HEY GUYS. Congratulations 🎉
THIS STORY WILL BE UPLOADING.
Every door around me began to shine with an ethereal light.
The air trembled as runes appeared on the walls, and one by one, every seal and lock came undone.
Weapons began to float out of the doors — swords with flaming edges, spears that whispered in unknown tongues, shields that glowed like suns. Staffs, magic wands, gauntlets, guns, gloves, chakram, bracelets, bows…
Dozens, no — hundreds.
They hovered in midair like stars orbiting around me, humming in harmony.
> [Dimensional Marchent has opened the Door of Treasury.]
The space rippled, and the weapons began to fade. One by one, each artifact disappeared into a shimmer of light, like stones sinking into water — creating ripples in space that faded gently.
And then, silence.
> [Congratulations on becoming Dimensional Marchent.]
[You can now buy and sell items across different universes.]
"Ok," I muttered, trying to keep up.
The next message came almost immediately.
> [Congratulations on becoming a Meta-Human.]
[You can now create your Inner Ego Realm.]
[You can create Ego Avatars.]
[Cost to create Ego Realm: 100 years.]
[Available Ego Avatars: 20.]
I blinked. "Hah! Am I not getting powers too fast now?"
My words echoed through the glowing chamber. The light slowly dimmed, leaving only a faint pulse of energy in the air. I thought that was the end of it — but then, the system chimed again.
> [The Creator Hero wants to meet you.]
"…Wait, what?"
My heart skipped a beat.
"Did it just say the creator hero? You mean… he's still alive?"
Before I could process that, one of the doors opened on its own — without a sound. Its frame pulsed with a cold, golden light. I hesitated for only a moment, then stepped through.
The air inside was still. Silent.
In the center of the room sat a skeleton on a massive throne. Its bones gleamed faintly under the golden ornaments that covered them — rings, bracelets, and fragments of shattered armor.
As I watched, something impossible happened.
The bones started to move.
Flesh began to grow over them, piece by piece. Veins appeared. Muscles formed. Skin covered the skeleton, until the man sitting before me was no longer dead.
He was alive.
I knew that face. I'd seen it before — when I had taken the trial of Dhanush. The same expression, the same calm eyes.
The creator of the bow.
"Hello, inheritor," he said. His voice was deep, resonant — like thunder rolling across a quiet sky.
"…Who are you?" I asked, though I already knew.
"My name is Hajime Naru," the man said. "And yes — I am the creator of the weapons you have inherited so far."
I nodded slowly, not interrupting.
He leaned back against the throne. "Before I begin, let me tell you a story."
Of course. Every ancient being loved a long introduction.
"I was once just a farmer," Hajime continued, ignoring my faint sigh. "A small boy living on the edge of the kingdom. My life was simple — planting, harvesting, sleeping under the stars. Until one night, everything changed."
He paused, eyes distant.
"That night, a meteor fell on our land. It struck not far from our home. Everyone thought it was just another shooting star, but I… I couldn't sleep. Something called to me. A whisper. So I went there."
The air around him shimmered as he spoke, forming faint illusions of his memory. I saw a young boy walking toward a smoking crater, light flickering over his face.
"I found it — a massive meteorite, pulsing with light. When I touched it, it melted into liquid metal and formed this."
He raised his wrist, revealing a faintly glowing bracelet.
"It spoke to me. Its name was Nikan — a higher-level intelligence. My companion. My friend. It told me that it had come from another universe — a world far stronger than ours. A universe filled with creators. People who could forge weapons from anything — metal, stone, monsters, even from their own souls."
He paused, his tone turning dark.
"But that universe was attacked. A monster — a being obsessed with creation — appeared. It wanted the power of all creators. To devour their abilities, to become a god of weapons. The entire universe fell in the process. The world destroyed itself to stop him. That meteor — Nikan — was the only survivor."
I swallowed, my mind flashing with images of destruction.
"That thing…" Hajime said softly, "will come here someday. It follows power. It devours potential. That's why I began forging weapons — not for glory, not for kings or heroes, but for defense. For the day he arrives."
He looked at me. "But time isn't kind. I grew old. My body weakened. And before I died, I needed someone… someone who understood the primal nature of soul energy. Someone like you."
His words echoed in the chamber.
"I want to ask you something, Rivan."
He stood, the weight of his presence pressing down on me like a mountain.
"Will you inherit my power? Will you fight in my place when that being returns?"
My mouth hung open. "Man, that's… a lot of story."
He chuckled softly. "You can refuse if you wish."
I was about to do just that — but then, the system interrupted.
> [Please accept his request. That power will help you in the future.]
[You must become stronger. Your destiny lies beyond gods.]
I sighed. "So much for free will…"
I looked at Hajime and nodded. "Alright. I'll accept."
His eyes lit up.
> [Congratulations.]
[Your class: Stone Blacksmith — evolving.]
Pain hit me immediately. Not as brutal as before, but deep — a pressure in my bones, a burning in my veins. My mind filled with flashes of memories that weren't mine — the sound of hammer strikes, the ring of steel, the shape of runes, the process of creation.
It was like entire centuries of craftsmanship flooding into my mind all at once.
Then, silence.
> [Congratulations.]
[Stone Blacksmith evolved into: Astra Owner.]
I took a shaky breath. My hands were trembling slightly, but I felt something new — a quiet certainty, a natural understanding of every material around me.
Hajime smiled faintly.
"That's not all," he said. "I created countless weapons. Some evolve endlessly, others can slay gods. When the time comes, they will answer your call."
I nodded, still processing everything.
"But," he added, his tone darkening, "if you truly want to stand against what's coming… you must walk a different path."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
He hesitated, then said, "You should become a Demon Emperor."
I froze. "…What?"
"You heard me," he said calmly. "A Demon Emperor."
I blinked several times, trying to decide whether I'd misheard him. "You do realize that sounds completely insane, right?"
He chuckled. "Perhaps. But power isn't born from purity. It's born from necessity. To fight those higher beings — you will need authority beyond human limits. And that title, Demon Emperor, carries it."
"Why not… I don't know, Hero?"
Hajime's expression darkened. "Because the heroes of this world are nothing more than puppets."
The words sent a chill down my spine.
He looked at me, eyes sharp. "You've seen it already, haven't you? The kingdoms summoning people from other worlds, forcing them into roles — heroes, saviors, weapons. All lies."
I nodded slowly, remembering the summoning, the ceremony, the false grandeur.
"I once walked that path," Hajime said quietly. "I wanted to be a hero. To protect. But the truth… the truth was far worse. The 'hero system' was created by a false god — a being masquerading as divinity, manipulating both demons and humans alike. The Demon Kings they speak of? They're not the villains. They're the ones who see through the lie."
He looked up, and for the first time, I saw pain in his eyes.
"The kingdoms summon others not to defeat evil… but to maintain control. To keep the world trapped in endless cycles of conflict. Hope and despair, light and shadow — both managed by the same hands."
I clenched my fists. "So you're saying the real enemy isn't the demons… it's the ones at the top."
He smiled faintly. "Exactly. That's why I told you to walk the path of the Demon Emperor. Because you will need their power — and their freedom — to break the system."
His body began to flicker. The golden ornaments on his body cracked, breaking apart into fragments of light.
"It seems my time has finally come," he murmured. "Rivan… listen well. On the top floor of this tower, there's a book. It contains the map — and the truth of this world. Read it. Understand it. You'll need it."
"Wait— what do you mean by—"
Before I could finish, his body turned to dust. The light faded, and silence filled the chamber once more.
I stood there, staring at the empty throne. Only the faint shimmer of his energy lingered in the air, fading slowly.
"…Hajime Naru," I said softly. "You really left me with more questions than answers."
The system chimed one last time.
> [The inheritance of the Creator Hero has been completed.]
[Astra Owner recognized.]