Chapter 345: Filthy Creature

"You want to know about Lords, huh?"

The demon tilted its head, an amused smile spreading across its crimson face.

"Clearly. I just fucking asked."

Ethan was starting to lose patience with all the cryptic answers.

Every person who seemed to know something important insisted on speaking in riddles, dropping fragments of information before refusing to explain anything properly.

’Can’t people just be more direct?’

The demon chuckled.

"Unfortunately for you, that’s still far above your pay grade."

It leaned back in its chair, looking completely at ease.

"The only reason I’ve told you as much as I have today is because you revealed yourself to those fanatics far earlier than I expected."

Ethan’s expression tightened.

"It was Aisha, right?"

His fingers moved unconsciously toward his neck.

"She was..."

He hesitated as Elara’s eyes immediately shifted toward him, her expression becoming noticeably colder as she waited for him to finish.

"...odd."

The demon laughed.

"Was?"

Its smile widened.

"Boy, I can assure you that, as you are now, you couldn’t even lay a finger on her."

The amusement disappeared from its voice.

"Let alone kill her."

Deep down, Ethan had already reached the same conclusion.

He had felt the difference between them and could tell that Aisha hadn’t been taking him seriously during their encounter. But hearing the demon confirm it made the reality hit considerably harder.

Ethan’s fingers tightened against his neck.

"What about this?"

He rubbed the strange marking she had left behind after biting him.

The demon’s expression became slightly more serious.

"That imprint will only fester and grow until you meet again."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

"Can you remove it?"

"No."

The answer came almost casually.

"Even I don’t completely understand its function."

The demon paused.

"But I can assure you of one thing."

Its crimson eyes focused on Ethan.

"It won’t be good."

Elara’s expression hardened.

"What is it she wants?"

There was a protective edge in her voice.

The demon looked toward her with a smile, knowing how she felt better than anyone after spending so long in her body.

"Ultimately?"

It shrugged.

"She wants to kill the Lord Of Beasts."

Ethan blinked.

"Why?"

He stared at the demon.

"What did I do?"

The answer had genuinely caught him off guard.

"I mean, aside from killing that kangaroo weirdo and forcing her to destroy this place," he added while scratching the back of his head. As much of a setback as it likely was for her, it didn’t seem like it warranted a vendetta.

The demon laughed.

"You were destined to become their target the moment you received your Title."

Ethan’s expression darkened.

"Why?"

The demon raised one hand.

"Ah."

It wagged a finger.

"I was in a giving mood today."

Its smile returned.

"But that’s all you’re getting out of me."

Ethan stared at it.

"If you want more answers, just keep unlocking more of the inheritance that lunatic left for you."

Ethan’s brow furrowed.

’What lunatic?’

The thought immediately led to another.

’And does that mean it knows about the Tower, too?’

He had never expected the day to become even more insane.

Just when he thought he could finally rest his mind, he received a chain of revelations about Gates, Titles, vessels, higher beings, and now a mysterious entity connected to his own Title.

The demon had just casually dropped enough information to completely change how they viewed the world. There were likely very few people who knew what he had just learned, if any.

And yet, somehow, Ethan still had more questions than answers.

He wasn’t sure whether that was impressive or infuriating.

Probably both.

Either way, it was obvious he wasn’t getting anything else out of the demon today.

’It’s not like I can force them out of it.’

That’s when the demon added someone else to the conversation, and it was the last person either of them expected...

-

Ethan and Elara assumed their exchange with the demon was coming to an end. They had expected it to send them back to their bodies, leaving them to process everything they had just learned.

Instead, the demon casually raised one hand.

It snapped its fingers.

Snap!

A fourth chair appeared within the darkness.

Their eyes instantly shifted to it.

Someone was sitting there, and it wasn’t Kaela like they would have expected...

"Mark?"

The large, muscular man sat in his usual black shirt and trousers, his appearance still remarkably clean and composed despite everything his body had endured. But his expression was nothing like the calm man Ethan knew.

His eyes were wide and wild.

There was no recognition in them.

Whatever had transformed Mark had burrowed so deeply into his body that it seemed to have infected something far more fundamental than his flesh.

His very consciousness.

Mark’s head snapped toward the demon.

Then it roared.

"Filthy creature," the demon murmured as Mark launched himself from the chair.

The distance between them vanished almost instantly, his fist coming crashing toward the demon’s face.

It didn’t even bother standing.

The demon simply raised one hand.

Boom!

A crimson shockwave erupted from its palm.

Mark was swatted away as though he weighed nothing.

His enormous body tumbled through the darkness, rolling several times before finally stopping.

Ethan stared.

’It has complete control over this place...’

His gaze shifted toward the demon.

’And even if it didn’t, I doubt there are more than a handful of people capable of taking it on.’

His eyes moved toward Mark.

’And Mark definitely isn’t one of them.’

But that wasn’t what concerned Ethan most.

His friend slowly rose again.

There was still no recognition in his eyes, his hands curling into fists. His breathing became heavier, and once again his body began to change. Muscles expanded beneath his clothes as his shoulders broadened and his frame grew denser.

Even within this strange mental space, the transformation continued.

Ethan’s expression tightened.

’He’s still berserk.’

The demon looked toward Mark.

"Your friend here received something similar to a Title."

Ethan’s head snapped toward it.

"What does that even-"

Mark roared again, lunging towards the demon before it could even acknowledge Ethan’s question.

This time, it didn’t even bother defending.

Mark reached it and swung his fist.

The demon casually caught it, displaying the absurd difference in power.

Mark’s entire body strained.

His muscles bulged, and the metallic sheen that had once covered his physical body began spreading across his form even here, as though the transformation had become part of his very existence.

The demon stared at him.

"Disgusting."

It twisted Mark’s arm.

Mark was hurled across the darkness again.

Boom!

He crashed into nothing.

There was no wall, yet the impact still sent ripples through the black space.

Mark immediately recovered.

His body changed again; his muscles thickened further, his posture became more animalistic, and his mouth opened as another roar tore from his throat.

He charged again, to which the demon just sighed.

"You’re still far too weak."

Mark swung with everything he had.

The demon stepped aside.

His fist passed harmlessly through the space where it had been.

Then the demon placed two fingers against Mark’s chest.

Boom!

Mark was launched backwards again.

He tumbled through the darkness, but this time he recovered midair.

Ethan watched silently.

Mark wasn’t thinking or fighting tactically; he was guided purely by instinct.

Attack, adapt, and survive.

Mark’s body continued changing with every failed attempt.

His muscles condensed for more explosive speed, his frame became more imposing, and his movements became increasingly feral. Even his expression seemed to lose more of its humanity with every exchange.

Elara watched with growing concern.

"He’s getting worse."

The demon glanced toward her.

"Of course he is."

Mark charged again.

The demon caught him by the face.

"Pathetic."

Mark struggled, clawing at the demon’s wrist.

His body surged again.

The muscles in his neck expanded, the metallic sheen spread farther, and his strength increased, but it was still to no avail.

"Power without control."

It threw him aside effortlessly.

"You’ll never be able to defeat me like this."

Mark hit the darkness and immediately sprang back up.

Another roar.

Another charge.

The demon continued throwing him around with ease.

Every time Mark attacked, he was repelled. Every time he was thrown aside, he adapted. Every time he adapted, he became more dangerous. And yet the demon never looked remotely concerned.

It was playing with him.

Ethan could see it.

Mark wasn’t fighting the demon; he was being tested by it.

And he was failing.

Eventually, Mark lunged again.

This time, the demon didn’t simply knock him away.

It stopped him.

The crimson figure’s eyes narrowed.

"Enough."

The entire mental space seemed to tremble.

Mark froze.

For the first time, his feral expression faltered.

The demon slowly raised its hand, crimson energy gathering around its palm.

Ethan’s instincts immediately screamed.

The demon had been playing with Mark until now, but if it became serious...