The city hadn't changed.
But Jiwoon had.
Standing atop the remains of a fallen Reaper, his armor cracked and steaming, he stared into the night sky—wondering how far he could fall before he stopped caring.
"I was supposed to be a tool of justice."
"Now I'm just another glitch in the system."
Behind him, Harin watched silently. She saw the cracks—not in the armor, but in the man.
The System's Offer
Suddenly, the system buzzed—not with a mission, but with an offer.
SYSTEM NOTICE: You have violated the core contract.
Proposal: Re-Establish Terms
Penalty: Reduce autonomy by 60%
Reward: Immunity from Reapers
Jiwoon stared at the screen.
"Give up control… and live?"
"Or stay free… and die?"
The demon inside him laughed darkly.
"Why choose chains when you already wear the crown of monsters?"
Decision Point: Shatter or Submit
"Time Remaining: 10 seconds."
Jiwoon clenched his jaw.
"Screw your contract."
[CONTRACT TERMINATED]
[UNLOCKING FORBIDDEN TREE: Sin Sovereign Pathway]
Warning: No further system support. You are now classified as 'Unbound.'
A surge of raw power slammed through his body. His sin points restructured.
A new window appeared:
You have rejected the path of servitude.
You now walk the road of kings.
The Demon's Full Whisper
As the transformation settled, the world around Jiwoon began to warp slightly—colors dulling, sounds twisting.
He could feel the thoughts of nearby sinners.
He turned to Harin.
"You felt that?"
"Yes… What did you just do?"
He looked down at his hands. They trembled, not from fear—but from anticipation.
"I became the thing the system feared most."