The Vitality Demon was not one of the Demon King’s soldiers, nor did it bow to any cult or banner. It was a free demon, born from the distorted lineage of succubus demons, yet warped into something far more peculiar. Where others of its kind fed on desire indiscriminately, it possessed a twisted preference that set it apart.

It hated women.

No— hate was not quite the right word. Women interfered. They disrupted its hunt, ruined the rhythm of its games, and more often than not, stole away what it wanted most.

He likes men, so he hates women who takes his men.

Women are meh. Men, on the other hand, were perfect. Fragile in ways they did not realize, overflowing with vitality, pride, ambition, and recklessness. When the demon took them into its embrace —when it "loved" them through flesh and breath— it could devour their vitality entirely, leaving behind nothing but an empty shell.

That was its gift. It was his one of the top three skill.

It never lingered long in one place. A village here, a town there, sometimes even a city if the opportunity was rich enough. It hid in shadows, played gentle games, whispered temptations, fucked them or raped them and vanished before anyone could connect the disappearances. Over the years, many had tried to capture it. None had succeeded.

Because it carried another skill.

Demon God Blessings.

Twice a week, fate itself bent away from disaster. Blades slipped. Spells failed. Coincidences piled up just enough to let it escape. The demon simply enjoyed this skill too much.

Then it came to Leafrest town.

At first, it had no intention of staying long. Leafrest was ordinary, filled with tired guards, small-time adventurers, and dull merchants. But then it saw him.

A man with fortune clinging to him like scent.

The demon noticed it instantly. A subtle distortion around the man’s presence, as if luck itself leaned in his favor. The demon watched him from afar, heart pounding with anticipation. This prey was different. This one shone.

It followed him.

Twice it tried to take him.

Twice it failed.

And both times, a woman interfered.

The first time, a horny woman snatched him and enjoyed him, he felt cuckolded. The second time, another woman slashed his arm, pain tore through its arm as a sword bit deep. It fled, furious and humiliated, hatred for women burning hotter than ever. Those interruptions only fueled its obsession. Why had the prey escaped? Why did fortune cling to him so stubbornly?

"Was he like me?" the demon wondered. "Did he also possess something that bent fate?"

Enraged, the demon chose another target to vent its hunger.

An ex blacksmith named Kevin had been easy. A broken man, reeking of resentment and desire. Raping him and Devouring him had been almost pleasant. Afterward, the demon wore Kevin’s face like a mask, slipping into his life effortlessly. Now, Kevin walked the streets, spoke with Kevin’s voice, and smiled Kevin’s smile.

But even while wearing Kevin’s skin, the demon’s thoughts returned to that other man. The one with fortune. The one who escaped.

Its arm regenerated slowly, flesh knitting back together through sheer vitality. The wound left by that woman still lingered in memory, stinging far worse than the pain itself. That was why it despised women— they always ruined everything.

Still, the demon was confident.

Its vitality was immense. Its blessings skill would protect it.

Then Leafrest fell into something far worse.

A Demon General claimed the town, warping reality itself. The Vitality Demon was caught within the twisted space along with everyone else. For a brief moment, unease crept in.

But it hid itself, folding into shadow and perception gaps, watching the chaos unfold. It was his third skill, Hidden Shadow.

While others panicked, it just stayed in the shadows.

Then the luck smiled at it again.

It saw him again , the prey with fortune.

He Separated from the crowd and Walking willingly into the dark alone. Like food itself flew before the hungry beggar’s mouth.

The demon’s mouth watered. Surely this was destiny. Surely this time, fortune favored it. Even if disaster struck, the Demon God Blessings would activate. It always did. With that confidence, it reached out.

And was caught by him.

It was Dragged from hiding like a cornered animal.

For the first time in a long while, genuine fear crept into the demon’s heart. This so called prey is strong, super strong. It wondered why his demon god Blessings didn’t activate, but now it understand.

Its blessings had already activated twice this week— once during the woman’s interference, once during another women, where he narrow escaped. There was nothing left to protect it now.

Those "interruptions" were never coincidences.

The Fate had not been protecting the prey.

It was His demon god Blessings skill that have been saving the demon. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

Tyler stared at the man standing before him. The air around this figure felt wrong—thin, slippery, as if reality itself refused to acknowledge his presence properly. It was the same sensation Tyler had felt twice before, the same pair of unseen eyes watching him from the edges of his awareness.

So this was him.

Tyler exhaled slowly, keeping his posture relaxed even as every instinct screamed caution. "Who the hell are you?" he asked.

The man flinched.

For a moment, panic flickered across his face, raw and unfiltered. Whatever confidence he once had evaporated the instant Tyler locked eyes with him. There was no charm, no seduction, not even the pretense of control.

"P-please let me go," the man said hurriedly, his voice wavering. "I’m Kevin. My skill... my skill is hiding in shadows."

The way he spoke was exaggerated, unnatural, almost theatrical—as if he were trying to play a role he had rehearsed too many times.

Tyler’s gaze hardened. "Drop the act. I can see it clearly now. You’re a demon wearing a human face."

Kevin’s expression twitched.

Then he laughed.

It was an ugly sound, sharp and uneven, echoing faintly against the walls of the alley. "Well, you did figure it out," he said, straightening his back. "Fine. I admit it. You’re strong. Stronger than I expected."

He tilted his head slightly, eyes glinting. "But even if you kill me, you won’t escape this town. You’re trapped, just like everyone else."

Tyler considered him for a moment, then smiled faintly. "That’s fine. Killing you won’t make things worse. And keeping you alive won’t make them better either."

Kevin’s laughter cut off abruptly.

The smile on his face twisted into something ugly. "You really aren’t cute at all," he muttered, his pouted cutely with a queer tone.

Tyler felt a chill crawl up his spine. He felt that this single sentence carried more malice than ever.

"I’m a Vitality Demon," Kevin said suddenly, his voice lowering as if sharing a secret. "How about a deal? Give me a little vitality. Just a taste, just lower your pants a little. In return, I’ll lead you to the hidden demon controlling this town."

Tyler didn’t answer. He understood why he felt chill on his spine. This demon is Gay. Demon is Kevin. So Kevin is Gay.

Tyler stepped forward and punched him in the face.

The sound of impact exploded through the alley.

Boom.

Kevin’s skin split apart like wet paper. The illusion tore away, revealing exposed red muscle beneath, pulsing and slick, veins writhing like living things. The force of Tyler’s punch sent the demon flying backward, his body slamming hard into the wall.

Before he could even scream, the stone mouth carved into the wall lurched forward.

Crunch.

The sound was unmistakable.

The mouth clamped down on Kevin’s arm and tore it off, chewing lazily as blood splattered across the stone.

Kevin’s scream tore through the alley.

"S-stop! Stop! Help me!" he shrieked, his voice breaking into hysterical panic. "I don’t want vitality anymore! I swear! I’ll help you! I’ll tell you everything, just help me!"

This demon had survived for years by running. When cornered, all that remained was terror.

Footsteps echoed.

Kaeya and several adventurers rushed into the alley, weapons drawn, alerted by the noise. They froze when they saw Tyler standing calmly over a demon writhing on the ground, one arm missing, blood pooling beneath him.

Kaeya’s eyes narrowed. "You caught the hidden demon?"

Tyler shook his head. "No. This is a different one. The demon you wounded earlier."

He nudged Kevin forward with his foot, forcing him flat against the ground.

Shadows began to gather around the demon’s body, writhing and twisting as he tried to activate his escape skill. The air shimmered, space distorting slightly around him.

Tyler lifted his foot, ready to crush his legs.

Before he could move, Kaeya stepped in and brought her sword down.

The blade flashed.

Kevin’s remaining arm hit the ground with a wet thud.

"Try escaping again," Kaeya said coldly, her voice devoid of emotion. "Next time, I take your neck."

Kevin screamed, clutching his stump, hatred burning through his terror. "This is why I hate women," he snarled weakly.

Tyler glanced at Kaeya, then back at the demon. "He claims he knows how to lead us to the hidden demon controlling this place."

Every adventurer’s gaze snapped to Kevin.

Hunger, hope, and fury mixed in their eyes.

Kevin swallowed hard. For the first time, negotiation crossed his mind seriously.

Then the wall beside them moved.

It surged quickly.

The mouth on the wall expanded violently, opening wider than before. Before anyone could react, it lunged forward and swallowed Kevin whole.

"Nooooo—!"

.