Takuto was a terminally ill boy who reincarnated into the world of his favorite game after his death—alongside his favorite game character. Together, they decide to build an empire, just like they did in the game. However, neither of them knows that Takuto has been reborn as the Legendary King of Ruin, destined to destroy the world to bring about its rebirth.
In his previous life, Takuto spent most of his time playing a civilization-building strategy game called Eternal Nations. One day, just as he restarts the game after completing everything, he quietly passes away. As he sinks into darkness, he suddenly opens his eyes to find himself sitting on a stone throne in the middle of a forest. Confused, he wonders what’s happening—until a familiar figure appears before him.
Takuto instantly recognizes the woman as Atou, the Sludge Witch, his favorite character from Eternal Nations. He recalls that he had challenged himself by playing the game on its hardest difficulty, starting with the Kingdom of Ruin and Evil, known as Mynoghra. Fortunately, that kingdom included Atou, a character initially weak but capable of absorbing the abilities of her defeated enemies to become the strongest by the end.
Atou addresses Takuto as her king, leading him to wonder if this is some kind of role-play. However, Atou reassures him, saying there’s no need to overthink things because she already knows everything—his name, his history, and the fact that he was a hardcore player who completed the game on nightmare difficulty with the most challenging civilization. Takuto is stunned that she knows about his status as a player and her existence as a character from the game. She even remembers all their games together, his playstyle, his strategies, and all the times he called out to her through the screen.
Overjoyed that he can now speak to his favorite character in person, Takuto asks if this is heaven and whether she summoned him here. But Atou reveals that she herself was summoned to this world and suspects that it resembles Eternal Nations. She then kneels before Takuto, holds his hand, and declares that since they’re together, it doesn’t matter where they are—they should build a civilization just for themselves once more.
Encouraged, Takuto accepts the idea, asking Atou to serve him in creating a glorious civilization. She happily agrees, playfully acting like a badass witch and pledging her loyalty. Both of them laugh awkwardly at their overly dramatic exchange. Takuto then mentions that she already knows the first rule of Mynoghra: to become shut-ins and hide their existence from the world.
Next, Takuto uses his emergency skill to summon a giant insect scout to survey the surrounding area. They discuss how secrecy is essential in the early game, and scouts like this help gather intelligence without exposing themselves. Takuto shares that he can view the scout’s perspective, just like in the game, but it cost him half his mana to create. Ideally, he would summon a fighter for protection, but his mana is insufficient for that right now. Atou feels disheartened because she’s currently too weak to protect herself, let alone her king.
As the scout explores, Takuto observes nothing but forest. Atou laments her helplessness, but Takuto assures her that her presence alone is enough, which makes her immensely happy. Suddenly, the scout encounters a group of weary and starving dark elves. Atou sees this as good news, explaining that dark elves are a neutral species, slightly inclined toward neutral evil, and that their kingdom’s alignment is also low-key neutral evil.
However, this discovery troubles Takuto, who begins to question whether this is truly the world of Eternal Nations. He worries that if another civilization is nearby, his fledgling kingdom might be destroyed quickly. But Atou comforts him, promising that if danger arises, they’ll escape together. Takuto agrees and decides to keep monitoring the dark elves while continuing his scouting.
While they joke around, the group of dark elves unexpectedly arrives. Both parties are equally shocked to see each other. Atou prepares to risk her life to protect her master if necessary. The dark elves’ leader, Gia, was on a mission to find food for his starving people. His assistant had warned him against entering the forest, citing legends about a great evil sealed within. But Gia, determined to save his people, pressed on—only to encounter Takuto and Atou, whom he perceives as avatars of evil. In his eyes, Takuto appears as a shadowy silhouette, confirming the terrifying legends.
Fearing for his people, Gia quickly kneels before Takuto and introduces himself, with his followers doing the same. He apologizes for trespassing. Atou puts on a tough front, calling it wise of them to know their place. She bluntly asks why the dark elves have come, prompting Gia to hurriedly explain their plight. Atou, growing impatient, urges him to get to the point, intimidating him further.
Gia reveals that his clan was unjustly banished by the council and remains persecuted. They were forced into these cursed lands for safety, but their food supply ran out a week ago, and now they are on the brink of starvation. When Takuto asks if they’ve endured great hardships, Gia freezes with fear, but Atou commands him to answer. He explains that his people only wished to live in peace, yet they suffered greatly, leading them to this desperate situation.
Gia wonders whether Takuto will be cruel to them as well. But to his surprise, Takuto throws some apples at him, telling him to try them because they’re delicious. Gia has never seen apples before and is hesitant, but his followers lack his patience—they eagerly devour the apples, exclaiming how sweet they are. Then, Takuto suddenly creates some pears, leaving Gia completely stunned.
Atou scolds Gia, asking why he isn’t eating the fruits that her master has so graciously provided. Bowing before Takuto, Gia explains that many in his tribe are starving, especially the children, and he wishes to feed them first. Moved by pity, Takuto begins summoning a massive amount of food, shocking both Atou and Gia.
As a dark elf, Gia had always faced discrimination, with others assuming his people belonged to the dark side. No one had ever shown them such kindness. Overwhelmed, Gia asks who Takuto really is, but Takuto simply tells him to take the food back to his people.
Gia and his followers return to their camp, where their tribe finally eats to their heart’s content. Yet, Gia chooses not to reveal how he obtained the food. That night, as he sits alone by the campfire, the clan elder, Moltar, approaches. He remarks that the fruits Gia brought were unlike anything he had seen in his long life—more delicious than any fruit before. He questions Gia about their origin, prompting Gia to recount his encounter with the legendary evil being.
Moltar is shocked, recognizing the description as that of the King of Ruin mentioned in ancient texts. According to the books, when the world grows overfilled, the King of Ruin will appear to destroy it, allowing for a new beginning. Gia feels Takuto fits this description, though he admits he couldn’t understand much of what Takuto said—he merely picked up hints from Atou’s behavior.
Skeptical, Moltar asks if Gia offered anything in return for the food. When Gia says no, Moltar warns that no evil being would show mercy without expecting something in exchange. Yet, Gia insists that Takuto showed genuine compassion, which irritates Moltar. However, after some debate, Moltar acknowledges that Gia did his best to provide for their people. He then declares that, as the clan’s senior, he will negotiate directly with the Dark King in hopes of securing the peaceful life they’ve always desired.
Meanwhile, Atou scolds Takuto for wasting his mana on creating food when his reserves are low. But when Takuto gently tells her not to be upset because he needs her, she quickly softens and acts tsundere again.
The next day, Gia prepares to visit Takuto again. Moltar asks if he is ready to face the king, cautioning that since they’ve accepted charity from the Dark King, they must be prepared to pay any price demanded. Gia objects, claiming Takuto never mentioned any price, but Moltar retorts that it’s natural for evil beings to ask for compensation for their deeds. Nevertheless, he agrees that their survival depends on Takuto, as no other place is safe.
Unbeknownst to them, Takuto’s insect scout has been monitoring them the entire time. He recalls the scout and, upon learning that the elves are on their way, nervously hopes they’ll simply take the food he prepared and leave quietly. Admitting that he struggles to communicate well, he asks Atou to handle the negotiations to maintain the image that the king doesn’t speak directly to lesser beings.
Soon, Moltar and Gia arrive. The old elf greets Takuto with a formal salutation, thanking him for the food. He asks for the name of their benefactor, and with Takuto’s permission, Atou introduces him as the King of Ruin. Both dark elves are shocked, their fears seemingly confirmed.
Atou bluntly tells them to take the food and leave, as it won’t last long anyway. However, Moltar insists on repaying Takuto’s kindness, asking what they can offer in return. Atou scoffs, saying they probably have nothing of value worthy of satisfying her king. When she challenges them on whether they possess anything of worth, Moltar hesitates, ashamed that they have nothing left.
Seeing his hesitation, Atou glares menacingly and accuses him of plotting something. Moltar panics, and Takuto realizes that the negotiation is spiraling downward. He pulls Atou aside to discuss a new strategy. She gets annoyed, accusing Takuto of being too soft and warning that these “losers” will become obstacles.
She even suggests killing them and placing their heads on pikes around their base, but Takuto rebukes her, joking that she’s acting like “that one Austrian painter.” He argues that the elves just want to coexist peacefully and are offering repayment out of gratitude. Instead of giving them food for free, he proposes they establish a system where the elves pay in a manner they can manage, which would foster a healthier relationship.
Though reluctant, Atou concedes and informs the elves that her king has decided to accept their offerings.
Seeing the relief on Moltar’s face, both Takuto and Atou realize he had been extremely nervous because he viewed Takuto as a typical evil being. Atou scolds him for that assumption but then gets confused about what they should ask in return for the food. Suddenly, Takuto gets an idea and tells her to ask the elves for information about the outside world.
Moltar is overjoyed and swears to tell Takuto everything he has seen and heard about the world beyond the forest. Atou then states that once he fulfills this, his tribe must leave the forest immediately, which shocks both Gia and Moltar. They plead to stay under Takuto’s protection, but Atou warns them not to be greedy if they want to live. Gia tries to argue, but Moltar silences him, insisting they must obey the king’s command.
As the elves prepare to leave, Takuto feels guilty about driving them away. On a sudden impulse, he stops them and offers Moltar and Gia the chance to become his citizens. Both are stunned—but no one is more shocked than Atou, who demands to know what he’s doing. Takuto reminds her of the Refugee System from the game, which allows them to incorporate other species as citizens. Since dark elves are neutral-aligned, they can adapt to Mynoghra’s evil attribute and coexist with other species in the kingdom.
Atou remains skeptical, noting that evil-aligned species often fight amongst themselves. But Takuto points out that their main species, the Homunculi, are unsettling creatures—human-like beings pieced together poorly—and they can’t spend all their time with such eerie beings. As soon as the image of the Homunculi flashes in her mind, Atou immediately agrees.
Turning to the elves, she explains that Takuto plans to build a kingdom here and is willing to accept them as citizens if they pledge their loyalty. Moltar asks what that entails, and Atou bluntly tells him they’ll become evil beings—but assures them it’s more fun than they might think.
Soon after, Takuto and Atou visit the dark elf settlement, where everyone is terrified of Takuto—some faint just from seeing him. Taking his throne, with Atou at his side, she declares that the dark elves will now be citizens of Mynoghra. She checks with Takuto one last time, and upon his approval, the elves are officially integrated into his kingdom. Atou congratulates them, telling them that their survival and safety are now guaranteed by their king.
Gia, however, wonders aloud if that’s all, since he doesn’t feel any different after becoming an evil being. But the moment he speaks, a surge of hatred wells up inside him and the others, directed toward those who hurt and persecuted their kind. The two normal elves with them watch on in concern. Seeing their struggle, Takuto asks if they are alright. Gia is moved to tears, realizing that someone finally cares for him and his people. The dark elves cheer for Takuto, tears streaming down their faces, while Takuto feels a bit overwhelmed.
A few days later, Takuto receives a map of the continent from Moltar, and he immediately collapses in despair upon seeing it. Atou asks what’s wrong, and he tells her to look—their starting position is terrible. They are on a continent already occupied by two massive and powerful civilizations: the Holy Kingdom of Qualia, a human nation worshipping the god Arlos, known for their hardcore good alignment, and Elnan, an alliance of elementals and elves devoted to nature, also aligned with the good side.
Atou panics, realizing that if either of these civilizations discovers them, they’ll be wiped out instantly. She collapses alongside Takuto, but he manages to calm down, reasoning that as long as they remain hidden, they can grow stronger. In the game, their primary species, the Homunculi, were too dumb to conduct meaningful research. But with the dark elves on their side, things might improve.
Soon, the dark elves visit Takuto again, this time with Gia introducing his assistant, Emle, a knowledgeable and scholarly elf familiar with other kingdoms. Atou praises their dedication and declares that from now on, they’ll have important responsibilities—because that’s what Takuto wants.
First, she appoints Moltar as the head of internal affairs, noting that she has high hopes for him, especially since he knows magic. Then she names Gia the Head Warrior of Mynoghra, tasking him with building a strong army. Recruitment is left entirely up to him, and Gia eagerly boasts that he’ll slay their enemies and display their heads as trophies. Takuto, however, is already grossed out by the idea, prompting Atou to clarify that their king prefers peace. Gia is left baffled—why would the King of Ruin value peace?
Moltar teases Gia, claiming that unlike him, he has brains rather than just brawn. This sparks a playful rivalry, with Gia declaring that since he is young and strong, he can work harder without rest. Atou is oblivious to their competition, assuming they’re just diligent workers. She asks Takuto whether they should assign them resource-gathering tasks, and he suggests beautifying the land and constructing homes.
Atou relays the orders to Moltar, instructing him to gather timber while preserving most of the forest. Moltar agrees enthusiastically, pointing out that dark elves are natural forest dwellers. Takuto also instructs them to reforest any cleared areas, but the elves are confused by the term. Realizing that their civilization is not advanced enough to understand reforestation, Takuto asks if they know about military magic or the six major elements.
Moltar admits he only knows the four major elements, and Emle says she’s never heard of any country using military magic. This surprises Takuto and Atou, making them realize that this world is much more primitive than they initially thought.
Though Takuto and Atou find this world primitive, they realize it’s actually a good thing—once they advance their magical technology, they can quickly surpass other nations. Atou explains to the elves that reforesting means growing new trees to replace the ones they cut, and the dark elves admit they do this too, but without magic, it takes time. Atou proudly claims that reforesting uses the six major elements to grow trees rapidly, and—despite it being a blatant lie—she credits the method to Takuto.
She continues praising Takuto, reminding everyone that he created the unique fruits they ate earlier, and casually mentions that grapes are her favorite. Emle agrees with Atou, sharing that she planted some grape seeds, and surprisingly, a few plants have already sprouted. This surprises Takuto, who hadn’t expected anything to grow in this environment. But then, a thought strikes him: since he can magically create fruits from Earth, perhaps he can create other things as well.
Testing this, Takuto conjures a coin—and realizes he can produce gunpowder and other scientific materials too. This means he can propel their civilization’s advancement far beyond others.
Meanwhile, over in the Holy Kingdom of Qualia, trouble is stirring. Saint Selena leads a band of knights to snowy foothills to eliminate monsters threatening nearby villages. When goblins charge at her, she raises her staff and incinerates them with her holy flame, which ascends into the sky and disperses in the clouds. Where the flames scorched the earth, flowers bloom, enchanting the knights.
The knight captain explains that Selena’s powers not only burn evil but also create flower fields, which is why they have a strong alliance with the elves. Afterward, Selena advises the cardinal to send paladins southward because she recently foresaw a bad omen regarding the cursed forest. The cardinal refuses, citing that the forest is too far and he needs higher authorization to deploy paladins. Selena threatens to go herself, forcing the cardinal to relent and promise to send the troops he personally commands.
Back in Mynoghra, Takuto and Atou focus on developing their territory, beginning with building houses for the dark elves. A temporary throne room is already built around Takuto’s throne, and he eagerly looks forward to hosting meetings with his key subjects. Soon, Moltar, Gia, and Emle arrive, prompting Atou to suggest holding their first council meeting.
Before they begin, Emle presents a gift to Takuto—an outfit that ends up making him look quite feminine. Regardless, Takuto appreciates it, grateful since his old clothes were getting filthy. The elves don’t notice any change in his appearance, but they trust Atou when she insists he looks great in it.
With formalities done, Atou initiates the council meeting, but Takuto is too busy admiring himself to pay attention. Atou shrugs and decides to proceed, consulting Takuto only when necessary—he’s completely fine with that arrangement.
The meeting begins with Moltar asking what buildings they should prioritize. Atou responds that food production should come first, then reveals a creepy-looking plant, designated as their primary food source for now. The elves are visibly repulsed and ask what it is, so Atou explains: it’s the Flesh Plant, unique to their civilization, capable of producing meat that tastes like human flesh and is highly nutritious.
Disturbed, the elves protest that they don’t eat humans, but Atou reassures them that the flesh plant is a temporary measure. They’ll diversify their food supply soon. She adds that they also need storage facilities and management sheds; Emle volunteers to handle that task.
Atou then shifts focus to research—vital for small nations like theirs to survive and thrive. Moltar asks what they should study, and Atou instructs them to develop magic technology. Takuto is visibly excited, and Moltar, being a mage, vows to impress him.
Moltar asks for clarification, so Atou elaborates: they’ll research Military Magic. While conventional magic targets a few enemies at once, military magic can obliterate entire cities and reshape the terrain for tactical advantage. She orders Moltar to gather talented mages among the elves and start immediately. Fired up, Moltar is eager to craft magic that doesn’t exist yet.
Next, Atou raises the topic of military strategy, which excites Gia since it’s his domain. But Takuto immediately intervenes, stating they won’t heavily invest in the military just yet. Atou explains that armies are costly to maintain and unproductive during peacetime. Gia counters that their current forces are too weak to defend Takuto, and Moltar agrees, noting that both he and Gia have bounties on their heads—making them targets.
Understanding their concerns, Takuto decides to create a Hero instead. Atou agrees, explaining that although summoning a hero is expensive, they require no upkeep—ideal for their current situation. The elves are unfamiliar with the concept, so Atou describes heroes as powerful beings who directly serve the king. There are specific conditions for summoning each hero, but she is confident they’ll meet them soon.
Takuto reflects that mana is the key to everything in this world, and a kingdom gathers mana from its citizens—the happier they are, the more mana is collected. Determined, Takuto vows to make Mynoghra the happiest kingdom on the continent.
Meanwhile, back in the Holy Kingdom of Qualia, a junior paladin named Lonius is chosen for the investigation team heading to the cursed forest.
A senior paladin named Vertle accompanies Lonius on the expedition, and his favorite pastime is teasing Lonius, who is strict and overly formal. Vertle grumbles that the church is sending an awfully small investigation team—just two paladins and a handful of mercenaries. He believes the church should take Selena’s prophecy more seriously. Lonius agrees but admits they have no way of knowing what the higher-ups are thinking. He knows that if the mission succeeds, they’ll be handsomely rewarded, but if they fail, all the blame will certainly land on him.
Meanwhile, back in Mynoghra, Takuto inspects the progress of his growing civilization. He feels nostalgic, having watched this phase countless times on screen during the game, but now he’s experiencing it firsthand. Emle gives him a tour, proudly explaining that dark elves are skilled at building houses on trees. However, construction is slow for now because they’re focusing their efforts on cultivating the Flesh Trees. She adds that the trees are thriving, and the storage and management facilities are complete.
Emle also reveals that the elves discovered a freshwater spring nearby and are testing if they can draw water from it. As for magic research, Moltar and the other mages are diligently working in the newly established research building. Takuto is pleased, especially to see that the elves, who once looked so exhausted, now appear happy and lively. When he points this out to Emle, she bursts into tears of joy, which flusters Takuto, though she quickly regains her composure and resumes the tour.
Next, she takes Takuto and Atou to the Flesh Tree farm and proudly says that thanks to the tools Takuto provided, their first harvest is expected soon. Then she guides them to the water source, but immediately notices that the atmosphere around the place feels different—dark and ominous. The water itself has turned black, and Emle is disappointed, assuming it’s now unusable.
Before Atou can explain, Moltar and Gia arrive to inspect the site. Both agree that the water seems tainted. But Atou confidently takes a sip, declaring it perfectly safe. She then explains that the area has become part of Mynoghra’s Cursed Terrain, a feature that alters the environment. Takuto urges the elves to take a deep breath, and they suddenly feel their minds clearing and their bodies energized.
Atou clarifies that Cursed Terrain benefits beings with an evil alignment and weakens neutral and good beings. Since the dark elves are now evil-aligned, the water is harmless to them. To confirm, Gia drinks it himself and finds no issue. Atou further reveals that soon the entire forest will be absorbed into this terrain.
However, Takuto points out a drawback—the ominous appearance of the Cursed Terrain makes their location too obvious. Moltar agrees, noting that if the whole forest turns dark, enemies will easily discover them. As usual, Gia suggests they form an army, but Atou and Takuto reassure him that summoning a hero is their priority.
Moltar, still unclear on what a hero is, prompts Atou to demonstrate. Suddenly, dark tentacles sprout from Atou’s back, effortlessly slicing through nearby trees. She reveals that she herself is a hero, and despite having only 1% of her original power, she could still annihilate entire armies.
Takuto proudly explains to the amazed elves that heroes grow stronger over time, even without doing anything. He then scolds Atou for cutting down the trees unnecessarily and tells her to clean up the mess later. The elves, however, are thoroughly impressed and declare that a king with such powerful subordinates deserves a grand palace.
Though Takuto dismisses the need for a palace, saying it’s unnecessary for now, the elves insist—they refuse to let their king live in the same houses as them. Atou also supports the idea, adding that building a palace would boost the people’s morale. Finally, Takuto agrees, joking that while he’d love to have a flying fortress someday, a regular palace will do for now.
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