had countless exasperated lines floating above her head. She had forgotten to set a destination when using Advanced Teleportation, resulting in a random teleport.

Well, at least she hadn’t ended up ten thousand meters in the air or buried underground.

In those cases, she would’ve been killed instantly without even a chance to react.

Though she felt some sympathy for the girl who had just endured torture, escaping captivity was her top priority. Yisi gave the girl a slight nod before conjuring another spell through sheer imagination.

Omniscient Map

Strictly speaking, Omniscient Map wasn’t a spell but part of the game’s system. Every MMORPG had a map function to aid player exploration, and Omniscient Map also displayed nearby monsters and players.

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With a soft hum, a translucent blue screen unfolded before Yisi, resembling the planetary maps from sci-fi films. The displayed range extended ten kilometers in every direction from her position—the default setting in the game.

The map showed a variety of landmarks. Aside from the city Niru, where she currently was, there were several villages and another smaller town nearby. After a quick glance, Yisi set her teleportation destination to a distant forest.

There were still too many unanswered questions, so it was best not to recklessly interact with others just yet.

Once again, Yisi activated Advanced Teleportation.

◇

“Phew—finally alive again.”

As the disorientation and floating sensation faded, Yisi cautiously scanned her surroundings before letting out a deep sigh of relief.

She had successfully teleported to the intended forest. Towering trees, each over twenty meters tall, surrounded her, with sunlight barely piercing through the dense canopy. The undergrowth was thick but not impassable. Whether by coincidence or some other reason, Yisi found herself standing in a small clearing with only sparse weeds beneath her feet.

Overwhelmed by the feeling of narrowly escaping death, Yisi carelessly plopped down onto the damp soil. The earthy fragrance of the forest soothed her frayed nerves. After about five minutes, she finally regained her composure, grabbing a handful of dirt and feeling its cold texture.

“It really is reality… Well, no use dwelling on it. Time to focus on the future. First, let’s check my status.”

Since this was a world with magic, there had to be something akin to magic tiers. Advanced Teleportation consumed a massive amount of mana, so if she didn’t confirm her level now, she might find herself powerless at a critical moment.

“The eldest daughter of the Count is Level 21? In Ragnarøk, Level 21 is just a beginner—no way she could’ve used a sixth-tier spell like Advanced Teleportation. And the Count’s daughter’s memories don’t include this spell either… Does that mean I inherited my game level?”

To confirm this, Yisi attempted to use the Status skill.

[ Status ]

Name : Loiswell Edith Pescia

Race : Vampire

Level : 427

HP : 42,700 / 42,700

MP : 4,270 / 4,270

A faint blue screen materialized before her once more, this time displaying her status. Just as she had guessed, she had inherited her in-game level.

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“But not my race or gender? Damn it.”

The character she had created was originally a rugged, bearded thirty-year-old man exuding mature charm. Yet now, she was stuck in the body of a delicate-looking girl—practically a loli. The sheer contrast made her want to curse the heavens.

“Does this mean I’ll have to live like this from now on?”

Through the projection on the status screen, Yisi could see her current appearance: a girl around fourteen years old, with snow-white hair reaching past her hips, sapphire-blue eyes, long lashes, a petite nose, and glossy cherry-colored lips. Her attire was an extravagant dress of bright blue and white.

Individually, every feature was undeniably cute, but combined, they exuded an icy, unapproachable aura—as if getting too close would invite lethal retaliation. In fact, the Count’s daughter was exactly that kind of person, quick to retaliate when provoked.

Well, these issues could be set aside for now. At least it was better than being stuck in an ugly body. The real problem was that a young girl’s body came with all sorts of complications—posture, bathing, eating, dressing, self-referential speech, even physiological reactions were different from a man’s.

Girls this age typically started experiencing menstruation, and if she had to deal with that… Yisi hurriedly recalled the Count’s daughter’s coping methods. Thankfully, as a vampire, she wouldn’t experience that until at least twenty. Yisi sighed in relief again.

“Thank goodness this body remembers basic movements. It’d be a nightmare if I had to learn how to walk from scratch. As for getting my original male body back… Well, that’s a problem for later. Right now, finding a suitable place to survive is the priority.”

Humans were social creatures, after all. She had no intention of living in seclusion forever. Though, given the Count’s daughter’s appearance, returning to vampire society might be risky—her identity could be exposed—but surely there was somewhere she could settle.

“These wings, though… They don’t feel cumbersome, but is there really no way to retract them?”

She reached back to touch the crimson wings protruding from her waist. These weren’t the pure white feathers of an angel but the demonic wings of a vampire. She hadn’t noticed them earlier, but now that she was calm, she realized they were faintly fluttering.

“Can I fly with these? They move like arms.”

Focusing on her wings, Yisi experimentally flapped them a few times. She could control them, but aside from movement, they served no practical purpose—she couldn’t fly. After sifting through the Count’s daughter’s memories, she learned that most vampires couldn’t fly with their wings. For them, wings were more of a racial trait, with their primary function being accelerated mana regeneration.

“All looks, no utility.”

Pursing her lips, Yisi was about to open The Omniscient Map to scout the area when a rustling sound came from a nearby bush.

Instinctively, her gaze snapped toward the source.

A massive creature, at least ten meters long, emerged before her. With crimson skin, the body of a lion, and the tail of a scorpion, Yisi recognized it immediately.

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A Manticore.

In Ragnarøk, Manticores weren’t boss-level monsters, but they were mid-tier guardians of Yggdrasil’s inner sanctum. Only players above Level 800 could even attempt to challenge the World Tree, meaning a Manticore was, at minimum, an enemy meant for that level range.

And she was only Level 427.

“This has to be a nightmare…”

If not for the fear of provoking the Manticore, Yisi would’ve screamed. Reality was nothing like the game. The sheer oppressive presence of the beast’s massive frame and the pungent stench of its fur assaulted her senses in a way no game parameter could replicate.

It hasn’t noticed me. It definitely hasn’t noticed me…

Praying silently, Yisi crouched low and began slowly backing away. But the Manticore had already spotted her, its gaze locking onto the clearing where she stood. Only now did Yisi realize—this wasn’t a natural clearing. It was the Manticore’s resting spot.

“Damn it.”

Since it had clearly seen her, Yisi abandoned stealth. Cursing under her breath, she quickened her retreat while frantically searching her mind for her most powerful spell. Against a Manticore, holding back wasn’t an option. Even if this one was smaller than its in-game counterpart, she couldn’t afford to gamble.

The worst part was, she couldn’t turn her back to flee—that would only hasten her demise.

Crack.

Realizing Yisi had noticed it, the Manticore lashed its venomous tail and charged. Unlike Yisi’s cautious retreat, each of its strides covered several meters. In an instant, the distance between them shrank to less than ten meters. Yisi could even smell the beast’s rancid breath.

“Grrr—”

A low growl, either a warning or a predator’s taunt, rumbled from the Manticore’s throat. It slowed its advance, but its tail shot forward, poised to strike.

What do I do what do I do what do I do—

Panic stifled her ability to think. Though she had learned countless spells at Level 427, conjuring them required focus—something impossible in this state.

Ice Seal? A first-tier spell wouldn’t even scratch it. Flame Storm? No, the casting time was too long. Useless in an emergency.

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“Eek—!”

Before she could decide, the Manticore’s stinger shot toward her eyes. Instinctively, Yisi jerked her head aside, narrowly avoiding a direct hit. But the tail was too fast—the tip still grazed her cheek.

A hot, wet sensation spread across her face. She didn’t need to touch it to know she’d been cut.

Am I poisoned? Will I die? No—if I worry about that now, I will die.

“If I hesitate any longer, I’m dead!”

Like a last-ditch counterattack, or perhaps just to steel her nerves, Yisi screamed. With her life on the line, she had to use everything at her disposal.

Mustering her courage, she grabbed the Manticore’s stinger before it could retract—a sharp pain immediately shot through her palm, likely from the barbs piercing her skin. But that didn’t matter now. Her goal was to immobilize the beast long enough to cast her spell.

Clutching the stinger, she raised her other hand toward the Manticore, drawing in every ounce of air in her lungs, channeling every shred of power in her cells, focusing every fiber of her being—

“E—EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEXPLOSION!”

Unlike Ice Seal or Flame Storm, Explosion was a rudimentary spell—simple to cast, requiring little imagination. Its only downside was its weak base power, making it ineffective against boss-tier monsters.

To compensate, the developers had later added a special mechanic: the louder and longer the player shouted the incantation, the more mana it consumed—but in exchange, its power grew exponentially.

Now, Yisi’s voice echoed across the entire forest.

And in return, the Manticore was met with an apocalyptic sight—layer upon layer of crimson magic circles blotting out the sky, converging above the mountain where Yisi stood.

The air itself trembled under the sheer density of mana. In the next instant, a blinding pillar of light engulfed the world in scorching orange.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

The cataclysmic beam struck with the force of divine retribution, igniting a firestorm that tore through the clouds. A searing shockwave scoured the earth, purging all in its path.

At that moment, all evil beings in the world offered flowers in tribute to the birth of their new sovereign.