Chapter 15: Hardened Skin Skill, Boost in Stats, and More Problems

Chapter 15: Hardened Skin Skill, Boost in Stats, and More Problems The lizards weren’t stupid. When they saw their comrades on the ground, dead, and poison still dripping from Damian’s claws, they knew it wasn’t a good idea to face him. So they ran—darting into the forest and using the dense vegetation as cover. Damian stood silently, watching them flee. "This poison is impressive," he muttered. He stepped closer to the lizard corpses. Last time, he’d only absorbed part of the demonic rat, which was why the body remained. This time, he wanted to absorb everything. He wasn’t sure it would work—but he was ready to try. He touched the first dead lizard and activated his system. [+3 Strength] [+2 Agility] [+3 Endurance] [Skill Acquired: Hardened Skin (Rank C)] [Activate to harden your skin, increasing defense against physical, magical, and elemental attacks.] [Effect: +10 Defense] The skill looked promising. Any defensive boost was valuable—one never knew when it might save his life. Damian moved to the second lizard and absorbed it too. This time, no new skills appeared—and the attribute gains were weaker: [+1 Strength] [+1 Agility] [+1 Endurance] Both lizards had similar power levels, so Damian guessed his diminishing gains were due to two things: they were the same type of creature, and he was now stronger. To keep growing, he’d need more powerful demons. Still, he was satisfied. The bodies were gone. No one would find them. And that meant fewer clues. No signs for hunters. No accusations of being what they called an "evolutionary demon." That label meant death. Damian left the forest. He couldn’t stay too long. Not just because of the risks—but because someone might be watching. Troy. That guy kept trailing him... even when he thought he was alone. Damian reached the main road without problems. No demons tried to attack him, and there wasn’t anyone around, which gave him peace of mind. Once on the road, he called for a driver to pick him up and take him to his apartment. The price wasn’t expensive at all, but the driver was curious about why Damian was in the middle of nowhere. "I live in a cabin in this area, but my car broke," Damian said with a smile. He had to lie—if the driver got too curious and spoke to someone else, that could be dangerous. "That stuff happens sometimes," the driver replied. "Mine broke during a summer trip once. Stressed me and my family out." The driver didn’t ask any more questions, which was good. On the way back, Damian looked out the window, thinking about how his life was changing. He wasn’t the weak person he used to be. Damian never thought he’d turn from someone who couldn’t use mana into someone who could—but not through a normal path. Through an extraction system. It was wild to think about. Why was he chosen for that system? Damian didn’t see himself as special... so maybe there was more to it than met the eye. He said goodbye to the driver when they arrived in front of his apartment. Damian rushed up the staircase quickly. Troy’s car wasn’t around. At least, Damian hadn’t seen it. So he wanted to get back to his apartment as fast as possible—just in case Troy was watching. But when he opened the door, he was surprised to see Troy inside—sitting on the couch, watching TV. "Hey, Damian," Troy said, turning to face him. "Where were you?" It sounded innocent—but Damian was sure Troy was fishing for information. "Exploring the city a little," Damian replied. "Why? Something wrong?" Troy smiled. "No, nothing’s wrong. Actually, I’ve got good news." Apparently, Troy had come to Damian’s apartment to deliver a surprise. But instead of calling, he’d decided to wait inside. The good news? Damian was now a daytime cleaner. His shift had changed—just like the demon said it would. Damian acted surprised, just as instructed. "Wait, really? But how?" Troy seemed genuinely happy for him. "Apparently you’ve been doing a great job, and the higher-ups want you working more hours. You’re no longer a freelancer—you’re hired by the company now. That’s great, right?" Damian used to work just a couple hours each night. But with the day shift, he’d earn way more. His job at the café wouldn’t be needed anymore. Troy asked him to quit. "You don’t need the café anymore. Call your boss and resign." "Yeah, I will." "You start tomorrow at 8 a.m. Don’t be late." With that, Troy left the apartment. Damian now had to head to the company building on his own. Troy wouldn’t be driving him anymore. "Is it because of the shift change, or is he up to something?" Damian wondered. Troy’s appearance had been strange. If he’d seen Damian wasn’t home, he could’ve just called to share the news. The fact that he broke into the apartment meant something else was going on. Damian decided to inspect his apartment. He activated his demon eyes. With them, he could see traces of Troy’s mana. The strongest concentration was on the couch—Troy had sat there for a while. But there were traces in other areas too. They were faint, nearly invisible. A normal hunter wouldn’t spot them. But Damian could. He saw Troy’s mana all over the apartment—even in his bedroom. Maybe Troy had simply been searching for him? "Maybe he was just looking for me or something," Damian thought. But then he noticed something. Underneath the lamp by his bed was a small listening device. Troy planted that device! "They’re trying to listen to what I say in here," Damian realized. This wasn’t good. Troy wasn’t just following him sometimes—he was planting surveillance gear inside his home. Damian now knew he couldn’t respond to any calls from the demon while inside the apartment. He considered destroying the device. But if he did, Troy would know. The best option was to speak with the demon only while outside. Damian spent the rest of the day at home—watching TV, playing games, and enjoying himself. The next morning, he left the apartment. It was his first day working the morning shift.