Goosebumps rose all over Evan’s body as Isaac glared daggers at him. How had the man managed to stand after being slammed into the ground with that much force? He should have had at least a few broken ribs. Evan cursed himself for not killing him when he had the chance. He had wanted to interrogate Isaac afterward to learn more about the church and the Demonic Artifact, but that decision was now coming back to bite him.
"You'll pay for killing Draemir!" Isaac roared as he lunged forward and clamped both hands around Evan's throat.
"Urgh!" Evan clawed at Isaac's wrists, desperately trying to pry him off, but the man's hands wouldn't budge. Isaac's fingers only dug in deeper. Already battered from the fight with the wyvern and drained of every last ounce of strength, Evan could barely muster enough force to struggle.
Air refused to reach his lungs. Every desperate attempt to breathe left him choking harder. His heartbeat pounded wildly in his ears, drowning out every other sound.
He drove a weak fist into Isaac's side, then another, but the blows barely made the man flinch. His arms grew heavier with each passing second, and his frantic struggle gradually weakened into little more than feeble tugs at Isaac's wrists. A burning pressure built inside his chest, demanding air that simply would not come. His lips parted soundlessly, but no breath entered.
Darkness crept inward from the edges of his vision. Isaac's furious face gradually blurred until it became little more than a shadow. Evan's hands slipped from the man's wrists and fell limply to his sides.
Just as everything began fading to black, the crushing pressure around his throat vanished with a sudden thud.
Evan blinked as his blurred vision slowly cleared. A man stood before him, dressed in a black compression shirt beneath a reinforced tactical jacket and dark tactical trousers. White hair framed his refined, almost delicate features, which contrasted sharply with the cold intensity of his dark red eyes. His attention was fixed on Isaac with undisguised disgust. Judging by Isaac's position several feet away, he was the one who had kicked him aside.
Even through the haze of oxygen deprivation, Evan recognized that unmistakable face. Shinomiya Ryusei, an S-rank Awakener who served the Nova Terra government.
Why is a big shot like him here?
Isaac clutched his side but still struggled to get back to his feet. "Shinomiya! You bastard! You dare stand before me, you government lapdog?"
"For a piece of filth, you sure talk a lot," Ryusei said. "I'll give you one chance to surrender so you don't get hurt any further. If you cooperate willingly, the government is more than happy to give you nothing worse than a life sentence."
"Ha! And become nothing more than a puppet like you?" Isaac sneered. "I refuse! Nobody understood my brilliance! Nobody understands the corruption in this world! Nobody! This world must be burned! Only from its ashes shall a new and pure humanity be born!"
"You truly have lost your mind," Ryusei said.
"Die!" Isaac thrust out his hand and sent a torrent of dark flames roaring toward him.
Ryusei didn't even bother to dodge and simply waved a hand, dispersing the flames. "Is that all?"
"Die! Die! Die!" Isaac hurled dark fireballs one after another, but Ryusei strolled toward him with an almost lazy gait. Each projectile vanished with a casual swipe of his hand, barely slowing his approach until he stopped directly in front of Isaac and looked down at him.
Isaac met his gaze, rage and horror warring in his expression.
"Done?" Ryusei asked.
"Aaaaargh!" Isaac pulled a knife from his pocket and lunged for Ryusei's chest.
The shadow beneath Ryusei writhed. A black spike erupted from the ground, severing Isaac's hand and sending it tumbling across the stone floor.
"UAAAAAAARGH!" Clutching the bloody stump, Isaac let out a scream.
Ryusei answered with a single kick to the stomach.
THUD!
Isaac was launched backward, crashing across the rooftop until he nearly tumbled over the tower's edge.
Ryusei followed at the same leisurely pace, seized Isaac by the front of his hoodie, and effortlessly lifted him over the void. "Last chance."
Hatred contorted Isaac's features. He spat at Ryusei, but the saliva missed completely and drifted into the abyss below.
Ryusei’s nose wrinkled in distaste. "Let me show you how to use that fire."
Dark flames erupted from the hand gripping Isaac's hoodie. In an instant, Isaac's entire body was consumed.
"AAAAAAAH!" He writhed and screamed as the black fire engulfed him, yet Ryusei never loosened his grip. He stood there in silence as the flames consumed him.
They burned...
And burned...
Until nothing remained except drifting ash carried away by the wind.
Evan looked on numbly. His oxygen-starved mind could only process what was happening one piece at a time.
Ryusei dusted off his hands before turning toward him. His crimson eyes settled on Evan's vacant expression.
"You're still awake," Ryusei said. He walked over and crouched in front of Evan, who could do little more than lie motionless on the ground. "I'm surprised. Your body's a complete wreck, yet you're still conscious. You must be tougher than you look."
"You..." Evan rasped.
"Keep your questions to yourself, kid," Ryusei said. "It's not like I'll answer them." He raised his index finger. Dark energy gathered at its tip before he began tracing an intricate glyph through the air.
Evan followed each stroke sluggishly. Then his heart skipped a beat. By the time he recognized the spell, it was already complete. His expression shifted in alarm.
Ryusei tapped the finger against his forehead. "It's best if you forget about this."
[You have been cursed!]
[Hidden status effect acquired: Curse of Forgetfulness.]
And Evan lost consciousness.
***
When Evan came to, he found himself lying in a hospital bed. White bandages covered most of his body, while smaller strips covered cuts scattered across his face. An IV line ran into the back of his hand, dripping clear fluid into his body. His muscles ached with every breath, and even the slightest movement sent dull pain through his battered frame. The room was silent except for the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor beside his bed.
Staring up at the white ceiling, he tried to piece together how he had ended up here. He recalled leaving his apartment and heading to the park that night. But why would he do that? If he had just wanted some fresh air, he could have gone to a closer park or even a mall. So why—
Bang!
The door to his hospital room slammed open, and Marcus and Yuyan barged in.
"You idiot!" Yuyan shouted. "I thought you were smarter than that!"
"Evan! Thank you, but you shouldn't have done that!" Marcus said, his lower lip trembling as he fought back tears.
The two stood on either side of his bed, leaving Evan to stare at them in confusion. "What?"
Yuyan's expression twisted, but she took a deep breath. "Right... the doctor did say you might have trouble with your memory."
"Don't you remember going back to investigate the park where my cousin was kidnapped?" Marcus asked.
"I did?" Evan asked.
"Yeah. You somehow ran into the kidnapper when he returned to the area," Marcus continued.
"The police said you followed him to where he was keeping the kidnapped kids and ended up getting kidnapped yourself," Yuyan said. "You were gone for two days! Two! Ms. Lee even contacted us in a panic asking where you were!"
"She was really worried... and angry," Marcus added. "But it's good that you're okay... sort of."
"You have no idea what happened after you were kidnapped?" Yuyan asked.
"I..." Evan frowned as he tried to piece it together, but a sudden throb shot through his head. "Ugh!"
"Okay, don't push yourself," Marcus said as he rested a hand on Evan's shoulder.
"You said I got kidnapped too," Evan said. "But how did the police find us?"
"No idea. They haven't told us everything yet, but apparently you managed to escape for a bit and call the police. The kidnapper noticed you were missing, though, and... well..." Yuyan gestured toward Evan's bandaged body.
"I... I really can't thank you enough, Evan," Marcus said, his voice wavering with emotion. "They found my cousin too. He's still a bit woozy and went back to sleep, but he's here at the hospital as well."
"Really?" Evan asked. He let the two teenagers pepper him with stories and questions, giving short answers whenever he could as the headache continued to pound through his skull. Half an hour passed before they took their leave after Evan shooed them away, insisting he wanted to get some more sleep.
As the door closed behind them once more, Evan rubbed his aching temple. Me? Going out to investigate and rescue Marcus's cousin? Impossible.
Though Evan had been hanging out with Marcus often and had perhaps even started to think of him as a friend, he wouldn't go so far as to investigate Marcus's cousin's kidnapping or chase after the culprit himself. At most, he would have called the police and headed straight home.
Even if he had somehow chosen to pursue him, he still had his Stealth skill. There was no way he would have been taken down so easily by an ordinary kidnapper unless there was more to the situation.
Evan grimaced as he tried to piece together what had happened. It felt as though there was a massive hole in his memory. His gut told him something was wrong, that there had to be something he was missing. He strained to piece together the missing fragments.
A pressure built inside his skull, as though it were about to split in two. The sensation was so intense that he almost passed out, but—
[The Cry Later skill has been activated.]
Cry Later? What? How did he have a new ability? Unless... he'd completed another quest. The possibility sent a chill through Evan, and realization dawned on him. Desperately, he dug through his memories, trying to remember what had happened.
What happened? What made me decide to do that? There has to be more. More! The truth... I have to find it!
"Argh!"
[The Curse of Forgetfulness has been activated.]
A curse?
[The Curse of ■■■■■■ stirs.]
Evan's expression twisted as a far more familiar notification appeared.
[The Curse of ■■■■■■ glares at the Curse of Forgetfulness.]
[The Curse of ■■■■■■ bares its teeth at the Curse of Forgetfulness.]
[The Curse of ■■■■■■ consumes the Curse of Forgetfulness.]
[The Curse of ■■■■■■ spits out Demonic Energy Essence.]
[You have gained 50 Demonic Energy Essence.]
Evan blinked.
[Hidden Achievement Unlocked!]
Another System window appeared before him.
[Hidden Achievement: Edge of Corruption]
[You somehow survived and avoided demonization despite your body being flooded with demonic energy.]
[Special Reward Issued.]
[Reward: New Skill — That's Not How This Works.]
[By consuming 100 Demonic Energy Essence, you can temporarily transform into that monstrous thing. Are you a demon? Are you human? Who knows? Just don't use this in front of a Demon Hunter, because you're definitely going to get exorcised.]
A fresh wave of pain spread through Evan's head as the sealed memories came rushing back. He clutched his head, digging his fingers into his temples as he struggled to process them. By the time it was over, he was trembling, sweat covering his forehead and neck.
Evan pinched the bridge of his nose. So he really had been cursed by an S-rank Awakener. Shinomiya Ryusei. S-ranks rarely worked directly for the government. Most were tied to guilds, technically cooperative but effectively independent. The two sides were always competing for resources and control over the Tower's floors.
Ryusei's appearance at that mysterious Rift, along with the way he had hunted down Isaac as though he already knew exactly what the man was trying to do, could only mean one thing. The device Isaac had been carrying was likely part of a government project. Evan couldn't say for certain what it was designed to do, but from what he had witnessed, it seemed capable of temporarily reopening a sealed Rift. If that was true, it was an incredibly valuable piece of technology.
But that wasn't his only concern. Ryusei was an even bigger question mark. The memory curse he had used on Evan... and those black flames that had reduced Isaac to ash. Was Ryusei actually a practitioner of the Demonic Arts? Every source Evan had found online only mentioned Ryusei's ability to manipulate shadows. None of them said anything about curses or black flames.
Evan collapsed back onto the bed and let out a long sigh. What a mess. He had only been in this world for a month, yet he was already entangled in government secrets. Worse, a possible demonic arts practitioner was working for the authorities.
Couldn't I have enjoyed a peaceful life for a little longer before all this transmigrator nonsense started?
And that wasn't all. Evan glanced at his status window, where a new line had appeared.
[Demonic Energy Essence: 50]
The That's Not How This Works skill seemed incredibly useful. During his transformation, he had managed to take down a juvenile wyvern that was likely a high B-rank or even an A-rank monster. It was undoubtedly a powerful combat skill.
The problem was that it practically screamed Demonic Arts. And that simply wasn't something he could use. If Reid caught even the slightest hint of it, he would probably whip out his holy emblem, start chanting prayers over him, and then blast him into oblivion with Sacred Light.
No.
No, no, no.
Absolutely not.
Not in a million years.
As the little brother of the Legendary Demon Hunter, he had to stay as far away from anything related to the Demonic Arts as possible. The only reason Evan had resorted to filling himself with demonic energy was because he had been backed into a corner.
Basically, this new skill was completely unusable. Evan mentally wiped away a tear at the loss of such a useful ability, but honestly, anything was better than dealing with a murderous Reuel.
With his memories restored, the exhaustion he'd been holding at bay caught up with him. His eyelids grew heavier by the second. Just as he was about to drift off again, the door to his room unexpectedly opened, and Reid stepped inside.
Evan jerked upright. "Brother! How are you here?"
Holy hell, that scared him. Why was Reid here? Had someone called him after Evan went missing? Did he really rush all the way from District 1 to District 20? This wasn't good. He'd have to reassure Reid that everything was fine before the man got overprotective and dragged him to District 1.
Instead of answering with his usual warm smile, Reid fixed Evan with a chilling stare. His dark eyes slowly turned molten gold as Sacred Light erupted around him, filling the room with a suffocating pressure.
Evan's smile vanished.
"You..." Reid raised his gun, the barrel settling directly on Evan's forehead. His voice was ice-cold.
"Demon."