As soon as Lauren finished speaking, it seemed as if something had been triggered in the unseen realm.
A cold, gloomy aura began to permeate the air.
Under the sunlight, wriggling, worm-like black threads began to spawn within the shadows.
They squirmed, tangled, and coalesced into a pool of black liquid.
The black water surged and spewed forth, giving birth to an aberrant creature from within.
It was pitch black all over, looking utterly filthy and defiled.
From a distance, it resembled a worm struggling in sludge.
However, after just a moment, the situation changed.
From its back, a pair of enormous, fluttering wings broke free from the dark substance enveloping its body.
With just a slight flap, it shook off the blackness covering it like dust.
The entire process took only a few seconds.
Its full form was now revealed to the world.
Its main body was a small, humanoid figure like a doll dressed in formal attire.
Horrifyingly, the barbed hooks of an insect swayed in the air around it, revealing its monstrous nature.
Most conspicuous were the pair of iridescent wings on its back, even larger than its main body, shimmering with a purple radiance in the air.
What a deceptive creature!
On the surface, it looked entirely like a little fairy.
Who would have thought it was actually a type of demon?
This was the power Lauren had obtained from the Old Days Society, the source of his ability to use black magic.
Lauren understood in his heart—more accurately, it was an external energy source.
Even the hard-earned power of black magic wasn’t completely his own.
This was enough to show just how pathetic the original owner had been.
At this moment, it was floating in mid-air, staring at Lauren.
One of its small hands covered its mouth, an expression of surprise on its face.
‘Holy crap, you’re still alive?’
‘I thought you’d finally managed to get yourself killed. That cat-girl finally couldn’t take it anymore and beat you to death, right?’
Hearing these sarcastic words, Lauren couldn’t help but feel irritated and mocked it:
“As a contract demon, you’re really not up to the task.”
“When your master is in danger, instead of fulfilling the contract and coming to protect, you’re the first to run away. And you still dare call yourself a contract demon?”
Upon hearing this, Catalia rolled its eyes and retorted without hesitation:
“Isn’t it because you’re such a useless master, unable to bring out my full power? You know, contracting with a waste like you who can’t even grasp black magic properly has seriously damaged my reputation!”
“Ah, what a shame. She actually didn’t kill you. I thought I could get a new master!”
Fine, fine, so that’s how you want to talk!
Is weakness the original sin?
Just because I’m weak, I have to endure this malicious attitude?
Lauren couldn’t help but take a deep breath to calm himself.
At this moment, he felt a sense of helplessness from a predetermined fate.
He couldn’t hold back a bitter laugh.
The first day of transmigration, and he encountered a life-threatening crisis in the morning, nearly getting killed by a maid who had suddenly gone crazy.
Now, he was being maliciously mocked by his contract demon, who wished for his death.
Lauren felt he could understand the original owner’s feelings now.
A surge of anger gathered in his heart, but he had nowhere to vent it, making it hard to dissipate.
Surrounded by so much malice, he found it difficult to endure for even a day.
It was hard to imagine how the original owner had tolerated it for so many years.
This kind of stifling feeling, if experienced too much, could truly warp a person.
No wonder he directly turned to the dark side and joined a villainous organization.
However, it seemed joining a反派 organization wasn’t a good choice for the original owner either.
Even after making a contract with a demon and learning black magic, he still couldn’t change the surrounding malice directed at him.
His heart rate involuntarily began to quicken, as if suppressed for many years.
An intense craving for power rose from within Lauren.
He didn’t know if it was leftover emotions from the original body acting up, but he felt a painful sorrow enveloping him.
He hated this feeling intensely, urgently wanting to change the current situation.
Unconsciously, his gaze turned toward the system before him.
The system didn’t force him to complete plot missions.
It was just there, laid out.
But how could Lauren not use it?
Lauren made a resolution.
Perhaps it was something his subconscious had already decided long ago.
He decided to make getting stronger his goal.
To be able to grasp his own fate.
To be able to say no to things he disliked.
Starting with this disgusting worm right in front of him.
Grab it, refine it instantly.
‘Holy crap, what do you think you’re doing?’
The Night Demon, Catalia, exclaimed in shock.
Lauren’s large hand gripped the demon.
Even though it had fashioned itself a humanoid shape, the feel was truly that of a fleshy worm.
Its struggling appearance vividly evoked an uncanny valley feeling.
To be honest, it made him a bit nauseous.
‘Just crush it. I should have done this long ago.’
A phrase surfaced in his mind, causing him to lose focus for an instant.
Lauren felt a strange sense of anticipation, as if he had been waiting for this for years.
“L-Let me go!”
Lauren’s sudden action truly frightened Catalia.
Its eyes were filled with disbelief.
It began to emit corrosive black iridescent dust all over its body, trying to break free from Lauren’s grasp.
Even though his palm was being harmed, he still felt utterly calm, as if nothing had happened.
Instead, he revealed a kind smile.
[Skill Activated: Black Magic – Devour and Unify]
“I am a black magician who made a contract with a demon. The purpose of summoning a demon is, of course, to use black magic!”
As he spoke, a suction force emanated from his palm.
Catalia felt its power being drained by this waste it had always looked down upon.
“Stop it! That’s not how black magic is used!”
“Are you trying to consume me?”
It said incredulously, its tone visibly becoming panicked.
“This method is completely draining the pond to catch the fish! You might gain temporary strength, but without a demon as a medium, you’ll lose the power to use black magic!”
Lauren replied to it with complete indifference.
“If losing the demon means you can’t use black magic, can that even be called a black magician? That’s clearly a demon master!”
“I should have figured this out long ago. It was an unconventional method from the start. A black magic path that begins with a demon contract—turning around and devouring the demon is what truly embodies ‘black’!”
Recalling the game’s settings, Lauren used a skill the original owner already possessed.
And because of the contract, the demon before him couldn’t offer much resistance.
‘Strange. Why didn’t the original owner eat this noisy demon earlier? A disloyal, faithless thing should have been killed long ago. What was the point of keeping it for so long?’
Fortunately, in the next second, Catalia itself revealed the answer, resolving Lauren’s confusion.
“Impossible! I never told you about this! No one else had the chance to tell you either!”
“Where did you learn this black magic from?!”
Feeling its life gradually fading, its mind burned fiercely with its final flicker of intelligence.
Looking at Lauren’s almost unfamiliar appearance, it seemed to comprehend a wild yet overly reasonable guess.
Struggling, it said:
“You’re not… who… are you…”
But it was all pointless now.
Feeling its consciousness and wisdom rapidly fading, it could only utter a final, desperate curse:
“Harming a demon… the Demon King… will not… spare… you!”
The small worm in his hand turned to ashes and scattered.
Lauren felt his own transformation.
An indescribably pleasant sensation surged into his heart.
In the shadows, Lauren felt his body become lighter.
His already deep black pupils became even more abnormal.
A cold air current began to swirl around him.
‘Is this the feeling of having power? As expected of demonic methods. The power rises so quickly!’
He suddenly felt the original owner hadn’t been evil enough.
This skill was as useful as the Blood Skull Gu.
When your aptitude is low, don’t be afraid.
Think of your family; they will always support you.
Oh, wait!
The original owner seemed to have…
Lost his whole family!
No wonder!