The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne

Nolan opened his eyes and gazed into the distance, a faint smile playing on his lips.

”All members of the Underworld Gate are dead. Now, this world is truly clean,” he muttered.

Blood Curse was a forbidden technique of his own creation.

In his previous world, he had read an article about the most popular novel at the time.

While reading, he became fascinated by one of the main character’s enemy’s techniques—a method that could wipe out an entire family using only blood as a vessel.

Two years ago, he had successfully recreated the technique: Blood Curse.

Of course, he had never used it on anyone. He wasn’t cruel enough to wipe out an entire family.

But the Underworld Gate deserved it. Their crimes were monstrous, and everything connected to them should be erased from this world.

”Ugh...” Nolan stretched his stiff body. ”Alright, let’s check on Malverna first. She’s likely done with the Demon Emperor Zerathos.”

With that, his figure merged with the surrounding space and disappeared, leaving behind a scene of horrific chaos.

...

”I can’t die! I can’t die!”

Demon Emperor Zerathos screamed in terror within his heart.

He rushed through the dense forest, but with his power reduced to just ten percent and his soul wounded, his speed was painfully slow.

Still, he didn’t stop. His survival instinct forced his legs to keep moving.

Whoosh!

A cold wind slammed against his back. His steps froze the moment he saw the woman he feared most—Malverna.

Malverna stared at the pale, terrified face of the Demon Emperor Zerathos, a smile curling on her lips.

”Sure enough—you’re still alive, Ignis. I didn’t think you were this clever,” she said, her tone playful.

Admittedly, Nolan’s vision and abilities were beyond her comprehension.

She had been convinced that Ignis had died by her hands.

But who would have thought that this cunning man had prepared such a hidden escape route?

If not for Nolan’s warning, she would never have discovered it in her lifetime.

Demon Emperor Zerathos gritted his teeth. Anger and fear surged through him.

He knew the end was finally near. There was no escape left.

Yet he refused to give up. He wanted to survive and restore the Demon Empire to the world.

”M-Master, can we talk for a moment? I...”

Before he could finish, Malverna raised her right hand and swung it down.

Suddenly, Zerathos’s left arm split open and was severed at the shoulder.

Excruciating pain tore through him, and he let out a loud howl.

She didn’t stop there. With precise strikes, Malverna cut off his right arm and both legs.

Demon Emperor Zerathos lay helpless on the ground, his body shattered by fatal wounds.

Fresh red blood flowed from his wounds, showing no sign of stopping.

Forget begging for mercy—even opening his mouth was agonizingly difficult.

His face was deathly pale, and cold sweat drenched his body.

Malverna walked toward him and stopped right in front of him.

Her gaze was sharp, piercing. ”Ignis, do you remember the first time we met?”

The question startled Demon Emperor Zerathos. Memories of that encounter flashed through his mind.

”At that time, you were just a helpless little demon who had survived the war,” Malverna continued, her tone indifferent. ”I found you in a pitiful state—without a home, without parents, without food. Back then, I almost ignored you. But...”

Her expression softened, touched with a hint of nostalgia. ”I couldn’t. My heart, which I had sealed away for decades, opened just because of your sadness and your innocent gaze back then.”

Demon Emperor Zerathos could only remain silent. He remembered—he remembered how utterly helpless he had been.

A victim of war, with no parents, no home, and no food.

A homeless demon on the streets, waiting for death.

And then Malverna appeared, taking him as her personal disciple.

Demon Emperor Zerathos’ heart raced as the memories flooded him.

’Hah... so that’s how it was,’ he whispered weakly. ’I... have changed. My ambition and greed for power have extinguished the light within me. So that’s how it was...’

A small smile touched his lips. In that moment, he realized how foolish he had been.

He had chosen something that should never have been his—power—and abandoned something precious: his master-disciple bond with Malverna.

Tears welled in his eyes and slowly rolled down his cheeks.

”Master... forgive me... Ignis admits his mistake,” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Seeing his tears, Malverna went blank for a moment before regaining her composure.

With a gentle smile, she nodded. ”Yes, I forgive you. In your next life, be a good person, okay?”

Demon Emperor Zerathos managed a faint smile and a weak nod.

”I understand... Master. If there is a next life, I will remember your words. Farewell, Master...”

His life force ebbed away, and the sparkle in his eyes dimmed.

The Demon Emperor, who had shaken the world a thousand years ago, had finally... truly passed away.

Malverna stood in silence. Witnessing Ignis’s final moments, she felt a pang in her chest.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t sad. Despite everything that had happened between them, they were still master and disciple.

Malverna gazed at the dark sky above. Snow fell endlessly around her.

A memory surfaced, and a faint smile touched her lips.

”If I’m not mistaken, my first encounter with Ignis was during winter, wasn’t it? How nostalgic...”

...

”It hurts... it hurts... I don’t want to be alone... Someone, please help me...”

A boy sat among the scattered corpses of demons.

He buried his face in his knees, trembling at the sight of the bodies surrounding him.

”Cold... dark... so terrifying. Please... take me away from this place...”

Suddenly, footsteps echoed nearby.

Startled, the boy whipped his head around and saw an extraordinarily beautiful woman.

Her eyes were the color of the daytime sky, and her white hair cascaded down her back.

Her gaze was sharp and icy, as if it could pierce anyone who met it.

”Who... are you? Please, don’t hurt me,” the boy stammered, fear trembling in his voice.

The woman remained silent for a moment, then crouched beside him.

”What is your name?” she asked.

The boy looked nervous and panicked, but after gathering his courage, he said, ”I don’t have a name. I’m just an orphan with no parents.”

The woman studied him from head to toe and asked, ”Do you want to be my disciple?”

The boy blinked in surprise. ”Your disciple?”

”Yes, my disciple,” she repeated. ”You’ll have a better life—food, shelter, new clothes. What do you say?”

She held out her hand.

The boy hesitated, confusion written across his face, but then he nodded.

”I accept! Please take me!”

The woman’s expressionless face softened into a radiant smile.

”Good. But you don’t have a name, so I’ll give you one,” she said, stroking her chin thoughtfully.

She studied him carefully. ”Your hair and eyes are red, and you’re small... A fitting name would be Ignis.”

”Ignis?” The boy blinked, surprised. ”What does it mean?”

”It means brave and strong, like a blazing fire. I hope that one day you’ll grow into a courageous and formidable person,” she explained, gently patting his head.

Ignis smiled brightly, his eyes sparkling as he exclaimed, ”I like the name. From now on, I’m Ignis!”

The woman chuckled softly and stood up, taking his right hand.

”Let’s go,” she said.

Ignis nodded eagerly. Hand in hand with her, he walked into the worsening snowstorm, soon disappearing from view.