"No, human, shouldn't you be terrified?"
"Why aren't you afraid of me? Why are you so calm?" the Stray Devil roared, its demeanor shifting from smug to ferocious.
Roy's calmness, unlike the fear it expected from humans, seemed to snap it into a frenzied state, its words a mix of rage and confusion.
"You don't seem all that scary," Roy replied with a faint smile.
Had he encountered a Stray Devil right after arriving in this world, Roy would've been petrified.
Back then, he was just an ordinary human, defenseless even against the weakest foe.
But now? Things were different.
His strength rivaled a Middle-Class, his only shortfall being a lack of combat experience.
That didn't matter much, though.
Hell Fire gave him an absurdly high margin for error in battle.
Fatal wounds for others were mere setbacks for him, allowing him to make mistakes, adapt, and grow stronger mid-fight.
"Argh! You're too arrogant, human! I hate cocky guys like you! But… I love clever ones!"
The Stray Devil's voice oscillated between fury and excitement, its vaguely human face twisting into a monstrous snarl, grotesque and terrifying.
"Sorry, whether you like me or hate me, I'm not flattered by the attention of something like you."
"You're so ugly, you're polluting my eyes," Roy said with a chuckle.
"So, kindly disappear."
"I've decided! I'll merge you into me—your brain's mine, and the rest can rot!" The Stray Devil cackled, as if struck by genius.
This guy definitely had a few screws loose.
It lunged first, its massive body stationary as it spewed viscous liquid from its mouth.
The substance was worse than concentrated acid, dissolving anything it touched.
"Disgusting. Don't Stray Devils have any better tricks?" Roy muttered, dodging the liquid with a grimace.
The liquid splattered onto the ground, melting it into scorched black pits that smoked green, as if burned by fire.
Roy glanced at the holes with lingering unease, grateful he'd evaded in time.
Hell Fire could heal him, but getting hit by that filth was a fate he'd rather avoid.
He'd take ten normal magic attacks over this any day.
"Stop dodging!" the Stray Devil bellowed, enraged by Roy's evasion.
It intensified its assault, spitting liquid like a machine gun.
Roy's expression hardened.
He activated used Hell Fire.
Flames enveloped him, casting him as a fiery specter in the dark night.
With a wave of his hand, a massive blaze erupted, forming a three-meter flame barrier.
The liquid evaporated on contact with it.
The Stray Devil gaped, its eyes wide with disbelief.
"Impossible! How does a human use Phenex Clan's signature flames?"
"You're surprisingly knowledgeable," Roy remarked, mildly impressed.
The Phenex Clan, one of the seventy-two noble Devil Clans, was renowned across the Underworld.
Their prominence soared with the rise of the Rating Game, making them widely recognized among Devils.
"Hmph! Human, out of respect for the Phenex, I'll let you go today."
"Don't cross me again!" The Stray Devil, despite its usual mental fog, snapped into clarity at the threat to its life.
Sensing the odds against it, it turned to flee, tossing out a final taunt.
This human wasn't like the others it had devoured.
His power was formidable, and continuing the fight could cost the Stray Devil its life.
Having escaped its master to revel as a Stray, it wasn't ready to die—especially not to a human.
It bolted, diving into the nearby woods.
"Trying to run?" Roy scoffed.
He wasn't about to let 10,000 Dimensional Points slip away.
He pursued the Stray Devil into the woods.
"Think you can chase me? Dream on!" the creature snarled.
Its bulky frame, however, struggled in the dense forest, slowing its escape.
Roy's physique, enhanced by demonic power, gave him superior speed and stamina, letting him keep pace.
"Damn it! If you want to die, I'll oblige!" The Stray Devil halted, enraged, and charged at Roy.
With a thought, Roy unleashed a torrent of flames.
The flames swept through the forest, engulfing the Stray Devil in a raging inferno.
Moments later, its massive body collapsed, charred and smoldering, the stench of burnt flesh spreading through the air.
[Congratulations, host. Random task completed. Reward: 10,000 Dimensional Points.]
Roy doused the surrounding flames to prevent a forest fire and quickly left the scene.
The commotion was bound to draw attention, and he had no desire to stay.