Chapter 230: Echoes of the Past
A translucent, glowing screen, identical in style to the ones Mark constantly saw floating in his own vision.
She slowly turned the screen toward him so he could clearly see what was on it.
"Take a look and you’ll understand what I mean."
[User Profile]
[Username: The Evil Defining]
[Level: 99]
[Experience to next level: INVALID PARAMETER]
[Class: Monster Summoner]
[Race: Great Ancient Demon (Reincarnated)]
[Unique Talent: Sovereign of the Dream World]
Mark read the screen in silence, and as he did, his mind filled with more and more questions.
The username, the level, far higher than his own, the class... and then that word repeating like an echo of his own situation.
(Reincarnated)
He knew that word perfectly.
But seeing it again, this time on the Demon Lord’s profile, sent a chill down his spine.
And below all that was the Unique Talent.
’Sovereign of the Dream World: Can see, manifest within, and manipulate the dreams of any being she has touched.’
By the time he finished reading it all, Mark had gone completely pale.
Not just because he had just confirmed she was, like him, a reincarnated person, but because she had decided to show it to him of her own free will, without him asking for it.
Why would anyone reveal something like that, one of their most important cards, to someone who was technically their rival.
The Demon Lord watched Mark’s reaction, watched his expression gradually fall apart as he read, and couldn’t help letting out a small laugh.
"What’s wrong?" she asked, leaning toward him slightly with a teasing smile. "You went quiet all of a sudden... Did the cat get your tongue?"
Mark pulled his gaze from the screen and fixed it on her.
"Why?" he asked, confused. "Why are you telling me all of this?... That’s information anyone in your position would guard with their life. What do you get out of showing it to me?"
The Demon Lord shrugged.
"Because I’ve always believed the best way to start any relationship is by being honest with each other," she replied. "Besides... I think hearing what I have to tell you might help you better understand the situation we’re both caught up in."
Mark looked at her in silence for a few seconds, turning over what she had just said, not fully trusting her.
But curiosity outweighed distrust, and either way he wasn’t exactly in a position to refuse.
His abilities weren’t working, his subordinates were out of reach, and she had complete control of the situation.
"Fine," he replied finally. "I’m listening..."
The Demon Lord smiled, satisfied with the response.
"Let’s see... where should I start?"
She brought a finger to her lips, thoughtful, as if organizing a very long story in her head and not quite sure where to cut into it.
"No..." she said after a moment, shaking her head. "Telling you would take too long, and there are details that just can’t be understood through words. The best thing, and the fastest, would be for you to see it for yourself."
She got to her feet and then turned toward him, extending her hand.
Mark looked at it in silence while his instincts screamed at him to flee from the situation by any means necessary.
Taking the Demon Lord’s hand sounded like the kind of decision you regret right before you die.
But once again, he didn’t have many options.
He let out a sigh and accepted, letting her help him to his feet.
"I’d recommend closing your eyes," she said, not releasing him. "You might get a bit dizzy with the transition. The first time is always the worst."
"Dizzy? What are you talking ab—?"
Mark didn’t get to finish the question before she snapped her fingers and everything around them distorted all at once.
The mansion room twisted violently, as if it were a reflection in water someone had just disturbed with their hand.
The walls stretched, the colors melted into each other, the floor seemed to vanish beneath his feet, and everything spun at a speed that immediately turned his stomach.
Mark felt the entire world spinning out of control, and a sudden nausea climbed up his throat.
"...I warned you," he heard the Demon Lord’s voice, calm in the midst of the chaos.
He squeezed his eyes shut and brought a hand to his head, waiting for the sensation to pass.
And little by little, the whirlwind began to calm.
The ground felt solid beneath his feet again and the dizziness started to fade.
When he finally felt he could stand without falling, Mark rubbed his eyes with his fingers and slowly opened them.
His vision took a couple of seconds to focus, and when it did he realized he was no longer in the mansion, but somewhere completely different.
"What the hell...?"
It was a small, claustrophobic room, completely in disarray.
Clothes were strewn everywhere, piled on a chair and scattered across the floor.
Empty instant-food containers were stacked on the desk and nightstand, some with dried-out remains still inside.
The curtains were drawn, leaving the room in dim light except for a few rays of sun filtering through them.
The air was thick with humidity, with that stale, closed-in smell typical of a place that hadn’t been ventilated in a long time.
It was, without a doubt, the room of someone who spent their entire life shut in, isolated from the outside world.
Mark slowly turned his head, recognizing every detail with a mix of disbelief and nostalgia that tightened his chest.
"Wait a minute..." he murmured, his voice barely audible, as he looked around. "This... this place is..."
"Earth," the Demon Lord finished beside him.
Mark turned toward her, but realized she wasn’t even looking at him.
Instead, her attention was on a corner of the room, where a young woman sat in front of a computer.
The woman had messy black hair falling over her shoulders.
She wore only a t-shirt and dirty athletic shorts, glasses perched on her nose, completely absorbed in the screen as her fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard.
"You’ve got to be kidding me..."
