**Demon King Verdel.**

The ruler who reigns over all demons of the Abyss and is revered as a demon goddess.

With a single glance, she unsheathes her sword without distinction between civilians and warriors, thwarting the killing machines obsessed with sabotage and terror to protect the demon realm.

**Demon King Verdel.**

To oppose her in the demon realm is unthinkable, and those with the audacity to challenge her have long since become souls.

She possesses a talent that even the heavens envy when it comes to swords, and she is a well-recognized name among various users in the community.

- I’ve learned a thing or two. May I seek your guidance next time?  
- (Demon King Verdel) If time permits.  
- Thank you. I’ve made progress in my swordsmanship thanks to you.  
- (Demon King Verdel) Hmph.

Of course, it wasn’t an easy journey to be listed as "Ranked 3rd in the Unofficial Blunt Sword Rankings."

- (Iron Horse Double Sword) Go! I’ll target the lower left with the Tiger Strike!  
- (Demon King Verdel) Hmm... In that case, after a half turn, lightly twist the sword to the left with the spine as the pivot.  
- (Iron Horse Double Sword) After the Tiger Strike, I will use the Ascending Angle with my front paw.  
- (Demon King Verdel) What kind of technique is that?  
- (Iron Horse Double Sword) Rotate my body clockwise around my left foot, transferring the rotational force into the angle. The angle is a forward 27 degrees.  
- (Demon King Verdel) As expected. It seems the outcome is already decided.  
- (Iron Horse Double Sword) What?!  
- (Demon King Verdel) If you lean your body forward 15 degrees while raising your right elbow here?  
- (Iron Horse Double Sword) Whaaat!

To someone unfamiliar, it might seem utterly ridiculous.

- (Iron Horse Double Sword) No way…! Were you already prepared two moves ago?  
- (Demon King Verdel) Hmph. Grow stronger and return.

Swordsmanship practice described through words. It would be a miracle if it didn’t invite ridicule.

However, the reality was different. In this Dimension Integration Community, countless martial artists and knights existed, capable of conducting quite precise duels based on years of accumulated experience and data.

- Isn’t martial arts a fantasy exercise that’s useless in real combat without internal energy? lol  
- Hmph! Do cowardly bastards who rely solely on full armor dare to understand the profundity of martial arts?  
- Lol, they don’t even know how scientific medieval swordsmanship is.  
- Haha. Do you think you can even catch a glimpse of the subtleties of martial arts?  
- Blunt sword!  
- You bastard!

Blunt sword.

It was the flower of the Dimension Integration Community, the essence of a fierce debate born from keyboard battles.

Who is stronger?  
Who is the strongest?

Due to the ongoing debates, the community had become so chaotic that as soon as the administrator was appointed, the [Blunt Sword Arena] tab was established, and one could understand the heat surrounding it.

Of course, it wasn’t only swords that were used in blunt sword matches. Users could also measure their internal energy, aura, and even magic in the battles.

- Footwork vs. Dual Swords  
- Ice Technique vs. Fire Technique  
- External Energy vs. Internal Energy  
- Azure Dragon vs. Dragon  
- Archmage vs. Swordmaster  

A stage for genuine duels that put their pride on the line!

That was the Blunt Sword Arena.

- If there was a debate in the Joseon era, there’s a supreme debate in modern times, and in the Dimension Integration Community, there’s blunt sword!

Being ranked 3rd in the unofficial rankings of the swordsmanship arena was akin to a great achievement she had accomplished.

To rank among the top three swordsmen across the entire dimension was not just a matter of having some skill with the sword.

She was the “Demon King Verdel” in the community, possessing innate talent in swordsmanship.

***

Slap—

In an instant, stars flashed before her eyes, and she, ‘Demon King Verdel,’ turned her head sharply.

“Is that crazy girl breaking the air again?”

Slap— Pffff—

“Grrk!”

The girl, not even 150 cm tall, curled her fragile body up.

Pffff— Thwack— Slap—

“I told you not to do anything crazy, or your market value will drop!” 

Having pulled out a whip, the burly middle-aged man did not hide his sadistic smile as a suppressed moan escaped her lips.

Thwack— Slap—

“Look at how fierce you are. Haha. I truly admire your spirit.”  
Thwack—  
Thwack—

“Gah. Gah. I’m quite fond of your strong body. Even if I sever the tendons in your arms and legs, you still look fine on the outside, don’t you?” 

The heavyset middle-aged man did not conceal his sadistic smile.

Once the girl’s skin turned a bizarre shade of red, he finally withdrew the whip with satisfaction.

“Dirty mixed-race girl.”

After huffing, the middle-aged man spat and locked the cage with a heavy padlock before leaving.

As he left, the red hue lingering on the girl’s body began to fade.

“Cough. Cough.”

Spitting out blood, she leaned against the cold stone wall, desperately trying to calm her emotions. Soon, the redness on her skin returned to its original pale color.

Although she was active as a demon king in the community, she wore a bitter smile. Reality was unbearably cold.

A demon, huh...

She had been born and raised in a small village of northern immigrants on the outskirts. Her hometown was a harsh place with cold winter winds and barren soil, yet it was a place where the villagers united to preserve the smiles of the children. Though they had nothing, they knew how to share warmth with one another.

She only had the unique trait of turning red when her emotions ran high.

That’s why she was treated as a mixed race, as the children of “demons” rather than immigrants.

“Cough.”

She looked up at the moonlight through the iron bars and reminisced about her past.

“Verdel. You’re bearing a weight far too heavy for someone so young. Please do not forgive me for having to make such a decision.”

The sorrowful feelings of her grandfather, who had been the chief of their tribe, were conveyed through her gaze. The memory of her mother, who had fainted while wailing, remained vividly in her mind.

Even while being dragged by an imperial knight by her hair, she hadn’t shed tears, as it was the path she had chosen for herself.

- I will save all the villagers. What will you do? Will you walk the path of hell for your tribe?  
- I will do it.

She did not resent the imperial knight. Rather, she felt gratitude because she knew that the knight had offered her a deal to prevent the slaughter of her people.

- The empire is on the verge of unifying the continent under its banner. However, countless lives have been lost in war. And the terrible thing is... the blood that will flow in the future will be even greater. Even if it isn’t the blood of humans...  

The policy of exterminating mixed races.

At that time, the imperial knight had looked at her with a remarkably humane expression. Pity, misery, sadness, guilt. It was an incomprehensible emotional shift.

- What do you want me to do if an imperial knight shows such a face?  
- …You’re right.

The knight, wearing a bitter smile, said.

- Due to the long war, there are many voices within the empire. No matter how many victories we claim, the dead will not return.  
- …  
- Therefore, those above are strongly wanting propaganda materials to appease the anger of the imperial citizens.  
- …  
- For example, they need evidence to wrap it up as a “war to exterminate demons.”  
- So you chose me. Especially since I’ll turn red enough to be noticeable. And as long as there are hostages from my tribe, you won’t easily take my life.  
- …Yes. You’re right.  
- I understand.  
- It probably won’t be easy.

She underwent numerous physical enhancement procedures by the imperial tower. Since she had to bear the anger of 1 billion imperial citizens, she had to make her body strong. Consequently, she became a body that could no longer grow. Additionally, she underwent a procedure that reversed her eye colors, leading to nearly losing her sight.

Moreover, to prevent any incidents, she had to sever the tendons in her limbs.

Not more, not less—a living doll for receiving the wrath of the imperial citizens.

That was the current state of Verdel.

For her, receiving an invitation to the [Dimension Integration Community] was akin to receiving a second life that bestowed meaning to her existence, which had become a life of barely surviving.

“There’s no need to live gloomily here.”

Thus, she donned the mask of a concept, imagined countless worlds, and dreamed as she listened to their stories.

Their adventures sparkled like bright stars.

Yet, she who could neither move nor be free could never become a star.

Instead, she decided to become the night sky that would make the stars shine. 

To be the night sky and embrace the stars in her heart.

She filled her heart

 with precious things.

Having nothing, she could hold anything.

She held her grandfather in a star.  
Her grandfather was patting her head with his strong hands.

She held her mother in a star.  
Her mother kissed her cheek and smiled warmly.

She held her father in a star.  
She sat on her father’s shoulder, gazing at the same sky.

She held her dreams in a star.

Perhaps, the freedom she would never attain again. 

And her neighbors. 

Also, her mischievous virtual friends who welcomed her.

Even though she couldn’t see the moon properly, her blurry vision allowed her to gaze at the night sky without concern.

Her heart was filled with countless stars.

She could contain the world in her heart.

Thus, she was living her “life.”

Thud.

For her, the arrival of a small gift might be a new star named hope.