Jon pressed yes.
The moment he did, the demon's body convulsed violently before collapsing to the ground like a discarded husk. From within the collapsing form, a green mist erupted—shifting, swirling, coalescing into a humanoid shape.
It floated towards Jon with unnatural speed, drawn to him like iron to a magnet. Jon didn't move. He couldn't. The moment the mist touched him, it began to sink into his skin, threading itself into his veins like smoke wrapping around glass.
His vision blurred. Lights flashed behind his eyes—red, green, violet. He staggered backward, overwhelmed by sensations he couldn't describe. In that chaos, he barely noticed the system's message flashing across his vision.
[Mutation triggering]
[You successfully defeated the Boss, but you won't receive the rewards as you did not kill him. You will be teleported outside the dungeon.]
Darkness took him.
When Jon awoke, the sun was already setting, casting long golden shadows across the landscape. He was lying in the grass just outside the dungeon entrance. The stone structure loomed behind him, silent and indifferent to the transformation that had just taken place.
Three things struck him immediately.
First, his vision—crisp, sharp, too sharp. Every blade of grass, every crack in the nearby rocks shimmered with detail.
Second, his strength—when he pushed himself upright, his limbs responded with power he hadn't felt before. Even the simple act of standing felt effortless.
Third, his height—before, the dungeon's entrance marker had loomed just above his line of sight. Now, his eyes met it directly. He was taller, clearly. He guessed around 150 centimeters.
A new system message appeared.
[System update initiated. Please wait a few minutes.]
With nothing better to do, Jon walked in search of water. After about five minutes, he came upon a small lake. The water was so still and pure it mirrored the sky like a ghostly window. Goblins, unlike humans, didn't require food or water in this world, but Jon still needed to see.
He crouched by the water's edge and stared into the reflection—and recoiled.
Staring back at him was a creature barely recognizable as himself.
His eyes were large, round, glowing green orbs without pupils, set deep into an even more sunken face than before. His skin was a dark mossy green, stretched tight over sharp cheekbones. His hands—long, thin, with four fingers each—were more like claws, the nails like curved obsidian.
Most disturbing of all was his mouth: long, unnaturally wide, stretching from the base of one pointed ear to the other, filled with rows of white, razor-sharp teeth that gleamed even without light.
Jon's heart pounded in his chest. He looked monstrous.
The system chimed again.
[System successfully updated.]
He swallowed and focused.
'Alright… let's see what changed.'
[Name: Jon
Race: Goblin Demon
Level: 3
XP: 75/200
HP: 40/40
MP: 30/30
Strength: 25
Vitality: 20
Intelligence: 12
Agility: 18
Bonus Points: 0
Abilities: Green Fire Orb (Level 1) ]
Jon stared at the new stats, barely believing what he saw.
'That's... an insane jump. Thank you, demon.'
A voice echoed in his mind. Calm, patient. Alien.
'Rather, I should be thanking you.'
Jon tensed for a moment, then exhaled. The voice didn't seem hostile—more like a quiet whisper carried on the wind.
'I don't like to talk much. But I'll be watching. Occasionally... I might offer some advice.'
'Thanks again,' Jon thought, unsure if the demon could hear his thoughts—or if he even needed to say them out loud anymore.
Then something else caught Jon's attention. His new ability.
Green Fire Orb.
His lips curled into a grin—wide, dangerous, full of curiosity. This new form, this new power—it wasn't a curse. It was a beginning.
And he was ready to explore it.