'It's true. In a way, I didn't have to kill. I could have survived on the Tenth Floor. Pathetically, staying there forever, only fighting and eating when I needed to. But what kind of life is that? I am a Monster. And I've killed many, just like me. I devoured all of them to get stronger. I devoured all of them, to get to the top. The top...?'
Mark let his back hit the ground.
'The top of... What? This Dungeon? Sure, but... That's not quite it. Tsk.'
Ever since Mark's dream, it seemed like these kinds of wavering thoughts became more frequent.
'I do not know who I was during my previous life. A good person? A bad one? A murderer? A normal person? What's a normal person anyway? Who's to say what's normal and what isn't?'
Annoyed by his own thoughts, Mark stood up.
'I've already made up my mind. Human? Demon? Those labels don't matter. Not at all. Because...'
At the thought, a huge amount of Aura covered Mark's entire body.
'I am now a different person. A new person.'
The Aura around Mark shined red.
'Even my name is just a distant memory. I do not know right from wrong. All I know... That's right. All I know, is this hunger inside of me.'
The Aura around him grew more intense.
Fiercer.
'This hunger that pushes me to devour and get stronger. This desire to trample over my enemies and make their strength mine. That. Is all that matters. After getting a taste of fighting, of getting stronger... After getting a taste... Of my enemies' blood...'
Mark felt a chill go down his spine.
'It might be messed up, but... This feeling. The feeling I get when fighting, devouring... The feeling after winning a close fight... There's nothing like it. A peaceful life? Hahaha. How could I choose that? I'm sure my first life was peaceful enough. I can't remember it, but how gruesome could it have been?'
Cracks appeared on the ground, due to Mark's Aura.
'A King? Sure, why not? A Demon King? That sounds even better. Just the sound of it makes my heart pound like crazy.'
A devilish smile appeared on his face.
'Mm.' Mark nodded to himself. 'That's what I'll become. With this monstrous body of mine, I'll make this new world mine.'
Mark spread his draconic wings wide.
'It's just like the Lich said... Nothing more than a stepping stone. Not just this Guardian. All of them... This whole Dungeon is a stepping stone. Isn't that right? Then... Me becoming a Demon King, that's what the System wants too, right?'
[The System has no will.]
[The System is but an effect of your Title "System's Holder".]
'It doesn't matter who it is. Whether it's the System or those who have given me this Title, I'll... Yeah. I'll conquer this new world.'
Mark could feel chills all over his body.
'I'll do it... Because I can. With this body...'
Mark lowered his gaze.
Staring at his fist, his smile grew wider.
'...I have no limits.'
Realizing his train of thought, Mark felt surprised for a second.
Psychotic laughter echoed throughout the whole Floor.
Mark laughed.
And not only at his thought of conquering the Higher World, a world he knew practically nothing about.
Mark laughed at his own belief too.
'I truly believe... I can do it.'
But reality is bound to catch up to fantasy.
Mark shook his head.
'I need information about the outside world...'
He turned his gaze towards the Guardian's shattered skull.
'This guy is the only Monster who could talk so far. I'm sure he will have a lot to say. Oh. Since he is an Undead Monster, I wonder if I will revive him as an Undead Lich or-'
But as soon as Mark's long tail touched the skull, a message appeared.
[You cannot revive the target.]
[Appropriate compensation is being calculated...]
'Compensation? Because I cannot revive him?'
[Correct.]
The Aura around Mark's body grew darker.
The cracks on the ground spread, appearing on the ceiling and walls of the room.
'Compensation...? So it's not that I can't. It's because the System is preventing me from reviving him?'
[The System has no will.]
'So the System can limit my strength? The power I fought to obtain? The power I risked my life for over and over again?'
[The System has no will.]
In front of the silent and unmovable wall that was the System, the anger that made Mark's blood boil couldn't do a thing, but slowly fade away.
Once he had calmed down,
'Why can't I revive him?' Mark asked telepathically.
[That information is unavailable.]
Mark raised his gaze towards the cracked ceiling.
'A king to all, but a slave to the System? Am I supposed to become something like that?' He asked himself.
His fierce Aura slowly faded.
There was too much that Mark did not know.
About the Higher World.
About those who brought him to this Higher World.
About the System.
And so, there was only one thing he could do for now.
[You have gained 8000 Evolution Points.]
[You have devoured a Floor's Guardian.]
[Calculating appropriate reward....]
'Evolution Points are on the low end. Understandable, since it's just a bunch of bones...'
[You have devoured the Undead Lich.]
[Special rewards are being calculated.]
'Right. It did say something about special rewards for devouring it...'
Mark did not care about whatever reward he was about to receive.
After all, he had lost something more important.
More valuable.
Much more valuable.
'The System allowed me to get Skills and Body Modifications. It allowed me to Evolve too. I truly didn't think it could impose limits on my power. Nor that it would...'
What was lost, was his trust in the System.
Mark turned towards the doors that would lead to the next Floor.
'Troublesome. Just when I was fantasizing about becoming king, I get hit with a reality check...' Mark thought as he chuckled weakly.
Remembering something, he looked around the empty Boss Room.
'Oh. Those guys died. Too bad. Having them as my Underlings would have been pretty good-'
[You have devoured the Seventh Floor's Guardian.]
[Your reward has been chosen.]
[Your Unique Title "Devourer" gives birth to a new Unique Title.]
[You have developed the Unique Title "Bone Devourer".]
[Consuming a Monster's bones can lead to strengthening your own.]
'Good.'
[You have devoured the Undead Lich.]
[Special rewards have been calculated.]
[You have unlocked the System's Inventory.]
[You have been awarded the Magic Skill "Freeze[E]".]
'Inventory. I can keep objects in there, huh? That's not bad. Especially with my Bone Manipulation Skill...'
Mark started walking towards the doors.
[Appropriate Compensation has been calculated.]
[You have been awarded three Items.]
[You have received three "Underling Evolution Pills".]
'So instead of letting me get a new Underling, you're handing me stuff to make the ones I have evolve?'
Even though Mark was, only minutes earlier, bathing in his own strength and might, he, now, felt the strong presence of something hovering above him.
He felt the weight of heavy shackles placed around his neck.
Shackles that could be pulled and tightened at any time.
To contain and limit his power.
Limiting his power to what "they" would "let" him do.
'You can come in.'
The next instant, Mark's only remaining Underling entered the Boss Room.
Once the Underling stood in front of its Master, the latter crouched.
In a sudden show of what could be described as affection, Mark stroked Light's dark pelt over and over again.
The Shadow Wolf remained unmoving.
'Mm...'
Mark quickly stood back up and turned towards the huge doors.
He pushed them open with ease, a grin on his face.
'Well then, the future Demon King will kickstart his conquest of the world with... The Sixth Floor, I guess.'
...
Upon entering, Mark found himself inside what looked like a cave.
The floor was at an angle.
'A staircase was usually between the different Floors, but there is none here. Not that it matters... How many Skill Points do I have?'
[You currently possess 4 Skill Points.]
'Hum... Show me my Skills.' Mark thought while walking forward.
[You currently possess:
Passive Skills:
Slash[F+] - Pierce[F+] - Assassin's Movements[E] - Draconic Tail Flick[C+] - Demon Senses[D] - Intimidating Stare [E] - Flight[F] - Night Vision[F+] - Water Resistance [E].
Magic Skills:
Corrupting Javelin[C-] - Electric Fire Bomb[D] - Stone Armor[F+] - Assimilation[A] - Evolving Abyssal Underlings [A-] - Bone Manipulation [D+] - Staggering Thunder[E+] - Impenetrable Barrier[C] - Freeze[E] - Aura Manipulation [B] - Mana Manipulation [A] - Mana Condensation [A]. ]
'My offensive Skills are good. Between my high physical strength, Electric Fire Bomb, Corrupting Javelin and Mana Manipulation, I'm not lacking in firepower. Nor in defensive ability since I can use my Impenetrable Barrier or Aura Manipulation defensively.'
Mark walked for about another 3 minutes.
'I guess I'll use one Skill Point on my "Evolving Abyssal Underlings" Skill....'
[You have used 1 Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Evolving Abyssal Underlings" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Evolving Abyssal Underlings[A-]" has evolved into "Evolving Undead Army [A]".]
'Not bad. Now I can have 8 Underlings instead of 5. Although they are not Abyssal Monsters anymore. I'll keep the last 3 Skill Points for later-'
Mark suddenly sensed a presence.
'It's still a bit far. And there's only one...'
After Mark took another ten steps, he suddenly stopped.
He stared.
Something inside of him was warning him not to take another step forward.
Out of nowhere, a black horn, similar to that of a rhinoceros, appeared in front of Mark.
'Wha-'
A red barrier made of Mana appeared.
It was the Magic Skill "Impenetrable Barrier[C]".
The black horn collided with the barrier.
Unlike what Mark had thought would've happened, upon impact, the barrier shattered like glass.
The horn hit Mark's body with such force that he rolled on the ground many times before getting back up.
'What the hell was that? Out of nowhere too. Tsk. Not much damage but... Way to fuck up the start of the Demon King's conquest.'
[ Mutated Rhino Beetle: A [B-] Rank Monster.]
The Monster was a gigantic version of the Rhinoceros Beetle, an insect known for its high relative strength.
Its horn and whole body were pitch black.
'How is it so fast? Strong too. Light, stand back.'
The growling Shadow Wolf obeyed its Master's order.
Meanwhile, the Monster spread its wings menacingly, as if to intimidate.
Mark's heart rate increased.
Aura started oozing out of his body.
He clenched his fangs.
'It's telling me... To run away?'
pαпdα-ňᴏνêι·сóМ His piercing red eyes stared at the Monster in front of him.
Mark took a step forward as a chuckle escaped his mouth.
'I'll beat it up.'
He took another step towards the Monster.
'I won't even use Mana. I'll beat it up. With strength alone.'
That was the pride of one titled "Possible Demon King Candidate".
'It doesn't look like it has any Skills or Mana. Just pure Strength and Agility.'
The Mutated Rhino Beetle folded its wings.
A second later, Mark was, once more, launched away.
He instantly got back up.
'It's fast. Incredibly fast. But I can see it, although... Just barely.'
Once again, Mark stepped inside the Insect's domain.
'I'll use a Skill Point on Demon Senses. Another one on Draconic Tail Flick.'
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