Mind Demon's Path of Domination

Dark clouds loomed overhead. The mega-dungeon was never silent; it always writhed with echoing desolation. It was a grey world. First, it began with small trickles, but that soon turned into a rumble in the dark night as rain began to fall.

Soon, it was a downpour in that abandoned, apocalyptic world.

Mark stood atop a colossal watchtower, raindrops trickling down his wide wings as he breathed out slowly.

Hanging onto his hand, Shiden squirmed, his legs waving around against the air in an attempt to escape, but Mark didn't give him any heed.

Crah! Crah!

Wet ravens flapped their wings and flew with immense speed through the rain and darkness. Some demons eyed them with greed.

Only birds were so greedy and arrogant as to live amidst hungry wolves when they had no strength to resist a hunt—yet they had wings to escape.

The rain is good.

"Seo Jin Hu," Mark called calmly.

Shiden's bright black eyes glinted ominously. Arm and leg crippled, Maki twitched under Mark's leg—all of Seo Jin Hu's Kill Slaves were already out of battle health except Hanmo, and Hanmo was nowhere near here.

"Demon, tell me," Shiden hoarsely said, "What do you want in return for letting me and the woman under your feet go?"

Mark's golden eyes turned to him calmly. "Nothing."

"Come on. You are an intelligent demon," he said, his words choking through Mark's hard grip on his face. "Given the right lever, you can even lift a planet. Tell me, what is your price?"

"Nothing you can give."

Mark grinned.

The kid was delaying.

Even now, Hanmo was probably running towards this location with all his might—but even if Hanmo could fly now, he wouldn't catch up.

Mark now had a truly solid headstart.

He closed his eyes and ignored the youth.

If he killed Seo Jin Hu to steal the Kill Slave demonic trick, his current Kill Slaves would most probably follow him to death. But Mark didn't want to lose Shiden's Hunter Ability. He had been greedy over it for so long, after all.

So, he would have to steal that first before interacting with Seo Jin Hu's ability. Not to mention, Seo Jin Hu was inside Maki's shadow, and there was no way the kid was coming out on his own—and since Mark already had other ways to gain another Seal of Destiny again, it was fine.

For now, he decided to steal Alchemy Shapeshifting. Kill Slave Hunter Ability would have to wait. He tightened his hand and bleeding out from his mouth, Shiden died.

Seal of Destiny!

…

Destiny.

On Earth, some believed destiny existed, and others believed it was a myth. Yet, now, Mark was sure that at least some things had a pre-destined path. Like some abilities, they were meant to be used by some people. Like some birthrights—some just had it.

The number of twisting paths in destiny and fate was too complex for him to dwell on, so he didn't. But as Mark activated the Seal of Destiny, he saw it.

It was a vast, flowing river filled with infinite wonders, and he was but a small droplet in the vast waterbed. Like all things, he, too, was flowing towards a destined path, and many other droplets were doing the same.

River of Destiny.

He just knew that was what he was staring at. Complex didn't cut to describe how vast, dark, and infinite the place was. Yet, so majestic.

His own 'droplet' had many threads connecting it to many other droplets. Looking into it was too difficult a task, but Mark felt hatred well up within him like never before.

My life's destiny, its course, its threads of fate. I decide it.

He still didn't know what this River truly represented, but no, he would not have his own fate be let to move the way something decrees.

Am I… too small?

A seal blinked into existence before his eyes. It was an archaic thing. As he felt for it, the threads on his minuscule form shifted ever so little, and amidst many other droplets—some other lifeform's destiny—one other droplet lost one thread.

It was Shiden's Destiny.

Mark sealed that stolen 'thread' and wrapped it around 'himself.' He didn't even have to do that. It somehow felt like he was watching a cut scene in a game in real life.

…

Breathing in deeply, Mark appeared in the real world with sweat and rainwater dripping down his face.

Maki was also gasping in terror. "What unholiness did you do to Shiden's body?" she asked, voice raspy.

Mark looked at her apathetically. Golden eyes deadpan.

Since becoming a demon, he had learned many new things. One of them was that there were forces in this world that one just couldn't comprehend. World Wills, River of Destiny, Destiny, Fate, Reincarnation, the Violet Screen.

Those were things far too distant. Too infinitesimally big.

Or I am not yet ready to understand it.

Hand on Shiden's corpse, Mark smiled.

Shiden's body expanded—

—and it exploded.

Demonic Trick—Alchemy Shapeshifting.

Maki grunted from under his foot, and inside Maki's shadow, Seo Jin Hu must be going crazy.

"Only your limbs are broken, not your mouth. I'd like to hear your story," Mark said, sitting down in a laidback fashion and looking towards the distance.

Seo Jin Hu wanted to drag for time, but Mark didn't mind. He could run away as many times as he wanted. He didn't plan to stay here for long.

Hanmo should be running towards me in the rain, huffing and puffing.

Thunder rumbled in the skies.

Maki—Seo Jin Hu—looked at him from the floor, her eyes blurry.

"No need to waste your time. I am no fool, Red School, I am no fool. I know how to understand defeat. I was too arrogant, and you won—fair and square. My life is yours to have." 'She' said weakly, "Since you know that Hanmo is my Kill Slave and he is probably running here, there is no way for me to trick you anymore."

"Oh?" Mark looked down at Maki's near-dead body. "Your actions don't mimic your words. If you are so defeated, if you feel so done for," He smirked disdainfully. "Why don't you make your main body come out?"

A silence stretched between them, and stunning Mark, a shadow bulged out from Maki's side. A young man with a sallow, listless face, deeply sunken eyes, and a cold gaze walked out.

It was none other than Seo Jin Hu himself.