070 TOGGLE ON EMPOWERMENT
Just as Damen was about to rest for the night, a soft beep came from his phone. He hesitated, then turned it on.
To his surprise, there was a new notification. His mining app wasn't trashed.
"A new software upgrade is available. Some functions may be lost during the upgrade. Do you want to proceed? (Y/N)"
"What the hell? Did this upgrade come when I decided to trash it?" he asked himself.
He paused only for a second before pressing Yes.
The screen flickered.
"DemCoin mining version 2.0"
A sleek new interface appeared, divided into two panels.
"Damn," he muttered, his eyes widening. "I can mine from two targets at once now."
But he quickly sobered. "I'm already done with this app… what's the point of an extra screen?"
He reached to trash it again, but another message popped up:
Favorite list expanded to 40 targets.
Mining range improved.
Acquire function disabled.
Damen chuckled under his breath. "Seriously? I just decided to quit, and it's giving me more enhancements?"
He stared out the window, half-smiling. "Maybe there really is a guardian angel watching over me," he murmured.
Then he remembered: Acquire function disabled.
"What the hell does that mean?" he muttered.
Testing it, he selected a mining target he had never acquired from before. Sure enough, the Acquire button couldn't be used anymore. In fact, the Acquire button didn't appear on the app at all.
"So, it's true… the app has a mind of its own," Damen thought. "It knows I worry about being too greedy, so it disabled the Acquire function to make sure I'll keep using it."
"But… with no Acquire, what's the point of mining? I can't do anything besides the Live View," he said.
Another notification appeared:
Live View function has been disabled.
"Damnit! There's nothing good left. What's the point of this app now?" he groaned.
But he didn't stop searching. He was curious. The app wouldn't upgrade without giving him something new.
In the settings, he finally noticed a new toggle: "Empowerment."
"Empowerment?" he frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Curiosity won over him. He toggled it on.
Immediately, his DemCoin balance began to drain — slowly at first, then steadily, almost as if the phone itself were alive, hungry for coins.
Yet as the balance fell, a strange warmth spread through Damen's chest, a subtle hum beneath his skin. His senses sharpened, his every nerve alive.
"This… may be a good thing, but what does it do?" he said, glancing at his stats:
Name: Damen Dark
Rank: E?
Strength: 48 | Charm: 41 | Meta: 43 | Command: 42 | Blood: 18 | Armor: 67
To his surprise, his Meta had increased to 44 before his very own eyes.
"Damnit, Empowerment is increasing my stats without
Acquiring from others?"
He didn't sleep.
For an hour, his eyes stayed glued to the phone. Slowly, his Command rose to 43.
After a long while, Damen was exhausted. He couldn't continue tracking, so finally he dozed off.
-----
The next morning, Damen checked the app — a few more points had quietly crept up overnight. Then the truth hit him: his DemCoins were gone.
Every last one had been drained by Empowerment.
He tried to fix it the obvious way — selecting two Heroes from the gym and mining them — but even with the extra target, the coins generated weren't enough to sustain Empowerment.
The problem wasn't the drain rate; it was the quality of his targets.
The previous thought about abandoning the app was long gone after the upgrade.
Damen dressed quickly in tidy, neutral clothing, neither formal nor casual, and ran to the nearest office building.
A guard blocked the entrance.
"What are you doing here? Only authorized personnel allowed."
"Erm… I'm waiting for someone," he improvised.
"I wasn't informed about you. Now go," the guard instructed.
Thinking fast, Damen produced his SIA badge and dangled it.
The guard froze at the badge's sight.
"I must notify the manager," the guard stammered.
"There's no need," Damen cut in. "This is a routine inspection only. I'll sit and won't disturb anyone."
The guard hesitated, then let him through.
Damen sat in a corner and waited. Not long after, his prey arrived — all high-ranking metas:
Director Kanes (Rank D),
Manager Jaryl (Rank D),
Team Leader Tongu (Rank D).
One by one, he tagged them.
He removed the gym regulars from his favorites and replaced them with top management people. Then he mined them inside his app.
Within seconds, the difference was brutal and immediate — his DemCoin counter surged.
"So that's it… I need stronger targets," he murmured, grinning. "That's the key to Empowerment."
He didn't stop there.
The next building housed a shareholders' meeting. Damen slipped inside, moving like a ghost through a crowd of investors and executives, marking them all.
By the time he finished, his favorites list brimmed with Melrose City's big shots.
His mining range had expanded to cover nearly a quarter of the city — he could reach these people in their homes, so he could mine them at any hour.
"Hell," he said with a smirk, "I could mine these people twenty-four seven."
Just then, a familiar voice interrupted his satisfaction.
"Damen? What are you doing here in Veyran Industries?"
He turned to meet the voice. It was Eryn Veyran standing before him, her curious eyes sharp as always.
He blinked, forcing a casual smile. "Erm… I'm studying the architecture of the city's landmarks," he said quickly.
Then, pretending to admire the walls.
Suddenly, a youth darted forward, sliding under Eryn's arm and landing on one knee with a bouquet of flowers.
"Eryn Veyran!" he declared loudly. "I've admired you for a long time—would you care to have lunch with me?"
He tugged at her sleeve, almost desperately.
Eryn quickly shoved him away, her face hardening. Without a word, she stepped closer to Damen and took his hand.
"Let's go for lunch," she said evenly.
Damen blinked in surprise. Around them, the office froze. Whispers spread like wildfire. Even the young man with the flowers stared, speechless.
"What was that all about?" Damen muttered as they started walking.
Eryn sighed. "He's just one of the pests who won't leave me alone."
"Eryn… please, just give me a chance!" the youth begged again.
Damen frowned and stepped forward. "Hey, buddy. She said no. Get lost."
The young man's expression twisted with anger. "Who are you to interrupt me? How dare you speak to me like that in front of my princess?"
"Shut up," Damen said flatly, turning away with Eryn.
But the boy's voice rose behind them, shaking with rage.
"Nobody humiliates me! I am Shawn Zetheris heir of Zetheris Industries! You come back here and apologize to me right now!"
Damen didn't even look back.
That only pushed Shawn over the edge. His eyes glowed in blazing gold.
In a flash of fury, he thrust his hand forward—unleashing a blast of golden energy straight at Damen's back, ready to kill him.
"Ray of Brilliance."