EP1. Mana Level at MAX?

The demon grinned in delight.

He'd been worried about his first contract, but he'd effortlessly claimed a human soul.

And not only that—the human's contract condition was to gain power that no one could ignore!

To him, an upper demon, making someone stronger was as easy as rotting the apple right in front of him with a flick of his will.

'What an idiot.'

The demon sneered coldly down at Jae-jun's corpse.

He hadn't told Jae-jun when he'd take his soul as payment or how he'd make him strong.

There was a trap in that omission.

He'd strengthen Jae-jun's body as per the contract.

And at the same time, he'd absorb Jae-jun's soul and slip into his body himself.

At first, Jae-jun's soul would linger, but as time passed, it would gradually be devoured by his overwhelmingly powerful one.

'And in the end, only I'll remain.'

Gaining a human body and soul at once.

For a demon who'd always yearned for the human world, it was the perfect deal.

The demon lifted Jae-jun's corpse with an intangible force.

Blood dripped thickly from the limp, swaying body.

'So this is the fatal wound?'

The demon's finger plunged into the gash on his chest and withdrew.

The flesh was torn, and bones were fractured in multiple places.

'First, optimize the body.'

Living in a human body meant he could no longer use his demonic powers.

He regretted losing access to his immense authority, but there was no choice.

So before entering, he planned to reinforce this body to its utmost limits.

Clotted blood oozed from the demon's fingertip.

The glistening crimson liquid was absorbed into the chest wound.

Crack, crunch—

The corpse's body stretched and twisted in places, its skeleton reshaping.

It was transforming into the optimal condition a human body could achieve.

Following that, a dark crimson energy poured from the demon's hand.

It was highly refined mana.

'Force mana into this body.'

Jae-jun's body had pathetically low mana.

He intended to cram it in and build it up by force.

The body, optimized by the demon's blood, soaked up the mana like a sponge.

If other hunters heard this, they'd pop their eyes out and scream it was impossible.

Hunters who shelled out fortunes for elixirs just to squeeze ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out a tiny bit more mana.

It was that difficult—but for him, a single gesture sufficed.

As Jae-jun's body soaked in mana, it trembled violently.

Mana coursed through his veins in place of the blood that had mostly spilled out.

Gradually, his hair and irises shifted color to the same dark crimson as the demon's mana.

'Perfect. Preparations complete.'

The demon squeezed his eyes shut.

His hands clenched involuntarily with tension and excitement, trembling.

The demon's spiritual body crumbled, seeping into Jae-jun's corpse.

The chest wound slowly knit closed, healing without a scar.

But aside from Jae-jun's original The Gamer ability and the modified body, the demon's authorities faded away.

Thump.

Finally, Jae-jun's stopped heart began to beat again.

Thump.

Thump.

Flash.

Jae-jun's eyes snapped open, their dark crimson irises gleaming fiercely.

'Feels awkward.'

The human body felt laughably weak to the demon.

It would take time for his spirit to settle in.

Jae-jun's eyes drifted shut as he delved into his inner world.

Then a chime rang in his head.

It was his ability, The Gamer.

Ding.

But Jae-jun, already deep in his inner world, didn't see the system window.

And the frozen time began to flow again.

The goblin that had stabbed Jae-jun soon had its head lopped off by the hunters.

Only then did Park Uncle approach him.

"Jae-jun!

Are you okay?"

He'd seen Jae-jun impaled right beside him.

Knowing survival was unlikely made it all the more heartbreaking.

"Huh?"

But up close, there was no massive chest wound.

Just blood on his torn clothes.

And Jae-jun had simply passed out.

"No wound?"

Hearing Park Uncle mutter, the crowd chimed in.

"What, he fainted again?"

"Knew it!

Haha."

They mocked Jae-jun, but Park Uncle couldn't join in.

'Huh? I clearly saw the spear go in. Weird.'

Was it an illusion?

Park Uncle tilted his head.

Jae-jun, rushed to the hospital, underwent every test imaginable.

Aside from faint abrasions on his chest, nothing was wrong.

Even the skeptics left in disbelief.

Though Jae-jun's body was unconscious, his brain was dozens of times more active than normal.

A human brain lacked the capacity to handle the demon's mighty soul.

So the demon had halted bodily functions, channeling all power to the brain.

To embed even a fragment of himself in Jae-jun's body.

Riiip—

Something tore, and Jae-jun's brain expanded endlessly.

While collapsed, it surpassed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠human limits, becoming dozens of times more active.

In the process, Jae-jun's memories naturally absorbed into the demon—from his sister Hye-seon to moments before death.

But then.

A variable emerged.

Jae-jun's soul, which should have been helplessly devoured, began absorbing the demon's instead.

This was due to The Gamer readjusting.

It saw the demon's soul as foreign matter in Jae-jun's body.

The souls and ability clashed in turmoil.

Then The Gamer found a solution.

Not absorption, but complete fusion!

After the chime, Jae-jun's and the demon's souls began blending perfectly.

The world's drastic changes began three years ago with the dungeon break.

Awakened people appeared, called hunters.

Jae-jun was one of them.

Soon after, Hye-seon suddenly vomited blood and collapsed.

'Mana incompatibility.'

The Hunter Association named the disease.

Bodies breaking down from inability to adapt to the mana flooding the world.

Treatment to merely halt symptoms cost a fortune.

For his sister, Jae-jun took any grueling job.

An ordinary person would click their tongue in admiration at such sacrifice.

But the demon, watching Jae-jun's life, thought simply:

'Pathetic.'

The demon had lived ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠solely for himself.

And always would.

Opposing natures fused, birthing a third personality.

Ironically, even as they merged, the souls remained oblivious, becoming one.

The first to greet Jae-jun as he opened his eyes was none other than Choi Sung-woo.

"Finally awake, huh."

The hospital room wall rippled, and Choi Sung-woo stepped out.

His face was coldly set.

During the dungeon raid, a casualty occurred because Jae-jun ignored orders and acted on his own—a report reached his brother, the vice-guild master of Another Guild.

He'd been chewed out endlessly.

And now he had to personally deliver compensation and an apology to Jae-jun, whom he saw as worse than trash.

'Fuck.'

Choi Sung-woo had sneaked in using stealth to avoid witnesses.

"You're awake.

Should've just died."

Choi Sung-woo's finger jabbed Jae-jun's chest.

"Know what I went through because you uselessly collapsed?"

The demon—no, Jae-jun—recalled memories of the man.

Moments later, info on Choi Sung-woo surfaced.

"Choi Sung-woo.

Brother of Another Guild vice-guild master Choi Sung-ho."

Choi Sung-woo's smirk deepened.

"D-rank hunter who struts around like a hyper monkey because he trusts his brother.

Right?"

"What?

One near-death and your brain's fried?

Struts around like a hyper monkey?"

Choi Sung-woo's face twisted.

He drew his sword from his waist.

His murderous glare fixed on Jae-jun.

"Was gonna toss you some cash and call it done.

Guess I'll cripple an arm instead."

As he advanced on Jae-jun, Choi Sung-woo suddenly flinched and leaped back.

'What the—?'

A sense of wrongness.

Staring into Jae-jun's eyes, inexplicable dread washed over him.

Like prey before a predator.

'Me? Afraid?'

Rage boiled until his teeth ground.

Choi Sung-woo channeled energy into his sword and swung at Jae-jun's arm.

He trusted this A-rank weapon more than anything, courtesy of his brother.

Monsters slain by it proved its worth.

"Gasp."

But today marked its end.

The blade halted before Jae-jun's palm, as if resisting futilely.

Even yanking did nothing; an invisible grip held it fast.

"W-what the hell!"

Whoosh—

Flames leaked from Jae-jun's palm, creeping along the frosty blade toward Choi Sung-woo's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠arm.

'Damn it!'

Choi Sung-woo released the sword and retreated.

But the fire leaped like a viper, biting his throat.

"Gaaah!"

His neck skin blackened instantly.

The blaze spread, unrelenting.

"S-spare me!"

Even as his body burned, Choi Sung-woo lunged for the door.

But it wouldn't budge, as if sealed.

The ceiling sprinklers stayed inert.

In agony, Choi Sung-woo screamed his last, writhing until he crumbled to ash.

"Burn eternally in hell's flames, even in death."

Jae-jun flicked his hand; the ashes scattered on the wind, vanishing without trace.

He picked up the fallen sword.

Then a chime rang, a window appearing before his eyes.

Ding.