MMORPG: Rise of the Peerless Pumpkinmancer

“Oh?” Jack had no clue who she was talking about.

Was it that guy with the demon soul? No, it was too soon. A hitman? Usually, those guys became assassins in Infinite or something peaceful like fishermen or bakers. Then again, it didn’t really matter.

“It’s a guy from a place called New Leaf Village. He led a wolf army to devour every other player in the village. They say he used dark magic to brainwash the monsters and even went out of his way to torture his victims!”

“Cough, cough! I see…” Who the heck was spreading such bullshit about him?! The players sure were free and imaginative.

“Here, let me show you! I feel like we definitely have to watch this guy and figure out his secrets!” She wrestled away from his embrace, fishing her phone excitedly.

“There’s really no need for—” Jack gave an embarrassed smile but couldn’t help but appreciate the thought. She had been researching the game to help him.

But she suddenly gasped in shock. “Oh, there’s news! You gotta look at this for sure. Someone’s already analyzing him. Ah, it’s probably a disguised smear piece.”

She shoved the small screen in his face. What attracted his attention first wasn’t the content but the screen itself, with cracks all over.

Making a mental note to buy her a new one, he began reading aloud in a needlessly deep narrating voice.

The “amazing” Demon King

1. The truth behind the Wolf invasion: It wasn’t related to him at all.

2. The truth behind the so-called “brainwashing”: The key lies with the wolf pup in the boss clearing.

3. The truth behind the invincible Demon King: He is fairly strong but has been defeated in the past and will be in the future. The gear he received from the Chicken Onslaught is increasing his might.

4. The truth behind his torture method: While somewhat shocking, it isn’t that hard to reproduce. The butcher in New Leaf village sells a butcher knife for 1 G. This item allows butchering monsters and humans alike.

5. In conclusion, while this player shows great prowess, his reputation is largely inflated. This begs to question whether this is all a publicity stunt or an enormous misunderstanding.

This had been posted anonymously with details for every point. Jack couldn’t help but nod appreciatively. He even happily gave it a like and added a supportive comment.

– Devilish Lilly: Great work and very accurate! This is totally a misunderstanding, glad that you noticed! ^_^b

He couldn’t help but notice the username. Devilish Lilly? How silly! She was the sweetest girl he knew.

She peeked, watching him type, before pointing to the screen again. There were already replies to his comment.

– Demon’s King #1 Fan: @Lilly, You really should get all the facts straight before you write something dumb. I have a friend in New Leaf village, and the Demon King is real!

– I Smell Bullshit: @Lilly, A misunderstanding? No F-ing way! All of this is a marketing scheme. I bet this Demon King guy will be streaming for sure once they make that function available.

– Demon King Simp: I hope he’s gonna be streaming! Otherwise, how are we supposed to gaze at his handsome appearance! Also, @Lilly, WTF do you mean accurate?! GTFO!

– Flaming For Evil: @Lilly, Shut your trap. You’re just jealous of how amazing he is! I bet you’re a fat middle-aged dude eating dick sandwiches all day long!

– There Be Idiots: The above analysis is very logical. If you can’t even understand it, then it’s okay. That Demon King guy is evidently a wannabe throwing money around to make a sensation. It’s all fake news! @Lilly, Don’t be so naive, it’s not a misunderstanding.

– Devilish Lilly: Once upon a time, I gazed at the culmination of human intelligence. It was a tool allowing instant transmission of infinite knowledge, without any boundary. How marvelous it appeared!….

– Devilish Lilly:….But then I met all of you guys above, masquerading as fellow knowledge seekers. I then sighed to myself, praying for you all. This ain’t it chief, no intelligent life to be found here!

– I See Braindead People: @Lilly, Welcome to my world. The Fools always clamor the loudest. Better get used to it.

Then came a series of insults from literally all parties involved but the “I See Braindead People” guy.

“Wow, that is a lot of hate! Dick sucker, idiot sandwich, brain-dead snowflake, bat fucker, —” Lilly described in real-time.

“Ah, sorry about that. I should have logged out of your account and—” Jack apologized.

“Hehe, all good. Sadly I am forbidden from worrying, and this ought to include trolls on the Internet.” She winked at him playfully.

“I guess you’re right.”

“Anyway, spill the beans. Seeing how you reacted, you probably know who they’re talking about. Is it a friend, perhaps? You spawned in New Leaf village, am I right?” She inquisitively glanced at him, akin to a detective.

“Eh, yeah. I did.” He admitted.

“Who is he? Tell me more! I’ll keep it a secret if you want.”

Jack couldn’t help but scratch his head awkwardly under her heated gaze.

“Well… I’m pretty sure that they’re talking about me.”

“Pfft— Hahahaha! So you just got insulted by your fans?! Wow. They sure are very…peculiar. Getting any more fans could be dangerous if they’re all like that!” She laughed heartily.

There was so much trust in her eyes. So what if others called him a demon? She knew the real him and that he was kind. Still, how would she react if she learned of all the shady stuff he had done in his previous life?

After a good minute of laughing at such an incredible misunderstanding, she regained her composure. She then glanced at him thoughtfully with a trace of worry in her furrowed brows.

“You have to be careful. I really think that someone is trying to undermine your reputation. They’re probably feeling threatened by your growing influence in the beginner village.” She wisely warned.

“I told you not to worry. Also, I’m not in danger. I am the danger!”

“Isn’t that from a show or something?” She instantly remarked.

“My point still stands.”

“Alright, alright, I get it! So what are you planning now?” She inquired.

“Well, my break is over. Time to head back to Infinite!”

Jack resolutely logged back in. After the slandering, he would probably be attacked directly. But, they would soon find out that he was very different from the weakling he had been yesterday.

In fact, he quite looked forward to it….

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[A/N] This was supposed to be 1 short chapter and somehow the words magically increased. I’m innocent, I swear! Thoughts on Lilly and her online nickname?

Creator’s Thought

Note to self: this persona of the Demon King has a few braindead fans. Here are a few points to consider: 1. How to remain hidden from the shitstorm they will inevitably cause 2. How to use them as free and probably unskilled labor. 3. How to avoid breaking any law IRL. (Many forms of modern slavery are perfectly legal, but not all)