That day, I saw Antonio.
A heavyweight boxer—and worse, he was my next opponent in the ring.
With a single, simple punch, Antonio knocked his opponent down. The man's body collapsed like a rag doll.
His teeth… were all gone. His nose was bent to the side. His face looked more like a bloody abstract painting than a human face.
I swallowed.
"Nope. Hell no. I'm not fighting that thing."
Unfortunately, standing in front of me was Long An—my brother.Or more accurately, my manager.And the primary source of all my suffering.
He was the one who arranged our upcoming match.
"Jackie, you have to fight him," he said calmly—far too calmly. "We can't just cancel matches whenever we want. We'll lose a lot of money, and the sponsors will be pissed."
"I could die!" I yelled.
Long An patted my shoulder and smiled.A reassuring smile—one that was obviously fake.
"Relax. I've arranged everything. You just need to take a few punches."
"A few?!"
"Yeah. I'll make sure Antonio holds back in the ring. At worst… your jaw will just feel sore."
We stared at each other.
I looked at him in despair.He looked back with god-tier fake confidence.
And in the end—because of the contract, the money, and the pressure—I agreed.
The day of the match arrived.
I stood in the ring.
Across from me, Antonio stared at me… like he was looking at pancakes for breakfast.
The bell rang. The match began.
A few seconds later—I took Antonio's punch, and my vision went dark.
…
"Move aside! Emergency patient!"
That voice reached my ears as I slowly opened my eyes.
"What… happened to me?" I asked weakly.
"Calm down, Jackie," Long An said quickly. "The doctor says your jaw is just slightly dislocated."
A doctor beside him cleared his throat."Sorry, but actually the patient's jaw is completely shattered, all his teeth are gone, and there's internal brain bleeding."
Long An immediately cut him off with a stiff smile."What he means is—slightly dislocated. So there's nothing to worry about."
I frowned. "Then… my brain?"
"It's totally fine!" Long An replied without hesitation. "You'll recover. I promise I'll save your jaw, so… just hang in there."
"Hang in there!" he shouted as I was pushed into an extremely bright room.
My consciousness faded.
Then—
Pain returned.
I gasped and opened my eyes.
A wooden ceiling. The scent of incense. A large bed with thin curtains.
This body… wasn't mine.
I sat up and looked at my hands. The skin was paler. The fingers slender.
Long black hair fell over my shoulders. When I looked at my reflection in a bronze mirror—
sharp blue eyes stared back at me.
Suddenly, foreign memories flooded my mind.
Chu Haoyu.The third young master of the Chu Family. Weak, lazy, and a disgrace to his clan.
"Young Master!"
The door shook as a servant shouted from outside.
"Morning training has already started! You're late!"
I let out a sigh.Even in a new world, suffering didn't change.
The training ground was already crowded when I arrived.
Chu Family disciples were sparring in the arena. An instructor stood on a stone platform, his face cold.
"Chu Haoyu, you're late," he said sharply.
Before I could speak—
"Get up there. Replace that position."
I stepped into the arena.
The opponent in front of me sneered.
The fight began.
And I—got completely beaten down.
Punches. Kicks.This body was far too weak.
I left the arena with blood flowing from the corner of my mouth.
Laughter echoed around me.
"That's what you get for skipping training. Hurry up and get in there," the instructor waved dismissively and immediately called another disciple to fight.
Annoyance, anger, and humiliation mixed together.
And right in front of my eyes—a red holographic panel appeared.
[Congratulations, Host, on successfully being reborn into this world. I am the Heavenly Demon System. With my help, you will become the strongest demon and look down on all generations.]
"…"
Back on Earth, I often read cultivation novels for fun, so I naturally understood what a system was.But… didn't this system sound extremely evil?
[Initial Rewards will be granted.]
I took a deep breath.
"Alright," I muttered. "If there really is a system… at least don't disappoint me."
DING!
[Initial Rewards Unlocked!]
Notifications appeared one after another.
[1. Heavenly Demon Body (Initial Fragment)]The host's body will be gradually repaired.Physical strength, endurance, and recovery will increase dramatically.Note: Full effects locked. Requires the blood of many living beings to unlock.
I frowned instinctively.
"…can't the note sound a bit friendlier?"
[No.]
[2. Evil Insight]The host can see other people's luck as long as their realm is not too far above the host's.
I went silent for a moment.
This… was useful, but felt way too standard.
"Do I need to kill the protagonist or something?"
[No. But the system suggests the host kill everyone, purify the world, and devour the universe.]
"…."
[3. Basic Technique: Heavenly Demon Breathing Art (Level Unknown)]A forbidden breathing technique.Even its basic version is enough to trample low-level geniuses.
My eyes narrowed.
"A forbidden technique?"
A burning sensation suddenly spread through my entire body.
My bones trembled. My muscles felt like they were being crushed and reshaped.
I clenched my teeth, suppressing a groan.
The world seemed to shrink.
…
A simple wooden ceiling greeted my vision. Cloud patterns were carved neatly into the beams. The bitter, pungent smell of medicinal herbs filled the air.
"…a medical room?"
I tried to sit up, but my body felt heavy.
"Young Master, don't move!"
A panicked female voice rang out.
A young girl in medical servant robes hurried over, her face filled with worry, a bowl of steaming medicine in her hands.
"Your body collapsed after training. Your internal injuries and qi exhaustion were severe," she said quickly. "Fortunately, the instructor noticed your condition before it was too late."
I stared at the ceiling and let out a silent laugh.
Lucky, huh…
"How long was I unconscious?" I asked.
"Not long. About an hour," she replied. "Young Master Chu Haoyu, please don't force yourself anymore. Your body—"
"I know," I interrupted softly.
The servant fell silent, then bowed respectfully."In that case… I'll call a physician if you feel any pain."
"No need," I said. "I'm fine."
After making sure my condition was stable, she left with light footsteps.
The room returned to silence.
I let out a long breath.
"…System."
The red panel appeared instantly, as if it had been waiting.
[Command received.]
"Show me my status."
DING!
A dark red holographic screen opened, demonic symbols slowly rotating in the corner.
[HOST STATUS]
Name: Chu HaoyuAge: 12
Cultivation:Qi Gathering Realm — Layer 5
Physique:— Heavenly Demon Body (Initial Fragment) (1/9999)
Active Techniques:— Heavenly Demon Breathing Art (Basic)— Evil Insight
I stared at the numbers for a long time.
"…Qi Gathering, Layer 5."
In the cultivation world, being twelve years old with this level of cultivation…
shouldn't be bad.
But in the Chu Family—a clan filled with geniuses—
this was still considered trash.
I gave a faint smirk.
"So all this time… I wasn't actually weak."
[Ding.][Issuing mission to host:Mission: Kill both of your parentsDuration: Before they die from natural causes or are killed by othersReward: Blood Sword TechniqueFailure: — ]
I frowned.
According to the previous owner's memories, Chu Yan was a warm and loving father. He spoiled Chu Haoyu and protected him without reservation. Thanks to Chu Yan's prestige within the clan, Haoyu was never bullied—even though his cultivation talent was disappointing.
But everything changed at one point.
During a major battle, Chu Yan suffered serious injuries. His cultivation realm fell to the Foundation Stage, and his strength became sealed. Every time he forced himself to use qi, his old wounds would flare up—blood would spill from his mouth, and his body would tremble in pain.
As for his mother…She was merely at the peak of the Qi Gathering Stage. Not strong enough to protect the family.
From that moment on, their family slowly became the weakest in the Chu Clan.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
This world—no matter how you look at it—is a world drenched in bloodshed, where the strong trample the weak without hesitation. With the system's help, I might survive. I might even become strong.
But the question remained.
Was all of this really worth the price I'd have to pay?