The Monster Monarch System-Chapter 255: Demon Hideout

With a single powerful leap, he propelled them both upward.

The roof above them exploded in a shower of wood and dust as Rem shot through it, dragging the demon along.

Cold night air met his face as he soared over the rooftops of Sorin, the city’s flickering lanterns sprawled beneath him like scattered stars.

The demon thrashed, clawed at his grip, but Rem’s hold was like iron. He twisted midair and shot downward, diving straight for an isolated alleyway away from prying eyes.

They crashed into the cobblestone, dust and debris kicking up around them.

The demon groaned, barely able to lift itself up before Rem slammed it against the rough stone wall.

The force was enough to crack the bricks.

"Start talking," Rem said coldly.

The demon’s breathing was ragged. Its once cocky demeanor was gone, replaced by wide, trembling eyes.

It swallowed hard, sweat forming on its brow as it stared at the man holding it in place like a ragdoll.

"I-I don’t know what you mean," it stammered.

Rem responded by pressing his forearm against its throat, applying enough pressure to make it gasp.

"Don’t play stupid," he said. "I felt your presence earlier. You’re not the only one in this city."

The demon tried to shake its head, but Rem applied more pressure.

A choked sound escaped the creature’s lips, its eyes darting frantically as if searching for an escape that didn’t exist.

"I-I swear, I — "

Rem didn’t have time for this.

His grip tightened. "Where are they?"

The demon thrashed again, its hands clawing at his wrist. But Rem didn’t let up. The weight of death pressed against the creature’s throat, and it knew it.

"I’ll—" the demon wheezed. "I’ll talk! I’ll talk!"

Rem loosened his grip slightly, just enough to let it breathe.

The demon coughed, inhaling sharply before its gaze flickered toward the alley’s exit as if hoping someone — anyone — might intervene.

But the streets were empty. No one was coming.

"They’re gathered... on the east side," it croaked. "An underground chamber... beneath an old distillery. There’s a passage through the storage area. That’s where they’re hiding."

Rem’s eyes darkened. "How many?"

"Eight... No, maybe ten," the demon said hurriedly. "Not all of them are strong, but... but there’s a leader. A higher-ranking one."

Rem studied the creature for a moment, gauging its words.

There was no bravado in its tone, no deceit — only fear. It was telling the truth.

That meant he had what he needed.

Before the demon could utter another plea, Rem’s grip shifted. His fingers curled around its throat completely now, lifting it slightly off the ground.

The realization hit the creature instantly.

"Wait — !"

Rem twisted.

A sickening snap echoed through the alley.

The demon’s body went limp, the life in its glowing crimson eyes fading into nothing.

Rem let the corpse drop to the cobblestone, exhaling as he took a step back.

With a flick of his wrist, he sent a small burst of energy through the body, ensuring no traces of its demonic nature remained.

Within moments, the corpse withered into an unrecognizable husk. It would just look like another unfortunate soul who met a bad end in the city’s underbelly.

With that done, Rem turned his gaze toward the east.

An underground chamber beneath an old distillery. That was his next destination.

The night wasn’t over yet.

#####

The underground chamber was filled with raucous laughter, the clinking of mugs, and the heavy scent of spiced liquor.

Dim torchlight flickered against the damp stone walls, casting long, shifting shadows over the room’s occupants — demons of various forms, some with sharp horns and glowing eyes, others more humanoid in appearance, their monstrous nature betrayed only by the sinister energy emanating from them.

Among them, humans moved about in silence, heads bowed, shackles rattling softly with each step.

Slaves.

Collars of dark metal glowed faintly around their necks, ensuring their obedience.

Some carried trays laden with food and drink, their expressions hollow, while others scrubbed the stone floor clean of spilled wine and filth.

The demons paid them no mind, indulging in their debauchery without a care.

But the revelry came to an abrupt halt when a demon burst into the chamber, his breath ragged, eyes wild with panic.

"S-Someone is coming — !"

He never got the chance to finish.

A hand shot through his chest from behind, piercing clean through flesh and bone. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

For a brief moment, the chamber was silent.

The demon’s body twitched, his mouth opening in a soundless gasp. Then, as if ignited from within, his form erupted into dark flames, burning away to nothing but embers.

The remaining demons barely had time to process what had happened before another presence filled the room.

A cold wind swept through the underground hall, snuffing out several torches as a figure stepped forward from the shadows.

Rem.

He stood at the entrance, his cloak billowing slightly as he surveyed the chamber.

His eyes were calm, but the air around him pulsed with an overwhelming presence, the kind that sent a primal chill down the spines of even the most hardened killers.

A few demons scrambled to their feet, knocking over mugs and plates.

"Who the hell — " one of them started, but his words trailed off as his gaze locked onto the lifeless pile of ash where his comrade had once stood.

The tension in the room thickened, a palpable shift in energy as realization dawned upon them.

Rem took a step forward. The sound of his boots hitting the stone floor echoed through the chamber like a death knell.

"Go back to your drinks," he said, his voice eerily calm. "Pretend you didn’t see me."

Some demons hesitated, glancing at one another. A few chuckled, amused by what they assumed was arrogance.

But others, the ones with sharper instincts, felt the weight behind those words. They knew better.

One of the larger demons, a brute with jagged horns and dark gray skin, slammed his mug onto the table.

"You think you can walk in here and — "

Rem moved.

In the blink of an eye, he crossed the distance between them, his palm slamming against the demon’s chest.

For a split second, the brute’s eyes widened in confusion.

Then his entire torso caved inward with a sickening crunch.

A burst of force sent the demon flying backward, his massive frame crashing through a wooden table before slamming into the stone wall behind him.

His body slumped, motionless.