My Demon System : From Outcast To Hunter

Itaru stared at the two beasts beneath his feet and shook his head.

"I can help you. I don't promise results that will please you, but they'll certainly serve my interests."

He took a deep breath. The pain in his arm was nothing compared to the shattering of his soul when his city—and the ones he loved—abandoned him.

"By the way, why did that arrogant prince, Kairon, force you to work in the mines extracting those crystals? There must be a noble reason, of course."

Itaru tilted his head back. If his guess was right, Kairon was trying to empower himself. Those lava crystals were among the most potent and stimulating elements in existence.

York glanced at Maylo, who wore a scowl on his face. York then spoke in a more sorrowful tone,

"After the Demon King was slain by his own daughter, Princess Everon, many disasters and strange shifts fell upon our world. Prince Kairon is trying to win the heart of his fiancée, Vilerona—Everon's sister—as a way to pave his path to the throne."

York clearly despised the method Prince Kairon was using.

"Instead of defeating the fifteen legendary clan chiefs, that damned Kairon is climbing over a woman to reach the throne of power. Damn people like him—they don't deserve to breathe,"

York thought, clenching his fist against the ground. For some reason, Itaru felt a need to comfort him.

"If he wanted to seduce a girl, why not go after the one who killed her own father? She'd be a better card to play,"

Maylo stood and bowed slightly, then added,

"No one's been able to get close to Princess Everon. No one. She only listens to her sister. Because of these two sisters, the demon world has lost its balance. Excuse me, sir—I must go."

It was as if a bitter memory had crossed Maylo's mind.

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[Does your wound hurt? I can end your pain. You'll never feel anything again, even if you're injured a thousand times. Isn't it pain that holds you humans back? Isn't it what stops you from trying, from moving forward, from living?]

The system's voice echoed in Itaru's mind. His arm hurt, sure—but what really pained him was betrayal by his only love Lavia. 

And that demon princess how could she kill her own father just for a throne? Could it really be that simple? The thought consumed him.

[Think carefully, player. This is a power outside the system—one of my custom features.]

The voice faded from his mind. The disappearance of pain would only make life easier—but it would also numb the feeling of betrayal from the one he once loved.

"Losing my pain would mean... losing my humanity. That's what you want, system. Heh."

He muttered as he got up from bed, dizzy, clutching his head. Every cell in his body ached. He wanted to destroy everything around him.

"Damn it... what is this?"

Itaru gasped, looking around. The room was unchanged. The two others showed no hostility. But then the door opened, and a girl stepped in.

She had horns like a goat's—but larger and darker. She wore a brown cloak, faceless and footless, only a glow of light outlining her floating body. Her energy aura was immense. York and Mailo quickly took notice of her arrival.

"Back to bed, patient. The medicine hasn't taken effect yet,"

Her voice alone made Itaru's body weaken. Who was she, and why did his legs obey her command, retreating back to bed?

"I'm Sirem, the region's healer. As long as you're under my care, I'll ensure your recovery—by any means necessary."

She pushed him down with such force that he collapsed onto the bed. He barely turned his head to see York and Mailo leaving. Were they afraid of this woman? Impossible.

"Don't worry, sir. Healer Sirem is the best in the Prestige Clans Alliance,"

York said with a bow before exiting and closing the door. Meanwhile, Sirem had started mixing some glowing solutions that bewitched his eyes.

"What's a human doing here? You can fool others with your little disguise, but that weak, useless body with no resistance to external dangers—it can only belong to a human. All demons have self-healing abilities."

Wait... what did this arrogant woman just say?

"A little disguise? As far as I know, I'm not pretending. What the hell is she talking about? She's getting on my nerves,"

He thought, though his face remained cold and still. She was powerful—no doubt about that.

"Yes, I'm human. And I came to rule the demon world."

Itaru grabbed her sleeve before she could apply the liquid to him. Sure, he was in terrible shape, but no one had the right to underestimate him.

Sirem looked into his eyes, trying not to laugh.

"Demon King? You? That's not delusion—it's insanity. But... well done. I haven't laughed in years."

She sprinkled the liquid on his body. The drops froze mid-air.

"Because of that, I'll be merciful and grant you a favor. I'll open your energy gates—allowing you to reach, and even surpass, your physical limits. That should help with your little dream. Heh... good luck."

Her laughter echoed as the room began to shake. As the energy circles opened, Itaru's body remained frozen—paralyzed by the liquid, unable to move.

"You are... different for some reason,"

Sirem murmured, her face shifting to disbelief.

"I just started opening his internal gates... humans shouldn't have this many gates."

Still, she continued. Only one large gate remained.

With each one she opened, Itaru felt his bones shatter. The pain was unbearable.

The last gate pulsed like a heart—ancient, dangerous. Even Sirem hesitated.

[Stop. This is your limit. His peak point must not be opened by anyone but me.]

[No pathetic creature like you has the right to tamper with my puppet. Know your place, Sirem.]

[Itaru is my special, I'm the only one responsible for gaining him power,] 

The system's voice now echoed in Sirem's mind. She collapsed to the ground. The windows shattered. The walls cracked around her.

"Who the hell are you Itaru?" 

Serim shouted while stepping back. 

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