Derek's eyes widened in shock. For a moment, he couldn't tell whether what he was seeing was real or just a nightmare.

Humans… working with demons? The same demons who had once slaughtered nearly all of humanity?

Was such a thing even possible?

Rage exploded within him. He let out a thunderous roar — a roar drenched in fury and killing intent.

"YOU BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU WORK WITH DEMONS?!"

Peter, who had been grinning at the sight of his new reinforcements, froze mid-smile.

So did the two figures that had just emerged from the rift.

Aside from the bear and Leo's mutated version still fighting in the background, the entire cavern fell silent.

Even the terrified girl tied beside him trembled harder, her mind reeling from what she had just heard.

'Demons?'

The word sent chills down her spine. Though 'demon' was a term often used to describe something evil or monstrous in myths and old legends, no one had ever actually seen one — not in the entire recorded history of humankind.

So what did the boy beside her mean?

Did he simply think those creatures looked demonic, or… did he truly know what they were?

Meanwhile, Peter and the two demons stiffened.

They really were demons — a fact known only to a select few.

But how could this human boy possibly know that?

Peter's grin faded. His voice dropped, cold and sharp. "How do you know about demons?"

Derek didn't answer. He spat to the side, muscles tensing as he fought against the restraints biting into his skin.

His veins bulged, his breath grew heavy, and his eyes turned blood-red — filled with unrestrained hatred for the instructor before him.

"How do you know about demons?" Peter shouted again, but Derek remained silent, his entire focus fixed on breaking the shackles that bound him.

Peter gritted his teeth and glanced at the two demons. One of them stepped forward, seemingly understanding Peter's unspoken command.

Reaching the platform where Derek and the girl were tied, the demon raised his arm, clenched his massive fist, and slammed it down into Derek's stomach with brutal force.

Blarrghhh!

Derek coughed out a mouthful of blood, his body jerking from the impact.

"How do you know?" Peter roared once more.

Still, Derek said nothing. His teeth clenched, his muscles straining as he kept trying to break free.

The demon struck again, his fist sinking into Derek's abdomen with even greater power.

Blarrghhh! Another burst of blood splattered from Derek's lips.

Then again… and again.

The blows kept coming — savage, relentless — but Derek didn't bend. He didn't scream. His eyes burned red, his expression unshaken.

Beside him, the girl shut her eyes tightly, trembling, unable to bear the sight any longer.

After it went for several minutes.....

"Stop," Peter finally ordered, his voice low but sharp. The demon halted and stepped back.

Peter walked closer, his tone dripping with mockery. "You're a tough one, huh? Fine. I have other methods to make you speak," Peter said coldly.

With that, he grabbed Derek by the jaw and forced his mouth open.

Derek's eyes widened in panic. 'No… no, no, no! I don't want to turn into a beast or a demon!'

He knew exactly what was coming — the same horrifying thing that had happened to Leo.

And his fear turned into reality when Peter pulled out another demonic core, its surface glowing with a sinister crimson light, and shoved it straight into Derek's mouth.

Then, using his air magic, Peter forced the core deeper, trying to push it down into Derek's stomach.

But Derek fought back with every ounce of strength left in his body, refusing to give in.

"Oh?" Peter's eyes widened in surprise. "You're really strong. Now I see how you had the guts to rush in for someone else's rescue. But if you think that strength will save you… you're gravely mistaken."

With that, he increased the power behind his spell.

Eventually, Derek was unable to resist any longer — the demonic core was forced down his throat.

The instant it reached his stomach, a violent surge tore through his veins. His blood felt like it was boiling, every muscle screaming in agony as unbearable pain exploded inside him.

Derek clenched his teeth, trying desperately to endure it — but after a few moments, he couldn't hold it in anymore.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

A roar of pure agony burst from his throat.

Peter watched in silence as Derek writhed in agony, patiently waiting — hoping that, like Leo, he too would soon begin to transform.

"Stop! Stop it!" the girl, meanwhile, screamed, unable to bear the sight any longer. Though she was slightly older than Derek and Leo, she was still young — far from a seasoned hunter. Even if she had been one, what was happening before her eyes was something no veteran could stomach: a human slowly turning into a beast.

Derek's body convulsed violently, his limbs thrashing as he fought against the unbearable pain. Blood began to pour from his nose, ears, and mouth, staining the platform beneath him.

After several minutes of this horrific struggle, his body finally went still. His eyes remained open — wide, glassy, and empty, as if all life had drained away.

A frown appeared on Peter's face. He stepped closer and placed two fingers on Derek's neck to check for a pulse.

"Che." A moment later, he clicked his tongue in disappointment. "What a waste. Couldn't even endure the pain… and died."

"What?!" The girl's eyes flew open in shock. "D-dead?!"

She could barely believe her ears. "You killed him?"

Peter let out a sigh. "No, I didn't. He was weak — pathetic. That's why he died. The weak don't deserve to live, after all."

A twisted grin crept across his face as he turned toward her and started closing in, his footsteps slow and deliberate. Derek's death meant nothing to him; all that mattered was the success of the transformation.

"Now then," he said softly, eyes glinting with cruelty, "if you can't endure the pain, you'll die too. So… don't die on me, alright? The master won't be happy if I lose another one."

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