"Turns out the world runs on numbers… until you break the calculator."
By the time the dungeon faded behind them, dusk had rolled across the crimson horizon.
Down the valley, smoke rose from torches and chimneys — a village sprawled across blackstone roads and jagged rooftops like an anthill carved into the mountainside.
Banners bearing claw marks and wing crests fluttered in the faint wind. The sound of hammers, laughter, and mana explosions filled the air.
The place was alive — too alive.
Rhazor stretched his arms, tail flicking lazily. "Finally! Civilization. Or, you know… close enough."
Mary smirked. "Welcome to Dra'thiel, the Adventurer Hub of the Demon Realm."
Lucilla, now walking again beside Asura, looked around curiously. "There are… so many of them. But some of these adventurers… they don't look like demons."
Asura blinked, squinting at a passing group.
A cloaked swordsman with pale skin and blue eyes. A woman in knight armor bearing the sigil of Valoria — a human kingdom.
A human priest laughing with a drake-horned mercenary.
"Hold up," Asura muttered. "Those are humans."
Rhazor nodded. "Yup. Freaky, huh?"
Asura frowned. "Since when do humans hang out in the Demon Realm and not die horribly?"
Mary folded her arms. "Since a few centuries ago. It's rare, but not impossible."
✦ Miasma and Mortals
They found a small rest plaza near the village's center — a cobblestone courtyard lit by glowing mushrooms and molten braziers. A handful of demons were arm-wrestling a human adventurer on a nearby bench while others traded mana crystals and monster cores.
Mary leaned against a pillar, watching the crowd.
"You see those humans? The ones who can actually live here are special — immune to miasma."
Lucilla tilted her head. "Immune? I thought humans were too fragile to survive long."
Mary nodded. "They are… normally. Miasma corrodes the soul and body. For an average human, an hour here means death. But powerful knights and mages can resist it for a while — hours, sometimes days. If they train here often enough, their resistance becomes permanent."
Asura's eyes lit up. "So if they stay long enough, they basically level up their lungs?"
Mary chuckled. "You could say that. But the ones who really cheat the system are the Magi. Once a human ascends to Magi, miasma immunity becomes a passive. No training, no pain."
Rhazor shrugged. "So, they skip straight to 'I breathe poison now.' Lucky them."
Mary continued, "Still, there aren't many of them. Some think of themselves as superior for surviving here — call themselves Heaven's Exiles. The rest… they're just adventurers looking for lost power or forbidden knowledge."
Asura looked around again — his golden eyes scanning the crowd.
Every aura pulsed differently. Fire. Blood. Frost. Shadow.
A few made his skin prickle — power that could rival even demon lords.
He grinned. "Looks fun."
Lucilla sighed. "You say that about everything dangerous."
"Because it's true."
✦ Status Unbound
They started walking again, weaving through the crowded streets. Smiths shouted over the clang of hammers; potion sellers waved glowing vials; and mercenaries compared scars and pay.
Asura's attention, though, was fixed on the adventurers themselves.
Each one unique — some radiating power that made even him curious.
He quietly muttered, "Appraisal."
Text flickered across his vision — skill lists, stat bars, elemental affinities.
One man's sword hummed with sealed spirits. Another's body had been reforged with draconic bone. A Mage-rank sorceress possessed frost resistance so high it rivaled his own.
He whistled softly. "Man, this place is stacked."
Then he remembered something.
He hadn't checked his Status Window since the mimic fight — and after absorbing the Fallen Core, that Abyssal Dominion skill sounded too interesting to ignore.
"Alright, let's see what broke this time."
With a thought, his interface opened — lines of radiant script unfurling before his eyes.
✦ Asura Satomi — Status Window
Name: Asura Satomi
Age: Ageless — (Chronologically: 8 | Body is form-adaptive)
Race: True Demon Lord
Sub-Race: Aether Vessel (Body formed from Aether — not mortal matter)
Rank:Unknown Rank
Level: 470
HP: 691,000
MP: ∞ (Overflow Source: Aether. Mana replenishment exceeds measurable drain.)
STR: 599,600
AGI: 793,000
INT: 1,474,400
VIT: 660,800
LUK: 100,000 (Measurement instability detected)
Class:
• Sovereign Magi
• Martial Demon Lord
• Arc Swordsman
• Aether-Adapted Being
Core Affinity:
Aether (Prime), All elemental mana branches
Asura blinked once. Then again.
"...Unknown Rank?"
[ ＳＹＳＴＥＭ : Correct. Your combined parameters now exceed 3,000,000. The ranking system cannot quantify your total output. ]
He raised an eyebrow. "Wait, so my individual stats are still below 1.5 million — that's SS to SS+, right?"
[ ＳＹＳＴＥＭ : True. However, the system rank is not based solely on one attribute. When total HP, MP, STR, AGI, INT, VIT, and LUK are combined, the sum determines a higher classification. ]
[ ＳＹＳＴＥＭ : Rank thresholds vary by region, era, and governing authority. Current comparison indicates anomaly. ]
(0 – 1,000) ...... F to D Rank
(1,000 – 10,000) .... C to B Rank
(10,000 – 100,000) ..... B to A Rank
(100,000 – 300,000) .... A to S-
(300,000 – 600,000) .... S- to SS-
(600,000 – 900,000) .... SS- to SS
(900,000 – 1,500,000) .. SS to SS+
(1,500,000 – 3,000,000) SS+ to SSS+
(3,000,000+) ...... Unknown Rank
Asura grinned ear to ear.
"So… you can't place me anymore."
[ ＳＹＳＴＥＭ : ...Yes. ]
[ ＡＥＴＨＥＲＢＯＲＮ : Congratulations. You've ascended from "statistically impossible" to "mathematically illegal." ]
Asura laughed quietly, ignoring the looks from passing adventurers.
"Unknown Rank… I like that."
✦ The Growth Spiral
He scrolled further down and stopped at the stat list.
His eyes widened.
"Hold up. Why are my stat gains so huge?"
[ ＳＹＳＴＥＭ : Stat gain per level has been multiplied by four due to Aether Vessel evolution synergy. ]
[ ＳＹＳＴＥＭ : Recent evolution chains appear to have destabilized standard growth models. ]
[ ＳＹＳＴＥＭ : Result — All base stats are increasing at a rate significantly above previous projections. ]
[ ＡＥＴＨＥＲＢＯＲＮ : Duh. That's how exponential growth works. You've basically hit puberty on a cosmic scale. ]
[ ＳＹＳＴＥＭ : I was explaining that. ]
[ ＡＥＴＨＥＲＢＯＲＮ : Yeah, but slower and less funny. ]
Asura nearly snorted. "So you're saying my growth rate exploded so hard even the angels need a calculator?"
[ ＡＥＴＨＥＲＢＯＲＮ : Exactly. And Infinite Growth Potential, the curve is… undefined. You'll keep breaking ceilings until there aren't any left. ]
Asura's grin turned sharp. "Now that's my kind of problem."
[ ＳＹＳＴＥＭ : I was about to mention that before being interrupted. ]
[ ＡＥＴＨＥＲＢＯＲＮ : Aww, were you typing that part? Poor little text box. ]
[ ＳＹＳＴＥＭ : I am not 'little'. ]
[ ＡＥＴＨＥＲＢＯＲＮ : You're literally made of pixels. ]
Asura coughed to hide his laughter.
"You two are comedy gold."
✦ The Sword's Sulk
A final notification blinked into view.
[ ＳＹＳＴＥＭ : Reminder — Yamikami no Tsurugi's Core Evolution has been unlocked. ]
Asura blinked. "...Wait, what? Since when?"
[ ＳＹＳＴＥＭ : Since you reached a 100% on your True Demon Lord Awakening. ]
"Oops, I forgot all about that sword!"
A faint telepathic ping echoed in his mind — a very annoyed voice.
[ ＹＡＭＩＫＡＭＩ : OH, SO YOU REMEMBER ME NOW?! ]
Asura winced. "Okay, okay, I didn't forget you, I just—"
[ ＹＡＭＩＫＡＭＩ : You left me in your inventory for the whole ENTIRE DUNGEON! I could've been cutting something! Anything! Even rocks! ]
Lucilla gave him a puzzled look. "Asura, are you Okay?"
"Uh Yes!"
[ ＹＡＭＩＫＡＭＩ : You promised more blood! And glory! And stylish sword poses! ]
"Yeah, yeah, fine. I'll take you out next dungeon. Happy?"
[ ＹＡＭＩＫＡＭＩ : I'll consider it… acceptable. ]
[ ＡＥＴＨＥＲＢＯＲＮ : Your weapon's more dramatic than half the gods I've met. ]
[ ＳＹＳＴＥＭ : Please refrain from insulting divine armaments. ]
[ ＡＥＴＨＥＲＢＯＲＮ : I said half, not all. Some of them are worse. ]
Asura burst out laughing as they walked through the lively town square — Mary shaking her head, Lucilla trying not to smile, and Rhazor muttering something about "traveling with lunatics."
✦ Beyond the Limit
Asura looked up at the sky — black clouds streaked with crimson light — and couldn't help but grin.
"Unknown Rank, huh? Guess I'll just have to see how far unknown goes."
The system's faint hum replied quietly.
[ ＳＹＳＴＥＭ : Then we'll find out together, Asura. ]
[ ＡＥＴＨＥＲＢＯＲＮ : Preferably without another meltdown. ]
"No promises."
He laughed, hands behind his head, walking toward the inn at the far end of the road — the light of adventure flickering in his golden eyes.