While Sung JinWoo was studying the mysterious artifacts and spells of the system, his body trembled with excitement. The list before him was full of items that defied conventional logic—as if this update had turned the system into an all-powerful machine capable of fulfilling any wish.
[Ding! Ding!]
A sudden notification sound caught his attention.
[The Administrator has bestowed a gift upon the host.]
[Host, would you like to open this gift?]
"A gift?" Sung JinWoo frowned. Without hesitation, he clicked [Yes] A golden screen with a dazzling glow appeared, and he stared curiously at the gift's information:
[Name: Divine Blood]
[Rank: ????]
[Description: A drop of blood from a higher being. Upon consumption, the host will undergo an unknown transformation.]
Sung JinWoo scowled. The system's explanation was vague. Could this transformation be dangerous? What was the goal of this mysterious "Administrator"? But to grow stronger, he was willing to take the risk.
Suddenly, a small bottle adorned with golden, sacred patterns materialized in his hands. Inside, a radiant liquid—like a miniature sun—shimmered. Just looking at it made every cell in his body scream for him to drink it. But he resisted. He didn't know what consequences awaited him.
Not wanting to worry his mother and sister, he quickly retreated to an abandoned building. As an S-rank hunter, he didn't even need to summon Kaisel. In no time, he reached a safe location.
With one last glance at the bottle, he downed its contents.
Suddenly—he let out a scream of agony.
His body collapsed to the ground, his bones breaking one after another. If not for his iron will, he would've lost consciousness. An indescribable pain engulfed his entire being—worse than being torn apart. His genetic structure was collapsing and rebuilding itself. He was evolving.
His human blood was being crushed under the pressure of the divine blood. Suddenly, three pairs of holy white wings sprouted from his back—countless eyes gleaming on them, each filled with madness and insanity. The divine blood wanted to transform him into an [Eldritch entity of higher dimensions], but the quantity wasn't enough. In the end, his human blood prevailed.
The wings vanished. Sung JinWoo lay on the ground, drenched in sweat. He had glimpsed hell itself—pain beyond death. But the reward for this torment was worth it.
With a triumphant smile, he stood up. His power had increased to an inhuman degree.
- His physical abilities had multiplied dozens of times.
- The mana within him surged like an endless ocean.
Even he was shocked. How lucky was he?!
To the point where even that "King of Heroes (who preferred to remain unnamed) might say, "This is unfair!"
He had been tortured by a sadism demon to become stronger, but this bastard had only achieved such power by drinking blood!
And that "Queen" and "King of Magecraft (who also disliked being named) would surely agree: "This is truly unfair!"
Sung JinWoo threw a punch into the air—a sonic boom shattered the atmosphere. The ground beneath him cracked. Now, he could easily annihilate his past self from just minutes ago.
The Administrator had really given him a great gift.
Perhaps this being wasn't malevolent—but he still had to remain cautious.
---
[Inside Sung JinWoo's subconscious]
"It seems the little king is pleased with my gift," Shikama Doji said in his usual tone, watching Sung JinWoo with amusement.
Had Shikama Doji given Sung JinWoo more blood, he might have fully evolved into an Eldritch being. But due to the corruption of the Outer Gods, he would've likely turned into a fleshy monstrosity—covered in eyes, tentacles, and madness—with only a shell of his human identity remaining.
Fortunately, that didn't happen.