Maxi and Techxin continued talking for a while, their conversation drifting from gods to battle techniques, before Techxin eventually left. Alone with his thoughts, Maxi nestled deeper into his mother's embrace. Sleep came slowly, but when it did, it swallowed him whole.
Darkness enveloped his vision, but something was different this time. Instead of the formless black void he usually fell into, he found himself standing in a castle—not his castle, but somewhere unfamiliar.
The stone floor beneath him was an unnatural deep red, almost pulsing like living flesh. As Maxi took a step forward, torches ignited one by one, their flames a pure, hellish crimson. They illuminated a long path leading to a massive, ancient door—one that seemed to be holding back something monstrous.
Maxi's breath hitched. He felt drawn to the door, as if an invisible force pulled at his very soul.
His legs moved on their own.
Step.
By step.
By step.
Minutes passed, yet he felt like he had barely traveled a second. When he finally reached the door, he looked up—and froze.
That symbol.
At the very top of the door was a three-eyed insignia the exact same one that was on his right hand. The top eye stared straight ahead, unblinking. The right eye also faced forward, but the left eye—the left eye was misaligned, looking off to the side as if it refused to face the same direction as the others.
And below them?
A wide, jagged grin, filled with sharp, menacing teeth.
Maxi's chest tightened. He had never noticed this symbol before or just paid much attention to it. Had it always been there? Had he simply ignored it?
he then looked down at his right hand and saw it below his three-eyed symbol
Was it connected to the Demon King? The Demon Queen?
Or… was it something else entirely?
His hands trembled as he reached for the door handle.
Then—hesitation.
Should I really open this?
The doubt was immediate, slamming into his mind like a tidal wave. What would happen if he didn't open it?
…Would he ever wake up in the real world again?
…Would he anger the god waiting beyond this door?
Maxi swallowed hard, his mind racing.
Then, finally—he exhaled.
And opened the door.
—
A blast of searing heat rushed out from behind him, forcing the door open with a deafening boom. Maxi stumbled forward slightly, almost losing his balance, his eyes widening as he took in the scene before him.
A throne room.
And on that throne—a figure.
The first thing Maxi noticed was his short, messy red hair.
The second thing—his eyes.
One eye held the gaze of a predator of predators, a being that only hunted the strongest.
The other? More demonic than anything Maxi had ever seen.
The man was shirtless, his muscular frame leaving no doubt of his sheer physical power. His six-pack was so defined, it looked like something carved from divine stone. Yet… strangely, he had a modern-day red hoodie tied around his waist. The fabric bore black symbols and words that Maxi didn't recognize.
His black baggy pants had pockets and straps, as if designed for utility over aesthetics.
But most striking of all?
The horns.
Two red-and-gray horns protruded from his head, curling slightly, their very presence radiating an overwhelming demonic majesty. His skin, a mix of gray and white, seemed to shift under the crimson light, and his face looked young like a teenager between 16 and 18 but his body said otherwise.
He sat lazily on his throne, one leg draped over the armrest while the other rested on the floor. His posture screamed dominance, yet also an air of indifference, as if the world itself was merely a game to him.
And surrounding him?
Thousands.
Thousands of demons.
They stood in reverence, their power immense, each one strong enough to rival a god. And yet, they did not challenge the man on the throne.
They basked in his presence.
Then—they noticed Maxi.
Every single demon turned, their gazes piercing into his very soul.
A violent shiver ran down Maxi's spine.
Then—
The Demon King on the throne moved.
He raised a single hand—lazily.
And with a mere flick of his finger—
Maxi's body moved on its own.
He floated through the air, pulled toward the Demon King without resistance. The demons parted for him, making way as he drifted closer to the throne.
When he finally reached the Demon King—
He stopped.
then a gust of hot wind blow him into the air and suspended in the air, Maxi found himself eye-to-eye with the monarch of demons.
Then—
The Demon King's lips moved.
But no sound came out.
Maxi sighed. Again.
Just like with the Veiled Man, he was being forced to read lips. But this time… it was easier.
Something had changed within him.
He focused—
And read:
"Sorry, kid. I didn't mean for our first… to be like that. But that… pissed me off. So I wanted to… for using your body when you clearly… ready. But you're three-fourths of the way there, so no real harm done. All you need… and that ritual, and you're set. But first, let me introduce myself…
I am the Demon King of Pride."
As soon as Maxi finished reading—
A sharp pain shot through his head.
It wasn't as bad as before, but it was still a painful reminder of the limits of his mind.
Shaking off the dizziness, he looked back at the Demon King of Pride—
Who was now smirking.
A smirk that showed off his teeth.
And Maxi saw it.
His teeth were sharper than anything Maxi had ever seen.
Sharper than Techxin's.
The Demon King of Pride raised a single hand—
And pointed downward.
Then—
Everything shattered.
The throne room exploded into fragments, breaking apart like glass.
Maxi was no longer floating.
He was falling.
Into an abyss.
The void swallowed him, darkness stretching endlessly in every direction.
Then—
A spotlight.
It shone on the prestigious coffee table and book, the very same ones from before.
Maxi's heart pounded.
He was surprisingly close.
Maybe this time—maybe this time, he could finally see the rest of the book's cover.
He swam toward it, moving through the air as if pushing against invisible currents.
He was so close—
Then—
BOOM.
A sonic boom rattled his mind.
Shadow hands shot up from the abyss.
They moved at impossible speeds, reaching out with clawed fingers.
Maxi barely had time to process before they grabbed him—
And pulled him away.
He screamed in frustration.
"GOSH DANG IT, I WAS SO CLOSE!"
—
Maxi's eyes snapped open.
His mother's face hovered over him, her expression one of pure relief.
As soon as she saw him awake, she pulled him into a tight hug.
Her voice was soft—filled with worry.
"I am so glad you're awake, my sweet baby boy."
She pulled back, cupping his cheeks with gentle hands.
"Are you okay?"
Maxi sighed, his mind still spinning from the dream.
"As good as I can be."