Mind Demon's Path of Domination

Mark flew through the air with immense speed. On his back, a small backpack full of black bottles kept clinging, and on his hand hung his Puppet.

Behind him, four people rode calmly on a flying piece of ice as they followed him.

They were casual and calm.

Mark looked back using his Puppet's eyes and saw the blip in the skies. Gritting his teeth, he increased his speed even more. He was reaching a limit.

Everything was blurring past.

Mark had never flown at this level of speed before. His heart was violently thumping with adrenaline, and he could feel intensity course through his veins. Usually, he would have managed not to let the pedestrians on the ground see him on flight, but he no longer cared as he flew past cities after cities.

After all, as he had predicted, Hanmo and his disciples were chasing him.

No—Seo Jin Hu and his Kill Slaves were chasing him.

And Mark was no match to A-Rankers like that.

"Where are you running to, Red School Demon?" A laughing shout echoed from behind him. "How far can you even run, Demon?"

It was Hanmo's cold voice—or Seo Jin Hu's voice; he was controlling the now mindless Kill Slave, after all.

'Seo Jin Hu' laughed. "The moment someone deliberately came to drop off so many animals in the mountain, I guessed some ambush was on the way. But to think it would be a demon, the only demon said to be intelligent, to boot. And you even dared to snoop on us with Soul Sense; of course, I found you!"

Mark's wings flapped with ever-the-more force. I only need one chance, cocky fucker. And your life and your ability, all's mine.

Seo Jin Hu's Hunter Ability was godly. It was superb enough Mark could almost not stop his greed from overflowing. To enslave and revive anyone that you kill—there was nothing more amazing than that around. But Seo Jin Hu himself was weak.

Very, very weak.

Seo Jin Hu was, at most, merely a C-Rank Hunter. His Physical and Mental Stats were so weak that Mark was probably stronger by a huge margin even when he was just a Demonling. Yet, the Hunter Ability totally changed the game.

He could enslave others as long as he killed them. That was why a weaker Hunter was so arrogant.

Mark looked back using his Puppet's eyes. They were indeed growing closer.

I want that ability!

Mark cleared his mind and flew even faster. As long as he could get a single punch on Seo Jin Hu while ignoring the other Hunters, he would win. That was his only chance of turning this around easily—

Mark cursed his own naivety and looked back with his own eyes. His demonic gaze was like a binocular on its own, and with it, he could see Seo Jin Hu slowly sinking into Maki's shadow.

Hanmo laughed wildly. "You didn't expect me to put my weak body up against a boorish demon like you, did you? Why don't you fight against my slaves instead?"

Mark looked forward and flew without looking back.

"You are good, Seo Jin Hu!"

His army was such an amazingly well-built pack. Seo Jin Hu could hide his own weak body in Maki's shadow, use Shiden for attack, use Hanmo for defense, and use Fulan for Healing.

I am completely outmatched; if I am caught, I, too, would probably become one of his mindless Kill Slaves. For now, I have to find a way to retreat.

If he could throw the Puppet in his hand away, he would already be able to fly a bit faster, but he couldn't let go of it. Not now. Unless the Dream Gamble ends, he couldn't let the Dream Gambler's Mortal Puppet die no matter what.

The gamble has to end. Hanmo is faster than me, he will catch up sooner or later. No use having a vision of him. I have to run as fast as I can and for that, I have to get rid of the Puppet first!

He felt sweat trickle down his forehead and cradled the tiny, frightened hamster in his palm. He had to protect it, too; it was his dungeon. If it died, he would die too.

Seo Jin Hu already felt close.

Thankfully, Hanmo's flying speed wasn't absolutely ludicrous, or maybe Seo Jin Hu was still getting used to handling his new Kill Slave.

How is fucking ice even floating!

Mark growled as he flew.

He had not yet been able to see Hanmo's stats. He even wondered whether he could. For now, though, he just flew, flew and flew.

Midair, his golden eyes focused on the Puppet.

"I know you are watching all this, Seo Ran Hun," Mark said coldly.

The Puppet looked straight into his golden gaze.

It was predominantly his soul controlling the Puppet but he knew there must be Seo Ran Hun's soul dormant deep inside it. It should be able to see him, hear him, and feel every bit of the Puppet's experiences.

After all, only that would make the condition of Mark fulfilling Seo Ran Hun's Dream be possible.

"Can't you see, there, that's the fucking cousin you have been trying to achieve justice for. He was never killed. He had made a fool of the entire world," Mark's voice was icy cold. "You never mattered to him in the first place, and oh, look at you, trying so hard to get 'justice' for him!"

The eyes must truly be the window to the soul. Seo Ran Hun's eyes grew blurry.

Indeed, you are listening from in there, aren't you?

Even though it felt weird to talk to himself—his perception inside the Puppet—Mark only felt calm. The original host of the puppet was listening too and Mark felt like he could break him.

I made you a Hunter. And so now, give me what I gave you!

Mark's mind flashed with a violet screen, and he smirked.

Dream Gambler's Mortal Puppet was an ability that allowed Mark to begin a Gamble (a challenge) with a mortal.

The whole challenge of the Dream Gamble that Mark inititaed with his Mortal Puppet (Seo Ran Hun) was to see whether Mark could achieve the youth's dreams if Mark himself was in the kid's shoes.

That, or break the dream from its foundation.

Seo Ran Hun's dream was to ruin the reputation of the Trio Hunters so that he could get justice for his 'dead' cousin Seo Jin Hu.

Since Seo Jin Hu, the dead cousin, was never dead to begin with, there was no reason to find justice for him. The dream had no more foundation to build upon.

Like having a hatred for your parents' murderer but finding out it was a prank all along. The vengeful goal would have no more target to be placed on and would break apart into frustration.

Seo Ran Hun must also know it deep down.

His heroic will for justice had been foolish.

His cousin had never died.

When Mark pointed it out with clear words—of course that was enough to shock the soul inside Seo Ran Hun into that realization.

And that meant, Mark had won the Dream Gamble.