Sorry for the late Chapter- There something going with app
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[Observation Chamber]
A different screen flickered to life in a dim-lit room filled with subtle beeps and shifting arcane monitors. Three women watched as one feed showed a silver-haired figure cleaving his way through goblins deep in the dungeon's caverns.
"He's like a demon now," Evelyn said coolly, leaning on the back of the plush chair she'd claimed.
On the display, Caelen grinned as he hoisted a massive hobgoblin—twice his size—off the ground. He had sliced its legs to bring it to his level, and now black lightning cracked from his clawed hand as he tore open its stomach.
Emma stared, eyes wide. "He's stronger... way stronger than before."
Even Silver, usually silent, gave a small nod.
Evelyn tilted her head. "I was wrong. The gap between his human form and this is... staggering."
Floor 2 – Inside the Dungeon
Caelen blinked in disbelief at his own hands, watching as the claw-like weapons of demonic bone slid in and out from his arms with ease.
"This is amazing," he muttered, flexing the black claws again. "Feels natural. Normal, even."
Crackling with anticipation, he raised his hand and summoned magic—this time, a precise mix of demon energy and lightning. Electricity laced the claws in arcs of black and violet.
"It's so easy now. Maybe staying in this form is the better move." He chuckled, picking his sword back up. "I'm learning how to fight like this way faster than I thought."
The next several minutes moved like a violent montage.
He advanced from goblins to wolves, hacking them apart with claw and steel. One by one, they fell like paper targets. Goblin mages tried to slow him with fireballs. He countered with lightning that split the air. A pack of dire wolves leapt from the shadows—he ripped through them with minimal resistance.
The monster corpses piled up.
Blood stained his arms. His eyes glowed faintly with a burning hue. By the time he reached Floor 5, he was breathing slightly heavier, but far from tired.
"Five down, five to go," he said with a small grin.
Caelen landed lightly on the stone floor, the transformation fading. His silver hair dulled back to black, the glow in his eyes disappearing, and even the subtle demon aura that clung to him slowly retreated into his skin. He frowned, opening his system screen.
[Demon Form]
x5 boost to all base stats
All demon abilities will not drain your energy reserve while active
Changes physical appearance, including horns, aura, and presence
Duration: 10 minutes (scales with Endurance)
"No... seriously?" he muttered. His fingers flicked the status details away, face slightly pale.
Then he noticed something else, maybe he can change the difficulty this time since he was a demon before and there was no struggle but now it's different.
"Oh yeah." He exhaled with some relief. "The difficulty setting's back."
A glowing interface hovered ahead. This time, with his previous panic behind him and the boss fight from Floor 2 fresh in his muscles, Caelen didn't hesitate. He picked Normal.
"Not even thinking about Hell right now. Or Hard. Those monsters better not be twice my size again."
The interface blinked away, and the path opened. He stepped into the third floor—this time more cautious. The moment the cave swallowed him in its shadowy embrace, he moved off to the side and crouched near a jagged outcropping of stone. He wasn't taking any chances.
"Not again. I'm not getting jumped from behind by lizard-dogs or sword mutants."
Seconds passed. A low growl echoed from the far end of the chamber, near the wide hole etched into the cave wall.
From the shadows, a white paw padded forward.
His eyes widened. "Four legs?"
A tiger stepped into view—but not a normal one. Its fur shimmered like polished ivory, claws and fangs glinting metallic in the torchlight. Each breath steamed in the cold air.
"Steel claws? Seriously?"
It roared and charged. Caelen didn't move.
As the beast lunged at him, mouth wide open to clamp down on his chest, Caelen raised his blade and jammed it straight into the tiger's maw. With a last-second twist of his body, he avoided the sweeping claws and rolled to the side.
The steel-toothed tiger let out a strangled snarl before collapsing, blade still embedded in its throat.
He rose, panting lightly. "Easy now..."
Yanking the blade free, he barely had time to breathe. His gaze darted to the entrance again—and five more tigers emerged, stalking into view one by one.
"Nope. Not relaxing yet."
They roared in unison and charged.
Caelen backed against the wall, eyeing the nearest one. It pounced. He sidestepped with just enough room to swing down—cleaving its head clean off with one decisive stroke.
The next two flanked from either side. He dodged between them with a narrow duck, dropping to one knee to regain balance. They turned quickly, prepared to strike again.
But Caelen didn't go for them.
Instead, he lunged toward the tiger hanging back—still gauging the fight—and swung down with brutal force before it could react. The blade cut across its brow and sank deep into its skull.
It collapsed.
The two tigers that remained paused in shock.
Caelen didn't.
He grabbed the tail of the fresh corpse, spun with it once, and used its full weight as a flail. The spinning body kept the tigers from lunging, buying him just enough time. He hurled the corpse across the cave—it slammed into the far wall with a wet thud—then used the momentum to charge again.
He targeted the tiger on the left—its stance more defensive than aggressive. The sudden move caught it off guard. Caelen thrust forward, the tip of his sword punching into its face just beneath the eye. It twitched once, then dropped.
The last one charged from behind.
Caelen twisted, pivoted mid-step, and slashed sideways just as the beast lunged.
The blade passed clean through the side of its neck, severing the spine.
The body skidded past him as it fell.
He stood there, chest rising and falling in short, quiet gasps.
"Still alive..." he muttered, glancing at the carnage around him. "Still got it."
Observation Room
Back in the viewing chamber, Emma clapped her hands together in pure joy, beaming at the display of Caelen standing surrounded by fallen steel-fanged tigers.
"He's getting better," she said, pride slipping into her voice. "And faster. Look at him—he handled them all."
Silver remained silent, arms folded, eyes fixed on the screen.
Even Evelyn tilted her head slightly. "He adapted. Fast. Especially now that he's not relying on powerful moves or the demon form."
Emma smiled. "He could really make it to Floor Ten at this rate."
Evelyn gave a thoughtful hum. "Maybe. He's still on Normal difficulty. But… for a rookie, he's better than expected."
Emma didn't say anything back, but blush on her face said more than she ever would aloud. Her eyes softened as she whispered in her mind, You looked really cool, honey.
Behind her, Silver noticed the flush in her cheeks, raised an eyebrow... but said nothing.
[Demires - inner lounge]
"A demon in our house?!" Lucille's father's voice boomed through the lavish marble hall. The sitting room was silent, save for the man's thundering steps pacing near the display monitors embedded in the wall. "How the hell did it bypass our security grid?"
Across from him, Drex Desmire sat stiffly on the black velvet couch, hands folded tightly in his lap. His eyes were focused on the floor, not daring to meet his father's gaze.
"We had it, in our quarter and it escaped," the father went on. "We had the our men facing it and they all passed out. What happened after that?"
Drex spoke quietly. "I... didn't expect what just happened, it was too complicated for me."
His father's steps stopped. "You didn't expect it? And what was complicated, it's just a demon hunt, that's it."
"I'm sorry," Drex said, suddenly lowering himself to his knees. His voice shook. "I led the situation to be this way."
There was a beat of silence. His father turned, his stern face darkening.
"Don't tell me you saw what happened and let it unfold."
Drex swallowed hard. "I—yes. I did."
The response hit the older man like a slap. He stormed across the room, grabbing Drex by the collar and yanking him to his feet with a sharp, jarring motion.
"You let a demon escape?" he shouted, his tone cutting. "You, my own son—are you afraid of a demon? Afraid of death?"
"No!" Drex cried, tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm not scared! I just—"
"Then what the hell were you thinking?" the man snapped. "Why did you let it go?!"
"It wasn't just a demon," Drex said softly. "It was... it was Lucy."
The room fell into eerie silence.
"What?" his father said, stunned. "I thought she was and still chasing it. Why are you talking like that?"
"I think... the seed she ate turned her into one," Drex said, shame bleeding into every word. "They looked the same—same energy, same eyes. It was her, I know it.. I didn't realize it at first, but—" He stopped himself, shaking his head. "The room. You need to see the room."
Without another word, the father turned and stormed down the hallway, heading for the chamber Drex had forbidden him from entering. As the heavy door slid open, a chill swept through. The interior glistened with frozen walls and faint mist curling across the floor. Ice spread from the center outward, shards jagged like weapons.
"She did this?" the man muttered, stunned.
"I didn't know how to react to it," Drex whispered from behind. "She was... different. And then she vanished. I was tricked. I failed. I turned my own sister into a demon..."
The father turned slowly, scrutinizing Drex's tear-stained face. "You're sure?"
"Yes," he said. "I'm sure."
The man's expression shifted—part disbelief, part horror. He didn't say anything more. Just pulled out his communication phone and murmured, "I need to make a call."
As he turned to go, Drex added quickly, "If you find her—don't kill her."
That stopped the man for a second.
"She's still in there," Drex insisted. "Whatever that seed did... I believe she's still herself. Demons don't steal bodies like that, right?"
The father didn't answer. He left without another word.
As Drex stood alone, he muttered to no one, "We already lost Mother... I can't lose her too."
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