I Became the Level 999 Demon King

How did this happen? 

Cold beads of sweat trickled down the coachman’s forehead to his eyes. After wiping it over and over again, he gripped the reins that kept slipping from his hands. 

‘They said they would give me a big reward if I drive the carriage to the designated place, so I was excited. But what the hell is this!’ 

Whether it was a person or not, black smoke swirled all throughout the body of the person in the carriage. 

Even its eyes were as red as blood, and the chains that bound its body melted in an instant, like snow in the rain. 

He remembered that someone said he was the Demon King in the oracle. 

‘A-Am I going to die like this?!’ 

He couldn’t figure out who it was, so his thoughts kept flowing in the wrong direction. 

Then, when the coachman was occupied by his ominous thoughts while trying not to let go of the reins, Reina’s hand pierced the wall of the carriage, right next to his face. 

“Ahhh!” 

As the terrified coachman screamed and turned to the side, the startled horses veered off the road.  

After a while, Reina got out of the carriage and hurried to the coachman. 

“Are you okay?” 

There was no reply. He looked as though he had lost his mind. 

‘I didn’t mean to break it. I just wanted to tell him to stop by an inn so I could wash up by knocking on the carriage wall lightly.’ 

Unfortunately, it was only a month since Reina became the ‘master of this body’, so it was difficult for her to control her strength. 

In fact, Reina was the villain in the game Saving the World with the Power of Love. The final boss who torments the female protagonist until the very end, and is defeated by the power of love. 

‘It’s not even a grand magic, but the power of love… You really can’t go wrong when it comes to love.’ 

Why she became the owner of the terrible body that was subjected to such an absurd magic, is a long story. 

*** 

Her previous life was nothing sort of enjoyable. She didn’t have any major illness, but her body was weak. 

Still, she wasn’t sorry that she lived only until she was 20. 

No, she never had any regrets. She was the youngest daughter of a poor family. Life wouldn’t have been good. 

She doesn’t have money so she couldn’t afford the treatment. And even when she was treated once, she didn’t show any signs of getting better. 

What would she do when she’s burdened by her weak body, not knowing how much time she has left to live? She knew she wasn’t the only one her parents have to take care of. 

She hadn’t heard them complain in person, but she could tell by looking into their eyes. 

Every time they paid the hospital bills and sees her locked up in her room, their sighs seep to the ground. 

It was very painful to see her family struggling because she only had a few more years to live. 

Because she lived such a hard life, she was happy when her life came to an end. Even though it means she’ll see her family enjoying their lives while she is stuck in a cold place with nobody to talk to. 

‘Please, I hope I’ll never be born again. I wish I’d just disappear like this.’ 

When she — who had died with the longing to disappear without a trace —opened her eyes again, a figure emitting a brilliant light stood before her. 

She instinctively knew that it is the god of death who guides the dead. 

‘There really is such a thing as an afterlife.’ 

Her admiration was short-lived as the god gave a brief commentary on the sort of life she had lived. 

— The happiest she had ever been was when she died alone. Such a pitiful person. 

If you’re going to say something like that, then you should’ve let me be born with a healthy body in the first place. 

Or into a wealthy family who won’t have to worry about hospital bills. One of the two would’ve suffice.

“Thank you so much.” She said sarcastically. 

“What would happen to me now? I hated god all my life, so am I going to hell?” 

They say you’ll go to hell if you don’t believe in god. 

Unfortunately, she hated god from the moment she became conscious of the life she has. She resented him for giving her a body with weak constitution. 

She also thought that if god really exists, he would not bring misfortune upon her. But that wasn’t the case, so she believed that there were no gods in this world. 

But is there really a god? If so, she hated god all her life so it was clear where she would go. Surely not in the heavens. 

‘What the hell did I do in my previous life? Did I sell a country?’ 

It was unfair that she was born with a sick body and suffered throughout her life, but now she will also go to hell. 

I am living the worst life until the very end. 

She was angry because of the unfairness of her situation but the emotionless voice of the god soon rang out. 

— I’ll give you another chance. 

“Chance? What chance?” 

— A chance to be reborn. 

“What are you doing that for?” 

There is no guarantee that she will be born in a better family and with a stronger body. 

Of course, that would be better than being sent to hell, but if she has to go to hell anyway after all the sins she’d committed, it’s better to go now than to live one more miserable life. 

“No—” 

— I will let you be born the way you want. 

She tried to answer but stopped at the words of the figure. It was tempting to be reborn the way she wants. 

‘He’ll give me what I want, even if I ask to be born as a person who will always be happy for the rest of my life?’ 

For example — a person who everyone will cherish just by being herself. 

One may think it is ridiculous to wish to be someone like that. There is no one in this world who will only live happily. Everyone is bound to suffer. 

Wait, no. There was a person with that fate. 

Without even asking for it, she suddenly gains great power and saves the world. 

‘If I become that person… if I save the world, maybe I can wash away my sins and not go to hell.’ 

If she could become that great person, she would like to be reincarnated. 

So she asked, a tad bit skeptical. 

“…Is anything possible? Actually, there was a person I want to be.” 

— Yes. 

His tone was dry, but her eyelids trembled at his approval. 

She wondered if she wasn’t dreaming, so she secretly pinched her skin. 

She didn’t really feel any pain because she was already dead, but it still felt surreal. 

‘If I could be that person…’ 

Taking a deep breath, she spoke slowly and carefully so as not to make a mistake. 

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her. She felt the need to provide as much detail as possible in her explanation. 

Even if he is a god, he will not be able to know the details of the characters in that game. 

“I want to live again as the character in a game I played before I died. The game is called Saving the World with the Power of Love.” 

It was a popular game with stunning art and beautiful content. 

What was the main character’s name again? I can’t seem to remember. 

How can I explain it? Can I just say I want to be the main character? If he’s a god, he will understand it even if I only explain like that, right?  

She thought about what was missing and added a little more information. 

She was meant to be harassed by Reina Rubelite from start to finish. Even so, she wanted to be the heroine who gets the love of those around her and overcomes the adversities.  

“It’s a character that appears there, but the Level 999 Demon King Reina—” 

— I get it. 

As she was taking her time explaining, the god answered before she could even finish her words. 

“No, wait—!” 

— Now that I have granted what you wished for, I wish you happiness in this life.

With his blessing, particles of light wrapped around her body. 

‘Wait a minute! No! Wait! I still have more to say!’ 

She wanted to argue, but her body didn’t listen. Her body stiffened and her eyes turned white. 

Still, she blinked her eyes, trying to somehow resist. But she was engulfed in a feeling of being sucked into something. 

‘Wait! I won’t be reincarnated as Reina, right? He’s going to read my mind and make me the heroine, right?’ 

After a while, she opened her eyes in a new space, different from where she talked with the god. 

It was an enclosed space that was damp and dark. It produced an unpleasant musty smell. 

“Wait, is this…?!” 

She instantly knew what the place was. It was the room where Reina had been imprisoned for 10 years. 

“Nooo!” 

And just like that, a new life began in prison, brought about by the curse of the damn god.