"I survived."
The thought was constant in Liam's head; he still found it almost unbelievable that he, a regular man, stood before powerful demons and made them bow.
Whether he lived or died depended on that single performance—and he delivered.
He turned, glancing at the ever-present screen at the edge of his vision:
---
[Infernal Sovereign Protocol – Online]
Host: Liam
Essence: 210
Evolution Points: 1
Dominion: 0.01%
Infamy: Local Tier
Status: False Sovereign (Unascended)
Belief Network: Stable
---
The words should have made no sense, but thanks to the system's immediate drilling of information into his head, he understood it all clearly.
He understood what he needed to do.
---
[New Directive Unlocked: "Sustain the Myth"]
Failure Condition: Exposure = Execution Probability 97%.
Reward: +1 Evolution Point (per sustained world belief cycle).
---
Liam exhaled as he felt the warm touch of one of the demon servants—three of them, to be exact.
However, these demon women were not just any servants; they were special. They were women of Nameless Litany—a group of chosen who had given their lives to the worship and service of the demon god.
At Liam's first sight of them, with their beauty and insufficient clothing that revealed skin and curves, Liam thought this was the demons' attempt at temptation to expose his humanity.
But then he felt it...
From the moment they cleaned his skin with the warm washcloth, and even now as they fit him into the robes, he felt it more potently than their touch—
Their devotion.
Each time he saw the tears in their eyes because they felt themselves unworthy, or heard the whispers of their silent prayers to him, he grew in strength.
---
[Faith Detected: 3 Entities]
[Converting Faith → Essence: +15 EP]
[Passive Skill Unlocked: "Worship Conversion" — Converts Devotion and Fear into Essence.]
---
Footsteps echoed, entering the chamber. Liam didn't need to turn; he knew it was her—Lilith.
She stayed silent and waited until the servants were through fitting the robes on him, then:
"Leave," she commanded.
They moved swiftly, all three scurrying out of the room, bowing their heads as they passed the queen.
Liam walked forward to the threshold of a balcony, his gaze fixed on the distant mountain as the wind hit his face. He didn't turn back to look at her before speaking:
"You know I can feel it, right... your doubt," Liam muttered as he glanced down.
---
[Lilith Zevra / Demon Queen]
Belief: 7%
Loyalty: 0%
Emotional State: Guarded Skepticism.
Potential Threat Level: Critical (A-Class Entity).
---
"Why would salvation look like me? After all, I was unable to save myself." Lilith's voice lost the imposing authority it usually carried. "But then again, why would the Primordial Demon choose the form of our greatest enemy?"
"Our?" Liam's voice came swift. "My enemies are gods and beings your feeble mind can't comprehend."
---
[Deception Detected: 'Primordial Entity Bluff']
[Belief Check – Success Probability: 1% → 3%]
[False Sovereign Trait Activated — Reality Distortion Minimal.]
---
Lilith nodded. "Of course."
She walked, her steps soft on the marble floor, until she reached a couch and slowly sat.
"You wanna know something?" she said.
Liam turned; his eyes fell on her, and what he was trying to avoid happened—his concentration wavered as he gazed upon the breathtaking form of the queen.
She sat cross-legged on the couch, her white hair draping over her shoulders, her thigh's skin glinting in the light through the slit in her purple dress.
"Most didn't want me as queen," she began, sensing Liam's interest in her words, "especially not the Nine Houses—a group of power-hungry tyrants, each a more terrifying pillar to this empire than the last."
She leaned her head back, her eyes fixed on the ceiling as she spoke. Her voice softened, the confidence faltering for just a second—an echo of weariness slipping through the regal tone.
"A sovereign that lacked the support of these houses could only be sovereign for so long... and with each day I ruled, I knew I ran out of time."
She paused, her fingers brushing along the armrest as though grounding herself.
"So I went with the most remarkable act I could conceive, one to engrave my name in history..."
"Conquest," Liam finished her words.
She glanced at him before lifting her gaze back to the high ceiling. "Yes, war... what better way for a king to mark ascension than glory and blood? So it began—my attack on the Radiant Empire."
Her tone grew distant, and Liam noticed her eyes unfocus, perhaps replaying the screams and fire of that first battle. A faint tremor touched her next breath.
"On paper, it was for the glorious expansion of the Demon Empire. In truth, an attempt to keep my throne."
"How did that work out?"
She raised her head to look at him, her golden eyes meeting the grey in his. "It was a disaster, and we lost almost every battle. I had fallen for a lie told by our fathers, and their fathers before them, and even further—that the demons were the strongest in the world."
Her lips curved into something between a smile and a grimace.
"And because I underestimated the Radiant Empire, I started a war I stood no chance of winning."
"How happy were the Nine Houses about that?" Liam asked.
"Not very. In that moment, I came closest to losing my throne than I have ever been, and so I had but one option left..."
She hesitated here, her gaze drifting to the window where faint smoke rose from distant mountains—a lingering scar of the war she spoke of.
"Me," Liam interrupted.
"You," Lilith confirmed. "I called upon the ancient Primordial Demon who, by prophecy, would liberate the demon race and take us to a new age."
"Here's the thing, though," Lilith continued, "when this crown is passed unto the next sovereign, it is done so alongside a single secret—an information only the new demon ruler must bear: There is no Primordial Demon, and there never was. It is just a necessary lie to inspire hope in the hearts of the people, so they believed no matter what... there would always be a savior."
[System Alert: Host Identity Compromised – Partial Exposure Risk Detected]
Liam's heart began to beat faster in his chest as he heard the words.
And she heard it.
"No, don't be afraid. Not yet." She stood from where she sat, approaching Liam slow and gracefully.
She reached him, her hand landing on his face. They were soft—her touch so delicate it felt dangerous. Then she turned him toward the nearby mirror.
"Look."
Liam saw himself—his grey eyes framed by disheveled dark hair—a human who claimed to be a god.
He felt her behind him: her touch, her breath on his skin... her smell.
All enough to drive a lesser man to madness.
"I knew there was no demon god when I summoned you. I knew the summoning ritual I did was one that brought lost souls from other worlds."
Liam's voice was steady, unshaken even in his fear.
"Then why did you bow?"
"So the others may believe." She turned, walking from him. "I know you aren't the Primordial Demon, but I need you to be. I need them to believe you are."
She paused, staring at him before continuing.
"You know, I didn't have much of a plan when I did the summoning, and when what came was a human... I thought I had most definitely failed. And then you did it—the greatest performance I had ever witnessed. It was then my hope was regained."
Liam stayed silent a while, the fear he felt moments ago dissipating as he turned from the mirror to look at Lilith.
"So what you're telling me is... you know I am not the demon god your people seek, and you know I'm just a regular human... and you're fine with that? You won't kill me?"
"Kill you?" Lilith scoffed. "Your very existence is why I can keep my throne—and my life."
[Alliance Probability Detected: 63%]
[New Trait Condition Fulfilled: 'Mutual Survival Pact.']
[Passive Skill Created: "Shared Deception" — Strengthens illusion when allies maintain the lie.]
"So we both need to keep this act up, or else we lose our lives. Basically, we are partners in crime," Liam concluded.
"Partners?" Lilith raised a brow. "You're more like a pawn I'm using to reinforce my authority as queen."
"Same difference," Liam exhaled, relief in his breath as he turned toward the balcony, looking at the sprawling capital.
The sky was blue and the birds were chirping, buildings of fine stone and marble rising, casting shadows over the bustle of people down below.
"You know, I didn't expect a demon empire to look like this," Liam muttered.
"What did you expect?"
"Blood-red skies, dark sharp architecture, flowing molten lava at every turn, and the constant screams of the damned..." Liam answered truthfully.
"What could have possibly given you such a picture?" Lilith asked, curious.
Liam sighed.
"It's just how it's depicted where I come from."
Lilith stepped closer. "The place you come from... who were you there, before you were summoned?"
Liam stayed silent a moment, as though contemplating the question. Then he turned to her, answering:
"I was Liam Cross. The best actor there was."
[Achievement Complete: 'Convince a Demon Queen.' Reward: +1 Evolution Point.]
Lilith smiled, and it was as though another sun lit the world.
"An actor, huh? That explains things." Her gaze met his. "Then Liam, I need you to play what I'm certain will be your most challenging role yet—"
"A god."
Liam eyes narrowed, his face determined.
"I'll give it my all," Liam promised.