[Failure tasted bitter.]
[The Demon Lord hated bitter things.]
[Especially failure.]
[The ruined labyrinth stretched behind him.]
[Collapsed corridors.]
[Broken statues.]
[Destroyed trials.]
[All because of one mistake.]
[He had been too slow.]
Demon Lord— "...Annoying."
[The hooded thief had escaped.]
[The Chronos Emerald was gone.]
[And despite unleashing a fraction of his true power...]
[He couldn't catch them.]
[His fist tightened.]
CRACK.
[The stone beneath him shattered.]
[The teenage body he inhabited leaned against a cliffside.]
[Blood stained his sleeve.]
[His breathing wasn't stable.]
[Using too much power had consequences.]
[Especially in a vessel this weak.]
Demon Lord— "Pathetic."
[The body wasn't his.]
[Not truly.]
[Just a temporary shell.]
[A cage.]
[And cages had limits.]
[The wind blew quietly across the mountains.]
[Far below, forests stretched endlessly.]
[No cultists.]
[No followers.]
[No armies.]
[Just silence.]
[For the first time since reincarnating...]
[He was alone.]
[The Demon Lord stared at the horizon.]
[Thinking.]
[The thief.]
[The Eleventh.]
[The Time War.]
[Too many variables.]
[Then the System appeared.]
DING.
[Golden letters materialized before him.]
[Different from before.]
[Much different.]
Demon Lord— "...?"
[SPECIAL AUTHORITY DETECTED][Legacy Synchronization Initiating...]
[His eyes narrowed.]
Demon Lord— "Legacy?"
[Greetings.][Candidate Recognized.][Connection Established.]
[The notification changed.]
[One name appeared.]
[99th Regressor — ANHILUS]
[Silence.]
[The Demon Lord stared.]
[Then laughed.]
[A genuine laugh.]
Demon Lord— "Interesting."
[He knew that name.]
[Everyone who reached the highest levels knew it.]
[The Ninety-Ninth.]
[A monster among monsters.]
[A being who existed in stories even regressors feared.]
[ANHILUS LEGACY SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
[New windows appeared.]
[Objective Updated][Locate Regressor Artifacts][Absorb Their Remaining Power]
[The Demon Lord's smile widened.]
Demon Lord— "...Absorb?"
[Correct.][Regressor Fragments contain residual authority.][Residual authority may be consumed.]
[More text appeared.]
[Current Progress: 0 / 99 Fragments][Reward: Unknown]
[His golden eyes gleamed.]
[Now things were becoming interesting.]
[The First Regressor wasn't the only one fragmented.]
[There were more.]
[Many more.]
[Scattered across history.]
[Scattered across the world.]
[Waiting.]
[First Acquisition Recommended]
[A map appeared.]
[A distant location pulsed crimson.]
[Far away.]
[Very far away.]
Demon Lord— "...And if I reach it first?"
[Authority Acquisition Possible.][Power Restoration Accelerated.]
[The answer was enough.]
[The Demon Lord slowly stood.]
[The pain in his body remained.]
[The injuries remained.]
[But suddenly—]
[The loss of the Chronos Emerald felt smaller.]
[Because now there was another path.]
[A better path.]
[One not dependent on chasing thieves.]
[A path that involved taking power directly.]
[His favorite kind.]
[The notification flickered once more.]
[Warning][Other Candidates May Exist.]
[His smile faded slightly.]
Demon Lord— "...Naturally."
[Competition Encouraged.]
[Then the system vanished.]
[Leaving only the map behind.]
[The crimson marker continued pulsing.]
[Calling.]
[Inviting.]
[Promising power.]
[The Demon Lord looked toward it.]
[Then began walking.]
[Slowly at first.]
[Then with purpose.]
[Because whether the thief, the Eleventh, or the regressors themselves liked it or not...]
[The hunt had changed.]
[No longer for the Chronos Emerald.]
[Now it was for the fragments.]
[For the remnants of legends.]
[For power left behind by beings who had once challenged fate itself.]
[Far away, beneath Sanctuary, a sealed fragment of the First Regressor suddenly opened its eyes.]
[Ancient silver irises narrowed.]
First Fragment— "...Anhilus."
[For the first time in centuries...]
[The fragment sounded worried.]
First Fragment— "That fool left behind a system."
[The chains around his prison rattled.]
[And deep within the darkness...]
[Something that should have remained asleep began to stir.]