Seeing the old man's firm expression, Julian sighed but eventually agreed. He didn't want the man's effort to go to waste. He planned to make up a story, but he also realized this might be a good chance to gather more information.
"Do you have any idea where your family might be? Or where you last saw them?" the old man asked.
Julian explained that he had found himself in the middle of a forest alone and had walked to the village on foot. He left out the details about his true origin and the fact that he was a Lord.
"By the way, can you tell me more about these demons that eat humans?" he asked.
If the demons were real, then there was a chance he was in another world. But if they were just part of a legend or a local joke, he could dismiss the idea. Still, after everything he had experienced in the past hour, he doubted it was only a myth.
In the past, Julian had never believed in ghosts, aliens, or anything supernatural. But after encountering the Lord System, seeing light descend from the sky, and catching a glimpse of that massive eye through the crack, he realized how ignorant humanity had been.
"I cannot tell you everything. I know little myself," the old man began. "When I was young, I encountered a demon. At first, I thought it was just a beast, but that mistake cost me something precious…"
The old man's voice grew heavy as he told his story. When he was younger, he had seen a demon devouring a human. Thinking it was just a wild animal, a bear or a wolf, he had confidently tried to drive it away. In the end, he barely escaped with his life, but he lost something far more important.
His wife.
Driven by grief and rage, he set out to hunt the demon that had killed her. That decision pulled him into a hidden world, one crawling with demons but also home to a group dedicated to destroying them.
"Most people remain ignorant of the demons," the old man said with a deep sigh. "But that ignorance often saves their lives."
"Demons… Japan…" Julian narrowed his eyes, a thought forming in his mind. "Do you know the name of the group that hunts them?"
"They call themselves the Demon Slayer Corps. I once considered joining, but I could not leave my daughter and granddaughter alone, so I gave up the idea."
"Demon Slayer Corps…" Julian muttered. A sudden wave of familiarity hit him. "Isn't that the same as in the Demon Slayer anime?"
That anime was also set in Japan and featured an organization called the Demon Slayer Corps, where humans trained in special breathing techniques to fight demons.
"But that anime is fiction… there's no way…" He shook his head, refusing to believe it.
...
One week later.
Julian stood by the river.
[Do you wish to place the Lord Castle?]
"Yes."
A building began to rise on the riverbank. Instead of a grand fortress, it turned out to be a simple three-story wooden house with a plain wooden door, far from the image of a castle.
From the start, Julian had planned to build his castle near the sea or even on the water itself. But the coastline was too far, and traveling there would be expensive. Eventually, he realized the river might work just as well since rivers were connected to the sea.
[You have built your Lord Castle.]
[A special trait has been unlocked.]
[Sea King (SS): Upon reaching a certain rank, your race will evolve into a Sea King creature.]
[Lord Castle status unlocked.]
[Deep Sea Castle: LVL 1
Durability: 50/50
Description: The Lord Castle is the heart of your base. Without it, all other buildings will cease to function. If the Lord Castle is destroyed, you will be stripped of your Lord title.]
[You have received: Gift Box x1. Do you wish to open it?]
Julian didn't open it immediately. Instead, he stepped inside the castle.
The interior was clean and neatly arranged. On the first floor, there was a kitchen and a living room furnished with a sofa, table, and other things. A staircase led to the second floor, which was empty. On the third floor, he found a desk in the corner with a pen beside it and a sheet of paper written in the language most familiar to him—English.
Julian picked it up to read.
---
[If you are reading this, you must have already built your castle.
Your situation is worse than you think. You have strayed from the Main Realm and are now trapped in the Dream Realm.
I don't have much time, so I will be direct. Being here is no coincidence. I am the one who sent you. Remember the large eye you saw? That was me.
First, you must grow strong enough to travel between worlds. Your mission is to return to the Main Realm. Second, most functions of the Lord System are unavailable since your connection has been cut, though you can still view basic information such as your status. Third, I have sent you a gift box. Open it and use it to build a foundation for your strength.
If you want to save your family and friends, you must hurry. The Main Realm is not what you think it is. Good luck.]
---
"I don't get what the heck is happening…" Julian muttered, though he could feel the urgency in the message. What unsettled him most was the writer's tone when speaking about the Main Realm.
If his guess was correct, the Main Realm was the same as the Lord Realm. Since he had been pulled away from it, he could no longer use the system's full functions. Now, his greatest worry was his family, and an uneasy urgency rose within him.
He immediately opened the gift box.
[You have received:
- Orb of the One x1
- Ocean Statue x1
- Letter x1]
[Letter: Since you cannot use the system's functions, you cannot build anything besides your castle, summon units, or grow stronger. I have created two items with all my remaining energy; use them wisely. Because I used so much energy, I will enter hibernation and will not be able to contact you for years… or even centuries.]
[Orb of the One: Crafted by a higher being. Can be fused with the Ocean Statue.]
[Ocean Statue (Unique) (Upgradable): A building that can summon units. Fuse it with the Orb of the One to create a higher-level building.]
Julian slipped the letter into his pocket and fused the two items.
[Fusing the Orb of the One and the Ocean Statue…]
[You have received the Statue of the One.]
[Statue of the One (LVL 1): Summons units by consuming Soul Coins. Soul Coins are obtained by killing living beings.
Detected: You are the Lord of the Deep Sea. Unit list updated…
Available units: Seafallen Soldier, Seafallen Archer.]
"So… they knew I couldn't use the system anymore and gave me something to summon units, but at the cost of souls." Julian sighed and rubbed his forehead. He didn't like the sound of it, but nothing came free in this world. If this was what it took to grow stronger, he had no choice.
He placed the Statue of the One near the riverbank. The ground trembled, and a fountain rose from the earth. In the center was a statue of a figure Julian recognized instantly.
It was him.
He was depicted holding a wine cup, from which water poured into the fountain.
[Statue of One]
Level: 1
Durability: 50/50
Units:
- Level 1: Seafallen Soldiers (10), Seafallen Archers (10)]
"At least give me some soul coins to start with…" Julian muttered grumpily. Once he finished inspecting everything, he decided to return to the village.
After living there for a month, he had grown used to the people and learned a great deal about the world.
A few minutes later, he arrived. He didn't care if the villagers discovered his base, he needed to expand it eventually, and it wasn't like they could do much about it.
"Big brother! Where have you been? Come play with us!"
A little girl ran up to him. She was the daughter of the woman who had taken him in. That woman knew demons were real, so when she had seen Julian's unfamiliar face, she had taken him in to protect him from being killed.
Julian was deeply grateful to them.
"All right, let's play," he said, taking the girl's hand as they wandered through the village.