A desolate wasteland—one rumored to be devoid of life—stretched endlessly beneath a blood-red sky. The horizon never shifted, time itself seemingly frozen in this forsaken domain. Leon stumbled through the dark desert like a dying husk, his throat parched, his legs barely holding him upright. Days had passed since he arrived, and the only thing that kept him moving were the last words Andromelech had spoken to him:
"When you get there, our link will be severed. My abilities will be stripped from you."
Those words rang in his skull with every painful step, not as a warning, but as fuel.
Eventually, he crested a ridge and looked down into a vast valley. Nestled within it was a slum-like city, a patchwork of crumbling stone, blackened steel, and strange, crooked architecture. The streets crawled with life, though none of it was human. Horned beasts, winged figures, and tailed shadows filled the alleys and bazaars.
Demons.
Leon pulled his tattered cloak tighter around himself and descended into the valley. His face remained hidden, but the city's inhabitants eyed him with suspicion and quiet hostility. The stares were sharp, almost territorial.
"What a warm welcome," Leon muttered under his breath, pushing forward through the crowded, grimy streets.
Despite the filth, there was a twisted energy in the air—chaotic and wild, like a city held together by violence and fear. Leon's steps slowed when he noticed a commotion up ahead.
A rowdy gang of demons swaggered through the main street, destroying anything in their path. One of them, a lanky, grey-skinned brute with jagged teeth, stopped in front of a trembling demon girl holding a pot of glimmering black oil.
"|•|||•||`|| (What's that you're holding, little one?)" the brute asked in the demon tongue.
"|||•|•||•••`| (Please, sir, this is the last of our oil! If you take it, we'll starve!)" the girl cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.
The gang leader sneered. "|•|||||||•||` (Not my problem.)"
Before she could react, he shoved her aside and snatched the pot, guzzling the contents in a single gulp. "||•|||||° (Delicious)," he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his clawed hand.
No one came to her aid. No one dared. This gang ruled the streets with brute strength and blood.
Leon's fists clenched under his cloak.
Forget resting. I'll deal with this filth now.
He stepped forward slowly. The tall brute noticed him and chuckled.
"||||•|||||•||| (Hey, buddy, you're in my way. Move it, or you're dead)."
Leon didn't respond. He only raised his head slightly, his dull, sunken eyes locking with the brute's.
The demon's grin faltered.
Was this guy deaf? Or just stupid?
"|●||●~`||° (I said MOVE!)" the brute roared, claws extending, demonic ki flaring around him.
In a blink, his scream pierced the air.
"●●~``! (My... my hand!)"
His arm was gone—severed cleanly at the shoulder.
Gasps erupted from nearby demons. No one had even seen the strike. Leon lowered his hood, revealing a deadpan expression and blood-slick blade.
"Kept yapping about something... Sorry, I don't speak demon," he muttered.
The remaining gang members screamed and charged.
Big mistake.
Heads rolled. Bodies crumpled. The ground was soaked in demon blood.
"I always hated demons in stories," Leon muttered, stepping over the twitching corpses. "Turns out you're even worse."
The gang leader—what was left of him—crawled backward, dragging his broken body through his own blood.
"|||`•|| (Please... I can give you power, fame—whatever you want! Just spare me!)"
Leon tilted his head. "Still talking?" He raised his blade and drove it straight through the demon's heart. The creature convulsed once... then fell still.
[Ping! Ping! Ping!]
[You're ruthless and unforgiving... Higher beings are watching you (grin).]
[Congratulations! You've gone on a demon killing spree. +50,000 EXP.]
[You are the first human in history to kill a demon. +75,000 EXP.]
[You can now speak and understand Demonic Speech.]
[New Stat Unlocked: Demonic Ki.]
[You've reached the first upper limit. Enlightenment required to break through.]
[Your stat assimilation begins...]
[Congratulations! You've reached Level 50 and achieved your Second Awakening.]
[Skill Unlocked: ChronoSovereignty (SSS-Rank)]
The system notifications kept flooding in, but Leon barely processed them. A sharp pang slammed into his skull. His vision twisted, then turned black.
Water... was his last conscious thought before collapsing.
The demons who had watched everything from afar hesitated. Fear gripped their hearts, but awe slowly replaced it. A few bold ones rushed to Leon's side, lifting him from the blood-soaked street and carrying him away. He was their savior now—demon or not, they owed him their lives.
But elsewhere...
A figure cloaked in pitch black stood atop a dune outside the city. His face was hidden, but his wide grin was visible even through the shadow. A raven landed on his gloved arm.
"He's stronger than expected," the man whispered. "A prime candidate... Xemoz City has produced a rare one indeed."
He turned and disappeared into the crimson sands, leaving only the echo of his voice behind.
[STATUS WINDOW – LEON DE RÜNTER]
Name: Leon De Rünter
Race: Human
Class: Hybrid (Warrior-Mage Tier 2)
Level: 50
EXP: 0 / — (Awaiting Enlightenment Threshold)
[VITAL STATS]
• HP: 4,200 / 4,200
• MP: 3,800 / 3,800
• Stamina: 3,500 / 3,500
[CORE ATTRIBUTES]
• Strength: 220
• Agility: 215
• Vitality: 210
• Intelligence: 250
• Dexterity: 235
• Aura: 280
• Luck: 18
• Charm: 34
[SKILLS]
• Dead Rave (Lv. 1) – A brutal execution move that slashes all enemies in a short radius; high lethality.
• Timewalk (Lv. 1) – Briefly distorts time to evade or reposition.
• Spellblade Infusion (Lv. 5) – Merges melee strikes with elemental or magical enhancements.
• Hybrid Combat Mastery (Lv. 6) – Passive; enhances transitions between martial and magical forms.
• Dead Target Lock (Lv. 5) – Finishing move that heightens critical lethality against marked foes.
• Demonic Tongue – Passive; comprehend and speak all demonic dialects.
• Aura Ignition (Lv. 5) – Temporarily boosts all combat stats via aura overdrive.
[DISABLED SKILLS & GIFTS – Sealed]
The following flame-based skills and titles are currently disabled due to severed link with Andromelech.
• Flame Demon Style (Lv. 6) — [Disabled]
• Encircling Fire Wall (Lv. 4) — [Disabled]
• Fiery Embers Strike (Lv. 5) — [Disabled]
• Hellfire Blast (Lv. 3) — [Disabled]
• Flame Demon King (SS-Rank) — [Sealed]
[UNIQUE GIFTS]
• Dead Target (S-Rank – Active) – Marks an enemy to increase CRIT, ACC, and DMG. Kill restores MP and boosts AGI for 60s. CD: 5 min.
• ChronoSovereignty (SSS-Rank – Partially Unlocked) – Grants time-aspect mastery and access to temporal techniques. Full awakening pending.
[NEW STATUS EFFECTS]
• Hybrid Synchronization – Mastery over martial and magical synergy.
• Residual Flame Pressure – Dormant
• Mental Load (Moderate) – Mental strain from Tier 2 hybrid evolution and time-based awakening.
• Demonic Ki Affinity – Allows absorption and partial manipulation of corrupted aura.
• Observation – Unknown Entity – ??? is watching your growth with vested interest.
[EQUIPMENT]
• Main Weapon: [Flambé Uno] (SS-Rank – Sword of the Flame Monarch) — Diminished Power: Flame Sync Offline
• Armor: ???
• Accessory: ???
[SYSTEM NOTE]
You've been severed from your origin flame, yet risen beyond limits.
The path of time, blood, and judgment awaits.
Next Awakening: Enlightenment Stage (Progress: 60%)
[Explanation]
The reason for the high Exp was because Leon killed a higher race. That's right the races of this timeline are three. Namely;
•The lower races (low intellect and planning ability eg. Goblins and elemental wolves)
•The middle races (average intellect and can adapt to basic situations kind of like social insects)
•The higher races ( these are the races that can manipulate and change there thought process within seconds responding to changes quicker eg. Humans, demons, elves, etc.)
Leon killing a demon which is a being of high intellect led to him gaining high amounts of EXP.
The higher the race the higher the EXP...
I hope this info helps.