When the system demanded a career choice, Lee Seong-jun felt the weight of countless years pressing against the present. A flood of data rushed through the invisible framework, scanning his memories and his soul. Yet, the depth of his existence was too much to contain. He was no ordinary returnee. His past self was Demon God, one who had stood against the loftiest beings of the Celestial World—the Primordial Heavenly Lord, the Jade Emperor, and even the Queen Mother of the West.
The system faltered under such weight. Progress froze, errors bloomed, and then a strange correction activated. A random result emerged, defying the intended balance. His job was chosen not through harmony with his past, but through forced error.
The message announced his new path. He had become an Enhancer, a buffer class often overlooked by ordinary players. The skills granted were simple but effective: Strength Enhancement, Agility Enhancement, and Stamina Enhancement. Each consumed a fragment of blood energy to temporarily push attributes higher.
At first glance, it seemed strange. He had lived and fought as a warrior, mastering martial arts across realms, and now he bore the title of a reinforcement sorcerer. Yet, as he considered the implications, a slow smile rose on his face.
This was no curse—it was the best possible blessing.
Buffers were not frontline fighters. They supported from behind, amplifying the might of others. But Seong-jun already carried within him martial mastery far greater than what the system could provide. To him, combat skills locked behind other classes were irrelevant. What mattered was raw strength, agility, and endurance. And with his buffs, those foundations would rise to a level few could imagine.
By his current calculations, a simple application of enhancements could push him into C-rank or even B-rank strength on Earth's scale. Against an E-class gate, he could stand unrivaled. He had turned an accident into perfection.
Most importantly, the system's error revealed a truth. The god who created it was not omnipotent. If the system failed to fully comprehend the Demon God's soul, then it meant its control was limited. Any shackles that appeared in the future could be broken. For the first time since awakening, the unease hidden in his heart dissolved. He could use the system without fear, bending its gifts to his will.
The next morning, another perspective emerged. At the Hunter Association office, Jo Kang-hyun buried himself in work, his vacation abandoned. He had recognized Seong-jun's worth immediately. Unlike other returnees who flaunted power recklessly, this man was calm, calculating, and shrewd. Such a mind paired with strength was terrifying. At minimum, Seong-jun was SS-rank potential. At maximum, he could rise even higher.
If such a talent fell into the hands of the Returnees' Union, disaster would follow. The balance between awakened guilds and returnee guilds was fragile. An SS-ranked returnee would tilt the scales, granting returnees dominance, and emboldening them to demand laws that bent the nation itself to their will.
To prevent this, Seong-jun had to be recruited into the Association. No mistakes could be made. Jo Kang-hyun processed rewards swiftly, preparing additional support, determined not to repeat the friction of the previous day.
Yet his plans met an obstacle.
The request for approval fell into the hands of Kim Dong-jun, the Director of the Returnee Management Headquarters. Though lacking true ability, the man had climbed high through politics and connections. Sharp-eyed like a snake, he saw Jo Kang-hyun as a rival rising too quickly. Supporting Seong-jun meant handing over a great achievement to his subordinate—a risk he could not allow.
He dismissed the request with contempt, calling the returnee a fraud, refusing additional rewards, and mocking Jo Kang-hyun's judgment. Even as Jo Kang-hyun argued, the Director clung stubbornly to his pride, more concerned with office politics than national security.
At that moment, news arrived. A boss monster had appeared in the E-class gate near the Gangseo-gu sewage treatment plant. Other departments were already stretched thin, and the situation demanded urgent support.
As Kim Dong-jun answered the call, a plan twisted in his mind. If he could tie this problem to Seong-jun and crush the talk of extra compensation, then Jo Kang-hyun's momentum would end here. A bitter smile crept across his lips as he prepared to play his move.
The Association's politics, Seong-jun's rising path, and the looming crisis of the gate—all were about to collide.