Time seemed to stop, and only Kae was unaffected by it. The Malumbra, which was about to devour Kae moments before, was also caught in the time freeze. Kae managed to free himself from its grip, falling to the ground with a thud, sending waves of pain through his body due to the height he fell from. Everything in the illusion world was affected by the time freeze.
A holographic screen appeared before Kae, displaying a list of information.
(Congratulations, host. You've awakened the evil system.)
{Loading host information...
Name: Kael Darkhaven.
Race: Human, Demon.
Age: 25
Physique: 18
Affinity: 18
Cultivation Level: 0
HP: 100
Mana: 120
Stats:
Strength: 20
Stamina: 18
Agility: 16
Defense: 14
Intelligence: 10
Perception: 12
Killer Instincts: 8}
"Huh? Demon? Killer Instincts?" Kae murmured under his breath as he read the words before him.
{Yes! You can't just be human and survive in this world. You have to cultivate to become a demon, and yes, your killer instinct isn't strong yet, so you must work on that.}
{Now, the real question is... do you accept?}
"You see, I'm not really interested in this world. I'm not even a fan of reading transmigration novels, so I don't understand why I was chosen. Can you just send me back to my world? The idea of being eaten by a monster is heartbreaking, but now that you're here, just reward me with an easy death," Kae replied, frustration in his voice.
{You must complete your mission in this world, host. You can't die yet!}
"Don't tell me that crap, system. I'm not interested in a world where female monsters use men as sex slaves. I'm not interested in a cultivation world. I'm not interested in any of this nonsense, so send me back to my world," Kae retorted, his voice filled with anger.
{As I said earlier, it's impossible, host. You've been chosen by the universe, and therefore, the mission must be completed before you can return to your world.}
"Now that's bullshit. Fine! If you won't kill me, I might as well just kill myself then," Kae yelled, his voice determined as he glared at the system.
{For every intentional death attempt by the host, there will be extreme punishment}
"Are you kidding me? How can you make choices for me about death? You should find someone else to complete this mission and spare me," Kae shouted, his body tensing up in anger.
There was total silence as the system refused to speak.
"What? You're ignoring me now?" Kae asked, breaking the awkward silence, his hands placed on his waist in frustration.
{Do you agree to bind with the evil system, host?}
"Argh... This is so annoying. Evil system? Does that mean I'll be doing evil in this world?" Kae asked, exasperation evident in his tone.
{Yes! Evils that would be to your advantage.}
"Is this system kidding me? It's quite cunning and wicked. Why the hell do I have to complete a mission before I can go back to my world?" Kae thought out loud.
{Host, you have to hurry to bind with the system before the time freeze is over.}
{10... 9... 8... 5…}
"Huh? Why did you skip numbers? I'm trying to think here," Kae questioned, his hand placed on his chin.
{There's not much time left, host. The freezing spell will soon be over, and everything will return to normal.}
'I can't die willingly. I guess I'll have to stay in this world much longer than I can imagine,' Kae thought to himself, heaving a sharp sigh.
{3... 2…}
"I agree!" Kae blurted out with a determined expression. "I agree to bind with the evil system."
{Great choice, host. If you had delayed any longer, you wouldn't just die, but your soul would cease to exist in this world and your own world. Your punishment wouldn't just be based on receiving heavenly punishment.}
'This system is cunning. What do I expect? It's an evil system, and it's fond of doing evil,' Kae thought, a smirk spreading across his face.
{Binding system serializing…}
A smoky hand materialized before Kae. "What's that?" Kae asked, puzzled.
{Let your hand touch it. That's the way of signing the agreement.}
Kae hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand and slapped it against the smoky hand. Suddenly, an excruciating pain coursed through his body, sending him crashing to the floor. His body felt like it was on fire, as if it would burst into a thousand pieces at any moment.
"Arrrgh..." Kae screamed, his vision blurring.
But then, just as quickly as it had begun, the pain vanished.
{Binding system successful.}
Kae lay on the floor, panting heavily, his body still reeling from the agony. As he struggled to his feet, he noticed something was off. His eyes, once black, had turned a deep red, like molten lava. Everything around him was bathed in a reddish hue.
"What's wrong?" Kae asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why is my vision red?"
{Congratulations, host. You've unlocked the demon's eye. These eyes can see through the darkest soul of anyone, human or supernatural. They will also aid you in locating the Malumbra core.}
Kae's gaze swept his surroundings, taking in the eerie red landscape. He felt a shiver run down his spine as he realized the true extent of his newfound power.
Kae's eyes widened as he experimented with his new vision. He could see the auras of the objects around him, a swirling mix of colors that revealed their deepest secrets. He saw the faint glow of magic emanating from the system.
"What else can I see?" Kae asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
{The demon's eye reveals the true nature of all things. You will see the darkness that lurks within every heart, and the light that struggles to overcome it.}
"How do I conceal it?" Kae asked.
{You just have to say it in your mind, and it'll be gone. Whenever you summon it in your heart, it will appear.}
Kae decided to try it by wishing for the demon eyes to disappear, and they did, his vision returning to normal. When he called for them in his heart to appear again, they did.
"Whoa!" Kae exclaimed, his face beaming with excitement. His gaze soon fell upon the Malumbra, its body a twisted mass of shadowy tendrils. But with his new vision, he saw something more—a glowing core of energy, pulsing with a malevolent life of its own.
"That's the core," Kae said, his voice filled with wonder. "I can see it now."
{Congratulations, host. Everything will return to normal now as the freezing spell is over. Good luck in getting the monster core.}
"Let me remove and destroy its core before the time freeze is over. It's only easy since it's not fighting back," Kae suggested. But the time freeze stopped, the holographic screen vanished, and Kae was back in his world of horror, the Malumbra wreaking havoc everywhere with its hand, releasing dark magic.
"That damn system!" Kae cursed, gritting his teeth.
Kae sprinted towards the Malumbra, his eyes fixed on the glowing core. The creature's twisted tendrils flailed wildly, striking down competitors with ease. Kae dodged and weaved, avoiding the Malumbra's attacks with his newfound agility.
"We're all going to die," a man cried, but his words were soon cut short as the Malumbra grabbed him by the head and devoured him.
As Kae approached the core, he could feel its dark energy coursing through his veins. He raised his hand, and to his surprise, a blast of red energy shot out, striking the core with incredible force.
The Malumbra let out a deafening screech as its core began to destabilize. Kae took advantage of the distraction to strike again and again, each blast of energy fueled by his growing rage.
The competitors, emboldened by Kae's actions, launched their own attacks. The air was filled with the sound of clashing steel and the stench of dark magic.
Kae's vision turned red as he unleashed his full fury upon the Malumbra. He could see the threads of energy connecting the creature's tendrils, and with a swift strike, he severed them, crippling the Malumbra's defenses.
With one final blast of energy, Kae destroyed the core, banishing the dark magic that had fueled the Malumbra's rampage. The creature let out a defeated screech before dissipating into nothingness.
The competitors cheered, their faces filled with relief and admiration. Kae stood tall, his chest heaving with exhaustion, his eyes still glowing red with the power of the demon's eye.
As the Malumbra dissipated, the illusion world around it began to unravel. The dark skies cleared, revealing a bright blue expanse above. The twisted, nightmarish landscape transformed into a desolate, barren plain.