Lee Seong-jun sat alone in his living room, the lights dim, his mind sharper than the edge of a blade. His victory over Amon, one of the Seven Demon Lords, still echoed in the world's history—an unprecedented triumph. Yet, as the thrill faded, a heavy realization dawned upon him.
"I was being too complacent," he murmured.
He had been fixated on the Emperor's Path quest, blinded by the illusion that peace would last. But time and space had been split apart. The scars of the old Demon War were erased, the fear once etched into the Demon Lords' hearts now gone.
'The seven are back in their prime,' he thought grimly. 'Every one of them… perfect and whole.'
Amon's vow of vengeance was no idle threat. The wrath of the Demon King, known for reducing worlds to ash, would soon fall upon Earth. Yet even as he contemplated the storm to come, Lee Seong-jun's expression remained calm—almost indifferent.
'It's… annoying,' he admitted silently.
That was all. There was no fear left in him. He had once subdued every Demon King. What reason did he have to doubt victory now?
But unlike the endless battlefields of the Thousand Continents, Earth was not expendable. Here, he had things—people—he could not afford to lose. That was why complacency had no place in him anymore.
He stood, purpose solidifying in his gaze. "Time to move forward."
In the quiet of his underground training chamber, a green holographic screen flickered to life before him.
[Status]
Level: 258
Strength: 155 (+68)
Agility: 153 (+68)
Stamina: 155 (+68)
Blood: 184 (+46)
Bonus Points: 29
He studied the display with a faint smirk. "Precise enough."
The gains from his recent battles had been extraordinary by normal standards—decades of growth condensed into days. But by the Force System's reckoning, it was still far from enough.
'Even for a demon baron, Laukan's experience was underwhelming… unless Amon's descent influenced the reward.'
He dismissed the thought. The system's logic was beyond him; the only thing that mattered was growth.
A soft chime resounded.
[As you win the war, the effect of the feat "Undefeated and Indomitable" is activated.]
[The soul of the demon, Laukan, is stored.]
[You may subjugate Laukan's soul or absorb it to increase all attributes by 5.]
Lee Seong-jun's eyes narrowed. The first option—subjugation—was a trap. The Demon Kings ruled through deceit; if he took Laukan's soul, Amon could reclaim it at any time.
'Not worth the trouble,' he decided.
Absorption, however—pure, permanent power—was far more appealing.
"Let's take that."
As the hologram shimmered, a surge of raw energy tore through his body. It was overwhelming, a tidal wave of strength that nearly knocked the breath from his lungs.
[All stats increased by +5.]
[29 Bonus Points distributed: Strength +9, Stamina +9, Agility +11.]
A violent storm of energy roared within him, but his grin only widened.
'Now I'm ready.'
The basement trembled. Sitting cross-legged in the center of the room, Lee Seong-jun closed his eyes and began to circulate his Qi. Energy coursed through his meridians like molten fire. The Blood Spirit Sura Shingong pulsed within him, transforming pain into progress.
"Hrgh—!"
His body burned as though submerged in magma. Blood boiled through his veins, muscles convulsed, and steam hissed from his skin. Yet his mind remained still. He endured, guiding his internal energy to its limit.
'Break through it,' he commanded himself. 'Transcend the flesh.'
The air itself began to quake. Energy spiraled around him in crimson waves, tearing through the reinforced walls. The pain was blinding—bones cracked, muscles tore, skin split open—but still he pressed forward.
'Endure it. Endure everything.'
Blood splattered across the stone floor, evaporating in the heat of his aura. His body twisted and reshaped, torn apart and rebuilt in an endless cycle of destruction and regeneration.
And then—
KWA-BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted. Red light burst from his form, flooding the room in brilliance. His body, suspended in mid-air, was enveloped in a storm of energy. The agony peaked—and shattered.
[Congratulations! You have successfully transcended the limitations of race and humanity.]
When the light finally dimmed, Lee Seong-jun opened his eyes. A red glow lingered within them, cold and unyielding. His body was reborn—stronger, sharper, more divine than human.
He had crossed the wall.
He had broken the limit.
And the true path of the Emperor had only just begun.