The gate to the Spirit Realm fully opened with a low, grinding sound.

[ Spirit Gate: ACTIVATED ]

A circular tear in space, framed by crackling blue light, hovered in the air. An enormous amount of spiritual energy poured out from it, whipping the rooftop wind into a frenzy.

Alveer threw his head back and laughed madly.

But then—

[ WARNING: External interference detected. ]

[ WARNING: Summoning sequence compromised. ]

[ Source: Unknown high-ranking demonic entity. ]

Red alerts started flashing across his vision, layering over one another.

[ ALERT: High-ranking demon interference detected. ]

[ ALERT: Summoning process being forcibly modified. ]

The smile vanished from Alveer’s face.

In front of him, the blue light of the gate flickered, darkened, and began turning pitch black. The energy changed, too—no longer purely spiritual, but tainted, heavy, and malevolent. Massive bolts of black-violet lightning shot out from the gate, scorching the rooftop.

Arthur and Aiden watched in disbelief.

"You motherfucker," Arthur shouted. "What the hell are you summoning?"

"I can feel it," Aiden said, jaw tight. "A massive amount of demonic energy is coming from that gate. We have to do something before something really dangerous pops out."

Arthur clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Go be a hero," he said. "I’m right behind you."

Aiden’s mouth twitched.

"You really are a coward, you know that?"

"Yes, I am," Arthur replied calmly. "Now go do something. I’ll make sure that crazy old man doesn’t interfere."

With swords in hand, Aiden ran straight toward the gate.

He dodged several lightning strikes, feet moving fast over the rooftop. Just as he closed the distance—

BAM.

He slammed into an invisible wall.

The barrier flung him backward like a ragdoll. He hit a concrete wall hard enough to crack it, then collapsed to the ground with a groan.

Arthur winced.

"That’s why I’m proud of being a villain," he muttered.

His system spoke up in his head.

[ You deliberately let him do it, didn’t you... so he wouldn’t get in our way. ]

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Arthur said with a smile, walking toward Alveer.

More red messages filled Alveer’s vision.

[ ERROR: Sacrifice insufficient for modified target. ]

[ Adjusting price... ]

"What the hell is happening?" Alveer snarled. "You damn system!"

[ NOTICE: Target classification – High-ranking Demon (Demon Realm Overlap) ]

[ Additional price required. ]

[ FORCED SACRIFICE: +30 years of host lifespan deducted. ]

[ Total sacrifice: 60 years. ]

Pain tore through Alveer’s body.

He doubled over and collapsed to his knees, coughing blood violently onto the rooftop.

It was at that moment Arthur stepped in front of him, casting a shadow over his slumped form, a devilish smile on his face.

"So," Arthur said lightly, "looks like you’re not going to live very long after all, huh."

Alveer wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, still grinning through the pain.

"I don’t know what just happened," he rasped, "but whatever’s coming out of that gate... it’ll be the end of you all."

He stared at the swirling black vortex with feverish eyes.

"I can die peacefully knowing I killed you."

"I’ll worry about that later," Arthur said. "But let me tell you something first."

He crouched down slightly, voice dropping.

"Whatever just happened at the end? That wasn’t an accident. It was planned."

Alveer frowned.

"Sakura lied to you," Arthur continued. "She knew you were human trash to her. She used that girl, Olivia, to hack your system and deliberately force a high-ranking demon into the summoning—to kill me."

Alveer’s eyes widened.

"That’s a lie!" he shouted. "She would never do that to me!"

Arthur laughed.

"You don’t even know how cruel she can be," he said. "She’s the one who ordered David to die—just to kill me."

The words dug in.

Memories and suspicions flashed through Alveer’s mind.

It made a terrible kind of sense.

Only Olivia had the ability to hijack another person’s system like that.

Arthur straightened.

"Now that you understand the situation," he said, "just stop what you’re doing, okay? Don’t you want to pay them back for betraying you?"

Alveer’s breathing grew ragged, but his eyes hardened.

"It doesn’t matter to me anymore," he said. "As long as you die... I can rest in peace along with David."

Behind them, the black gate roared, and the demonic energy spilling out grew even stronger.

Arthur’s gaze darkened.

"Too bad, then," he said quietly.

Black claws slid out from the tips of his fingers, curved and gleaming like obsidian blades.

SCHLK.

With a single motion, Arthur’s arm blurred.

Alveer’s head separated cleanly from his neck and tumbled to the ground with a dull thud, rolling a few inches before coming to a stop, eyes still open in shock.

Arthur didn’t spare it another glance.

He looked over at Aiden, who was still collapsed against the broken wall, half-conscious.

Then he spoke in his mind.

’Your feast is ready,’ Arthur said to his system. ’Now come out and enjoy yourself.’

[ I take it back, you’re not useless at all, Host (⌒‿⌒) ]

A vein popped on Arthur’s forehead.

"Now I don’t ever want to hear you complain again," he muttered.

In the next second, a monstrous black shadow peeled itself out of Arthur’s back.

It rose behind him like a living nightmare—taller than any human, its edges constantly shifting, a mass of darkness with vague limb-like protrusions and countless glowing red eyes opening and closing within its form. Its presence alone made the air feel heavier, colder, as if it was swallowing the light around it.

Arthur shivered.

"It’s gonna take a lot of time for me to get used to this," he said.

The shadow let out a soundless roar and surged forward.

It descended on Alveer’s corpse, wrapping the body in layers of darkness. In just a few seconds, flesh, blood, bones, and even his severed head were devoured completely—erased as if he had never existed.

Then the shadow shrank and flowed back into Arthur’s body like black smoke being inhaled.

System notifications rang in his head.

[ Ultimate Scavenger System: Target devoured successfully. ]

[ Experience and data absorption complete. ]

[ Ultimate Scavenger System has reached Level 2. ]

More messages followed.

[ New system detected within devoured target: Sacrificial System. ]

[ Parsing... ]

[ High-grade sacrificial function has been extracted. ]

[ Question: Do you wish to merge the Sacrificial Inventory with the newly acquired sacrificial function to obtain an upgraded inventory? ]

[ Note: Upgraded inventory will allow the Host to sacrifice anything in exchange for anything the Host desires, subject to equivalent price. ]

Arthur’s eyes lit up.

"Wow, I can do that?" he said.

[ Of course, Host. After merging, the inventory will function like this sacrificial ability. It will be able to provide you anything in return for whatever you sacrifice—not just attribute points or experience. ]

Arthur grinned.

"Then let’s do it," he said. "Merge them."

[ Good choice. ]

New prompts appeared.

[ Merging: Sacrificial Inventory + High-grade Sacrificial Function... ]

[ Process: 35%... 67%... 100% ]

[ Merge complete. ]

[ Sacrificial Inventory has been upgraded. ]

[ New Feature: Equivalent Exchange – sacrifice any object, resource, or concept within system rules to obtain desired items, skills, or boons. ]

Arthur smiled to himself as the notifications faded.

"This," he said softly, "is going to be fun."

Aiden, who had been sprawled on the floor, finally groaned and pushed himself up.

His whole body ached, but the first thing he saw was the still-open gate, swirling with black energy. The second thing he saw was Arthur, standing a short distance away and laughing to himself.

Aiden frowned.

"Have you finally gone insane, you bastard?" he asked.

Arthur glanced at him.

"Who are you calling insane?" he said. "While you were sleeping peacefully, I had to do all your work."

Aiden opened his mouth to retort—

A deep, grinding sound echoed from the gate.

Both of them turned.

From within the darkness, a figure slowly began to emerge.

First came a pair of hands—pale, with black nails—gripping the edge of the rift. Then a man stepped out fully, landing lightly on the rooftop.

He had jet-black hair that fell messily to his shoulders and eyes so dark Arthur felt like he was staring into the abyss itself. Jagged, predatory teeth flashed when he smiled, and two black horns curved back from his temples.

He was not wearing armor.

Instead, he wore a perfectly tailored black suit and tie, as if he were stepping out for a formal meeting rather than a massacre. Two large, black demonic wings unfolded from his back, feathers edged with purple light.

The demon looked at Arthur, then at his own body.

"Hm," he said. "I’m not at my full strength."

He flexed his fingers.

"Looks like the connection with the summoner got cut off."

His gaze returned to Arthur and Aiden.

"So it was you who killed the summoner, huh."

Just hearing his voice made both of them flinch. It carried weight—like something ancient and used to being obeyed.

Arthur’s system spoke in his head.

[ Host, that demon is at least S-rank, even without his full power. ]

’I didn’t need you to tell me,’ Arthur thought. ’I know that demon. He’s bad news... Astaroth. One of the ten Demon Lords who serve the Demon God.’

Aiden stepped forward, swords at the ready.

"We can’t let that thing roam free," he said. "Innocent people will die. Let’s attack him togeth—"

He turned to where Arthur had been standing.

Arthur wasn’t there.

When Aiden looked back, he saw Arthur sprinting away at full speed.

"You cowardly bastard!" Aiden yelled.

Arthur didn’t deny it.

In the next moment, as Arthur was running—

Astaroth was suddenly standing right in front of him, as if he had teleported without sound or light.

He flicked his finger.

Arthur’s body froze mid-step, muscles locking in place.

Then Astaroth’s voice came from behind him, cold and amused, as a hand with sharp nails traced along Arthur’s cheek.

"Where are you going?" he asked softly. "Leaving me all alone and ruining the fun? You have to die. That was the contract with the summoner."

Arthur’s system cut in.

[ Host, let me handle him. ]

’What are you going to do?’ Arthur asked internally.

[ We’ll summon someone too, just like Alveer did. ]

’And who would that be?’ Arthur demanded. ’And what exactly are we sacrificing? I’m not trading away my lifespan.’

The system’s tone turned smug.

[ Now I’ll show you the power of your Vitality stat—the one you thought was useless (¬‿¬) ]

A notification appeared in his vision.

[ Sacrifice: 900 Vitality points deducted. ]

Arthur’s eyes widened.

’Nine hundred—!’

A gate flared to life a few meters away, this one bright and golden, its edges lined with soft pink light. Holy-like energy spilled out, pushing back some of the demonic pressure.

"Who are you summoning?" Arthur asked.

[ Your guardian angel (￣︶￣) ]

Astaroth’s hand stilled on Arthur’s cheek as both demon and human turned toward the gate.

A figure stepped out.

A pink-haired lady in a sleek combat suit, eyes sharp and very, very familiar to Arthur.