Mark climbed the pillar under the bridge covertly like a monkey and reached just under the bridge itself. His body was strong, so carrying Dona didn't make much difference in a simple climb.
Fueling himself, he moved to the edge and got a hold of the ledge.
Climbing slightly, he looked into the top of the bridge. A small traffic was around, headlights and horns blaring.
He looked at some of the living beings around, and just as he was planning to move, a truck honked twice and moved slowly in front of him. Its shadow hid the moon from him and he smiled.
Quickly, he rolled up the bridge's ledge and immediately climbed under the truck. Dona, who was unconscious, was held up against his chest, and he finally could feel his heavily beating heart calm down.
He was out of sight but still moving now. He was not stationary.
That mattered.
As he moved with the truck, though, Mark still looked out from under it, and he could barely make out some people. He used his violet screen to see some of their power.
_
[Human]
[𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝟎]
[Physique: 3.1 (Low)]
[Mind: 3.1 (Low)]
[Resistances:
None.]
[Abilities: None]
_
Their weak attributes made Mark sigh inwardly in relief. He had almost thought that the average power of this World that he and Dona had just ended up in was that of the three students, whom he had seen in the school building.
They were too powerful to be average.
All three of them had brokenly good abilities and powerful stats.
Thankfully, they were exceptions.
Thinking of it, Mark even coveted the power of that thin man named Shiden himself, no way he was not special. If all humans had such powers, demons would be nothing. They must be something like superheroes of this world.
But as he was looking at the status of the humans around, he also noticed something different. Even though these people had (Low) level Physique and Mind stat, they didn't have the corresponding resistances.
Reaching that level should have given them the (Low) Physical and Mental Resistance. When Dona reached (3), she got the resistance, and so did he.
Was that aspect unique to Demons?
He himself had reached the Pinnacle of Tier 0 and he was completely immune to all Physical and Mental attacks of this Tier—He had Pinnacle Resistance.
Maybe that alone might even make all the guns and missiles of this world ineffective against him, but Mark was unsure. Only weird and unique powers would work on him—like the powers of the trio from the school.
For now, he needed information before he took any action.
The truck moved out of the traffic and moved on its own solitary path.
Mark wasn't in a rush and just waited under the truck until about a quarter of an hour later, the truck moved into a building's parking lot, and an old man sleepily jumped out of the driver seat.
_
[Human]
[𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝟎]
[Physique: 3.2 (Low)]
[Mind: 3.2 (Low)]
[Resistances:
None.]
[Abilities: None]
_
'So, around (3) was the average of this world's human mind and physique?'
Mark kinda felt that it should be better than Earth. Humans of Earth should barely be around (1) at best, according to his own estimate.
He didn't do anything unnecessary for now and used Heart Input on the old man. Effortlessly, he entered the old man's mind.
Face paling immediately, Mark was overwhelmed by the near-infinite amounts of things the old man was thinking about. The thoughts the old man wouldn't go against could only be said to be numerous.
Morals, principles, beliefs, and way many more. Sentient creatures had so much barriers of their own. Demon mind and Human mind was such a drastic difference!
Still, Mark used an Input.
"Leave your smartphone unlocked in your truck. Along with your truck's key."
The old man paused for a moment, scratched his bald head, then shook his head.
He muttered, "Why would I do that? So much trouble, I will have to go up and return to take it back. Am I already growing senile or some shit?"
With that, the old man entered an elevator, and it closed.
Mark crawled out from under the truck, his golden eyes contemplative and serious. Killing the old man was easy, but there was no need to. It would just reveal his location if the news blew up of a murder.
Even if he got the measly amount of Soul Spheres of killing the old man, it wouldn't amount to anything since he had already reached the limit of Tier 0. Now, he had to break through that first.
He was in some kind of bottleneck and he still had no idea how to break past that to become a Tier 1 being.
Click.
The elevator had returned back and with the small crack on it, he could see that no one was inside. Rather contemplative, Mark moved into it and pressed the highest floor.
The elevator moved up slowly, and Mark nostalgically looked around for a second before shaking his head.
A violet screen popped up before him.
This had appeared just after he entered this world but he had never bothered checking it, not until now.
_
[Using a Private Portal Key as a medium, you have entered a Public Portal from the Demon World—You have entered the Hunter World.]
[Strongest Powers of this World—Tier 2].
[You have received a mission from the Will of the Demon World. Complete the mission to make the Demon World open a private portal back to the Demon World for you—or you can find a Public Portal and return through that.]
[Mission: Make an entire Nation of the Hunter World into your Dungeon and take complete control over it, then hand over your control to the Demon World.]
[Rewards:
1. A Seal of Destiny.
2. A Portal Key to an unconquered World.]
_
Mark cursed softly.
'So the Demon World's Will wants its Demons to conquer Other Worlds and give what they conquered to it? Is this for expanding its own territories?'
Even worlds were greedy?
Moreover. Conquer an entire Nation of the Hunter World?
He was a Tier-0 weakling, and there were supposedly Tier-2 beings here.
How was he supposed to do such a ridiculous thing?
But the rewards were indeed enticing. He already had a Seal of Destiny that could help him steal someone's ability.
He would be able to steal another ability for himself if he got one more Seal of Destiny. It could help him takeover the abilities of anyone he kills and that was a really beautiful prospect. Yet, another Portal Key didn't sound bad either.
It was an whole other gold mine.
But take over an entire nation? Where people twice as strong as him existed?
Mark smirked. He did have his advantages.
But if he were to dominate a place, why should he give it over to the Demon World just because it said so?
Then, he saw another screen, which made his smirk wider.
_
[Demonic Heart]
[Desire:
Fight a colossal Giant head-on. (Incomplete)
Reward: 100 Years of Longevity]
[Soul Longevity: 36 Years]
_
"Indeed, I have to rough them up once, or it just wouldn't do it!"
Giants, so colossal their heads could pierce the clouds. Of course, he was scared and horrified at the sight. He could barely stand their pressure. But he too, could one day be at their level.
He wanted to fight them!
He wanted to see eye-to-eye with them!
His heart burst with virtuous desire!
Ah! This was it!
He didn't want to die, and of course, he didn't want to barely survive. After gaining some abilities and tricks, he had become a bit cocky and had thought of himself as too almighty. The giant slap was a good wake-up call.
Mark now knew his hubris. He was nothing but weak.
But he had no plans to remain here forever. He wanted to see that mountain from the top even more. How did it feel to be a giant looking down at everything? He wanted to fight them and find out!
And his Demonic Heart rewarded him for following his desires!
The elevator came to a halt, and Mark looked in front of him with a wary gaze.
Would I have to kill?
An empty corridor full of closed rooms greeted him, and Mark slowly walked forward. His sense of smell was incredibly vivid, so he could sense that people were in most of the rooms.
His hearing was not bad either and he could hear some faint conversations around.
Humans.
He was not amidst Demons now but among humans.
That weighed down on him.
Is this a hotel?