Chapter 12: A Devil's Game
Meeting Miss Chloe had shaken Johan deeply. He had learned more than he expected—about his adoptive father, the legendary man who had once defied the limits of ability pearls... and about his sister, whose whereabouts were now tied to a hidden location in the map in his Limitless Void.
Shortly after, he found Claire and spoke in a hushed tone.
"Get money. A lot of it. I want to get an ability pearl... and I think you know where to find one."
Without waiting for a reply, Johan turned and headed into the woods. As he walked, his conversation with Lucy echoed in his mind.
"So that woman says your adoptive father was the one she spoke of," Lucy said in her usual amused but serious tone. "And if we follow the map stored in the Limitless Void, you'll find your sister. But there's a catch— you'll need to prove you can protect her to the Guardian, or say goodbye to her forever."
"Then I've got two goals today," Johan replied grimly. "Defeat Dave... and get that pearl."
He found Dave waiting at the edge of the woods. Without a word, both agreed to move deeper, far from the academy's life-signature tracking range.
Once they reached a clearing, Dave struck first—attempting a sneak attack.
Johan narrowly dodged, although his movements were a bit clumsy. He retaliated with a punch, and Dave, overconfident, took the hit head-on.
Big mistake.
A loud crash echoed through the trees as Dave was flung backward, crashing through thick branches and thudding against the earth. A crack split across his enchanted armor.
"H-How?! This was forged from a late-stage Intermediate Beast!" Dave roared in disbelief, staring down at the damage. "How did you break it?!"
Fueled by anger and embarrassment, Dave launched himself at Johan with blind rage.
Johan held his own at first, but his lack of agility and defensive gear started to show. Dave's enhanced equipment and sheer brute force overwhelmed him. Bloodied and battered, Johan was knocked to the ground, a mess of bruises and torn flesh.
Dave loomed over him, laughing like a madman.
"You're dead, freak!" Dave spat. "And when I'm done, I'll take Claire for myself. I'll break her. She should've chosen me—not you!"
As his twisted speech went on, Johan's body slowly regenerated—not instantly, but faster than any normal human. He bought health potions from the system store as Lucy silently approved.
Once healed, Johan stayed on the ground, feigning weakness.
Stupid of me to try brute strength with that muscle head, Johan thought.
Then he smirked.
"You done ranting, or do you want to dance for real this time?" he said loudly, sitting up.
"You had healing pills?!" Dave snarled. "It would take twenty of those to heal fully—unless..."
He paused, then glared. "It was her, wasn't it?! Claire gave them to you!"
Enraged, he charged again—only to be met by a barrage of fireballs.
Screams erupted from his throat as flames engulfed him. He dropped to the ground, writhing, screaming.
Johan stood calmly, eyes glowing, his lips curling into a cruel smile.
"I am a demon.
A devil.
Master of hell,"
He said coldly.
"I command its flames.
And I demand they plague the sinful."
As if obeying him, the hellflames surged violently, devouring Dave's body with agonizing heat.
[EXP Gained: 100 × 10]
"You scared shitless, aren't you?" Johan mocked.
"Lucy, buy more potions."
He poured one into Dave's mouth, keeping him alive. Then, dragging him across the ground, Johan found a nearby cave and hauled him inside.
"Now," he said, sealing the entrance with a fiery glyph, "let's play a game."
He knelt beside Dave's burnt, trembling form.
"It's called Choose Or I Choose For You. It's simple. I give you three choices. You pick. I hurt you."
[New System Features Unlocked]
[• Emotion Harvest: FEAR (Unlocked)]
[• Reward Upgrade: Pain-Based Absorption Activated]
[Fear = 100]
[Death of Equal or Higher Strength Enemy = 200]
[Screams = 50]
As a devil, you feed on emotions. The more fear and pain your enemy experiences, the more power you absorb.
Johan let out a twisted laugh. "Now then, let's begin."
He leaned forward. "Pick one. Little finger, middle finger, or index?"
"M-Middle!" Dave blurted without thinking.
"Good choice."
With a firm grip, Johan bent Dave's middle finger backwards—slowly—until it snapped with a sickening crack.
Dave screamed.
Johan wasn't done.
He grabbed Dave's already broken middle finger once more and, with brutal calmness, began pulling. Slowly. Deliberately. Tendons tore. Skin stretched. Bone snapped.
A final rip echoed through the cave as the finger was yanked free.
Dave screamed, the sound so raw and primal that it didn't sound human anymore. Tears streamed down his face. He sobbed, pleaded, begged for mercy.
"Please! Please! I'll do anything—anything you want! Just tell me!" Dave cried, voice hoarse and cracked. "I'll do any fucking thing! Just stop! Please—!"
Johan's smile widened.
"Do you know what I want?" he asked quietly, leaning in close. "I want you to scream. I want you to suffer... before you die. That's what I want. Will you give it to me?"
Dave only sobbed harder.
"Good," Johan whispered. "Let's continue. Eye, ear... or nose?"
Dave shook his head violently, unable to form words.
"Please... no," he whimpered.
Johan tilted his head mockingly, then paused.
"You know what? I'll be merciful. I'll only take one eye. Am I not a kind person?"
Dave didn't answer. He couldn't.
Terror choked him. His eyes went wide when Johan's hand reached forward—one finger glowing faintly, coated with burning hellfire.
"No... no! Please—don't—!" Dave screamed as Johan's fiery finger pressed into his left eye. The flames didn't burn the outer skin—they melted inside. Johan stirred slowly, cruelly, as if scratching an itch from within the socket.
Then, with an innocent expression, he said, "It looked irritated. I thought you needed help scratching."
Dave's body convulsed with pain. Blood and eye fluid spilled down his cheek.
"Okay," Johan said, standing. "Fun time is over."
He raised his hand.
From the darkness, a figure stepped forward—Noir.
The evolved black goblin now looked more human than beast, thanks to the system choosing his optimal evolution path. His skin remained pitch black, his eyes glowing crimson, and though his body resembled a young man, faint features—like pointed ears and sharp claws—still showed his monstrous origin.
Noah bowed.
"Master."
Johan pointed to Dave, who trembled at the sight.
"Apart from the head and stomach, the rest is yours. Eat what you like."
Dave's broken body began to shake even harder.