In the smoke of the burning car, time froze for Denzel.
The screeching monsters, the crumbling earth, even the roar of flames—all faded away.
Instead, he stood in a familiar place: a quiet playground from a time long gone.
The sky was soft, the swings creaked, and the laughter of children rang through the air.
Denzel blinked.
"Where... am I?" he muttered.
On a bench nearby sat his older self from his first life—calm, solemn, eyes locked on two children. A younger Denzel and a little girl—Olivia—played on the swings. She looked downcast.
"I've told you, Olivia. Don't worry. I'll always protect you," little Denzel said with a grin.
"But if you do, they'll keep bullying you," young Olivia sniffled.
"How many times do I have to say it? I'm a hero. That's what I do."
Tears burst from Olivia's eyes. She hugged the younger Denzel tightly.
The older Denzel—our Denzel—felt something crack open in his chest. A smile broke across his face.
"So that's my mission... That's why I came back."
His eyes burned with a new fire.
"I was meant to save humanity from the beginning. I can't die here. Life gave me a second chance… I won't waste it. I'll fight!"
[Ping! Ping! Ping!]
[Congratulations! Your psychopathic resolve has been noticed]
[You've awakened the monster within you. The Creator smiles upon you]
[Conditions to unlock Psycho Mode (Ex-Rank) have been met. Synchronization begins…]
[Synchronization complete. Psycho Mode: 1%]
Back in reality, Olivia's last string snapped.
The Ogre's massive club crashed down.
BOOM!
Dust exploded into the air—but something was off.
The club didn't connect.
The air grew thick with a bloodthirsty aura. A dreadful chill swept through the battlefield. Even the black lightning bird froze mid-air.
The Ogre's club cracked—then shattered into a hundred fragments.
A figure stood between Leon and the beast. His hair floated in the static-charged air, flickering with black and red aura. His clothes were scorched, but his skin was flawless. No injuries. His eyes glowed deep crimson. His grin was wide. Predatory.
Denzel.
But… not the Denzel they knew.
Strange arcane markings glowed faintly across his face. His very presence distorted the air.
He reached out to Leon.
"You're looking weak, Leon. Wait… don't tell me you're scared?" Denzel teased, his voice laced with menace.
Leon's eyes widened. "I thought you were dead. And what's with the demonic makeover?"
"Even I don't know much about it yet. But it's strong. Really strong."
Leon gave a breathless laugh. "Alright, you win this round. 99 to 1. You said you'd beat me before I hit a hundred. Milk this moment—it won't happen again."
He clasped Denzel's hand. They nodded at each other.
"Let's beat these beasts—together!"
Side by side, they turned to face their opponents:
[Black Lightning Bird – Lvl. 45]
[Ogre – Lvl. 45 | B-Rank]
"Olivia, you can fall back. You've done enough," Leon said, his voice calm but intense.
His hair ignited into pure flame.
A torrent of infernal energy erupted from him. Flames spiraled around his body, forming wings and horns. His eyes sharpened into slits. When the blaze cleared, he stood as a true hybrid—a vision of the Flame Demon King.
[Ping! Ping!]
[Congratulations! You've transcended into a hybrid race. New Sub-Gift unlocked: Flame Demon Transformation (SS-Rank)]Denzel
Denzel gave an impressed nod. "Nice costume. Let's see who finishes first."
"Denzel, you take the ogre. That bird's mine."
"Got you."
[MATCH 1: Leon vs. Black Lightning Bird]
The avian boss monster circled high above, calculating its next dive. But it was too late.
Leon vanished in a blink—then appeared mid-air, sword drawn.
"You thought you were untouchable in the sky? Think again, bird brain!"
He slashed, spiraling flames chasing the monster across the clouds. The bird dodged, barely avoiding a direct hit, but Leon wasn't done.
The bird screeched and spun rapidly, charging with black lightning.
Leon smirked, calm amidst chaos. "So you're going all out too, huh?"
He closed his eyes. Flame swirled violently around him.
His sword ignited with obsidian fire.
The bird dove like a bullet.
Leon met it with a single strike.
BOOM!
The sky exploded.
Smoke billowed.
A charred corpse of the black lightning bird fell from above, lifeless.
[MATCH 1: Leon wins—flawless victory]
[MATCH 2: Denzel vs. Ogre]
Denzel adjusted his mask. "Looks like they're done. Let's wrap ours up, too."
The Ogre roared and swung its spiked chain.
Denzel vanished.
A sickening crack echoed across the battlefield.
The Ogre stood frozen—then dropped to its knees.
A gaping hole appeared in its chest, pouring blood like a fountain.
One hit. That's all it took.
Denzel's senses were razor-sharp. Every breath, every heartbeat around him was visible. The world moved in slow motion.
"So this is Psycho Mode..." he whispered, clenching his fist.
"It's... amazing."
[MATCH 2: Denzel wins—overwhelming victory]
Olivia was speechless.
Her threads trembled in her hands, though there was no longer any need for them. The entire battle—from the moment the monsters attacked to their defeat—had ended in mere seconds.
"What the hell… they're monsters," she muttered.
Her phone buzzed. A call.
She answered without checking the screen.
The voice on the other end came through in a panic:
"Tell me what we saw wasn't real. We need to recruit them—now. They just stopped a national disaster!"
END OF CHAPTER
[FUN FACT]
The higher your Intelligence stat, the more information you can perceive about monsters and towers. It also increases resistance to psychic and mental-type skills. Smart = not brainwashed.