Liam descended from the tower, robes trailing behind him like a shadow that didn't quite follow the rules of gravity.
His steps were slow, deliberate.
He wasn't walking to get somewhere.
He was arriving.
At the foot of the Grand Spire, the throne room doors loomed ahead—obsidian steel, scorched by war, carved with twisted angels and fallen gods.
Two guards in jagged armor saw him coming and immediately dropped to one knee. They weren't the only ones. Across the hall, maids, scholars, and lesser demons fell to the floor in unison.
But not out of loyalty.
Out of terror.
[Passive Skill Activated: Sovereign's Presence – Lv.1]➤ Nearby beings of lower strength are afflicted with Status Effect: Kneel
Liam blinked.
"…Okay. That's kind of awesome."
He pushed open the doors.
The throne room of the Demon King wasn't built to impress.
It was built to intimidate.
Skulls floated in magical suspension above towering pillars. Red crystal chandeliers pulsed with living flame. The air buzzed with forbidden sigils that shimmered when you weren't looking.
And at the center—six generals stood waiting.
Each one a monster in their own right.
Liam recognized them instantly.
From the book.
From the chapter where they all betrayed the Demon King.
And killed him.
The Sixth General, a winged warlock with chains for veins, was the first to speak.
"Your Majesty," he rasped, eyes not quite meeting Liam's. "The Hero's army camps at the base of Black Ridge. They number twenty thousand."
"Twenty thousand sheep with swords," said the Second General, a woman with eyes like broken glass. "We can burn them down in a day."
"We won't," Liam said.
Every head turned toward him.
He stepped forward, voice even.
"I'm tired of being predictable. We're not killing them yet."
"Your Majesty?" the First General said carefully. He had fangs, horns, and the intelligence of a dying squirrel. "You… want to wait?"
"I want to learn." Liam's smile was razor-thin. "Let the Hero camp there. Let him think he's safe. Watch his supplies. Watch his mood. Watch who he's sleeping with. I want information. Patterns. Weakness."
He stepped down the stairs—his presence pressing against the room like an invisible storm.
"And if you ever move without my order again…" His eyes gleamed white-hot. "I'll hang you upside down and feed you to the spire's echo wyrms one tooth at a time."
No one spoke.
The air was thick with power.
Even the generals, who would one day betray him, nodded with slow, fearful obedience.
[Sovereign's Presence – Lv.1]✦ Skill Mastery increased➤ Lv.2 unlocked: Mental Break Threshold Added
Liam turned and walked toward the throne.
He didn't sit.
He stood before it, staring down at the symbol of his fate—the same black seat that would hold his corpse in chapter 63.
Not today.
He had no plans to die sitting down.
Meanwhile, in the Hero's camp…
The Holy Sword pulsed.
The Hero jolted awake, gripping its hilt.
He had dreamed of a throne.
Of eyes watching from within the mirror.
Of a Demon King who smiled as if he already knew how the story would end.