Villain: Ultimate Mutation System in the Alternate World

He had underestimated the hunters after witnessing Anna deal with them so effortlessly.

Now, wounded, he realized that he was wrong in his assumption. This realization stung his ego more than the actual physical damaged he suffered.

"You can talk?" Jake immediately adjusted his stance after hearing Reign's words.

For a demon to speak, it meant it was on the brink of breaking through the middle rank.

However, he could tell that the demon in front of him was still lacking in strength.

This begged the question: Where did he get his intelligence from?

And his assumption was correct; lower demons could barely speak at all.

The only reason Reign was an exception was that he used to be a human before coming to this world. His intelligence was already high from the get-go.

But for Jake, a different idea came to mind: Catastrophe-type demons.

These demons were already intelligent from the moment they were born. It was said that these kinds of entities inherited some of the knowledge of ancient demons who shared their DNA, making them inherently more intelligent.

And unlike their weaker counterparts, these demons grew and evolved faster.

That was why hunters like him always prioritized killing this type of demon before they could become a threat.

Otherwise, when they reached their peak, they could single-handedly destroy a city, hence the category Catastrophe.

Jake took a deep breath and gathered his strength, preparing for another attack. He knew he couldn't let his guard down now.

"You're dangerous, I need to kill you," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than to the demon in front of him.

"Hawk Breathing Technique, Shuttered Wings !" With an intense gazed, he launched another barrage of wind slashes at Reign.

This time, however, he aimed for Reign's legs, trying to cripple him and make it easier to finish him off.

The wind howled through the air, forcing Reign back several steps as he struggled to defend against the attack. His legs began to twist and bleed under the immense pressure, and soon, one of them was severed.

Reign grumbled in annoyance as he fell to the ground, clutching at his bleeding stump where his legs used to be.

He felt weakened further by the loss, but he still managed to summon enough strength to speak. "I will fucking kill you," he spat through gritted teeth, his expression twisted into a snarl.

Despite the damage his enemy sustained, Jake knew he couldn't let his guard down now.

The demon was still dangerous, and he had to finish this quickly.

With a quick glance at the wounded demon before him, he took a deep breath and prepared for one final attack.

He walked towards him and raised his sword, ready to behead Reign. "Die, you piece of shit, "

But before he could deliver the fatal blow, Reign's claw suddenly extended, catching him off guard. Due to the position of his sword, he was late to block, and five long claws pierced his abdomen.

"BUAHHHHH!" A gut-wrenching scream tore from Jake's lips as the claw pierced his abdomen, unleashing a torrent of blood.

The excruciating pain twisted his face, contorting his body in agony. Each convulsion sent waves of nausea through him, and he spat out blood, the metallic taste overwhelming his senses.

He used his sword to steady himself, but ultimately, the pain forced him to kneel on the ground, his breaths ragged and shallow.

"Idiot," Reign laughed maniacally, his plan working like a charm.

All this time, he knew he could not defeat Jake head-on, so he decided to sacrifice his legs to lower his guard.

Then, at the last moment, when Jake raised his sword to go for the kill, Reign used his hidden skill and swiftly sucker-stabbed him.

"Man, you're taking too long to die," Reign mused aloud. He avoided getting too close, wary that Jake might have some surprises left.

Safety first, he reasoned.

Instead, he began twisting his claws, causing Jake's innards to spill from his stomach.

"Looks like sausages," he thought, noting the high quality of Jake's internal organs. He must have been eating well and staying healthy.

"BUAHHHHH!" Jake vomited another gush of blood, his vision already fading.

All he had left was his willpower, allowing him to hear the mocking laughter of the demon responsible for his death.

In his last breaths, tears of blood welled in his eyes as he recalled his family, who died because of demons. He was the lone survivor of a demon attack, and he had become a hunter to seek vengeance for his loved ones.

He had hoped to find the demon responsible for his family's death, but his own complacency and errors resulted in his downfall. .

All these regrets began to weigh heavily on his heart, threatening to engulf his very soul.

[System: Target is accumulating Vengeful Aura. Would you like to create a darkened heart?]

[Yes] or [No]

Reign's laughter stopped after seeing the notification. He wasn't sure what a darkened heart meant, but if the system was offering it, there must be plenty of benefits.

"Yes"

The moment he agreed, Reign felt an energy released from his claws.

Two seconds later, Jake slumped to the ground, finally finding eternal rest.

Reign, with his missing leg, crawled towards the dead corpse using his hands. He began tearing open its chest, curious to see what had become of his heart.

"It's completely black!" he exclaimed after seeing it. He reached out to touch it and realized it had crystallized for some reason.

"This thing looks delicious," he mumbled as he examined it in his hands. It had no discernible smell, but something inside him urged him to eat it immediately.

CRACK.

As his teeth sank into the crystallized heart, it began to crack and dissolve in his mouth, like some kind of pop candy.

The sensation was peculiar, but what really intrigued him were the fragmented memories flooding his mind.

They weren't Jake's complete memories, but rather flashes of his worst nightmares —a life marked by tragedy.

He saw images of a family torn apart by the merciless claws of a demon, the anguish and despair etched into their faces.

'What kind of demon is this?' he pondered silently as he observed the creature in the memory.

It appeared to be a hybrid of human and bird, with three crow heads fused together to form its grotesque face. Black feathers adorned its body, and it boasted three bird-like legs, adding to its creepy appearance.

Looking at the monstrous creature, he couldn't help but feel that his own appearance was rather tame in comparison.

Despite his almost decaying skin and large canine teeth, he realized that he was nothing compared to the abominable being he had just witnessed in the memory.

He had always considered himself rather scary looking, especially when his basis for a demon was Anna.

Regardless of his feelings of resentment towards her, he couldn't deny her beauty, even by human standards.

'So that annoying girl is an exception,' he muttered to himself.

[DING!]