(Moku 3rd POV)

(Battlefield of Moku vs Foras, One Day Ago)

"It seems there is a reason why my son lost to you. In that case, I appreciate your bravery. Listen to the message from Those Who Came Before, Lucifer the Sin of Envy!" Furfur’s voice echoed once again.

Then without waiting Moku to respond he began speaking with a voice full of respect, as if the message he was conveying was something that should be revered.

"My name is Lucifer the Sin of Envy. I am one of the seven Those Who Came Before. The firstborn of the mighty progenitor of all demons, Daemon.

"You, who have obstructed and destroyed the forces we sent, have shown courage and resilience that commands our respect. But more than that, we are intrigued by you.

"We do not know who you and your kind are.

"Where do you come from, when did you exist, and what is your purpose in opposing us? Answer these questions, and I will give you the chance to be grateful for choosing the right path.

"If you choose otherwise, believe me, there will be forces coming for you with ferocity and power that surpasses your worst nightmares!"

Furfur stopped speaking and stared at Moku with his terrifying eyes.

Although the overwhelming pressure of Mana pressing down on his body, like a massive mountain crushing his back, was no longer felt, another pressure emanated from Furfur’s eyes.

A pressure born from his lofty status in the world. It was as if Moku could see the world revolving around Furfur, while he was merely one of the NPCs whose sole purpose was to enrich the offline game that Furfur played.

This, of course, filled Moku with a frustration that made steam almost come out of his ears. But Moku had to swallow his displeasure; the weak should not boast in front of the strong.

And as the weak in this story, Moku was forced to lower his head to gain a chance to live longer. The feeling of being preyed upon by a predator made Moku clench his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

He was truly humiliated today with just one glance from Furfur.

"We are arion species, originating from the Bog Forest, or more precisely, from the underground of the Bog Forest. The reason we oppose your forces is because the demons attacking the Meer Continent want to consume all the Mana species present."

Moku answered, his teeth gritting to restrain his urge to rebel. His fighter instinct told him he should challenge Furfur to a fight to the death, even though there was no chance of winning.

But logically, as a king, husband, and father, he restrained himself from acting rashly.

"Are you saying that you are also Mana Species like humans, elves, and werebeasts?" Furfur asked.

Moku wanted to nod, but Furfur’s voice came before he could do so.

"Don’t lie to me, Boy!

"I can clearly see that there is not a single drop of Mana in your body!

"You use another type of energy with power equivalent to Mana!

"Speak honestly, where do you come from, when did you arrive in this world, and what is the purpose of your arrival?"

The thing Moku feared most had truly come to slap him in the face.

The existence of Mana-cursed species such as monsters can evolve and become stronger is known by Mana Species that worship Mana.

If he didn’t find a way to deceive Furfur soon, then not only humans, elves, and werebeasts, but even demons would cease their attacks on other Mana Species in Meer and unite to eradicate all monsters in this world.

The shadow of the kingdom he built turning to rubble and all those he loved becoming cold corpses flashed through Moku’s mind, causing cold sweat to fill his body.

Though Moku always appeared calm, he realized the weight on his shoulders. As a king, the dreams and lives of all the monsters in Wilwatikta Kingdom were his responsibility.

Every step he took could either obliterate them from the face of the world or allow them to thrive, creating a great civilization that would last for ages to come.

Moku was always careful in choosing his steps.

While he may delegate the details of field work to his subordinates, he must still be the one to make important decisions that greatly affect the future of the kingdom.

That’s why Moku preferred to listen during meetings, hoping that the monsters, who were much wiser than he had thought, could provide input from better view so he wouldn’t make the wrong choice.

Yet, Moku himself wasn’t someone with the intelligence and ability to lead a kingdom, let alone lead a species.

However, he had no other choice but to lead because the path he chose was the path of strength.

If he had been born a Mana Species, Moku would gladly have entrusted all leadership matters to others. He would have gladly just been the sword used to kill his species’ enemies. He would have focused solely on training and continuously becoming stronger.

Unfortunately, he was not born a Mana Species but a Monster Species.

A species on the brink of extinction with no resources to use.

Moku opened his eyes in this world and saw his race as nothing more than small-pitiful ants on the verge of extinction, hiding behind dense forest leaves in the hope that predators won’t find them.

He was forced to lead orc race and gather other races within the weakest species in the world with him.

Moku tried to drain all the wisdom he had learned from his teachers in his previous life to be a good leader for all monsters.

But unfortunately... Moku himself didn’t know whether what he was doing was right or not. He just hoped that what he was doing was right and let fate be the ultimate determinant.

And this time, Moku was faced with the consequences of the decisions he had made earlier.

Maybe if Moku chose to continue hiding, monsters wouldn’t be faced with such danger. But Moku knew his decision was the best at the time.

They no longer had food to sustain the needs of the monsters whose numbers were rapidly increasing. If he continued to pressure monsters to remain hidden, it would only be a matter of time before they preyed on each other once again.

But Moku wouldn’t give up so easily!

He had to find out how much Furfur, or more precisely Lucifer, knew about them. Perhaps there was still hope for Moku to maneuver and give time for the monster species to continue to grow stronger.

"What do you mean lying? I am the prince of Wilwatikta, the kingdom of the arion species! You might not know us because we always dwell underground and never surface.

"Moreover, you demons come from another continent, so where does your confidence come from if other Mana Species from this continent have recognized us as one of the Mana Species?" Moku asked with a smirk, trying to hide his nervousness.

Furfur stared at Moku and fell silent for a moment before speaking again while pointing at himself, "We demons are a species beloved by Mana more than any other Mana Species in this world.

"This statement is not arrogance or exaggeration, but a fact!

"Although I cannot speak directly with Mana, I can sense what Mana feels. And what I sense from Mana is hatred towards you, which should be impossible for Mana Species.

"No matter how weak a Mana Species is, Mana will still accept them into the Mana Sea so they can access Mana’s power in this world. However, you are hated by Mana, and Mana refuses to allow you to access the Mana Sea!

"My patience wears thin the longer you lie. Quickly, tell me the truth, or I will have to seek answers from other ’arion species’!"

Moku fell silent for a moment, analyzing all of Furfur’s words.

He had successfully baited Furfur to explain in more detail how much he knew about Moku and the other evolved monsters.

In a short time, the gears in his brain spun so fast that he could think hundreds of thoughts in seconds. Eventually, Moku smiled inwardly, but his face still showed surprise.

From his analysis, Moku found that Furfur, or more precisely Lucifer, did not know for certain what creature Moku was.

However, they could sense what Mana felt due to their closeness with Mana. Thus, it was clear that Mana hated Moku and the other monsters.

It might even be said that Mana feared the dragon prana within the asura’s bodies. But that didn’t mean Lucifer knew that Moku was an evolved monster.

He only deduced that Moku was not a Mana Species but an alien species that might not originate from this world.

That’s why Furfur asked where Moku came from and what his purpose was for coming to this place.

Furfur saw Moku and the other asuras there as aliens from outside this world.

So, he did not object when Moku claimed to be the prince of his species. Furfur indirectly acknowledged that there might be someone stronger than Moku in this alien species.

If that was the case, then Moku still had room to maneuver.

’Ugh... why do I have to keep fabricating believable fantasy stories? Shouldn’t I have been a writer instead of a fighter in my previous life?’ Moku questioned inwardly.