The demon's body was flung backward, crashing into a pile of wooden crates with a deafening crack as splinters scattered through the air.
But she wasn't defeated yet. Rising from the wreckage, her body trembled—wounded, but still burning with rage.
In an instant, demonic energy gathered in her mouth, forming a dense black sphere before being fired straight at Rian.
The attack was fast… at least to ordinary eyes. But through the Six Eyes, it appeared agonizingly slow. The moment it reached him, the infinite layers surrounding Rian nullified it completely.
"Still not giving up, huh?" Rian muttered with a faint smile. His right hand extended forward. "Maximum Output: Blue."
At once, a point in the air—right where his earlier punch had landed—began to tremble.
Blue energy flared, compressing space itself, creating a gravitational force so immense it felt as though reality was trying to correct the demon's very existence.
The demon roared, her body stiffening in agony as she struggled against the unseen pull dragging her toward a single collapsing point.
But Rian merely lifted his hand slightly — a graceful motion, almost like a dance.
Fwoosh!
The blue sphere moved, devouring everything around it — the demon included. Crates, dust, splinters of wood — all were pulled into the reverse gravitational vortex, torn apart by its destructive pull.
"It's useless," Rian murmured softly.
Blue continued to draw everything in, compressing tighter and tighter until
BOOM!
A silent explosion erupted, swallowing sound itself, as if space had folded into silence.
Thick, dark blood splattered through the air, swirling in the gravitational chaos before being completely consumed by the center of Blue's convergence.
A few drops managed to stain the floor, the walls, even the old wooden pillars, making the place look like the aftermath of a failed exorcism ritual.
But moments later, all of it vanished, erased as though it had never existed.
The warehouse floor cracked, fine fractures spreading outward from the epicenter of Rian's technique, making the wooden planks creak softly.
A few boxes were lifted slightly, then fell back with a muted thud. Dust hung suspended in the air before being drawn in and devoured by the pull of convergence.
Ophis stared blankly, though her violet, reptilian pupils narrowed slightly.
The donut in her hand paused mid-bite, frozen not by fear—but by deep, lingering curiosity.
The air around her had trembled faintly when Blue was fully activated, yet Ophis remained still. Silent. Unmoved.
When the swirling energy finally subsided, Rian slowly disengaged Blue's output, and everything fell quiet once more.
The air felt hollow—no sound, no motion.
The warehouse, though still standing, now seemed like a space that had just witnessed the end of the world on a miniature scale.
The blue sphere vanished, as if it had never existed. What remained was only destruction… and a silence so heavy it felt alive.
"This isn't really the style of a handsome guy like me," Rian muttered with a shrug. "But… since Blue isn't officially registered in my Skill List yet, I've got to use the derivative Limitless techniques often."
He exhaled softly, then turned his gaze behind him.
"…Well then, Ophis-chan?" Rian asked lightly, as if he'd just finished a magic trick. "That's one form of spatial adjustment. Enough to shut up a power-drunk demon, don't you think?"
Ophis didn't answer immediately. She simply stared at the spot where the explosion had occurred, then slowly turned her gaze toward Rian.
"…Interesting," Ophis said flatly, a faint smile touching her lips. "I like you."
A subtle smile curved Rian's own lips.
"I'm glad you do. I always give my best performance for the audience."
With calm, unhurried steps, Rian reached out and gently took Ophis's small hand.
Without another word, he guided the girl out of the old warehouse—now quieter than ever, as if every trace of evil energy had been completely erased.
As their feet crossed the threshold, the Curtain barrier surrounding the area began to crack slowly, like glass touched gently from within.
Moments later, the Curtain collapsed—no sound, no explosion—vanishing like fine dust carried away by the night breeze.
It was as if reality itself had quietly settled back into place, and the night sky welcomed them once more.
***
In the quiet playground, lit only by the dim yellow glow of a streetlamp, Rian and Ophis sat side by side on separate swings.
The swings creaked softly each time the night breeze passed by, creating a faint rhythm that blended into the silence.
In her right hand, Ophis held a chocolate bar she was slowly nibbling. In her left, she clutched a plastic bag filled with more chocolate bars—still plenty left, as though untouched.
"Ophis-chan," Rian said, glancing slightly toward the swing beside him, "it's getting pretty late… aren't you going home?"
Ophis stared at Rian, expressionless. It seemed like she was implying something she didn't want to say now.
Rian tilted his head, trying to grasp the meaning behind her words. "Hmm… So, a place called 'home' isn't something comfortable for you, huh?"
He looked up at the night sky for a moment, a faint smile crossing his face. "Well… it's already past midnight, and this handsome man needs his beauty sleep. Skin care can't be skipped, you know?"
Then Rian lifted his gaze, smiling softly.
"How about you head back to your place for now? We can meet again tomorrow, right here," Rian said, tapping the ground lightly with the tip of his shoe.
"I'll be here to keep you company—play, listen… or just sit like this."
A few seconds of silence passed.
Then, Ophis slowly gave a small nod—barely noticeable.
"Alright," she said simply. "Tomorrow… here."
Rian's smile grew slightly. "Deal."
Ophis stepped off the swing with calm, graceful movements. She stopped right in front of Rian, her dark-toned eyes meeting his directly. The reptilian pupils reflected a hollow stillness—an emptiness unbound by the world.
"Your hand…" Ophis murmured softly, her tone as flat as ever. "Show it to me…"
Rian raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly, trying to guess the meaning behind her request.
But since he sensed no hostility or malice from her, he slowly extended his right hand toward Ophis—and deactivated Infinity.
The petite girl stared silently at the back of Rian's hand, her expression unreadable. Then, her body began to radiate a dark, deep violet aura—an energy that pulsed with quiet, boundless power.
That energy condensed, forming into a small serpent that coiled upon itself before slithering toward Rian's outstretched hand.
Rian didn't move. He didn't resist. The aura emanating from Ophis was calm—yet impossibly vast and unfathomable.
The tiny serpent touched the back of his hand… and in an instant, a mark appeared—etched into his skin like an ancient sigil.
Its shape resembled two serpents biting each other's tails, forming a rotating ∞ symbol, encircled by a faint violet ring.
The mark glowed dimly… then slowly sank into his skin, as though becoming one with him.
A surge of energy flowed through Rian's body—not enough to overwhelm him, but powerful enough to make him take notice.
"This is…?" Rian asked, eyes flicking from the mark back to Ophis.
Ophis replied softly, in her usual calm, hollow tone. "A mark… of acknowledgment."
Rian was about to say something when suddenly, a holographic panel materialized in front of him, hovering lightly in the air.
It shimmered like a pale-blue projection of light—elegantly designed, filled with flowing data streams—yet visible only to him.
Even Ophis, an entity whose power rivaled that of a second-tier Authority, remained completely unaware of its presence.
Ding!
[Herald No. 90,000 has acquired Passive Skill -Infinity Fragment- ]
Rian's eyebrow arched slightly as he murmured to himself, "Infinity Fragment…?"
With a faint thought, he opened his Status Window, navigating to the Skill List tab.
The display unfolded mentally, revealing the catalog of his abilities—Special, Active, and Passive—including the newly added one.
____________________
Special Ability:
> Six Eyes
Passive Abilities:
> Traditional Silat (Lvl. 1)
> Infinity Fragment (Lvl. 1)
Type: Passive
Description: A fragment of existence from the Dragon God of Infinity — an absolute entity that embodies chaos, stillness, and boundlessness.
This fragment represents not merely Ophis's blessing or approval, but a direct connection — a portion of her very essence personally bestowed upon the bearer.
STR: +100%
VIT: +100%
AGI: +100%
INT: +100%
Active Abilities:
____________________
Rian's pupils widened as he read the data, astonishment flickering across his face.
"INT increased by a hundred percent... passively? A fragment of the Infinite Dragon God's existence!? That's a divine-level skill!"
"So... Ophis-chan isn't just an overpowered loli after all? To grant a skill like this," he murmured, eyes still fixed on the glowing panel, "that means Ophis-chan's power is nearly at Tier One…"
His gaze shifted to the back of his right hand, where the faint violet mark — two serpents biting each other's tails — still shimmered softly, as if confirming the information displayed on the screen.
A faint smile curved on Rian's lips. "So this means... I've been marked by the Infinite Loli Dragon, huh? If that's the case, all of my stats should now be doubled, right?"
Yet despite the smile, there was no joy within him. None at all.