April 13th, 2024.
For their own entertainment, the gods granted humanity supernatural abilities.
Forces so complex and overwhelming that no mortal could fully grasp their true nature.
These divine powers allowed mortals to achieve what had once been unimaginable—from impossible speed to freely wielding magic.
That power came to be known as mana.
All of humanity awakened to it.
Every last person—
with the rare exception of fifty individuals who remained different from the rest.
Yet among even those anomalies, one name eclipsed all others.
Adrian Blackwell.
Feared worldwide by his infamous title—
The Innate Demon.
Adrian stood atop a rooftop, gazing out at the city below.
Neon lights flickered in the distance as a public broadcast echoed across nearby screens.
This just in—
He turned his head slightly.
The bounty on the individual known as Adrian Blackwell has risen from eight billion to nine billion. If you see him, do not approach. Contact authorities immediately.
A massive billboard illuminated the skyline.
NAME: Adrian Blackwell
BOUNTY: 9,000,000,000
TITLE: Innate Demon
AGE: 18
THREAT LEVEL: Undecided
Adrian stared at it.
"Huh… looks like it went up again."
He lay back on the rooftop, hands folded behind his head.
"I honestly thought bounties that high were reserved for real criminals," he muttered.
"It's not like I've actually killed anyone."
Whatever.
He yawned, eyes drifting shut.
When he opened them again—
The world was wrong.
Only one eye opened.
Red.
Pure crimson, framed by exposed white beneath it.
Adrian shot upright.
Clouds stretched endlessly above him.
"What the hell?!"
Mountains loomed in the distance, their peaks swallowed by mist.
The air felt heavier. Denser.
Alive.
He looked down.
This wasn't his body.
"Okay…" he exhaled slowly.
"Whose body am I in now?"
No time to dwell on that.
"More importantly… where am I?"
He glanced down again and snorted.
"Well, whoever did this at least had the decency to leave me with underwear. Thanks, I guess."
The humor faded.
"…Never mind. I need clothes."
He raised a hand and attempted to cast a simple spell.
Nothing happened.
Adrian frowned at his fingers.
"Huh… that's weird."
He tried again.
Still nothing.
"What the hell is wrong with this body?"
Then it clicked.
"…Wait. I can figure this out."
He sat down, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes.
"Alright. First things first—my mana core."
His perception turned inward.
Flesh faded.
Organs blurred.
Glowing mana veins came into view.
At the center—near the heart—
His mana core floated.
Cracked.
Disconnected.
"I see," Adrian murmured.
"The mana isn't circulating. The veins are badly damaged."
A slow smile formed.
"Looks like this body's going to need some serious repair."
Without a functioning core, casting spells directly would kill him.
So Adrian adapted.
He lifted his fingers.
Thin strands of red mana extended outward—mana threads.
"I can't cast spells," he said calmly.
"But this… this I can manage."
He wove.
Threads layered.
Mana condensed.
Fabric formed.
A long-sleeve shirt.
Joggers.
Residual mana hardened into a rubber-like substance, shaping into shoes.
He put them on.
"Hope these fit."
They did.
Adrian turned.
A forest stretched endlessly ahead.
He walked toward it.
The sound of running water reached his ears.
Pushing past the trees, he found a stream and knelt beside it.
Cold water splashed against his face.
He looked at his reflection.
Black hair at the top.
Grey at the ends.
Sanpaku eyes—red, unchanged.
"What's with my hair…?"
He stared a moment, then exhaled.
"New world. New body. Add it to the list."
The sun dipped lower.
"I need to find a place to camp."
He gathered firewood and built a small fire.
The forest remained silent.
Too silent.
Adrian considered sleeping.
Then dismissed it.
He didn't know what lived here.
Didn't know what hunted at night.
Didn't know what would happen if he let his guard down.
So he stayed awake.
All night.
When dawn came, Adrian stood.
Exhausted.
He stretched and returned to the stream.
Cold water snapped him awake.
Then his stomach growled.
His expression shifted—
irritation,
anger,
then calm.
"…Damn," he muttered.
"That grass is starting to look real appetizing."
He crouched and inspected the ground.
Among the blades, he found an unfamiliar plant.
"…Do I really have to eat this?"
Poison or food.
"Fifty–fifty."
He ate it.
No taste.
No bitterness.
Nothing.
"…Great," Adrian sighed.
"Slow-acting poison."
He discarded the thought and stood.
A hill rose in the distance.
Up close, it was far larger than it appeared.
"Figures."
He climbed.
Halfway up, a rock cracked beneath his grip.
For a split second, he dangled by one arm.
"God damn it—!"
He adjusted instantly and continued.
At the summit, the land stretched endlessly.
Vast.
Layered.
Swallowed by mist.
"I did all that… just to see half of it."
The sun dipped low again.
"…The day's over already."
Descending in the dark wasn't worth the risk.
He stayed.
Built another fire.
And rested.
Those with intact mana cores gained superhuman strength effortlessly.
Those with damaged cores—
had to train.
Mana still existed in his body.
That alone made him superhuman by default.
But Chapter One — The Damaged Vessel
April 13th, 2024.
For their own entertainment, the gods granted humanity supernatural abilities.
Forces so complex and overwhelming that no mortal could fully grasp their true nature.
These divine powers allowed mortals to achieve what had once been unimaginable—from impossible speed to freely wielding magic.
That power came to be known as mana.
All of humanity awakened to it.
Every last person—
with the rare exception of fifty individuals who remained different from the rest.
Yet among even those anomalies, one name eclipsed all others.
Adrian Blackwell.
Feared worldwide by his infamous title—
The Innate Demon.
Adrian stood atop a rooftop, gazing out at the city below.
Neon lights flickered in the distance as a public broadcast echoed across nearby screens.
This just in—
He turned his head slightly.
The bounty on the individual known as Adrian Blackwell has risen from eight billion to nine billion. If you see him, do not approach. Contact authorities immediately.
A massive billboard illuminated the skyline.
NAME: Adrian Blackwell
BOUNTY: 9,000,000,000
TITLE: Innate Demon
AGE: 18
THREAT LEVEL: Undecided
Adrian stared at it.
"Huh… looks like it went up again."
He lay back on the rooftop, hands folded behind his head.
"I honestly thought bounties that high were reserved for real criminals," he muttered.
"It's not like I've actually killed anyone."
Whatever.
He yawned, eyes drifting shut.
When he opened them again—
The world was wrong.
Only one eye opened.
Red.
Pure crimson, framed by exposed white beneath it.
Adrian shot upright.
Clouds stretched endlessly above him.
"What the hell?!"
Mountains loomed in the distance, their peaks swallowed by mist.
The air felt heavier. Denser.
Alive.
He looked down.
This wasn't his body.
"Okay…" he exhaled slowly.
"Whose body am I in now?"
No time to dwell on that.
"More importantly… where am I?"
He glanced down again and snorted.
"Well, whoever did this at least had the decency to leave me with underwear. Thanks, I guess."
The humor faded.
"…Never mind. I need clothes."
He raised a hand and attempted to cast a simple spell.
Nothing happened.
Adrian frowned at his fingers.
"Huh… that's weird."
He tried again.
Still nothing.
"What the hell is wrong with this body?"
Then it clicked.
"…Wait. I can figure this out."
He sat down, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes.
"Alright. First things first—my mana core."
His perception turned inward.
Flesh faded.
Organs blurred.
Glowing mana veins came into view.
At the center—near the heart—
His mana core floated.
Cracked.
Disconnected.
"I see," Adrian murmured.
"The mana isn't circulating. The veins are badly damaged."
A slow smile formed.
"Looks like this body's going to need some serious repair."
Without a functioning core, casting spells directly would kill him.
So Adrian adapted.
He lifted his fingers.
Thin strands of red mana extended outward—mana threads.
"I can't cast spells," he said calmly.
"But this… this I can manage."
He wove.
Threads layered.
Mana condensed.
Fabric formed.
A long-sleeve shirt.
Joggers.
Residual mana hardened into a rubber-like substance, shaping into shoes.
He put them on.
"Hope these fit."
They did.
Adrian turned.
A forest stretched endlessly ahead.
He walked toward it.
The sound of running water reached his ears.
Pushing past the trees, he found a stream and knelt beside it.
Cold water splashed against his face.
He looked at his reflection.
Black hair at the top.
Grey at the ends.
Sanpaku eyes—red, unchanged.
"What's with my hair…?"
He stared a moment, then exhaled.
"New world. New body. Add it to the list."
The sun dipped lower.
"I need to find a place to camp."
He gathered firewood and built a small fire.
The forest remained silent.
Too silent.
Adrian considered sleeping.
Then dismissed it.
He didn't know what lived here.
Didn't know what hunted at night.
Didn't know what would happen if he let his guard down.
So he stayed awake.
All night.
When dawn came, Adrian stood.
Exhausted.
He stretched and returned to the stream.
Cold water snapped him awake.
Then his stomach growled.
His expression shifted—
irritation,
anger,
then calm.
"…Damn," he muttered.
"That grass is starting to look real appetizing."
He crouched and inspected the ground.
Among the blades, he found an unfamiliar plant.
"…Do I really have to eat this?"
Poison or food.
"Fifty–fifty."
He ate it.
No taste.
No bitterness.
Nothing.
"…Great," Adrian sighed.
"Slow-acting poison."
He discarded the thought and stood.
A hill rose in the distance.
Up close, it was far larger than it appeared.
"Figures."
He climbed.
Halfway up, a rock cracked beneath his grip.
For a split second, he dangled by one arm.
"God damn it—!"
He adjusted instantly and continued.
At the summit, the land stretched endlessly.
Vast.
Layered.
Swallowed by mist.
"I did all that… just to see half of it."
The sun dipped low again.
"…The day's over already."
Descending in the dark wasn't worth the risk.
He stayed.
Built another fire.
And rested.
Those with intact mana cores gained superhuman strength effortlessly.
Those with damaged cores—
had to train.
Mana still existed in his body.
That alone made him superhuman by default.
But peak physicality?
That had to be earned.
For the first time, Adrian slept.
"Tomorrow," he murmured,
"it's strictly training."
The sun rose.
Adrian opened his eyes.peak physicality?
That had to be earned.
For the first time, Adrian slept.
"Tomorrow," he murmured,
"it's strictly training."
The sun rose.
Adrian opened his eyes.