Chapter 2: System Hunter
Pain came first.
Sharp. Immediate. Real.
Daemon's eyes snapped open as he sucked in a ragged breath, his body jerking upright.
Grass.
The scent hit him before anything else—damp earth, wild air, something unfamiliar and untamed.
He blinked rapidly.
"…What…?"
The sky above him was wrong.
Too wide. Too clear. No buildings. No city lights. Just an endless stretch of deep blue fading into gold at the horizon.
Daemon pushed himself up, his head spinning.
"This isn't…"
Not the vault.
Not even close.
His pulse quickened.
"Okay. Think."
Kidnapping? No.
Drugs? Hallucination?
Too real.
Way too real.
He clenched his fists, grounding
himself.
"Last thing I remember… the sphere."
His stomach dropped.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
A flicker of light cut across his vision.
Daemon flinched, stepping back instinctively.
Lines of glowing text burned into the air in front of him.
No—
Not in front of him.
Inside his head.
[System Initializing… Complete.]
[Welcome, Daemon Casiana.]
He froze.
"…No."
[Unique Signature Detected.]
[Lineage Match Confirmed.]
"…No, no, no."
[Inheritance Protocol Engaged.]
Daemon let out a sharp laugh, running a hand through his hair.
"This is insane."
[Class Assignment in Progress…]
"Yeah, sure. Why not?" he muttered. "Let's just keep going."
The text flickered.
Paused.
Then shifted.
[Error.]
[Standard Class Assignment Failed.]
Daemon blinked.
"…What?"
[Override Detected.]
[Legacy Authority Recognized.]
The air around him seemed to tighten. Pressure. Invisible, but undeniable.
[Class Unlocked:]
MAX PRESTIGE — SYSTEM HUNTER
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Absolute.
Daemon stared at the words.
"…System… Hunter?"
[Unique Class Benefits Applied.]
[Access to Restricted Functions Granted.]
More text flooded his vision—faster now.
[Skill Acquired: System Scan]
[Skill Acquired: Extraction]
[Skill Acquired: Assimilation]
He tensed.
"…Assimilation?"
[Sub-System Unlock Condition Met.]
The next line appeared slower than the others.
Deliberate.
[Casiana Authority Detected.]
Daemon's breath caught.
"…Casiana…?"
[Sub-System Activated:]
CASIANA FAMILY NETWORK
Something shifted inside him.
Not physical.
Deeper.
Like a door opening in his mind.
Images flashed—
Chains. Blood. Power. Structure.
A throne built not from gold…
…but from people.
Daemon staggered slightly, gripping his head.
"What the hell is this…?"
The system responded.
DAEMON STATUS UPDATE
Strength: 8
Agility: 11
Endurance: 9
Perception: 16
Intelligence: 14
Authority: 1
SYSTEM SKILLS UNLOCKED
• System Scan (Lv.1)
→ reveals enemy stats, class, and threat level
• Extraction (Locked Tier Growth)
→ kills convert into permanent stat/skill gain
• Assimilation (Prototype)
→ binds defeated targets into
controlled system-linked
[You may establish a Family]
His father's voice echoed suddenly in his memory.
Do not chase the wealth…
Daemon went still.
Slowly, he lowered his hand.
"…This is it."
The "wealth."
Not money.
Not something you could spend.
Something you could become.
His jaw tightened.
"So this is what you found…"
And walked away from.
The wind shifted.
A low growl followed.
Daemon's head snapped toward the sound.
From the edge of the treeline, something emerged.
Not human.
Not even close.
A creature—low to the ground, muscles coiled beneath dark, matted fur. Its eyes glowed faintly, locked onto him with predatory focus.
Daemon didn't move.
"…Right."
His breathing steadied.
"New world."
The creature took a step forward.
"So that means…"
Another step.
"…this is where I start surviving."
A new prompt appeared.
[Target Detected.]
[Analyze?]
Daemon's eyes narrowed.
"…Yeah."
[System Scan Activated.]
Information snapped into place.
[Feral Hound]
Threat Level: Moderate
Strength: 13
Instinct-driven predator
It noticed him instantly.
The creature lunged.
Fast.
Faster than anything that size had a right to be.
Daemon reacted on instinct—sidestepping just as claws tore through the space where he'd been standing.
His heart slammed against his ribs.
"Okay… definitely real."
The hound skidded, turned, and charged again.
No weapon.
No backup.
No second chances.
Daemon exhaled slowly.
Centered himself.
Just like his father taught him.
"Stay calm. Control the situation."
The hound leapt.
Daemon stepped in this time—not away.
He grabbed its neck mid-lunge, using its momentum to slam it into the ground.
The impact knocked the air from his lungs—but he didn't let go.
The creature thrashed, snapping wildly.
Daemon tightened his grip.
"Yeah… not today."
With a sharp motion, he drove its head
into the ground again.
And again.
Until it stopped moving.
Silence returned.
Broken only by his breathing.
A notification appeared.
[Target Eliminated.]
Daemon stared down at the lifeless body.
His chest rose and fell steadily.
Then—
[No System Detected.]
[Extraction Unavailable.]
[Assimilation Unavailable.]
"…So not everything works," he muttered.
Another pause.
Then—
[Warning:]
[System Users Detected Nearby.]
Daemon's expression hardened.
Slowly, he straightened.
"…Good."
His eyes sharpened, something colder settling behind them.
"Let's see what this 'Family' really means."
Far off in the distance…
Something was already watching him.
And it was smiling.