Cherreads

Chapter 41 - Chapter 41; The Diary of A lone warrior

Raizo looked around the dusty room, his crimson eyes scanning every corner. Shelves lined the stone walls, stacked with old books that seemed untouched for decades. His gaze stopped at a table in the corner where a single book lay under a thick layer of dust.

He walked over, brushing the dust away with his hand, revealing a leather-bound diary. Slowly, he opened it and began to read.

---

**"Hi there, my name is Llyod Shoni.

Before things turned out like this, I was just a child with a lot of friends. My parents loved me… but one day, everything changed.

My friends and I became adventurers. I was our party's mage. We fought many beasts until we encountered a dungeon that was far too difficult for us. We tried to retreat, but our archer got badly hurt. Most of my friends fought in close range; they couldn't stop the beast. My casting was too slow.

My heart felt heavy, terrified of losing my friend. So, I shouted 'Fireball!'

A fireball burst from my wand and struck the beast, forcing it back. My friends carried the injured archer to safety. But then, something inside them changed.

When I ran to check on the archer, he looked at me with fear and said, 'You're a monster.'

Another friend spoke, 'Nobody could do that. You're a monster!'

Their words spread. The villagers whispered the same. Even my own parents… called me a monster.

I left the village, wandering endlessly, moving from town to city. But everywhere I went, they treated me the same way. I didn't even need to cast a spell—they could just feel it. To them, I was a monster.

Eventually, I found this forest… and this cave.

I've lived here for 14 years now. I've changed. I've learned. And I've found artifacts—powerful ones. One artifact I found was a necklace with five pendants—four dull gray stones and one bright blue stone. It has the ability to share one ability with each member of a party. I hid this artifact behind the chair.

While digging deeper into this cave, I found a chest. Inside, there was a crystal glowing with many colors. I didn't know what it was at the time, so I hid it.

But one day, while I was out adventuring in this forest, I saw a group of demons. I thought, What the hell are they doing here?

Then one demon spoke: 'Find the Gem of Resurrection.'

He said it was hidden somewhere in a cave. I panicked. Was it the same crystal I had found?

I ran back and checked the chest—it was exactly as they described. So I hid it again.

I thought the one commanding them was their leader. I was wrong. He wasn't the leader. He was a general.

When I returned, I confronted them.

'Who are you?' I demanded.

The demon introduced himself: 'I am one of the four Demon Generals of the Demon King. He is known as the Flame Emperor, Erethor. And I… am Kairos.

Raizo paused reading, his brows furrowed. "What do you mean? I thought the Demon King was Zarvohk," he muttered under his breath, then kept reading.

I fought Kairos until he surrendered. I tied him up, and he gave me information that… shattered everything I believed.

The truth about the first hero's story… he didn't truly defeat the Demon Lord.

Before the Demon Lord died, he cast a forbidden spell. He split his essence into fragments called the Fragments of the Chosen Ones. These fragments scattered across the world, seeking hosts.

From these fragments, five Demon Kings were born:

First: The Demon King of Ruin – Zarvohk

Second: The Demon King of Flames – Erethor,

Third: The Demon King of Shadows – Xorax.

Fourth: The Demon King of Destruction – Vorgath.

Fifth: The Demon King of Wrath – Lyraez.

---

Raizo's hand tightened on the diary, his knuckles white. His eyes widened as a chill ran down his spine. Five… demon kings? He swallowed hard, his breath catching in his throat, unable to believe what he had just read. But he kept reading.

---

A couple of months later, Kairos passed away. He turned to ash right before me.

That same day, I used my magic to make this forest grow larger and thicker, so no one could ever find this cave—or the Gem of Resurrection.

I will not write where I hid it, so that it can never fall into the wrong hands.

Kairos told me that the demons intend to use the Gem of Resurrection to revive the old Demon Lord.

Not long after, I encountered one of the Demon Kings himself—Erethor, the Flame Emperor.

We fought. I was shocked to see how quickly he could regenerate from my attacks.

'I am fire itself,' he told me, his body turning to flame, slipping through my attacks with ease.

I was on the brink of defeat when something inside me snapped—a spark of determination to survive.

My fire magic began to change… evolving into a blue flame.

Erethor was stunned. My flames burned so hot they could melt the ground beneath us.

He retreated, but I learned something important that day—magic can evolve, growing stronger beyond imagination.

And now… I am old. Sitting in my favorite chair.

This is my final diary entry.

Yours truly,

Llyod Shoni.

Raizo closed the diary slowly, his expression grave. He turned toward the chest Llyod had mentioned and found the artifact necklace. There were indeed five pendants on it—four dull, one glowing blue.

"This is what he meant," Raizo murmured, placing it into his item box.

He searched the cave further and found a stack of weapons inside another chest—swords, a bow, a shield, a dagger, a spear, and a staff. Raizo gripped Voidbringer tightly. "I'm sorry for this, Llyod," he whispered, and swung the blade again and again until the weapons shattered. Voidbringer absorbed every fragment, evolving—now capable of transforming into any weapon he desired.

Next, Raizo found a spellbook and flipped through its pages. Most spells were too advanced, but one caught his attention: Item Box. A spell for storing items in a separate dimension.

He tried to learn it, failing over and over, sweat running down his temple, until finally—success. He smiled faintly.

He raised his hand and tried casting. "Fireball… Fireball…" Nothing.

Then he remembered Llyod's words in the diary—how desperation and emotion triggered his power. Raizo closed his eyes, imagining Fenra, Silvia, and Shekiah in danger, about to be lost forever.

"Fireball!" he roared.

A fireball exploded from his hand, blasting the wall, shaking the entire cave. Dust fell from the ceiling as Raizo looked at his hand in shock and excitement.

"I… can do magic now. Without chanting," he said with a grin.

As the dust settled, his eyes caught a small, dusty chest in the corner. He opened it carefully—and there it was.

"The Gem of Resurrection," he whispered. It pulsed with a rainbow-like glow, each color representing a different magical element.

Raizo placed it gently in his item box and then knelt before Llyod's remains.

"Llyod, I promise I will protect this gem—even if it costs my life. I won't let it fall into the wrong hands," he said, bowing his head.

Then, a distant roar echoed through the forest outside.

Raizo's crimson eyes hardened. "The viper… round two."

He tightened his grip on Voidbringer, stood tall, and left the cave.

"Whatever happens," he muttered as he walked toward the sunlight, determination blazing in his eyes, "I'll survive this forest… and return to them."

More Chapters