Demon-Hunting Genius Mage

Chapter 2

I always try to stay calm whenever danger strikes.

I firmly believe that this mindset would protect me.

And in fact, it does. Calmness has always helped me escape danger.

In short, this was one of those times when I needed to be calmer than ever.

I took a deep breath, calmly scanning my surroundings before speaking.

“...Where am I?”

A starless black sky.

A lone purple moon floating in the distance.

A body that wasn’t mine.

And a strange, unfamiliar language spilling from my mouth.

As if that weren’t enough, the old man added to the confusion.

“This is Asteron, Sector 7. Also known as...”

“...A Wasteland.”

“Indeed. A place for people like you and me.”

In the end, I had no choice but to accept it.

I was inside the world of Demon Fantasy.

I wasn’t exactly sure how, but I had a pretty good idea. I hadn’t missed that strange message before I blacked out.

[The condition for ‘Call of Destiny’ has been met.]

[‘Call of Destiny’ is activating.]

‘So that\'s what it was….’

That item must’ve caused all of this.

Possession, reincarnation, or something similar.

“How’s your head?”

I instinctively raised a hand to my forehead.

The rough surface I touched felt like dried blood, hardened over time.

‘I must’ve hit my head.’

If this really was Demon Fantasy, it made perfect sense. In that game, you started by possessing the body of an NPC in critical condition.

‘Seems like possession is the most likely explanation.’

“I’m fine.”

“Fast recovery, eh? You looked like you were about to die just a while ago.”

Well, of course. Once the player enters, the body begins to heal.

“...Yeah, I guess so.”

“Hmm, well, that’s good to hear. I wouldn’t want to sleep next to a corpse.”

The old man chuckled, clearly amused by something, while I quietly observed him.

His matted hair clung to his scalp, and he wore a filthy, ragged cloak that made him look every bit the beggar.

Yet, for some reason, I didn’t feel any disgust.

Probably because I wasn’t in much better shape myself.

“...This isn’t good.”

As I mentioned before, in Demon Fantasy, the player begins by possessing the body of an NPC who’s on the verge of death.

This makes the early game highly dependent on luck.

The difficulty of the starting phase depends entirely on who the possessed NPC is, their status, and their situation.

And judging by my current circumstances, I’d drawn the short straw.

I was a beggar. That much was obvious to anyone.

“Damn it.”

Normally, in a situation like this, the best thing to do was to restart the character. After all, this was already a difficult game; no one in their right mind would want to start as a beggar.

But right now, even that wasn’t an option. I couldn’t delete the character, nor did I know how to leave this place.

Well, given the special rewards I’d received, it wouldn’t have been different even if this were still just a game.

In any case...

...I have to stay calm.

I was in a dangerous situation. If this was the world I knew, demons could appear at any time, anywhere.

This was no time to wallow in despair.

I steadied my rattled mind and began searching for a way out.

First, let’s get a handle on the situation.

‘I have been transmigrated into the game. I am a beggar in Asteron, Sector 7’

Considering all the clues, it seemed like the body I had possessed was the character I had created just before I lost consciousness.

Which meant...

...The rewards.

The special rewards I had received would still be with me.

I quickly searched my body and confirmed my guess.

Tucked away securely inside my robes was a single white card.

The Trait Selection Card.

Without hesitation, I decided it was best to use it now and tore it in half.

At that moment...

Thud.

An eerie silence fell over everything.

The cool breeze stopped, the rats scurrying around ceased moving, and even the old man watching me was frozen in place.

Time itself had stopped.

“So this is how it works.”

Whoosh.

My eyes were drawn to the cards fluttering before me, all glowing with a golden light.

Swish.

I made a gesture to move them aside, and the cards obediently shifted, one by one.

There were around 30 of them—quite a lot—but I pushed through without hesitation. I already knew which one I wanted.

Soon enough, I found the card with the image I was looking for.

If this were still a game, I’d probably see a message like this:

[Prodigy of Magic (Trait/Mythical)]

- The ‘Insight’ state is permanently maintained.

- Magic learning speed, mana regeneration, and mana sensitivity increase by 300%.

- Magical computation ability is maximized.

- Maximum mana increases in proportion to magical growth.

- The limit on magical growth is removed.

Anyone could see that this was an overwhelmingly powerful trait.

But now that I was about to choose it, doubts crept in.

Was this really the right choice, given the current situation?

If this were still just a game, I wouldn’t hesitate.

...But this wasn’t a game.

I had spent a year meticulously planning this build. The magic build I crafted was nearly flawless.

I had been confident enough to delete a character worth anywhere from thousands to tens of millions, knowing this new one would be better.

But now that I’m inside the game, the situation had completely changed.

The risks were too high.

My build was high-risk, high-reward. It was designed to explode in power in the late game, rather than the early stages.

The entire build had been centered around defeating Baal.

But now, there was something more important than Baal.

Survival.

If I die, none of it would matter.

Of course, there was a chance that dying would send me back to the real world... but I couldn’t bank on a hopeful assumption.

In the end, I decided to hold off on choosing the card and began sorting through my tangled thoughts.

“How do I get back?”

The first thing that came to mind was using the item that had brought me here—[Call of Destiny]—again.

But [Call of Destiny] was ultimately just a reward I received through a special perk. I didn’t even know if it could be used again.

So, I set that aside for now.

The next thing that came to mind was...

"Of course, it has to be the ending."

Defeat Baal and see the ending of Demon Fantasy. That seemed like the most plausible solution at the moment.

The problem was... it wouldn\'t be easy. Not by a long shot.

"Can I really do it...?"

To be honest, I wasn’t sure.

How is the real me supposed to defeat the same Baal I couldn’t even take down in the game?

But if defeating Baal was the only way to return to my world, and I failed, I might never make it back.

"......"

I stood at a crossroads.

I had to choose whether to focus solely on survival or to cling to the slim chance of returning to my original world.

If I chose the former, I could immediately select a trait that would make me stronger. That would significantly increase my chances of surviving.

If I chose the latter...

I would face countless near-death experiences.

I’d have to roam through every region, hunting demons, facing demon commanders, struggling to grow stronger.

Navigating complicated relationships, handling quests, battling hunger, and enduring physical exhaustion. And then, finally, I’d have to face Baal.

Could I do it? Could I endure that grueling journey?

At that moment, a conversation I’d once had with a friend popped into my mind.

— Yeah, I mean, you seem set on it, so I won’t try to stop you. But... is defeating him even possible?

— I’ll absolutely take him down.

Back then, I was full of confidence.

A decade of gameplay experience, a build I had meticulously crafted for a year, the massive special rewards I would receive, and the countless times I had memorized Baal’s attack patterns all backed me up.

Ironically, none of that had changed now.

I still had my gameplay experience.

I still remember my carefully crafted build.

I still had my special rewards.

And I still knew Baal’s patterns.

Even though I was now inside the game, the fact remained: I could beat him.

Yeah, to hell with it.

"I’ll take him down."

Resolute, I reached out my hand.

Flash!

The card burst into radiant light. A powerful sensation surged through me as some immense force began to seep in.

From my fingertips to the center of my chest, I felt a surge of clarity as my vision sharpened and the world around me looked... different.

A new awareness bloomed.

I could see the flow of mana in the air.

A thrilling sensation coursed through me.

It felt as though, after centuries of waiting, I had finally achieved enlightenment.

...This is...

"Insight."

I could see the mana particles floating in the air. Though I had never learned how to use them, I felt like I could control them effortlessly.

A deep-seated confidence welled up from within.

I extended my hand silently.

Swish.

Ever so slightly, the mana began to move toward me.

I tried to focus my will to pull it in more forcefully when—

Time resumed.

"...You, you there?"

I quickly withdrew my hand. The old man was staring at me, a confused expression on his face.

Had he seen something?

And just then...

"Huh? Who the hell are you two?"

A large and muscular beggar suddenly appeared. The strong smell of alcohol hit me, clearly drunk from whatever he had been drinking.

He looked between me and the old man before shouting in irritation.

"Don’t you know this is my spot? Get lost! Now!"

And just like that, we were chased away.

***

"Huff... Huff..."

The old man was gasping for breath. We could have just walked away calmly, but he was so startled that he ran off in a panic.

As I approached, thinking I might offer him some support, the old man jumped in surprise.

"Oh, it’s you! So, where do you plan to go now?"

"I’m still figuring that out."

"Well, that’s perfect!"

The old man grinned, showing his yellowed teeth.

"If you don’t have anywhere to go, why don’t you come with me?"

"Where to?"

"I know just the place for folks like us!"

"Then why didn’t you go there in the first place? Why were you staying back there?"

"Oh, well, you need a bit of money to get in... But now, that’s all sorted!"

The old man rummaged inside his ragged clothes and pulled something out.

It was a small pouch, and as he shook it from side to side, the sound of jingling coins came from inside.

"What’s that?"

"Money! I stole it from that beggar who chased us away!"

The old man laughed heartily as he explained.

Ah, so that’s why he ran. He managed to steal money during that short exchange. Quite the nimble-fingered old man.

Was that his plan all along?

"So, are you coming? I’ll cover your share!"

"...You’ll cover it? Why would you do that?"

"You seem like someone I’d like to have around."

I was skeptical. Money is the most precious thing to a beggar. Generosity without a motive is rare, especially when you’re down on your luck.

"Of course, it’s not a free favor. If you promise to pay me back double later, I’ll cover it now!"

Ah, so it’s about the money.

In that case…

"Is it safe?"

"Absolutely. It’s a place where former mercenaries gather. If you pay, they’ll give you food, a place to sleep, and everything. And the security’s top-notch! No ordinary demons would dare approach."

Sounds like a temporary shelter.

It didn’t sound too reliable, but I didn’t have any reason to refuse. Whatever this place was, it had to be better than sleeping on the street.

And I can always earn money once I start learning magic.

By then, I can escape from this hell called Sector 7.

"Alright, let’s go. I’ll pay you back double."

"Great! It’s a bit of a walk, so take it easy."

After walking for about 30 minutes, the old man stopped in front of a large wooden building.

It looked a bit worn out but had signs of sturdy repairs here and there.

"This is the place. I’ll go in and talk. You wait here for a bit."

"Sure."

The old man shuffled inside, grumbling as he went.

I quickly scanned my surroundings, confirming that no one was around, and turned my gaze away.

My hands had been itching for a while now.

"I think I can do it."

I carefully reached out toward the mana particles floating in the air. It felt like if I just focused a bit more, I could make it work.

But contrary to my expectations…

Poof.

The particles disintegrated into dust the moment my hand touched them.

"Looks like it\'s not that easy after all."

Still, I was getting the hang of it, slowly but surely. And when you\'re at this stage, what\'s most important is repetition and practice.

Poof. Poof! Poof…!

After several more attempts…

"Oh, there we go."

Hummm.

Finally, the mana particles started to move according to my will.

As soon as I realized what was happening, I immediately gathered the mana in my palms, forming a small sphere.

Wooooom!

In the game, this would be called [Mana Compression], a skill that literally compresses mana particles into a spherical shape.

It’s one of the essential fundamentals needed to cast magic, but by no means easy to master.

"...It took me a week last time."

I recalled that even my previous character, the zombie swordsman, had to learn [Mana Compression].

After all, controlling basic mana was necessary to wield auras.

But back then, it had taken me an entire week.

And that was only after I bribed a high-level mage NPC to win their favor and get them to share some helpful tricks, speeding up my learning process.

Yet now, it had only taken about five minutes. The difference was staggering.

It was clear that the boosts from the [Prodigy of Magic] trait—enhanced magic learning and mana sensitivity—were kicking in.

"Yep, a mythic-tier trait is on a whole different scale."

A grin crept onto my face without me realizing it.

I was certain now.

At this rate, learning magic would be a breeze.