I Was Supposed to Be the Demon King, but They Made Me Save the World

The entire settlement trembled violently, crystal structures quaking as though some ancient force had been disturbed. Baldwin steadied himself as the massive doors of the castle he stood before began to creak open. The sound echoed ominously, a deep groan that filled the air with tension.

Emerging from the darkness within was a towering Magic Golem, its body forged entirely from radiant blue crystal. Its sheer size was overwhelming, each step it took causing the ground to shudder. Baldwin instinctively activated his Demon King's Eye—a mysterious power that even the late Demon King Azazel Greenblade could never fully comprehend. Like the ring on his finger, the Demon King's Eye was an enigma, passed down through generations of rulers.

As his Demon King's Eye flared to life, Baldwin could sense the immense energy radiating from the Golem. Yet, the power it wielded was entirely unfamiliar, unlike anything he had encountered before.

At first, the Golem remained still, as though it was merely observing him. But the moment Baldwin shifted slightly, the massive construct reacted. With alarming speed, it swung its colossal crystalline fist toward him.

Baldwin attempted to use his shadow ability to evade, but to his shock, it failed. His connection to his shadows felt severed, leaving him exposed.

The Golem's fist hurtled toward him with devastating force. Thinking quickly, Baldwin threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the direct hit. The sheer shockwave of the punch sent him flying, crashing into a nearby building with a thunderous impact.

Dust and debris clouded the air as Baldwin pushed himself off the rubble. He could feel the sting of the collision but remained focused.

"That's troublesome," Baldwin muttered, his voice laced with irritation. "My shadow abilities are blocked. But how?"

He glanced at the Golem, which stood motionless once more, its glowing crystalline eyes fixed on him.

"Well, if I can't use my shadows, I still have magic. But…" Baldwin clenched his fists, determination burning in his eyes. "I won't unseal myself. Not yet. I'll fight like my old self."

His gaze sharpened, a mix of confidence and anticipation forming on his face. This fight would test him, but Baldwin was no stranger to challenges.

Baldwin stood up, brushing the crystal dust off his clothes with calm precision. He stepped out from the crumbled building, his expression unbothered, as though the previous attack hadn't fazed him.

The Golem, observing his movement, slammed its massive fist into the ground. In an instant, an enormous force erupted from the earth beneath Baldwin's feet, aiming to engulf him. Reacting swiftly, Baldwin leaped into the air, the destructive energy hitting nothing but empty space.

He landed gracefully near the Golem, his feet barely making a sound despite the tension in the air. The Golem didn't hesitate—it swung its massive fist at him with blinding speed, aiming to crush him entirely.

Baldwin, however, remained calm. Raising his right hand, he extended a single finger. As the Golem's colossal fist collided with his finger, the impact stopped abruptly, suspended in mid-air as though striking an impenetrable barrier.

"Old garbage, surprised?" Baldwin smirked, his tone dripping with confidence. "Humans can possess two abilities, paired with magic. Demons, though? We're blessed with up to seven. But me? I have only three. And yet..." His eyes glinted dangerously. "You've managed to block all three of my abilities. My magic? I've sealed it off myself. So what you're seeing right now is just my *natural strength*."

The Golem withdrew its hand, its movements heavy but deliberate. It prepared another punch, slower this time, seemingly recalibrating its strategy. But Baldwin didn't wait. Launching himself into the air once more, he delivered a powerful kick to the Golem's crystalline face.

The impact was explosive. The force of the blow sent the Golem hurtling backward like a blur, crashing through the nearby buildings in a cascade of shattered crystal and debris.

Baldwin landed smoothly, dusting off his hands as though the attack had been effortless. "Now it's fair, right, you big trash?" he taunted, his voice calm yet sharp.

Without wasting any time, he began walking toward the rubble where the Golem had landed, his confident stride echoing with authority and anticipation.

While walking forward, a massive blue energy beam surged toward Baldwin with blinding speed. Reacting swiftly, he dodged the attack, leaping into the air and landing gracefully atop the Golem's head, which now stood tall and steady despite the previous blow.

With his Demon King's Eye activated, Baldwin focused on the Golem's head, pinpointing its weak spot. He stomped his foot against the corner of its crystalline skull, the force resonating through the structure. The Golem responded immediately, its massive hand rising to swat him away. Yet, as before, Baldwin calmly stopped the hand with a single finger, holding it at bay effortlessly.

"You know," Baldwin began, his voice carrying a mocking tone, "when I became the Demon King—officially, by my empire—I discovered two utterly useless things. First, the Ring. And second, the Eye of the Demon King. Both seemed stupid... at first."

With a swift, powerful kick, Baldwin struck the Golem's head with tremendous force. The crystalline structure shattered like fragile glass, shards cascading around him. The Golem let out a low, resonating hum as its body began to collapse, the immense magical construct crumbling under its own weight.

Baldwin jumped into the air, gracefully landing near a nearby building. He turned to watch as the Golem dissolved into nothing more than a heap of fine crystal dust.

Amidst the settling debris, something caught Baldwin's eye—a faint, radiant glow emanating from the dust. Intrigued, he walked toward it, the gleaming object slowly becoming clearer.

To his surprise, the shining object appeared to be a crystal stone, radiating a strange energy. As Baldwin reached out, the stone floated toward him, almost as if drawn by some unseen force. Without warning, the stone was absorbed into his Demon King's Ring, the glow vanishing instantly.

Baldwin stared at his Ring, now calm and silent once more, before glancing back at the lifeless pile of dust. "Hmph," he muttered, brushing off the event as he turned away and resumed his journey.

The entire city was empty, devoid of life. Towering buildings stretched high above him, their crystalline forms cold and silent. There was nothing but the eerie stillness of abandonment. Deciding he'd seen enough, Baldwin turned and walked out of the cave. For the last time, he glanced back, expecting to see the underground city once more—but now, there was nothing. The path he had taken was gone, leaving only the cave as it had originally appeared.

As he moved further away, the sound of his boots echoed in the emptiness. The stillness was unsettling, almost haunting, but Baldwin shook it off with a chuckle.

As he stepped out of the cave, Baldwin glanced back one last time. The city's absence gnawed at him, its mysteries left unanswered. But there was no time to dwell—he had a hunt to finish.

"No way... I just visited a ghost town straight out of a fantasy novel," he muttered to himself, amused by the bizarre events.

With a smirk, he continued his journey, shifting his focus back to his original goal—hunting beasts. Yet, despite wandering for what felt like hours, he hadn't encountered a single one.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp, distant scream.

"Oh, great. Looks like today isn't a day for hunting beasts. First, a ghost town, and now someone's screaming their lungs out. Crazy events, one after another," Baldwin said with a sigh.

Without hesitation, he broke into a run, heading toward the direction of the scream.