I Contracted a Demon, but It Turned Into My Pet

Elvira Sol couldn't help but chuckle as she watched Lucian devour the roast, shaking her head in amusement. Together, they feasted on the meat, luxuriating in the flavors.

No lie—Elvira Sol's cooking was phenomenal. Juicy, mouthwatering, and utterly irresistible. Lucian sat there, grease streaking his face, looking completely mesmerized.

"Elvira Sol, where did you learn to cook like this?" Lucian asked between bites.

"I figured it out myself," she replied while tearing into another chunk of pork. "Back when I trained in the wild, I had to hunt and cook my own meals. I spent a lot of time experimenting with how to make monster meat taste better."

"Those spices I used?" she said, nodding proudly. "All my own invention. They amplify flavor threefold and aroma dozens of times."

Lucian gave her a thumbs-up. That's incredible! How many beasts did she have to roast to perfect these recipes—and even craft spice "magic"?

After a few kilos of meat, Elvira Sol leaned back, content. Half the boar had disappeared into Lucian's stomach, and the rest was tucked into her space ring for a later meal.

Lucian sat thoughtfully, chewing on several ribs, contemplating: if devouring cores increased his cultivation, what about bones? Could eating bones strengthen his skeleton?

"What's the matter? Want to eat the bones too?" Elvira teased.

Lucian eagerly nodded: "Yes!"

Without hesitation, he grabbed a rib and crunched it down. The bone shattered under his teeth as he devoured it.

Elvira's jaw dropped: "Seriously?"

But she watched in surprise as Lucian's body glowed softly—his bones warming, as if enhanced. His theory, it seemed, had merit.

"Your cooking is amazing, but you don't have to eat bones too!" she said in gentle disbelief.

Lucian grinned: "I'm not wasting a drop of your hard work." He finished the rest of the rib with crunchy satisfaction.

Elvira shook her head, laughing: this kid…

"Alright, now that you're full, let's start your mana control training." She stood in the clearing and addressed him seriously.

"There are many ways to train mana control—like coating your body in a thin mana skin for protection, or weaving mana threads for precision spells. But I'll teach you the most effective method: pattern weaving."

"Pattern weaving?" Lucian asked, curious. "You mean drawing magic circles?"

Elvira nodded: "Yes—but you're not drawing standard circles. You'll practice high-intensity, precision weaving. You'll gather mana into threads and draw patterns in mid-air. And you must control dozens of these threads simultaneously."

With a flick of her wrist, hundreds of red mana filaments, as fine as hair, shimmered around her. In less than a second, they weaved themselves into a single, intricate pattern.

Lucian's eyes widened.

An eighth-tier Firestorm Descent! The symbol glowed, ready to activate. The speed and precision of her weaving—hundreds of threads at once—left him speechless.

"Your turn," she said. "First, gather your mana threads."

Lucian nodded resolutely and focused. Mana pulsed in his hand, then a ribbon-like thread extended.

Though thick like rope at first, Lucian persisted and refined it. Moments later, a single strand fine as a hair drifted before him.

"How is it?" he asked, beaming.

Elvira's eyes glittered. He had done what used to take her a full day, in under ten minutes. "But you're far from done," she said. "You need to weave hundreds of those thin threads, and also coat your body with a mana skin. Both at once. That's the standard."

"I'll set up a mana convergence array," she added, "so magic supply won't be an issue. By tonight, I expect to see ten threads and a full mana skin covering your arm."

Lucian nodded firmly: "Yes, ma'am."

…

Later that afternoon…

As stars began to peek through the twilight sky, Lucian stood in the center of a mana array that glowed pale blue. The upper half of his body shimmered with a mana-infused skin, and dozens of fine mana strands floated around him.

Elvira watched him, arms folded, amazed. This speed—this talent—was unreal. Four hours ago, he'd barely managed one thread—and look at him now: dozens, plus a glowing mana skin across half his body. He'd far exceeded her expectations. At this rate, Lucian's mana control would rival hers within a month.

Lucian exhaled deeply. Controlling mana required intense focus and drained mental energy, even if the mana itself could regenerate. His mind was nearly spent—but the progress was extraordinary.

"Great work today," Elvira praised, smiling softly. "From now on, mornings are for battle training, afternoons for mana control."

Lucian flashed a mischievous smile: "Elvira Sol, it's getting late… should we go to sleep?"

She stared at him incredulously. When he was serious, he was impressive. But now?

Still, Elvira couldn't quite suppress her amusement. She touched the air—forbidden array magic—and Lucian was gently enveloped in mana and transported into a nearby cave, where she gently pressed him down.

"Sleep? Nooo—train!" she said firmly.

Lucian simply ate his six-tier core, tossed in the seven-tier Aquamire Boar crystal, and entered training mode. Sleeping together was just a joke—he wasn't counting on anything beyond that.

Elvira settled at the cave mouth, eyes closed, mana shield active around Lucian. Outside, the forest lay hushed and tense.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes, sensing a presence. A massive form emerged from the darkness, shaking the ground as it approached.

A hundred meters from the cave stood a towering stag. Its emerald eyes fixed on Elvira.

"Leave," Elvira commanded in a calm, icy tone. "Or I have no qualms about choosing a new protector of these Wilds."

The stag's eyes flashed with anger. "You killed heirs of the Furious Bear King," it said in a gentle female voice. "As sovereign of the Savage Wilds, I demand justice for my people."

Elvira chuckled softly: "Words won't help you. Either send your champion, or… I'll eat bear paw for dinner. Now leave."

Lightning of pressure radiated from Elvira, bending the trees and rippling through the forest.

The stag bowed its head, antlers grazing the soil: "I'm no match for you. Magic from the demon rifts has stirred beasts here, and the Furious Bear King rages after your kills. He attempts to spark a Beast Tide—but I suppress it for now."

Elvira nodded. Her suppression of the rift and her duel with the Fury Bears had apparently earned respect—even from a Sacred-Rank stag.

"We'll depart in a month," she assured.

The stag nodded, then turned and melted into the darkness.

Once it faded, Elvira exhaled, lowering her gaze.

The stag was Elder Hart of Deepgrove—the Sage King of the Wilds—late Sacred Rank 5. Elvira, at mid-Stage 3 Sacred, couldn't defeat him outright. But peace had been preserved…at least for now.

She sighed softly: the fragile harmony between humans and the Wilds was growing more tenuous. Only time would tell if this uneasy peace held.

…

Lucian woke up at dawn—and the first thing he did was sprint off to pee.

Last night, Elvira Sol had pinned him down and forced him into cultivation training before he even had the chance to relieve himself. Now his bladder felt like it was about to explode.

"Gujyu~"

"Nobu, be good. Don't look. It'll burn your eyes."

A short while later, he emerged from the bushes, eyes full of resolve.

He had to cultivate to Sacred Rank—so that he would never again be woken up in the morning by the desperate urge to pee.

Ah yes, such a noble reason for becoming stronger…

"Huh? Where's Elvira Sol?" Lucian glanced around in confusion.

Just as he spoke, Elvira Sol descended from the sky.

"Looking for me?" she asked, landing gracefully.

Lucian looked past her—and sure enough, clutched in her flaming lion's paw was yet another massive beast.

"Didn't we still have half a roast boar left from yesterday?" he asked suspiciously.

Elvira blinked innocently. "I got hungry last night. So I ate it."

Lucian blinked back. "Midnight snack? Aren't you worried about gaining weight?"

Elvira scoffed. "I don't gain weight. Fast metabolism."

Lucian grinned mischievously. "Who are you trying to fool? Last time I carried you, you weighed over two hundred ki—AUGH!"

Before he could finish, Elvira's fist drove him straight into the ground.

"Go eat dirt instead!" she huffed, flipping her magical cloak and vanishing somewhere to roast meat.

Lucian pulled himself out of the dirt, wincing and rubbing his bruised shoulder. Through gritted teeth, he muttered to Nobu:

"She's so fierce… I think I'm in love."

Nobu: "…"

Lucian stretched his limbs, feeling the surge of energy pulsing through him.

After one night, he had already broken into Tier 5 Mid Stage!

Normally, if he relied purely on meditation, it would have taken him over ten days to climb from newly advanced Tier 5 to the Mid Stage. But thanks to devouring a Tier 6 core, and then absorbing the Tier 7 core through the system for the entire night, his strength skyrocketed.

He had absorbed two-thirds of the Tier 7 crystal and simply ate the last third for breakfast.

Now his cultivation had been pushed to Tier 5 Late Stage—just a step away from the peak.

After casting a few basic spells to feed Nobu, Lucian was preparing for combat practice—until Elvira dropped out of the sky again, holding a massive roasted boar leg.

She tossed it to him without ceremony. "Eat up. You're fighting right after this."

Lucian caught the leg, stunned for a moment, then broke into a dazzling grin.

"I knew you loved me after all!"

Elvira rolled her eyes. "Today's objective is simple—take down the Demonic Jungle and the Dreadclaw Bear."

Those were the two Tier 6 beasts still locked up since yesterday. Seemed like it was Lucian's turn for some live training.

"Consider it done!" he said around a mouthful of meat.

After polishing off the leg—bone and all—Lucian turned to face the beasts still imprisoned in the magical cages. A confident smile curved his lips.

Back when he was just Tier 4 Early Stage, he'd managed to kill a Sabertail Beast. Now, at Tier 5 Late Stage with vastly improved strength, how hard could two more Tier 6 monsters be?

Just as he was thinking this, Elvira smirked.

"You're feeling confident? Let's raise the stakes."

With a snap of her fingers, the mana cages around the two beasts simultaneously vanished.

Lucian's eyes widened in shock as he turned toward her, utterly betrayed.

"Wait, wait—this isn't how we do things!"