The Data Demon King

The Data Demon King is a long-running game-type web novel by the online author Bi Xia Jing Mo Shen, serialized on Qidian since 2015 and one of the works in his "Data series." The story breaks convention from the outset: being a demon king is supposed to be boring, magic is tedious and hard to learn, and the demon king selection and the hunts are none of the protagonist's business; what he most wants to do is farm. The million-mu wasteland of Dragon Basin and the goblins overrunning Night Demon Forest are, in his eyes, ready-made land and labor. The novel's core appeal is "demon king farming," turning familiar fantasy tropes such as hero crusades, noble banquets, wizard towers, succubi, and half-elves into a string of snarky slice-of-life and business operations. With an ability like the "data eye," the protagonist views levels, attributes, industries, and relationships as calculable, manageable numbers, and thereby expands his territory, recruits people, and navigates dealings with wizards and nobles in another world, carving out a demon king's path of "neglecting his proper duties." The book's style is light and humorous, with abundant subplots and a slow-burn pace, combining the pleasures of management and farming with fantasy adventure. It suits readers who enjoy unconventional demon king setups and a humorous, snarky writing style.