《Make Me the Protagonist, Please!》 Chapter 1: Demon Lord No More (Part 1) Part 1. Deep in the Forest of Angry Snake, there was a peaceful and beautiful field of colorful flowers. More than that - it was a sea of flowers; they were everywhere you can see. But, if someone was able, like me, view that field from hundreds of meters in the sky, then he would notice something interesting. In that sealike field, the words are written by flattening some of the flowers: "Please notice me, Author-senpai!" ... In the center of the word "me", a handsome young man kneeled in prayer. Eyes closed and hands clasped, he repeated over and over again: "Make me the protagonist, please. Make me the protagonist, please. Make me the protagonist, please. Make me the protagonist, please. Make me the protagonist, please. Make me the protagonist, please..." How many hours, or rather days, he already was like this? I''m not sure (in fact, I know), but it seems he doesn''t plan to stop in the near future. The man was of average build, but anyone can see his extraordinariness just from a glance. Shoulder long, fiery orange hair gently danced in the breeze while his pointed ears clearly exposed his non-human origin. Though his clothes were plain (to say the least), the invisible aura surrounding him was that of a supreme being. Even so, only chosen few would be able to guess his true origin - the Demon Lord Belial. The one who was supposed to fall exactly one hundred years ago - slayed by the Hero and his party (harem full of beauties, of course). "Make me the protagonist, please. Make me the protagonist, please. Make me the protagonist, please..." Or, rather than being slain by the Hero... he fell under the hands of the Protagonist. And, the Demon Lord knows it. Thanks to the book that can be found lying on the ground near him. It was ambiguously named "The Shocking Truth about our Multiworld! The revelation that brings both Hope and Despair!". The book was opened at the pages that described the self-made ritual that is supposed to make you the protagonist - a chosen hero, invincible among his peers, thanks to the almighty power of the Plot Armor. This book wasn''t some hidden supreme hidden manual, no. Instead, it was a commonly known "piece of fiction". A famous book that is so absurd that it is funny. So bad, that it is good. Scholars and sages around the world quoted the book when they wanted to make fun of their opponent. "Your thesis is so entertaining. Maybe you''ll also claim that our reality is just a fiction existing to entertain lifeforms of a Higher Dimension? Hahaha!" "Your argument is so solid, professor. As solid as the fact that our reality can be influenced by the so-called authors of the Higher Dimension! *wink-wink*." Even among mighty warriors quoting this masterpiece is a must when provoking their opponent. "Oh, you are so strong and powerful! Maybe you are the protagonist? Perhaps you are protected by the Plot Armor? Ah, so scary!"Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Wow, girl - you are so beautiful, but at the same time smart and can fight well. You even challenged me without any fear! Could it be... your name is Mary Sue? Let''s stop fighting then, add me to your reverse-harem; I''ll make you feel very good, hehe!" Of course, the Demon Lord isn''t some naive kid. Though young, as a representative of the Supreme Race and master of magic, both his intelligence and wisdom are placed at the top of the world. He wouldn''t believe such nonsense if he didn''t experience it firsthand. As one of the most powerful and talented beings ever existed, the Ruler of all Demons, how can he be defeated by some nobody? How can his minions be subdued one by one, never able to kill a small fry who is much weaker than they are? Why he ignored that adversary for so long? Why was that so-called Hero able to avoid certain death over and over again, completely ruining his plans? After being reborn, the Demon Lord became obsessed with finding out the reason for his defeat. And, unexpectedly, this book, dismissed by masses, gave him the only possible explanation. Now, just a few months after his life started anew, he gambled everything on his only chance of getting his revenge. And then, he will set to achieve his life mission - world domination! Make the whole Triplescape obey him. Become the legitimate Ruler of all 333 Worlds! "Make me the protagonist, please. Make me the protagonist, please. Make me the protagonist, please..." He continued the ritual without knowing that its purpose was already achieved.I''malready here.Youare already here. I can reveal the truth to him at any moment, but is there any reason to do it so soon? Let''s make it a challenge! I want to see when he is going to give up. Maybe his extraordinary body can sustain itself without food and water for years, but what about his willpower? How long should it take him to accept the failure? He isn''t the first person to try this method. There a lot of desperate people, as well as the hidden cult of those who take this book as their Gospel. Alas, not everyone can become the protagonist. First of all, you need a sad backstory, tragic past! Then, a meaningful motivation, aspiration, or dream. It would be best if you also were either relatable, unique, or both. And then, some luck is required as well. Not the luck in the status window, but something more transcendental. The fate of the protagonist! The main foundation of the undefeatable Plot Armor. And I deem this young supreme being completely qualified. He suffered more than anyone else (it is a lie, though). His determination and willpower are incomparable to ordinary people (that is the truth). He is also extremely attractive (all hail the harem!). What can go wrong? ... It was ten minutes after I started to observe my chosen protagonist in his fruitless actions. Suddenly, he stopped his prayers. What happened? Is he already gave up? Was I wrong in my choice? Should I find someone else? (Un)fortunately, my doubts didn''t last for long. The young man looked around everywhere and then yelled as loud as he can. "You are already here, Mr. Author?! I can feel it. I know you are here! The Audience is here as well?! Do you guys think it is interesting to see me making a fool out of myself?! Come out! Talk to me already, dammit!" How is this possible? I''m the freaking Author! He is just a fictional character. How can he find my existence? It doesn''t make sense. Or maybe it does? What came first, the chicken or the egg? It is this type of question. Is my imagination as the Author created that world, or information from it is sent to me from that dimension? Do Authors create fictional realms and make them real? Or those realms independently exist until we connect to them and start to change the reality of its inhabitants? If you believe that "The Shocking Truth about our World! The revelation that brings both Hope and Despair!" book, then both that world and everyone who lives here is real. But we - the Author and the Readers, influence this world by our unwanted intervention. Then again, why should I believe it? Maybe that book is just a creation of my imagination? Well, whatever. Let''s wait and see if he keeps the act. Not surprisingly, after shouting for a few more minutes, the young man continued to beg as if nothing happened. "Make me the protagonist, please. Make me the protagonist, please. Make me the protagonist, please..." Yep, you can''t outsmart me. I''m the fucking Author here, you imaginary rascal! No one can be smarter than me in my own creation, bitch! Chapter 2. Demon Lord No More (Part 2) Further observation proved that his outbursts are repeated every three hours or so. Oh, you are my little crafty Demon Lord. So fucking cute. It would work on someone else, but I''m different. Such little tricks are useless before my awesome self! Yeah, I guess it is time to activate the Time-Skip mode. No one wants to watch someone who does the same thing over and over again for days, right? Right? Let''s see how long it will take him to give up. A day passed, nothing changed. It seems that Demon Lords don''t even need to sleep. Three days passed - the heavy rain didn''t bother him at all. A week passed - he is still full of determination! What the hell? Is he even human? Ah, wait a minute - he isn''t. I guess us mortals can''t compare to the greatest Ruler of countless Demons. ... Another two weeks... Really? Does he want to be the protagonist so much? At last, a change happened after the third week. It seems his (un)inspiring speech changed for some reason. "Dear Mr. Author, if you are here - please answer already. I assure you that my will is absolute, and the phrase ''I give up'' doesn''t exist in my dictionary. I would be here, begging you again and again until you make me protagonist. Believe me when I say that I can do it for years. Or for the rest of my life if it comes to this." Yeah, it is hard to deal with someone who doesn''t need to sleep, eat, drink, or even poop. But, on the other hand, the power of the Time-Skip can''t be underestimated either. I can just skip hundreds of years in the blink of an eye, so... Just when I thought to make him wait for another year or two, he spoke again. "That being the case, I still don''t want to waste time for no reason. My family and subordinates waited for my return for way too long. Also, can''t you feel it? The Triplescape isn''t safe or calm. Do you really think you are the only Author who uses our Multiworld? No, I''m afraid that soon Triplescape would be full of the protagonists making a mess out of it. This is the true Apocalypsis predicted in that sacred book! We can''t wait!" Hm, I guess what he said makes sense. But if I have my pride too! If I just talk to him now, then it would be obvious that all this time, I just watched him from the shadows. Nope, let''s make everything natural. I guess waiting for years is too much, even with the Time-Skip. A week should be enough. ... And so, a week passed. The Demon Lord repeated his "sudden" speech every three hours (what an amazing internal clock!) and changed its content a couple of times as well, but I can''t see any frustration at his face. His patience deserves some respect. As expected from someone I chose! Maybe it wasn''t bluff when Belial said that he would do it for years if required. Let''s wait for exactly two hours after his last attempt to "catch me off guard". ... Done! It is the moment of truth¡ªthe first contact between the Protagonist and the Author. Fated encounter! "Pray no more, oh young one! I deem you worthy of my story and bestow you the title of the Protagonist!"Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. My truly majestic voice echoed in his mind. Feel the awe of being contacted by a Higher Existence! "Took you long enough, you jerk. Be honest - how long are you here? Is it fun to watch me, the future Ruler of all Worlds in Triplescape, to pray for you? Does it boost your self-esteem so much?" Hah? Why is his expression full of annoyance and arrogance rather than fear and reverence? He doesn''t understand his place, does he? "Hey, listen here. You maybe be a Demon Lord," my tone was that of someone talking to a noisy kid, "but for me, you are just part of the story, not someone irreplaceable. You need me, but I don''t need you." Hearing that, he just shook his head and stood up from his kneeling position. "It is just a common sense that there is no one more interesting than me in the whole Triplescape. Who can compare to me? Some poor orphan whose parents were killed by some evil bastards and who tries to get his revenge? Or some ignorant farmer boy who wants to bring his subjective justice on bad guys? Don''t make me laugh. They are too incompetent to truly change anything even if they get all the power you can give! Making me the Protagonist isn''t about helping me get riches and women - it is about changing the World Order!" Ugh, he really annoys me with his conceited attitude. But there is a seed of truth in his words. I don''t want to create a story about another stereotypic MC. It doesn''t mean that I will give up on getting things straight, though. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever, mate. But you know what? There is one interesting plot-twist that some authors use with great success. Can you guess what I''m talking about?" He thought for a few seconds before answering. "What? No, no, no. Don''t make me into a woman, please! Gender-bender is evil and perverted. You can''t stoop so low, right?!" Oh, I never even thought about it. "You understand it now? You are my hostage, dude! Though no, I''m not interested in gender-bender. By the way, the twist I talked about is ''fake protagonist''. It is when you just kill someone who seems to be the protagonist and then make someone else take their place! Like, you know. Killing adventurer and make a monster who did it true MC. People love it." Strange, but instead of being terrified, he just sighed with relief. "I''m lucky then. After all, this is just E-Rank World with Level Limit of 20. And, even after being revived, I''m way beyond the league of any lifeform here. Even with my Level suppressed, my Race is so strong that I''m invincible here. I really was afraid that you''ll make me female, though." What is wrong with him? Is he more afraid of being a girl than a corpse? Or he underestimates my power as an author? I checked his Status to be sure if he tells the truth. What the actual fuck? He is too OP for the beginning of the story! Aren''t he is supposed to be recently revived? Shit, it seems whatever method he used to restore himself, he only lost his Equipment, Titles, and Unique Class. In contrast, his Stats, Professions, ordinary Classes, and all Abilities remained... "By the way, Mr. Author. I guess starting our long-lasting relationships with deceits is a wrong move, so I will be honest. That thing about Triplescape being in danger and other protagonists flooding it? I just made this up. Sorry." Huh? He isn''t only conceited little brat, but also dares to deceive his daddy? "What you just said? So all this bullshit was just to lure me out? You really know how to piss someone off. It is decided, get ready to become a girl!" Instead of becoming meek or terrified of my threat, the Demon Lord was... bitter and angry? "I knew it! How long have you watched me? This shit about Triplescape being in a crisis is something I said a week ago and repeated for two days. After that, I changed my speech. So, you watched me for five days, at a minimum. I''m right? Don''t be too full of yourself. If you chose me as your protagonist, then some level of trust and respect should be expected. If you can''t give me even this, then I''d rather wait for another Author!" What the? He actually fooled me again. It seems his fear of sex-change is inferior to his vanity. This really gets to my nerves, you know? Apparently, that book he used to "summon" me doesn''t explain Author''s abilities in detail. He thinks I can just make him stronger and luckier, just give him so much desired Plot Armor, and then he can forget about me and do whatever he wants? Hah, how naive! "Demon Lord, ah Demon Lord... I just wanted to observe how resolute you were in your desire to become the protagonist, so I watched you praying for a few weeks. So what?" Before he can answer, I continued my "lecture". "Then, I just planned to talk to you for a while to be sure that you are worth the efforts to be the main character of my story. But it seems you really overestimate yourself and underestimate me. Good, very good... If you want to see a demonstration of my power so much, then let''s do it." Chapter 3. Demon Lord No More (Part 3) Being tricked more than once by a fictional character who dares to look down on us Authors and thinks he has the right to complain? I endured enough! I should give him a lesson. A lesson of respect and reverence to the Author. The experience he wouldn''t be able to forget. I activate my secret ability Uninterrupted Speech, so what he wouldn''t be able to say anything in return. "You think that your power means anything to me? What you are already invincible in the Multiworld? Your arrogance is the true reason why Hero was able to defeat you. Unlike you, he wasn''t born with power but earned it step by step. And you will follow in his steps!" Nerf! Nerf! Nerf! "Currently, you are too strong for the story that just started. But, on the other hand, you are limited by your own so-called ''Superior Race''. The story isn''t an ending. The story is a journey. And to enjoy it, you need to grow. Both as a person and... as a fighter." Nerf! Nerf! Nerf! I will steal the thing he is most proud of. "Your body, given to you by the Mother you ''love'' so much. I will take it away from you! And replace it with something else. The Race that fits your new role. Of course, all Basic Abilities would be removed, and Racial Traits changed. What else you expect?" He is obviously uncomfortable, but what can he say? I''m the one who creates the dialogues after all. If I want him to shut up, then he has no choice. "Your levels, your race! Your body, your soul! Everything belongs to me. The contract with the Author is sacred. Compared to it, measly contract with a Devil is a joke." And so, he is Demon Lord no more. The Protagonist fell on his knees, he lost control of his body, and excruciating pain welcomed him in its embrace. Ordinary lifeform would die tens of times just from the feeling alone. But, Belial is different. This level of torture is nothing to his transcendent willpower. More than anything, he just hated the fact that a being he considered only a helper, actually holds so much power over him. It was a completely different sense of defeat than when he fought the Hero''s party. Because it isn''t a fight. There is no room for resistance. Absolute control over his whole existence. "Now, you can understand? We are not equals! I''m not your buddy. I''m the one who holds your Fate in his hands. A relationship between the Protagonist and the Author isn''t that of a partnership..." I watch him crumbling on the ground, his body changes from the inside out. But, his face is tranquil even if his pain-receptors scream in anguish. "...but that of a master and a servant. You aren''t my slave, you have your own free will. But, I hold both a stick and a carrot to make sure you obey when it matters. You exist to make my story interesting, to make people read it." This is the cruel truth of any fictional world. "Your satisfaction is just an unnecessary side-effect. In many popular stories, the Protagonist suffers through his journey and sometimes dies in the end without even achieving his goals. If you want to have a Happy End, then you''d better behave well." Only a few minutes passed since I started his metamorphosis, but from his point of view, it lasted the indefinite amount of time. "So, let''s get along well, my precious Protagonist." I ended my prolonged speech with a voice as kind as I can muster and canceled my nasty "shut everyone else up" skill. "Cough, cough, cough." He coughed black blood and then hastily stood up. Faster than I expected. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but then changed his mind. Of course, I can read his thoughts if I want to, but it is unnecessarily. I know what he wants to say. Believe me, I''m not a sadist who wanted to make him feel extreme pain. Even if he annoyed me to no end and deserved some punishment, but I''m usually more subtle than this. The thing is - we, Authors, have rules too. And his suffering is the result of the Realism Rule. It would be just not believable if his Race changed instantly and without any consequences, right? Or maybe I''m wrong, and it is actually restriction put on my omnipotence by this Lower Dimension? Well, whatever. Former Demon Lord looked at his new body. And, obviously, he wasn''t glad about the changes. The level of his handsomeness decreased significantly. His body is still athletic, but not perfectly so. His hair is no longer fiery orange, but his eyes are still silvery blue. Of course, less advanced races like humans or lesser demons would still consider him to be above 9/10 in looks. But it is just because their ability to see small details is limited by their senses. If another Demon Lord was able to see him now, they would ask, "Hey, why so ugly?". "Hey, why I''m so fucking ugly?" Ugh, it seems his aesthetics stayed the same. Did I make his new "race" too overpowered? I wanted him to become OP step by step! Wait a minute... After suffering indescribable physical torture, the first thing he does is complaining about his new appearance? Really, as expected from the Protagonist I chose. It is just a matter of time until his harem is full of beauties. "Hey, why I''m so fucking weak?" Oh, he noticed. Isn''t it obvious? You can''t be too strong too soon, or it would be boring. But of course, the answer I gave to him was different.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Do you want to become strongest? Your previous body wasn''t good enough." It seems my words made him angry. "What do you mean? Demon Lord is the strongest Race out there." Em, it is just me, or my so-called "educational lesson" didn''t work well? He still has it in him to argue with me. "If it was the case, then how could ''human Hero'' be able to defeat you? To make you a new body with the potential of achieving perfection, it is necessary to reconstruct it from the start. So, deal with it." He checked his Status Window. "So... Alongside my Race, all my Basic Abilities and old Classes are gone as well? And levels... I''m level one! Also... my new Race is a Basic one? Freaking hell, even in this low ranked World, I''m currently at the bottom. And the Race''s name... are you serious?" Thank you for reminding me of the entire reason why I changed your Status without warning or any explanation and did it in the most painful way possible (it wasn''t intentional, though). "If I hear from you another complaint related to your new body," I said slowly, each word clearly pronounced in his mind, "then I will transform you into a very cute girl. Is that clear?" He just helplessly watched his Status Window with a miserable, almost tearful face. After a few minutes of self-pity, he took a deep breath and returned to his overconfident self. Albeit trying to not annoy me too much. "What is done is done. I guess it is fair to exchange my limited power for potential invincibility." Oh, it seems he gets it. "Though I never felt so bad as I do now. The pain of transformation is nothing compared to that feeling of being so stupid, weak, and ugly." He says it, but in my reality, he probably would be considered a model-looking genius. Ugh, I already start to hate him. "So, let me properly introduce myself. I''m Belial Caim de-" "Stop it." I interrupted him before he can continue with his extremely long and cringy name. "As I said, my full name is-" "It doesn''t matter. Your new full name is Belial, the Protagonist." He looked at the sky (from where I was supposed to watch him, but of course, omnipresent being, I can do it from anywhere) with a dramatically sad expression. "You took away the body given to me by Mother. You took away my right to call myself Demon Lord. And now, you want to rob me of my true name?" Hey, I''m not a cruel bully! I''m really not! Just, his name is so awkward I can''t accept it. "At least allow me to introduce myself as Bel Ultra." Well, it is fine, I guess. "Ok, ok. I''m the Author, my real name doesn''t matter. The introduction is over, right?" Action! I want some action in my story! I''m already tired of all the dialogue. "Yeah, over. Now you can just leave me alone in my adventure and enjoy observing how I achieve Multiworld Domination! This is what the Author does, right? You just talked to me to be sure I''m a cool guy, right?" And here I thought that he became too humble. So he just wants me to be gone! "Yeah, usually this is the case. But not this time. I just decided to accompany you on your journey! Because without me, you''ll stay the arrogant asshole that you are. It would be lame. Readers love character development, and you are beyond being saved. Of course, unless I help you personally! So, you should appreciate how benevolent I''m." In fact, I just want to pester and annoy him. The sour face he is making now is priceless! I''m not a sadist, please believe me. "Thank you, but..." Before he can finish, I change the topic. "Now, now. Relax. Everything would be fine. Have you read your Racial Traits? Just complete the Quests I create for you, and you''ll be even stronger than before in no time!" His expression is more and more pleasant to my eyes! Yeah, who said that everything in life is easy? Until I get the sincere respect each Author deserves, I will make sure that your life is never simple, I swear. But, before choosing the appropriate Quest, I, of course, should properly check his Status. Let''s appreciate my new masterpiece. Status Basic info Name=Belial Caim de Demiurge el Eligos Forneus Gorgon the Last of Apocalypsis Ultra Title=The One Who Cheated Death (+another 2) Age=22 years old Height=175 cm Body Mass=75 kg Three sizes=he is a guy=who cares? Sentience=Fully Developed (Level 4) Race=Newby Protagonist (Basic Race, Low Tier) Subrace=Anti-Hero Class=None Professions=Child Caregiver (Grandmaster), Demonic Chef (Master), Ladies Man (Advanced), Space Blacksmith (Intermediate) Stats Basic stats: Strength=2 Agility=3 Vitality=3 Intelligence=4 Wisdom=4 Willpower=10(max)=33(max, suppressed due to Low Tier Race limitations) Luck=5 Origin stats: Level=1 HP=30 (100%) MP=100 (100%) Physical Attack=5 P. Defense=5 Magical Attack=5 M. Defense=5 Acceleration=5 Integration=5 Traits and Abilities Racial Traits: Superior Interface Superior Level-up Plot Armor Quest Generation Protagonist''s Charm Hero Detection Problem Attraction Generic Abilities: None. Class Abilities: None. Profession Abilities: Child Care=10lvl(max)=Grandmaster Demonic Cooking=9lvl=Master Sexual Charisma=7lvl=Advanced Spatial Blacksmithing=5lvl=Intermediate Special Abilities: Indomitable Will=??lvl Mental Suppression=10lvl(max) Mind Reading=9lvl Mind Domination=8lvl Will Manifestation=6lvl Equipment Weapon=None Armor Set=None Accessory 1=None Yeah, ideally low stats. It is how it should be! Though his Willpower, Professions, and Special Abilities still make me worried... Also, I guess you now understand why I avoided his so-called "true name". No, really - his parents sure have strange naming sense. In any case, I''m now sure that kind of Quest I will give to him. The first Quest of our story, it would be Epic! Or maybe not.