---
The battlefield was silent now—too silent. Nero stood atop a mound of blackened stone, sharp eyes scanning the blood-soaked birthing area he had just purged. The corpses of ice and flame-born demonkin lay scattered and half-devoured. The sulfurous winds stirred ash and bone, but no new threat emerged.
He took a breath. Still no system chime. No reward. No "Mission Complete."
"...Strange," he muttered. "I've wiped out everything in sight."
He narrowed his eyes and tried to focus inward.
Why hasn't the system acknowledged my kill count?
He recalled the mission—the wording, the intent. Something about massacring and consuming all newborn demonkin in the birthing area. That should've been enough… unless…
He frowned. "Maybe I misunderstood something."
Then, a memory stirred. Back on Earth. A night where the rain tapped softly against his apartment window, and a cup of tea steamed by his side as he devoured yet another web novel. The protagonist of that story had a system too—and he could access more features by calling them out loud.
"…Worth a try."
He cleared his throat. "Mission tab."
DING!
A new window unfolded in front of his eyes like rippling glass.
---
[Mission Tab]
Active Mission:
Name: Birthing Grounds Purge
Objective: Massacre and consume all newborn demonkin in the designated birthing zones.
Progress: 70/???
Reward: ???
Penalty: None
Time Limit: None
---
Nero blinked. "...So it's not just this one area."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. Of course. The mission said all birthing grounds, not just his.
"Well, at least now I know."
Curious, he decided to try again. "Inventory."
The mission window vanished, replaced instantly with another.
---
[Inventory]
EXP Elixir (1): Doubles EXP gained for 2 hours.
Crafting Material: Lesser Ember Core (x1)
Crafting Material: Frost Demon Bone (x3)
---
He grinned. The elixir glowed faintly at the top of the list, a tempting promise of efficiency. Maybe later, he thought.
Amused, he decided to go one step further.
"…Logout?"
Nothing happened.
Silence.
He chuckled to himself and shook his head. "I thought so. What did I hope for? A return ticket home?"
For a moment, silence returned. And with it, a rare flicker of stillness in his soul. Not regret. Just… acknowledgment. He was here now. This world was cruel, but it was his. And he would master it.
He brought the mission tab back one last time, rereading the progress.
"Seventy newborns. Only fire and ice types. No other elements... So the rest must be out there."
He looked toward the jagged cliffs beyond the birthing pit. An arched pathway of cracked blackstone loomed in the distance, half-obscured by rising steam and curling shadows.
A natural bottleneck. A passage.
The way to the next zone.
He moved, steps confident and silent. As he approached, the wind shifted—and he froze.
Two massive figures stood before the passage, partially hidden by the haze. Muscular, hulking, and pulsing with dual-elemental energy. Their bodies shimmered with both crimson flame and icy mist—just like the previous dual-element demon he had fought.
"Guards," he whispered. "Makes sense."
They hadn't noticed him yet. He crouched, droll already building in his mouth. The raw power radiating from the two was intoxicating.
His stomach growled.
"What a tasty prey," he murmured, wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, eyes gleaming with hunger. "Dinner for two, served hot and cold."
---
The twin guards turned as one, their piercing eyes locking onto Nero. The air rippled with the heat of their flames and the sharp chill of their frost. Without a word, they charged simultaneously—two unstoppable forces rushing at him.
Nero barely had time to react.
His heart pounded as he dropped low, activating his Feral Form. His muscles tensed and sinewed, senses sharpening beyond normal limits. Then, calling upon the Ice Thread skill, he flicked his fingers—sending a slender, sharp filament of icy energy flying toward the nearest guard's leg.
The thread struck true, freezing the limb in place just long enough for Nero to strike.
With claws bared and teeth clenched, he lunged at the immobilized guard, ripping through flesh and bone in a flurry of savage attacks.
The second guard roared, flames bursting wildly as it charged forward, but Nero was already spinning away, evading its onslaught with feral grace.
The battle raged—fire against ice, speed against strength, predator against guardian.
Sweat and blood mixed as Nero fought to keep one guard down while wearing the other out.
After what felt like an eternity, the first guard collapsed, broken and defeated. Nero wasted no time, sinking his teeth into the flesh, activating Gluttony—absorbing power, flesh, and essence alike.
Energy surged through him as he tasted victory.
Now only one remained.
The second guard's eyes burned with fury and desperation.
Nero licked his lips, a feral grin spreading across his face.
"Let's finish this."
---