[You are Now Damon Malum!]
Damon suddenly unlocked tons of memories.
He saw his younger self foolishly wanting to become a Tamer to protect his loved ones, only to get dick-punched repeatedly by life…
Losing his loving family to Direwolves
Getting rescued only to slave in a sweatshop
Freeing himself and ending up at the K-Mart
Even then, his dream had been alive and well, but it had all ended after a certain Talent Evaluation.
| Incomplete Soul! |
Much less becoming a Tamer, he would have never Awakened or even caught the System’s attention in the first place. But now, everything would be different!
Damon couldn’t help but silently call out…
“STATUS!”
Name: Damon Malum!
Class: Demonic Magus!
Soul Power Available: 0.02
STATS
Body (STR: 4 AGI: 5 VIT: 3)
Soul ( MAG: 3 SENSE: 7 WILL: 10)
So far, so good. He scrolled to the bottom as much as he could. Incomplete Soul anywhere? NO! It was freaking gone! He was free, he was…
PASSIVES
| Apocalypse Bringer: Apocalypses Follow You! |
| Corrupted Soul: You Cannot Have Any Soul-Beast! |
… Maybe he had rejoiced a little bit too early?
Apocalypse Bringer… VERY bad. Also, where the hell was this coming from?!
Corrupted Soul, he wouldn’t be able to become a Tamer, but he’d be fine as an Awakened, right?
He could become super strong as a… Demonic Magus?! Actually, there was a slight issue. His hands shaking, he tapped on the Class name, even if he already knew what it’d say.
| Demonic Magus! Use Demonic Power to Slay, Corrupt, and Dead Animate your foes! If seen by others, you will be hunted on sight! |
Let’s just say his earlier self had been VERY focused on the big picture. Only his new memories had reminded him of what it was to be a weakling.
Chuckling nervously, Damon glanced at the nearby cat. At least he had a mighty Magical Beast, right? Yeah, no, he wasn’t that delusional.
Yet, those were merely small setbacks in his eyes…
“Oh well. Guess I’ll just have to solo hunt, eh?”
“What if I Tame Beasts without the System?”
“Actually, Demonic Pets should work too…”
But he was suddenly brought back to reality by System Notifications.
[Ding! New Quest! Hide Your Dirty Deeds!]
[You Are Now a Murderer!... Or Does This Count As Suicide?]
[In Any Case... Do Your Best Not To Be Discovered! Good Luck!]
Suicide? If discovered, he'd be misunderstood as a murderous Shapeshifter! Hurrying, Damon grabbed his body and headed inside.
It was bad, real bad...
"Miaow?" (W-What's with that smell?! Did someone die in here?)
"You mean besides just now, right?"
They were confronted with a sea of trash. The desolate-looking facade? It was a heavenly gate compared to this! Apartment? It looked more like a one-room garbage dump.
The dirty floor could barely be seen, and rubbish was lying all over: ramen cups, used tissues, and empty energy drink cans. But even if one averted one's gaze, it was still bad.
The walls and ceiling had obviously seen better days, and a wet, acrid smell came from them— the mold thriving. No matter where one looked, it screamed of Poverty! There was even something rustling in the trash…. rats, and not just a few.
The cat's whisker moved from side to side in disbelief as it glanced at the scene...
"Miaow?!" (Is this an apartment or a rat farm?! Was this guy even human?!)
Human? Yes, very. He had been the epitome of human: no talent, aspiration, or prospect. But things would completely change now that Damon was here.
"Hehe. Isn't that a good thing? We won't ever starve! Roasted Rats, Rats in butter, Pot Rats, and Buffalo Rat Meatballs- can you imagine all the possibilities? It'll be super tasty, too! But first, we gotta catch them all! "
Smiling, he expertly manipulated the System's interface...
The nearby cat suddenly jumped in awe, its eyes wide as bowling balls. What was this?! A floating window had just appeared in front of its face... and it could understand it too?!
[Ding! New User Issued Quest!]
[Those Who Do Not Work Do Not Eat! Hunt the Rats!]
“MIAOW?!” (M-Master, what’s that?!)
"Merely a parlor trick,"
It was a "parlor trick" that had taken humanity decades to figure out in the future, but that detail was irrelevant. Instead of explaining, Damon made a claw with his hand, swiping at a nearby trash pile and grabbing a fat rat by the tail. Thus, the hunt began!
Then, before long...
— Squeak! Squeak! Terrified squeaks resounded in the apartment, a certain cat enjoying itself way too much as it lorded over its new prey. Hunting those fat and juicy gray rats was so much fun!
“MIAOW!” (Hehe, Run if you want; this Lord will still catch you all!)
The cat proudly towered over its victims, pouncing on them enthusiastically. It enjoyed not just the hunting but also the notifications!
[Congratulations! Killed a Rat!]
[Killed Another Rat! Double Kill!]
[Killed Yet Another Rat! Triple Kill!]
....
The rush that came with it was so exhilarating. Thus, in no time at all, the place was pest-free. Victorious, the cat turned toward its Master, expecting praise, only to have the shock of its life. W-What was he doing?!
While his pet had gotten busy, Damon had somehow found an old TV. Was he watching a show? NOPE! He had turned it into the perfect research station.
On the screen, hundreds and hundreds of small windows appeared. Those were countless News Videos!
"Silver Rank Dungeon next to Ruby City! Three Villages Destroyed!"
"Increased Dungeon Activity, the Institute Sternly Warns!
"The Guardians Furious. Warns? Help us fight, you #@!"
"Flightless Murder Birds Migration! Emerald City at War!"
"Sea Leviathan spotted near Sapphire City. Truth or Hoax? Mystery!"
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"Author of 'How to Tame Your Twin-Headed-Dragon' Devoured by his pet!"
"The Awakened Union Contesting Guild Budget Cuts. Tamers too favored?"
"Viewers, vote now! Which of the five great Taming schools is the best?"
"Dark side of Taming... Rise of Demonic Cultivators?! Scary!"
And those were just the tip of the iceberg! There were so many news anchors, Blue-Tubers, and even Awakened/Tamers on the screen that the entire thing turned into tortuous cacophony. But even with that going on, Damon seemed undisturbed.
He was by the side, in a trance, staring daggers at a wall. Then again, could it even be called a wall anymore?! The entire surface was blood red, filled to the brim with red threads. Under every thread were equally red notes. Red, red, red, RED!
One line especially stood out...
Amber Academy → Ascend → Save HER
Why was the Amber Academy section so prominent? It also diverged into hundreds of smaller plans, the whole thing looking like a vast tree engulfing the universe!
"Miaow?!" (OMG!)
That's when Damon turned his head, the poor cat crying out in fright. Those eyes were inhuman! This was the gaze of someone prepared to sacrifice everything to accomplish his goals!
But then the madness rescinded...
"Ah, you're already done? Great job! Hehe, you sure had fun, didn't you?"
Damon showed a benevolent smile and the glow of a new homeowner. With a wave of his hand, the 'Mastermind Thread Board' instantly disappeared. Then, he gazed at the rat corpses strewn all over as if treasures.
"Now, killing those rats was just the start...."
He chuckled, adorning a greasy shirt like an apron while equipping the sharpest knife he could find. This sure brought back memories, albeit back then, he would have used a sword instead.
"Here's what you want to do. Watch carefully." He started humming a cheerful melody as he worked on the bodies- the rats' and his own-
"♫♩ Peel the skin, remove the bones, tear out the flesh, slice it all neatly, and do it all again! Peel the skin, remove~♫♩"
He was so fast that it became VERY evident that this wasn't his first time doing it. Then, he made it all disappear into his inventory!
[Congratulations! Unlocked Butchering!]
[Ding! Obtained Slightly-Used Human Skin!]
[Ding! Obtained Human Flesh!]
"M-Miaow!" (Master, that was so cool! It all went poof!)
"Of course. Could you imagine if Awakened had to carry all their loot?"
Not only did the Inventory ensure they didn't look silly, but it was also perfect for cleaning up crime scenes like this one! Nodding at his handiwork, Damon exited the apartment.
“With this, we’re all set. But, there’s someplace we ABSOLUTELY have to stop by.”
He grabbed his own phone, raising his brows as he saw the 34 missed calls and the 17 voice messages. Heck, he didn’t even know one could have that many.
He checked in the corner:
New Calendar: 05 / 04 / 66, a day before the Amber Academy’s Recruitment.
But what had caused all the messages was the time: 8 H 34, his K-Mart shift starting at 4 am on the dot, with the usual ‘be there 15 minutes in advance or you’re fired’ thing.
Chuckling, he quickly navigated Amber City, breathing the fresh air, even enthusiastically waving at the passersby and their Soul Beasts.
Slugster? Wave!
Acid-Squirrel? Wave!
World-Ending-Eldritch Entity? Wave!
Okay, he actually didn’t see the last one, but he would have waved nonetheless if he had! Before, every Soul Beast in sight had been a reminder of his mediocrity, but now…
He felt free. Not just free, but happy. At this moment, he could have had the Legendary-est Magical Beast by his side, and he wouldn’t have been happier than now.
Oh, and those stars were still as gorgeous, like millions of jewels, in fact… Then, after way too much waving and even more weird looks, they finally arrived:
| Welcome to K-Mart! |
Could the Neon Glowing sign have been more atrocious? Probably not!
But the building was worse. It was as if an old-school convenience store had sex with a hospital, and this was the result. White, seemingly pristine, yet products and lights everywhere!
As soon as he entered, the door rang… Ding! Ding! And as it did, the girl at the counter welcomed him, the K-Mart way.
“~K-Mart: we have everything from Awakened Supplies to Soul Beast Treats!”
“~Everything besides living wages!”
Damon mischievously completed the jingle, and that’s when she finally raised her head, their gaze meeting. She froze, the brightest smile blossoming on her face!
Long flowing black hair, she rocked the cute girl-next-door look, her smile brightening up the entire room. Sadly, that all went awry, the supply room door bursting open.
Out of it came a fat, angry pig struggling for breath. Technically, the manager was human, but he didn’t deserve the title, seeing how he treated his employees.
“You bastard! Do you know how late you are?!”
“I’d say 4 hours and a half, give or take.”
“That was rhetorical, you dip-shit! You’re fired; you’re fucking fired! That cozy corporate apartment? You can kiss it goodbye! Salary? Gone! Good luck getting a new job!”
Cozy? He probably meant moldy. And even then, he worked his ass off 70+ hours a week for it! Normally, he would have gotten angry, yet all Damon could feel was joy.
He let the “manager” curse, the latter’s face turning interesting hues of blue. He even mischievously signaled his coworker, Lilly, not to intervene as he beckoned his cat over.
“Don’t tell me you picked up a stray! Humph, good choice, cats do LOVE carton boxes! It will be in Heaven in your new home. It’ll—”
But that’s when he froze.
The Manager was dumb, but not that dumb.
His pea-sized brain could still recognize a Fortune Neko when it saw one!
“T-That… don’t tell me?!”
“Sir Pig, I quit. Turns out that cozy apartment and salary… aren’t worth jack shit! Besides, I feel like I’ll be able to afford many carton boxes as a Tamer.”
Damon’s words were laden with sarcasm, the “manager” having a mental breakdown, his entire body sweating and shivering.
H-How could this be?! The day before, Damon had been a nobody; how could he have Awakened that fast?!— and as a Tamer to boot?!
No, it had to be a trick! Maybe it was just a regular cat painted with— no, that couldn't be.
“Miaow!” (Should we blackmail him?)
Those intelligent eyes weren’t ones a regular cat could have! He didn’t know what it was saying, but he also didn’t want to know.
“S-sorry! I’m so sorry! You can totally keep the apartment! You know me, I was just trying to push you to be your best self. If I had known you’d Awakened, I’d have—”
Then, before Damon could react, the guy was on the floor, begging for forgiveness. This was the difference between regular people and Awakened / Tamers.
It was like Heaven and Earth…. Yet both Hell in their own way.
“Sigh. That’s a Mount Tai moment if I’ve ever seen one.”
Damon still felt great about quitting, but somehow humiliating that sad excuse of a human being didn’t bring him as much joy as he’d initially believed. Was this maturity?
Just as he was deep in thoughts, Lilly approached, as sweet as candy.
“Damon! That’s great: we gotta celebrate!”
She didn’t even bother removing her uniform and was already rushing through the front door, dragging him along by the arm. But right before exiting, she stopped…
“Ah, right, I forgot. Manager, I quit!!” Then, without waiting, she raised her foot and… kicked the guy in the balls?! W-What?!
— SHATTER! SHATTER!
Damon and Cat winced at once. Had there been a shattering sound, or had they imagined it?! Then, as if coming out of a refreshing shower, she turned her dimples his way.
“Now, Awakening? Tell me all about it; I wanna know everything!” Even as she enthusiastically said, she was already petting the cat.
The two walked together, confiding in one another, the cat listening attentively. It knew what this was: a cover story! Bandits had used those as alibi too
Yep, Damon totally bullshitted her.
Then again, he wasn’t about to tell her that the him she knew was dead and that he was another version of himself with Dimensional PTSD. How would one even explain that?
“So, you were training, and suddenly your Soul Issue was solved, the System appearing? I see, must have been a bug in the software or something.”
How could she believe something like that?! Was she that naive?! But before he could even play the straight man, she murmured: “It’s a good thing. There’s no need to question it.”
It wasn’t what she said, but the way she said it. Normally, only a miracle or very sketchy stuff would give one power. But none of that mattered because she believed in HIM.
“Thank you. You’re the best, you know?”
“Stop, or I’ll definitely blush!”
“That’s fine. Red’s my—”
Before he could even finish his sentence, she burst out laughing. “Your favorite color, yes!” Seeing this, Damon smiled wryly, finally doing what he’d really come for.
Resigning from the K-Mart?
That was merely a fun side quest, not the main event.
Looking deep into her purple eyes to show her how serious he was, Damon handed her his cellphone, an APP already opened on it.
| Dungeon Companion! |
| Enter an Invite Link or Head to a Testing Facility! |
This APP tracked Dungeons opening and Magical Beasts on the side, too. Not only was it marketed to Awakened, but it also required to be one to join.
They wouldn’t let any Tom, Dick, and Harry bother the people trying to “save” humanity from the Monsters. Thus, access was quite restricted.
That’s where Lilly came in. She hailed from a Tamer family, and she had (very) slight VIP privileges, like inviting her friends without going through the tedious process.
Anyone else would have been suspicious. Why couldn’t he simply go to the center? Yet, all she did was smile, then cutely frown.
“Sure, but no getting hurt! Alright?— And tell me if you need help.”
| Ding! Received Invite from Ferocious Little Rabbit. Accept? |
Never had Damon clicked on a link that fast! As for the result, it was an endless loading screen with “Processing” flashing on top of it. Perhaps he had been too eager…
| Processing! Please Wait…! |
| Processing! Please Wait…! |
| Processing! Please Wait…! |
With nothing better to do, he returned home, checking something while at it.
He started strolling down the hallways, stopping shortly before every apartment door. Then, he repeatedly banged on several walls, perking his ears up. – Rustle! Rustle! – It came from inside them!
“While we’re waiting, we might as well make Credits. Buying Healing Potions before we head to a Dungeon would help a ton! Come on, follow me!”
Damon headed for the apartment complex’s entrance, a nice ornate plaque welcoming the visitors…
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
— Apartment Complex 637B —
Property of Liyung Manufacturing.
For Employees only. Managed by Boss Zhang.
Please Contact 1-800-6666 for any and all Inquiries.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
“Miaow!” (We’ll steal ornate plaques, melt them and sell em!-- Wait, that’s a bad idea.)
Chuckling, Damon dismissed the suggestion, grabbing his cell phone instead. Then, using his most customer-friendly voice, he quickly composed the number on the plaque.
It took a while of back-and-forth with the receptionist, but eventually…
“Boss Zhang? It’s about 637B! Yes, Yes, I’ll be quick! Don’t ask me my sources, but the Health Department knows about the rats. Yep, you’re royally screwed! Gloating, me? No, I have a solution!”
The cat couldn’t help but feel doubtful. If the rats were actually an issue, why wouldn’t the owner take care of them directly? The guy wouldn’t need them to help, right?
It wasn’t the only one wondering, the voice on the other side clearly was too..
“Hehe, why choose us, you ask? Because we’re offering Awakened-level service at affordable rates! It’s all part of a new training program for fledgling tamers! Yes, for real! Yes, I’ll send you the payment info!” Damon happily lied through his teeth.
Before long, he was ending the call, showing a victorious grin. “Good news, we got a new job. We’ll be collecting rat meat and getting paid to do it. Do you know what this means?”
“M-Miaow!” (That Master is the best businessman ever!)
“Concretely, it’s time to play Fortune Neko again.”
Then a second later….
[Ding! New User Issued Quest!]
[Ding! New User Issued Quest!]
[Ding! New User Issued Quest!]
[Ding! New User Issued Quest!]
This had to be exploitation, right? Yet, instead of feeling despair, the poor cat’s eyes actually lit up with joy. Was there anything higher than a Pentakill?
It would soon find out…