Chase raced through the dense, towering trees of the forest, their branches forming an arch overhead as moonlight dappled the ground. As he emerged from the shadows, he found himself on the outskirts of a small, picturesque vilge. The cottages, with their thatched roofs and flower-filled window boxes, gave the pce a charming atmosphere. Yet, the beauty of the scene was shattered by the remnants of chaos—ruined buildings, scattering ashes, and echoes of despair lingered in the air. If it weren't for the heavy pall of death and destruction that hung over the vilge, he might have savored the moment and the tranquility it promised.

  "Jesus," Chase said out loud as he looked at the bodies and a burning building.

  He had encountered blood and gore in countless games and movies, familiar with the visceral images fshing across screens. But this moment marked his first confrontation with reality, the rawness of it hitting him like a punch to the gut. The metallic scent of blood hung heavy in the air, mingling with the acrid stench of decay, a horrific reminder of the fragility of life. It was more overwhelming than he had ever imagined, an assault on his senses that left him reeling.

  It smelled like burned flesh and rotting meat. He recognized the pungent aroma of raw meat from his days in the restaurant industry as a teenager, a scent that could evoke both appetite and nostalgia. But this was something far more sinister; it was the unmistakable stench of decay and death, heavy and suffocating, cwing at his senses and sending a chill down his spine.

  Chase felt sick to his stomach, and what put him over the top was seeing dead children.

  'Fuck, I-I think I'm going to puke.' Chase felt a wave of nausea wash over him, his head starting to spin as the overpowering sights and smells surrounded him. It was as if the world was closing in, and he had to fight the urge to succumb to the dizziness threatening to pull him under. He barely managed to hold himself upright, the queasiness creeping closer to the point of no return.

  "Bh! Bghhh."

  Chase started puking everything that was in his stomach. He was trying to keep it together, but his body was trying to expel everything. Once he had emptied his stomach of its contents, a wave of relief washed over him. Gradually, a sense of lightness repced the heaviness that had weighed him down. With newfound strength coursing through his body, he felt ready to push himself up to his feet.

  "I wish I could have done something... but I don't know what I could have done," Chase said as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, staring down at the mess he had made.

  Eve caught up to her master and hovered around him.

  "You are a strange one, master... What was the stuff you shot out of your mouth?" Eve asked as she floated closer to Chase's face.

  "Ugh. You don't want to know... Hey, did everyone go crazy because of me?" Chase asked as he tried to get the horrible odor out of his nose.

  "Yeah... Once the humans realize that a Demon Lord respawned next to the vilge. Some started fleeing, while others took their deepest, darkest desires out on the innocent. It's quite glorious, isn't it, master?" said the floating book with excitement.

  Chase shook his head, "No... This is the opposite, Eve... It's terrible."

  The floating grimoire tilted itself in confusion, "But the humans are the perfect species to corrupt and ensve. To make you stronger and more powerful."

  "Look, Eve. I don't know why I'm here, but I can't sit around and watch people suffer. I'm going to do something to help any survivors that doesn't involve corrupting or killing people. Okay?"

  Eve sighed and shook its "head" in disappointment, "Whatever you say, master. I'll just follow your lead, even if I think it's pointless... Plus, I'm not used to this... Helping? I think that's what you called it. Anyways, I will be a great servant for you, master. You'll see."

  'I guess I'll take that as a win,' Chase thought.

  "Thanks, Eve. And don't do anything without asking me first," Chase replied.

  "You can count on me, master!" the floating book nodded enthusiastically.

  'I hope she means it... But I should keep an eye on her... Eve might misinterpret what I meant by helping people.' Chase thought as he began walking through the devastated vilge.

  ***

  Chase wandered through the desote vilge, his footsteps echoing against the crumbling buildings. A heavy silence enveloped the air, thick with the scent of decay, as he searched for any signs of life. Every corner he turned revealed only lifeless bodies, a grim reminder of the tragedy that had unfolded. The weight of guilt settled heavily in his chest, each discovery burning deeper into his soul. Just when despair threatened to consume him completely, a faint sound pierced the stillness—a rhythmic beating of a heart in the distance, a glimmer of hope amidst the despair.

  "Huh? Can I actually hear people's heartbeats? This is seriously strange... Hold on. That person over there might be in trouble." Panic surged in Chase as he sprinted down the cobblestone road leading to the vilge square, his heart racing in sync with the urgency of the moment.

  As he was running towards the faint heartbeat. He noticed the bodies of the people lining the street. It looked like a sughterhouse, with blood everywhere. Some of the bodies were mutited, some were burned to a crisp.

  'Shit! It's like fifty people were killed in the st thirty minutes. That's fucked up!' Chase thought as he saw the bodies.

  He wanted to stop and take care of the dead, but the heartbeat was getting weaker, and Chase was worried that whoever this person was would die before he could get to them.

  'I have to find that person and help them.' Chase thought, and then he increased his speed.

  "Dammit. Where are you?" Chase muttered.

  As he rounded the bend into the vilge square, an unsettling scene unfolded before him. There, in the center of the cobblestone road, y a woman motionless, her pale form stark against the deep crimson that spread around her like a macabre halo. The air was thick with an unsettling silence, broken only by the distant rustle of leaves and burning wood. She was topless and looked like she was at death's door.

  'Shit. Don't die on me.' Chase thought to himself as he rushed to her.

  When he arrived, he knelt down next to her and saw her open wound; he didn't know what to do.

  "Hello? Excuse me, Miss?" Chase gently tapped the woman's cheek, his brow furrowed in concern. When she didn’t stir, his heart raced, the silence thickening around them.

  He swiftly reached out, his two fingertips delicately pressing against the graceful curve of her neck, searching for the faint rhythm of her pulse beneath her warm skin. She still had a pulse but it was getting weaker.

  "Fuck... She's losing too much blood. And I doubt this world has a blood bank. Think, Chase. You gotta do something."

  Chase was intensely focused, his mind racing as he searched for a solution to the problem at hand. Just then, Eve glided towards them and hovered over the dying woman.

  'Wait! I'm a Demon with magic, right? So maybe I have a spell that can help her?' Chase concluded as he quickly looked up at Eve.

  "Eve, do you have a healing spell that I can use?" Chase asked, hoping that his hunch was correct.

  The floating grimoire seemed like it did a double-take as it stared at him with surprise.

  "Healing spells? No... Master doesn't have spells that can heal this human... But?" Eve trailed off.

  "But what?!" Chase inquired as his heart pounded as time was of the essence.

  "Well, you can save her if you corrupt her and turn her into a succubus. This enchanting metamorphosis will not only lift away all her diseases and ailments but also restore her to vibrant health. Easy enough for a Demon Lord, don’t you think?"

  "Corrupt her! I don't want to make her evil, Eve!" Chase excimed.

  "Master, when you turn someone into a member of your faction, you can pick or choose what gets changed in their soul... I don't know why you wouldn't want to erase their free will and turn them into an obedient puppet who would be loyal and faithful to your cause. But it's your choice if you want their soul intact or corrupted. Regardless, this is the only option you have to save this human," Eve replied with a slight tinge of annoyance in her tone.

  Chase paused, deep in thought, as he listened intently. The gentle rhythm of the woman's heartbeat was gradually fading, each pulse becoming weaker and more distant, like a distant drumbeat in a quiet room. He strained to catch the st echoes of her life, the sounds growing fainter until he could barely discern them at all.

  "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. If I go through with this, you promise me that I’ll still be able to keep her true personality and independent spirit?" Chase asked in desperation.

  Eve didn't understand why this was such a big deal for her master. He should just corrupt her and be done with it, but for some reason, she couldn't deny his request.

  "Correct, master. The only thing that is going to change about her will be her race and her sexual hunger. If you wish it, she'll still be herself once her race has been transformed. But she'll need more sex than most other races to survive," Eve said as she tried to suppress the sigh of exasperation she was holding in.

  "Fine... I don't have any other options. And if you're wrong, Eve, I will beat the cover off of you."

  "Oh? So you do know how to be naught—"

  "Not now, Eve!... Tell me what to do to save her," Chase ordered.

  "Very well, master."

  The grimoire flew down and hovered above the woman's chest, and Eve opened up to a bnk page. Soon all the information about Lai started to appear on the page.

  "Whoa... This is amazing, Eve," Chase said in awe.

  "Yes. The information I'm getting from this human is vast and very useful. Now, just y your hand on her chest and concentrate on channeling your mana into this woman named Lai Velno," Eve expined.

  Chase followed Eve's instructions to the letter, meticulously adhering to her guidance with unwavering focus.

  "Okay, how do I know if I'm channeling my mana?"

  "Just rex, master... Now close your eyes and try not to focus on anything but Lai."

  Chase was starting to get worried. He didn't want to make a mistake and end up turning her into a mindless sex drone.

  "Don't worry, master. If you fail, she'll just die, and I'll find another human."

  Chase opened his eyes and stared down at Eve, "If she dies, I'll tear you apart."

  "Geez? Someone is touchy today," Eve teased.

  Chase ignored her, closed his eyes once again, and focused his mind on Lai. He took a deep breath, allowing the soft hum of the world around him to fade into the background. With deliberate concentration, he let his thoughts drift toward Lai's limp form. He could sense her heartbeat. It was weak but still there. Her skin was cool to the touch, and a faint sheen of sweat glistened on her bare chest.

  'Come on, Lai. Fight through this. You can make it.'

  After a few seconds, he felt a connection with her, and soon, a purple-pink light flowed out of his hand and into Lai.