CHAPTER 132: I KILLED A DEMON...

Instantly, the shadow aura that had been clinging to him flared violently, surging outward like a raging storm.

The shadows writhed around him in a frenzy, as though celebrating victory, before slowly retracting, curling back into his body like an obedient beast retreating to its master.

Riley exhaled deeply, his breath shaky but steadying, and muttered under his breath, "It paid off..."

A smirk tugged at his lips as his eyes flicked toward the corner of his vision.

There, floating in the air before him, were familiar notifications flashing one after the other.

[Level 43 Normal Demon Killed!]

[+42300 EXP]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up Rewards: +128 Attribute Points, +64 Skill Points]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up Rewards: +128 Attribute Points, +64 Skill Points]

[...]

[...]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up Rewards: +128 Attribute Points, +64 Skill Points]

Growl!

His stomach suddenly roared, loud enough to echo in the silence of the boss room.

He clutched it lightly with one hand, grunting under his breath as a wave of hunger surged through him.

The pain gnawed at him viciously, reminding him of the price his body demanded after such battles.

But Riley barely paid it any mind. His focus was consumed entirely by the notifications.

Excitement coursed through his veins, burning away the pain for the moment. He could feel his lips trembling, a mixture of relief and disbelief painted across his face.

His smirk widened, and his eyes glittered with something sharp—pride.

"I killed a demon on my own..." he whispered, almost in disbelief.

His gaze slowly lowered to his trembling hands. He spread his fingers open, staring at the blood-soaked palms.

They didn’t feel real to him in that moment. His lips curled upward again, trembling with exhilaration.

"I... really killed a demon," he muttered again, this time with more certainty, his gaze fixed on his hands as if they held the answer to an impossible question.

More notifications flashed before Riley’s eyes, stacking one after the other.

[Class Effect: Shadow Sovereign Level Up!]

[Shadow Sovereign now Level 2!]

[Class Effect: Shadow Hop Level Up!]

[Shadow Hop now Level 2!]

[Your connection with the shadow has grown stronger!]

Riley’s lips curved slowly upward into a smirk of raw satisfaction.

His chest rose and fell heavily as his gaze traced over the glowing words.

Every single notification was proof—proof of his gamble, his instincts, and his sheer refusal to let this fight end the way it had in his past life.

He exhaled sharply, chuckling faintly under his breath. "Worth it..."

The truth was, he had taken a massive risk during that fight against the demon. The kind of gamble that would’ve cost him his life if it had gone wrong by even a fraction.

The moment he’d been blasted away by that devastating pulse of darkness, when his body felt like it was going to split apart, he had forced himself to remain calm. Right then, he activated [Shadow Clone].

While he was flying through the air, coughing blood and clutching at his broken ribs, his clone had already slithered quietly into existence.

Silent, unseen, it hid itself deep within a shadow behind the demon’s back, waiting for its moment.

That decision alone was what drained the very last of his mana.

He had felt it, his body screamed like a well that had been sucked dry. But he didn’t regret it—not even for a second.

Because he already suspected the shadow spears wouldn’t be enough.

He knew demons. He knew how tough, how relentless, how utterly monstrous they were.

He knew that impaling their bodies—even driving a spear through their head—wasn’t always a guaranteed kill.

The creatures could cling to life far longer than humans ever could, fueled by sheer demonic vitality.

Even during that moment of adrenaline, he had noticed: the spears aimed for the demon’s heart had missed their mark.

The demon had shifted just enough at the last second, so that what should have been a fatal blow instead became a brutal, but survivable wound.

That was why he’d made sure to prepare a backup plan.

And that backup plan had been his shadow clone.

He smirked again, recalling the demon’s twisted expression of confusion and rage when the dagger suddenly pierced through his chest.

But that wasn’t all.

While the demon had choked him against the wall, savoring his supposed victory, Riley had secretly activated [Shadow Mark].

He had timed it perfectly, masking the act with desperate gasps for air and a face contorted in agony. The demon hadn’t even noticed.

The effect was immediate. Half of the monster’s power had been drained away before it even realized what was happening. That was the piece that made his plan foolproof.

The clone’s dagger had only sealed the end that was already written.

Riley’s smirk deepened, his eyes cold and sharp as he turned back toward the demon’s corpse sprawled in front of him.

Growl!

His stomach roared again, louder this time, and he winced slightly as he clutched it.

The ache in his gut was relentless, clawing at him, demanding.

His lips parted slightly, his breathing shaky, and he realized with a dull shock that he was practically drooling.

His eyes grew hazy, locked firmly on the demon’s body.

Blood pooled around it, thick and dark, the metallic scent hanging heavy in the dungeon air.

Riley’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, his mind fogged with hunger.

’How would a demon taste...?’ The thought pulsed through him unbidden, sharp and dangerous.

He was still euphoric, drunk on the thrill of his first victory over a demon.

That intoxicating cocktail of triumph and hunger only pushed the thought deeper into him.

His smirk lingered as he licked his lips lightly.

"I killed a demon on my own..." he whispered again, his voice low and rough. "Now it’s time to feast."

His breathing quickly grew ragged as he stood over the demon’s corpse, his chest rising and falling in sharp pulls of air.

Blood still dripped from his lips, the metallic taste bitter on his tongue, but his smirk never wavered.

The hunger that gnawed at his insides was dangerous, threatening to overtake him at any second, yet he clenched his jaw tightly and fought against it.