I Contracted a Demon, but It Turned Into My Pet

Lucian returned to the cave and checked on Elvira Sol. Once he confirmed she was still stable, he sat back down and resumed his meditation training.

He meditated until nightfall.

With a flash of white light, Lucian opened his eyes—gleaming with newfound clarity.

"Tier Two… finally!"

With Tier Two came a third copy slot. Without hesitation, Lucian turned toward Elvira Sol and immediately activated Copy and Analyze.

[Iron Shard Slash: Tier Two magic. Condenses metallic blades. Limited lethality.]

[Verdant Snakebind: Tier Two magic. Summons vine-serpents for whipping and entanglement. Low effectiveness.]

[Hydro Burst: Tier Two magic. Condenses a water blast. Low power, short range.]

[Greater Fireball: Tier Two magic. Condenses a large fireball. Low power, short range.]

[Earthen Armor: Tier Two magic. Summons rocky armor. Limited defensive strength.]

[Shockbind Hex: Tier Two magic. Releases electric currents to paralyze the target. Limited effect.]

Just like before, each Tier Two magic had a copy duration of 15 minutes, but now the analysis time had increased to 30 minutes.

Lucian set to work. Every 15 minutes, he copied three spells, rotating through the list and analyzing them one by one. It took a while, but in the end, he successfully analyzed all of Elvira Sol's Tier Two spells.

Once that was done, he headed outside to take care of some physical needs, then made his way to the riverside in the dark. Using the light-attracting habits of Riverclaws, he cast Glowlight and managed to catch a decent haul—several Riverclaws, two fish, and a bunch of small shrimp.

Adding in the leftover mushrooms and wild greens from lunch, he threw everything into a pot and made a hearty soup.

As usual, he fed Elvira Sol first before eating anything himself.

By the time night fell, Nobu had also completed his digestion. His body had grown to about half the size of a basketball. The sight of him made Lucian's heart melt. He hugged Nobu tightly and settled back into his cultivation posture.

Judging by his current training speed, he estimated he'd reach Tier Three by tonight. Once he did, he could analyze even stronger spells—and maybe finally head out for some monster hunting!

Lucian closed his eyes, anticipation for the future filling his heart as he slipped into meditation.

Deep into the night…

Lucian remained in deep meditation, completely unaware of his surroundings. Nobu, snuggled safely in his arms, had also dozed off.

Sleep wasn't necessary for Nobu, but nestled against Lucian's warmth, he found it soothing—and so drifted into slumber.

Moonlight bathed the forest in a pale glow, casting silvery shadows across the land. The sounds of nocturnal beasts, rustling leaves, and distant howls added a mysterious undertone to the night.

But suddenly… all the sounds vanished.

As if someone had hit mute on the entire forest.

In the darkness of the cave, Elvira Sol's eyes snapped open.

Her right eye blazed like fire, a brilliant red gleam cutting through the dark. Her left eye, however, was a deep, unsettling violet—the whites of it entirely consumed by black. The contrast made her look almost otherworldly.

She didn't move. Instead, she turned her head slowly toward Lucian, her gaze gradually softening.

Though her body had remained unconscious, her mind had been fully aware.

She had heard everything.

Lucian rescuing her.

Lucian undressing her.

Lucian grumbling about her weight.

Lucian carrying her to safety, feeding her soup, speaking to her with quiet care.

She remembered it all.

When he'd said she was getting heavier while carrying her—it wasn't just her magic draining. She had done it on purpose. She wanted to test him. To see whether he would keep carrying her, no matter how heavy she got. Maybe even as a little punishment for his earlier comments.

And he had passed. He never gave up.

More importantly, he never once crossed the line. Not even when she was at her most vulnerable.

She hadn't woken up because she couldn't.

Her body was under attack from Demonic Realm Power, a corrupting force tearing through her from the inside out. She had to fight with everything she had just to keep her soul intact.

The power was overwhelming. It had almost consumed her.

Had it succeeded, her soul would've been destroyed—and her body twisted into a mindless Corrupted Beast, driven only by killing instinct.

"…So you'd better hang in there. No dying on me, alright?"

Lucian's voice reached her in that moment—soft, resolute.

It jolted her from the brink. Her flickering consciousness flared, and she wrestled the Demonic Realm Power back under control.

He'd saved her.

Again.

She mouthed the words, "Thank you…" though no sound came out.

Then she closed her eyes once more.

The battle wasn't over. She still needed time to suppress the corruption completely.

But a faint smile touched her lips. Subtle. Soft.

And impossibly beautiful.

"Be your woman, huh? Let's see if I survive this first…"

Demonic Realm Power—submit.

⸻

The next morning, Lucian stretched and immediately ran out to relieve himself.

Waving his hand, he nodded in satisfaction. "At this pace, I'll hit Tier Three by tonight."

"Let's go!"

"But first—breakfast!"

He conjured a few Greater Fireballs for Nobu's breakfast, then made his way to the river.

Looking at the glimmering Riverclaws beneath the surface, he couldn't help but grin.

Heh. This time, I won't even need to get my pants wet.

He extended both hands.

The river stirred.

Fish, shrimp, and Riverclaws began floating upward, trapped inside orbs of water that hovered gently toward him. No matter how they wriggled or thrashed, they couldn't escape.

A dozen water orbs floated to Lucian's side, each one carrying a bounty of river creatures.

Lucian burst out laughing, utterly delighted.

System analysis is incredible!

Once a spell was analyzed, he could wield it perfectly.

And what did perfect control mean?

Instant casting.

Simultaneous casting.

No incantations. No guidance. No need to draw magic circles.

As long as he had enough mana, he could fire off as many spells as he wanted—all at once if he felt like it.

In this case, he used Hydro Burst to manipulate the river water and catch his breakfast. The spell condensed blasts of water directly from the river, wrapped them around the aquatic critters, and floated them to him like he was commanding the elements themselves.

And it worked beautifully.

Then he conjured slender metal skewers with Metal Morph, threading the seafood for grilling. Half would go into the soup, and the other half—barbecue. No way he was drinking soup again. His taste buds deserved better.

Back at the cave, he conjured a metal basin and sorted the seafood. Then he dashed into the forest to find some wild fruits and spices for seasoning—and even stumbled upon a buzzing surprise:

Honeybees.

In this world, they were called Floral Bees, low-tier magical creatures that produced rich, magical honey.

Lucian "politely" negotiated with them using magic, and "borrowed" a generous portion of honey.

With honey, barbecue would taste divine.

Just as he was about to leave, the Floral Bees enthusiastically buzzed around him.

Touched by their enthusiasm, Lucian smiled.

"…Guess I'll borrow just a bit more."

"That should last me a few barbecues!" he laughed. "Thanks for the gift, nature!"

Floral Bees: F you…***

Back in the cave, Lucian snapped his fingers.

A small flame flickered to life on his fingertip and lit the firewood. Stylish and convenient.

No need to gather branches either—he conjured them directly with magic.

Two fires burned bright. One for soup. One for barbecue.

Lucian worked away, brushing honey on the skewers as delicious aromas filled the air.

He was in heaven.

Unbeknownst to him, Elvira Sol's delicate nose twitched.

Her closed eyes stayed shut, but her throat moved.

She'd just swallowed her own saliva.

"It should be ready…" Lucian picked up a grilled shrimp, blew on it a few times, then took a bite. His expression turned blissful.

"So good…!"

"Gujyu~" Nobu looked up at him with gleaming eyes.

"Here, Nobu! Try this!" Lucian grinned and handed over a skewer.

He half-expected Nobu to devour the whole thing—stick and all—but instead, two tiny hands extended from Nobu's gelatinous body. Carefully, the slime picked up the skewer and ate just like Lucian.

Lucian's eyes lit up.

"So cute! Nobu, you're the cutest thing in the world!"

He burst out laughing.

"Nobu knows how to eat skewers now! Not bad at all!"

The two of them—one man, one magical pet—dug in with gusto. Grilled shrimp, grilled fish, grilled mushrooms, and wild veggies. They feasted like kings.

Afterward, as usual, Lucian fed soup to Elvira Sol.

"When are you going to wake up, huh?" he murmured, gazing at her bold and beautiful face. "I still need you to teach me more magic…"

Once he finished, he resumed his cultivation.

By nightfall, white light once again burst from his body—

Tier Three—achieved.