The morning air was crisp, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and freshly cut grass.
The sun had barely risen, casting an amber glow across the orphanage grounds as Richard jogged at a steady pace.
His expression was unreadable, his eyes sharp and calculating, taking in everything around him even as he maintained his rhythmic breathing.
A few feet behind him, Beatrice huffed as she struggled to keep up. Her face was red, sweat dripped down her forehead, and yet, despite her obvious exhaustion, she pressed forward with a determined glare.
"Damn it, slow down!" She snapped between breaths, glaring daggers at Richard's back.
He scoffed without even turning his head. "Why should I? If you can't keep up, that's your problem."
Beatrice growled in frustration. "I'm a kid! You're a freak who probably doesn't even need to breathe!"
Richard smirked. She wasn't entirely wrong. Even though his body was still weak compared to his former glory, it was already adapting faster than any normal human's would.
After all, he wasn't just any human–he was Deivaros Veirs Crimson, the rightful ruler of the Demon Empire. A being above mere mortals.
The fact that he even had to do something as primitive as jogging just to build stamina was beyond humiliating.
Still, there was no helping it. His current body was fragile and weak, and his mana core was basically non-existent. So if he wanted to return to power, he had to start somewhere.
Beatrice managed to pull up beside him, her breath coming out in sharp pants. "You're... insane," she muttered.
"Why... why are we even doing this? Just because we're awakening tomorrow doesn't mean we need to kill ourselves today."
Richard cast her a side glance. "That's exactly why we're doing this. If you don't prepare your body properly, you'll struggle to absorb mana efficiently when you awaken."
Beatrice frowned, obviously still skeptical. "And you know this how?"
Richard smirked. "Call it Instinct."
She rolled her eyes. "You say some creepy shit sometimes, you know that?"
He simply shrugged.
As they rounded the orphanage for the fifth time, Sister's or rather Evelyn's–as Richard found out was her name a while back–voice rang out from the front porch. "Breakfast is ready, you two!"
Beatrice instantly brightened at the words, but Richard sighed in disappointment. He wasn't finished. He still had at least another five laps in him.
But pushing his body too hard before the Awakening Ceremony would be counterproductive.
"Alright, fine," he relented, slowing his pace. Beatrice almost collapsed from relief.
"You're an absolute monster," she grumbled as they walked inside.
"Flattery will get you nowhere," Richard replied smugly.
She groaned, shaking her head in exasperation.
**********
The day quickly passed in a blur of training, chores, and quiet anticipation. The Awakening Ceremony loomed over them like a quiet storm.
Richard had no doubts that he would awaken. Afterall, he had once wielded power that made entire nations tremble, so there was no way he would remain powerless in this life.
Still, the matter of how he would awaken intrigued him. The system had changed significantly over the past thousand years.
The Holy Order, the very organisation he had supposedly eradicated, still thrived. Though they didn't fully control who awakened, they were one of the only ones who knew how to trigger the process.
A necessary evil it seems.
Even worse, they had trained Lucia, the so-called Hero.
His lips curled in distaste. The idea that those self-righteous zealots had likely produced yet another "savior" made his blood boil.
But, he reminded himself that that was a problem for later. Right now, he had to focus on the immediate future.
That night, as he lay in bed staring at the ceiling, he went over his plans.
First, awaken.
Second, kill the serpents.
No debate. No hesitation. Those worms had already irritated him far beyond his tolerance.
Their mere existence now was an insult. He would erase them from this world and he knew for a fact, that no one would miss them.
Third, leave this town.
Staying here any longer would be a waste of time. He needed to find a way to grow stronger–fast.
Fourth, register as a hunter.
The books he had read at the library detailed the existence of hunters. They were essentially the modern version of adventurers from his time.
They were usually tasked with eliminating dangerous creatures, exploring dungeons, and taking on various combat related missions.
More importantly, they had access to information, training facilities, and money.
A perfect starting point.
And finally...
Find a way to reclaim his empire.
He had learned something interesting from the history books a few days ago.
Despite the disaster that followed his death, the Demon Empire still stood. It had taken the Demon Dukes years to realize their foolishness, but in the end, they eventually managed to stabilize their nation.
Even more shocking, they had developed a system for selecting a new Demon King.
And the succeeding Demon King after him?
A man from the Gremory Clan.
Richard clenched his jaw. The Gremorys were one of the Seven Great Clans of the Demon race, and they were known for their pride.
They were arrogant, self-important bastards who believed they were the only ones worthy of ruling.
Richard almost pitied the fool who currently sat on his throne.
Because soon enough, that throne would be his once more and the world would remember the name Deivaros Veirs Crimson once more.