As time passed, the sky gradually darkened.
"Tch, my phone's almost out of battery," Roy muttered, sprawled comfortably on a pew in the church.
He'd been glued to his mobile phone for nearly the entire afternoon.
"Shouldn't fallen angels be nocturnal?"
"Why aren't they resting in the church during the day?" Roy grumbled, casting a displeased glance around the empty hall.
No one had shown up besides him.
His entire afternoon had been wasted, and with his phone down to 20% battery, Roy's patience was wearing thin.
The only thing keeping him here this long was the distraction of his phone.
Now, with it dying, he had no desire to linger in this dim, abandoned church.
What, was he supposed to spend the night here?
Roy had no intention of trading a good hotel suite for a hard bench.
"Next time, I'll set up a surveillance camera."
Waiting around was clearly a waste of time.
If this approach didn't work, he'd try something else.
He didn't know magic, but modern technology could serve just as well.
A camera might go unnoticed by fallen angels who relied on sensing magic.
Even if they found and destroyed it, he'd at least confirm their presence and could rush over quickly.
Roy stood, ready to leave the now-dark church.
The mountain path lacked streetlights, forcing him to navigate the descent in near darkness.
Fortunately, Hell Fire came in handy.
He conjured a small flame in his hand, its warm glow lighting the way down.
After reaching the base of the mountain, he extinguished the flame.
Streetlights took over, illuminating the quiet suburban area.
Only a few houses had their lights on, and the silence was almost eerie.
The taxi driver from earlier, having waited the agreed-upon thirty minutes, was long gone.
Roy was alone on the deserted road.
"Guess I'll just walk back," Roy sighed, shaking his head.
Luckily, the suburbs weren't too far from city center.
A ten-minute walk would bring him to bustling streets.
Still, the quiet was unnerving.
The sparse houses and dense trees lining the road cast deep shadows, making it feel like something could leap out from the woods at any moment.
[Random task triggered]
[Random task generating...]
[Random task generated. Please review, host.]
Roy glanced at the virtual interface before him.
Random Task: Defeat the Stray Devil
Task Content: A Stray Devil is stealthily following you. Please defeat it.
Reward: 10,000 Dimensional Points
"A stray devil," Roy muttered, half-amused, half-exasperated at his luck.
He hadn't encountered the fallen angels, but now a Stray Devil had crossed his path.
At least the random task gave him a heads-up.
'Where's this Stray Devil, though?'
Roy raised his guard.
He didn't know its strength.
Despite Hell Fire's near resilience, he couldn't afford to be reckless.
Even Phenex could be overwhelmed, and he was just a human with a fraction of their power.
Roy scanned his surroundings but saw no one.
"Come out!" he shouted toward the trees.
A rustling sound followed, and a massive figure leaped from the woods, landing about five meters away.
"Bold move, hiding so close to a church," Roy quipped, eyeing the Stray Devil.
He wasn't entirely joking.
Churches, even abandoned ones, were places Devils instinctively avoided.
"Human, you think it's a clever trick too, don't you?"
"They say: the most dangerous place is the safest."
"I picked the riskiest spot, and no one suspected a thing," the Stray Devil replied, its voice smug.
Its upper body resembled a human's, but its lower half was monstrous—hulking, grotesque, and covered in scales that sent shivers down the spine.
Despite its hideous appearance, it spoke with a surprising clearness, lacking the feral madness typical of Stray Devils.
This thing was oddly articulate.
He'd meant his comment as a taunt, but the creature took it as praise.
Did it not realize the church was now a fallen angel hideout?
Was it begging to be obliterated?
"I hid so well. How did a mere human spot me?" the Stray Devil demanded, as if Roy had ruined its grand scheme.
"Just with a little observation," Roy sneered.
"Human, you're a clever one. I love eating clever humans the most," the Stray Devil said, its tone shifting to glee.
It eyed Roy hungrily, saliva dripping as if he were a delicacy.
"Crack open your skull, eat your brain, and I'll get even smarter. Then I'll outwit those fools!"
This Stray Devil was definitely not the brightest.
Articulate, sure, but its logic was laughably flawed.