It was a demoness. Specifically, a one-horned crimson demoness.
She stood tall, nearly two heads taller than me.
Her skin was a deep, solid red, smooth like a human's but with an almost sculpted perfection.
A single horn jutted from the center of her forehead, sharp and menacing. Her glowing red eyes stared at me without blinking, cold and unreadable.
She was lean but muscular, her body built for both speed and strength. The lava sludge slid off her skin, but she didn't react, not a single flinch from the heat. She was completely unaffected, as if the burning liquid was nothing more than water.
The only thing she wore was a tattered black crop top, barely covering her large, full chest, and a pair of tight shorts that clung to her muscular thighs.
Her bare feet pressed against the burning ground, completely unbothered by the heat.
Long, wild black hair cascaded down her back, framing a strikingly beautiful face—sharp features, high cheekbones, and full lips curled into an amused smirk.
Despite the raw power radiating from her, there was an undeniable allure to her, a dangerous beauty that made it impossible to look away.
This thing was Level 30, which meant she had already gained a class and leveled up five more times after that.
After Level 25, stat gains weren't fixed at five per level like before, they depended entirely on the class. Some got more Strength, others more Const or Dexterity. And on top of that, demons were naturally stronger than humans, especially at lower levels.
They were one of the top races in the universe.
Born with an affinity for fire and fire-related laws, demons were a wild race. A race of warriors. A Level 30 human would generally be weaker than a Level 30 demon.
But that didn't explain why a demoness was here.
I had no idea what she was doing in this place.
But one thing was certain, she was not a creation of the Abomination caged here. She was a living, breathing demoness. And looking at her, I was sure she wasn't an Abomination.
Finally, she moved.
The demoness turned her head slowly, first left, then right, taking in the area around us. Then, her glowing red eyes locked onto me.
I spoke addressing her.
"Who ar—"
She blurred.
A fist appeared in front of my face before I could even process what was happening.
Boom.
A sickening crunch followed as pain exploded across my nose. My vision spun, and the next thing I knew, I was flying through the air.
I crashed into the ground, bounced twice, and then landed straight into a lava pool. Heat licked at my skin as I groaned, my head pounding from the impact.
Shakily, I pushed myself up, scanning for the demoness.
She was gone.
My heart pounded. I activated [Psynapse Boost] instantly. Essence flooded my eyes, turning my vision sharp. The world slowed as my perception expanded.
Then I heard it.
A faint whistle to my left. Heat particles in the air shifted. The wind stirred unnaturally.
I barely managed to raise my left arm in defense before something heavy smashed into me—a devastating punch that lifted me off the ground and sent me flying again.
I tumbled across the ground, slamming into the hardened volcanic rock before skidding to a stop.
I lay there, face down, feeling the burn of the rough ground against my skin. Then I pulled myself up and chuckled, blood pooling in my mouth. I spat to the side and locked eyes with the demoness.
She stood there, completely unfazed, as if knocking me around was nothing more than swatting a fly.
I exhaled and activated my talent.
"Power Up."
The Generator roared to life inside me. Energy surged, filling every inch of my body.
I activated [Essence Manipulation], channeling raw power into my legs. My muscles tensed, charged with force. Then I sprinted forward. [Psynapse Boost] kept my senses sharp, locking onto the demoness.
She still hadn't moved.
I took the chance.
Closing the distance in a flash, I shot my leg out, aiming a powerful kick straight for her head—
But then she blurred.
My eyes widened.
'Too fast.'
Even with [Psynapse Boost] active, I couldn't see her move.
A shift. A presence to my right.
Before I could guard, her leg slammed into my ribs—hard.
Pain ripped through me as I shot through the air like a bullet, crashing straight into another lava pool.
Boom.
I lay face down in the pool, my head spinning from the impact.
Gritting my teeth, I forced my eyes open and dragged myself out of the lava. My ribs throbbed with pain, every breath a reminder of the hit I'd taken.
I thought I could at least keep up with her. But I was wrong.
I heard footsteps approaching.
The demoness walked barefoot toward me, her feet crunching against the burned ground.
I lay there, breathing heavily, my body working fast to repair itself.
I could feel my passive ability kicking in, my bones adjusting and correcting themselves. The spots where I had been hit were getting extra attention, my body reinforcing them.
Once I recovered, I'd be stronger than before.
But that was for later. Right now, I had bigger problems.
I raised my head slightly and locked eyes with the demoness.
She stopped right at my feet.
"Who are you?" I asked.
The demoness grinned and clapped.
"Well, well, well. I'm surprised, human. I thought one punch would be enough to put you down, yet here you are, still talking."
I took a deep breath, pain flaring through my ribs as I forced myself to stand. My legs wobbled, but I stayed up.
She gave me an appraising look.
"I can see you're strong. But unfortunately, not strong enough."
She lifted her foot.
My body tensed. Essence surged through me, heightening my senses, sharpening my focus.
My eyes locked onto her every movement.
But I failed again.
The demoness vanished.
A split second later, something smashed into my back, possibly her knee.
I shot forward from the force.
Before I could get my bearings, her hand gripped the back of my head. Then…..
Bang.
She slammed my head into the ground.
Blood filled my mouth. My head swam, my vision blurred.
I struggled to focus, shaking my head to clear it—
Then I felt a grip on my ankle.
'Oh no.'
The world spun.
She lifted me like a ragdoll, leaped into the air, and….
Boom.
She slammed me back into the ground.
A crater formed beneath me.
I felt my internal organs shift from the sheer force of the impact.
Pain exploded through my entire body. If I were a machine, this would be the moment alarms blared—Mayday, mayday! Danger, danger!
I couldn't feel a single part of myself. Everything felt heavy. Disconnected.
The demoness grabbed my ankle again.
'Not again.'
But this time, she didn't lift me or smash me but she dragged me across the ground.
My face scraped against the rough surface as I was helplessly tossed around like a ragdoll.
Then, she stopped and let go of my ankle.
I lay there, my face pressed into the dirt.
Forcing myself to turn over, I blinked multiple times to clear my vision.
At first, all I saw was a blurry figure approaching, her shape towering over me.
I blinked again. My eyes focused.
'Oh fuck.'
The demoness was carrying a massive boulder on her head.
Grinning from ear to ear, she walked toward me, each step slow and steady.
She stopped a few feet away and locked eyes with me.
"Let's do a little experiment," she said, amusement dripping from her voice. "We're going to see whether this rock is faster… or you are. I'll throw it up, and you have to move out of the way. You understand, right? Good! Let's gooooo!"
With a roar, she hurled the enormous rock—four feet wide, six feet tall—high into the air.
I stared at it as it soared upward.
The demoness's voice rang out from the side.
"Time is ticking, human. Tick tock, tick tock."
I had the strength to move. I just didn't want to.
There was no point. Not in front of her.
So I decided to trust my body and wait.
The rock reached its peak. Then, it started falling. Fast.
The demoness laughed.
"Don't tell me you've given up, human."
I fake chuckled and bragged.
"Give up? You're too weak to make me give up."
Then, the rock came crashing down.
Boom.
Pain. Tremendous pain.
Seconds passed.
Then, I felt a presence near me.
The demoness whispered in my ear.
"We're going to have so much fun."
That was the last thing I heard before everything faded to black.