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.

The system was actively trying to eliminate me.

Clang!

Chains materialized out of nowhere, wrapping around me like they were subduing a wild beast.

My arms, legs, and even my neck were bound.

As the chains tightened, the system continued its relentless operations.

-Measuring the risk level of the ‘Destroyer of Worlds’…
-Health: Unmeasurable
-Strength: Unmeasurable
-Mana: Unmeasurable
-Overall threat level: Catastrophic
-Recommended counter level: S-rank or higher (If you are not of the recommended level, evacuation is advised.)
-Due to unmet conditions for catastrophic emergence, the ‘Destroyer of Worlds’ abilities are being restricted.

“Ridiculous…!”

The sudden violence overwhelmed my body, which had grown used to 19 years of peaceful living. The pain was unbearable, making me grit my teeth.

But just because the system had found me didn’t mean I intended to roll over and die.

If I were the type to surrender so easily, I wouldn’t have endured that wretched forced communal life in my past world!

Besides, I had something to say.

"I am no longer the Demon King or the Destroyer. Even the system doesn’t have the right to arbitrarily eliminate a being that hasn’t committed any evil deeds."

That’s right.

Even if my soul retained memories of my past life and its sins, the body of the newly born Jung Da-on carried no such karma.

That’s precisely why I spent 19 years living as an ordinary person.

I avoided system interaction, refrained from using mana that I could easily sense, and ignored petty provocations from lowly brats.

So, for the system to designate me, Jung Da-on, as the Destroyer of Worlds was an outright error.

-…

The system didn’t respond.

However, the chains around my neck loosened slightly.

Perhaps it acknowledged the validity of my argument.

But that didn’t mean I could relax.

-The system remains wary of the ‘Destroyer of Worlds’.

Such wariness was natural.

From the system’s perspective, I was a dangerous entity that could reclaim my power at any time. Once the system recognized me as the Destroyer, it couldn’t erase that perception.

In other words, if I wanted to survive, I needed another solution.

What to do…

I wasn’t without options.

After all, the system wasn’t omnipotent.

Humans might see the system as some godlike force granting them superhuman abilities. But as someone who had once been the Demon King, I knew better.

“The system… is merely a collective intelligence born of humanity’s desire to survive.”

When a single species dominates a world and begins not just to survive but to accumulate wealth, invaders are bound to emerge—creatures seeking the ruler’s resources, sometimes from other worlds or dimensions.

These invaders, driven by biological greed, penetrate worlds like parasites burrowing through a shell. Humans call this phenomenon "Gates," and the invaders themselves are labeled "monsters."

But the rulers of a world wouldn’t surrender their dominance so easily.

Thus, a collective manifestation of survival instincts was born to combat these invaders: the system.

It’s humanity’s desire to live, given form as an autonomous intelligence.

However, because the system exists to ensure humanity’s survival, it cannot exclude a member of the collective without justification. Doing so would go against its fundamental purpose.

In other words...

"What gives you the right to exclude the current ‘Jung Da-on’ from this world?"

As far as the system was concerned, I was just an ordinary human being it was obligated to protect.

Blink. Blink.

The system's text flickered, as if recognizing my hostility.

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?"