In a specific room inside the large hideout...
I was finishing the final preparations. I had placed several magical devices in different positions, laid out some shadow traps, and poured a large amount of mana into each of them—so much that I triggered a negative status.
I took a deep breath as a sharp, excruciating pain spread through my body. Marfim noticed my suffering and wrapped around me gently, trying to comfort me.
"Don't worry, dear. This is supposed to be something fun—and profitable. I'll recover soon enough."
I whispered to her, then left the room with a swift motion.
A playful and chaotic smile curled on my lips, like a jester ready to unleash true destruction.
...
3rd POV
Several beings entered the last room of the large hideout.
The most prominent among them was their leader. His skin was reddish, with small black horns on his head. His demeanor radiated fury and impatience, making the others uneasy.
He stormed into the room and unleashed his power to destroy a few objects as he searched for someone—or something.
But in the end, he found nothing.
"WHERE IS IT!!!"
His voice roared with fury, and as he turned, a massive burst of demonic and dark energy erupted from his body into the ground.
And then, it happened. Energy surged from every corner of the room.
All eyes widened in shock, from the leader to his subordinates.
"THAT MORTAL!" the leader howled in rage, pouring a huge amount of energy into his weapon. A massive barrier formed, enveloping him.
And then the trap closed.
A colossal explosion followed, like a magical nuclear blast. Elemental and pure mana energy filled the entire space.
Not only was the room engulfed, but a chain reaction spread across the hideout, releasing more energy and causing widespread destruction.
From outside, a towering pillar of mana shot into the sky, glowing brightly for several minutes before slowly fading.
All that remained was an ancient ruin. Dust filled the air, and faint vibrations of mana pulsed and vanished.
At the heart of the explosion, a shattered barrier cracked like broken glass.
At its center was a being, drenched in red and black fluid oozing from every pore.
His weapon was almost completely depleted and seemed ready to break.
His horn, once brimming with strength, now looked drained of all energy.
Despite his weakened state, he slowly opened his mouth, as if taunting or threatening someone. He murmured words in a language only Devils or master curse-users could understand:
"Mortal... when I find you, I will take control of your body and soul—and destroy you."
And then he collapsed, completely drained of energy.
A trace of mana and demonic power shot off into the distance and merged with a young man's body.
The invading soul, now trapped, began to drift away—likely in search of a new vessel or a place to recover.
....
MC POV
After the fight, I rested under a tree to recover.
That NPC... I couldn't stop wondering what happened to him, and whether I'd meet him again someday.
I took out an apple and started eating.
As I finished chewing, multiple notifications popped up. After organizing them, they read:
Curious about the item, I decided to check its details:
....
Item: Broken Branch of a Devil (Rare)
Type: Ingredient
Rarity: Rare
Description: Once the weapon of a Devil, this branch has now become a rare ingredient. It can be used to forge a new weapon or for other purposes. Witches or those knowledgeable in Devil Arts may use it to summon an aspect or even communicate with its former owner.
Note: If used as an ingredient, the remaining soul must be purified.
....
The item was quite interesting, but not useful at the moment.
Then, another notification popped up before I could claim my full reward:
That message was concerning—but also intriguing.
The biggest issue was the part about Devil Gods possibly taking interest in me... I didn't know much about that race.
"Levi, what's the general reputation of Devils and Devil Gods?"
Luckily, I had my companion to ask.
"I'm not sure about the current era, Master. But Devils are beings that always speak the truth. They're not inherently evil, but they are naturally selfish, playful, and follow their own desires. They are masters of rhetoric, seduction, and manipulation.
If I may offer advice, I'd say: the less you interact with them, the better."
I nodded in agreement. At least they weren't entirely evil... so not all of them would attack me on sight.
Clearing my thoughts, I focused on the reward I wanted most.
I pulled it out: a beautiful ancient book, once sealed by countless runes and magic circles, now glowing with incredible splendor and allure.
Its charm and magical aura were mesmerizing.
Without delay, I accepted the book and read its description:
....
Skill: Spell Decipherer
Rarity: Epic (Upgradeable)
Type: Passive
Effects:
-Greatly improves the recognition of magical circles, spells, and runes
-Makes creating new spells, runes, or circles easier
-Enhances your ability to manipulate the laws of mana
Active Effect:
-You may store one spell for instant use with no mana cost or casting time (0/1)
Spell storage cooldown: 8 hours
Description: A skill created by a legendary scholar, based on the racial ability of a powerful and long-lost magical species.
Note: To upgrade this skill, consume resources rich in mana and expand your knowledge of the magical world.
....
Seeing this skill, I smiled with joy.
It was incredibly powerful. I raised my hand and conjured a sphere of water—the mana flow became crystal clear to my eyes.
Enhancing or even modifying the skill now seemed much easier.
Though hard to measure numerically, the improvement was undeniable.
And discovering more about my abilities was always exciting.
The active effect was also excellent—being able to cast any spell instantly could become insanely powerful later on.
Having completed the mission, I decided to travel to a new area. I stretched a bit and made my way back to the Adventurer's Guild.
Due to certain circumstances, the mission wouldn't be considered truly complete... so I might as well take another.
A few days later,
I had reached level 34.
I completed some side quests, hunted monsters, and even made friends with a few NPCs and players along the way.
Now I found myself exploring a particularly unique area: a well-known hunting ground in the Southern Continent—The Strawberry Bear Forest.
From a distance, I saw massive trees and bushes filled with bright, juicy strawberries. Their deep red color looked sweet and incredibly tempting.
Just by looking, I could barely hold back the urge to run in and eat them.
But I restrained myself and approached the guards stationed at the entrance.
To my surprise, there weren't many players in line.
Honestly, this area didn't offer much XP or valuable loot.
What it was famous for was having the most delicious strawberries—better than anything sold in the markets, even rivaling high-quality produce in the real world.
And aside from the flavor, there wasn't much else to it.
When I reached the guard, he looked me over, probably checking my level.
Satisfied, he gave me a nod.
Time to collect some sweet little strawberries.