Chapter 19: Productive Talk, and Hanging Out With a Friend

Chapter 19: Productive Talk, and Hanging Out With a Friend Before even trying to call the demon, Damian wanted to make sure no one was watching him. Troy was missing, but Damian knew he was keeping tabs on him. The surveillance devices inside the apartment hadn’t gone anywhere. After confirming he was alone, Damian made the call. "Hello, my good friend," the demon greeted. "Is something wrong?" "Was it you who killed the group of hunters in the forest?" Damian asked. "Not you directly—but maybe one of the demons working for you?" He went straight to the point, skipping all the small talk. "What do you mean? Can you elaborate?" the demon replied, his voice sounding surprised. Damian couldn’t tell whether it was genuine or not. He shared what had happened, describing the demon that had attacked his car. "That demon isn’t one of mine," the demon said. "He’s actually part of a rival group. I don’t like him at all... And if he really did this, then he just started a war with the hunters. This is not good." Demons weren’t all allies—there were factions among them. But hunters didn’t distinguish between demon groups. They hated them all. So the demon who killed those hunters had just dragged every faction into conflict. That was why the demon had proposed a neutral ground—to establish communication, avoid internal chaos, and prevent reckless acts like this. "I’ll try to speak with the one who did it," the demon said. "I want to understand what he’s thinking. But tell me—why haven’t you been calling me?" "My driver, Troy, planted a surveillance device in my apartment," Damian explained. "Then he supposedly left for a secret mission. I’m sure he’s investigating me." The demon sounded surprised. "Why not just kill him? That would solve your problem." The demon believed Damian was powerful—after all, he had no mana but could still see and interact with demons. But Damian wasn’t ready to take Troy on. Not yet. "I liked him, honestly. He was a cool friend... And I don’t want to lose my cleaner job. It’s kind of relaxing—you should try it sometime." The demon chuckled. "You find cleaning up bodies relaxing? You’ve got some unique tastes, my friend. Anyway, since we can’t talk often, let’s finalize the cafeteria setup." They discussed the plan. The demon already had the cafeteria—it would open in two days. Damian would go there to sign the paperwork. He wouldn’t work during the day—just at night. But his role would be different. The demons would use the place to negotiate, settle disputes, and plan their next steps. Damian was helping their side. Not that he cared. All he wanted was to grow stronger and stay safe. The demon’s offer gave him exactly that: protection, money, and demon parts to fuel his growth. "I see," Damian said. "Send me the address and the time you want me there to sign." "Sure." They ended the call. Damian now had something important to do in two days. He was anxious about it. It would be a dangerous role he was stepping into. If any of those high-ranking demons wanted him dead, they could simply attack—and end his life. He wasn’t strong enough to fight them head-on. His trump cards were the protection his demon contact promised and the way he conducted himself around other demons. "I’ll only know how things will play out once I get there," Damian thought. He tried to keep calm, avoiding the spiral of overthinking. That kind of anxiety would only wear him down. He left the abandoned building after finishing the call. There was nothing else for him to do there. On the way home, he stopped at a place to grab something to eat—a hamburger. Not the healthiest choice, but he liked it. And with a system that was literally changing his body, making him stronger, a hamburger wasn’t exactly a death sentence. When he reached his apartment, someone was standing out front, waiting. It was Samantha. "Samantha?" Damian said, clearly surprised to see her. "Hey," she greeted. "Can we talk about something?" She wanted to speak in private, inside his apartment. But that was out of the question. The place was under surveillance. So Damian had to come up with another option. He offered dinner. "Want to grab something to eat somewhere? I don’t know." Samantha smiled. It was genuine. "Of course I want to. Why’d you take so long to ask me to dinner?" They left the apartment on foot. Not that Damian couldn’t afford a car—he could—but walking the streets as night approached was something he genuinely enjoyed. "And where are we going?" Samantha asked. She didn’t know the neighborhood and hoped Damian would surprise her with a decent spot to eat. "I know a place," he said. He really did. Damian wasn’t someone who went out often, but when he did, he chose places he actually liked. They walked and talked about everything. Samantha hadn’t yet shared why she came to see him—she planned to do that at the restaurant. Damian didn’t mind. But that night, which seemed like any other, took a sudden and horrifying turn. It happened in seconds. From a nearby sewer entrance, a demon appeared—and grabbed Samantha. Damian couldn’t believe his eyes. The street wasn’t crowded, and no one saw it happen. The demon was invisible. Only Damian saw it. "Samantha!" he shouted. The demon yanked her by the arm and dragged her down into the sewer. It was fast—too fast. Damian didn’t think. He reacted. Without hesitation, he dove in after them. The sewers were vile and dangerous. Everyone knew that’s where demons lurked. But Damian wasn’t about to abandon Samantha. He would do anything to save her—even if it lured him straight into danger. The moment he jumped in, he activated his demon eyes. His left eye glowed red, transforming completely. Damian spotted the traces left behind—both by the demon and by Samantha. He followed them. Only his demon eye made it possible. Without it, he wouldn’t be able to navigate the sewers. That place was a fucking labyrinth.