Villain: Ultimate Mutation System in the Alternate World

Such a feat would generate too much shockwaves, essentially painting a target on their backs for a demon lord like Reign to easily track them down.

The blond hunter named Marlon nodded, his face pale and filled with pain. "There—an alley up ahead."

"Alright… But are you okay?" Jarren asked, glancing back at his teammate, who was struggling to keep up.

"I'll manage," Marlon replied through gritted teeth.

He clutched his side, wincing with every step as the pain from his wounds and broken ribs had slowed him down.

His rune regenerative abilities had already activated, but since it was of lower quality and he hadn't fully absorbed it like Nekola, its effect wasn't as powerful.

Finally, they reached a somewhat safe place in their opinion, and they began to heal themselves while keeping watch on each other's blind spots.

"I can't believe we got played like a fool by a demon," Jarren muttered, clicking his tongue in annoyance. His body was far tougher than the rest, so he was in better condition.

"Seriously," Marlon replied with a shake of his head. "We just let our guards down, and ended up like this!,"

Jarren scowled, his frustration evident. "We underestimated that demon," he admitted grudgingly.

"Don't worry, a lot of people do," Reign's voice echoed mockingly from the sky as he flew casually above them.

"Fuck!" Jarren cursed out as the two hunters quickly stood up and gripped their katanas.

Reign's smirk widened, savoring the thrill of the chase.

"Come on, show me what you've got!" Reign taunted, his voice echoing sadistically.

The two hunters exchanged a glance, their faces contorted. They knew they had to do something drastic to survive.

Jaren took a deep breath, gathering his remaining strength. "We need to split up and report this. He can't follow both of us," he said, his voice strained.

Marlon nodded, wincing from his broken ribs. "Got it. Stay safe."

With that, they broke off in different directions, hoping to confuse Reign.

But Reign did not mind at all.

He extended his wings and surged forward, choosing to follow Marlon.

The hunter glanced over his shoulder and saw Reign casually flying through the air, gaining on him.

He gritted his teeth and pushed himself harder, but he had lost too much power healing himself and taking on the damage of the initial attack.

"Running won't save you," he mocked.

Marlon knew he had no choice.

With determination etched on his face, he turned sharply and swung his sword.

As he did, flames erupted from it, casting an intense glow in the dim alleyway that directly engulfed everything on its path.

However, to the hunter's astonishment, Reign remained unmoved, the flames merely burning harmlessly around him.

"Nice try," His laughter echoed through the air, mocking the futile attempt to harm him. "but you'll have to do better than that."

Marlon, seeing that his attack was useless, stopped running.

"If you're really strong, then allow me to use my full power," he taunted. He knew demons were prideful and arrogant, so he wanted to capitalize on it to buy some time.

Reign paused mid-air.

It wasn't every day that someone offered themselves to become one of his research volunteers.

He had been wanting to know how powerful Hunters could be for future reference, so this was a good opportunity.

'Those two old hunters died too quickly to become a useful reference,'Reign mused, considering the proposition.

"Alright, feel free to do whatever you're planning," Reign responded casually, crossing his arms while hovering in the air.

Hearing this, Marlon wasted no time and activated his forbidden technique.

Reign was quick, so if Marlon didn't have enough time to prepare, he would be killed way before he could activate it.

In fact, most Hunter techniques require a bit amount of time to be effectively utilized their power.

This was due to the intricate nature of these techniques, which often demand precise movements, concentration, and breathing.

As a result, Hunters always operate in groups, allowing them to provide mutual support and watched each others back.

But this was a double-edged sword.

When a hunter finds themselves alone, they are faced with a dilemma.

They must either risk leaving themselves vulnerable by taking the time to activate more powerful techniques or resort to quicker, but weaker, options.

This choice often results in hunters inadvertently exposing weaknesses in their defense, as they prioritize speed over power in their desperate attempts to fend off threat

'I'll take you down with me,' Marlon gritted his teeth as he begrudgingly sacrificed the rune inside his body.

He raised his hands, took a deep breath, and then inhaled another layer of air.

Energy erupted from him, crackling and swirling around him like a flaming vortex.

His skin flushed a deep crimson color, veins pulsating with power as if they were rivers of molten lava beneath his flesh.

The ground beneath his feet glowed with a fierce orange hue, the floor itself succumbing to the blistering heat radiating from his body.

'Oh, this is the same one that Arc used before,' Reign thought to himself, recognizing the technique.

"Demon, do you know what this state is?" Marlon spoke as he raised his katana above him.

The fear in his eyes was gone, replaced by a calm acceptance of his fate.

After activating this ability, his chance of living was zero so he no longer have to worry about his life.

With the fear of death gone, all his senses was now heightened, and devoid of distraction.

"I don't have a clue at all," Reign shook his head while he materialized two skull grinders in his hands.

He could tell that Marlon had undergone a major power-up, so he felt it was only right to get a little bit serious.

"Rune Overload, this is my last resort. I will die either way, so I'm killing you for the sake of humanity while I'm at it," he responded, each of his words releasing a breath hot enough to melt a person's face.

He could barely contain the temperature.

"Does this Rune Overload thing also make you talkative?" Reign chuckled, but inside, he was curious to see what would happen next.

If he got lucky, the dying hunter could show him some advanced techniques that he could copy, like Stream Guide.

Marlon ignored the taunting. He knew that the demon in front of him was just trying to get into his head, but it was alright, because he also need time.

He focused inward, feeling the intense heat building up within him, each heartbeat increasing the blood flow.

Sweat evaporated up his brow as the temperature around him continued to rise, the air crackling with the intensity of his power.

Every breath he took felt like inhaling flames, searing his lungs with each inhalation.

With his sword ready for action, he stood in a wide stance, his right foot planted firmly forward, while his left foot remained behind.

"Fire Drake Breathing Technique…." Marlon's voice echoed, his words hanging in the air like an impending calamity.