Levi stared at the mysterious runes that spelled out "Demonic Core," blinking in surprise. He'd never heard of anyone possessing a core before. Was he truly that unique?

This demonic core might explain why his soul seemed so strange and dormant. His eyes drifted down to the "Demonic Essence" field just below the core. Normally, there should have been an indicator showing the number of essence crystals consumed, but there was nothing.

"It's already showing one?"

He didn't know what that meant, but the name triggered a memory. He frantically searched his pockets... but it was gone! The demonic essence crystal he had obtained after killing the goblin had disappeared.

"Don't tell me..."

A wild thought crossed his mind… had he absorbed the crystal directly? It seemed plausible. As a demon follower with the "Demonic Soul" trait, maybe he could now evolve like the demons. And it seemed he could absorb demonic essence crystals without purification!

If that were true, he wouldn't need divine power to purify them. He could grow stronger rapidly, completely self-sufficient.

But that also made him a walking target. Demon followers were hated and hunted across the world. If anyone realized what he was, he'd be executed on the spot or imprisoned for life.

"I'll have to be careful."

Levi scanned the small ward he was in, making sure no one was around. Satisfied, he continued reading his status.

Trait: [Demonic Soul]

He now understood that his trait was special—whether for good or bad, he couldn't yet tell. It wasn't as simple as it appeared to be and he would need to spend time learning about it.

What really intrigued him, though, was the next part.

Trait Ability: [Demonic Transformation]

Trait abilities were like skills, providing real power to the user. But his ability sounded ominous and terrifying. He opened its description, eager for more information.

Trait Ability: [Demonic Transformation]

Ability Description: [Unleash the demon within you.]

That….. wasn't very helpful. Levi was even more confused than before. The runes displaying the ability tempted him to activate it immediately, but something told him that would be a very bad idea.

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Suppressing the urge, Levi continued reading. There wasn't much else—no innate abilities, no artifacts.

Sighing, he closed the runes and stared at the white ceiling.

Just yesterday, he had been here, filled with optimism, confident he would make a contract. He did make one, but not with a god—with a demon. And in a single day, his entire worldview had shifted.

He would never be the same optimistic Levi again. He was now a Demonic Follower, wielding a power that ordinary humans couldn't even fathom. But now that he was back on Earth, one question lingered.

"What should I do now?"

He had no home, no one to return to. Sure, he was burning with a desire to take revenge on the tall boy who had nearly killed him in the maze and he hadn't forgotten the oath he'd sworn in there either.

But he was too weak to accomplish any of that. He didn't even have the support of a sanctuary. And someone from a well-off family like the tall boy wouldn't be without bodyguards.

The Trial had been a special circumstance, designed to test individuals. Any interference from mortals would have disrupted the process and lowered the chances of making a contract. But now that the boy had a god's contract, he was likely surrounded by guards.

Levi sighed, uncertain of what he would do. Just then, he heard a female voice.

"How about entering the Favored Ones Academy?"

"Huh?" Levi turned, startled by the sudden voice, only to see the female soldier standing at the door of his medical dorm once again.

Without hesitation, she walked in. "If you had a sanctuary backing you, you could train with them. But since you don't, the Favored Ones Academy might be your best option. What do you think?"

What she said was true. Levi had no support, no sanctuary, and probably never would, given his allegiance to a demon. Entering the Favored Ones Academy seemed like a wise choice, but two problems immediately came to mind.

The first was money. The academy required annual fees, and Levi didn't have a penny to his name. While a scholarship might solve that issue, there was a bigger problem.

'What if they discover I'm a demon follower?'

Though it wasn't easy to identify his allegiance to a demon, his abilities were undeniably demonic. If they were discovered, he'd be dead.

Levi swallowed hard, imagining himself on the execution platform. The risk was too great.

"Well, I don't have the money to pay the fees, so I won't be able to attend the academy," he told the soldier, who had now approached him.

"That's too bad," she replied. "Anyway, you'll be completely healed by tomorrow, but you'll need to attend a short investigation—nothing complicated. There was just an incident a few days ago."

Levi felt a sudden sense of dread hearing that. "What kind of incident?"

The soldier looked at him for a moment before answering. "It seems someone made a contract with a demon, so they're searching for them. Don't worry, just answer their questions truthfully—you'll be fine."

"Fuck!" Levi cursed silently, realizing just how deep in trouble he was.

The female soldier, oblivious to his turmoil, turned to leave. "I'll send you your dinner. It's on me, so don't hesitate to eat your fill."

That was the last thing she said before walking out. But Levi was too consumed by panic to be grateful. If he attended that investigation...

'I'm doomed.'

---***---

Hey everyone! With this chapter, we've reached the end of the introduction to Volume 01. I want to take a moment to thank all of you for reading and supporting the story. I'd also love to hear your honest opinions in the reviews.

So, here's a new goal: if we hit at least 5 reviews by the end of this week, I'll release 2 extra chapters on top of the scheduled 2 chapters/day.