Brand New Life Online: Rise Of The Goddess Of Harvest Chapter 2048: The Demon King’s Past

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The fragile illusion of peace and prosperity had completely shattered. It had been nothing more than a cruel joke from destiny itself.

When they had finally been together as a true family, when their Kingdom had chosen him as King, when they prospered and began to move on from their dark past, when new alliances were carefully formed...

It was discovered that all of it was fake.

The Four Kingdom Alliance unleashed an all-out attack, taking full advantage of the weakened military forces that had resulted from the new king’s peaceful reign.

He had invested most of his resources into tourism and agriculture, foolishly believing that the long times of war were finally over.

Foolishly indeed.

He never could have expected that the deep grudges inflicted upon those that his family had harmed over the centuries still remained, and had grown even stronger than before.

They blamed him for things he had never done. Former friends and trusted allies revealed their true faces and attacked him and his entire family without mercy.

There was only tragedy left in the end.

His Kingdom burned under endless flames. His people died in agony — impaled, tortured, and chopped to pieces in the most cruel ways imaginable. Every single invader that entered the city was a merciless murderer who truly believed they were justified in their actions.

And their leader?

The Church of Yggdrasil. A church that, in eons past, had led the Four Kingdom Alliance with both high prestige and massive influence over the land.

The Yggdrasil Knights marched through the blood-soaked streets. The agonizing cries of his people filled the air. Even now, as an Undead, the King could still recall every single moment of what he had lived through and suffered.

That tragedy defined him completely.

And so she could remember everything too — every detail of that same tragedy.

She remembered the cold spear that pierced straight through her heart while her husband cried out in pure agony, holding her tightly in his arms. Dozens of swords pierced his body at the same time. Their children lay lifeless next to them, arrows covering their small heads.

It was so cruel.

So damn cruel.

Why?

Just why?

Why, after they had compromised so much and tried so hard to live in peace, would their enemies still attack them with such hatred?

She could still clearly recall their words.

The words spoken by the Yggdrasil Knights Captain, Delfaria Hernesto.

"The Midnight Family are nothing but filthy demons! Do not feel any pity for killing them! The more painful their deaths, the better! They are nothing but creatures born from pure darkness that merely take the shape of humans! They are true evil, and we, the children of the gods and of Yggdrasil, shall inherit this land over their corpses!"

"W-Why... You... you’re the real monsters... all of this world... is hell..."

His final words echoed in her fading mind as she slowly lost consciousness, dying together with him as he held her tightly in his arms.

But that was not the end for him.

That was simply all she could remember of those final moments.

Indeed, what she did not see... he later narrated to her in full detail.

"I became a zombie."

"?!"

"When I died in agony and despair, my heart and my soul responded."

He looked down at the ground, clenching his teeth so tightly that his jaw trembled with the effort.

"I discovered I was the reincarnation of a fragment of a being known as the Demon King, Erebus... a ’failed’ creation of the Gods themselves!

As the Fragment embodying Death itself, I awakened an Ultimate Authority over the dead!

I rose with more power than ever before, raising my cursed sword high and cutting down all those that opposed me!

Our kingdom and everyone else lay in ruins, crystalized in time itself deep within the Netherworld... but I harnessed the power to break open the Gates of the Netherworld and brought Chaos upon that cursed world!

I raised an endless army of Undead and destroyed them all! I avenged them, but... Alas... before I could truly revive us, he.... he!"

The Demon King clenched his fists hard enough to draw blood from his own palms. He pressed one hand against his chest as he recalled a sharp, unending pain — a glowing faint light that had pierced his Nether Heart long ago, a wound that had never fully healed.

It was the Light of the Hero that had cut him down for good in those ancient times, sending both him and his entire army back into the depths of the Netherworld, sealed away until eons later.

That Hero had been the son of the knight captain — a half-elf with pure white hair, an expressionless face, and glowing green and blue eyes.

Holding the almighty Sword of Life itself, Pendragon, he had slain the Demon King of Death without mercy!

That blasted child of the very captain the Demon King had killed with his own hands.

"Eregon, that monster! He killed me! He slew my army! He stopped us from reuniting forever!"

His wife’s face twisted in deep pain and disbelief. Tears fell freely from her eyes as she listened to every word.

"But now... you see, things are different! Something called the System is everywhere! The old world has been reset. Past, present, and future have become one... and the Netherworld — we — remained untouched! Upon the death of the three first Demon Kings, I have finally stepped into the spotlight! I have been reborn by the System’s help, by this omnipotent god who for some reason favors us!"

"S-Sys... tem...?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

"Yes, my beloved! The System is our ally! He will guide us through this! He has given me a task — to conquer the worlds of Arcadia and Earth, and the many Realms within them! To expand the Domain of Death beyond every horizon, and to turn all of Reality into an endless Necropolis!"

"..."

There was only heavy silence for several long seconds before she broke it with a single painful set of words.

"You’re not... him..."

And what remained of Thanatos’ heart shattered into countless pieces.

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