Joy of Life - Chapter 21

“There are no heroes in war, only monsters.”This was an outlook that Sato Katsuro, a man in service to the military, formed after being broken down by years of gore-filled battle.It was an outlook that he took even to his grave...but what about beyond it?Reincarnated into a new world of fantasy and tasked to be the very thing he'd given up on becoming, Sato would have to fight a new war. A war between mankind and an oppressive enemy regime run by a cohort of demons.But, as Sato learned in his past, war wasn't always what it seemed. In war, truths were lies, friends lurked as enemies, and the so-called heroes...they were often the villains.

“The Demon Lords are bringers of destruction, and among them, I am the strongest.”The Demon King has fallen, slain by the Hero in a battle that shook the heavens.After this, humanity knew a long era of peace and prosperity, with the hero now at the top of the world.Fifty years after the battle, the demon race is resurfacing, but now with the throne empty, they must fight for the emergence of the new Demon King. Meanwhile, the humans are preparing for the rise of the next hero who will oppose their archenemies.Born as a mere stable boy in a lower-class noble household, Bel has lived his life tending to the noble gardens, pruning roses for banquets he would never attend. He is nothing more than a lowly servant in a world ruled by noble bloodlines and magic.However, his fate changes when a demon attack devastates the household. As flames consume the estate, Bel is about to be executed in front of his master when their leader, a great demon, recognizes him as a member of a powerful species of monsters that had disappeared before the ascent of the previous Demon King.She calls him by his true name, awakening his true blood.The demon, intrigued by this discovery, decides to spare him out of curiosity and pity. Having learned about Bel’s true nature, his master, rather than executing him, chooses instead to bring him into the heart of his household, seeing in him an opportunity to elevate his family’s standing by binding a powerful being to his service.But power cannot be shackled forever, and among them, the one in Bel's blood is the most dangerous.

Every person is born different; all of creation has a hundred faces.Some are born foolish, some are born wise. Some are extraordinarily gifted, while others are hopelessly mediocre.Yi Beidou was born a demon.But he was lucky. He met his master, Hong Datong, who taught him the “Free Heart Technique.”With 7 needles in his body for 20 years, he has finally been able to control himself.“For twenty years, I kept my head bowed and my nature restrained. Today, I can finally raise my eyes to see the world and truly be myself.”

A few hundred years ago, Earth was affected by a mysterious force from the depths of the universe, triggering the revival of spiritual energy. However, things didn’t turn out as wonderful as humanity had imagined. The spiritual energy carried a strange power that caused the corpses of all living things to rise again, transforming into ghouls. And above these ghouls, even more terrifying beings existed…There were no ancient methods of cultivating immortality, nor any legendary awakenings of supernatural powers. But within the spiritual energy, there was also a presence of ghostly energy. This led to the emergence of Runes.Some people bore mountain runes, enabling them to move mountains and overturn seas, suppressing chaos. Others carried river runes, allowing them to reverse the flow of mighty rivers with a mere gesture. However, this process required a special profession to assist these rune cultivators—to constantly modify and engrave their runes, making them more refined and perfect.This profession came to be known as Rune Engraving.