My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as I read this cute little monster’s abilities. In that instant, I swore I’d never underestimate a hamster again.
[Abilities:]
[{Passive Effect}: Predator’s Veil — disguises its demonic presence as harmless cuteness. Low-ranked creatures ignore it unless commanded. When the veil drops, fear debuff spreads to all enemies under B-rank.]
[{Skill}: Blood Gluttony — devours blood essence from corpses or living targets. Each feeding temporarily boosts size, strength, and killing instinct. If overfed, it mutates violently until sated.]
[{Skill}: Winged Frenzy — accelerates midair with unpredictable darting movents, shredding enemies with fangs and claws. Can pierce through steel when enraged.]
[{Skill}: Crimson Parasitism (Mythic Trait) — implants a fragnt of itself into wounded enemies. The parasite drains blood over ti, healing the hamster and its master while weakening the victim. If the victim dies, the hamster absorbs their strength permanently.]
[{Hidden Potential}: ??? (Bound to Demon Evolution Path).]
"Kwee! Kwee!" The hamster suddenly leapt up, landing on my shoulder. It rubbed its soft head against my cheek, standing proudly on two legs. Does it want sothing? I wondered, watching its eyes sparkle like diamonds.
[Please na your new summon to complete the binding process and receive a reward.]
The system screen lit up, and I realized what the little one was asking for.
"A na, huh..." I murmured, still stroking its fur. I hadn’t even noticed how easily I’d lost myself in petting it, the weight of my stress easing away. "How about... Beelzebub?"
"Kwee!" it chirped instantly, face lighting up with a wide, almost human smile.
[Binding complete]
[You have received 5 to all stats]
A familiar surge of power coursed through my veins, tightening my muscles, sharpening my mind, and clearing my vision. Each upgrade was small on its own, but stacked together, they lifted , step by step, toward sothing greater. The gap between and Lysandra was still as wide as night and day, but one day, I swore, I would stand as a powerhouse in my own right, free of whatever ploy she had prepared for .
"Beatrice! Where are you?!" Elira’s voice echoed from where I’d left her, urgent and trembling.
"You stay with at all tis, alright, Beelzebub? If anyone asks, I’ll say I found you in the forest." I whispered to my new companion before rushing back toward her.
"I’m here. Is everything—" My words cut off as my eyes t a different sight. Elira was gone. In her place stood a tall figure, its body twisted unnaturally, half-fading like smoke yet disturbingly solid all the sa.
"SKREE-KWEEE!" Beelzebub shrieked from my shoulder, its wings flaring, body tense in a defensive crouch. It had sensed a predator. And I knew exactly why.
"A Howl..." My confidence faltered. I’d read about these creatures in the book. They weren’t supposed to be anywhere near the human world, only appearing much later when Hera ventured deep into demon territory.
Howls were monsters that mimicked the voices of loved ones, luring victims close before striking from the shadows. But why was this one facing here? And why so far from its ho?
They were nad for the hunger in their cries. When starved, their eerie howls could be heard for hundreds of kiloters, echoing like a pack of wolves, but darker, stranger, and infinitely more dangerous.
And most importantly, where was Elira? That was my greatest concern. I refused to believe she had already been consud; if she had, the ground would be drenched in blood, thanks to a Howl’s revolting feeding habits. Yet the forest was silent. Too silent. No birdsong, no rustling wind. Only an eerie stillness pressing in from every direction.
My body tensed as I braced for what ca next. I wasn’t confident I could win against this creature. Howls were deadly enough that even skilled adventurers risked death alone. But I wasn’t alone. This was the perfect mont to test both Beelzebub’s power and my new weapon.
With a puff of black smoke, the creature vanished. The last thing I saw was a smile... so crooked and unnerving, the most grotesque grin I’d ever witnessed. An instant later, pain exploded through as I was hurled like a ragdoll into a tree. My insides twisted, my organs shifting, and the copper taste of blood coated my tongue.
"Kwee!" Beelzebub screeched as it was flung from my shoulder. Relief washed over when I saw it unhard. The Howl lunged again, moving as swift as a shadow, appearing before in a blur. That was when the hamster attacked.
Its tiny claws and fangs sank into the monster’s flesh, ripping with shocking speed. Beelzebub darted like a winged ball of fur. So small but rciless. The distraction gave just enough ti to steady myself. My fingers twitched, calling the needles free, strands of hair falling loose as my bun unraveled.
I scanned the creature with a surgeon’s eye, searching for weakness; it had none. But I had an advantage; I rembered what the book said. Howls had no rib cage; their heart was protected only by layers of thick muscle. On the left side of the chest was a single vulnerable point, a soft spot they guarded viciously in battle. Blades could never reach it.
But I wasn’t holding blades. The needles hovered in front of , trembling with lethal precision. For the first ti, I felt the system had blessed .
My whole body ached like crazy, even with the quick healing of my vampire body. But it only fanned my flas. No matter how awkward my movents were, no matter how poor my control over the weapons was, I kept moving. My needles darted in and out of the Howl’s fra.
Beelzebub didn’t sit idle either. It kept drinking more and more of the black blood, growing stronger with each gulp, its eyes glowing deeper crimson. Its body grew by an inch.
The monster thrashed, lashing at again and again with dark, sharp claws. Each ti I barely dodged, leaving only scratches, but every mark bled with black miasma that crawled like sothing alive, eating at from the inside.
Three creatures fought for survival in that clearing, all of us made to consu others for our own benefit.
Again and again, I aid for that one soft spot that would guarantee the kill, but the beast moved like a slippery eel, evading without fail. It grew larger with every strike, and I grew weaker. It was feeding on , and I wasn’t sure anymore if victory was even possible.
"Beatrice, duck, now!"
The shout ca from behind. I obeyed instantly, dropping low. Elira was back; and her magic might turn the tide. A powerful wind roared past and slamd into the creature, blasting it away.
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