You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿

Chapter 2

Actually, I was the Demon King in my past life.

... If I said this, most people would dismiss it as a case of middle-school delusions. But it's the truth.

For various reasons, I became the Demon King in the world where I lived. I ruled, reigned, and eventually met the fate all tyrants deserve—I was killed by the hero’s hand.

Then I was reborn here, in South Korea on Earth.

Even as a Demon King, I doubted the existence of any gods. And considering that I, someone who should’ve gone straight to hell, was reborn in such a peaceful world as a normal person, it seems my doubts were justified. There truly is no god.

Regardless, in this new life, I led a relatively peaceful existence.

Sure, I was born into a relatively poor family in a society where capitalism had developed to extreme levels. But the social welfare system here wasn’t entirely broken, so I was lucky enough to survive safely until adulthood.

Frankly, this is far better than the world I lived in before.

Humans, of course, always envy those better off than themselves. If I didn’t have my past life’s memories, this life might’ve seemed quite tough. But let’s not forget—I was a Demon King. I managed just fine.

Once I reached the age where I could work part-time, I was able to take care of my own food and clothing.

And it wasn’t as if there was no hope at all.

In this society, there’s still the college entrance exam system, known as the Suneung. While it’s not completely fair—since the results depend on innate talent, financial resources, and the environment—it’s a clear opportunity within my grasp.

So, my plan was to secure as much comfort as possible without disrupting the social order.

The fastest way to succeed, of course, would be to awaken as an S-rank hunter. But I had absolutely no intention of doing so.

Why? Because if I connected to the system...

-The system warns the ‘Destroyer of Worlds’.

-You have been deemed incompatible due to unmet conditions.

... This is what would happen.

"Click."

I couldn’t help but click my tongue.

Incompatible designation.

In short, I’m being treated like a monster unfit to appear on the current South Korean server—a high-level monster that can’t even spawn yet.

It wasn’t unexpected.

I always knew the system would react antagonistically if it discovered my identity. That’s why, for the past 20 years, I had deliberately avoided awakening any latent talents and refrained from connecting to the system.

But who would’ve thought they’d upgrade the ability-detection device this year of all years?

“This feels almost malicious.”

To think someone upgraded the machine specifically to uncover my existence... That’s a bit too paranoid, even for me.

“The upgrade was likely the Hunters’ Association’s decision. I’ll need to investigate.”

For now, that wasn’t the main issue.

Thanks to this sudden upgrade, my dormant mana circuits and even the buried memories of my soul had been completely exposed.@@@@

In short, I was screwed.

Crude as it may sound, there’s no better way to put it.

-Deemed incompatible. The ‘Destroyer of Worlds’ is being excluded.

Sigh.

I expected this, but still...

Whoosh!

With the system’s message, a black hole-like entity suddenly formed beneath me, spreading outward.

Darkness enveloped everything.

The school gymnasium, where I had been moments ago, vanished, leaving me stranded in an infinite void.

-Isolating you from the flow of time.

“Gah...!”

As soon as the message appeared, an excruciating pain gripped my core.

It seemed to be contemplating further action to choke the life out of me. But unlike before, it hesitated.

This contradiction was undoubtedly frustrating for the system. To ensure humanity’s survival, it needed to eliminate threats like me immediately. Yet, at this moment, I was cloaked in the guise of an ordinary human it was bound to protect.

Not that I cared about the system’s dilemma. My irritation was mounting just the same.

Honestly, part of me wanted to unleash my power now that I’d been discovered. If the system wanted to be hostile, I could oblige.

But...

...

I took a deep breath.

Nineteen years. That’s how long I’d been alive in this world.

And honestly... I’d come to like this life.

Sure, it had been financially difficult, but if I were to be honest, I owed a lot to my adoptive sibling.

Even with South Korea’s functional welfare system, surviving as an orphan would’ve been far harder without their care. Their devotion was so heartfelt it could move even a demon.

If I were to truly awaken as the Destroyer of Worlds and clash head-on with the system...

“That would mean war.”

At the very least, South Korea wouldn’t have the luxury of sparing minors from Hunter activities. They’d mobilize everything, regardless of collateral damage.

And ordinary life? Completely shattered.

That included the peaceful life of my sibling, too.

I exhaled deeply before speaking.

"Let’s negotiate."

-?

The system displayed a question mark.

"If I lose control, it’ll be hard for humanity to manage the fallout. That would harm both sides. So why not turn a blind eye and let this slide?"

-The system acknowledges the ‘Destroyer of Worlds’. The system lacks the ability to erase recognition.

-The ‘Destroyer of Worlds’ poses a severe threat to humanity.

-Emergence conditions remain unmet.

"Stubborn, aren’t you?"

Maybe humans’ blind faith in capitalism rubbed off on their collective intelligence, making it just as dense. I resisted the urge to snap and calmly opened my mouth again.

"Wouldn’t it be enough if I guaranteed I’m not a threat to humanity? Hell, I could even help you by actively taking out invaders—monsters, if you will."

The system’s prime directive was ensuring humanity’s survival. If it judged that I contributed to that goal, it wouldn’t have a reason to eliminate me.

-The system doubts the true intentions of the ‘Destroyer of Worlds’.

"True intentions, my ass. I’m offering to help. Isn’t that enough of a gift horse for you?"

Logically, the system couldn’t eliminate me due to its own contradictions. Yet here I was, offering a win-win situation. What more did it want?

Idiotic piece of code.

This world’s humans annoyed me enough as it was, and now even their system was getting on my nerves. Honestly, the only human I remotely liked was my sibling.

Then again, considering I was fighting with this ridiculous system for their sake, my sibling annoyed me, too.

What? Didn’t I just say I owed them a debt of gratitude? Well, demons are fickle by nature.

"So, what are you going to do if you doubt my intentions?"

The chains binding my body crackled and trembled.

A sharp, electrifying sensation coursed through my veins.

For the first time since being reborn in South Korea, mana began flowing through my circuits.

Power I once wielded as effortlessly as breathing.

Nineteen years of dormancy didn’t dull the instincts forged in my past life.

"Or would you rather try me for real?"