Incomplete Demon King
The moment he passed through the gate, Choi Jae-jun's body began plummeting downward due to gravity.
The gate, hidden within the hazy clouds, shrank and vanished right after spitting him out.
Whoooosh!
What the hell?
It felt like electricity was crackling through every corner of his body.
It was a phenomenon caused by the nerve bundles in his readjusted body reconnecting.
Wriggle.
And now, his body, which hadn't so much as twitched until this point, finally moved.
He barely managed to turn his head and look down. A vast expanse of yellowish sand dunes stretched to the horizon.
Jae-jun was hurtling toward the ground at an alarming speed.
'Damn it!'
"Hestia!"
A subspace ripped open, and Hestia shot out, snatching Jae-jun midair.
Krooooaaar!
His hands still lacked strength, so Hestia clamped onto his body with her claws.
She circled once grandly before landing atop a suitable sand dune.
Jae-jun staggered to his feet on the sand.
"Thanks."
[Something's different!]
Hestia's bead-like eyes scanned Jae-jun from every angle.
Then she focused intently on his forehead.
[You've got horns too!]
"Horns?"
Jae-jun touched his forehead.
Something was definitely there.
Too small for horns, too protruding for a bump.
'What the hell is this.'
'Status window!'
'Incomplete Demon King?'
HP was a whopping 10,000 too.
Jae-jun's expression was subtle.
'Did I unknowingly select a job when I collapsed?'
His memories were spotty after checking the system window that said he'd died from Kurada Shingo's attack.
'Come to think of it, how did I come back to life?'
Maybe?
Jae-jun opened his inventory to check his items.
Sure enough, the Feather of Resurrection was gone.
'So I died and came back.'
Jae-jun was more nonchalant than expected.
The only thought on his mind right now was that he had to get back somehow and pay Japan and Kurada Shingo back in spades.
Anyway, Incomplete Demon King, huh.
Wonder if his skills changed too.
'Skill window.'
Authorities
Passive Authorities
[Curtain of Darkness (SSS)]
An invisible curtain that always protects the user's body.
Automatically counterattacks when attacked.
Can also transform into shadow form at will to attack enemies.
[Blood Covenant (SSS)]
Share mana with legion subordinates connected to the Incomplete Demon King.
Active Authorities
[Space Slash (S)]
A technique that slashes space itself.
Ignores all defense regardless of strength.
[Shadow Step (SS)]
Can move to any place with a shadow.
Cannot move to spaces smaller than the body.
[Grasp of Demonic Flame (S)]
Freely wield hands of demonic flame from the demon world that won't extinguish until mana runs out unless deactivated by the caster.
[Black Lightning (S)]
Wide-area technique infused with demon world energy; power increases with quantity.
[Sky Piercing Sword (SS)]
First strike pierces defense; second targets vital points.
[Demon King's Salvation (SS)]
Aura that heals allies' wounds and worsens enemies'.
[Raging Storm (SS)]
Unleash demonic flame swords to fell and burn multiple enemies.
[Legion Summon (SSS)]
Call forth subordinates connected via Incomplete Demon King's authority.
[Current assignable subordinates: 55/500]
'What the hell is all this.'
Jae-jun plopped down right there and pored over the authority window one by one.
Not only had every authority surpassed S-rank, but they'd evolved into even higher versions.
'Huh?
Item skills turned into authorities too?'
Only after checking his body did Jae-jun realize all his items were gone.
'Jackpot!'
Thankfully, Michael's sword had transformed into the Incomplete Demon King's sword and remained.
Its shape was unchanged, but the blade, once swirling with red energy, was now pitch black.
'Legion Summon bumped up to SSS-rank.'
The limit had jumped from barely 50 to 500.
With integration of existing subordinates, he could assign 445 more.
Jae-jun crouched on the sandy ground for a good while, examining the authority window.
[I'm hungry!]
That's when Hestia, who'd been flitting around nearby, approached and spoke.
Jae-jun pulled a B-rank magical core and several low-grade ones from his inventory and tossed them to her.
"Eat up, and tell me if you're still hungry."
[Yummy!]
Crunch crunch.
His inventory was stuffed with magical cores from the last hunt.
Hoo—
Anyway, where was this place?
Even from the sky, it had been nothing but yellowish sand to the horizon.
No trees in sight, just direct sunlight beating down.
'Hmm.
Guess I should move for now?'
As Jae-jun stood and shook off the sand, something burst violently through it.
Kieeeek!
It was a lizard covered head to toe in sharp spines, its body the color of the sand.
The difference from a normal lizard? It was the size of a compact car.
"...A monster?"
The lizard monster bristled its spine-like fur and charged at Jae-jun.
Kieeeek!
Jae-jun casually sidestepped and threw a punch.
Splat!
The lizard's head exploded on impact, brains splattering across the sand.
Way too weak for its looks.
Sssslither.
Kieek!
Keeeek!
More of the monsters—apparently its kin—emerged from the sand one after another.
Over ten at a glance.
But it wasn't just lizard monsters.
As sand whipped up, all sorts appeared: massive golems, sand worms, and more.
Grrrrowl!
Kyaak!
'I was feeling numb, but perfect timing.'
Strangely, he felt no fear before the horde.
On the contrary.
He wanted to vent this boiling energy surging through him as soon as possible.
Jae-jun rolled his shoulders and stepped forward.
—
Whoooosh!
Bam!
One punch from Jae-jun shattered the head of a 5-meter stone statue, sending it toppling backward.
He simultaneously reached out toward the earth worms gaping from the sand.
'Black Lightning!'
Black Lightning
Black Lightning cast.
Crackle-zap!
Black lightning sparked from his fingertips, exploding in a flash that swept the desert.
Kuwaaaak!
Monsters directly hit turned to ash, dying without a scream.
Nearby ones writhed, bodies burning as they howled.
Desert Giant Lizard defeated.
Desert Giant Lizard defeated.
...
Desert Giant Lizard defeated.
Kwaak!
As Jae-jun finished his attack, a flying drake dove from the sky toward him.
Its razor fangs closed in, but he felt no threat.
Swoooosh!
The faint shadow-like curtain enveloping Jae-jun's body spread into the air.
The drake's fangs were blocked; it couldn't touch a single hair.
'Curtain of Darkness!'
Curtain of Darkness
Curtain of Darkness cast!
The curtain didn't stop there—it shifted to the form Jae-jun desired.
It seized the drake's jaws and wrenched them apart.
Crunch crack!
The drake's mouth tore open forcibly.
Desert Drake defeated.
"Hoo!
Nice!"
The battle had raged for hours already.
It was like every monster in the desert was swarming him; they kept coming endlessly.
But as time passed, Jae-jun overflowed with even more power.
The more he used his strength, the better his condition got.
Hwoooosh!
A scorpion's stinger shot through the sand toward Jae-jun.
'Shadow Step!'
Shadow Step
Shadow Step cast.
Jae-jun's body instantly erupted from the scorpion's shadow.
The scorpion faltered the moment he vanished.
Snap!
Jae-jun seized its tail with one hand.
Kiiieek!
The giant scorpion thrashed, but it was like a child in an adult's grip.
'Hngh!'
Jae-jun's arm muscles bulged as he poured in raw power—no authority involved.
Craaack!
The tail ripped free forcibly, and the scorpion slumped lifeless.
Desert Venom Scorpion defeated.
Jae-jun looked around.
No more monsters in sight.
"Tch."
Corpses piled like mountains around him, but Jae-jun wanted more.
'Shame.
Hoo.'
'Stat window.'
As expected.
Jae-jun's eyes trembled slightly.
During the fight, he'd clearly sensed his body's unprecedented state.
He'd expected some stat changes, but...
'All at 3000.'
Strong enough to take on Lucifer now, maybe.
That's when a familiar chime rang in his head.
Ding.
Defeat the Demon King and Claim His Castle!
📍 This land is ruled by Demon King Vine!
📍 Slay him and seize the Demon King's Castle!
🎁 Reward 1: Demon King's Castle
🎁 Reward 2: Hestia's Growth
'Hestia's growth?'
—Author's Note—
Thank you.