I Contracted a Demon, but It Turned Into My Pet

Lucian stepped outside the cave, adjusting to his newfound strength—and froze the moment his eyes landed on the scene before him.

Elvira Sol was sitting cross-legged by a massive bonfire, flames crackling under an enormous spit of meat—whole chunks, easily weighing hundreds of kilos, were skewered over the blaze.

"You're awake. Come eat," she said without even turning around, tearing a huge bite off a slab of roasted meat.

"Delicious," she added with a hearty grin.

Lucian walked over, staring at the monstrous meat skewer, unsure of where to even start biting. It was just… too big.

Wait a second—where did this meat come from?

He glanced to the side—and sure enough, the skinned hide of the Furious Bear was hanging nearby. There were even two massive bear paws roasting on the spit.

Yup. No doubt about it.

That was the Furious Bear.

Lucian suddenly felt a little bad for it. First he killed its child, then it came for revenge—only to be killed too. And now it was being roasted over an open fire by Elvira Sol.

What a tragic fate…

But damn, it smelled amazing.

He sat down beside her, picked up a piece, blew on it lightly, and took a bite.

Instantly, his eyes lit up with joy.

The meat was incredibly chewy, bursting with juices, and seasoned to perfection. Elvira Sol's cooking skills were no joke—one bite, and Lucian felt like he could cry.

Ever since he came to this world, he'd been surviving on broth and crab. Especially the past few days, hiding from the Furious Bear and unable to venture outside… meals like this had become a distant dream.

"Tastes good, doesn't it?" Elvira Sol asked, grinning.

Lucian nodded furiously. "So good!"

"Hah! Of course it is! My cooking's the best," she said proudly.

A little while later, Lucian suddenly realized—he had eaten almost three kilos of meat!

Even stranger, he didn't feel bloated. Just… pleasantly full.

Lysera's voice rang in his mind.

"You've got a warrior's physique now, remember? Warriors rely on their bodies in battle. Their energy consumption is enormous, so their appetite scales with it. You could eat far more than this and still not feel overly full—as long as you haven't exceeded your body's energy absorption threshold."

"The meat from a Tier 5 Furious Bear is extremely nutritious. Three kilos is about right for you."

"A Tier 4 warrior usually eats about seven kilos of regular beef in one sitting. Someone like Elvira Sol? She could probably eat a few tons of it."

"A few tons?!" Lucian blurted out.

"Naturally. That's because ordinary meat has very low energy density. High-grade ingredients—like powerful magical beast meat—contain far more energy, so the quantity needed is much smaller."

Lucian nodded in realization. That made sense.

To support Elvira Sol's absurd strength, she'd obviously need insane amounts of energy. Without magical regulation, her body might weigh several tons.

"Gujyu~" Lucian chuckled and offered a chunk of meat to Nobu. The slime bounced happily in his lap, its whole body squirming with delight as it absorbed the treat.

Elvira Sol glanced over. "Where did this slime come from?"

Lucian didn't bother hiding anything—if she wanted to hurt Nobu, there was nothing he could do about it anyway.

"Found it in the forest."

"In the forest…" Elvira Sol nodded, her gaze darkening. "I thought so. Some of them must've slipped through the rift…"

"What do you mean?" Lucian asked curiously.

Elvira glanced at him, then smirked. "You should focus on getting stronger. You're not ready to deal with that yet."

"Come on," Lucian said, rolling his eyes. "At least give me a heads-up. That way, I'll be better prepared."

She paused, then nodded. "It's not a forbidden subject, so I suppose there's no harm in telling you."

"I was training deep in the Savage Wilds when the space around me started distorting. A rift between worlds opened up…"

"A world rift?" Lucian asked.

"It happens when the laws of two worlds become entangled due to external forces. The conflicting laws cancel each other out, creating a zone with no magic, no matter, and no rules—a blank space between worlds. Eventually, the worlds attempt to repair themselves, and a stable passage forms…"

Elvira launched into a rapid explanation.

Lucian's expression gradually turned blank.

"Didn't understand any of that, did you?" she said.

Lucian nodded. "Not a word."

Elvira burst out laughing. "Same here. That's exactly how I felt when my father explained it!"

"Anyway," she continued, raking her fingers through her wild, flame-colored hair, "in simple terms—it's like a doorway between two worlds. Creatures from either side can cross over."

Lucian's eyes lit up. "Now I get it!"

Elvira laughed again. Her smile was wild and carefree, tiger-like canines peeking out from beneath crimson lips. Her fiery eyes shimmered with a primal gleam, framed by her natural red eye-shadow.

She was the very definition of untamed—like a lioness in human form.

"But the problem is," she said, her tone growing serious, "the other side of that rift was the Demonic Realm."

"Creatures from our world can't survive there. But demons? They can come and go as they please. So when the rift opened, some of them immediately tried to break through."

"I caught wind of it and tried to seal the rift, but I was too late. Three of them had already slipped through. And they were strong—so strong, they actually scared me."

Lucian sat up straighter, his expression focused.

"But I still beat the crap out of them," Elvira added casually.

"…What?"

Lucian blinked.

"You just said they were terrifying."

"Yeah, well, they were," she said, scratching her head. "But I still smashed 'em. Wasn't easy though. I got too focused on the fight and didn't notice whether anything else slipped through."

"When I tried to seal the rift, I was out of mana—so I burned my life force to do it. That let some of the Demonic Realm's power seep into me. I had to go into hibernation just to survive. Ended up in the river… and that's when you 'picked me up.'"

"Picked you up? More like saved your life!" Lucian shot back. "You were drowning! Even Sacred-rank mages need oxygen."

Elvira waved her hand dismissively. "Details, details."

She glanced back at Nobu. "In any case, it looks like more demonic creatures managed to escape through that rift."

"Is that a problem?" Lucian asked.

Elvira shrugged. "Not really. Powerhouses can't fit through small rifts. Anything that slipped past me must've been weak. No real threat."

"…Really?" Lucian squinted at her.

"Really."

"Are you sure?" he repeated, hugging Nobu to his chest.

"Absolutely," she said, though her confidence was starting to waver.

"Are you really, really sure?" he asked, holding Nobu up like a plush toy.

Elvira flinched slightly. "Slimes are an exception! And besides, it's already been tamed! No other demons will be as adaptable as that thing!"

Lucian sighed. "So basically, if you say there's no problem, then there definitely is one."

"Creatures like Nobu may be rare here," he said, "but who's to say the Demonic Realm doesn't have more of them? Even if they start weak, given enough time… they could become monsters."

"Like Nobu—if you let him keep growing, he might be able to swallow the entire Savage Wilds!"

Elvira's expression finally turned serious, and she gave a small nod.

"That's why we need to find them—and wipe them out early," Lucian said. "There might be more slimes. Or worse."

"How do you know all this?" she asked.

"Because I've read novels. Watched anime. Played games. It's always the same pattern."

A seemingly harmless creature escapes destruction, grows in secret, and eventually becomes a world-ending boss that only the protagonist can stop—at great cost.

Lucian had no intention of living that trope.

"Novels? Anime?" Elvira frowned.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "What matters is, we have to find and eliminate them. It's the only way to be safe."

"Why bother?" Elvira asked. "It's not like we'll be rewarded. Just more work."

"Sure," Lucian said, "right now it's thankless. But later? It might be too late."

"Wait too long, and we might not have the strength to stop them."

"We'll regret not acting sooner. That's why we fight now—not just for ourselves, but for this world."

"And besides—don't we get rewards for killing demonic invaders?"

"Yeah. Big ones," Elvira said.

"See? Problem solved. We kill demons, save the world, and get paid. Win-win."

"But I don't need money," she replied flatly.

Lucian stared at her. Fair point.

How else could she afford such high-end gear and magic-infused weapons?

She was loaded.

"Well, I do!" Lucian said. "I just got to this world. Starting a business needs capital. I've got to level up, buy better gear."

"And someday, when we get married, I'll need money for a house, a car—maybe even a wedding ring!"

"And don't forget our future kids—school, gear, food—it all costs money!"

"Which is why money might not be everything, but it's definitely something!"

"…Wait—kids? What?"

Elvira's eyes widened.

Lucian grinned. "We've got to plan ahead! Boy or girl? Or twins?"

Elvira stared, then cracked him on the head with her knuckle.

"You've got some nerve! I haven't even agreed to marry you!"

Lucian rubbed his head, still smiling sheepishly.

Elvira sighed, clearly amused. "Fine. You win. I'll scout the forest tomorrow. If they haven't escaped this region, I'll find and eliminate them."

"Thanks!" Lucian beamed. "So… about those twins—"

"Get lost and go train!" Elvira snapped, laughing.

…

Deep within a dark corner of the forest, a black beetle crouched low to the ground, its crimson eyes gleaming with glee.

All around it, clusters of eggs pulsed faintly in the shadows.

The first egg cracked open.

A grotesque, armored hatchling crawled out, mandibles twitching hungrily.

The mother beetle let out a gleeful hiss.

Hehehe… Just give me time. My swarm will rise. And when they do, no one will be able to stop us.

The insect kingdom will take over this world—and the Demon Lord will surely reward me!

…But why do I feel like something terrible is about to happen?