After entering the eerie castle, Alex, RU, and BU, the three demons selected for the tournament, were treated with unexpected kindness. They were adorned with golden ornaments, clothing for the first time in their demonic lives, and rings were placed on their fingers. These "rings of scorn" had a peculiar effect: they increased the wearer's endurance the longer a battle raged.
Alex couldn't help but smile. This was the first genuinely positive experience he'd had since his reincarnation as a demon. He also realized it was the first time he'd felt his heart race at the sight of a female demon, especially after seeing Valac. Many maid demonesses were in the castle; they treated him with care, providing ample food, and even granting him the pleasure of washing his body in a stream. These first-time experiences made him reconsider his decision to intentionally lose; perhaps a victory would be a better path.
After eating and bathing, Valac and Mara arrived to escort them to the training room. Throughout the journey, Alex's joy was palpable, evident in his radiant smile. However, as they approached the training room, he noticed Ru and Bu’s legs were moving stiffly, their bodies shivering with fear. "Well, what's wrong with you guys?" Alex asked, his amusement tinged with curiosity. Had they finally lost their courage before the tournament? "Isn't he crazy, smiling when we're about to enter a training room?" Ru whispered to Bu, fear lacing his voice.
Alex, oblivious to their concerns, was completely content, his focus solely on the present moment. The comfortable ornaments, the captivating figure of Valac leading the way, the sweet scent that still lingered after his bath—it was all too much to ignore. He allowed himself to indulge in the joy, fully embracing it. They ventured deeper into the castle, passing through a set of prison-like gates, and emerging into a space unlike any he'd seen in the abyss: greenery, for the first time in his experience. Green plants, like a garden path, guided them from the entrance to a small area filled with old-fashioned, cell-like rooms. Valac and Mara, each assigning a specific number to the three of them, left quickly and without a word. The rows of rooms seemed to stretch endlessly, impossible to count.
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By this time, Ru and Bu were both trembling uncontrollably, and Alex sensed a growing unease. The doors to their individual chambers were marked with numbers. Alex, gulping, entered the room with his assigned number, leaving the other two demons shaking in fear. He'd braced himself for something unpleasant, but to his surprise, the small chamber contained only an iron chair placed in the center and an SSS-ranked demon standing beside it. "Huh, I guess they were just afraid of the trainers then," Alex mused, observing the small figure. The demon had a human-like build, with long hair, bloodshot red eyes, and red skin.
Alex scoffed, thinking, "Well, he might be higher ranked, but what's there to fear about getting trained by him?" He stood before the chair, observing the demon, Alex was properly dressed and armed with a silver longsword, waiting for instruction. But the first words he heard were, "Wait, do I need to tell you what to do, or are you hoping to play with me?" The demon's voice was deep and menacing, contradicting his somewhat delicate features. Alex flinched, the pressure of the demon's voice and the intense gaze of his bloodshot eyes causing his heart to race.
His body moved on instinct, hoping he had made the right choice as he walked to sit on the chair. "Well, I hope you're no crybaby, because I'll be taking extra care of you due to the King's orders," the demon said, his face composed, his tone serious.
He moved to stand behind Alex and a dark shadow suddenly emerged from the chair, strapping Alex's arms and legs down, making him completely immobile. "What? What sort of training is this?" Alex panicked. Constantly thrown into worse and worse situations, his senses were on high alert, warning him that his current ordeal was only going to get more unbearable.
While he was strapped to the chair, a portal opened next to the demon. It felt as if he was in a barbershop about to get a haircut. "I'm starting now, warrior," the demon's deep voice echoed as he plunged his hand into the portal and pulled out a knife. "Huh?" Alex muttered, confused, as he saw the shining sharp edge of the blade—a butcher's knife, ready to slaughter meat. Without showing any expression, the demon brought the knife straight to Alex's head. Then another knife from the portal was thrust into Alex’s throat and another. He kept stabbing.
"Ding!" He kept getting the system notification. "What sort of training is this? Isn't this basically torture?" Alex thought, confused, as he endured the continuous, brutal strikes of the sashimi knife, bleeding profusely but unable to even scream out. What was unfathomable, though, was that although each strike felt fatal, dealing horrific pain, it only caused 1 point of damage to his HP.
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