Leon had barely settled into the throne's cold, hard embrace when—
A translucent crimson screen suddenly appeared before his eyes.
His body tensed, his heartbeat quickened.
"What the fuck?"
The words slipped from his mouth before he could even process them.
Zorath, sitting closest to him, furrowed his brows at the sudden outburst. "Is there a problem, Your Highness?"
Leon's eyes darted toward him. "Can't you see this?" He gestured toward the floating screen.
The demons around the hall exchanged confused glances before looking at the empty air where Leon was pointing.
Silence.
Their faces screamed the same thing—
There was nothing there.
Before Leon could say anything else—
A mechanical ding echoed in his mind.
Then—
[System Loading…]
His breath hitched as lines of text appeared on the screen.
[10%... 20%... 50%... 100%]
[System Successfully Loaded]
[Hello, Host.]
[Welcome to the Sovereign Overlord System.]
Leon stiffened.
"The fuck…?"
"The fuck…!"
Leon's voice cracked, caught between a half-shout and a half-laugh. He slapped a hand to his forehead, staring at the floating words.
A system? A fucking system?
He exhaled sharply, his mind racing.
"No wonder I felt something was missing…" He muttered under his breath, chuckling in disbelief.
"The complementary golden finger that comes with transmigration."
A system was practically a staple in these situations. If he had woken up in this world without one, he would have felt cheated.
Just as he was about to dive into it, a deep voice interrupted him.
"Your Highness, what do you see? Speak."
Zorath's piercing gaze bore into him, filled with suspicion and expectation. The other demons were also watching, their expressions ranging from confusion to curiosity.
Leon quickly wiped the grin off his face, masking his excitement with indifference.
"Oh, nothing… Just in my mind." He waved it off with a casual tone. "I'm going back to my room. I have a headache."
Before Zorath or anyone else could press further, Leon stood up and walked off the court, leaving behind puzzled glances.
********
The heavy door shut behind Leon, sealing him in solitude.
He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.
"Alright… Let's see what we're working with."
The floating screen from earlier remained, hovering silently in front of him like a ghost.
He focused on it.
Ding!
[Welcome, Host.]
[You have successfully activated the Sovereign Overlord System.]
Leon narrowed his eyes. Sovereign Overlord System…?
Then, he chuckled. "Took your damn time activating. I arrived last night, you know."
[The prerequisite to binding was for you to be crowned king. Until then, I remained dormant.]
Leon's smirk twitched. "So, what you're saying is… if I had refused to be crowned, I would've never gotten a system?"
[Correct.]
"Damn…" He clicked his tongue. "Guess I got lucky, then."
He stretched his arms, rolling his shoulders. "Alright, so what's the deal with you? What can you do?"
[As the name suggests, my purpose is to assist you in becoming a Sovereign—one whose name will echo through every corner of the world.]
Leon raised an eyebrow. "Big aspirations, huh? Hate to break it to you, but I'm currently sitting on a crumbling kingdom with barely a hundred demons to my name."
[That is of no concern. Complete my missions, and soon, you will stand at the peak of the world.]
Leon smirked. "Hah… bold words. Alright then, let's see what you've got."
The screen flickered, and new text appeared.
[Displaying Core Functions…]
[1. Territory Overview – View detailed information about your domain, including total population, racial distribution, loyalty levels, land conditions, and resource availability.]
[2. System Missions – Complete missions to earn rewards, including system points, skills, artifacts, and more.]
[3. System Shop – Exchange system points for skills, items, weapons, artifacts, and resources to aid in your conquest.]
[4. Inventory – A personal storage space where any item can be stored or retrieved at will.]
[5. Status Window – View your personal stats, abilities, and growth.]
[6. Subordinate Loyalty – Track the loyalty and potential of your followers, including their strengths and weaknesses.]
Leon whistled. "Not bad. This is actually better than I expected."
[Would you like to access your Territory Overview?]
"Yeah, show me what I'm working with."
A new translucent window popped up.
[Territory Overview]
Total Population: 108Racial Breakdown:Demons: 87Dark Elves: 12Goblins: 6Beast-kin: 3Loyalty Levels:Absolute Loyalty: 5 (Zorath, Sylviana, Selene, Gorran, Brugos)High Loyalty: 17Neutral: 62Doubtful: 24Land Condition:Food Reserves: CriticalShelter Quality: PoorDefensive Structures: NoneOverall Stability: Precarious
Leon sighed, rubbing his temples. "This is worse than I thought… We're hanging by a damn thread."
[New Mission Available.]
[Mission: A King's First Duty]
Objective: Solve the food crisis.
Time Left: 72 hours
Reward: Unknown (Depends on the mission completion status.
Leon perked up at reward section. "What does that mean."
[The rewards will be issued based on how much of the food crisis you resolve within the specified time limit.]
"How am supposed to do that in just 3 days"
[That is not my concern.]
"Alright, System. Let's get to work."
But first let's check out my status.
[Status Window]
Name: Leon Vaelgrim
Age: 21
Race: High Demon (Royal Lineage)
Title: Demon King (Uncrowned), Last Royal Demon
Authority: ★☆☆☆☆ (Low)
Strength: 26
Stamina: 30
Agility: 22
Charm: 38
Demonic Mana: 10,000
(Average demon stat: 10.)
Skills:
[Royal Demon's Presence] – Exudes an aura that naturally asserts authority over lesser demons. (Effectiveness depends on loyalty and strength of the target.)[Command] – Grants the ability to issue direct orders that demons instinctively obey. Can be resisted based on willpower.[Demonic Resilience] – Slightly enhanced regeneration and resistance to injuries compared to normal demons.[Dark Vision] – Can see clearly in complete darkness.[Mana Manipulation (Intermediate)] – Basic control over demonic mana, allowing minor enhancements and crude magic use.
Leon's Reaction:
"Damn… That old fossil really did leave me a nice parting gift," Leon muttered, admiring his stats. "I'm way stronger than any average demon, but…"
[Don't get complacent.]
The system's mechanical voice cut in.
[The only remarkable things about you right now are your demonic mana pool and your title-exclusive skills. Other than that, everyone in that courtroom is stronger than you.]
"Tch. Way to kill the mood," Leon scowled. He had been feeling good about himself, but the system wasn't wrong. His physical stats were nothing special, and if it came down to a fight, even that goblin treasurer might give him trouble.