Deer Demon
It was a vast, empty space covered in thick fog, making it impossible to see what lay ahead.
Randolph stood still and looked around.
As far as he could remember, he had attacked the demon and sliced through its throat.
However, it wasn’t surprising that the creature had survived and dragged him into its trap zone.
Every demon possessed a trap zone—a domain where it was at its strongest.
The air itself was filled with the demon’s energy, allowing it to fight endlessly without exhaustion.
From somewhere within the fog, Randolph could hear the roar of the Deer Demon.
But before anything else, he needed to find the gateway out of this place.
Otherwise, he would remain trapped forever.
He walked through the fog to his left, heading east.
The atmosphere was eerie, and the darkness was as deep as night itself.
The only sound came from his footsteps crushing the dry leaves beneath his boots.
A cold wind brushed against his left ear.
It was cold enough to freeze an ordinary person, yet Randolph remained unharmed.
Then—
Bam!
Something as hard as stone slammed into his face, sending him crashing to the ground.
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
As the energy before him gathered, the Deer Demon appeared.
Its glowing green eyes shone brighter than ever.
“You seem tough, boy,” the demon said with a smirk.
“If you can defeat me, perhaps you’ll stand a chance against the thousand-year-old demons waiting ahead.”
Randolph wanted to respond, but he stopped himself.
Demons were skilled manipulators.
If he answered, he could easily fall under its influence.
Instead, he rose to his feet and pointed his sword at the demon.
Seeing that Randolph had ignored the bait, the Deer Demon attacked.
It leaped into the air and slashed its sword toward him.
Randolph dodged swiftly and counterattacked, aiming for the demon’s legs as it landed.
The Deer Demon twisted aside just in time.
Clang!
The sound of clashing swords echoed throughout the dark forest.
Randolph frowned.
This fight was wasting time.
He shouldn’t be battling the demon.
He should be searching for the gateway.
Then he noticed something.
His blade had grazed the demon’s chest earlier, and from that wound, a faint light was beginning to shine.
The fog around them briefly illuminated.
Randolph smirked.
So that’s it.
The gateway was hidden inside the demon’s heart.
Only by piercing its heart could he escape this trap zone.
His eyes darkened as he stared at the Deer Demon.
At that very moment, something impossible happened.
His demon resurfaced.
For the first time, it listened to him.
For the first time, it agreed with him.
Randolph was shocked.
Unlike the nights of the full moon, when he completely lost control, he was fully conscious now.
He could see everything happening.
His clothes transformed into a dark purple royal robe.
His eyes turned a brilliant shade of purple.
Beautiful at first glance.
Terrifying beneath.
A murderous aura surged from his body, causing the very air to tremble.
The Deer Demon froze.
It could sense the overwhelming power before it, yet it didn’t understand what was happening.
What it didn’t know was that the figure standing before it was merely Randolph’s body.
His spirit had already moved.
And it was heading straight for the demon’s heart.
Boom!
The sword pierced through the Deer Demon’s chest.
Its eyes widened in disbelief.
The fog began to disappear.
Even as death approached, confusion remained on its face.
Had it fought one person?
Or two?
The one who pierced its heart was powerful.
But the other one…
The one watching from behind those purple eyes…
Was far stronger.
A blinding light erupted.
Boom!
The next moment, Randolph and the Deer Demon reappeared inside the arena of the Never Return Shop.
Silence fell.
Everyone stared in shock.
Randolph’s shining white sword was buried deep in the heart of the legendary demon.
Then the demon’s body began to fade.
Slowly.
Like dust carried away by the wind.
It was gone.
Dead.
No one could accuse Randolph of cheating now.
Everyone knew what had happened.
The Deer Demon had dragged him into its trap zone, where it should have possessed the advantage.
Yet Randolph had emerged victorious.
“Who is he?”
“Is he an ancient god?”
“Unbelievable!”
“How did he do that?”
“We lost the bet!”
“He actually killed it!”
The crowd erupted into chaos.
“Your student is truly exceptional,” the lady said.
She glanced at the remaining nine challengers, but each of them immediately withdrew.
If Randolph could kill a three-thousand-year-old demon so effortlessly, then fighting him would be suicide.
The lady handed the Flame Sword to Collins.
“It contains the key to the Cold Tower,” she said.
“Thank you. I made quite a profit today.”
She smiled before stealing a glance at Randolph, who stood behind Collins with his arms folded across his chest.
“Your student is incredibly powerful,” she whispered.
“May I ask what demon he possesses?”
“The Bloodthirsty Demon,” Collins replied.
The woman’s eyes widened.
“You mean Zex? The ancient demon from five hundred thousand years ago?”
She had never seen the demon herself, but she had heard countless stories.
So it hadn’t died after all.
Its former master had perished, but the demon had simply found a new vessel.
Randolph.
“Next time we—”
“Special customers!”
She interrupted abruptly.
Fear flashed across her face as she looked at Randolph.
“What?” Collins asked.
“Are you giving us permission to enter without taking the challenge?”
“Yes,” she said quickly, handing him two golden pass tokens.
“You may come whenever you like.”
Collins raised an eyebrow.
“Why do I feel like you’re trying to chase us away?”
She lowered her voice.
“Can’t you see? His demon is still there. Look at his eyes.”
Collins turned toward Randolph.
His head was lowered, but the moment he looked up, Collins froze.
Purple.
Bright.
Dangerous.
“Oh no…”