The night grew colder.
Han Jiwoon stood alone on the rooftop of a decaying apartment, staring down at the world that never cared to look back at him.
"Redemption Points: 50"
"Sin Points: 300"
"Warning: Emotional fluctuation detected."
"What am I even doing…?" he muttered.
Suddenly — a voice echoed in his mind.
It was deeper than any he'd heard before — not the robotic tone of the system.
It was… alive.
"You're doing what no one else dares to, Jiwoon."
"You're fixing a broken world."
He clutched his chest. "Who are you…?"
"I am you… and I am what you will become."
A figure flickered in the shadows behind him — a ghostly image of a man cloaked in black flame, with twin horns and a tail of smoke.
The Sin Avatar. The embryonic form of the Kirin-Dragon Demon.
System Update: Corruption Awareness Initialized
"New Condition: Inner Demon Awakening"
"Triggers when Sin Points exceed 500 OR when moral choices are overridden."
"Status: 65% threshold reached."
"Soon, we will become one…" the whisper echoed.
Jiwoon fell to one knee, the weight of his decisions tightening around his lungs.
His fingers trembled.
"I still have a choice…"
Meanwhile – New Target Appears
Assigned Sin No.003
Name: Joo Hwan
Sin: Operating illegal fight rings using orphaned children
Location: Old subway tunnel, District 4
Jiwoon clenched his jaw.
He couldn't afford hesitation anymore. The longer he waited, the more children would suffer.
And yet, deep inside… something itched.
The last time he spared someone, he unlocked a new path.
But this time… he felt no doubt.
"There's no redemption for monsters like him."
Fight in the Shadows
District 4's abandoned subway was cold, damp, and filled with metallic echoes.
Joo Hwan was a former gang boss turned underground fight organizer. The tunnel smelled of sweat, rust, and blood.
When Jiwoon arrived, a crowd was cheering two battered children in the ring.
"You're all sick…" Jiwoon muttered, eyes glowing crimson.
He leapt down — one kick shattered the cage wall.
Screams echoed. People ran.
Joo Hwan drew a modified shock baton, laughing.
"Another righteous rat?"
But Jiwoon didn't respond.
He activated his new skill:
[Dread Pulse – Level 3 Activated]
"Let your sins choke your breath."
A wave of black energy erupted, paralyzing the arena. The sinners dropped, vomiting from terror.
Joo Hwan alone stood, shaking but defiant — until Jiwoon pinned him to the floor and whispered:
"You made them bleed…
Now feel what they felt."
With one touch, the Sin Consumption began — but this time, Jiwoon didn't stop.
He let it all in. Every memory. Every cruelty.
"Sin Points: +250"
"New Trait Acquired: Blood Memory – Access sinner's most traumatic thoughts"