I Contracted a Demon, but It Turned Into My Pet

Time passed, minute by minute. Lucian had no idea how long he'd held on like this. He only knew that his hair had curled from the heat, his clothes were scorched yellow, and every inch of his body felt like it had been seared raw.

Burned all over.

The temperature inside the cave had climbed past forty degrees Celsius. Elvira Sol's body was well over a hundred. And because Lucian was seated so close to her, the ambient temperature near him was reaching eighty or ninety—like being slow-roasted alive.

It was a pain so intense it was hard to even describe.

He wasn't sure how he endured it.

Maybe because if he didn't, he'd die.

Or maybe because his hands, completely numb and charred, simply couldn't let go.

Whatever the reason, he kept going.

In the end, his consciousness was fuzzy. He was meditating purely on instinct now.

Then—flash.

A burst of white light.

He'd broken through to Tier Four. His [Copy and Analyze] ability could now parse spells two tiers above his own.

That moment of advancement brought a flicker of clarity to his mind.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

All the sweat had long since evaporated. His body was dehydrated, his lungs burned from the hot air, and his throat felt like it had been slashed with a knife. He couldn't force out a single word.

Suddenly, Elvira Sol's temperature dropped rapidly.

Lucian also felt the mana drain cease.

Was it finally… over?

That was his last thought before his body went limp. He wondered if he could ever recover from burns this severe. Would his handsome face be disfigured?

But then he remembered—this was a world of magic. Anything was possible.

So maybe… just maybe… he'd be okay?

With that, his consciousness slipped into darkness.

As Lucian passed out, Lysera's form faded away.

As a system sprite, she could only manifest while Lucian remained conscious. The moment he fainted, she vanished back into his soulscape.

And right then, Elvira Sol's eyes snapped open.

Her left eye was shrouded in shadow, the iris glowing with a sinister violet hue. But in the next second, that darkness and color were sucked into the center like a black hole. Her pupil cleared, returning to a vibrant ruby-red.

A gleam of excitement shimmered in her eyes.

Success.

She had tamed the Demonic Realm Power.

From now on, the invasive force within her would serve her instead of threatening her. It would make her stronger.

And it was all because of the boy beside her.

She turned to Lucian.

He was still sitting beside her, hand tightly gripping her arm.

She remembered—in the middle of resisting the demonic invasion, her mana had nearly run dry. Just when she was on the verge of losing, a flood of mana surged into her body. The relief had made her moan involuntarily.

She'd instinctively begun to absorb it. Relentlessly. Desperately.

She'd wondered where the mana was coming from.

She had sealed her senses to focus entirely on suppressing the corruption, so she wasn't aware at the time. But now she knew.

Lucian had been the one providing her with mana.

She looked at him, stunned.

In just a few days, he had advanced from Tier Two to Tier Four—and his mana reserves were abnormally vast, far beyond that of a typical fourth-tier mage.

But now, his breath was shallow, his skin horrifically burned, his hair singed and brittle. His face was nearly unrecognizable. His hands… blackened, charred—barely human.

Her expression softened.

She reached out and gently stroked his cheek. Her voice was low and magnetic.

"You went this far just to make me your wife?"

"Not bad… boy."

With that, soft flames gathered in her palm and spread across Lucian's body—not to burn, but to heal. The charred, cracked skin began to smooth. His baked clothing slowly regained its form.

[Breath of the Undying Phoenix].

Before long, seventy percent of his wounds had healed.

Except for his hands.

Those were far too damaged. Even Elvira Sol's magic couldn't heal them so quickly.

She tried to move her arm—but Lucian's grip was still locked around her hand.

And then, as she shifted slightly, he let out a faint groan—and once again, began channeling mana into her body.

Elvira blinked in surprise.

He was still unconscious.

And yet… he was still trying to protect her.

She gazed down at him, her heart softening further. A chuckle escaped her lips. She gently pried his hand free and tapped his forehead with her finger. His furrowed brow eased, and a calm, peaceful expression settled across his face.

She laid him down flat.

"Why did you save me?" she asked softly, lying down beside him with her cheek resting on her palm. Her eyes lingered on his face.

"You don't even know me. So why would you suffer so much just to keep me alive?"

"Normal Tier Fours don't have that much mana… Who are you, really?"

As she whispered, a memory flickered in her mind.

She was sixteen.

Flame Lion City. Ruins. Fire. Screams.

All of it—her doing.

The flames inside her had raged out of control. She was certain she'd die, and take the entire city with her. But just before she lost everything, someone saved her.

She had asked him—why?

She was a monster. A criminal.

He had simply smiled.

"Do I need a reason to save someone?"

She had broken down in tears. He'd pinched her cheeks and said, "No crying. Smile through life."

"But I caused all of this… I'm a sinner!" she'd sobbed.

"You're not a sinner. You're Elvira Sol."

"The one who will become the strongest Crimson Lion in Sol family history."

"But… I'm a girl. How can I be the Crimson Lion?"

He had grinned. "So what if you're a girl? Out on the plains, it's the lioness that hunts."

"Here—have a piece of gum. Loosen up. You gotta stay happy to stay strong. Smile through everything."

"Smile, and you'll become stronger."

"And now, I have to go."

"You're leaving?" she'd asked. "What's your name? Will we meet again?"

"Yeah, we'll meet again. As for my name… you'll know it one day."

"I promise—we'll see each other again."

"And when that happens, you'll—"

Before he could finish, he disappeared.

She couldn't remember his face. He had worn a mask. Even his voice had faded over time.

But Elvira knew—he had changed her life.

He had made her who she was today.

She'd spent years searching for him. So she could show him how strong she had become. So she could smile through every hardship, just like he said.

And now, she'd met someone else.

Someone who saved her life without any reason at all.

Sure, he said he wanted her as his wife… but she knew that wasn't the real reason.

Men might risk their lives for beauty—but not him.

He had never crossed a line. Not even when she was unconscious for days. No violation. No misconduct.

That wasn't a man driven by lust.

That was someone who cared.

Elvira Sol looked at Lucian quietly.

She would wait.

And when he woke up—she would ask him.

Why?