CHAPTER 130: WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW... FILTHY HUMAN?

The demon scoffed then hissed, the sound echoing through the boss room.

It was low and grating, like a serpent savoring the taste of venom on its tongue. His sharp fangs bared as he stepped forward, his eyes never leaving Riley’s battered figure.

"Heh... look at you..." the demon sneered, his voice thick with scorn. "You really thought your stupid little tricks were worth anything... like their be enough to defeat me? Pathetic."

Each word dripped with mockery, meant to slice deeper than any claw.

Yet behind his grin, a faint tension remained, one the demon could not fully hide. He was still embarrassed.

Still annoyed that he had been forced into this—forced to shed his skin and resort to his true transformation against what should have been a mere human.

That humiliation gnawed at him, fueling every hiss, every scoff.

He should have killed Riley long ago. He should never have had to reveal this form, this strength. That Riley had dragged him this far—it was a stain he would not forget.

"I’ll make sure you regret this," he growled, his claws flexing as more dark aura coursed along his arms.

His glowing eyes narrowed to slits, murderous intent radiating off his body. "I’ll carve that regret into your flesh until there’s nothing left but pain. You’ll beg to die, human."

But Riley... chuckled.

It was faint at first, a broken rasp carried on blood and shallow breath. Yet it was unmistakable. A laugh.

His lips curled upward, and his eyes glimmered with something sharp, something dark. Almost like he wasn’t taking the demon seriously at all.

The sound hit harder than a blade.

The demon froze mid-step, his grin twitching, then cracked. Rage flared in his chest, hotter than fire.

That chuckle—it was an insult greater than any wound Riley had dealt him.

His teeth gnashed audibly, his claws tightening with a screeching scrape. "You dare—"

And then, without warning, his figure blurred.

To Riley’s eyes, it was as though the demon had suddenly vanished. His form dissolved into nothing but a streak of shadow and light.

For a split second, Riley’s vision faltered. His instincts screamed, but even then, he couldn’t catch up.

A heartbeat later, the demon reappeared.

Right in front of him.

His foot was already raised high, his leg twisted with monstrous strength.

BANG!

The kick smashed squarely into Riley’s torso, the impact thunderous.

"—ghhhk!"

His body lifted off the ground instantly, the force hurling him backward like a broken doll. Stone cracked beneath the shockwave, dust bursting into the air.

His body slammed into the dungeon wall with a deafening crash, crystal fragments raining around him as cracks spiderwebbed outward.

"Urrghhh!" Riley grunted, his jaw clenching as blood spewed violently from his mouth.

The taste of iron filled his tongue, hot and suffocating. His ribs screamed with pain, his vision blurred, and yet he still forced himself to remain conscious.

The shadow aura clinging to his body flickered weakly, as though it could go off at any moment.

The demon walked forward slowly, savoring every step, his grin stretching wider with cruel satisfaction.

"I could end you right now..." he mocked, his tone smooth, venomous. "...but I won’t."

He tilted his head, eyes gleaming. "No... killing you now would be too easy. Too clean. I want you to suffer."

The demon scoffed again, the sound low and filled with venomous delight. His claws curled as he continued, "I don’t even care anymore about who you are. The truth, your secrets—it means nothing now. All I want... is to hear your screams."

Before Riley could react, the demon blurred again, his speed suffocating. His clawed hand shot forward, seizing Riley by the throat.

CRACK!

The wall shook as Riley’s body was slammed harder into it, stone splintering beneath the force.

Dust rained around them. The demon’s grip tightened, lifting Riley off his feet, pinning him like a broken insect beneath his talons.

Riley’s vision spun, his lungs straining, his throat crushed under the monster’s inhuman strength.

The demon’s grin widened into a grotesque smirk. His glowing eyes gleamed with mockery as his claws dug into Riley’s skin.

"So tell me..." the demon hissed, leaning closer until his fanged breath seared Riley’s face.

"...what can you do now... filthy human?"

Riley’s throat convulsed as the demon’s grip tightened. He choked violently, every breath a painful rasp as his lungs screamed for air.

His hands shot up instinctively, clawing at the demon’s scaled arm, fingers digging desperately into its flesh in a futile attempt to pry himself free. His body twisted against the wall, every muscle straining, but the difference in their strength was overwhelming.

The veins on his forehead bulged as his face contorted with raw agony, his bloodshot eyes quivering under the crushing grip. His jaw clenched, his teeth grinding, but no amount of struggling gave him even a sliver of relief.

The sight was intoxicating for the demon.

A cruel spark lit up in those glowing eyes, his smirk curling wider as Riley’s face darkened from the lack of air. Every pained expression, every shudder of helplessness—it thrilled him. He drank it in like the sweetest wine.

"Yes..." he hissed with sadistic glee, his voice a guttural rasp filled with pride. "This is how it should be... you humans... crawling, choking, struggling... before demons, your superiors."

He leaned in closer, his fangs glinting. "No matter what you do, no matter how hard you fight... a human could never defeat a demon. Remember that as you die."

And yet...

Riley’s lips curled upward.

A faint smirk broke across his bloodied mouth. His eyes, half-lidded with exhaustion and pain, glimmered faintly in the dim light.

The demon froze for half a heartbeat, confusion flashing across his face. "Hah?"

Then he snarled, forcing his grin wider as annoyance spiked through him. "What is this?" he mocked, his voice dripping with irritation. "Have you gone crazy, human? Smirking like that on the verge of death? Is this how you hide your fear? Pathetic—"

But the words cut short.

The demon’s glowing eyes suddenly widened.