Published at 30th of April 2026 7:04 am

Chapter 199: Choices And Repercussions

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Chapter 199: Choices And Repercussions

The sensation wasnt new, but he still wasnt used to it.

The feeling of a dungeon collapsing around you while the world twisted and shifted was enough to turn anyones stomach. Swallowing back the sour burp rising in his throat, Seo-jin opened his eyes and drew in a long breath of cold air.

"Much better."

The Freelands stretched out before him, dark and open like a welcome friend.

Night still clung to the land, but he could smell morning coming. Moisture hung thick in the air, wet grass and soil settling his senses as he calmed the restless pulse running through the twinbacks. Both serpents tensed, their throats rumbling before they stopped themselves. Tiamat and Bahamut slowly scanned the wilds, their bodies coiled with the kind of dominance that made Seo-jin smile.

"Like what you see? Just wait till you guys see Shatterbay."

Wet, quiet screeches rumbled from both of them as they leaned in, heads brushing against him with unsettling affection.

"What do you suggest we do next?"

[There are a few options. First, we continue hunting in the Freelands while avoiding dungeons. Second, both you and the brood have undergone significant changes. It would be advisable to spend time familiarizing yourselves with your new abilities. Third, you have fulfilled the requirements necessary to activate your class quest item, meaning you could begin that immediately. Based on my estimates, if your goal is to increase your strength as quickly as possible, option three is your best choice.]

"Broodspawns Call, wasnt it?"

[Correct.]

Rolling his sore shoulders until bone popped, he gave the area a quick look before spotting a fallen tree slick with dew. As he sat, bark rough beneath him, something suddenly dove from above.

Before his eyes could even track it, Tiamats neck snapped up and her jaws stretched wide.

The thing vanished instantly with a loud crunch. Only a few black feathers drifted down through the dark, twisting softly before landing near his feet.

"Stupid bird."

----

"That stupid son-of-a-bitch!"

Ash jerked awake at Yu-nas sudden outburst, his whole body twitching under the blanket as her curses exploded.

Still half asleep and realizing none of it was aimed at him, he let out a tired grunt, yanked the cover over his head, and curled back into the couch cushions.

"Girls are weird."

----

Scratching at his itching ear, Seo-jin took a moment to collect his thoughts. His gains from the dungeon had been immense. There was a lot to keep track of.

First, there was himself.

Two more levels. Level twenty-four now. His strength had finally crossed the line into true A-Rank, and he could feel it every time his claws flexed or his body moved. The difference wasnt subtle. His body felt heavier, faster, sharper. B-Rank had already made him dangerous. A-Rank strength made him something worse.

Then came the evolution.

By bringing Fang into existence as his tenth broodling, he had finally forced the change. Imp Tyrant. Mawspawn Variant.

Even thinking about it made his fingers twitch. His body had become a weapon in ways that were hard to ignore. More speed. More raw damage. Tougher flesh. Better resistances. Even his shifting had expanded, giving him another slot to work with. He wasnt just stronger anymore. He was becoming complete.

And his skills...

That was another mess entirely.

Maw Dominion alone was enough to change how he approached combat from this point forward. Forty meters of living hell, flesh, and bone. A piece of the Maw dragged into reality itself. His brood grew stronger inside it. His enemies would weaken.

Just thinking about using it within the city made him grin.

Cull the Weak. Vile Cleanse. Ranked improvements to Savage Feed and Corruption. His corruption especially. That one was getting dangerous. Humans around him for too long were becoming less and less safe, which was useful...but inconvenient.

Then there was the brood. Tomb, Sin, and Fang. Three new additions, each another step toward something bigger.

Bile, Widow, Hex, and Panic had all grown stronger, but the real monsters were hanging off his back.

Tiamat and Bahamut werent twinback growths anymore. They were S+ Rank Twinback Serpents. That thought alone almost made him laugh. His living weapons had evolved into intelligent apex predators, and judging by their behavior, both of them knew it.

Pain had also made out well. Using that B-Rank trident had paid off. The weapon had become part of him, adding even more firepower to an already dangerous broodling.

Then came the loot.

Iphitoss Bow. Giants Gallbladder. Gundants Axe. Exp potions. Abyssal steel. The Abyssal Pearl. The barrier necklace. The tentacle whip.

And fourteen-thousand five-hundred dungeon points.

That last one felt satisfying.

The steel alone would keep his deal with Thragdur valuable, and the necklace...that had options. A two-thousand HP barrier with water synergy wasnt something to ignore.

Then there was the Giants Gallbladder. That one was for Tomb. He couldnt wait to see what changes the mutation would bring.

All in all, the B-Rank Abyssal Dungeon had done more than make him stronger, it had accelerated everything. His brood. His gear. His class. His evolution.

His future.

The only thing he could really complain about was bringing the humans. Min, of course, was the exception, but the others had mostly been dead weight hed stupidly chained to his own neck.

Clicking his tongue, he flicked open across his panel and started reading through his new

"Boss?"

Seo-jin actually jumped, twisting fast enough that Bahamuts jaws stopped just short of snapping shut.

'Howd he get behind me? The growths didnt even notice him.'

Standing alone in the dark brush, John hugged his shredded brown coat tight against his body. Water dripped from him steadily, his clothes soaked through, but somehow...he was completely unharmed.

One sharp inhale was all Seo-jin needed.

Something had changed. Something massive.

"You survived. What happened?"

Shivering hard enough for his teeth to click, the human rubbed his bald head and started explaining, steam barely visible on his breath.

By the time he finished, Seo-jin could tell he wasnt lying. But he also wasnt telling everything. Not even close. The story covered how hed gotten separated, how hed stayed alive, and somehow...how hed managed to befriend a baby Vent Bug.

It was absurd, but still not enough.

Nothing John said explained the shift he could smell on him now, that strange weight sitting beneath the human's skin like something deeper had changed. Watching him carefully, he found it interesting that despite the cold and soaked clothes, John seemed...steady.

Calm.

The only crack in his composure was the visible shaking.

[Hes not telling you something.]

'I know. To be honest, I kinda like it. Good to see one of the humans growing.'

For now, he'd let John keep his secret. There would be a better time to tear truth from him.

"You did well surviving on your own. Here. Get warm."

[Title // Ashking // Activated]

[Broodling // Pain // Selected]

[Inferno Rend // Acquired]

With a casual swipe of his hand, Seo-jin ignited the fallen tree between them.

"Thanks, boss."

Holding his hands out to the flames, John rubbed them hard as heat soaked slowly into his bones.

"You smell like shit. Suggest you change your clothes."

As Seo-jin turned away, Johns face immediately reddened beneath the gime.

"Stay by the fire, Ill be right back."

Not waiting for a reply, Seo-jin vanished from where he stood, leaving only disturbed grass and the crackle of burning wood behind.

The second he was gone, John locked up. He waited. Listened...then finally let out a deep, shaky breath hed clearly been holding.

"Crap, hes scary."

A small pulse of gray system light flashed in his palm, and a worn brown sack appeared in his hand. It moved.

"Just a little longer, I promise."

Watching from deeper in the dark, Seo-jin quietly marked the sack for later. Interesting, but not urgent. Right now, he had another problem to handleone hed wanted to address for a while, and now, after evolving, finally could.

With a sharp jerk, Tiamat spat out a mass of human flesh. It hit the ground wet. Bones cracked, skin pulled, and within moments, a confused Slims stumbled into shape, coughing and wiping slime from his face.

"Finally outwheres everyone else?"

The second Slims realized it was only him and Seo-jin standing alone in the cold dark, his whole attitude changed. Fast. Sweat started beading despite the chill. His breathing tightened. His mind clearly shot straight back to earlierto his shouting, his anger, his blatant disrespect.

"I-Im sorry about earlier Boss, I wasnt thinking. Split-jaw's my friend, so when you started eating him I lost my shit a little. I swear I know"

"Stop talking."

Slims snapped upright so fast it looked painful.

Under those glowing red eyes, Seo-jin didnt feel like a boss. He felt like something hunting. Slims imagination was already doing the rest, probably inventing ten different ways he was about to die.

Then Seo-jin spoke again, his question hitting harder than any threat.

"Are you tired of being weak?"

Blinking hard, then finally dragging in a breath like hed forgotten how breathing works, Slims stared at Seo-jin for a second like the question had been spoken in another language.

Then it sank in.

His fists slowly clenched at his sides, knuckles tightening as Split-jaws melting body flashed fresh through his mind.

"Im exhausted."

The words came out heavier than Seo-jin expected, like something buried deep had finally broken loose. He'd already noticed it, of course. How Slims constantly smiled and always told jokes. Always running his mouth. But it was all an act.

Underneath the noise, Seo-jin had smelled the fear on him since the beginning. Heard the fatigue buried under every laugh. The human was tired in a way rest couldnt fix.

"What would you be willing to sacrifice for power? Would you sacrifice your friends? Your family? Tell me, Slims...would you sacrifice your humanity to grow stronger?"

The question hit like lightning. Seo-jin watched it all cross his faceshock, confusion, fear, hopeso fast it was almost amusing.

"I...I have no familyno."

Slims stopped shaking. Really stopped.

When he looked up again, he held Seo-jins stare without wavering.

"The Dead Hands, they're my family. And I wouldnt sacrifice them even to become a king. But if I could get stronger, I would give up my fucking soul to do it. I dont wanna lose anyone ever again."

Seo-jins lip twitched.

It was the perfect answer. Even if he didnt personally require such things from himself, he demanded them from those beneath him. Absolute loyalty. Slims still wasnt exactly where Seo-jin ultimately wanted it...but for now?

The Dead Hands were his. That made it close enough.

"I can change your fate, but you will lose everything you once were."

The night air seemed to still between them.

"I can bestow a seed upon you. One that will allow you to change into a demon."

The human's eyes widened, and Seo-jin could practically hear his thoughts crashing into each other. Questions piled up so fast Slims tried speaking multiple times, only to choke himself off before the words could fully form.

'Good. He understands the weight of it.'

Resting a hand on Tiamats head, Seo-jin looked at Slims like he getting impatient.

"I will allow you two questions. Then you will make your choice. After today, I will not offer it again."

Slims immediately started pacing a short line through the damp grass, muttering to himself so fast it almost sounded like two conversations at once. For a second, between his jabbering and his frantic movement, it nearly looked like Seo-jin had vanished from his thoughts completely.

Finally, after a few restless laps, Slims stopped hard enough to kick dirt and spun back around.

"What kind of demon will I become?"

"No clue."

Nodding, Slims turned and immediately went back to pacing, shoes crunching over loose stone before stopping again.

"Will it hurt?"

"Most likely."

Seo-jins tone didnt shift.

"Thats your two. Now decide. Will you stay the way you are, or will you take the risk to alter your destiny?"

This time...no hesitation. Slims straightened, his jaw setting in a way Seo-jin hadnt seen before.

"Ill do it. Whatever it takes, Im tired of feeling this way."

A sharp pulse of anticipation hit Seo-jin square in the chest. He shoved down the urge to grin and stepped forward instead, planting a firm hand on Slims shoulder.

"We'll start now. Im not sure how long it will take, but youll have to remain in storage until youre done. You ready?"

"One sec!"

Before Seo-jin could even respond, Slims bolted. Mildly baffled, he watched as the human sprinted for a pile of rocks and vanished behind them.

A second later...the unmistakable sound of streaming relief hit the night air.

[Are you going to offer this to John?]

'Not yet. I wanna know what hes hiding first. Plus, from the smell of him, he already found a way to grow behind my back. Out of all the humans Ive met so far, Im honestly not surprised. Johns a crafty fucker.'

Seo-jins brow twitched.

'Like a cockroach.'

[Its a good thing he isnt very bright.]

The peeing finally stopped. A long, deeply satisfied sigh drifted out from behind the rocks, followed by a rustle, a tuck, and a zip. Then Slims came jogging back like he hadnt just nearly soiled himself from life-changing stress, grinning wide enough to look genuinely stupid.

"Im ready."

Nodding once, Seo-jin stepped back.

"One last thing. Once youre out, if you dont immediately tell me your true-name, I will slaughter you on the spot."

Slims blinked.

"Huh? True wha?!"

Before the confusion could finish leaving his mouth, Bahamut struck. The serpents jaws snapped shut in one smooth bite, swallowing him whole. Seo-jin watched the lump slide down with open interest.

"I cant wait to see what he becomes. Wonder if they'll change based off personality...or maybe something else?"

His eyes glistened at the possibilities, mind already spinning through outcomes. Then a certain memory crawled back up and ruined it.

Teal.

His mood soured almost instantly.

He really wanted to move on to Lynn first, but since Teal had specifically asked, he figured he might as well get it over with. He had absolutely no intention of turning her into a demon. The risk was too high.

Rank Up and Future Sight were both far too valuablefar too brokento gamble away on the unknown.

With a sharp motion from Tiamat, the familiar sound of a wet sack slamming into the ground broke the night. Teal spilled out. Her body swayed as flesh reformed properly, legs unsteady in the grass until she finally straightened.

<>Once fully stable, she blinked a few times, exhaled through her nose, realized they were outside, and turned directly toward Seo-jin.

"Im sorry to say this, but I wanted to tell you the second we got out."

Something cold twisted low in his gut.

"The Dead Hands you left behind are all dead. An angel attacked while you were away."

----

Pulling on a dry shirt, John let out a small breath as the clean fabric settled against his skin. The fire crackled in front of him, heat brushing his face while his old clothes blackened and curled in the flames.

For the first time in what felt like forever, he almost felt human again.

Just as he reached for food, his hand stopped

Then he collapsed.

His knees slammed the dirt, breath ripped from his lungs so hard it felt like his chest had caved in. An aura had dropped out of nowhere. Heavy. Violent. Soaked in bloodlust.

Johns body locked under it instantly, every muscle trembled as pressure crushed down on him from all sides. He couldnt think. Could barely breathe. Sweat broke cold across his skin.

He had no defense.

Barely managing to turn his head through the weight, dread clawed up his spine as he looked toward the night sky.

His fear was justified.

The darkness was gone.

Above him, the world had turned red. Bloodlight had swallowed the sky.

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