Repeated Transmigration

Repeated Transmigration

As the saying went, food was the people's heaven. Pei Renli strongly agreed with that, because he really was hungry.

He had not eaten before running to the bathroom to play on his phone. After transmigrating, he had also been unconscious from the middle of the night until morning. Earlier, his head had been so full of question marks that he had not noticed, but once he relaxed a little, his unavoidable physical needs became urgent.

There was definitely no ordering takeout here like he usually did, but that did not mean there was no food.

Freshly caught wild chicken breast was slowly roasted until it sizzled with grease, then simply seasoned with coarse salt. Some kind of fern-like wild vegetable was boiled in plain water, accompanied by a rock-hard piece of dry bread. Everything was placed on a wooden tray. This was Pei Renli's first meal in another world—truly a little wild.

Still, considering the treatment, it did not seem too bad?

The only troublesome part was the cutlery. It was a knife and fork, and Pei Renli found them uncomfortable no matter how he used them. He might as well just eat with his hands.

As Pei Renli sat on the chair beside the desk, struggling with the chicken breast and rock-hard dry bread, Lavna remained half-kneeling the entire time. It went beyond loyalty and bordered on devotion. This was probably the attitude one would have when praying to gods and Buddhas.

Though he did not understand what her attitude was about, it seemed that she at least bore him no hostility. Pei Renli had a pile of questions, so perhaps he could ask them now.

"What exactly is going on? Why did I suddenly appear here? Can I still go back?"

The triple question made Lavna, who had been standing like a statue, lower her head even further.

"Your questions cannot be answered for the time being."

"Didn't you make me transmigrate?"

"Transmigrate?"

Lavna seemed somewhat confused by that word. She genuinely appeared not to know what it meant.

"You came from beyond this realm. I have no idea what kind of place that is. I only know that you were destined to arrive."

She pointed at the crystal ball behind Pei Renli.

"You appeared from within that crystal ball."

Pei Renli had initially thought it was merely an ornament. Hearing that, he held the bread in his mouth and picked up the crystal ball, examining it from every angle.

At a glance, it did not seem like much. But upon closer inspection, he discovered that it was not a crystal ball at all. It was plainly a glass ball, no different from the marbles he had played with as a child. He could even see the bubbles left behind during its manufacture...

Putting the crystal ball back on its cushion, Pei Renli could only ask, "What did you say earlier? I was a little dizzy at the time and didn't hear clearly."

"Your arrival is your coronation. You are the new Demon King."

"Cough, cough!"

The dry bread nearly lodged itself in his windpipe. It took Pei Renli quite a while to recover, and then he said with an unreadable expression, "Demon King? Let me ask—what is that?"

"The king of magical creatures, an existence feared by mortals, a destroyer and reformer of the present order."

Quite a lot of titles, but put simply, he was the big bad boss.

"So... a Demon King is indeed the kind that has to destroy the world?"

"Of course, if you so desire. However, you are not bound by anything. Your existence itself already holds immense meaning."

"?"

Pei Renli still did not understand just how important the idea that existence itself was meaning was to Lavna. He only found it baffling.

Lavna did not explain, instead continuing on her own.

"Before the previous Demon King vanished, he left behind a prophecy. A new Demon King would descend on a stormy night. I have waited for twenty years, and at last, I have waited for you."

Pei Renli had heard of prophecies before. They were really just the Barnum Effect, nothing more than a way to fool people.

Besides, who knew whether the words of this creature, who might not even be human, were trustworthy? He could only listen for now.

"The previous Demon King? Where did he go?"

"I do not know. Before the previous Demon King vanished, he created me. My sole and eternal mission is to offer my loyalty to you, the new Demon King."

If he could, he really wanted to ask the guy face-to-face, Bro, did you send the wrong reaction image...?

That was not important. What mattered was that he had not learned how to return home, nor had he learned why he had transmigrated.

But on second thought, the situation did not seem all that bad.

Compared to many transmigrators who ended up miserable after crossing over, Pei Renli felt like he had gotten the invincible protagonist route—nothing but swagger, smoke, sparks, and lightning all the way.

"Because I appeared at the time mentioned in the prophecy, that makes me the Demon King? Then aside from you, do I have any subordinates or something?"

"Of course."

Lavna clapped her hands. Soon, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, like the noise made by those sneakers that squeaked when walking.

Before long, the door opened slightly, and Pei Renli saw a strange creature poke its body into the room.

It was only as tall as a human calf. With its short arms and legs, it looked somewhat like a panda, but even more like a stuffed toy. It walked upright, and every step made the same sound he had just heard.

Similar creatures emerged from behind the door one after another. In the end, ten unidentified creatures copied Lavna and knelt before Pei Renli, lowering their heads.

Lavna introduced them enthusiastically.

"They are called Puni. They are magical creatures and are very skilled at chores. They will handle all aspects of your daily life, including food, clothing, and lodging."

When he saw the creatures called Puni and heard the word magic, Pei Renli once again confirmed that he had truly transmigrated.

"Including myself, everyone you see now is the entire foundation left behind for you by the previous Demon King."

"..."

He had been too hasty earlier after all!

What invincible protagonist route was this? This so-called Demon King was practically a commander without an army.

"Um, can you send me back and get someone else instead?"

Pei Renli immediately had the urge to grab a bucket and run, except he did not know how to get home...

"My apologies, Demon King. I do not know how to fulfill your request. The previous Demon King did not tell me how to send you back. Moreover, the instant you agreed, you had already become the new Demon King. The reason you lost consciousness earlier was because the Demon King System was initializing."

What was this, a system protagonist route too?

"Demon King System?"

The moment those four questioning words left his mouth, Pei Renli's vision went dark.

It was unlike the darkness that had come with the earlier dizziness and loss of consciousness. This time, it was as though a black curtain covered most of his vision, like black tape had been stuck over his eyes. Yet he could still see things through the edges of his peripheral vision.

The sudden change obstructed his sight badly, and Pei Renli panicked. He sprang to his feet, completely at a loss.

Then he saw a line of white text and symbols appear on the black curtain blocking his view.

On the left side, written simply in a vertical line, were "Pei Renli" and "Level: 5."

There should have been a great deal more text below, but he could not see it, as if it were blocked by something with very low transparency.

"Please do not panic. The previous Demon King mentioned this situation. What you are seeing is the Demon King System."

Though his vision was obstructed, his hearing was unaffected. Pei Renli heard Lavna continue.

"Please allow me to explain. You should see a level written beneath your name. It is the standard by which we measure strength in this world. May I ask what number is displayed...?"

"Five..."

It felt as though he had been rated as combat power five trash.

Lavna did not mind at all. Seeming to notice Pei Renli's mood, she comforted him thoughtfully.

"Please do not lose heart. Under the level standard, all ordinary people are between levels 1 and 10. If you are willing, you can still grow stronger in the future."

Although the so-called Demon King System interface still blocked his vision, hearing Lavna, who had been respectful all along and showed no hostility, say that made Pei Renli somewhat less panicked. He steadied himself and asked, "What is the large hourglass on the right?"

His name and level were written on the left, while an hourglass that was continuously draining, or rather an hourglass-shaped icon, occupied most of the right side.

Not only that, Pei Renli could see that the hourglass was about to run out. Just as he spoke his question, the last grain of sand fell.

"That is..."

Before Lavna could finish, Pei Renli saw the hourglass flip over and begin counting down again. Immediately afterward, a burst of light exploded before his eyes, completely swallowing his vision. Lavna's voice rapidly faded away, becoming inaudible in an instant.

What was this now? Was this happening for the umpteenth time?

Pei Renli had so many questions that he was nearly running out of ways to ask them. He had been casually playing on his phone when he suddenly transmigrated, then suddenly fainted in the middle of a conversation, and now he had been hit in the face by another flashbang.

What the hell was going on?!

The only fortunate thing was that he had not lost consciousness this time. Amid the constantly flickering light, all he could do was close his eyes.

A short while later, perhaps after several seconds, the faint dizziness returned, while the light that had kept him from opening his eyes gradually dimmed.

He cautiously opened his eyes. After only one look, Pei Renli could not help muttering, "Did I transmigrate again...?"

The "Demon King System" that had blocked most of his vision was gone. Before him was no longer the luxurious room where Lavna had been, but a huge, empty place that resembled the outdoors.

He seemed to be inside an open-air structure resembling a massive stadium. Looking out, he saw tiered stands packed with dense crowds. It was a vast sea of black, with almost no empty seats visible.

The sky was a strange deep purple, yet countless stars glittered overhead. When his gaze was drawn upward, the magnificent Milky Way seemed so close that it was practically in his face, within reach.

No wonder Pei Renli wondered whether he had transmigrated again.

Pei Renli was also seated among the spectators. He tried to stand, but it was as if an invisible force had pinned him firmly in place. No matter how hard he struggled, he could not move an inch.

After experiencing that baffling sudden transmigration, Pei Renli had somehow begun to adapt to being inexplicably moved elsewhere. He was not too flustered. His ability to accept things was truly strong.

Since he could not stand, he could only turn his head from side to side and inspect his surroundings.

To his left was a wall, like a low wall separating the stands, so he could not see what was there.

But on his right, he saw a creature seated right beside him, one that could not possibly exist on Earth...