The Archduke's Songbird - Chapter 24: In Pain’s Embrace

The live show, Survive in Wilderness was a hit.

There were thousands of participants in the game show. They would all start by parachuting from a plane and land randomly in a primary forest.

The participants would have to rely only on a backpack, a water bottle, and a dagger to survive.

Yu Beier was only eight years old when he joined the game show so that he could buy the cure for his ill mother with the prize money. He was the youngest to have ever participated, and he had accidentally woken up a wilderness survival system.

[Ding! You have received the Wilderness Survival 101 Pack!]

[Ding! You have received Max-leveled Hunting Skill!]

[Ding! You have received Max-leveled Building Skill!]

[Ding! You have received Max-leveled Swing Skill!]

…

When the show started, the viewers were utterly shocked. From climbing the tallest mountain to crossing the ocean, conquering the forest and swamp, and managing an island, there was nothing that Yu Beier could not do.

“Dude! That eight-year-old boy is living a much more interesting life than us!”

“Yu Beier is the apex among men!”

“Whenever I see his stream, it feels like I’ve just lived an extra life!”

Seventeen-year-old Hajime Nagumo is your average, everyday otaku. However, his simple life of pulling all-nighters and sleeping in school is suddenly turned upside down when he, along with the rest of his class, is summoned to a fantasy world!

Become a prophet? Recruiting the most outstanding individuals to eradicate demons? Leading the holy army in the extermination of evils? Growing stronger until you finally defeat the demon lord?

Or you can choose to become the demon lord itself. Create your own subordinates, even shape them according to your wishes. You can also build a dreaded kingdom of darkness and make an army of chaos.

In the VR game “Mistrea: A Fantasy Management Sim Game of Light and Dark,” both options are available.

And the second choice appeals to Ethan Alexander more. To be a good citizen in the real world, he had to follow the rules; why would he do so in a fantasy realm?

Thus, in the world of magic and fantastic creatures, he was reborn as Vorn, the demon lord. But that doesn't mean he'll make the world fall into an era of darkness right away. He will not launch campaigns of heinous human slaughter.

It would be no fun for him to rule over a ruined world. That means that those who worship him will be scarce. He wanted to be adored, hailed and regarded as equal to God by many people.

He will keep using methods that are not constrained by any rules. The evil way, but not always violent, and more fun.

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This story will have some steamy scenes, but those are not the main focus.

Main protagonist's girls won't get cucked by others.

I consider this novel a multiple protagonist story. So, there will be POV switches.

Some parts feel slow, but I guarantee it will be worth your time.

There will be some dark jokes, so don't be surprised.

Step inside if you dare, but be warned—this is no ordinary shop. Those who enter never leave the same… if they leave at all. A sinister force lurks within, fueled by a dark past and a thirst for revenge. The price? Twelve lives for twelve sins. As officials race to put an end to the bloodshed, the shop’s deadly grip tightens, claiming innocent victims one by one. Will anyone uncover the truth before it's too late? If you crave spine-tingling horror, heart-pounding thrills, and a mystery that refuses to stay buried, this book will haunt you long after the last page.