"In this world, every gain comes with a loss. No one receives something for nothing."
"If paying a price can grant power…"
"Then in this age shrouded by darkness, that would be an absolute blessing."
After a moment of silence, Mr. Dai lowered his head and spoke softly to Mammon with his calm, mature voice.
What kind of world was it now?
The dimensional rifts had still not closed.
No one knew whether one day something even more terrifying than the so-called Epic-level or Legendary-level monsters would descend.
When that time came—
What would humanity do?
Did the gods and demons of legend truly exist?
No one knew.
Losing his humanity was merely a price.
Compared with power, Mr. Dai was far more willing to choose the latter.
In this dark era, what dignity or humanity could not be abandoned?
A faint light flickered in Mammon's crimson eyes as he stared at the middle-aged man with the composed and steady demeanor.
As expected.
Someone who could make a name for himself in Yang City was certainly not simple.
"I like your resolve."
Mammon slowly walked up to Mr. Dai.
He raised his left hand, and the fingernail of his index finger sharpened.
"If that's the case…"
"I will give you my blood."
"From now on, you will live as a demon."
A cold and cruel smile appeared on Mammon's lips.
His finger suddenly stabbed into Mr. Dai's left eye.
"AHH!"
Mr. Dai groaned in agony as his eye was pierced.
Blood streamed from the corner of his eye.
The eye was the most fragile part of the human body, filled with nerves.
Being pierced directly caused unimaginable pain.
"Don't worry."
"A demon's body will regenerate a new eye for you."
"Of course…"
"That's only if you can withstand the blood I give you."
Mammon withdrew his finger and tilted his head slightly as he watched Mr. Dai writhing on the ground.
Mr. Dai's entire body was now a mess.
Blood poured from his destroyed eye.
His face twisted grotesquely like a vengeful ghost.
Bulging veins spread across his arms, legs, and neck.
His body swelled and shrank repeatedly.
Clearly—
The erosion of Mammon's demon blood was far more violent than what Chen Jun had experienced.
Demons were immortal beings.
Their only true natural enemy was sunlight.
In Demon Slayer, even the Nichirin blades that could kill demons only worked because the ore used to forge them had absorbed large amounts of sunlight.
That was why demons were so terrifying.
Even if their limbs were severed—or even their heads cut off—they could regenerate.
The fat man in the suit trembled as he watched Mr. Dai's face twist in agony.
His eyes contained both fear and excitement.
Chen Jun and the rat demon simply watched silently, waiting for the outcome.
"…It seems he might survive."
Mammon watched Mr. Dai gradually calm down.
The smile on his lips deepened slightly.
The strength of a demon depended entirely on a person's aptitude.
How powerful a demon could become depended on the limit of how much flesh and blood they could consume.
Once a demon reached the point where consuming more flesh no longer made them stronger—
They had reached their ceiling.
Talent determined everything.
The stronger the talent, the more blood they could withstand from Mammon.
If their aptitude was insufficient, giving them more blood would only cause their bodies to collapse.
Their cells and genes would simply break apart under the transformation.
Just like the brown-haired woman in the alley earlier.
If she had survived Mammon's blood, she would have undergone a complete transformation and instantly become powerful.
The amount of blood Mammon gave Mr. Dai was even greater than what Chen Jun received.
But Chen Jun and Mr. Dai were completely different.
Chen Jun had already been an ability user.
His body was far stronger than that of an ordinary human.
Mammon simply wanted to see whether this man with ambition and courage could survive.
If he died—
Then his bold words had meant nothing.
But if he survived…
After a long time, Mr. Dai slowly stood up.
He stretched his body.
His bones cracked loudly.
"How does it feel?"
Mammon smiled with satisfaction.
"It feels… incredible."
"I've never felt this comfortable in my life."
Mr. Dai spoke in a deep voice.
He raised his right hand like a claw.
A strange eye suddenly opened in the center of his palm, its pupil constantly shifting.
When he swung his hand forward—
A strange vibration echoed through the air.
The ground seemed to suffer a heavy impact.
It suddenly caved inward.
Even a large tree at the end of the road was snapped in half.
The fat man's narrow eyes widened in shock.
His breathing became heavy.
That attack had been performed casually.
Just minutes ago, Mr. Dai had been an ordinary human like him.
"Gravity-type Blood Demon Art…"
"It seems your luck is quite good."
Mammon glanced at him and immediately understood the ability.
Blood Demon Arts were supernatural powers unique to demons.
If a person had sufficient aptitude, they might awaken one after becoming a demon.
"This is all thanks to your gift, sir."
Mr. Dai was clearly excited, but he remained very rational.
He bowed deeply toward Mammon.
Because after becoming a demon, he understood something clearly.
Mammon could give him power—
But he could also take everything away, including his life.
"Raise your head."
"Since you survived, the mark should have appeared."
Mammon said calmly.
Mr. Dai raised his head.
His destroyed left eye had already regenerated.
But it was now completely different.
Inside the strange white eyeball were several characters:
Lower Rank — Six.