Report! There has been many weird Abnormal incidents that everyone should know by now but if you don't, well...
Read the following context:
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
"Crap! Is that, isn't that from that Idle cross thingy!?"
Their was a young man, who looked like he just came out of school, not too long ago. Mostly because of the school outfit on his body still. But that didn't matter much now, right now the young man was panicking.
This was Den, a young man who just got his past memories about a hour ago. He was currently looking at a Television that showed New York news was showing a black star that showed up about a few minutes ago. Exactly 5 minutes ago, Den was trying to comprehend on his death and time travel to this seemingly exact copy of his past life. When he was thinking on why he was even sent here in the first place until 5 minutes ago, a warning that showed on all TV's showed this broadcast about a abnormal Black star that showed up not too long ago. Den Recognize the black star immediately after seeing it, it was a portal that teleported to a random world that was a video game universe compare to another one. The one thing that Den didn't understand was he in a video game universe but that didn't matter right now. Right now, their might be many dangerous otherworldly monsters, Robots, and probably worse the Rogues. Basically the rogues were tasked to take over 344 realms and gain more of something that Den even know now, because the series never ended, it was only on episode 2 last time he saw it!
But Den knew that he was definitely going to die, the reason? Because soon enough their will be video game villains coming to destroy the world or something, even if that didn't happen, soon enough the rogues would come by and take over this universe soon, killing everyone within this realm for future use.
When Den was about to go in despair and was thinking on how to end this quickly, a ding sounded in his end.
Ding! The Omniverisal reward perk system is bonding to host...done and completed!
First perk has been opened and rewarded to the host: Permeant Nightmare mode (stable and stackable)
When Den heard this voice in his mind, he was overjoyed. This was the famous golden finger or so called cheat had arrived, even though it came 18 years late but he just remembered it today so Den didn't make a argument against it, why? Mostly because why would you fight against something that can kill you if you failed a task once? Yeah, Den would pass that loop hole and dangerous plot for most transmingranters.
Den looked for the information about this system functions and all, he found out but their was good news and bad news. Good news, he gets a perk every day and it's random but could be extremely powerful like his first perk now. But the Bad news is that he can't active his perk until he goes to that black star in person and absorb it. First off, the monsters and villains would come out of that black star any minute, even if not, the people who guarding the place wouldn't let a normal person like him explore at all as well.
Ding! The gift pack has been opened: 2 random perks and a teleportation talent!
Den was surprised but then he smiled brightly, now the solution was solved. With this teleport talent he could easily teleport to the black star before anything bad happens. Before Den went to the black star,he opened his new 2 random perks.
Ding! You have opened a perk: Supernatural strength
Ding! You have opened a perk: Supernatural speed
Den was happy with the new perks, his combat strength and speed has greatly increased.Den could feel a warm feeling in his body and it was boiling, after more then 10 minutes it stopped. Den felt his strength and thought he was invincible, but that was quickly countered by where he was at now. Idle cross, everyone could destroy worlds accidentally and his strength wasn't that impressive if you compare to those video game villains. But this was a good start because the Nightmare mode makes you much stronger then imagination, it's unknown on how strong the multipler is but if Springtrap could almost kill LV 20 frisk with a knife effortlessly without trying. If you don't know, Springtrap was as strong as a normal person until the black star collapsed and was absorb by Springtrap. Anyway, Den needed that power if he wanted to survive this multiversal threat crossover. Den quickly teleported and he was near the black star, some people noticed him and didn't realize he was basically floating. They screamed and some people tried to warn him.
"Dude! Get away from that!"
"It's dangerous most likely! Get away!"
Some men in FBI clothes quickly ran to Den to stop him before he got hurt. Den ignored everything around him, he grabbed the black star and quickly absorbed it. His body changed quickly to everyone else eyes but to Den it took longer, much much longer. His past was like a movie but in reality it took a second to transform.
His body turned completely dark and pure black, with his eyes transforming into pure white and some of his body parts were pure white as well, but that was only on his shoulders and knees. Den felt endless power and he felt actually Invincible, his ego was growing but then he snapped out of that weird state. Den heard another system ding, and he understood what happened now.
Ding! The host is attempting the first blackening and it succeed, removing the side effects:
Growing ego removed, intelligence restored, sanity restored, Completely control of body and power, No time limit and no over heating.
Den didn't know that the nightmare mode could make you like Vegeta, but it makes sense. Springtrap after gaining his power, he was acting like he was invincible and all until he was removed from that state. Anyway, that didn't matter now. Because Den also realized a overpowered thing about this perk, he couldn't get out of this state and can't overheat. This is a major weakness of the nightmare mode, it gives you strength temporary but you basically have to safe your energy wisely or you will run out when you go full power for a certain amount of time. This was showed when bendy tried to end sans when he was weak and almost out of power, you could also be in the state forever but you couldn't move at all without using much energy. This is what sans did before going back to sleep, it's unknown if you could restore this energy overtime but not wasn't a problem for Den anymore. Because his stamina was infinite and his nightmare mode was infinite as well, thanks to the system. But the most broken ability of this perk was that he could absorb more black stars to grow even stronger endlessly if given the change.
The only weakness was if they broke his defense, it will show his true form for a short time but regeneration was part of the nightmare mode options. So the weakness was shorten but not completely removed.
Den was interpreted by many screams of panic by the people around him. The FBI agents fired their guns without hesitation at Den, Den didn't dodge and the bullets did no damage at all to his skin. Den was happy that the defense was instantly increased after the transformation or he would be dead now. He had super strength and speed but not defense which Den was hoping to get later on.
The FBI agents looked terrified and one of them shot a rocket launcher at Den, it exploded and dust was everywhere now. The civilians were far away so they didn't get hurt, some brave civilians saw this and looked curiously at the battlefield. The FBI agents were relief due to Den not dodging the rocket at all, so they thought he was dead. Nobody and not even a tank could survive that attack from the newly made rocket launcher, which was much better then in the past. Before the FBI agents could take a break, footsteps were heard in the smoke and they looked over unconsciously like the rest of the remaining brave civilians that were left now. Den came out and the dust was blew away due to Den slightly moving, this didn't only blow the dust away but it also blow away a few unlucky FBI agents that were close to Den and they got their body cut in many pieces like sukuna invisible slashes. The remaining brave civilians, after seeing the remains of the FBI agents who had good armor on but were torn apart without the enemy moving much, The brave ones were now terrified and they ran away swiftly. The FBI agents weren't doing any better, actually they were doing worse in some cases. First was some saw their comrades dying in front of them and some even saw the bloody scene way more clearly then the civilians who just ran away. Some punked and some almost passed out, they were trained for protecting the nation but they weren't trained to see this bloody scene in their lives at all. Even worse is some of them passed out and they life and death was unknown for some while others skulls and brains were cracked while they fell on hard floor without a helmet, killing them instantly.
Den was surprised by his strength at first but then was dumbfounded by the surrounding chaos he made, he wasn't guilty or anything, he was confused. Didn't he just cracked his neck? Why is some of the famous FBI agents dead just like that? Was Den over thinking? Maybe, but you couldn't blame Den because he was in a peaceful country twice and the FBI were basically the law enforcement. But with a crack of his neck casually without doing anything, he killed half of the FBI agents here. Was the people in this world and his other overrated the FBI? Den then Remembered, wasn't they only human? They weren't like him and they wouldn't die by their own creations, or a trunk, or even the sun. Some would even die by the stairs at their prime as well, it's stupid but true. Humans imagination was huge and ideas were endless but their physical fitness? They should be glass cannons in a video game at this point.
Den quickly shook his head to clear out those useless thoughts that weren't even important at all right now. Den quickly put all this FBI agents quickly to their imagination heaven. He just waved his hand and everything in front of him was destroyed into dust in a 1000 kilometer radius around Den. Den was stunned, didn't he use like more then 1% of his power? Was he this strong already?
480 kilometers:
Den looked around, in a normal person view they could only see nothing but a Carter in the ground for miles on end. But in Den eyes, he could see pass 1000 kilometers easily and beyond that was basic stuff like confusion and shock from the civilians and the government giving a meeting about him and other stuff. Den lost interest in this, But then he realized. Wasn't this China? Wasn't this really far away from new york? Den looked around more and finally realized, he can look around the whole earth and a few million kilometers in space away from Earth. Den tried harder and he saw the whole solar system clearly, but when Den tried to go a bit further, it didn't go in the slightest.
"I reached my limit" Den mumbled to himself. When Den opened his eyes once more, it was almost dark but their were lights everywhere. A army was appearing overtime, most likely to end Den for his threat to the nation and more. Their were many tanks, helicopters, a many lights on him. But it didn't blind Den, it just mostly annoyed Den. A loud speaker was heard.
"PUT YOUR HANDS DOWN! AND COME QUIETLY! NO RESISTANCE!"
Den though, does a simple slap get so much attention? Humans like Den in the past thinking numbers could change anything in this battle, in Den eyes it just marked up the death count faster than imagination. Den looked around and with his eyes and mind just evolved multiple times due to the black star, he counted over 10 million people here. All armed and ready to fire if he moved or attacked suddenly, Den then though: "Wait, doesn't this mean the newest biggest army will try to kill me?"
Den shook his head and just chuckles, not like it would matter anyway. Anyway, how much percent will he use to end this army? It couldn't be 100%, because he afraid he might destroy the earth. And it had to be at least 2% due to the amount of people here, they were circling him like any other basic tactic. Den used his brain for this answer and quickly though of a result, it's long but it be short for basic intelligence for Den to fully understand what he was even talking about. Because his mind and body wasn't fully bonded by this mode, so he needed a simple equation for obvious reasons like not using too much power.
Den mumbled: "2.15%, Slap"
Den slapped simply but that simple slap destroyed everything like before but in a much greater scale. After the huge sonic bomb, everything and everyone was around Den was destroyed fast and swiftly around the globe. It stopped and Den confirmed it was over 3000 kilometers, Den thought this wasn't a bad start to start his journey or whatever. Their was sound in Den head once again which surprise for the first time in this form.
Ding! Villain route has been picked, the villain beginner pack has been exchanged and 2 new perks has been opened.
Ding! New perk has been opened: Super defense
Ding! New perk has been opened: Darkness Cloning
Ding! Villain beginner pack has been opened: Villain halo, Villain Armor, 5 Evil perks, and new Main mission available, Mission tab has been unlocked.
Den was surprise for a few seconds before calming down, after he calmed down, he felt much tougher and it felt like his skin got harder including his insides and outsides. Den also felt another force going inside his body, he got information about the Darkness cloning technique. Den could also control darkness, this can be useful for making the opponent not see or use the Darkness to slow down his enemies temporarily.
Den equipped the Villain halo and armor:
Villain halo: +100% darkness damage, +500% defense, +800% speed, +1000% luck.
Villain armor: +1000% defense, +immunity to darkness and light, +500% luck, +200% speed, +25% resistance to all elements. (wind, earth, water, fire, lighting)
Den was immediately happy with his new equipment and felt his strength increase crazily. In 5 minutes he have gotten 20 times stronger then last time, even his resistance in mostly everything, expect for time and higher level moves, are now gotten weaker against him. Even if 75% of the power remaining, it wouldn't even damage him even at 100% at it's peak most likely. Den quickly looked at his new perks and opened them one by one.
Ding! New special perk has been opened: Peak of the Darkest magic
Ding! New special perk has been opened: Fear absorber
Ding! New special perk has been opened: Yin and Yang Combat skills
Ding! New special perk has been opened: Hungry power demon
Ding! New special perk has been opened: Darkness mind control
Den was in a very good mood today, he could now control Darkness at it's peak without trying. He can now absorb fear which makes him stronger, but he only gets stronger ever minute if you absorb fear once and you need more you must wait. Now Den combat skills has greatly increased and now with a even opponent with top combat skills couldn't beat him, they couldn't even touch his skin or armor. Hungry power demon is a perk that makes Den stronger when he feels weak and needs more power. Darkness mind control is only useful on people with any Darkness in their body like sins they committed already. Den has complete control of them and they can't do anything but it doesn't effect people who has a great will or a pure heart, It's also not guaranteed to control someone if that person isn't weaker then you.
Den felt a bit stronger now and looked around, Den was now bored of this universe now. Den has now the strength to protect himself in this Idle cross universe, he needed to finish this off and leave. But before that, Den checked his mission tab that he just unlocked.
Main mission 1: Destroy any 5 realms in the multiverse:
{0/5}
Rewards: 1 high level perk and Super Regeneration
When Den saw the mission concept and what to do now, he just smiled like the devil.
"Guess I have to end this world after all, no hesitation needed."
Den only reason not to destroy planet earth because of the main mission possible future context, like conquering this realm and others to complete this mission. If he didn't do it, he had to put more effort into it and Den didn't want that. Den used his Darkness from his perks to absorb the planet but then Den though of something more fun and interesting, he teleported near the sun and he wasn't effected from the heat in the slightest. He used his Dark magic on the sun surface and the darkness quickly got around the sun's surface. After Den magic was done, the magic began to shrink the sun into a marble which quickly went to Den side. Den teleported back to the earth and grabbed the black marble, he crushed it slightly and thrown it towards the earth surface. This slight crack made a terrifying gravity chain reaction, before the black sun could go far, Den pointed a finger at the marble and fired a laser that gifted the marble perfectly on the existing crack. That one move made the gravity increase into a supernova and the supernova was near exploding. Den teleported away and mumbled:
"Guess the creator destroyed his creation"
ZAAAaAaAaA!!!!!!!!!
Den after seeking the fireworks, saw another black red star and he knew what to do now. Den teleported in front of the black star and instead of absorbing it, he went into it.
Disappearing into the darkness...
# **Idle Cross: Permanent Nightmare Mode**
## **Chapter 1: The Black Star**
Den died and was reborn as a normal human.
For eighteen years, he lived without knowing anything was wrong.
He attended school, complained about homework, dealt with annoying teachers, and lived the ordinary life of someone who believed the world followed ordinary rules. He had no special powers, no legendary bloodline, and no ancient master secretly watching over him from the shadows.
Then, on his eighteenth birthday, everything changed.
His memories returned.
He remembered his previous life.
He remembered his death.
Most importantly, he remembered where he had been reborn.
After recognizing several important people from the original story, Den finally understood the truth.
This world belonged to **Idle Cross**.
His first encounters with the so-called main characters had not gone well. Misunderstandings piled upon misunderstandings, and before Den could properly understand what was happening, several influential figures had already begun treating him as a possible threat.
Eventually, he would even be labeled a villain.
But Den did not care.
Not anymore.
---
### **Emergency Report**
There had been many strange and abnormal incidents throughout the world.
Most people should have known about them by now.
However, for those who somehow remained unaware, every television station, radio channel, livestream, and emergency service began transmitting the same message.
**Read the following information carefully.**
**Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah—**
"Crap!"
A young man stared at the television screen with wide eyes.
"Is that— Isn't that from that *Idle Cross* thingy?!"
The young man looked as though he had only recently left school, mostly because he was still wearing his uniform. His shirt was slightly untucked, his backpack had been thrown onto the floor, and one of his shoes was still loosely tied.
Under normal circumstances, he would have looked like an exhausted student who had rushed home after a long day.
But there was nothing normal about the expression on his face.
The young man was Den.
Approximately one hour ago, the memories of his previous life had suddenly awakened inside his mind.
At first, he had believed he was hallucinating.
He remembered dying.
He remembered the sensation of everything ending.
Then he remembered waking up as a baby in a world that appeared almost identical to his previous one.
For eighteen years, Den had assumed that reincarnation was the strangest thing that had happened to him.
He had been wrong.
Exactly five minutes earlier, while Den was still trying to comprehend his death, reincarnation, and the possibility that he had somehow traveled backward through time, an emergency warning interrupted every television broadcast.
The screen showed footage provided by several international news stations. Although the broadcast was being repeated through New York media, the abnormality itself had appeared over a distant region in China.
A black star floated above the ground.
It was not shaped like a normal star.
Its surface appeared flat and impossibly dark, almost like someone had cut a star-shaped hole through reality itself. Light bent around its edges. The surrounding air twisted, and electronic devices malfunctioned whenever the cameras moved too close.
Den recognized it immediately.
It was a **Black Star Portal**.
In *Idle Cross*, Black Stars connected different universes.
They usually linked the main universe with worlds resembling video games, cartoons, or other fictional realities. Sometimes monsters emerged from them. Sometimes entire armies appeared.
Sometimes something much worse came through.
Den tightened his hands.
He still did not completely understand why he had been reborn inside a video-game-inspired crossover universe.
Unfortunately, that question was not important right now.
Dangerous otherworldly monsters could emerge from the Black Star at any moment.
Robots could follow.
Villains could follow them.
And eventually, the Rogues would come.
The Rogues were tasked with conquering 344 realms and collecting more of something Den could no longer clearly remember. The original series had never properly explained their final objective.
That was mainly because the series had not been completed.
The last time Den watched it, only two episodes had been released.
Two episodes.
He had been reincarnated inside a universe where he knew almost nothing about the future.
That was worse than having no knowledge at all.
He knew enough to understand that disaster was coming, but not enough to know when, where, or how to avoid it.
Den slowly stepped away from the television.
"I'm definitely going to die."
His voice was quiet.
He was not being dramatic.
Sooner or later, video-game villains would begin destroying cities, countries, and possibly the entire planet. Even if those villains somehow failed to appear, the Rogues would eventually arrive and conquer this realm.
From what Den remembered, they did not simply occupy worlds.
They destroyed resistance.
They killed civilizations.
They harvested conquered realms for future use.
Den's breathing became heavier.
He looked down at his hands.
Ordinary hands.
No magical energy.
No hidden weapon.
No superhuman strength.
Nothing.
He was an eighteen-year-old student standing inside a universe filled with beings capable of accidentally destroying worlds.
Even if he trained every day for the rest of his life, he would probably die before becoming strong enough to matter.
For several seconds, despair pressed against his mind.
Den began considering whether it would be better to end everything quickly rather than wait for some monster to tear him apart later.
Then a clear metallic sound echoed inside his head.
**Ding!**
Den froze.
A mechanical voice followed.
**The Omniversal Reward Perk System is bonding with the host.**
**Bonding process initiated.**
**Bonding complete.**
Den's eyes widened.
The despair vanished so quickly that it was almost embarrassing.
**The host's first perk has been opened and rewarded.**
**Perk acquired: Permanent Nightmare Mode.**
**Classification: Stable and stackable.**
For several seconds, Den simply stood there.
Then his mouth slowly curved into a smile.
"My golden finger."
The famous reincarnation cheat had finally arrived.
It was eighteen years late, but Den had only recovered his memories today, so he decided not to argue about the timing.
He also decided not to complain.
In many reincarnation stories, systems killed their hosts for refusing missions, failing tasks, insulting the system, or simply being unlucky.
Den had no intention of testing whether his system followed those same rules.
Arguing with a mysterious voice capable of altering reality would be incredibly stupid.
Den closed his eyes and concentrated.
Information entered his mind.
The Omniversal Reward Perk System possessed several major functions. Most were still locked, but the basic reward function was already available.
Every day, Den would receive one random perk.
The perk could be weak.
It could be useful.
Or it could be overwhelmingly powerful.
His first perk, **Permanent Nightmare Mode**, appeared to belong to the final category.
That was the good news.
The bad news appeared immediately afterward.
Den could not activate Permanent Nightmare Mode until he physically approached the Black Star and absorbed its energy.
Den opened his eyes.
His smile disappeared.
The Black Star was being guarded by government forces.
The entire surrounding region had already been evacuated. Soldiers, intelligence agents, scientists, and heavily armed special forces were gathering near the anomaly.
They would never allow an ordinary student to approach it.
Even worse, monsters or villains could emerge from the portal at any moment.
Den could not simply walk through the military blockade and politely ask everyone to move aside.
He needed another solution.
**Ding!**
**The beginner gift package has been opened automatically.**
**Rewards acquired: Two random perks and one Teleportation Talent.**
Den blinked.
Then he smiled again.
"Problem solved."
With teleportation, he would not need to pass through the blockade.
He could appear directly beside the Black Star before anyone had time to stop him.
However, Den did not immediately leave.
Charging into an unknown battlefield without examining his other rewards would be foolish.
"Open the two random perks."
**Ding!**
**Perk acquired: Supernatural Strength.**
**Ding!**
**Perk acquired: Supernatural Speed.**
Warmth spread through Den's body.
The warmth quickly became heat.
His muscles tightened beneath his skin. His bones vibrated as though something invisible were rebuilding them from the inside. His heartbeat accelerated, but instead of becoming painful, every beat sent another wave of strength through his arms, legs, chest, and spine.
Den dropped into a low stance instinctively.
His floor cracked.
He had not stomped.
He had merely adjusted his balance.
Den looked down.
A thin network of fractures spread from beneath his shoes.
His expression changed from excitement to concentration.
He slowly raised one hand and clenched it.
The air popped between his fingers.
He turned toward an old metal chair near the kitchen table, placed two fingers against the backrest, and squeezed carefully.
The metal folded as though it were wet cardboard.
Den immediately released it.
"Interesting."
The transformation continued for more than ten minutes.
When the heat finally faded, Den felt completely different.
His body was lighter.
His senses were sharper.
Every movement felt effortless.
He could hear cars traveling along distant streets. He could distinguish separate conversations from neighboring apartments. He could feel the faint vibration of electrical wires hidden behind the walls.
Den stepped toward the hallway.
He pushed one foot against the floor.
For a fraction of a second, the world blurred.
He appeared at the opposite end of the apartment before he consciously realized he had moved.
The displaced air slammed into the walls behind him.
Picture frames fell.
A window cracked.
Den looked back at the path he had crossed.
His excitement grew, but he forced himself to remain calm.
These abilities would have made him nearly unstoppable in a normal world.
This was not a normal world.
This was *Idle Cross*.
Characters in this universe could destroy buildings casually. Some could destroy cities. Others could wipe out worlds by accident while fighting someone else.
Compared with the strongest video-game villains, Den's new strength was only a beginning.
But it was a very good beginning.
Permanent Nightmare Mode could multiply his physical abilities beyond imagination.
Den did not know the exact multiplier.
However, he remembered what Nightmare Mode had done to Springtrap.
Before absorbing a Black Star, Springtrap had possessed strength comparable to an unusually powerful human.
After entering Nightmare Mode, he had nearly killed a Level 20 Frisk with a knife while barely appearing to try.
That difference was absurd.
If the same transformation amplified Den's current supernatural strength and speed, his power might increase far beyond anything available to an ordinary human.
Den glanced at the television again.
The Black Star was still floating above the restricted area.
Military vehicles surrounded it.
Scientists were retreating after several pieces of equipment suddenly melted.
He had no more time to waste.
Den straightened his school uniform and took one slow breath.
His fear remained, but something else was growing beneath it.
Battle intent.
Den did not want to hide forever.
He did not want to spend his second life waiting for someone stronger to kill him.
If this universe followed the rule that only the powerful survived, then he would become powerful enough that survival was no longer a question.
He pictured the Black Star.
The Teleportation Talent responded.
Space folded around him.
Den vanished.
---
He reappeared several meters above the ground.
For one brief moment, gravity attempted to pull him downward.
Then Den realized he was floating.
Not flying exactly.
His body simply remained suspended wherever he wanted it to remain.
Below him stretched a massive restricted zone.
Military vehicles formed several defensive rings around the Black Star. Armored agents stood behind portable barriers. Helicopters circled overhead while surveillance drones recorded everything from a distance.
The Black Star floated at the center of it all.
Den appeared less than ten meters away from it.
Several civilians watching from beyond the evacuation zone noticed him first.
A man pointed upward.
"Dude! Get away from that thing!"
"It's dangerous!" someone else screamed. "Get away!"
The warnings caused several nearby agents to look up.
Their expressions changed immediately.
A group wearing FBI-style tactical uniforms rushed toward Den's position. They had likely been assigned to an international abnormal-incident task force, although their exact organization did not matter to him.
"Step away from the anomaly!"
"Get on the ground!"
"Do not touch it!"
Den ignored them.
He studied the Black Star.
Up close, it looked even less natural.
Its darkness was not merely the absence of light. It appeared dense, almost physical, as though countless layers of shadow had been compressed into a single object.
Every instinct inside Den warned him not to touch it.
His combat intent answered differently.
Power was directly in front of him.
If he hesitated now, he would remain weak.
Den extended his hand.
The agents raised their weapons.
"Stop!"
Den grabbed the Black Star.
Its surface collapsed around his fingers.
Dark energy surged into his body.
To everyone else, the transformation lasted less than a second.
To Den, it lasted much longer.
Time seemed to stretch.
His previous life appeared before him like a movie.
He saw memories of his childhood.
He saw his death.
He saw his reincarnation.
He saw every moment of helplessness from both lives.
Each memory burned away beneath the incoming darkness.
His supernatural strength multiplied.
His speed multiplied.
His senses expanded.
His body changed.
Darkness covered his skin until his entire form became pure black. His eyes transformed into glowing white shapes without visible pupils. White markings appeared across his shoulders and knees, standing out sharply against the darkness surrounding the rest of him.
His uniform did not tear.
Instead, it appeared to merge with the transformation, becoming part of his shadow-covered body.
Power filled him.
Not ordinary strength.
Not even superhuman strength.
It felt endless.
For one dangerous moment, Den truly believed nothing in existence could threaten him.
His ego expanded with the energy.
Why should he fear the Rogues?
Why should he fear the main characters?
Why should he fear anything?
He could crush them.
He could crush everyone.
The universe itself felt small.
Then the system interrupted.
**Ding!**
**The host has successfully completed the first Blackening.**
**Negative side effects detected.**
**System stabilization initiated.**
**Growing ego removed.**
**Intelligence restored.**
**Sanity restored.**
**Complete control over body and power granted.**
**Time limitation removed.**
**Overheating removed.**
Den's thoughts cleared instantly.
The unnatural arrogance vanished.
His confidence remained, but it was no longer controlling him.
"So Nightmare Mode really does make people act like Vegeta."
The comparison suddenly made sense.
After gaining Nightmare Mode, Springtrap had behaved as though he were completely invincible. He had become increasingly arrogant until he was eventually knocked out of the transformation.
That arrogance had not been entirely natural.
It had been a side effect.
The system had removed it from Den.
More information entered his mind.
Ordinarily, Nightmare Mode granted overwhelming power temporarily. The user possessed a limited amount of energy and needed to manage that energy carefully.
Using too much power would cause the transformation to end.
Going all out could lead to overheating.
A user could technically remain in Nightmare Mode for an extremely long time by refusing to move or attack, but every meaningful action drained energy.
Sans had once remained transformed by barely moving before eventually returning to sleep.
Bendy had attempted to finish Sans while Sans was weakened and almost completely out of power.
Whether Nightmare Mode naturally restored its energy over time had never been properly explained.
That weakness no longer applied to Den.
His version of Nightmare Mode was permanent.
His stamina was infinite.
His transformation had no time limit.
He could not overheat.
Most importantly, Black Stars were stackable.
Den could absorb additional Black Stars to increase the power of Nightmare Mode again and again.
Potentially, there was no final limit.
A single weakness remained.
If an enemy successfully broke through Den's defense, the damaged area could temporarily reveal his original human form beneath the darkness.
Nightmare Mode possessed regeneration, so the weakness would not last long, but it had not been completely removed.
Den accepted that.
Absolute perfection after only one transformation would have been suspicious.
The screaming around him finally pulled his attention back to reality.
The agents had watched an eighteen-year-old student touch an unknown anomaly and transform into a black humanoid creature.
They reacted immediately.
Gunfire erupted.
Bullets struck Den's chest, shoulders, face, and stomach.
Den did not dodge.
He wanted to know what they would do.
More importantly, he wanted to know what their weapons could do to him.
Each bullet flattened against his skin.
Some shattered.
Others ricocheted into the dirt.
Den felt no pain.
He barely felt the impacts at all.
His white eyes shifted between the shooters.
He counted their weapons, positions, heartbeats, breathing patterns, and ammunition without consciously trying.
Twenty-seven agents were positioned ahead of him.
Fourteen more were approaching from the left.
Seven snipers had taken positions on distant rooftops.
Three helicopters were circling above.
Several vehicles carried heavier weapons.
Den could have crossed the distance and killed every agent before the first empty shell casing reached the ground.
Instead, he remained still.
He wanted them to escalate.
His old fear had been replaced by a colder curiosity.
What level of force could this world produce?
How much of it could he withstand?
One agent lowered his rifle and grabbed a shoulder-fired rocket launcher.
"Clear the area!"
The remaining agents scattered.
The launcher fired.
Den watched the rocket approach.
To his enhanced perception, it moved painfully slowly.
He saw the rotation of the projectile.
He saw the fire behind it.
He saw the agent's finger leaving the trigger.
Den could have caught it.
He could have moved aside.
He could have teleported it into the sky.
He did none of those things.
He allowed the rocket to strike his chest.
The explosion swallowed him.
Fire and smoke expanded across the restricted zone.
The shockwave kicked dust into the air and shattered nearby windows. Military personnel ducked behind their vehicles while the civilians beyond the defensive perimeter screamed and retreated.
Fortunately, most civilians were far enough away to avoid the blast.
The agents stared into the smoke.
Several lowered their weapons.
Relief spread through the group.
Their newly developed launcher was stronger than older military models. According to its designers, neither an ordinary human nor the armor of a modern tank could survive a direct strike.
The target had not attempted to dodge.
Therefore, the target had to be dead.
Then footsteps echoed from inside the smoke.
One step.
Then another.
The agents stiffened.
A dark silhouette appeared.
Den walked through the flames without a mark on his body.
The heat moved around him.
Metal fragments bounced from his skin.
The darkness covering him remained completely untouched.
"Too weak," Den said.
He rolled one shoulder.
Then he tilted his head and cracked his neck.
The motion was casual.
The result was not.
A compressed wave of force tore through the smoke.
The dust surrounding Den split apart instantly.
The pressure continued outward in thin, nearly invisible lines. Several agents standing too close were struck before they could react.
Their protective armor separated.
Then their bodies did the same.
For one horrifying instant, the agents remained standing.
A moment later, they collapsed into multiple pieces, as though they had been struck by Sukuna's invisible slashes.
Blood struck the ground.
The remaining smoke was blown completely away.
Several civilians who had remained behind to watch finally saw what had happened.
The armored agents had been torn apart.
The creature had not punched them.
It had not kicked them.
It had merely cracked its neck.
The last of the curious civilians turned and ran.
The surviving agents reacted far worse.
Some stared at their fallen comrades without moving.
One dropped his weapon.
Another began vomiting inside his mask.
Several had trained for gunfights, hostage situations, terrorist attacks, and organized combat.
None had trained to watch coworkers become scattered body parts because an enemy had casually loosened his neck.
A few agents panicked and fired wildly.
Others stumbled backward.
Two lost consciousness.
One collapsed onto the hard ground and cracked his skull because his helmet had already been removed. Another fell against the sharp edge of a damaged barrier, suffering a fatal head injury.
Den looked around at the chaos.
For the first time since transforming, genuine surprise crossed his face.
He had not intended to attack.
He had merely cracked his neck.
Half the nearby agents were dead.
Den stared at his right hand and slowly rotated his wrist.
"Was that really all it took?"
He was not guilty.
He was confused.
The FBI and similar organizations had been treated as intimidating symbols of authority in both of his lives. Governments feared them. Criminals avoided them. Ordinary citizens believed they represented some of the most capable human forces on the planet.
Yet Den had killed several agents through displaced air pressure without intentionally striking them.
Had humans overestimated organizations like the FBI?
Den considered the question.
Then he remembered the obvious answer.
They were still human.
They were not like him.
Humans could die to their own weapons.
They could die in traffic accidents.
They could die from heat.
They could die from falling down a staircase despite being in the prime of their lives.
Human imagination was extraordinary.
Human technology was dangerous.
But the human body itself was fragile.
In video-game terms, the entire species consisted of glass cannons.
Den shook his head.
The thought was irrelevant.
More agents were arriving.
Military communications were filling every frequency around him.
Orders were being issued.
Weapons were being prepared.
Den's battle intent sharpened.
He had already confirmed that bullets and rockets were useless.
Now he wanted to measure his attack power.
He raised one hand.
The surviving agents immediately opened fire.
Den watched the bullets approach.
He could have ignored them again.
Instead, he moved.
To the agents, he vanished.
In reality, Den accelerated around the battlefield, touching individual bullets with the tips of his fingers. Each round stopped in the air for the briefest instant before being redirected upward.
Hundreds of bullets changed direction simultaneously.
They shot into the sky and disappeared.
Den returned to his original position before the agents realized he had moved.
A circular shockwave followed a second later.
The ground beneath their feet fractured.
Vehicles rocked sideways.
Several agents were thrown into the air.
Den looked at the palm of his hand.
He needed less movement.
Less speed.
More control.
He lowered his arm.
Then he waved once.
Everything in front of him disappeared.
There was no dramatic beam.
No visible projectile.
The atmosphere simply compressed beneath the force of his motion.
A wall of pressure expanded outward.
Agents, vehicles, buildings, mountains, roads, forests, and everything else in its path were pulverized.
Matter broke apart so completely that very little debris remained.
A massive section of the surface was reduced to dust.
The destruction continued for approximately one thousand kilometers around Den.
Then the pressure finally weakened.
Silence followed.
Den stood at the center of an enormous crater.
From the perspective of an ordinary person, nothing remained for miles in every direction. The horizon itself had been lowered. The land had been carved apart so violently that the curvature of the destruction could be seen from Den's position.
Wind rushed into the newly created empty space.
Clouds were torn from the sky.
The atmosphere struggled to stabilize.
Den remained motionless.
He slowly looked at his hand.
"I used slightly more than one percent."
His voice carried across the crater.
He had not expected that much destruction.
Even with Nightmare Mode, he had assumed one percent would destroy a city or perhaps a region.
Instead, a careless wave had erased everything across an area measuring roughly one thousand kilometers.
Den's white eyes narrowed.
His battle-focused mind immediately began calculating.
Power control was now more important than raw strength.
An enemy capable of surviving his attacks might force him to use more power. If he increased his output without understanding the scale, he could destroy the planet before defeating his opponent.
That would be inconvenient.
Den rose higher into the sky.
The atmosphere twisted beneath him as he moved.
He stopped approximately 480 kilometers above the surface.
From there, the crater looked even more absurd.
The wound carved into the planet stretched across the land like an impact site created by some impossible celestial weapon.
Den's enhanced vision activated instinctively.
At first, he could see beyond one thousand kilometers without difficulty.
He saw fleeing civilians.
He saw emergency shelters.
He saw confused government officials ordering immediate meetings.
He saw satellites rotating toward his position.
He saw military leaders arguing over whether nuclear weapons would be effective.
Den expanded his sight further.
He finally understood something that had bothered him.
"This isn't New York."
The television broadcast had been relayed through a New York news station, but the Black Star itself had appeared in China.
His teleportation talent had carried him directly to the actual anomaly rather than the location of the broadcast.
Den continued testing his vision.
He could observe the entire Earth.
Continents appeared clearly.
Oceans became transparent whenever he focused deeply enough. He could see submarines beneath the surface, underground facilities, hidden bunkers, and structures buried beneath mountains.
He looked beyond Earth.
His vision crossed millions of kilometers through space.
The Moon appeared close enough to touch.
He saw craters, dust, abandoned equipment, and microscopic fractures across its surface.
He looked farther.
Planets sharpened into view.
Asteroids drifted through empty space.
The whole solar system became visible.
Den forced his sight beyond it.
Nothing changed.
The edge of his perception refused to move farther.
"I reached my limit," Den mumbled.
He closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, the sky had darkened.
Hours might have passed for ordinary people, although Den's perception made time difficult to judge.
Lights covered the land below.
A massive army had gathered around the surviving edges of the crater.
Tanks formed defensive lines.
Helicopters filled the sky.
Fighter jets circled at higher altitudes.
Mobile missile systems locked onto Den.
Searchlights pointed toward him from every direction.
The brightness did not blind him.
It only annoyed him.
A speaker amplified a commanding voice.
"PUT YOUR HANDS DOWN AND SURRENDER QUIETLY!"
"DO NOT RESIST!"
Den glanced at his hands.
"Put my hands down?"
He was floating hundreds of kilometers above them.
The order did not make much sense.
Perhaps the speaker was repeating a standard surrender command because no one had developed instructions for arresting a flying black creature capable of erasing countries with a wave.
Den descended.
The military became increasingly tense as he approached.
Weapons tracked his movement.
Missile systems adjusted.
Pilots prepared to fire.
Den stopped above the center of the army.
His enhanced mind counted the soldiers automatically.
More than ten million people had been mobilized across the surrounding regions.
Some were professional soldiers.
Others belonged to emergency reserves.
All were armed.
All had been told that Den represented a threat to the nation and possibly the entire world.
They surrounded him using basic military tactics, believing numbers could compensate for the difference in individual strength.
In his previous life, Den might have believed the same thing.
Now he understood better.
Ten million ants were still ants.
Increasing their number did not allow them to crush a mountain.
It only increased the number that would die when the mountain fell.
Den's battle intent spread across the area.
He did not release a visible aura, but every living creature within range felt something.
Soldiers began sweating.
Some could not breathe.
Animals fled.
Several pilots lost control of their aircraft for a moment before recovering.
Den studied the formations.
His thoughts accelerated.
How much power would be required?
One hundred percent would almost certainly destroy Earth.
Ten percent might do the same.
Two percent should be enough to eliminate the army.
But the soldiers were spread across an enormous area.
He needed enough force to pass through every defensive formation without accidentally splitting the planet apart.
His mind processed distance, density, elevation, atmosphere, terrain, and expected resistance.
The calculation would have required supercomputers.
Den completed it in moments.
"Two-point-fifteen percent," he mumbled.
He raised one hand.
The entire army reacted.
Missiles launched.
Tank cannons fired.
Jets released their payloads.
Helicopters opened fire.
Artillery rounds filled the sky.
For several seconds, the air became a storm of human weaponry.
Den did not wait for the attacks to reach him.
He disappeared.
A trail of black afterimages crossed the battlefield.
He moved through the incoming missiles, striking some aside with his fingers and crushing others with his palms. He stepped across artillery shells while they were still flying, using them as temporary platforms.
One missile detonated beneath his foot.
Den used the explosion to change direction.
He appeared above a fighter jet, touched its wing, and ripped the entire aircraft apart through momentum alone.
Before the pilot could eject, Den had already crossed hundreds of kilometers.
He passed through a formation of helicopters.
The air displaced by his movement cut their rotors apart.
He struck the ground once with the tip of his shoe.
An armored division was launched into the atmosphere.
Tanks spun through the sky like toys.
Den caught one by its cannon, rotated his body, and threw it through several aircraft before it disappeared beyond the clouds.
He appeared behind a line of soldiers.
The soldiers turned.
Den had already left.
A second later, the pressure generated by his passing tore their weapons from their hands and shattered the reinforced vehicles behind them.
He was not fighting seriously.
He was testing movement.
Acceleration.
Reaction speed.
Impact distribution.
His battle intent continued increasing as each attack failed to harm him.
Humanity had brought everything it could prepare on short notice.
It was still not enough to make him defend himself properly.
Den returned to the center of the battlefield.
Missiles approached from every direction.
He drew one arm backward.
For an instant, everything became silent.
"Slap."
Den swung his hand.
The resulting sonic explosion overwhelmed every other sound on the battlefield.
The atmosphere compressed into a gigantic circular wall.
Missiles were crushed before they could explode.
Aircraft folded inward.
Tanks flattened.
Soldiers disappeared.
The ground peeled away from the planet's surface.
The shockwave expanded across more than three thousand kilometers.
Everything within its path was destroyed swiftly and completely.
The destruction traveled across military positions, cities, mountains, forests, and coastlines. Ocean water rose into the atmosphere before being vaporized by friction and pressure.
The planet shook.
Fault lines ruptured.
The rotation of Earth shifted slightly.
Then the attack ended.
Den lowered his hand.
Nothing remained of the army.
Nothing remained of the weapons.
Nothing remained of the territory surrounding him except a gigantic ruined landscape stretching beyond the horizon.
Den examined the destruction.
"Not a bad start."
He had confirmed several important things.
His calculations were accurate enough to avoid destroying Earth completely.
His movement speed was vastly greater than the military's ability to track him.
His physical defense ignored every weapon they possessed.
His attack power at slightly above two percent could erase more than three thousand kilometers of the planet's surface.
More importantly, he had begun learning how to fight inside his new body.
He was no longer merely an ordinary human carrying overwhelming power.
He was adapting.
Another sound echoed inside his head.
For the first time since transforming, the system's sudden voice almost surprised him.
**Ding!**
**The host's behavioral route has been confirmed.**
**Villain Route selected.**
**The standard beginner package has been exchanged for the Villain Beginner Package.**
**Two additional perks have been opened.**
**Ding!**
**Perk acquired: Super Defense.**
**Ding!**
**Perk acquired: Darkness Cloning.**
**Ding!**
**The Villain Beginner Package has been opened.**
**Rewards acquired: Villain Halo, Villain Armor, five Evil Perks, one new Main Mission, and access to the Mission Tab.**
Den remained surprised for several seconds.
Then he relaxed.
A second transformation passed through his body.
His skin became harder.
His muscles became denser.
His bones, organs, nerves, and blood vessels were reinforced.
Super Defense did not merely protect his exterior. It strengthened everything inside him as well.
If an enemy somehow bypassed his skin, his internal organs would still possess tremendous durability.
Another stream of information entered his mind.
**Darkness Cloning** allowed Den to create independent copies of himself using darkness.
The clones could move, fight, communicate, and follow complex instructions. Their strength depended on how much power Den placed inside them.
He extended one hand.
His shadow stretched across the ruined ground.
A second Den rose from it.
The clone possessed the same pure-black body, white eyes, white shoulders, and white knees.
Den punched it.
The clone blocked.
The collision produced a shockwave that split the crater beneath them.
The clone slid backward several kilometers, stopped, and immediately charged.
It crossed the distance in an instant and threw a punch toward Den's face.
Den caught its fist.
The impact pushed clouds away across the horizon.
Den smiled.
The clone smiled back.
"Useful."
He released control.
The copy melted into darkness and returned to his shadow.
Den could also manipulate darkness directly.
He could cover an enemy's eyes.
He could create restraints.
He could slow opponents by increasing the density of shadows around their bodies.
It was not yet his strongest ability, but it possessed considerable tactical value.
Den opened the equipment menu.
"Equip the Villain Halo and Villain Armor."
Dark light formed behind his head.
It became a circular halo with sharp, broken edges, resembling an eclipse surrounded by black flames.
Armor formed across his body.
The material looked like a combination of shadow, metal, and condensed space. It covered his chest, shoulders, arms, waist, and legs without restricting movement.
Information appeared before him.
### **Villain Halo**
* Darkness Damage: **+100%**
* Defense: **+500%**
* Speed: **+800%**
* Luck: **+1,000%**
### **Villain Armor**
* Defense: **+1,000%**
* Immunity to Darkness
* Immunity to Light
* Luck: **+500%**
* Speed: **+200%**
* Resistance to All Basic Elements: **+25%**
**Recognized basic elements: Wind, Earth, Water, Fire, and Lightning.**
Den immediately felt the difference.
His speed increased so dramatically that the movement of the planet beneath him appeared slower.
His defense multiplied.
The darkness surrounding his body became heavier and more responsive.
In approximately five minutes, Den had become nearly twenty times stronger than before.
His resistances had increased as well.
Most ordinary attacks were now completely useless against him.
Even if an enemy retained seventy-five percent of its maximum power after overcoming his elemental resistance, Den doubted the remaining force could damage him through his armor and natural defense.
Higher-level powers remained a possible threat.
Time manipulation.
Reality alteration.
Conceptual attacks.
Existence erasure.
Abilities operating beyond ordinary physical laws could not be dismissed.
Den remembered that.
He had become powerful.
He had not become careless.
"Open the five Evil Perks."
**Ding!**
**Special Perk acquired: Peak of the Darkest Magic.**
**Ding!**
**Special Perk acquired: Fear Absorber.**
**Ding!**
**Special Perk acquired: Yin and Yang Combat Skills.**
**Ding!**
**Special Perk acquired: Hungry Power Demon.**
**Ding!**
**Special Perk acquired: Darkness Mind Control.**
Den's mood improved considerably.
The **Peak of the Darkest Magic** granted him complete mastery over darkness-based magic.
He did not need to study spells.
He did not need to practice hand movements or memorize chants.
Dark magic obeyed him naturally.
Den raised one finger.
A thin black blade formed above it.
He pointed toward the Moon.
The blade vanished.
A second later, a black line appeared across the lunar surface.
The Moon split.
The two halves drifted apart before Den reversed the spell and forced the fragments back together.
He clenched his hand.
Darkness sealed the fracture.
The Moon returned to its original shape, although the interior remained permanently damaged.
Den nodded.
"Better."
**Fear Absorber** allowed him to consume the fear of other beings.
The absorbed fear increased his strength.
However, the perk possessed a restriction.
After absorbing fear once, Den gained power gradually for one minute. To trigger another full increase, he needed to absorb a new supply after the previous cycle ended.
The terror spreading across Earth had already become overwhelming.
Billions of people had seen satellite footage of the destruction.
Governments were broadcasting emergency messages.
Survivors described Den as a monster, demon, alien, god, and living apocalypse.
Den inhaled.
Fear flowed toward him.
It appeared as invisible energy to ordinary people, but Den saw countless dark streams rising from the planet.
The energy entered his body.
His strength began increasing every second.
The Villain Halo brightened.
The planet beneath him trembled from his presence alone.
The third perk, **Yin and Yang Combat Skills**, flooded Den's mind with experience.
Martial arts.
Weapon techniques.
Counterattacks.
Grappling.
Pressure-point strikes.
Energy control.
Battlefield analysis.
The ability did not merely teach him a collection of movements. It transformed his understanding of combat.
Every action contained an opposite.
Every defense created an opening.
Every attack produced momentum that could be redirected.
Yin absorbed, avoided, softened, and controlled.
Yang attacked, overwhelmed, shattered, and advanced.
Den's body and mind adjusted together.
Previously, he had possessed overwhelming physical power but little experience using it.
Now his stance changed naturally.
His weight shifted into perfect balance.
His hands relaxed.
His white eyes examined the surrounding universe as though it were a battlefield waiting to be understood.
An equally powerful opponent with elite combat skills would no longer hold an advantage over him.
Even if someone matched Den's raw statistics, touching his body would remain nearly impossible.
He created ten Darkness Clones.
They surrounded him.
Each clone possessed a different weapon formed from shadow.
A sword.
A spear.
A chain.
A staff.
A pair of daggers.
A bow.
A hammer.
A scythe.
A shield.
The final clone used its bare hands.
All ten attacked simultaneously.
Den moved.
He redirected the spear with two fingers.
He stepped across the sword.
He caught the chain, pulled its wielder forward, and used the clone as a shield against three incoming weapons.
The hammer struck.
Den rotated his shoulder and guided the impact away.
The force traveled through his body harmlessly before exploding behind him, carving a tunnel through space debris millions of kilometers long.
An arrow approached his blind spot.
Den leaned aside.
The arrow passed close enough to touch the darkness covering his cheek but never reached his skin.
He struck backward without looking.
The archer clone shattered.
The remaining clones accelerated.
Den's white eyes narrowed.
His battle intent erupted.
He moved through them.
For one instant, all ten clones remained standing.
Then each separated into hundreds of perfectly cut pieces.
They dissolved into darkness.
Den had used less than one-thousandth of one percent of his power.
His combat technique was already beginning to match his destructive ability.
The fourth perk, **Hungry Power Demon**, activated whenever Den felt weak or required additional power.
The greater his disadvantage, the greater the potential increase.
If Den encountered an opponent stronger than him, the perk would allow his strength to rise rapidly in response.
It was not guaranteed to make him instantly stronger than every enemy, but it prevented him from remaining helpless during a difficult battle.
A stronger opponent would push him to grow.
The worse the situation became, the more fiercely his power would respond.
Den liked that perk.
It meant a losing battle could become fuel.
The fifth ability, **Darkness Mind Control**, allowed Den to dominate people who carried darkness within themselves.
Sins.
Cruelty.
Hatred.
Greed.
Guilt.
Malice.
The greater the darkness inside a target, the easier that person became to control.
Once successful, Den gained complete authority over the target's body.
They could think.
They could understand what was happening.
But they could not disobey.
The ability had limitations.
It was less effective against people possessing exceptional willpower.
It was almost useless against those with completely pure hearts.
It was also not guaranteed to affect someone stronger than Den.
Still, most intelligent beings possessed some darkness.
Very few people lived without regret, anger, selfishness, or wrongdoing.
That made the ability terrifyingly effective.
Den looked toward the Earth.
His new vision identified countless minds.
Corrupt officials.
Murderers.
War criminals.
Tyrants.
Ordinary people hiding ordinary sins.
Den touched the planet's darkness with his mind.
Millions of people froze simultaneously.
Their shadows rose behind them.
For several seconds, Den felt every one of their thoughts.
Then he released the connection.
He had only been testing the perk.
A complete planetary mind-control network could be created later.
For now, Den had more important matters to handle.
He floated above the devastated world and looked around.
Boredom began replacing curiosity.
This universe no longer appeared dangerous.
Not at the moment.
The armies had failed.
The weapons had failed.
The planet itself could not resist him.
Den now possessed enough strength to protect himself from many threats inside *Idle Cross*.
However, merely surviving was no longer satisfying.
He wanted to grow.
He wanted more Black Stars.
He wanted enemies strong enough to make him test the limits of his abilities.
Most of all, he wanted to ensure that no Rogue, hero, villain, monster, or so-called main character could ever decide his fate.
Den opened the newly unlocked Mission Tab.
A translucent black window appeared before him.
### **Main Mission 1**
**Objective: Destroy any five realms within the multiverse.**
**Progress: 1/5**
**Rewards: One High-Level Perk and Super Regeneration.**
Den examined the progress counter.
One realm had already been counted.
Apparently, the damage he had caused had pushed Earth's universe beyond the point where the system considered it stable.
Perhaps destroying most of its military and thousands of kilometers of planetary surface had already condemned the realm.
Or perhaps the system had recognized Den's intention to finish it.
Either way, four more realms remained.
Den read the mission again.
Then he smiled like the devil.
"Guess I have to end this world after all."
There was no hesitation in his voice.
Originally, Den had considered leaving Earth intact.
A future mission might have required him to conquer a realm rather than destroy one. Keeping the planet would have given him a useful base.
But the current mission demanded destruction.
Ignoring it would require more effort later.
Den did not want unnecessary work.
He extended both hands.
Darkness spread across Earth.
At first, he intended to consume the planet directly.
Black tendrils descended through the atmosphere. They wrapped around continents and sank into oceans. The planet's light dimmed as shadow covered the surface.
Den paused.
Destroying Earth by crushing it would be easy.
Too easy.
He wanted to perform one final test.
Something more interesting.
Something worthy of the first realm he would erase completely.
Den looked toward the Sun.
He disappeared.
Space folded.
A moment later, he stood above the Sun's surface.
Heat capable of vaporizing planets surrounded him.
Radiation passed through the region in impossible quantities.
Solar storms erupted beneath his feet.
Den felt none of it.
His Villain Armor granted immunity to light.
His elemental resistance weakened the heat.
His natural defense ignored everything remaining.
Den descended until his feet touched the Sun.
The burning surface compressed beneath him as though it were solid ground.
He walked forward.
Each step created enormous disturbances across the star. Solar flares rose millions of kilometers into space, yet none reached high enough to touch him after he moved away.
Den raised one hand.
Dark magic gathered around his fingers.
"Let's see whether darkness can swallow a star."
He pressed his palm against the Sun.
Blackness spread from the point of contact.
It moved across the solar surface like ink flowing through water.
The Sun resisted.
Nuclear reactions intensified.
Solar fire exploded upward.
Den's darkness continued spreading.
Within seconds, half the star had become black.
A few seconds later, darkness covered the entire Sun.
From Earth, daylight vanished.
Panic erupted across the planet.
Den closed his hand.
The Sun began shrinking.
Its massive body compressed under the control of his magic.
Gravity twisted.
The solar system shook.
Planets shifted in their orbits.
The Sun became smaller than Jupiter.
Then smaller than Earth.
Then smaller than the Moon.
Den continued compressing it.
The star eventually became a black marble floating beside his hand.
It appeared ordinary.
Inside it, however, the full mass, energy, heat, and gravitational force of the Sun remained trapped beneath layers of dark magic.
Den held the marble between two fingers.
He could feel the power struggling to escape.
"Not bad."
He teleported back to Earth.
Without the Sun, the planet had fallen into darkness.
Temperatures were already beginning to drop.
Governments attempted to understand what had happened.
Scientists stared at empty space where the Sun had existed moments earlier.
Religious groups declared the end of the world.
Survivors looked toward Den's position and saw him holding a tiny black object.
Den raised the compressed Sun.
He applied a small amount of pressure.
**Crack.**
A thin fracture appeared across the marble.
The contained gravity reacted immediately.
Space warped around Den's hand.
The crack expanded.
Den threw the marble toward Earth.
It accelerated.
Before it traveled very far, Den pointed one finger after it.
A thin black laser formed.
His enhanced combat skill calculated the exact angle, speed, and depth required.
The beam fired.
It struck the existing fracture perfectly.
The marble split.
The Sun's compressed gravity escaped.
The surrounding space collapsed inward.
Earth's oceans rose from the surface.
Continents cracked.
The Moon was pulled out of orbit.
Atmosphere, stone, water, cities, and living creatures were dragged toward the broken marble.
The compressed star became unstable.
A supernova reaction began.
Den watched for several seconds, analyzing the process.
The explosion would destroy the planet.
It would destroy the Moon.
It would erase most of the surrounding solar system.
Satisfied, Den teleported beyond the blast radius.
He looked back.
The ruined Earth and the shattered black Sun were pulled together.
The planet stretched.
Its surface separated.
The core became visible.
The Moon broke into countless pieces.
Everything collapsed into the growing reaction.
Den crossed his arms.
"Guess the creator destroyed his creation."
The compressed Sun exploded.
**ZAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—!!!**
Light and darkness consumed the solar system.
The supernova expanded through space.
Planets were swallowed.
Asteroids vaporized.
Earth disappeared completely.
The realm trembled as its central civilization and surrounding system were erased.
Den watched the explosion like a fireworks display.
Fear from the dying world flowed toward him during its final moments.
Fear Absorber consumed it.
His strength increased again.
The system responded.
**Ding!**
**Main Mission progress confirmed.**
**Realms destroyed: 1/5.**
As the explosion faded, something appeared among the remains.
A new Black Star.
Its surface was different from the first.
Black and red energy rotated around its edges. The portal pulsed as though it had been created from the death of the realm itself.
Den knew what to do.
He teleported in front of it.
This time, he did not absorb the Black Star.
He had already obtained enough power from this universe.
He wanted to see what waited on the other side.
Den examined the portal.
His battle intent rose again.
Somewhere beyond it, another world existed.
That world might contain monsters.
It might contain heroes.
It might contain enemies capable of challenging him.
It might possess another Black Star for him to absorb.
Den smiled.
Then he stepped forward.
The portal swallowed his body.
The remains of the destroyed solar system vanished behind him.
Den disappeared into the darkness.