The gaseous substance wasn't just smoke.

It was a fog.

Black, yet strangely light.

It was thin enough that vision was still possible but heavy enough to send shivers crawling up the skin.

It carried with it the weight of impending doom.

The fog slowly swallowed the village, seeping into every corner.

From within it, demonic mana surged at an alarming rate, corrupting everything it touched.

The fog expanded, reaching far beyond the borders of the novice village and stretching out into the several locations where countless monsters roamed freely.

The moment the black mist touched them, they changed.

[Common Fox has transformed into a Demon Fox]

[Forest Boar has transformed into a Demon Boar]

The notifications didn't stop.

One after another, monsters were rewritten by the game system as their bodies transformed under the influence of the strange fog.

"What the hell is going on?!" a player shouted as his blade was nearly torn from his grip.

"Tch! This thing… it's almost like its strength doubled—no, tripled!" another cursed, barely holding back a claw swipe from the mutated boar in front of him.

The monsters' eyes glowed red, their movements quicker.

Their strength was far beyond what any novice player should face.

"What is happening?" someone yelled, voice tinged with panic.

"What's this fog?!"

"Step back!" another warned. "Retreat to the village! Hurry!"

The realization struck everyone at once.

This fog was no ordinary occurrence.

It wasn't random.

It was the source.

The very thing responsible for the monsters' transformation.

No one wanted to linger in a battlefield where the odds turned against them with every passing second.

Reluctantly, players pulled back, retreating toward the relative safety of the village walls.

But the fog didn't stop.

It continued to spread.

******

(Novice Village #666)

The village chief stormed out of his wooden house, clutching his staff with trembling hands.

His gaze fell upon the creeping fog already surrounding the village.

His lips quivered.

His knees nearly buckled.

"Ho-How… how is this possible?!" he stuttered, voice breaking with fear. "We should still have a few days left!"

The villagers gathered around him, their faces pale and full of dread.

"Chief, what's happening?!"

"Is it the prophecy?"

"Are we… doomed?"

The chief's breathing quickened.

He muttered to himself as though trying to make sense of the chaos.

"How did demonic mana manifest now? It shouldn't… not yet. Not this soon!"

He had expected trouble after Axton brought back the demon mana disc, but not this fast.

The event was happening days earlier than even his worst calculations.

The weight of their current dilemma pressed on him and the position he represented.

Fear spread faster than the fog itself.

The villagers clutched one another.

Some were crying.

Some were whispering prayers.

All of them were waiting for an answer that would not come.

******

(In the fog)

"It worked!"

A voice rose above the oppressive silence.

Silva grinned, his eyes reflecting the faint movement of the demonic fog.

Around him stood members of Grand Nexus, his loyal subordinates, each one bearing the same smug satisfaction on their faces.

They stood at the heart of it all.

At the very source where the black mist was thickest.

Silva's chest swelled with a feeling of victory.

He had done it.

His plan was in motion, unfolding seamlessly before his eyes.

The runic circle drawn on the ground glowed faintly, the delicate symbols around it pulsating with energy.

Behind him, guild members shifted impatiently, but Silva only stared at the mist like a man staring at his masterpiece.

"This fog… this power," he murmured. "It's perfect!"

In truth, Silva hadn't fully understood the mission when he accepted it.

It had been mysterious.

Vague… yet enticing.

A demonic entity had whispered instructions, baiting him with promises of strength and revenge.

Blinded by hatred, Silva didn't hesitate.

Now, the result lay before him.

Everyone who breathed this poisoned air faced two options.

Succumb to demonization or die resisting it.

Silva didn't care which one it would be.

His own choice was rather obvious.

Power was all that mattered.

"I'll crush you, Khan," Silva swore, clenching his fist tight enough for his knuckles to whiten. "When I'm done, you'll be nothing but dust in the palm of my hand."

One of his men stepped forward. "We're ready."

Silva nodded, glancing at the glowing circle etched into the earth.

'They should be prepared by now,' he thought. 'The portal will bring them here soon.'

He remembered his conversation with the guild master.

Reinforcements had been promised.

Extra hands to ensure Axton's downfall.

And Silva, unwilling to take any chances, had seized the opportunity.

The circle wasn't just decoration.

It was a portal.

Though Silva had little understanding of its exact mechanics, he didn't need to.

All he needed was faith in the demonic instructions he had followed.

With this, more guild members would join him from across different villages.

Together, they would rise again!

Silva expressed a devilish grin.

Grand Nexus would reclaim its place at the top, no matter the price.

"There's no negotiating with Khan," Silva told his men, voice sharp, steady, filled with conviction.

"There's only one option. Get rid of him! Let him feel the same pain we felt when everything we worked for was destroyed."

The guild roared in agreement, each member feeding off the anger of the others.

If Axton lost everything he had built…

If his reputation crumbled in front of the entire world…

Then his suffering would eclipse anything they had endured.

The fog continued to spread, covering the land.

Monsters were being remade one after another, their roars echoing into the distance and striking fear in the hearts of those who heard.

The atmosphere trembled as though announcing the arrival of something far greater, far more sinister.

And all the while, Silva watched, smiling like a man staring into the abyss, believing he had tamed it.

******

(Real World)

*Click*

Axton logged off.

His vision shifted New Eden to the comfort of his small room.

He stretched his body, enjoying the sensation of muscles loosening after hours of gaming.

The familiar routine followed.

He fixed himself a quick meal, then headed for the bathroom.

The cold water rushed over his skin, sharp and refreshing.

But when he stepped out of the shower, toweling his hair, something felt… different.

He paused.

His reflection in the mirror caught his attention.

He leaned closer, staring closely at his chest and then his arms.

At first glance, they looked the same. But the longer he stared, the more unsettling the difference became.

His muscles were becoming more defined.

His arms weren't bulky, but they were firmer, toned, almost as though he'd been working out consistently for a while now.

Only that Axton was not working out.

Axton frowned.

"No way…" he whispered, flexing slightly.

The muscle bulged more than it should have.

"Does this mean… the game is affecting me in real life?"

The thought sent a chill racing down his spine.

What had once been just a game was quickly proving to be something far more terrifying.

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