Demons
Demons are mindless creatures, stripped of their humanity and reduced to primal, instinct-driven beings. They exist in a constant state of torment, their sanity fraying as they desperately cling to whatever remnants of themselves remain. Their very essence is a twisted reflection of the agony they have endured, a dark testament to their fall from grace.
Once mortals of various walks of life, demons were corrupted by an overwhelming force. This force is not one born of nature, but of creation itself—an entity of immense power. And that entity is a Guardian, specifically a Warden.
Guardians, in this world, are known for their god-like power, their ability to shape the realms they oversee and to enforce the balance of existence. They are divided into three distinct ranks: Scouts, Sentinels, and Wardens.
Scouts are the lowest tier among the Guardians, and they are also the most unpredictable. Often viewed with suspicion and fear, Scouts are elusive and mercurial, moving between realms with little care for order or structure. Their motives, if they have any, remain unclear, making them dangerous entities who can, at times, exhibit hostility toward the very beings they observe.
Sentinels are seen as the true Guardians. They hold their ground with steadfast resolve, defending the realms under their watch with an unyielding commitment to balance. Sentinels are seen as peacekeepers—protectors who, despite their immense power, desire to avoid conflict in order to ensure that the work of the Wardens is undisturbed. They are formidable in battle but tend to avoid unnecessary aggression, valuing stability above all else.
Wardens, the highest echelon of Guardians, are revered and feared as gods. They are the embodiment of the very forces that shape existence—ice, fire, light, and chaos. Their power is absolute, unrivaled by any other divine entity, and their presence alone can reshape the fabric of reality. However, despite their immense power, they are not divine in nature. The Wardens are beings of sheer might, rulers of their realms, and often viewed as tyrants by the mortals who live under their influence. Of the four Wardens—The Frozen Warden, The Molten Warden, The Heavenly Warden, and The Calamity Warden—only one is not regarded as a tyrant.
The Heavenly Warden stands apart, admired for their impartiality and wisdom. The other three, however, are feared for their destructive tendencies, their harsh rule, and their lack of empathy for those who are not of their creation.
The Wardens are gods in all but name. Their power is such that even the most formidable beings in the multiverse tremble at their presence. It is said that no one has ever dared to assault a Warden, for to do so would mean an irreversible erasure from existence. Should any being rise up against a Warden, they would be swiftly and mercilessly obliterated—sent to the oblivion that awaits those who challenge the absolute might of these deities.
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At some point, I woke up, and to my surprise, the wounds I thought were there had completely vanished. It was as though they had never existed, like some dream that faded with the first light of day. My body felt surprisingly light, almost weightless, and for a moment, I thought I was still dreaming.
"... Okay, what? Where the fuck are they?"
I muttered to myself, trying to process the situation. My assailants—those four assholes who had ambushed me—were nowhere to be found. There were no bodies, no signs of a struggle, not even the faintest trace of their presence. It was as though they had simply disappeared, leaving no footprints, no blood, no lingering scent. It was... unsettling. I scanned the area, half-expecting to catch a glimpse of their silhouettes, but all I saw was the eerie stillness of the place.
Then, a sudden shift in the air—something that felt both familiar and foreign at the same time. A strange sensation, like something was watching me, observing me from the shadows. I couldn't quite place it, but it was enough to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Just as I was about to shake off the feeling, a flashing message appeared in my vision. The system notification blinked ominously, the text almost painful to look at:
[NOTICE!]
Quest: Kill the Assailants
Goal: [4̷̢̧̢̢̢̛̛̘̖̰͓̥̦̭̭̪͙̲͇̻̫̜̜̼̻̼͎̯̞̬̮̦͙̻̝͈̙̳̳͉̇̒̑̾̌̇̏̇̈̏̏̐͐̅̿̀̑́̅̏̾̈́̈́̐̇̂̎͆̓͋̿̑͛̒̍͗͐̾͌̋̎͋́̈́́͒̆͑́̄̐͗̾̓͑̐̐̌̎̊͊͋͒̏́̈̿͌̾̋͆̆̆̽̓̐́̀͌̽̆͛̃̾͊̑͛̚̕͘̕̚̚͘̚̚̚͘͜͠͝͠͝͠͝ͅ/4]
Rewards: 5 Levels, Attribute added to Flare Magic
Failure: Death and Oblivion
[SUCCEEDED!]
Awarded: 5 Levels! New Attribute to Flare Magic!
Host Achieved Level 18!
Available Status Points: 20!
New Attribute Attained: Hasty!
Information Regarding New Attribute Found in System!
"... Okay, now this is more fucking concerning. What the hell is with this text?" I couldn't help but stare at the cursed-looking number "4" in the notice panel. The jagged lines, the distortion of letters, the oddities of the system's display—it all felt... wrong. I could feel my pulse quickening as the weight of it all pressed in on me, the unsettling thought that something beyond my control was influencing this reality.
I shook my head and sighed, trying to calm myself. There was no time to dwell on this. Not now.
"Ill find out later. First, exam task."
I muttered to myself, though the words felt hollow, almost rehearsed. The exam task—the reason I had been thrust into this chaos in the first place—was my priority. I couldn't afford to let myself get distracted by whatever this system was, or the bizarre message that had just flashed before me. I had only an hour left, and as it stood, I had only slain two demons.
The task was simple, but it was not going to be easy. I had to take down ten demons before time ran out. The odds weren't great, and with everything going on around me, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the clock ticking down. Every second that passed felt like an eternity.
The battle, the chaos, the strange new attribute... it all had to wait. For now, the exam was all that mattered. I steeled myself, took a deep breath, and readied my focus. It was time to finish what I started, or else everything I had endured up until this point would be for nothing.
__
Time was ticking down—50 minutes on the clock, and I was rushing.
The best news I had? The powerhouses were no longer around. That meant there were many more demons left for me to kill. The worst news? I had to face groups of them now.
"Flare: Shot!"
One thing I immediately noticed—my magic had changed.
Screak!!!
My Flare magic moved faster than ever before. The cast time and the speed of the attack—everything had sped up. That had to be the effect of the new Hasty attribute. It wasn't just a minor improvement; it was a complete game-changer. My Flare magic was more lethal now, and I could feel the power coursing through me with every spell.
I unleashed the shot, and two demonoids were reduced to ashes in an instant. Both of them were at the same level, but my speed made quick work of them.
[Appraisal]
Demonoid [Lv.27] x2
Strength: 60
Defense: 10
Endurance: 38
Since I burned both to a crisp, the system chimed in with a notification.
[Notice!]
Leveled Up 3x!
Achieved Level 21!
Available Status Points: 32!
I didn't waste any time with the points. There was no time for upgrades right now. I needed to keep moving.
RAAAH!
I heard the battle cry before I saw the demon. Rolling forward, I barely dodged a brutal attack from another demon, its claws slicing through the air with terrifying speed.
[Appraisal]
Demon Bear [Lv.50]
Strength: 70
Defense: 70
Endurance: 60
Sweat beaded on my face as I took in the Appraisal.
Monstrous defense, alright…
I knew how to handle this, though.
Critical points are in the face. They protect it sometimes, so I'll need to get around that.
Dodging another swing from the bear's massive claws, I sprinted through the forest, trying to circle around the lumbering beast. Its size was enormous—way bigger than the bear I fought earlier. It was slower, but it had the power to crush me if I made a mistake.
Quick enough!
I saw my opportunity. I charged for its back, but just as I was closing the gap, the bear spun around, its claws swiping in my direction.
Shit!
"Flare: Burst!"
The magic circle flared up on my chest, and the explosion sent me flying backward. My body collided with the ground, and I barely managed to avoid the bear's claws in the process. I scrambled to my feet, watching as the bear eyed me with the focus of a predator to its prey.
"Fuck you."
I wasn't done yet.
"Flare: Burst!"
I summoned another magic circle, this time right at the back of my thighs and my back. The explosion shot me forward, launching me directly toward the bear. It couldn't react quickly enough—I was already on it.
I grabbed its lower jaw. Through instinct, its teeth sunk into the my hand. The pain shot through me, but it was nothing compared to what those assholes had done to me earlier. This wasn't the worst of it.
"Flare: BURST!"
My palm, pressed against the bear's lower jaw, ignited with a blinding flash. The explosion was deafening, and the bear's jaw was torn from its head in an instant. The beast howled in agony, its body convulsing as the flare burned it from head to toe.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the bear fell lifeless to the ground. But at a cost—my right hand was in bad shape. Blood dripped from it, soaking into the dirt.
"Flare: Heal."
A magic circle appeared on my left palm, but instead of the familiar red fire, green flames erupted from the circle. Slowly, the bleeding stopped, and my hand began to regenerate. The pain faded, but the exhaustion didn't.
Five down, five left.
I was getting closer, but the price was steep. If I kept taking injuries like this, I wouldn't make it to the 10th kill. I couldn't afford to keep fighting like this.
It took about a minute for my hand to heal, and I was back on my feet, my energy slightly restored. Forty-three minutes left on the clock.
"No time to waste."
I gritted my teeth and sprinted forward, determined to hunt down the next five demons.