Mind Demon's Path of Domination

He wanted to evolve so badly.

So. So. So badly.

The slaughterhouse was silent except for the squeaking pigs.

For what reason it was that the desire to grow stronger made Demons evolve, he didn't know. But what Mark knew was that as long as a Tier 0 Pinnacle Demon had the true immense greed to evolve, it would naturally evolve.

He still had to figure out the whys later, but for now—

"Arggg…" Mark's skin started to ooze out a black substance, and a strange and disgusting smell filled the area surrounding them.

Filled with awe, Yuri immediately collected the dark substance into a test tube in her hand.

Choi Sung was now sure.

The Demon was evolving.

His hands grew sweaty, and he hid them inside the yellow raincoat. Then, he thought of the benefits and losses he would face by killing Mark.

If I killed him, I would get nothing.

If he lets Mark survive when the Hunter World ends, he might be able to go into the Demon World and become a part of it.

Yes, this Demon was his lifeline—no need to ruin that.

Choi Sung smiled amiably, and pushed back his black hair back. He said, "Damn, it's the first time I am seeing a Demon Evolve. I should have brought a camera to take some pics."

Yuri smirked. "I am noting everything in my brain, it is way more efficient like that."

"Uh... I see..." Choi Sung awkwardly nodded. "This guy's gonna be even stronger, now."

Yuri nodded enthusiastically, but Dona touched Mark and anxiously called out to him repeatedly by growling.

Mark's bones were shifting, his back was arching, and he was growling in pain.

Something seemed to be trying to burst out of his back.

"Auur???" Dona growled softly.

"Marr!"

A long time passed, and Mark finally stopped his pitiful thrashing. He gently comforted the fearful Dona with a tight squeeze of her hand. She stopped anxiously yelling and looked at him.

He stood up.

The raincoat he had been wearing had been torn apart in many areas, and his Greek god-like physique stood tall and proud. Demonic and dangerous.

The bloodied snake wrapped around his waist only made him feel more intense.

He was around 2.1 meters in size; not much had he grown, but a sense of incredible pressure now emanated from his figure. His stats hadn't improved much yet, after all. Only the limit had been removed.

His golden eyes shimmered as he looked at the people around him calmly.

There was weight to his gaze. It rested a second longer on Choi Sung before Mark chuckled and removed the tattered raincoat and cloth remains from his body with a tear.

"Strong," Choi Sung muttered.

Mark looked at the pretty demoness beside him and pulled Dona into a princess carry.

The girl giggled after a second of confusion.

The change was there, but the one pulling her up was her mate.

She was just that simple.

Yuri, on the other hand, was staring at him with wide eyes.

He asked, "Any changes to me, my dear Scientist with a good memory?"

The Scientist's ruby black eyes shimmered.

"You stink. The worst stench I have ever smelled." She pinched her nose, but her eyes didn't lose its shine. "And there are indeed a lot of changes. Your horns are somewhat sharper and more curved, your body looks more toned overall, and your eyes have gained a lot more depth. Your red skin also seems to have more substance. More than anything… on your back."

Mark sighed as he looked at the black goo around his skin.

"It's this black stuff that smells. Will have to bathe…"

Then, he stretched the dark wings behind him widely. It stood tall and majestic—atleast 4 meters in wingspan.

He had an acute feeling that whenever he wanted, he could soar into the skies.

Dona gently caressed his feathers with what seemed like awe, and he hugged her with his wings. She giggled even more at how soft it was.

At some point, the hamster had fallen on the ground. Mark took it and placed it above his head. It groaned in satisfaction.

He smiled and looked at the system. His Tier had changed.

[Tier 1—Lower Demon]

No longer was he a Demonling. He was now a Lower Demon.

"I need a bath, but before that…"

He wanted to test something.

Curious, Mark walked to a pig nearby and stomped it to death amidst its fearful squeaks.

[Killed a Pig—Soul Sphere had been automatically absorbed into your Soul Space. Lower Quality Soul Sphere than your own Soul, the Soul Sphere had been used to strengthen your foundations.]

He felt as if nothing had changed, but he could no longer get true Soul Spheres to improve himself from the Tier 0 creatures around.

Indeed, his dream of abusing the weak to grow stronger was not going to work. For him to quickly grow stronger, he would probably have to kill Demons of higher or equal levels to himself.

Closing his eyes, he sensed himself. He had changed very much. He had gained many new usable methods in battle. He had more advantages. In fact, he even had a new Demonic Trick.

For now, he sensed his Soul Space.

It was a whole other world of darkness and shimmering light, but he decided to check that later when he was calmer.

Standing around in the slaughterhouse for too long wasn't going to be helpful anymore—not by much.

He opened his eyes, and the wings behind him flapped gently.

Yuri, Dona, and Choi Sung just looked at him, each of them with a different expression.

Mark scanned his surroundings.

Before he Evolved, there was always an issue with his senses when he was at his peak form. The area surrounding him would be shown to him chaotically using discordant images.

It had been a very irritating sensation.

Chaotic senses messed with the mind. But now, that sensation had gotten way stronger.

It was not bad, though. In fact, it was liberating.

He could sense 11 meters surrounding him with an uncanny perception. He could see minor details he would have otherwise missed—the small ants atop the pigs, the stench of the blood that was so pungent one could puke.

He could see things behind him even though it wasn't that clear.

Soul Sense.

He instinctively knew it was the name for this sensation.

It was not as good as his actual eyes or ears, but it was comforting to have this 6th sense. It felt as if it should have always been there for him.

His senses had indeed grown incredibly sharp.

Soul Sense was going to be incredibly useful in the long run.

That was how he immediately sensed Choi Sung's hardening muscles when he was evolving. But that was not the only thing that had changed within him overall.

Mark looked at his hand.

There was an invisible membrane surrounding it, like a second skin altogether. Transparent and nearly imperceptible even to himself.

Defensive Magic Skin.

It was also a privilege he gained due to Evolving and becoming a Lower Demon.

When the Mind Stat surpassed (10) points and became (11) when he evolved, it gave him Soul Sense.

When the Physique stat surpassed  (10) points and became (11) when he evolved, it gave him Defensive Magic Skin.

That made him wonder.

Would reaching milestones in each stat give him more of such benefits?

More than anything, these two things alone made Evolving to become a Lower Demon worth all the hype.

The wings and his new demonic trick were nothing worth scoffing at either.

Mark couldn't stop a hearty chuckle.

Yuri noted down all his reactions.

He stretched, and multiple bones cracked satisfyingly within him.

Sometimes, he wondered why Yuri would want something like that. But then, at other times, he understood that people who are obsessed with something as complex as science are bound to be somewhat crazy.

There was no craziness in the first place.

Not everyone had to act like the template of a 'normal' person.

Just as those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music, he just didn't hear what Yuri was hearing.

He just didn't live in the same world as her mind.

She was dancing to her own rhythm. If she was crazy, he was crazy too.

He was also dancing after all.

Choi Sung just stood there nervously.

"Let's go bath in some river," Mark said with a smile.

He had so much to learn about himself.