RISE OF THE HOLY DEMONIC GOD

[15th May]

The morning light hadn't yet touched Rey's room. The bulb overhead still glowed dimly, casting eerie shadows across the scattered notes and books piled on the desk.

But Rey wasn't studying.

He was kneeling on the floor, limbs sprawled out as if his body had shut down on him.

His skin was flushed a burning crimson, veins pulsing with unnatural heat as if he were moments away from exploding.

Blood oozed from his nose, ears, and even his bloodshot eyes, pooling at his chin before dripping onto the floor.

Every breath he took was laboured.

Every second, his mind felt like it was being split open.

It was as if his brain was on fire—on the verge of bursting.

Hovering silently above him, Aiden watched. Arms folded, face emotionless.

He didn't move. Didn't flinch. Just stared—waiting.

Seconds dragged like hours. Rey's condition continued to worsen, but Aiden remained still, unmoved, and heartless.

"You haven't changed one bit, Aiden. Always pushing it too far," came a voice from behind, filled with both disappointment and concern. Victor stepped into view, materializing in the air behind him.

"You act like I'm the only one responsible," Aiden replied coolly without turning. "I figured you'd intervene first. That was always your job, wasn't it?"

Victor scowled. "Still, this is—"

"Enough!"

A sharp voice sliced through the tension like a blade.

Zero appeared beside them, her presence instantly chilling the air.

"Spare me your excuses," she snapped. "Both of you better fix him now. Or I swear—neither of you will be able to open your eyes again for the next week."

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Victor stuttered. In a flash, he moved to Rey's side, casting his ability. The room darkened—lights off, curtains sealed—to create a controlled, lightless environment.

Rey's unique healing ability—Abyssal Regeneration—kicked in.

His trembling body began to stabilize. The red hue faded from his skin. Blood stopped leaking from his orifices. Slowly, his complexion returned to normal, and the gleam returned to his once-dull eyes.

The spilled blood that had soaked into the floor began to evaporate, absorbed by his mutated element like divine nectar returning to its source.

But Victor couldn't relax.

His hands trembled—not from exertion, but because he felt a shiver crawl up his spine.

Behind him… he heard it.

Smack!Crack!Wham!

Aiden, the calm observer just moments ago, was now a crumpled wreck in the corner. Zero stood above him, fists merciless, face unreadable.

"No—wait! I didn't do anything! It was all Aiden! I swear—!"

Victor turned, only to see a shadow loom behind him.

Too late.

A hand gripped his neck from behind, hoisting him off the floor.

"W-Wait, I was healing—ARRRGHHHHH!"

His protests didn't matter. Zero's punishment came swift and without mercy.

Aiden was already a swollen mess on the floor, and Victor soon joined him—bruised, battered, and deeply regretting their life choices.

"You two idiots almost pushed him into a coma," Zero growled, her voice cold.

She finally turned to Rey, who lay on the ground, gasping for breath, dazed but alive.

"Are you awake? How do you feel?" she asked, inspecting him with a frown.

"I… I'm fine. Just a little headache. Why?"

Zero's eyes narrowed. A sinister smile curled on her lips.

"Because now you're getting punished too."

"Huh—what?"

Before he could react, his clothes—extensions of Zero's energy—tightened like constricting chains.

"Ah—w-wait! I-I'm sorry! I won't do it again—argh!"

His body was crushed, like being slammed under a massive boulder. Bones creaked. Breath escaped him.

Only when she saw genuine panic in his eyes did Zero relent.

"You're not ready. You still don't understand how this world or our abilities truly work," she said coldly.

"You thought your new ability, Abyssal Comprehension, was just a tool to learn faster?"

She scoffed.

"After mutation, that ability is no longer the same. It's not safe. Your comprehension rate increased by two hundred times. Your brain isn't built for that yet."

Her tone sharpened.

"This power has no cooldown or durability stat. The only limiter is your own body's tolerance. You used it for one minute and forty-eight seconds. Had you gone a few seconds longer, you'd be in a coma or worse—dead."

Rey's face paled.

"I'm… sorry."

"You think 'sorry' fix everything?" she snapped, pointing at the unconscious duo beside her. "One mistake from them—and you—and you could've lost everything. Don't chase power blindly. Learn to survive first. Understand your limits."

Rey nodded with fear. "I will. I promise."

Before Zero could continue, a familiar voice called from outside the room.

"Son, are you ready? We need to leave for school," Jasmine said, standing just outside the door.

Rey scrambled to his feet.

"Coming, Mom! Just finishing up some revisions!"

With a flick of her hand, Zero repaired Rey's torn uniform, returning it to its neatly ironed state.

"We'll talk more later. Go ace that exam."

With a shimmer of light, Zero, Aiden, and Victor vanished back into his soulscape.

Rey opened the door to see his mother waiting with a concerned look.

"Son, are you okay? Your eyes look red. I told you not to stay up all night studying! What if you fall asleep during the exam?"

"I'm fine, Mom. Really," Rey said with a smile. "Actually, I feel more focused than ever."

And he meant it. Something within him felt sharper—like his mind was operating on a different level.

Maybe it was the result of his boosted Intelligence, or perhaps an aftereffect of the mutated ability.

Whatever it was, it felt… right.

The two left the house together.
Jasmine locked the door carefully, determined not to let her kids get into any more trouble.

First, she dropped Emmy at her school. Then, she returned and escorted Rey to Mystic High herself.

She may have seemed overly protective, but she had every right to be. A mother's worry… was always justified.

Soon, they reached the campus.

Mystic High buzzed with energy—students everywhere, nervously revising notes, reciting formulas under their breath, or pacing with anxiety in their steps.

Laughter mixed with tension. A cocktail of stress and hope hung in the air.

Today's exam wasn't just a test.

It was the gateway—to better colleges, brighter futures, and for many, the first step on the path toward becoming a Martial Artist as many academies set rules and requirements.

And Rey?

He stood at the entrance, heart steady, eyes focused.

For once… he felt truly ready.

"Okay, I'm heading off now. Don't forget to meet me back here, exactly where I'm dropping you off, alright? And don't lose focus and be calm." Jasmine reminded him with a small smile.

She gave Rey a quick thumbs-up, wished him good luck for the exam, and then walked away. Rey stood in silence, watching her until she disappeared from sight.

He then turned toward the entrance of the school and walked inside.

Wasting no time, he made his way to his floor, already guessing what kind of state James would be in—and just as he had predicted, James looked exactly like Rey had a half hour ago: frantic and buried in notes.

James was desperately trying to cram in one last topic, flipping between his book and a set of messy handwritten notes.

"Still studying, huh?" Rey asked with a chuckle.

James looked up, slightly startled. "Oh, Rey! You're here! I thought you'd sleep through the alarm and show up late even on exam day... but looks like my worries were pointless. Good job. Now let me focus—I've got to understand these heavy topics before the exam begins."

He went right back to his notes, determined.

Rey quietly walked over and peered at the page James was reading. Coincidentally, they were the same topics Rey had just finished reviewing thanks to his ability.

"Hey, I might actually be able to help you with those," Rey offered.

James blinked. "Really? But these are some of the hardest sections. Even the class toppers are struggling with them."

"True, but I figured out a simpler way to understand them. It'll save you some points if you get a question from these sections. Want a crash course, or would you rather continue suffering through it on your own?"

James hesitated. He was used to trusting Rey in battle and fights in the game—but academics?

After a moment of deliberation, he gave in. "Alright, go ahead. But if what you explain doesn't make sense, be ready for a serious punch later," he said with a smirk, playfully raising a fist.

Rey grinned back. "Fair enough. Now listen closely—these topics work like this..."

He began explaining in a calm, clear tone. As he continued, more students nearby started to listen in, drawn by his explanations. The hallway fell into silence—except for Rey's voice. No one interrupted; they were too focused.

Before long, a small crowd had gathered. Though no one spoke, their attentive eyes and grateful expressions said everything. Rey's simplified approach made the topics easier to digest—something all of them desperately needed.

When he finally wrapped up, several students gave their thanks.

"Thanks, dude! You really saved me."

"If I pass today, you're getting a big party from me, no joke."

"Brother, if we hadn't been standing here, we would've lost so many marks. Count on us to repay you later!"

Rey smiled modestly at the sudden attention.

Then James looked up, a bit nervous. "Alright, Rey-bro, wish me luck. If I screw this up, my dream of entering a good Martial Academy might be over."

Rey gave him a reassuring nod. "You'll do great. Just remember what I told you. And don't forget about that party."

"Yeah, yeah! Meet me after the exam!" James shouted as he ran off toward his designated exam hall, responding to the instructor calling his name.

Rey chuckled, then sighed softly and waited for his turn. A few minutes later, it arrived.

With the help of an examiner, he found his assigned seat near the center of the exam hall. The place was nearly full now, with only a few empty seats remaining. He settled in and glanced around as the clock neared 10 o'clock.

The doors shut with a heavy thud. Paper seals were broken.

Exam papers were handed out row by row, and Rey received them as well.

Like every other student, he spent the first fifteen minutes reviewing the questions carefully. Once that time ended, the examiner's voice rang out.

"You may begin."

Silence swallowed the room. Only the faint sound of pens scribbling on paper echoed, along with the soft footsteps of patrolling instructors ensuring discipline.

The tension in the room was thick. The exam was harder than most had expected—even the top students were struggling to keep up. But everyone gave it their all.

Rey was holding up decently, though the stress weighed on him too.
Deep inside the white soul room, his spirits quietly observed him.

They had strictly forbidden themselves from helping during the exam—wanting Rey to earn this on his own. Relying too much on outside help would only weaken his will.

Time ticked on. Pages were flipped, and answer sheets were exchanged into supplements. Some students began asking for supplementary sheets—and Rey wasn't far behind. He had already filled one and was about to finish another.

But this wasn't about writing more—it was about writing right. The exam demanded clarity, understanding, and precision in every answer.

"Students, two hours have passed. One hour remains," the examiner announced.

A ripple of anxiety swept through the room as many students realized they still had much to do. More than half the time was gone, and their papers were far from complete.

Rey, however, remained steady. He had finished most of his questions and now flipped to the final one—a large, high-mark question that could tip the scale.

He raised his hand to request another supplementary sheet. An examiner brought it over promptly.

And with that, he dove into the last challenge of the exam—his pen flying across the page.

The examiner couldn't help but be suspicious.

In such a tense and critical exam, Rey's calm expression stood out like a sore thumb.

His unnerving composure caught the attention of both the examiner and a few students nearby.

Acting on instinct, the examiner walked over and thoroughly checked Rey, scanning for hidden notes or suspicious behaviour.

But after finding nothing unusual, he sighed and muttered an apology for wasting Rey's time before continuing his rounds.

Rey didn't mind. Honestly, he himself was confused about his own composure. Why wasn't he nervous like before? What was this strange serenity?

Shaking off the thought, he flipped to the last page of the exam and found six questions laid out before him. Only five were required to be answered.

After reading through them carefully, a flicker of joy crossed his face.

Out of the six, three questions were ones he either fully knew or had recently grasped—ironically, through the help of his ability just that very morning. He couldn't help but thank Aiden in his heart.

Without wasting time, Rey chose his five questions wisely, discarding the one he was least confident about. Trying to answer everything would only risk messing up.

He focused on the three questions he was completely confident in, finishing them quickly. Then, he tackled the remaining two, which he understood fairly well despite being less familiar.

In just half an hour, Rey had completed all five questions—and yet, the rhythm was still with him.

Despite knowing there were no extra marks, Rey felt compelled to attempt the sixth question as well. He had the time, and the flow was too good to break. By the time he finished it, his third supplement sheet was half-filled.

With everything done, Rey didn't relax just yet. He rechecked every answer thoroughly—and sure enough, he found a few minor mistakes. He corrected them promptly, knowing they could have cost him valuable marks.

Finally, he set his pen down and exhaled a deep breath of relief.

Soon after, the timer rang, and the examiner began collecting the papers.

A few students begged for more time, but their pleas were ignored. Everyone had been given the same duration, and fairness had to be maintained.

The sealed answer sheets were packed and sent off, and one by one, the students were told to leave the examination hall.

Rey stepped outside, scanning the crowd for a familiar face. He spotted James not far away—and his expression didn't look too cheerful.

"Bro, you good? Didn't go well?" Rey asked.

James let out a sigh. "No, it went fine. I answered everything. Just… one of my last questions was incomplete. I needed two more minutes, just two! The examiner took my paper before I could finish it. Kinda bummed, but what can I do?"

"Don't worry about it. Happens to the best. As for me… things went great. I finished everything, even managed to do that sixth question too," Rey said with a smile.

"Lucky you! Alright, let's go grab something to eat. Or maybe hit the game center for a few rounds?" James suggested.

"Nah, my mom's here to pick me up," Rey replied.

"Huh? Why? Something wrong?"

"Nothing serious. Just… some usual trouble. Don't worry about it," Rey said, brushing it off. "Let's go outside before my mom shows up and lectures me for being late."

The two stepped out and walked to the pickup area where Jasmine was waiting. She greeted them both warmly and asked about their exam.

After hearing their experiences, she smiled proudly—especially at Rey.

She invited James over for a celebratory meal, but just then, his mother's car pulled up.

James hesitated, clearly torn, but eventually gave a small wave. "Next time, I promise. Bye, Auntie. See you, Rey."

Jasmine nodded, but Rey… Rey had a strange feeling. Deep down, his instincts told him that next time might never come for now.

They soon left the area, and Jasmine began talking excitedly about preparing something special to celebrate Rey's excellent performance.

For the first time in a while, Rey's mind was at ease. With the exam out of the way, he could now fully focus on his training, new abilities, and the challenges that lay ahead.

But fate wasn't going to wait. His future troubles were already stirring, watching, waiting for the right moment to strike.

The final hurdle blocking his growth had been cleared.

Now, only a long, dark road remained… a path illuminated by flickers of uncertain light.

No one could predict what lay ahead for Rey but the hope is always here.

—To be continued…

Well, folks, the classic school phase is behind us, and now it's time to focus on the hunts and levelling up—get ready for some iron and blood!

New opportunities, new treasures, new comrades, new enemies, old relationships, and deadly battles are all waiting for you.