"The fallacy of the young," spat David, his words heavy with bitterness. Colan, however, vehemently rejected the notion that youth played a role in his defeat. "It's a mere First Metamorphosis tier bounty. It can't be it. It's you, David! You did something!"

Grinning, David adopted a playful demeanor as he nonchalantly shrugged. "Regardless, will you go against the Adjudicator?"

"Must you interfere?" Taura pleaded, desperation evident in his voice.

Earlier, he had succumbed to the allure of the bounty, living on borrowed time, willing to take the risk. However, with Galeward now dead, Novak and Colan wounded and spent, and David, their main objective, appearing at the peak of his condition, doubt crept in. Could they catch the elusive human again? As much as he trusted his assessment of the bounty staying active for at least one more day, the uncertainty of a new day loomed, bringing unforeseen challenges.

The Adjudicator turned to Taura, his gaze extending past him. It took the Nāga a moment longer than everyone else to grasp what was unfolding, back in the Mir family's apartment.

A pool of blood extended from Galeward's headless corpse, and an imperceptible ripple traversed its surface, abruptly ceasing as the blood began to churn around it.

"Demonic Presence?" Taura mumbled, his mental state at its weakest, giving birth to a ludicrous idea – perhaps the only and best means to ensure his survival: a Demonic Contract. The notion was fleeting, extinguished as swiftly as it emerged, as a resounding "Knock" reverberated, drowning out all inner and external voices, accompanied by a brilliant flash of golden light.

The Adjudicator wielded the Median Staff, directing it at the pool of blood. Uttering inaudible chants, golden Runes flickered on the staff. A radiant hexagon materialized beneath Galeward's lifeless form and the blood. Golden tendrils ascended from the hexagon, arching toward the point of where String was amidst the churning blood.

Just as the tendrils were poised to touch String, the pool of blood erupted, splattering crimson at the entrance to the Mir family's apartment and beyond, reaching into the hallway.

An unfathomable power surged past the two Werewolves, two Vampires, and one Nāga, eluding contact with the Median Staff as it constricted the Adjudicator's right arm.

'The Presence of a Premier Demonic Title!' echoed in the minds of the five nocturnal beings. Their astonishment stemmed not from witnessing the Adjudicator, a Third Level Metamorphosis, in a momentary setback, but from the effortless manner in which the unmistakable Demonic Presence circumvented the Median Staff.

Despite the pain, the Median Staff remained in the firm grip of the Adjudicator, releasing its golden light upon its wielder. The Demonic Presence dissipated, and the blond Angel's right arm contorted back to its rightful form.

Dropping to one knee, the Adjudicator panted, beads of golden sweat adorning his brow. His expression remained combative as his gaze remained fixed on the Mir family's apartment once again. However, it was too late. The splashed blood had transformed into dried, dark stains.

"It indeed was like that…" David marveled.

…

Inside Peter and Mary's bedroom...

Peter, Mary, and Dan gazed at Michael's shrunken form, their expressions transitioning from pale sorrow to a haunting blend of regret and grief. Trembling, hands outstretched, Mary took the tentative first step toward her son. Peter, a step behind, was spurred into motion by his wife, though he lacked the fortitude to confront his third child and second son alone, remaining a step behind.

Confusion, anger, and fear wrestled within Dan, a lump forming in his throat, heavy and aching. He almost reached out for his mother, then his father, as they rose from the queen-size bed, moving away. Somehow, it felt like they were abandoning him, leaving him behind. Between them and his older brother lay a chasm he lacked the courage to traverse.

"Is he… Michael… dead?" Chris raised his upper body, his strained voice muttering what none of the other three dared to articulate.

Mary and Peter quivered but continued their advance. Dan shifted his gaze to Chris. "What?" The word slipped from his lips before his ears registered the reluctance in his tone.

"Did that... creature kill Michael?" Chris repeated, oblivious to the discomfort he stirred in Dan.

"You're saying my brother is dead?!" Dan pulled Chris closer, startling him. The words he wanted to utter were on the tip of his tongue but remained stuck. 'Why?' A conflict brewed within him. 'Why am I feeling like this...' He knew the answer, but as a coward, he hesitated to admit it.

Earlier today, he had been living with parents he appreciated and loved, along with an older brother he cared for – some days, he might even have been willing to say that he loved him. But that was it. Unlike his eldest brother and older sister, Clark and Lessa, whom he looked up to for their achievements since their late teens/early twenties – though they pursued different paths than what he desired, their success still made them role models. Michael? Michael was harmless, kept to himself, stagnant, lazy – the complete opposite of how someone his age should be. He served as a cautionary example of all the things one should strive not to become.

Over the years, being the youngest among his siblings, Dan couldn't help but foster a sense of superiority towards his older brother. He wasn't overtly mean or disrespectful, merely holding an internal belief in his own superiority without making it explicit, until today.

Today, the brother he had regarded with a sense of superiority, in comparison to himself and the rest of the family, showcased something incredible – something that transcended the bounds of humanity. It was like a fragment of fantasy brought to life, the kind of dream every child harbors before reality strikes hard enough to shatter it and mold a conformist.

Dan seethed with anger at the risks his brother had exposed the family to. More than that, he felt a pang of jealousy. Hence, he blamed him and attempted to turn their parents against him – "him" being his brother, who was now deceased. Unaware, Dan snapped back to reality with his mother a step behind, his father two steps behind, and his deceased brother mere centimeters from his outstretched arms.

As his palms made contact with his brother, a powerful pulse jolted them back. "Michael?" Dan whispered, his tears halted by a sliver of hope. "Michael!"

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

...

"Michael," he heard his brother call once, twice. He wanted to respond. His brother sounded anxious. However, he lacked the strength. It was okay. The pain was no more. In fact, he was beginning to feel good – great – awesome! So much so that it was intoxicating to lie there and soak in the pleasure.

"Michael," his parents joined.

"Michael!"

"Michael!"

"Michael!"

They continued calling, disturbing his peace.

'What's so urgent…' He questioned, and a missing piece in his memory fell into place, charging him with adrenaline. 'I must protect them!'

...

Michael's eyes opened to find himself standing, shirtless. His parents and brother were next to him, sitting on the ground and looking up at him. 'Strong!' He stared at his hands and unconsciously squeezed. 'What… happened to me?' His right hand searched his shoulder, where the last traces of pain were fading. In his chest, he felt String spinning in ecstasy.

In the core of his being, his Pool of Magick Ions – formerly a glass heart with just a few drops of azure liquid – now overflowed, nearly half full. Drawing upon the Magick Ions in his Pool, Michael, unaided by String, directed the converted Magick to the Condition Rune in his arm. In response, an RPG-like Status Window materialized in front of him.

Name: Michael Mir

Age: 23

Race: Human

Status: Under Demonic Contract, Symbiosis (OFF)

Health: 3350

Magick: 3350

Magick Ions: 335

Physique: 335

Psyche: 335

Insights:

Worm: Sight (Second Stage)

Abilities:

Worm: ???

'My base stats increased by almost forty-eight times!' Michael was astounded, not just by the substantial changes in his stats, but he could quickly calculate the exact growth – "47.857" – "Forty-eight" seemed a more pleasing way to round it.

'With this much power...' A surge of confidence lifted his spirits, perhaps remnants of the earlier intoxication. He swiftly assessed the condition of everyone in the room. Apart from Chris, his parents and brother were shaken but otherwise unharmed.

Exiting the bedroom, he was met by a chilly nighttime breeze. The wall to his right lay broken. 'Was it that creature... the Vampire? Did it leave after assuming I'm dead? No. Something must have gone wrong for it. Why else did it not kill them?' He mused upon the livelihood of his parents, brother, and Chris. 'Was it David?'

Nose twitching, he detected a burnt, coppery scent leading him to the entrance of the apartment. There, he discovered Galeward's headless human form and dark matter splattered on the surrounding walls and some on the hallway floor. Seven figures, one of whom he recognized, looked back at him.

"Don't come out. They can't enter without an invitation, not anymore," David warned.

Michael remained silent. A single gaze at the people in the hallway deflated his boost in confidence.

They were divided into four groups. A man and a woman in long fur coats. Three men supporting each other in cloaks. An – unbelievably – black angel?! And David.

Five of the seven visibly restrained themselves from lunging at him, their prey, their bounty.

"Is it over?" Michael sheepishly inquired.

"Officially? No. Not until tomorrow night," David strolled past the Adjudicator, Vampires, Nāga, and Werewolves, entering the apartment. He hoisted Galeward's corpse and tossed it out the door. "Unofficially, as our friendly neighborhood Angel mentioned, if anyone comes after you, they'd have to go past him – a most improbable condition."

"T- Thank you," Michael nodded to the Adjudicator. "Angel? Can he-"

"Do something about your soul?" David interrupted. "Would you ask an ant to stomp an elephant?" He placed a hand on Michael's chest without waiting for an answer, catching the "kid" off guard. "Would you look at that, what a strong heartbeat!" He smiled mysteriously and continued, "Enough acting brave. Go back to the bedroom, rest. I'll come get you in a bit."

David's demeanor was jolly, but his gaze, fixed solely on Michael, was commanding.

'Weak,' Michael thought as he retreated. 'I'm weak.'

David didn't linger in the apartment; he returned to the hallway, closing the door behind him and stopping between Sierra and Ramon.

"Do as you will in the Terminal Dimension," the Adjudicator ordered, flicking his finger to create a long tear in the Material Dimension at the center of the two groups.

"Get inside," Sierra growled, placing a hand on David's shoulder, with Ramon on the other.

"Colan…" Novak called out to the commanding Vampire, as he, in his severely burnt state, separated from him and Taura, moving towards the tear.

Before Colan could respond, Taura gently guided Novak to rest on the floor, next to where David had thrown Galeward's corpse. The Nāga's condition was slightly worse than the Werewolves; having fought both at the same time, despite being stronger, he could still beat them individually.

"Handle Galeward's body and return to the House, Novak. There's no more guarantee any of us will meet again."

"Run, little Vampire," Sierra followed closely behind David. "Run home, or I'll catch you!"

"Taura, David, let's set aside our differences. The mutt is in heat. We should discipline her first," Colan suggested.

"Agreed," Taura said.

David glanced to his left at Sierra. "Indeed, quite hormonal behavior."

Sierra pressed her claws onto his shoulder, gnashing her teeth. To David's right, Ramon, in his human form, unhinged his jaw, revealing serrated teeth and a salivating tongue.

The two groups advanced at the same pace towards the tear, cautious of the other potentially seizing the initiative.

As they drew within a meter of the tear, a black boot and camouflage pants stepped out, followed by their owner.

"Since the Divine Dimension's stepping in, it doesn't matter anymore who joins the fray, so long as it's not for the bounty. Am I correct, Adjudicator?" A hairy man with a thick black beard, wild hair, and a white tank top emerged from The Gray.

At his appearance, the five immediately halted their advance, subtly shifting their bodies backward.

"You are…" The Adjudicator inquired, seemingly unfazed.

The man reached into the deep pockets of his pants. "I was concluding a mission in the area when I received a call about Demonic and Divine Magick clashing at the location of the current bounty – got it!" He retrieved a white badge with azure letters.

The larger letters on the badge read "MMB," below them in smaller letters: "Rank 2 Fixer."

Fixating on the number "2" on the badge, Novak, Colan, Taura, Sierra, and Ramon grimaced.

'A Second Level Metamorphosis.'

"It's not my job, but orders from above tasked me with bringing this man with me to the nearest MMB Branch," the man pointed back with his thumb at David. "Also, as long as I safeguard the well-being of the bounty, would you mind letting me take him, too?"

"As far as the Divine Dimension is concerned, the bounty is annulled, and the protection period is active for the next two years and a day. You can take him if it's his will. As for him," the Adjudicator waved to David, "It's none of my business what you do in the Terminal Dimension."

"Good," the man said appreciatively, sweeping everyone else under his gaze. "The Adjudicator's presence tells me you've all created quite a mess in the Material Dimension. Why the hesitation? Is it because the Divine Dimension chose to intervene, or did you not anticipate the MMB's involvement? Perhaps you thought the MMB wouldn't want to offend your handlers?"

The man snorted. Dipping his hand into the tear and widening it, he made way for them to pass. "Cursed Template, is it? I was told to bring you gently, peacefully, but you might be unwilling. The problem is... 'peacefulness' is not the style of us Fixers."

"Then the MMB should've sent a Negotiator."

"You're misunderstanding. I'm not pulling rank because you're a First Level Metamorphosis. I'm genuinely telling you what I'm not good at, and that I am going to do my job. So, it's up to you to show me how to act gentle and peaceful. Enter. All of you."

David sighed and passed through first into The Gray.

Sierra and Ramon were hesitant but unwilling to let the "bloodsuckers" enter second and appear timid at the end.

Inside The Gray, on the hallway of the tenth floor.

…

'He dismantled the blockage on the apartment…' David noticed that the net barring the entrance to the Mir Family's apartment was gone – not that it mattered.

"The Adjudicator wouldn't want me to educate you in gentleness and peacefulness within the building," he informed the MMB's Fixer and descended the stairs, leading a procession of monsters and another human, ready to resume their battle.