The deep, echoing voice resonated through the vast chamber. The man before me—or rather, the being—stood tall, his black armor exuding an ominous presence. Crimson eyes peered at me through his helmet, glowing like embers in the darkness. Behind him, jagged obsidian pillars stretched toward the cavernous ceiling, casting long shadows across the cold stone floor.

  What the hell is going on?

  I tried to move, but my legs felt like jelly. My heart pounded in my chest, my mind racing with confusion.

  "Kid, maligayang pagdating sa mundo ng mga demonyo. Pinatawag kita dito para ipaglaban mo kami."

  The words barely registered, a jumble of unfamiliar sounds. Tagalog? I could understand some words. Was this some kind of dream? Did I get isekai'd?

  The armored figure tilted his head slightly before raising his gauntleted hand. A faint purple glow surrounded it, and then—

  "Ay, sorry, sorry… There. Can you understand me now?"

  The words shifted midair, like a ripple through reality, until suddenly, I understood him perfectly.

  I swallowed hard. My mouth felt dry.

  “W-What the hell is going on?”

  The being in black armor chuckled, a deep, reverberating sound.

  "Heh, you are now one of my elite employee's!"

  Zareth Malgrim stood tall, his black armor gleaming under the eerie crimson glow of the torches lining the chamber. His presence alone was suffocating, like the weight of an entire storm pressing down on me.

  But my brain couldn't process any of that.

  "Wait, wait, hold on a second." I raised my hands, trying to steady myself. "Did you just say… employee?"

  "Yes," he replied matter-of-factly. "An elite one, at that."

  I blinked. My mouth opened, then closed.

  The last thing I remembered, I was lying on my bed, reading Wind Breaker. I had just reached the part where Jay was about to—wait, no, that wasn’t important right now! What was important was that I had somehow been transported to another world, and now a Demon Lord in full-on final boss armor was talking to me about employment.

  I rubbed my temples, trying to make sense of it all. "Uh… You sure you didn't mean 'warrior' or 'champion' or something? 'Cause 'elite employee' makes it sound like you're hiring me for a corporate job."

  Zareth Malgrim let out a low chuckle. "What is a champion if not an employee with high expectations?"

  I stared at him. Was this guy serious?

  "You will fight for us," he continued, voice unwavering. "You will lead our armies. You will face the strongest humans in battle."

  Okay. That sounded a lot more like what I was expecting from an isekai summoning. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was… off.

  "And what if I say no?" I asked cautiously.

  Zareth's crimson eyes locked onto mine, glowing like burning coals.

  "Then I'll have to fire you."

  I gulped. Somehow, I got the feeling he didn’t mean that in the normal HR way.

  wait "What about my special skill?! You didn't summon me here without thinking of one right?" I quickly jump up and down expecting for something overpowered.

  I clenched my fists, bouncing on my feet again. “What about my special skill?! You didn’t just summon me without thinking of one, right?”

  Zareth Malgrim crossed his arms, his crimson eyes glowing faintly. “Hmm… Special skill, you say?”

  I stopped mid-bounce, feeling a bead of sweat roll down my temple. “Don’t tell me… you didn’t check?!”

  Zareth let out a low chuckle. “Summoning magic is unpredictable. It’s not as if I chose you personally. The ritual did.”

  I nearly tripped. “So you’re saying I might not even have a special skill?!”

  The Demon Lord merely shrugged. “Unlikely, but possible.”

  I felt my soul leave my body. What kind of isekai summoning was this?!

  Zareth watched me freak out for a moment before he sighed and lifted his hand. A dark, swirling energy gathered in his palm, pulsing like a living thing. “Well, since I am the one who brought you here, I suppose I should offer you something.”

  I looked up at the ominous black energy swirling in his grasp. “Uh… what is that?”

  “A skill,” Zareth said simply. “One of my own making. Consider it a gift for my newest employee.”

  My gut told me this wasn’t going to be a free gift, but what choice did I have? Gritting my teeth, I nodded. “Alright. Hit me with it.”

  The Demon Lord smirked. “Then accept my power, human.”

  Before I could react, the dark energy shot toward me, slamming into my chest.

  Pain.

  A searing, suffocating sensation burned through my body, like every fiber of my being was set on fire from the inside. My muscles tensed, my heartbeat thundered in my ears, and for a moment, I thought I was going to explode—

  Then it stopped.

  I gasped for air, dropping to one knee. My whole body tingled, like I had just finished an extreme workout without warming up.

  Zareth loomed over me. “It is done.”

  I forced myself to stand. “What… What did you just give me?”

  “A skill of my own design,” Zareth said, watching me closely. “Abyssal Override.”

  I swallowed. “And what does it do?”

  “It enhances your physical abilities far beyond human limits,” he explained. “Speed, strength, reflexes—everything will reach extraordinary levels.”

  My heart skipped a beat. “That sounds awesome!”

  Zareth chuckled. “For a short time.”

  I blinked. “Wait, what?”

  “Abyssal Override is not without consequences,” he continued. “Once it wears off, the strain will leave you weak and exhausted. Overusing it might even kill you.”

  I felt my excitement drain. “That… sounds significantly less awesome.”

  Zareth smirked. “You asked for a skill. I delivered.”

  I groaned, rubbing my temples. “Yeah, but you gave me one with a self-destruct button.”

  The Demon Lord simply shrugged. “All power comes at a price. Learn to use it well, human.”

  I let out a deep sigh, but deep down, I couldn’t deny it—this was the first step to surviving in this world.

  No turning back now.

  I took a deep breath, shaking off the lingering exhaustion from whatever weird ritual Zareth just did to me.

  "Alright," I muttered, clenching my fists. "So how do I activate it?"

  Zareth smirked. "Simple. Just will it to activate."

  I blinked. "That's it?"

  "That's it."

  I exhaled slowly, nodding. Okay. Just focus. Imagine yourself getting stronger.

  I closed my eyes and concentrated. My body tensed as I visualized raw power surging through me—my muscles tightening, my reflexes sharpening, my speed increasing to inhuman levels. I felt something shift inside me, like a hidden switch being flipped.

  And then—

  BOOM!

  A violent wave of force exploded from my body, cracking the stone floor beneath my feet. My vision turned razor-sharp, every detail in the room now crystal clear. My heartbeat pounded in my ears like a war drum, and a searing heat rushed through my veins.

  I felt unstoppable.

  "Holy crap," I muttered, flexing my fingers. "This is insane!"

  Zareth raised an eyebrow. "Not bad. Your body is adapting quickly."

  A wide grin spread across my face. This was exactly the kind of overpowered skill I was hoping for! With this, I could—

  My thoughts were cut off by a sharp, stabbing pain in my chest.

  "AGH!" My knees buckled as a crushing weight pressed down on me. My breathing turned ragged, my vision swam, and the raw power I felt just seconds ago vanished like smoke in the wind.

  I collapsed onto my hands and knees, gasping for air.

  Zareth let out an amused chuckle. "And there's the downside."

  I glared up at him, sweat dripping down my face. "You—could've—warned me!"

  "I did," he said with a smirk. "You just chose to ignore the consequences."

  I groaned, my limbs feeling like lead. It was like pulling an all-nighter, running a marathon, and then getting hit by a truck—all at once.

  "Welcome to the world of demons, human," Zareth said, his crimson eyes gleaming. "This is only the beginning."

  I gritted my teeth. Damn it. If I'm going to survive here… I need to master this power.

  I groaned, still lying on the cold stone floor, my limbs refusing to move. Every muscle in my body ached like I had just sprinted a hundred miles while carrying a boulder.

  Then it hit me.

  "Wait. Why the hell should I even master this power?!" I snapped, forcing myself to sit up. "This isn't some cheat skill—it's a bomb strapped onto me!"

  Zareth chuckled, clearly entertained by my suffering. "A rather useful bomb, don’t you think?"

  I shot him a glare. "No, I don’t think! What kind of broken-ass skill is this?! Sure, I get strong for a few seconds, but then I’m completely useless after! That’s not a power—that’s a goddamn trap!"

  Zareth smirked. "I never said it was without risks."

  I ran a frustrated hand through my hair. "Then tell me this—how the hell am I supposed to fight for you when I don’t even have an OP skill?!"

  The Demon Lord studied me for a moment, then let out a low hum. "Hmm… A fair question."

  I crossed my arms, waiting for an actual answer.

  Then, to my shock, Zareth threw his head back and laughed. A deep, booming sound that echoed through the chamber.

  "Good!" He grinned, stepping forward. "I was worried you’d be one of those blindly loyal types, eager to accept power without question."

  I blinked. "What?"

  He knelt slightly, leveling his crimson gaze with mine. "Let me tell you something, human. The strongest warriors in this world are not those gifted with overwhelming power from the start. Strength is built, sharpened like a blade. What I have given you is nothing more than a foundation."

  I frowned, trying to process his words. "So… what, you’re saying I can improve it?"

  Zareth smirked. "Anything can be improved, if you’re willing to put in the effort."

  I looked down at my hands, still trembling from the aftereffects of Abyssal Override.

  The idea that I could train this skill, push past its limitations… It sounded good, but that didn’t change the fact that it was a major liability right now.

  I exhaled, shaking my head. "I don’t know, man. I still think I got screwed over here."

  Zareth chuckled. "Perhaps. Or perhaps this is exactly what you need."

  I wanted to argue—but deep down, a tiny voice in my head whispered: What if he's right?

  I sighed and scratched my head, still feeling the lingering exhaustion from Abyssal Override. "Alright, fine, whatever. But at least tell me—what even is this world? Who are we fighting, and how strong are they?"

  Zareth’s smirk faded slightly, replaced by a more serious expression. "You stand in the Demon Realm—a vast land ruled by the Fourteen Demon Lords. I am one of them."

  I crossed my arms. "Yeah, I got that part. But what about the enemies?"

  Zareth let out a low hum. "Our main enemies are humans."

  I blinked. "Wait, what?"

  "The world beyond the Demon Realm belongs to them," Zareth continued. "Kingdoms, empires, holy orders—all united under their so-called gods. They see us as monsters, threats that must be eradicated. War has raged between our kind for centuries."

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  I let that sink in. So this wasn’t some standard ‘hero versus demon lord’ story. The humans weren’t necessarily the good guys either.

  "So, uh… how strong are they?" I asked cautiously.

  Zareth’s eyes gleamed. "Stronger than you can imagine."

  A chill ran down my spine.

  "The average human soldier is weak, barely more than fodder," he admitted. "But their elites—the knights, adventurers, and champions blessed by their gods—are another matter entirely."

  I frowned. "You’re telling me humans can get divine blessings?"

  Zareth nodded. "Indeed. The strongest among them hold Divine Protections or Unique Skills—powers granted by their gods. Some of them can rival or even surpass Demon Lords."

  I gulped. "So... how do we even win against that?"

  Zareth smirked. "That’s where you come in, human."

  I groaned. "Right, of course. Summon the random guy from another world and hope for the best."

  Zareth chuckled. "Do not underestimate yourself. You may not realize it yet, but the potential for greatness lies within you."

  I scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. Says the guy who strapped a self-destruct skill onto me."

  Zareth’s smirk widened. "Then survive, grow stronger, and prove me wrong."

  I sighed, running a hand down my face. "Man, I really should’ve just kept reading my damn manhwa..."

  I stood up, crossing my arms. "So… what kind of training am I supposed to do?"

  Zareth tapped his chin, as if considering something deeply. "Training, hmm… I suppose the best place to start is by boosting your endurance."

  I smirked. "Oh? So, something like Saitama’s training? You know—100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and a 10km run every day?"

  Zareth tilted his head. "No."

  I blinked. "No?"

  His smirk widened. "I’m just going to beat you half to death and heal you."

  My entire body froze. "...What?"

  Before I could process the absolute insanity of what he just said, Zareth cracked his knuckles. The sound alone sent a shiver down my spine.

  "Let’s begin."

  “WAIT—”

  BOOM!

  Before I could even react, a massive force slammed into my gut, sending me flying across the room. I crashed into the stone wall with a loud THUD, the impact knocking the air out of my lungs.

  I wheezed, barely able to lift my head. "What the hell, man—"

  Zareth was already standing over me.

  His armored fist plunged down.

  CRACK.

  Pain exploded across my face as I felt myself die.

  Everything went dark.

  A moment later, I gasped back to life, feeling a cold, tingling sensation wash over me. I sat up with a choked breath, my body still aching but… whole.

  Zareth loomed over me, his hands still glowing with dark magic. "Good. The healing spell works fine."

  I stared at him in horror. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

  Zareth smirked. "This is training."

  "THIS IS TORTURE!"

  "Semantics."

  I scrambled backward, my entire body still trembling from the very recent experience of death. "Dude! How is this supposed to help me?!"

  Zareth shrugged. "Your body will adapt. The more you endure, the longer you’ll last in real combat."

  I felt like crying. "You could’ve just given me a normal training regimen!"

  He cracked his knuckles again. "That would take too long."

  I paled. "W-Wait, hold on, let’s talk about this—"

  BOOM.

  And just like that, my second death of the day began.

  "HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!"

  I thrashed around, flailing my arms as I tried to scramble away. Screw this! I was not about to be some Demon Lord’s punching bag!

  Zareth sighed, shaking his head. "Hey, you should really stop screaming."

  "LIKE HELL I WILL!"

  He smirked. "If the other Demon Lords hear you, they might kill both me and you."

  I froze mid-scream. "What?!"

  Zareth scratched his cheek. "Well, you see… they don’t exactly know I summoned a human. Hehe."

  I stared at him in sheer disbelief. "You mean—"

  BOOM.

  A fist slammed into my stomach.

  I rocketed backward, my vision shaking as I felt my soul leave my body for the third time today. I coughed up air, wheezing on the ground.

  "WAIT—wait! Just explain fir—"

  BOOM.

  Another hit.

  I barely processed what happened before I found myself upside down, mid-air. Time seemed to slow down as I saw Zareth’s fist retract, his smirk way too entertained for my liking.

  I crashed into the ground, dust and debris scattering around me. Every cell in my body screamed in agony.

  I lay there twitching, barely able to move. "I… I hate this world…"

  Zareth cracked his knuckles again. "Come now, human. We’re just getting started."

  "There, you should be fully healed."

  I gasped, feeling the familiar icy sensation of Zareth’s magic washing over me. My body, which had just been repeatedly obliterated, was back to perfect condition.

  Zareth smirked. "But hey, you’re improving! You endured five minutes longer this time! At first, you only lasted for one second!"

  I groaned, barely able to lift my head. "M-Maybe… because I was running?"

  Zareth wagged his finger. "No, no, I wasn’t talking about that. I meant the time it takes for you to die."

  I blinked. "Hu—"

  BOOM.

  Pain. Pain. I didn’t even see it coming. My entire world flipped as I was sent crashing through the ground again.

  I barely managed to lift a trembling hand. "W-WHAT THE FUCK—at least give me a—"

  BOOM.

  Zareth casually wiped dust off his gauntlet. "Less complaining, more training."

  I coughed. "This isn't training, you bastard! This is a goddamn war crime!"

  He chuckled. "Good! That means it’s working."

  I lay there, twitching.

  This… this Demon Lord was insane.

  "Now, let’s try this with a weapon, shall we?"

  I barely managed to lift my head from the ground, my entire body still twitching from the seventh time I had died today. "Huh…?"

  Zareth held out his hand, and with a flash of dark energy, a massive black sword materialized in his grasp. Its jagged edges pulsed with eerie red veins, practically screaming danger.

  I immediately panicked. "A WEAPON?! WHY THE HELL ARE WE MOVING ON SO FAST?!"

  Zareth smirked. "Well, you’re improving so quickly, I figured I should increase the difficulty."

  I flailed weakly on the ground. "I literally can’t move right now—"

  "Good. That’ll make dodging more of a challenge."

  "I SWEAR TO GOD—"

  WHOOSH.

  The sword came down.

  "Huh? I'm back?"

  I blinked, suddenly perfectly healed again. My body felt fine—no pain, no broken bones, just… normal.

  Zareth grinned. "See? That wasn’t painful at all!"

  I slowly sat up, staring at him with suspicion. "Wait… really? That last one didn’t hurt?"

  "Of course not."

  I exhaled in relief. "Oh, thank god—"

  WHOOSH.

  The black sword swung down.

  SLASH!

  "AHHH, MY BACK!"

  I collapsed onto the floor, searing pain shooting through my entire body. I could barely breathe, my nerves screaming as I clutched at the wound.

  Zareth chuckled. "Oh, my bad. I meant the last death didn’t hurt. This one? Yeah, this one’s gonna sting."

  I wheezed, barely able to turn my head toward him. "You—absolute—psychopath—"

  He swung again.

  I opened my eyes.

  I was healed again.

  The moment I realized my body was in one piece, I didn’t waste a second.

  I jumped to my feet and sprinted toward the nearest door. "HAHA! SEE YOU, SUCKER!"

  Zareth tilted his head. "Hm?"

  I didn’t care. I bolted out of the room, my legs moving faster than they ever had in my entire life.

  The hallway outside was massive, made of dark stone and towering pillars. This place was definitely a fortress. The air smelled ancient, and everything felt eerie, but I didn’t stop running.

  I could see it—a large open courtyard up ahead. Freedom!

  But then…

  The light started to disappear.

  "Huh?"

  At first, I thought it was just my eyes adjusting. But no—shadows crept in from the edges of my vision, swallowing the walls, the floor, even the air itself.

  Panic surged through me.

  My feet stopped touching the ground.

  I was falling.

  "AHHHHHH FUCK!" I screamed as the world around me vanished into pure darkness. My arms flailed wildly, trying to grab onto anything, but there was nothing to hold.

  "WHAT THE FUCK?! WHY IS EVERYTHING DISAPPEARING?!"

  The fortress, the door, the floor—everything was gone.

  I was free-falling into an abyss.

  "HAHAHAHA! Why are you crying?!"

  "Huh?" I blinked, feeling something wet on my face. I wiped my cheeks and—wait. Was I actually crying?!

  Zareth stood over me, arms crossed, grinning like a maniac.

  I immediately pointed at him. "STOP LAUGHING! IT’S NOT FUNNY!" My voice cracked, but I didn’t care. "And—WHAT EVEN WAS THAT?!"

  Zareth chuckled. "Ah, that? Just my personal security system. Can’t have you running off now, can we?"

  I gawked at him. "Security system?! You mean the VOID OF DEATH I FELL INTO?!"

  He waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, relax. It just teleports you back here."

  I clenched my fists. "IT FELT LIKE I DIED!"

  Zareth smirked. "Then maybe don’t run away."

  I collapsed onto the ground, face in my hands. "I hate this place."

  "Yeah, me too," Zareth said with a sigh.

  SLASH!

  "FUCK!" I clutched my side as pain exploded through my body. I collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.

  "LET ME FREE! THIS IS TORTURE, NOT TRAINING!"

  Zareth smirked, resting his sword on his shoulder. "Oh? But look at you! You’re lasting longer with each session."

  I glared up at him, rage burning in my soul. "I DON’T WANT TO ‘LAST LONGER,’ I WANT TO LEAVE!"

  He shrugged. "Too bad. You signed up for this the moment you got summoned."

  "I DIDN’T SIGN UP FOR SHIT!"

  "Semantics."

  "STOP SAYING SEMANTICS!"

  Zareth chuckled. "Come now, human. On your feet. We’re only getting started."

  I lay there, staring up at the ceiling, praying for a miracle.

  ***

  I wasn’t special. Not in the way people in fantasy stories were. No tragic past, no grand ambitions—just an average guy.

  Back home, I was just another college student, scraping by with decent grades and spending most of my free time reading manhwa, watching anime, and gaming. My routine was simple: wake up, go to class, come home, and drown myself in whatever fictional world I could escape into.

  I wasn’t athletic, but I wasn’t weak either. I did enough to stay in shape—jogging a bit, hitting the gym once in a while when my friends dragged me along. Not that it mattered now. The body I spent years getting used to felt… different. Stronger in some ways, but also fragile in others.

  I ran a hand through my messy black hair, the same as always. My dark brown eyes stared back at me in my reflection earlier, but something in them had changed. Maybe it was the exhaustion from getting beat to near death repeatedly, or maybe it was the realization that my old life was truly gone.

  I had no grand dreams of becoming a hero. No desire to fight in some war between demons and humans. And yet, here I was, summoned by a Demon Lord who expected me to fight for him.

  Life had been unfair before—but at least back then, I had a choice.

  ***

  The sound of footsteps snapped me back to reality.

  "Alright, break time’s over," Zareth’s voice rang out. "Let’s see if you’ve learned anything."

  I groaned. "Can’t I at least get a meal first?"

  BOOM.

  Pain shot through me again.

  "Ah, my bad. You were saying?"

  I was going to die here.

  Again.

  And again.

  And again.

  "Ho? Someone's here," Zareth mutters, turning his gaze toward the doorframe.

  I barely lift my head, still lying on the cold floor, body aching from the so-called "training."

  Then, a voice echoes in my head.

  'Don't speak up that I summoned you here. Act like a demon.'

  'Huh? Is that you? And how does a demon even act?' I think back, confused.

  Before he can respond, the door creaks open. A chilling yet strangely alluring presence fills the room. The air itself feels heavier, yet it isn't oppressive—more like shadows curling around the edges of my vision.

  I turn my head, and there she is.

  A woman with long, dark violet hair that cascades down her back, crimson eyes that gleam with amusement, and a sly smirk curling her lips. She walks in with an effortless grace, the kind that makes it seem like she owns any space she enters.

  Her gaze falls on me.

  "My, my, who do we have here?"

  Zareth crosses his arms, unfazed. "What do you want, Nyxara?"

  The 10th Demon Lord. Queen of Shadows.

  And judging by the way she’s looking at me, I have a very bad feeling about this.

  Zareth sighs, clearly unimpressed. “Can’t I visit you? I was bored anyways,” Nyxara says playfully, stepping further into the room.

  Her crimson eyes lock onto me as she saunters forward, moving like a shadow slipping through the cracks. Before I can even react, she crouches down and grabs my chin between her fingers, tilting my face up to meet her gaze.

  “Who is this handsome young man?” she muses, her lips curling into a smirk.

  My body tenses. Her touch is cool, like the edge of a blade resting against my skin. I don’t know if she’s analyzing me, toying with me, or something else entirely.

  Zareth scoffs. “He’s one of my subordinates.”

  I internally panic. Subordinate?!

  Nyxara raises a brow, her amusement deepening. “Oh? Since when did you start recruiting such… interesting company?” Her thumb brushes against my jaw slightly before she lets go, standing back up.

  I gulp. Oh crap. Is she suspicious?

  Zareth remains stoic. “That’s none of your concern.”

  Nyxara pouts. “Oh, don’t be so cold, Zareth. You know I have a soft spot for handsome young men.” Her eyes flick back to me. “And this one… he’s different, isn’t he?”

  I need to say something. Anything. But what the hell does a demon even sound like?!

  I gulp, my mind racing. Think, think! Say something a demon would say!

  I straighten up, putting on my best attempt at a smug grin. “Heh… well, Lady Nyxara… I must admit, your beauty is so overwhelming that I almost forgot how to breathe.”

  The room goes dead silent.

  Zareth turns to stare at me, his expression unreadable.

  Nyxara blinks. Once. Twice.

  I press forward, fully committing to my terrible decision. “In fact…” I lower my voice, trying to sound seductive, “if you hold my chin any longer, I might just fall for you. And trust me, once I fall, I fall hard.”

  Another pause.

  Nyxara’s expression shifts from amusement… to something unreadable… then finally, to sheer secondhand embarrassment.

  “Pfft—HAHAHAHA!!” Zareth suddenly bursts out laughing, clutching his stomach.

  Nyxara lets go of my chin and takes a step back, rubbing her temples. “Okay. No. I changed my mind. I’m not that bored.”

  She turns around, already walking towards the exit. “I swear, Zareth, I don’t know where you found this one, but whatever little fantasy he’s living in, I want no part of it.”

  The door slams shut behind her.

  Zareth is still wheezing, barely able to stand.

  I just sit there, staring at the door.

  “…Holy shit. That actually worked.”

  Zareth finally stops laughing, his shoulders still shaking as he wipes a tear from his eye. "No shit it worked, you ugly fuck."

  I snap my head toward him, my pride taking a direct hit. "WHAT? WHO ARE YOU CALLING UGLY? LOOK AT YOURSELF! YOU'RE HIDING YOUR FACE!"

  Zareth tilts his head, clearly entertained. "Oh? Do you want to see my face that badly?"

  I open my mouth to argue but immediately shut it. Wait. Do I? What if he's actually some eldritch horror under that helmet? Or worse… what if he’s ridiculously handsome and I just played myself?

  "...You know what? Keep it on. I'm good," I mumble, crossing my arms.

  Zareth chuckles. "That's what I thought."

  With insane speeds, Zareth swings his sword almost like a whip. I see it—but I couldn't react in time.

  SWING.

  "FUCK!"

  "Impressive! You're improving fast. You even read my attack!" He claps before continuing his relentless assault.

  SLASH.

  SLASH.

  SLASH.

  "Ha! You're really something."

  I barely manage to stay on my feet, my breathing ragged. My arms feel like lead, my legs are shaking, and my vision is getting blurry.

  "Ha… Ha… Fuck…!" I wheeze, trying to regain my footing.

  Zareth grins under his helmet. "You're really something."

  I glare at him. "Yeah? Well, I’d be something a lot better if you actually trained me instead of trying to kill me!"

  He swings again—faster this time. I barely twist my body in time to avoid a direct hit, but the wind pressure alone sends me flying backward.

  CRASH.

  I groan, wincing as I shift in the pile of rubble I just crashed into. Every muscle in my body screams in protest, my bones aching from the relentless abuse. "This… this is bullshit…"

  Zareth approaches, his armored boots crunching over broken stone. He rests his massive sword casually on his shoulder, as if this is nothing more than an afternoon stroll. "Nonsense. You're getting better."

  I push myself up, wiping the blood from my lips with the back of my hand. My arms tremble from exhaustion, and my vision swims. "Better?! At what, dying?!"

  I've been at this for five days. Swing, slash, block, dodge, heal—repeat. Again and again. No rest, no reprieve. My body is running on fumes, and Zareth refuses to let up.

  I stagger to my feet, my stomach twisting with hunger pains. My breaths come in ragged gasps, my limbs heavy as lead. "Please… just—just feed me… I'm still human. I need food to survive…" My voice cracks, desperation creeping into my tone. I clutch my stomach, hoping to quell the emptiness. "I haven’t eaten anything since you summoned me… Please…"

  Zareth watches me with those eerie violet eyes, his expression unreadable. Then, with an exasperated sigh, he flicks his wrist. A chunk of charred meat materializes in his hand, still sizzling. He tosses it at me like I'm some stray dog.

  "Eat, then," he says, amused. "But don't think this means training is over."

  I catch the meat on instinct, my hunger overriding my pride. I glare up at him, but I don’t hesitate to take a bite. The taste is rough, bitter, but right now, it's the best damn thing I've ever eaten.

  I swallow hard, my body already screaming for more. "You could've done this five days ago," I grumble between bites.

  Zareth chuckles. "And miss out on watching you suffer? What a waste that would've been."

  I shoot him a glare, but I don’t have the strength to argue. I’ll get back at him later. Right now, all I care about is stuffing my face before he decides starvation is part of the training regimen.

  I freeze mid-bite. Slowly, I lower the chunk of meat and stare at Zareth. "...What?"

  He smirks, arms crossed. "You asked what it was. I answered."

  My stomach churns. The taste still lingers on my tongue, rich and savory, but now it feels like poison. I gag, dropping the meat as I stagger back. "You're kidding. Tell me you're kidding."

  Zareth tilts his head. "Does it matter?"

  I clutch my stomach, bile rising in my throat. "Of course it matters! I just ate—" I can't even say it. My hands shake. My whole body tenses like I can force the food out through sheer will.

  Zareth watches, unimpressed. "You needed food. You got food. Does it taste any worse now that you know?"

  I glare at him, heart pounding. "You're insane."

  He sighs, rubbing his temple like I'm the one being difficult. "Stop whining. If it makes you feel better, it wasn’t anyone important."

  I quickly force myself to puke, doubling over as I shove my fingers down my throat. My stomach clenches, and a wave of nausea overtakes me. Moments later, I’m on my knees, retching onto the cold stone floor.

  Zareth watches in silence, unimpressed. "Pathetic."

  I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, my whole body trembling. "Screw you," I rasp. My throat burns, my stomach still twisting in horror.

  He sighs, shaking his head. "You're weak. You reject what keeps you alive out of petty human sentiment."

  I glare up at him, eyes burning. "I’m not a damn cannibal."

  Zareth smirks. "You are now."

  I raise my hand, giving him the middle finger.

  His grin widens, fangs glinting in the dim light. "Did you somehow forget I’m a demon?" His crimson eyes gleam with amusement before narrowing slightly. "Tell me, Elric Dela Cruz, how long do you think you’ll last in my world with that pathetic mindset?"

  I don’t respond. My stomach still churns, my throat raw from vomiting, but the taste lingers—metallic, sickening, human.

  My hands shake as I wipe my mouth again, my breath unsteady. Did I really just eat a human?

  The thought slams into me like a sledgehammer. The nausea, the horror, the revulsion—it's all there, clawing at my mind.

  But beneath it, something else stirs. A bitter, ugly realization.

  If I have to survive here… I’ll need to adapt.

  My fists clench. My jaw tightens.

  FUCK.