In Ark Simulator, why do I always get a tough start?

Chapter 79 Facing the Demon, the Final Sacrifice
As a final monarch, you bid farewell to your empire, your loved ones, and your loyal army.

You, Fremont, and your guide Elchi embark on a journey to the North to confront the demons.

[And during this process, Elki also introduced you to a warrior from Sami.]

[Ektilnir, the leader of the "Wood Crack Tribe," a hero in the hearts of the Samir.]

This warrior is willing to lead the tribe's warriors to create as much of a spectacle as possible, drawing more demons to their side.

He has only one request for you, the "hero" of the prophecy.

[May evil be banished from this land forever.]

With Ectilnir's promotion and Elchi's guidance, who possesses the ability of "prophecy," [the situation became even more complex].

[Without a doubt, you will avoid a great deal of pointless fighting along the way, and the corruption of evil spirits will be greatly reduced.]

But this does not mean that you can be lucky enough to avoid all disasters and face the demons at the northern border in perfect victory.

To avoid getting lost in the wilderness, Elchi must frequently rely on her prophecies.

Even so, she will be subtly and deeply corrupted by evil influences.

[And to facilitate the corruption of evil, your memories will be altered.]

[You chose to record your memories, using Originium Arts, on the raised Letanian banner.]

[In this way, no matter how confused your memories become, as long as you touch the runes created by Originium Arts, you can easily recall your past experiences.]

On your first day deep in the North, you encountered a large number of demons—but they were not strong.

[You don't even need to lift a finger; Fremont and Elchi can easily take care of them.]

On the third day deep into the North, the demons here are becoming fewer, but also stronger.

[Powerful individuals corrupted by demonic influences roam this place; there are Sami, Ursus, and even some soldiers dressed in the uniforms of the Great Yan army.]

You also encountered "The Emperor's Blade," a being whose consciousness had been corrupted by evil spirits, wandering nearby.

It took you some effort to deal with this crazed demonic minion.

[On the seventh day of your trek... to be precise, you've lost all sense of day and night.]

All detectors were rendered useless here; compasses spun endlessly, watches stopped working, and the sky was perpetually shrouded in gloomy, dark clouds.

Silence, loneliness, and fear are constantly eroding your spirit.

Fremont attempted to use spatial magic to retrieve some books from the lich's vault for his amusement, but found that he could no longer cast spatial spells here.

He could only curse angrily a few times, and ultimately nothing came of it.

[Day 10... perhaps.]

Elki's prophetic abilities are becoming increasingly inaccurate.

[In the depths of this demonic realm, even the air is thick with its aura. The demons are subjecting you to relentless, 24-hour attacks and influence.]

You cannot linger in this snowy landscape.

The demonic influence has also affected your brain; you often find yourself unable to recall how to use certain spells.

You might even occasionally forget why you came to this boundless snowy landscape in the first place.

[Worse still, you start to hear countless random, chaotic noises from unknown sources.]

Most of these background noises are indistinguishable to you; only a few words can be heard exceptionally clearly.

Fortunately, whenever you teeter on the brink of collapse, the scalpel you always carry awakens your memories.

[To prevent evil spirits from influencing you and making you forget even the meaning of this scalpel.]

With this scalpel, you carved the name "Jian" onto your arm.

[Day 13. 】

Elki could no longer predict any future events.

Everything ahead was shrouded in mist, leaving only endless black snow corrupted by demonic energy and biting cold winds.

【Apart from that, there is nothing.】

Here, even your voices are taken away; you cannot hear each other's conversations and can only communicate through your eyes.

Loneliness, coldness, deathly silence. These constantly torment your fragile nerves.

You are simply acting on instinct, blindly moving forward.

But you still didn't give up.

Even if you've forgotten where you are.

Even if you've forgotten what the "mace" scar on your arm truly represents.

But that "stubbornness of hatred" still sustains you as you continue forward.

And yet, deep within, a familiar voice, one you've forgotten, calls to you in your mind.

"Come here, child."

“Now is not the time to give up.”

"You are very close to success."

[...Day XX.]

【……who I am?】

Am I lost?

Why is there no one by my side?

Cold. Lonely. Dark.

What exactly is all that's happening before my eyes?

"It is chaos, it is the original state of this world."

Hearing that mysterious call again, you raised your head, your eyes unfocused.

And what appeared before you was a gate of unprecedented size—the Gate of Darkness.

Inside that "door," you'll find a mysterious garden, as chaotic and complex as a starry sky, yet possessing an eerie beauty.

That was a garden of chaos.

And one of the "door's" most strikingly large and hollow "eyes" is staring intently at you.

And now, you can understand its language.

You will then be able to appreciate its existence and its "beauty."

"No need to struggle, no need to resist, child."

"This will be your final resting place, your new home."

"Here, you have everything you want."

"Your home, your lover, your power, your empire."

Before your eyes, this eerie "door" extends its "hands" towards you.

In those empty "eyes," you saw the faces of many familiar faces, faces whose names you had forgotten.

You don't know who they are.

But the warmth that rises in your heart when you see them makes you want to hug them.

"hug me."

"You will have everything you desire."

The "hands" of that "door" are already within reach of you, awaiting your response.

Finally, unable to resist, you reached out your hand—

"—Destroy!"

"boom!!"

Without warning, almost driven by instinct, Chen Qina's Originium Arts were exceptionally refined after inheriting the Witch King's legacy.

Even the simplest spells unleashed tremendous damage that made even demons cry out in agony!
"Buzz!"

In an instant, the moment the "door" felt pain, it was as if the entire snow realm's barrier was affected, and a strong tremor occurred.

At the same time, Chen Qi felt that a small part of the memories shrouded in black mist in his mind seemed to be returning.

"Why?!"

The damaged "gate," its massive chaotic body trembling uncontrollably from the attack, caused the entire snowy realm to shudder in its rage.

But at the same time, its unbelievable roar made Chen Qi even more concerned.

"You have clearly forgotten who you are! Forgotten your purpose!"

"Why would you refuse? Why would you refuse to integrate?"

"—You're right."

Chen Qi slowly drew the "Breath of Kings" from his waist. His expression was calm and composed, but his words still revealed a deep-seated hatred.

"I have forgotten who I am."

"But even if I forget myself, I will never forget who I want to take revenge on!"

"Especially when I already knew what my target of revenge looked like."

"My 'stubbornness for revenge' will never allow me to fall into your hands!"

“——This is impossible!”

The "door" struggled and roared frantically, as if the man before it, the only person it could not understand, was an insurmountable obstacle.

"You've seen us before, so why don't we remember you?"

"Who are you? Where have you seen us before? Why do you know so much about us?"

However, given his lack of understanding of this "spell," Chen Qi had long since lost the will to continue arguing with it. "I'm too lazy to reason with you; you're not worthy to listen."

"Demons that do not belong to this world should go back to their own world!"

Having said that, under your command, endless magical energy launched a raging onslaught against the "door" before them.

Each time your attack effectively damages that "door," the memories that have been obscured in your mind become clearer.

Gradually, your magic grew increasingly ferocious, and the demon's "body" began to be torn apart by your spells!

Finally, it let out an angry roar!

"Ah ah ah ah ah!!"

The sound was as if countless voices were echoing simultaneously.

Those were the voices of people consumed by demons.

"Only you! You're the only one in this world who can stop us!"

"Once we devour you, no one can stop us!"

"As long as I devour you, you're no threat!"

In your eyes, you see the "door" rapidly swelling, and countless dark "stars" in the sky beginning to nourish it.

The "door" stretched out countless tentacles, attempting to pull you into darkness and plunge you into chaos!

But you, driven by a thirst for revenge, remain fearless and undaunted!

You hold high the flag of Letania.

[He drew the "Breath of Kings" from his waist.]

With a roar that signals an imminent charge, we will once again engage in a desperate battle with that demon!

"Give it to me!"

[You roared and raised the "Breath of Kings," severing one of the demon's tentacles.]

"From this world!"

[A flag fell again, and the sharp spear at the top of the flagpole tore open yet another tentacle of the demon.]

"Get out!!"

Endless spells, like the flowing hair of a celestial maiden, poured down upon the demon!

You tore it apart, severed it, and pierced it again and again...

You've forgotten how many times you crushed that demon, and witnessed it repeatedly "resurrect" to launch endless, tireless attacks on you once more.

"We are immortal!"

"Your fate is only to be devoured!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

[But just then, an old, mocking voice suddenly rang out without warning.]

"Then, as long as you get out of this place, what good will it do you even if you're immortal?"

"exile!"

With a sharp, aged shout, a massive, pitch-black coffin appeared before the demon's enormous body.

What's truly horrifying is that the scenery reflected within the enormous black coffin is exactly the same as the "starry sky" within the demon's body!

Now you finally understand who has come to this.

"Old man, you're only arriving now? Were you corrupted by that demonic consciousness and forgot who you are?"

[Amidst your slightly angry teasing, Fremont's figure finally reappeared in the boundless snowy landscape.]

"Kid, now is not the time for sarcastic remarks."

However, knowing he was likely to be at a disadvantage on this topic, Fremont quickly changed the subject and said seriously:

"Although this 'exiled black coffin' can send this ugly thing back to where it came from, I alone still have no way to press such a big lump into the black coffin."

"Simple."

Upon hearing this, Chen Qi revealed a cruel smile.

"Then all we need to do is make a bigger coffin specifically for this demon!"

"...Let me also lend you a hand."

At this moment, Elchi, who was holding a staff not far away, also broke free from the evil influence.

She raised her staff high, unleashing all her dying spells at the demon before her, buying time for the two of them.

Chen Qi then transferred all the remaining power of the Witch King within his body to Fremont!
With the aid of Chen Qi's almost limitless Originium Arts, the "exiled black coffin" in front of the demon also began to expand continuously.

—Until that black coffin is large enough to contain the demon's enormous body.

"exile!"

Fremont roared again, and the huge black coffin seemed to have a suction force, rushing towards the demon!

At this moment, the demon, sensing that it was about to be banished back to the void, finally felt a sense of panic.

"No, no, no!"

"Nothingness, returning to nothingness, spreading nothingness, we will not stop, we will erase all concepts."

"Returning to a world that is inherently nothingness is meaningless; our mission—"

It absorbed the emotions of countless people, turning everything into a void, demonic entity, yet it seemed more like a fusion of myriad emotions.

It is panicking, it is fearing, resisting the return to the world of nothingness.

"Erase all concepts, erase all emotions."

"Release the nothingness, let the nothingness devour this world!"

The demon that was about to be sucked into the "desolate area" by the black coffin suddenly swelled up violently again!

When the endless demonic aura it contained began to spread unchecked, Fremont immediately became aware of the demonic behavior!

"Oh no, this guy's going to self-destruct!"

Fremont roared:
"Stop that ugly thing! If it explodes here, all of Sami—no, all of Terra—will be wiped out!"

"Don't even think about it!"

But the moment Fremont finished speaking, something completely unexpected happened.

At some point, Chen Qi had already thrown the general's flag and the princes' banners into the snow.

Without hesitation, his body rushed towards the direction of the demon!

"Come! Demon! Devour me!"

"Assimilate me into your ranks! Devour everything that belongs to me!"

"If you can do it, then come on!"

"--you!"

As expected, under Chen Qi's roar, the demon that had regarded Chen Qi as the biggest threat stopped its "self-destruction" behavior.

It gazed at Chen Qi, who was getting closer and closer, even reaching out his arms to "embrace" it.

It forgot its fear, forgot the black coffin of exile.

It rushed forward impatiently!

"do not want!"

Fremont roared and screamed, instinctively reaching out to grab Chen Qi's body.

Elchi gazed silently at the scene before her, a scene exactly as she had foreseen, and quietly closed her eyes.

Everything is just as predicted.

The valiant emperor stepped forward at the most critical moment, using his own body as bait to lure the demons back to the void.

It stretched out its "arms" and devoured the emperor, whom it regarded as the only threat.

Along with his thoughts, memories, and even his existence...

They all disappeared from this land.

And it paid a price for it.

It will return to the void of the "Wilderness" forever, until the sea dries up and the rocks crumble.

"boom."

The exiled black coffin devoured everything of the evil spirits and tightly closed its doors.

The banished demon has returned to where it belonged forever.

The only victim was an iron-blooded emperor who possessed the most powerful and influential empire on this land.

The moment the ice and snow, along with the shadow of evil, completely dissipated, everything was over.

This land no longer bears any trace of the emperor.

It was as if he had never existed in this world.

The only proof of his unparalleled achievements is the powerful empire he left behind.

And the Leitanian military flag, which has been deeply embedded in the soil of the North.

The military flag fluttering in the wind silently tells a legend.

There was an emperor.

We have conquered the ends of the earth.

(End of this chapter)