[+41,800 XP]

  [+35 Souls]

  [+3 Imp Horn]

  [+4 Infernal Fang]

  [+1 Tattoo of The Red Hound]

  [LEVEL UP!]

  +2 Stat Points

  +10 Souls

  ‘Sheesh!’ Enochia thought, not exactly at the rewards, but more at her knight. 'This guy can slaughter me, and I threw him in the lava like a moron.' She started walking towards him, flexing her now somewhat healed arms. They still hurt like HELL, heh, nice, but she could easily move them. Think how much your legs hurt after a good leg day in the gym. Well, that, but just on arms. "Good job, dude. I expected nothing less from you!"

  As he turned around to look at Enochia, Cervain didn't bow, but he lowered his head. Enochia looked pleased with herself, now sure that she was forgiven. 'I really don't know what has gotten over me since I came to Hell. Maybe I grew dumber since becoming a Demon? Ohhhhhh, that would explain my idiotic episodes and decisions, right! I'm not a demonologist, but every demon I came across was a mindless beast, so the fact that I was only slightly dumbed down must mean I was brilliant back on Earth. Yes, that truly is the only explanation!'

  After reassuring herself on a factually correct statement that only she knew about, a window appeared in front of her, and this one, unlike the others for leveling up, she couldn't ignore.

  It shimmered into existence with obnoxious speed, like the system was trying to make sure she saw it as soon as possible. The text inside pulsed faintly, demanding attention, and no matter how much she tried to wave it away or mentally shove it aside, it just hung there.

  ─────────────────────────────

  QUEST ACQUIRED: Hell's Mandate

  Category: Trial

  Objective:

  Conquer the Village of Scorched Hearth and claim its Heartstone. Defeat the Warden within 1 hour, or face the Wrath of the Ring.

  Progress:

  Incomplete

  Description:

  You have slain a Lesser Guardian of the Ring and its packmates. The Lords of the Lower Depths have taken notice. Prove your worth, Traitor Demon, or be unmade.

  Primary Reward:

  ? +250,000 XP

  ? +100 Souls

  ? Evolution Path Unlock (Demon Noble Branch)

  ? Heartstone x1

  Failure:

  ? Permanent Stat Debuff (-20% to all Attributes)

  ? Hunted Status Applied

  Time Remaining:

  59:57

  ─────────────────────────────

  Enochia stared at the window, her jaw clenching so hard she could feel her molars grinding. "Oh, for fuck's sake." she muttered, rubbing her temples like that would make the damn thing vanish. ‘Don’t get me wrong, the rewards are insane, and I would have done it eventually, but I HATE being on a timer more than any fucking thing there is.'

  But deep down, that familiar buzz kicked in, the same one that got her hyped for the boar fight. Excitement mixed with irritation, like chugging coffee after a hangover.

  She glanced at Cervain, who was still standing there like a statue, his black armor smeared with hound ichor. The other knights had formed up behind him, shields lowered now that the immediate threat was paste. "Alright, tin cans. Looks like the big bosses downstairs want a show. We're taking that village, whatever the fuck a Heartstone is and we're doing it fast. No dicking around."

  Cervain's helm tilted slightly, as if acknowledging the order, and a low rumble echoed from his chest. The knights shifted into motion, falling into a loose wedge formation with Enochia at the point. She could feel that prickly demonic instinct tingling again, warning her that the village wasn't just empty houses and trash mobs. Something bigger was waiting, something that was almost certainly a Knight...

  'One hour,' she thought, cracking her knuckles and wincing at the residual pops. 'Plenty of time to NOT fall into any traps set up, and find their leader.'

  Enochia then wondered a bit about all the new stuff she had gotten. ‘I think I misremembered, because there is no way I got a tattoo, right?’

  ─────────────────────────────

  [UNCOMMON ITEM ? TATTOO OF THE RED HOUND]

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  A tattoo of a demonic hound mid-prowl, with fur like swirling embers and eyes that glow on the wearer's forearm.

  Effect: -5 Defense

  +25% bonus souls from each enemy the user slays

  Slot: Relic

  ─────────────────────────────

  "NOPE, not senile yet! Also, this one is great!" She honestly didn't care much about her defense. It was nice to have, but more souls meant she could gamble more in the shop hehehe... “NO STOP, NO GAMBLING. I'm buying only what appears in the flash shop and nothing else, for real! Buuuuutttt, a few times after this won't hurt, right?”

  She shook her head, muttering under her breath, "After Nokia, you can think of that later! Focus, dumbass."

  She was talking to herself, full-on mumbling like a crazy person and a few of the newer knights shot each other sideways glances, their helms tilting while they kept marching. Cervain just let out this heavy, world-weary sigh, glancing at her like a dad watching his kid throw a tantrum in the candy aisle. One glare from those red eyes, though, and the knights snapped straight, staring dead ahead like nothing happened.

  'I'll equip it later, though. I really don't know how strong the boss will be, and I don't wanna die. Call it maidenless behavior, but fuck you, I'm a maiden myself, so I got at least one. Wait… Who am I even talking to?'

  She froze mid-step, boots grinding into the scorched dirt, and her whole squad halted like they'd hit an invisible wall. The knights' shields came up instinctively, but Enochia's eyes were locked straight ahead. There, just at the entrance of the village, framed by two crumbling obsidian arches dripping with lava was a man. He looked human. Truly looked human. Pale skin, ragged clothes that screamed "starving refugee," messy hair, even that defeated slump in his shoulders like he'd been through hell.

  Her expression lit up. "Holy fucking shit! A human! Someone else is down here!"

  She bolted toward the first goddamn human she saw since she respawned in this furnace. But halfway there, that prickly instinct fired off like a shotgun in her gut. Without thinking, she flicked her wrist.

  [Analyze]

  ─────────────────────────────

  STATUS:

  Name: Leon Bradley

  Title: Possessed

  Level: 200

  EXP: 200,000 / 200,000

  HP: 5,150

  MANA: 660

  ─────────────────────────────

  Enochia's run slowed to a skidding halt, boots carving furrows in the ash. Her grin cracked into that irritated scowl again, eyes narrowing as the "man" straightened up a tad too smoothly, his face rippling like heat haze off a grill. "Oh, you gotta be fucking kidding me," she growled.

  Enochia prayed to Roo, hell, to anyone listening in this godforsaken pit that that title didn't mean what she thought it did. 'Possessed? Like, demon-ridden? Because if this guy's got some infernal squatter in his soul, that's just my luck. First human I see, and he's probably gonna try to eat my face.'

  She flicked her wrist again, pulling up the details on that title, because of course the system had to rub it in her face.

  ─────────────────────────────

  Title Effect — Possessed

  ? The user cannot initiate actions, decisions, or skills without direct command from the possessing force. Resistance attempts result in self-inflicted damage.

  ? Progression is locked at Level 200, preventing any further growth or evolution beyond this threshold.

  ? Loss of any, and all resistances.

  ─────────────────────────────

  Enochia cringed looking at that, but then grew a bit sad. She honestly didn't even see his stats, level or certain weakness, but focused fully on the fact that that wasn't a human anymore... “Roo…” she asked silently, “Is there any way to turn him back into a normal human?”

  [Yes.]

  That single word popped up in her vision like a lifeline thrown into a shitstorm, and something lit up in Enochia's eyes.

  She smiled. 'Hell yeah! The quest says "defeat," not "kill." Perfect! I can beat the ever-loving snot out him, tie his ass up with chains, and stash him somewhere safe until I figure out the exorcism bit. Then boom—chat buddy acquired! Someone to bitch about Hell with. Hehehe, jackpot.'

  She was straight-up giggling to herself now, this weird, bubbly sound bubbling out like she'd just won the lottery. The knights exchanged more of those confused glances, hell, even Cervain's helm dipped a fraction, like he was questioning her sanity.

  But then, the "man" burst into flames. Not like a gentle campfire—nah, full-on inferno, black and red tongues licking up his skin, charring those ragged clothes to ash in seconds. Enochia snapped serious instantly, though that dumb smile lingered on her face. Out of the blaze stepped... well, a demon. Think of the most demonic thing you can imagine, the classic horned bastard from every nightmare, but cranked to eleven.

  He tripled in size, towering like a goddamn building on legs, all rippling muscle that looked like it could bench-press a mountain. Sickly Leon was utterly gone, replaced by this beefed-up monstrosity with two gigantic flaming horns curling out of his skull like twisted inferno crowns. And oh yeah, he had another huge thing swinging... his axe! A massive, double-headed beast of a weapon, edges glowing white-hot, dripping molten slag onto the ground where it hissed and popped.

  'Wait a minute... HE'S LEVEL TWO HUNDRED, FUCK!' Enochia's brain finally caught up, eyes darting back to the analyze window she'd half-ignored. 'And since his mana is so low... it must mean he dumped all his stats into speed and strength! Shit, this guy's a freight train!'

  Just as she finished that thought, she heard a skill being activated.

  [Blackstep]

  Black flames erupted from the demon's cloven feet, coiling like smoke snakes, and he dashed forward in a blur that ate the distance like it was nothing. One second he was at the village entrance; the next, he was almost on top of her, axe raised high enough to cleave a house in half.

  "OH FUCK!" Enochia yelped, pure instinct kicking in. She triggered one of the dashes from her crown. She barely dodged, the axe's whoosh slicing the air where her head had been, close enough to singe her hair and make her eyes water from the heat.

  But momentum's a bitch. Her boot clipped a jagged rock mid-retreat, and suddenly she was spinning ass-over-elbows, flailing like a drunk at a mosh pit. 'Fuuuuck! Not like this, not like a fucking cartoon!'—until a solid pair of armored hands caught her mid-tumble. Cervain. He skidded back a few feet on the scorched earth, boots digging furrows to bleed off her speed, holding her steady like she weighed nothing.

  Enochia's world tilted for a second, dizzy stars popping in her vision, but she shook her head hard, hair whipping across her face. "Thanks, big guy." she muttered, shoving off his pauldron to steady herself.

  No time for chit-chat, because the demon was already charging again, ground shaking under his thunderous steps, axe trailing fire like a comet's tail.