The system surely hadn’t expected this outcome.

It had intended to leash me with a quest, restricting my abilities and repurposing me—a pest—as a beneficial insect contributing to society. But who would have thought the same society would condone my actions, allowing me to succeed in the quest?

That’s why contracts with demons should always be handled cautiously.

If the system had at least tied the quest to clear standards of “good” or “evil,” it might have been different. But perhaps it concluded that such distinctions are inherently ambiguous. Or maybe, as a collective intelligence, the system prioritized societal consensus over timeless notions of morality—reflecting the spirit of this era.

Or, more cynically, it might simply reflect humanity’s penchant for declaring whatever the majority approves as "good," even if it’s objectively "evil." A deeply human tendency, after all.

“And it’s not like this society fears private retribution all that much.”

Of course, vigilantism and violence are technically illegal and considered wrong. But for society to universally condemn such actions, there must be a deeply ingrained belief that justice is applied fairly and impartially, regardless of the perpetrator's status.

But how is society today?

The saying "justice for the rich, punishment for the poor" has deeply taken root.

That guy bullied me specifically because he knew I had no parents to protect me. Even if I reported the bullying, the school wouldn’t bother convening a disciplinary committee. His parents were deeply involved in his school life, willing to invest both money and effort. They attended every PTA meeting.

And if that’s the state of a school—a microcosm of society—then the wider world is undoubtedly worse.

Without money, even crime victims can’t seek justice. So people naturally see private retribution as “just.”

After all, the law isn’t about justice.

It’s just that there’s no other way for the weak to punish the strong.

That’s why people cheer for the underdog’s revenge.

What a world. So convenient for a demon like me.

“Of course, if I actually committed murder, there’d be consequences.”

But if I just hit him once, people would probably think, Serves him right.

I looked at the sparks flickering at my fingertips. Compared to the magic I wielded in my past life, it was feeble… but enough to make one ordinary person suffer.

And this idiot standing before me surely understood that.

Whoosh!

The mana at my fingertips finally coalesced into flames. The fire burned bright blue, mirroring my anger.

“Eek! Eek!”
“Shouldn’t we be running?”

Even the other students, who had been laughing and chatting a moment ago, stepped back at the sight of the flames. If they were scared, there was no way the idiot in front of me would remain calm.

“I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

His desperate screams reminded me of unpleasant memories from my past life. If someone saw this, they’d think I was torturing him.

I simply stared silently for a long moment.

A sour stench hit my nose.

“I-I was wrong! It was my inferiority complex! I was just so anxious about my grades!”

“What does that have to do with bullying me for three years?”

“I-I was insane! Really, I was jealous! I’m sorry!”

Sorry? Not a chance.

I frowned.

“What a stench.”

It wasn’t the smell of urine from his fear. It was the stench of his soul.

A soulless apology devoid of sincerity.

If he were genuinely remorseful, he wouldn’t reek like this. But someone who mocks and bullies the weak from a safe distance can’t possibly have a decent soul.

“Should I just half-kill him?”

Society had already deemed my actions reasonable. There was no reason to hold back.

Just as I clenched my fist around the flames, preparing to strike—

“Now, now, Jung Da-on!”

The examiner, who had been observing the situation, intervened.

“I understand what’s going on, but you need to calm down, okay?”

He spoke as if soothing a child.

“Especially right after awakening, it’s hard to control your strength. I get it, I really do. But as a hunter, you know there’s harsher punishment for using violence against ordinary people, right?”

... Of course, I knew.

And I also suspected the examiner had stepped in to assert some control over the situation.

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

In South Korea, hunters ranked C or higher must serve 39 months of mandatory duty. Afterward, they often remain under the Hunter Management Agency’s jurisdiction, taking on roles like examiners.

One of their roles, beyond ability testing, is monitoring newly awakened hunters.

After all, young hunters, especially those just awakening, are prone to reckless behavior. And when you gather kids in confined spaces nationwide for ability testing, accidents are inevitable. That’s why the agency sends hunters as supervisors—to prevent and mitigate such incidents.

Still, they couldn’t have expected to find an S-rank hunter at a school like this.

“He’s probably C-rank at best. There’s no way he could handle an S-rank going berserk.”

Despite his casual tone, the examiner’s stiff expression betrayed his tension.

But I had no intention of causing more chaos.

I’d already humiliated this guy in front of the entire school. His embarrassment would linger for a while, especially once this video inevitably made its rounds online.

That wouldn’t settle the debt of three years of bullying, but there’d be more chances later. No need to pay it all back here.

I glared at the still-trembling idiot as I slowly dispersed the flames at my fingertips.

Sigh.

I heard the examiner let out a relieved breath. How pitiful.

“Sniff, sniff… Mom!”

The idiot, now assured of his safety, started crying. What an eyesore.

“For now, I’ll deal with him later… Let’s check the results of my experiment.”

"-Querying abilities for ‘Jung Da-on’."
"-Abilities are displayed as levels for convenience. Dungeon and monster compatibility is also displayed accordingly."

"-Jung Da-on (Status: Normal)"
"-Potential Ability Grade: S-rank"
"-Health: LV. 3 (No cap)"
"-Strength: LV. 3 (No cap)"
"-Mana: LV. 12 (No cap)"
"-Overall Level: LV. 6"
"-Recommended Dungeon Compatibility: E~F-rank dungeons"

The stats were still modest, but considering my overall level was 1 just minutes ago, this was an impressive jump.

The system, true to its purpose of supporting humanity’s survival, was remarkably thorough. It was even more user-friendly than the system guides I’d seen in my past life. Perhaps Earth’s humans, accustomed to games, influenced its design.

“Mana is fine, but strength and health at level 3… Barely above average for a normal person. Is this the limit of Jung Da-on’s body?”

Even with an S-rank potential ability, my current stats were lackluster.

Potential ability measures innate talent’s ceiling, not current capacity.

Humans, unfortunately, are constrained by their innate limits, no matter how much they strive.

Still, my S-rank potential meant infinite growth possibilities.

But for now, the restriction on my abilities hadn’t been lifted significantly despite meeting “societal standards.”

“Why is that?”

As I pondered, a system message popped up.

"-Quest: Do Good Deeds and You’ll Be Rewarded¿"
"-When ‘Jung Da-on’ meets societal standards, ability restrictions are lifted."
"-Restrictions are lifted proportionally to societal approval rates."

I smirked.

“So that’s how it is.”

The system had been vague about how restrictions would be lifted. By accepting the ambiguous quest, I’d given it room to hedge.

My actions had garnered some societal approval but weren’t passionately endorsed. There were also dissenters. Hence, the minor restriction lift.

Had I struck the idiot, the dissent might have increased: Violence is wrong, Vigilantism isn’t justified, Hunters shouldn’t harm civilians.

“The system got me this time. It seems peace has dulled my edge.”

But this was still within expectations.

What mattered more than the quest details was something else entirely.

“Examiner.”

“Huh? Oh, yes! What is it?”

“Since I’ve been certified as an S-rank, you’ll handle the registration. I can leave now, right? The Hunter Management Agency will contact me later anyway. You don’t have the authority to hold me here.”

“Well, yes, technically, but—”

“Then I’ll be going.”

“Wait a moment!”

The examiner called out urgently.

“This awakening was unexpected. Don’t you think we should discuss this first? I’m a senior hunter, you know. I could give you advice, guidance, and—”

“No, thanks.”

Advice? No need.

“I have plans with my brother.”

I’d arranged to meet him before my part-time shift. This ability test had already taken too long, and I was running late.

There was no reason to stay here any longer.

Finally, this tiresome group activity was over. How liberating.

“Plans with your brother? Can’t you delay them for a bit? If he hears you’ve become an S-rank hunter, surely he’ll understand—”

“No way he’d wait.”

I smiled brightly at the examiner.

“Not for something this trivial.”

If these people understood the crisis they’d narrowly avoided today, they’d worship my sibling as a hero. And who would dare make a hero wait?