Lu Che, a game designer from Earth, woke up in a dilapidated castle within Crimson Moon Forest to find himself the forgotten Demon King. The Demon King's power came from fear, but forty years after the Hero and Demon King perished together, the kingdoms had wiped out all traces of demonic creatures to make people forget, causing the Demon King to nearly disappear. Lu Che realized he was fading when a system bound to him. The Great Demon King System revealed his status: level ten, a damaged territory, no subordinates, and initial resources of one thousand each in Emotional, Vitality, and Soul Energy. Emotional Energy came from the emotions of intelligent beings in his territory and could be used to create things. Vitality and Soul Energy were obtained from defeated enemies and used to recruit subordinates, with Vitality for physical and Soul for magical beings. The system eliminated his reliance on fear; he could now use Emotional Energy to survive, but he needed a steady supply.To attract people and generate emotional fluctuations, Lu Che devised a plan. He manufactured a small wooden house at the forest's border for one hundred Emotional Energy and eight small treasure boxes for eight hundred Emotional Energy, leaving only one hundred. Then he recruited Sals, a goatman with illusion and charm abilities, for four hundred eighty Soul Energy. Sals was to act as a villager selling treasure maps of the Crimson Moon Forest to adventurers. Shortly after, the system notified Lu Che that recruiting his first subordinate unlocked leveling to become an official Great Demon King. Leveling would grant access to expanded building blueprints, creation options, higher star subordinate recruitment, and activate the Demon King Order’s hidden mode. However, it would also start daily consumption of Emotional Energy to maintain his existence—one hundred per day. After a moment of hesitation, Lu Che confirmed the level-up, becoming level eleven and an official Great Demon King. His remaining one hundred Emotional Energy gave him only one day of life, but the potential rewards justified the risk.Lu Che continued planning. He used all his one thousand Vitality Energy to recruit the Storm Wolf King, a level ten white wolf with a roar and storm summoning abilities and four-star growth potential. The Storm Wolf King would command manufactured demonic creatures. Lu Che's territory monitoring showed him that adventurers were beginning to arrive. A novice team led by Morede, including swordsman Yeger, archer Anlia, and mage Rila, bought a treasure map from Sals for two silver coins. They wandered the forest, initially excited then frustrated, generating emotional energy for Lu Che. More teams followed, and the news of treasure spread, drawing more adventurers. Lu Che instructed the Storm Wolf King to attack those who spoke disrespectfully in the outpost, specifically targeting troublemakers like the Black Bear Team, a group that robbed others. Lu Che manufactured thirty Gale Wolves for four thousand eight hundred Emotional Energy, assigning them under the Storm Wolf King’s command. He wanted to eliminate problematic adventurers to maintain order and reputation, essential for his plan to attract more people.As Emotional Energy flowed from the adventurers' frustrations, excitement, and conflicts, Lu Che’s reserves grew, surpassing five thousand and approaching six thousand within days. He realized he needed a more structured approach. He decided to build an Adventurer Village within Crimson Moon Forest, a safe zone where demonic creatures would not attack, to provide services for adventurers and generate continuous emotional energy. He manufactured twenty small shops for four thousand Emotional Energy, creating a street behind the outpost. Because manufacturing goods directly with Emotional Energy was inefficient, he instead used Gold Coins created from Emotional Energy to purchase supplies from outside, but he lacked time and suppliers. He found a solution in the forest's wild animals and edible plants. He built a slaughterhouse and a winery for three thousand Emotional Energy, placing them in a separate industrial zone. This zone triggered the new Demon King Order: Industrial Zone, which increased factory efficiency and production output, revealing how such orders were activated through achievements. The slaughterhouse processed animal meat, and the winery brewed alcoholic beverages from plants, providing supplies for restaurants and taverns. Lu Che still needed workers. The Gale Wolves were tasked with hunting and gathering, but their numbers were insufficient. He gritted his teeth and manufactured fifty more Gale Wolves for eight thousand Emotional Energy, leaving him with fourteen thousand seven hundred twenty-one. He assigned them all to the Storm Wolf King for management, expecting the wolf pack to support the new village’s operations and continue protecting the territory from unruly adventurers, ensuring a steady flow of Emotional Energy for his survival and growth.
