Some players only received Exp, their efforts too minor for material rewards.

Others gained new weapons or armor, ranging from common grade to grade 2.

A select few, like QueenBee and Hart, received both experience and equipment, their grins widening as they checked their inventories.

It felt good to be on the end of the stick where the rewards were better than most.

The battlefield turned into lots of chatter and celebration as the weary survivors basked in their rewards.

And then came the final notification and this was for Axton.

[The Demon Invasion has been stopped.]

[Your contribution has been estimated to be 94%.]

Even without being told, everyone knew Axton had slain the Ox Demon Commander, the pillar of the invasion.

That alone was worth over 80% of the total contribution score.

"94%?" Axton frowned slightly, tapping his chin. "Not perfect?"

He had expected a clean 100%.

Slaying the commander was the single most decisive action in the entire event.

Then again, perhaps the system had factored in Hart and QueenBee's timely intervention and the Dragon Claw guild's efforts to hold the line, along with other players' contributions.

Without them, maybe he wouldn't have survived to land the final blow.

"Hmm… maybe,"

He left it at that.

The real prize was yet to come.

[You have received 700 Exp and a Grade 4 Item — Demon Tag.]

Axton's eyes narrowed as he pulled up the description.

…

[Demon Tag]

Grade : 4

Effect : Grants one-time access into the Demon Realm. Expires after one use.

…

For a moment, he was silent and then, a sharp laugh escaped his lips.

"So that's it…"

Before he could analyze it further, the critical hit privilege triggered, upgrading both Exp and item.

The Demon Tag in his inventory brightened with light, cracks running across its surface before it reshaped itself into something far more sinister.

It turned into a strange-looking key with a skull head.

Axton's expression hardened.

The Hell's Key.

His pulse quickened slightly as he scrolled through the expanded description.

This was no ordinary key.

It wasn't simply a ticket to the demon realm.

It was tied directly to the special quest he had yet to complete, the one linked to his father's mysterious Divine Bracelet.

If he wanted answers…

If he wanted power…

If he wanted freedom…

This was the path forward.

And yet…

As his eyes scanned the fine print, his stomach turned.

The condition written at the bottom was cruel.

His throat went dry.

He experiences an unusual feeling in his guts that was expressed as severe nausea.

He almost vomited.

"This…"

His hand trembled slightly as he closed the panel.

"This isn't just a key. It's a curse."

The battlefield around him was filled with laughter, relief, and celebration.

Players flaunted their rewards, compared new weapons, and patted each other on the back.

Axton sat apart, staring into the distance.

What he had seen about his newest item disturbed him.

He had won.

The invasion was over… but the path forward had just become darker than ever.

******

He quickly pulled the system panel up again.

What Axton read about the strange item almost had him peeling his own face in disbelief.

…

[Hell's Key]

Grade : 5

Effect : Grants unlimited access to the Demon Realm. However, this requires consumption of demons. The more demons consumed—and the stronger they are—the higher the chances of receiving additional keys.

…

Axton stared at the description, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

"The hell…?" he muttered.

Unlimited access to the Demon Realm.

That kind of power wasn't something even guilds with thousands of members could casually dream of.

If he wanted to, he could walk into the demonic world ten times, twenty times, even a hundred times over.

He would no longer be restricted to system-assigned events or rare portals.

He could challenge the realm of demons whenever he pleased.

It was almost too good to be true.

…Almost.

The problem lay in the condition attached.

'Consumption of demons?' Axton rubbed his head, his face scrunching up.

'Good to know that I have access… but I really hope I don't have to eat demon flesh or anything disgusting like that.'

The mental image alone made his stomach churn severely.

Demon meat, oozing black blood, smelling of sulfur and rot.

That was not something he was ever going to put in his mouth.

Regardless, Axton couldn't deny the value of an item like the Hell's Key.

If there was one thing the Hell's Key showed, it was potential.

Axton could already imagine the future opportunities.

The Demon Realm wasn't just a place filled with enemies.

He believed it was a place with its own unique items and quests as well as monsters that he could use to fuel his growth.

"Looks like I'll need to figure out a workaround," he said to himself with a bitter laugh.

"If the system thinks I'm going to chew on demon flesh and bones, it has another thing coming."

He then tucked the key away.

******

The demonic mana and black fog that had engulfed the novice village earlier finally dissipated.

The sky brightened.

The thick suffocating pressure lifted, and the once-twisted creatures reverted to their original forms with the deactivation of their demonization.

Without the corrupting influence, they lost the unnatural boosts that had made them such terrifying opponents.

It had been hours since the invasion ended.

The atmosphere around the village, once filled with panic, slowly settled back into routine.

Players, recovering from the shock, were already moving on.

They accepted quests, hunted low-level monsters, or gathered resources.

The cycle of grinding for levels and drops resumed as if nothing had happened.

Axton, too, was preparing to leave.

He had gained far more than he expected from this invasion.

Reputation, items, even the Hell's Key—it was a good haul.

He was about to turn toward the gate when a familiar voice stopped him.

"Khan."

He turned, and his brows furrowed slightly.

It was QueenBee.

She approached with her usual confidence, but Axton immediately exhaled, already bracing himself.

The last few times she cornered him, it usually meant he was about to be dragged into her guild's problems or handed some ridiculous request.

This time, however, her words were unexpected.

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