Gabriel stood motionless in the center of the room.
The shattered wall had already been ignored. The cold night air flowed in freely, carrying with it the distant hum of the city—but none of it reached him.
His focus was internal.
Curse Integration: 41%
Energy Conversion: 63%
Instability: High
"…Loss rate remains unacceptable," he said quietly.
Every pulse of pain from his brother was still leaking.
Still escaping.
Still being wasted.
"Then stop treating it like something you have to endure."
Alex's voice slipped into the room like a blade.
He appeared on the couch again, relaxed, one leg crossed over the other, as if this space belonged to him.
Gabriel didn't turn.
"…Clarify."
Alex leaned forward slightly, watching him with interest.
"You're making the same mistake over and over again."
"And that is?"
"You're reacting."
Silence.
"You feel pain," Alex continued. "Then you try to control it."
"Yes."
"And that's why you're failing."
Gabriel's eyes shifted slightly.
"…Explain."
Alex stood up slowly.
"No."
A pause.
"I'll show you."
He stepped closer.
Close enough that the pressure in the air began to distort.
Then—
Without warning—
Alex struck.
A single punch.
Fast.
Precise.
It landed directly into Gabriel's ribs.
The impact echoed through the room.
Gabriel didn't block.
Didn't dodge.
Didn't resist.
Pain exploded through his body.
At the same time—
The curse reacted.
His brother—
Somewhere—
Was also being hit.
Two sources.
Two waves.
They collided inside him.
For a brief moment—
Everything blurred.
"…There," Alex said.
Gabriel froze.
Not physically—
Mentally.
Inside the chaos—
He saw it.
A pulse.
Raw.
Violent.
Unshaped.
Energy.
Not pain.
Not sensation.
Energy.
"…Identified," Gabriel whispered.
The next moment—
Pain followed.
Sharp.
Overwhelming.
But this time—
Gabriel didn't accept it.
He intercepted it.
Separated the layers.
Energy—
Then pain.
Not together.
Not the same.
System Response
New Layer Detected
Energy Extraction Attempt Initiated
Gabriel's breathing slowed.
Not from strain—
But from precision.
"…I was processing them incorrectly," he said.
Alex smiled faintly.
"Finally."
Another surge hit.
This time from the curse alone.
Gabriel reacted immediately.
Not to the pain—
But to the moment before it.
He caught it.
A flicker of green light formed in his palm.
Unstable.
Shaking.
"…Leakage at 70%," Gabriel noted.
"Again," Alex said.
Time passed.
Minutes.
Then hours.
Pain came endlessly.
But something changed.
Gabriel stopped reacting.
Stopped enduring.
He began predicting.
Every surge—
Every spike—
Every fluctuation—
Mapped.
Understood.
Controlled.
The energy in his hand stabilized.
Faint at first.
Then stronger.
Denser.
"…Conversion improving," he murmured.
System Update
Energy Conversion: 63% → 74%
Curse Integration: 41% → 48%
Alex watched silently.
No interruptions.
No guidance.
Because now—
Gabriel didn't need it.
Then—
A stronger surge hit.
Violent.
Sudden.
His brother had taken a heavy blow.
The energy spike exploded through him.
Gabriel moved instantly.
He caught it.
Compressed it.
Refined it.
The glow in his hand intensified.
"…Stabilized," he said.
This time—
No flickering.
No instability.
Just power.
Gabriel raised his hand slightly.
"…Testing output."
He released it.
The air cracked.
A silent wave shot forward—
Distorting space—
Splitting the floor—
Cracking reinforced walls as if they were nothing.
Then—
Stillness.
Gabriel lowered his hand.
"…Acceptable."
Alex laughed softly.
"You call that acceptable?"
Gabriel turned slightly.
"…At E-rank, this output exceeds standard parameters."
"Yes," Alex said.
"And you're just getting started."
Gabriel's gaze sharpened.
"…Scaling potential?"
Alex's smile widened.
"Limitless."
Silence.
Gabriel processed that.
Not emotionally.
Not with excitement.
Logically.
"…Then the limiting factor is efficiency," he concluded.
"Exactly."
Gabriel looked at his hand again.
Then—
He closed it slowly.
The remaining energy compressed further.
"…If I combine external and internal sources…"
Alex tilted his head.
"Try it."
Gabriel didn't hesitate.
He stepped forward.
"Attack," he said calmly.
Alex grinned.
"Now that's interesting."
He moved instantly.
A kick—
Fast—
Precise—
Gabriel didn't block fully.
He allowed it.
The impact landed.
Pain surged.
At the same time—
The curse activated again.
Two sources.
This time—
Gabriel didn't lose control.
He took both.
His own pain.
His brother's pain.
Combined them.
Refined them.
The energy surged violently—
More than before—
Denser—
Heavier—
System Alert
Dual Source Conversion Active
Efficiency Increased
Gabriel's eyes sharpened.
"…Output increase confirmed."
He moved.
Faster now.
His hand shot forward—
Stopping just short of Alex's throat.
The air between them warped violently.
Alex didn't move.
Didn't flinch.
Instead—
He smiled.
"Good."
Gabriel lowered his hand.
"…Energy utilization: 88%," he said.
Alex straightened.
"You're already approaching D-rank output."
Gabriel turned away slightly.
"…Time required to reach D-rank?"
"At this rate?"
Alex smirked.
"Soon."
Silence settled.
Then Gabriel spoke again.
"…We need real combat."
Alex raised a brow.
"Already bored of training?"
"This is inefficient," Gabriel replied. "Controlled environments limit adaptation."
Alex laughed.
"Now you sound like me."
He stepped closer.
"Good news then," he said.
"I prepared something."
Gabriel looked at him.
"…Explain."
Alex's eyes gleamed.
"A target."
Silence.
"E-rank," Alex continued. "Peak stage."
"More stable than the last one."
"More aggressive."
Gabriel nodded once.
"…Suitable."
Minutes later—
They descended.
The underground levels of the city stretched endlessly.
Dark.
Damp.
Corrupted.
A presence waited.
It noticed them instantly.
Its body twisted unnaturally as it rose.
"…Food?" it rasped.
Gabriel stepped forward.
Pain surged.
He absorbed it instantly.
No hesitation.
No delay.
Energy formed in his hand.
Stable.
Controlled.
"…Begin," he said.
The demon lunged.
Fast.
Violent.
Gabriel moved.
Not to dodge—
But to control.
The attack grazed him.
Pain spiked.
Energy followed.
He took it.
All of it.
Then—
He acted.
One movement.
One strike.
The demon froze mid-air.
Its body distorted—
Compressed—
Collapsed inward—
Then—
Gone.
Silence.
Gabriel stood still.
"…Energy utilization: 91%," he said.
Alex clapped slowly.
"Now that… is progress."
Gabriel turned slightly.
"…Next step?"
Alex's smile sharpened.
"We stop training."
A pause.
"And start hunting."
Gabriel's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Target?"
Alex's voice dropped.
"Belial."
Silence.
"D-rank," Alex continued. "Mid stage."
"Controls part of the underground."
A gap.
Good.
"…Direct confrontation?" Gabriel asked.
Alex shook his head.
"Too inefficient."
A smile formed.
Dark.
Calculated.
"We break him first."
Gabriel watched him.
"…Explain."
Alex stepped closer.
"We take his territory."
"We turn his subordinates."
"We remove his control."
A pause.
"Then…"
His eyes gleamed.
"We let him fall."
Silence.
Gabriel processed everything instantly.
"…Logical," he said.
Alex smiled.
"Of course it is."
Gabriel turned toward the darkness ahead.
"…Then we begin immediately."
Alex's grin widened.
"Welcome to the real game."
Gabriel didn't respond.
But this time—
There was no hesitation.
Because now—
He understood.
Power wasn't something you endured.
It was something you used.
Writing
Author's Thoughts:
Your author is fighting for his life against exams 😭
Energy level: critical
Brain: overheating
Motivation: powered by your power stones
You see this chapter? This is evolution.
If you don't support… I might start using YOUR pain like Gabriel 💀
Next chapter: The full scheme against Belial begins (Alex goes full mastermind)
Drop power stones if you want faster updates… don't be stingy 😈