The New Earth - Requiem
Author: Campoccino
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

[System Loading…]

[Collecting data from the Demon Lord Azazel…]

[Collecting data from the player Merlin Warlock…]

[Data Merge is underway…]

Merlin felt something different. He’s warm and cold at the same time. It’s not a pleasant feeling, more like a tug of war between these two sensations. Where one wants to win over the other. Then there is the still darkness. Merlin can’t feel his limbs, nor any other part of his body for that matter. But his mind is intact, smudged and unreliable still, but intact.

[10%]

[20%]

[Failed]

[Restarting data merge…]

He has no control over this screen that he is seeing in front of him. It’s probably under Requiem’s command, are the words running through his head. Ah yes, his thinking is now becoming clearer at least. But that just makes the experience all the more dreadful. A clear mind won’t help him get out of there – it’ll only cause him worries.

[10%]

[25%]

[Failed]

[Restarting data merge…]

Slowly but surely the feeling of warmth on his veins began to return. The cold disappearing along the way. Then came a rapid jolt that Merlin felt reaching every fingertip. Allowing him to finally make use of these as he started to move them slowly.

[15%]

[30%]

[Failed]

[Restrictions will be placed on character creation.]

Merlin has no idea how much time has passed. He does not understand how the subspace he has been brought in works. Nor does he have any concept of anything anymore. He’s just there – wherever there might be. Though his consciousness is now slowly coming back to him, there is still a great gap in his memories.

This is something that the child has not told him. Not because it was forgotten, but because it was purposefully omitted. All for the sake of making sure that Merlin Warlock will not back down. Though there is definitely no way that Merlin will back away from the deal that was made with him by the new god of the world where he is resurrecting. And though I wish to speak more of the things that are about to happen to Merlin, it is better for you to see it for yourself. After all, everything will naturally unfold as time goes on.

[Restarting data merge]

[18%]

[49%]

[77%]

[…]

[100%]

[Invading New Earth]

A brilliant flash of light welcomed Merlin. He felt something different, a sensation that almost brought a kind of nostalgia to him. It is the same as the feeling of a newborn coming out from its mother’s womb. But there is no way for him to know nor to understand this. He does not remember the day he was born after all.

All he knows is that there is a gentle warmth. One which caught him by surprise. He is a creature who has never experienced love and affection after all. But this is temporary. Merlin slowly opened his eyes and all the light disappeared. What replaced it are is a gentle light and message that awaited him.

[Welcome Master]

Are the words displayed on his game system window. His memory is hazy but everything is also quickly coming back to him. The deal he struck with the child who calls itself Requiem. The same child who was once his weapon as well.

[Character Name: Merlin]

[Level: 1]

[Class: Demon]

[Specification: None]

These are the things shown at the top of his screen. The same things that a player sees once they arrive at Genesis City. There are a couple of variations however. The first is that instead of placing a player name at the beginning, what he has is a character name. The same one that he has chosen.

Merlin.

[A Main Quest has been added]

“Already? Shouldn’t there be a tutorial first?” Merlin complained.

[Main Quest: Proof of Darkness]

[Quest Grade: F]

[Requirement: Kill a Human]

Murder.

Merlin has experienced killing before. Not in the real world but in Requiem. He has killed multiple characters from his years as the strongest of the game. The effects within the game are as realistic as could be. The scent, the sound, the visuals, everything is spot on. Giving the feel of actually killing a person.

But that is a game. That’s it. Nothing more than a game. The players he kill in Requiem will still be alive in the real world. Now, that has to change.

“You want me to kill a person?” He asked.

Merlin let out a nervous laughter. He can’t help but do so because of how absurd this request is. It isn’t even a high-grade quest. An [F+] quest can be finished by a [Lvl 5] player without breaking a sweat. Even as a [Lvl 1], Merlin will have little difficulty finishing a quest of this grade. But the requirement for this specific [F+] Grade quest has a heavy toll. One which is already weighing down the half-demon.

“You were so cocky when you talked with the child, are you nothing but talk?” Merlin is saying this to himself. He’s not crazy; yet. But he needs to assure himself that he can do this. He doesn’t have any other choice. If he doesn’t, he won’t progress with the quests.

“You could’ve given me an easier quest to start with you know.” Merlin said.

He doesn’t know if the child, Requiem, can hear him. Probably not. His words might simply be wasted. Then again, it doesn’t hurt to have a bit of his frustrations out. He’s still gonna do it of course. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be complaining about how problematic this quest is. So the demon made one last sigh before surrendering to his unbelievable fate. Impeccable timing because of what followed.

“HEEEELP!”

A woman’s cry for help caught Merlin’s attention right away. Taking the entirety of his attention. The voice echoed from where he stood – coming from somewhere below him. Immediately telling him that he’s not alone. There’s company. More than one to be exact as he heard familiar sounds right after it. Battle screams of kobolds.

Merlin looked around. He’s in a closed space, with rocks and earth surrounding him. It’s the first time that he took notice of his surroundings after the reincarnation. Now he knows that he isn’t in a safe place. Not in the slightest bit.

The half-demon reached the edge of where he is standing. Giving him sight of the woman who seems to be an adventurer, as well as the group of kobolds that are behind her. As well as the kobolds waiting for her at the front of the path.

“That’s not good.” Merlin voiced as he watched the scene unfold.

He doesn’t want to get involved with things like these while still at level one. But the situation seems to demand his presence. That’s why he took a quick glance of the skills he currently owns. These made his brows furrow right away. Nevertheless, Merlin decided to push through with his idea.

“What does a guy have to do to catch a break around here?”

Not wasting another second, Merlin leapt into action.  

Related Chapters

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   Taste of Blood

    Kobolds. These are the normal monsters that can be found within a cave. Kobolds tend to live within closed spaces such as these – similar to goblins. Though a major difference is that kobolds are better at handling weapons and setting up traps. Evident in how they are able to capture the woman that is fleeing from them.“NOOOO!”The woman screamed from the top of her lungs. Frantically running for her life – with her vision being tunneled to the path in front of her. That’s why she isn’t able to see the kobold arrow that struck her from the side. Making her fall down as it pierced her waist. The searing pain being evident from her scream.“AHHHHHH!”The woman will die. A couple more seconds and her life will be forfeit. She can feel this. The cold and alienating embrace of death. Welcoming her to the nothingness that comes shortly after. But Merlin isn’t going to let this happen.“Flicker.” The half-demon teleported to the nearest kobold. Utilizing one of his two starting skills. [Sk

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   Clearing a Hurdle

    There are reasons for Merlin’s advantage in the fight.The primary one is because he’s Merlin. The name has a weight on it – that which carries the title of the Emperor of Requiem. Unlike his former guildmates who climbed their way through the ranks with the use of money, Merlin is able to achieve this solely through the use of his skills. A large portion of which is his vast knowledge of the world of Requiem. There isn’t any other player who has reached his level of understanding of the game. Sure there are guides and other sources of information, but there are certain things that only Merlin knows. Things which he learned by understanding the game’s logic. The same thing that drew [World’s End] towards him.That’s not all. There is actually a factor of equal importance that made the entirety of this bout flow in his favor. That is, the other skill that he has. Not the one that he kept on using since the beginning. No. The other skill which you, dear spectator, have not been told of

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   The Encounter

    [Baphomet’s Dungeon.] That’s what Merlin saw when he accessed the incomplete map looted from the female adventurer’s items. He already had an idea that this might be the case – judging from the feel of the place and, from the recent encounter with the woman and the kobolds. “Baphomet’s Dungeon huh.” Merlin remembers the place. More precisely, he remembers the information connected to it. One of the reasons why he became the “Emperor of Requiem” is because he read all of the files of the game. The lore. The tutorials. The dialogues. Maize takes every detail into account. That’s how he’s able to attain [World’s End] as a mere [Level 15] magician. That’s how he sharply rose to power. Overtaking everyone without any delay. As for this dungeon, he knows that it’s not supposed to exist. It’s a place that’s already cleared in the main storyline. Meaning, when the VMMORPG “Requiem” began, this place is already destroyed – a thing of interest for him right now. After all, it’s because o

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   Gerald the Vanguard

    “Get up Merlin!” Gerald’s voice echoed through the empty training hall of Avalon. The walls are painted gray, with training dummies and other equipment being placed in a corner. It’s early. Too early for anyone else from the guild to log in to the game. Only Gerald can see the crimson that Merlin stains on the gray floor. Coming from the bloodied state of the Emperor of Requiem. A sight that pleases him who has always thirsted for power. If you hate your life so much, why don’t you just die? These are the words running through Merlin’s head as he slowly got to his feet.He can’t say this out loud. Doing so would increase the level of his beating. That’s why he has to keep his mouth shut. Not that it’s that difficult to do in his current state. His vision is already blurry and his head isn’t in the best shape as well. Considering all the blood that’s coming out of his nose and lips, it’s already impressive that this is all that he can feel. It’s even more impressive that he can sti

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   The Beginning

    Gerald AlistarThe [Vanguard] of the top guild Avalon. A six-foot-two black-haired man with a chiseled chin and a well-formed body. Sea tanned skin and ocean blue eyes complement the look that he has going for him. One that fits a hunky islander. He is the top-ranking defender of the game. A man who boasts of his level of defensive capability because of it. There are various videos of him taking blows from swords and arrows without wearing any armor. Leaving nothing more than scratches on his steel-like body.This is only the base of his defensive prowess. He has armor made from the finest black ores and twin shields fashioned by the legendary dwarven blacksmith Heimdal. All of these combined allowed him to reach a point where even the full strength of a dragon’s flames will do nothing more than leave a slight char on top of his skin. Nothing more than the feeling of getting a tan under the hot summer sun.He is an image that is idolized by the entirety of the shield-user community.

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   Saving the Vanguard

    [Before the current event..]… Merlin made his way to the side of the kobold camp. The place is well-defended. There are enough lookouts, and there is even a watchtower in the middle. The same spot where Gerald and the other adventurers are strapped. But this doesn’t mean that the defense is perfect.On the contrary, there is a significant flaw in this. Darkness. As mentioned before, there aren’t any torches lighting up the camp. This makes seeing difficult. Of course, kobolds living in caves can see in the dark, but not that well. They rely more on their sense of hearing and smell to track nearby enemies. And a significant reason why the kobolds keep their camp this way is to hide it. Without any vision, they are safe from a vast majority of predators. At the same time, they can set up traps for those foolish enough to get near their camp. The same is true for those who aren’t careful enough and don’t notice the base. This has no use against Merlin. The demon can hide his scent pr

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   Forcing Out Information

    It only took five more minutes for the battlefield to be completely cleared. Merlin led the charge, taking out more than half of the kobolds that remained. All because he focuses on attacking the monsters at their critical spots. Making it that much easier for him to take their lives.The camp is now left with nothing but the corpses of the kobolds. Dismembered arms and legs, intestines, gouged eyes – these are only some of the byproducts of the fight. Although repulsive, these things will disappear in a couple of minutes. Disintegrating into mana particles just as how any dead monster does within the game.Gerald paid little heed to this. His eyes are fixated on one thing and one thing only, the man who saved them. A creature capable of singlehandedly dealing with a kobold camp. Instead of admiration, there is an itch that grew from this idea. That there is someone capable of this. More so, that this same person ordered him as soon as they met. Telling him what to do as if he’s noth

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   Fighting the Hounds

    “Don’t break the formation!”Gerald shouted as [Shadow Hounds] dashed left and right. Beasts as tall as regular K9 dogs, but packed with more raw power than a wolf. These are quick as well – barely visible through the light provided by the torches that Gerald’s group created.[Creature Name: None][Type: Hound][Specification: Shadow Hound][Level: 8][Information: Monsters that pride themselves in their speed within closed spaces. Due to their pitch black fur, these monsters become deadlier in the dark or in poorly lit areas. Having a natural camouflage that they use to their advantage.]A shadow hound moved quicker than the rest. It found the opportunity that it wanted and poised to strike. Only to be stopped by a dagger finding its way under the creature; slicing through the belly as blood sprayed and the fallen body of the hound tumbled a couple of times before reaching a spot where the light of the torches doesn’t reach.“Good work Zack!” Gerald remarked. “Everyone, follow our le

Latest Chapter

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   

    Finale

    Three months has passed since Merlin waged war against the entirety of the human continent. Within this time, a lot of things have already happened. Though the first month is spent in relative silence, without much fighting and bloodbath, the same cannot be said for the months that followed after this.Though the first month could be called as calm and tame, what happened shortly after this is far from this description. There is no calm anymore. It is replaced, entirely, by a storm. One brought about by the demon lord Merlin Warlock and all of the vengeful spirit he has against the human race that has done noting but earn his utmost spite and resentment.Under the leadership of the demon lord, the forces of evil has advanced rapidly in the middle of the second month. What would’ve seemed as nothing more than a small wound proved to be a festering plague soon enough.This is all due to the tactical planning and advances made by Merlin. He didn’t target locations to occupy out of a whim

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   

    A Different Task

    Every general that Merlin commands participated in a form of combat. This means that even Teach himself went to fight a couple of monsters along the way. The only difference between him and the others is that, Teach didn’t encounter any of the generals from the five continents. Call it luck if you will but he doesn’t actually take pride in this. Far from it, Teach is a bit disappointed that he doesn’t get to have the same kind of action that the others are getting.Gerant went and fought against a great general of the north who makes use of a cursed sword. The battle is a crucial part of the plan for the demon lord’s army to succeed because, with the victory of the blood ogre also comes the safety of the entirety of the demon lord’s territory from a sneak attack from the back.Then there’s the battle that Sylvie the dark elf experienced. One where she came face to face against another great general. The only tactical mind within the kingdom of Helios. If left unchecked, this person wo

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   

    A Swift Victory

    Just like Sylvie and Gerant, Samira also encountered a general in the battlefield. A very powerful one at that because, this human is also the right-hand man of King Wolfhound. The greatest soldier that’s only second to the king himself. None other than Augustus.The general has already taken down a city and two villages that the monsters of the demon lord has occupied. As such, he’s making the most progress out of anyone. Clearing out the problems in such a rate that, if left alone, he would entirely wipe out all of the problems that the kingdom has.That’s why he has to be dealt with and, that’s why Samira came to pay him a visit. Not during the day when she’s weak of course but, rather, during the hours of the night. Making full use of the powers granted to her by moonlight. A privilege only she enjoys.With this, her powers are greatly boosted. Maybe too much to be exact because, right now, even the great general isn’t posing as a threat to her at all. “You’re a lot weaker than I

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   

    A Bad Matchup II

    Thundering crashes continued within Raider city. Earthquakes of some sort that made some of the soldiers and even some of the monsters stop from fighting. Nobody could disregard it or pretend that it does not exist because of how easy it is to lose balance due to the force of every tremor that’s made and, the exceeding loudness that are emitted by these same forceful and powerful vibrations.Unlike the monsters and the humans however, the skeletons continued to move. The third faction that entered into the fray through seeming portals that made them come out in large quantities. Mixed with powerful monsters that tear upon the soldiers of Helios.The relentless attack of the skeletons, although not lethal at all, is enough to take the attention of the humans. Though this doesn’t make their fighting any less difficult. With the addition of these creatures, the monsters that invaded the city have finally begun to be able to fight back. A thing that’s not even supposed to happen and, woul

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   

    A Bad Matchup

    The dark elf stood on top of the roof of a building standing just in front of General Justus. Completely alone and unguarded. This might seem like a poor choice on the part of the dark elf but, Justus can feel that the creature is strong enough to leave itself this way.Though this did not stop him from giving an order to nearby archers he placed around the vicinity as well. Doing so with a simple command spell that he placed on himself and the said units. Granting them a target mark which tells them who it is that they need to shoot and, for them to get a clear shot, he needs to continue getting the attention of this new opponent.The archers are all, of course, trained by him in secret. This is something he requested from King Wolfhound himself. Meaning, these are all exceptional soldiers. That’s why the general knows that they’d be able to handle their target without much trouble at all.“My lord told me that there’d be monsters here but, I didn’t expect that there’s be humans as w

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   

    The Day of Attack

    The air around raider city is filled with the vile stench of rotting flesh. There is a silence brought about, not by peace and rest, but by the fact that all humans within this city have been killed. Murdered and eaten by the monsters that now occupy it as well. Making it their abode as the war between the newest demon lord is waged against the five kingdoms.In the dead silence of early morn, not even birds have begun to chirp yet. Darkness fills the entirety of the world like a mantle, hiding everything from plain sight. Creating a camouflage for everyone who wants to make it their own – the very same thing that Justus’ soldiers did.They made use of the darkness to continue their advance towards the city. Just as he ordered, he left the nearby village before the first streaks of dawn could be seen. Each and every soldier is already prepared when he called for them; their punctuality being one of the few things that he likes when it comes to his own kingdom.“I don’t want any excess

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   

    General Justus

    Khanza is not the only reliable general that’s been deployed for the war. As a matter of fact, every reliable general of every kingdom has been brought out for this war and, one of them is the great tactician – Justus.It is said that, when it comes to creating effective strategies in the battlefield, there is nobody that could match his level. A spectacled adolescent that is looked upon by many as a figure that’s been born in the wrong place. After all, he is a member of the kingdom of Helios.Any praise that may go into his great tactics is non-existent within this kingdom. Other than the craft of forging and, the physical prowess of a person, nothing else matters. Yet that is also the reason why this same general is all the more interesting.He isn’t just all wits. No. General Justus is a strong gladiator as well. Knowing that nobody would ever recognize him if he doesn’t show his might in the battlefield, he continued honing his body. Making it a lethal weapon that can play out al

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   

    Blood and Poison

    Gerant’s attack sent his opponent flying in the air. With this comes a powerful explosion that ate away at the flesh of Khanza. No amount of defensive capability helped the demonified general as, Gerant watched his opponent get eaten away by newly furnished spell.This is an attack that Gerant has only perfected recently and, is able to do so because of the help of his lord and savior, Merin Warlock. A demon lord that showed him a path that he himself could not have seen all on his own.In the original game, Gerant’s power is so frightening that it’s said that he can destroy the barrier of Genesis City itself. And the spell he can unleash which gave him such a reputation is the same one that he’s using right now.[Skill Name: Malevolence][Skill Type: Channeling Burst][Grade: S][Mana Cost: 100,000][Information: The initial part of the spell creates a domain around the entirety of the battlefield. Casting this takes away 20% of the stats of the caster, as well as the same amount of

  • The Strongest Player is a Demon Lord   

    Conclusion

    Khanza’s form changed completely. His grayish hair has turned into pitch black. His eyes are filled with nothing but the void. The rest of his body is consumed in flesh, seemingly made from the cursed sword which has its core in the middle of the general’s chest. There is also a tail at his back – a thick one that might be usable for both offense and defense.It’s a demon. There’s not a shadow of a doubt that it’s a demon that Gerant is facing right now. One which has bloodlust outpouring from it as well. Directed towards nobody else but the blood ogre as a deafening screech escaped from the jaws of the beast he has to face.“To think that a general of the north can use Demonification. That’s definitely something I didn’t expect to encounter in this lifetime.” Gerant sarcastically said.“You will pay for your sins with your life!”The monster howled at him with such strength that the blood ogre’s ears almost bled. The sound even touching the parts of his exposed skin violently, as if