My Demon System : From Outcast To Hunter

Amid the chaos unleashed by the system, turning the place into ruins in an instant and leaving Serum in unprecedented terror, a shrill ringing echoed in Itaru's mind. He could barely hear the murmurs of the townsfolk gathering around him.

"Look at the healer, Serim—she's on the ground! This hasn't happened in over three hundred years! Who is he?"

One of the locals spoke. The moment Itaru opened his crimson eyes, a wave of dread pulsed through their hearts. His gaze, filled with the promise of doom, froze them like statues.

"Master Itaru, th-there are signs of Prince Kairon's soldiers around the area. We must go to the fortress—they're powe..."

It was York's voice, which trailed off the moment he saw Itaru's appearance. Small black runes marked his hands, and a lethal aura blazed around him.

The ground beneath his feet had cracked, stretching across a wide area.

"That's the effect of opening the sub-gates within his body..."

Serum muttered, her pupils dilated in terror—terror York had never seen in her before.

'This boy… no, this being… he's not normal. His power surpasses even the Demon Kings. I wonder what it will be like if he ever opens his peak gate...'

Serim knew: one wrong move—no matter how small—would spell their end.

There was no time for York to announce their new leader to the locals. With Prince Kairon's forces approaching, the situation was deteriorating quickly. Even now, Itaru continued to surprise him—his overwhelming power knew no bounds.

"I swear, the high seers will sense the birth of this energy..."

A hunched beast dragged its robes as it made its way through the stunned monsters. Yet Itaru remained within the realm of his own mind.

"Daid, you must return home—your aura is weak,"

Serim approached the old creature despite knowing she was putting herself in danger. Itaru was still unconscious, showing no reaction at all.

"Heh, little one, how could I miss such an event? It's rare—almost impossible—for someone to possess seven hundred energy gates. He transcends being a mere demon."

The old beast mumbled with a satisfied smile. At least before disappearing from this world, he had witnessed one of its strangest wonders.

"He is not alone. There's something else inside him—a ghost, perhaps a presence... a being..."

Serum wanted to explain what the system had threatened her with—but her voice was cut off, as if she hadn't been speaking at all.

[Did you not learn your lesson, you worthless insect?]

That jolt in her heart brought her crashing to her knees, paralyzed. The system had gone completely out of control.

Itaru felt his toes sinking into a gel-like fluid. His shoulders bore the weight of entire mountains. Yet amid the pain flooding every cell of his body, he felt… calm. A strange, euphoric peace.

Yes, he could sense those around him—their fearful gazes, the shivering of their bodies, their held breaths.

'It feels... amazing to be feared. To have everyone terrified of you,'

Itaru thought. He could sense them—a squad of a hundred soldiers drawing near.

"They'll arrive in four… three… two..."

Itaru spoke softly. Dust filled the air, clouding visibility for a brief moment. All the citizens around him now had weapons pointed at their heads.

"Tell me, you wretches… who is the Dragon Slayer?"

A voice boomed from atop a massive beast. Each of its steps released black waves across the area.

"That's Commander Endo, of the reconnaissance division. A PS-ranked elite—among the strongest in the prince's army,"

Itaru heard Maylo's voice from a hundred meters away. Yes… that woman had done something to his body. His senses were now unbelievably sharp.

All eyes turned toward Itaru as he stepped forward slowly—like a warrior who had just survived a war between realms, in a body that barely obeyed him.

"Wow. I didn't expect the prince to send one of his top men just to die at my hands. Run—I'm still being generous."

His voice held a mocking tone. He knew he was risking provoking this man into losing control. He also knew that this trick wouldn't work every time. But something inside him—a raw, primal desire—pushed him further. A desire he didn't yet understand how to satisfy.

'What's with this arrogant bastard?'

Endo thought, clearly noticing the immense aura surrounding Itaru. A single glance was enough to realize this man had just opened his energy gates.

"A man barely standing on his own power… You think you can defeat me just because of a little surge of energy? Haha, I'd like to see you try."

Endo spoke as he glanced at the rest of the townsfolk. They stood frozen—not out of fear of the prince's army—but from terror of that boy.

[Auto-activation: Demon Blood Skill]

[Tracking Mode Enabled]

[Demon Blood Mission: Kill Prince Kairon's soldiers. Quench the thirst for blood. Spread fear into the hearts of those around you.]

System messages appeared before him. Was this truly a desire to kill?

Is this what it felt like to want someone dead?

'Does it matter who's right or wrong, who the villain is? In the end, all that matters is who finds a reason to steal the other's soul,'

Itaru thought as he looked at himself. Clearly, this system was trying to strip him of his humanity. But what's the point of humanity, when he had always been treated like a demon—just for being different? For being just like them.

They were the ones who cast him out. They cursed him. They didn't deserve to live.

His nails began to grow—no, claws. Was he angry? Who said he was angry?

The wide grin on his face as he tilted his head made not only the townsfolk but even the guards behind them step back in fear.

"Who wants to die first?"

His voice echoed directly inside their minds. His gaze pierced their souls.

So this is what it's like… to open one's physical gates…

Many of the citizens had gone through that experience themselves, but none had ever produced such terrifying results as Itaru did.

His steps were as fast as raindrops in a stormy night. He could feel even the tiniest dust particle within a hundred-meter radius.

Then came the splash—blood on his face—as his claws pierced through the body of one of the guards standing between him and Endo.

Endo had thought it was all just a bluff… until he saw Itaru's smile.

A terrifying, genuine smile.

As if he had completely lost his mind.