C21 Longfurred Greedy Rat

Liu Feng kept to himself the fact that he had sensed a demonic presence. After all, if he was mistaken, it would be quite the awkward situation.

Thud, thud... Suddenly, a sound reminiscent of footsteps began to approach from a distance, growing louder and echoing all around.

"This thief is either overweight or..." Liu Feng trailed off, teasing with a slight smile, "a demon."

"Right, I bet it's the same guy who's been stealing from the cafeteria. Let's catch him and then head back," Zhuang Qiushuo urged, eager to leave. The dimly lit cafeteria at night was unnerving, and Liu Feng, with his rascal reputation, somehow seemed even more dangerous.

Zhuang Qiushuo didn't catch Liu Feng's implication, assuming the latter part of his statement was just a playful attempt to frighten her.

Meanwhile, Liu Feng had become extremely alert. The fire fly ash in his spiritual world began to circulate rapidly, bathing his inner realm in a fiery glow akin to an ocean of flames.

Stealthily, Liu Feng and Zhuang Qiushuo crept towards the source of the sound until they reached another kitchen.

Zhuang Qiushuo nudged Liu Feng forward. He peered inside and involuntarily inhaled sharply. "Damn, that's huge—must be at least two meters eight. Is that even human? Holy shit, it really is a demon!"

The creature, engrossed in its meal, heard Liu Feng's sharp intake of breath and turned its head, its eyes gleaming with an evil light.

"Roar!"

It swiped a claw at Liu Feng, who barely managed to dodge, cursing under his breath. The space was cramped, and with Zhuang Qiushuo right behind him, there was no room to retreat.

With a desperate thought, Liu Feng acted. He conjured a ball of fire and hurled it with all his might.

The fire exploded into the darkness like a beacon, revealing the demon's true form—a massive figure covered in fur, with razor-sharp teeth and a body rippling with explosive muscle.

"Flame Burst!"

The roar of the explosion filled the kitchen, sending utensils flying and clattering to the ground. The searing wave of heat and forceful wind washed over Zhuang Qiushuo, turning her cheeks a bright red. In that moment, she too sprang into action.

"Shadow Escape!" Zhuang Qiushuo whisked Liu Feng into the shadows and they dashed away. The cramped kitchen offered no refuge and was ill-suited for battle.

As their quarry fled, the demon let out a roar and lumbered after them in heavy strides, the ground quaking beneath its weight.

In the dining hall's light, Liu Feng finally got a clear look at the demon. With its excessively sharp teeth and a body as massive as a giant's, it was a Long-furred Greedy Rat! Liu Feng had read about such demons, known for lurking in the Verge of Serenity to steal food and poison humans afterward.

"Damn, what did it grow up on, gutter oil?" Liu Feng mused, eyeing the slightly singed fur that curled naturally, as if the Flame Burst had given it a perm!

Another slave-level creature on the verge of leveling up!

With his battle experience, Liu Feng remained calm and deftly conjured another flame.

"Should we call for help?" Zhuang Qiushuo asked cautiously. It was her first real encounter with a demon, having only heard stories from others before.

Liu Feng stood protectively in front of Zhuang Qiushuo like a seasoned teacher.

"No need. You're an intermediate Mage, aren't you?" Liu Feng said with a sideways glance as he launched another Flame Burst.

"My Phantom is useless against a creature that can't appreciate beauty," Zhuang Qiushuo fretted, tugging at Liu Feng's sleeve.

Liu Feng smirked to himself, thinking, Your Phantom is just a charm spell, probably ineffective against those who can't see your beauty.

"Boom!"

"Look for a chance to use Shadow Binding on it. I'll keep it busy—you move fast." With that, Liu Feng charged at the Long-furred Greedy Rat.

"Thud." The demon smashed several tables with a single stomp, scattering plastic and steel debris amidst a cloud of dust.

"Fire dragon!" The dormant fire element erupted anew. At Liu Feng's command, the flames surged forth once more!

Blazing tongues of fire burst from where the Flame Burst had died, wildly fierce like the gnashing teeth of a dragon, savagely tearing into the Long-furred Greedy Rat.

Flames roared in from the distance. Observing Liu Feng's combat stance and his face aglow with the reflection of fire, Zhuang Qiushuo's gaze held a hint of surprise, and even a subtle touch of infatuation. Who exactly was Liu Feng? Despite being just a student, his combat strength was terrifyingly potent, and his battle awareness was so advanced that even she felt outmatched.

Amidst these thoughts, Zhuang Qiushuo didn't freeze up. The hand she kept hidden began to gather a dark energy.

"Aghhh!"

The Long-furred Greedy Rat, scorched by the flames, was in a state of both heat and agony. It bared its teeth at Liu Feng and let out a wild scream, swiping its claws at him. Liu Feng sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the swipe as the claws grazed his arm.

"Drip, drip."

Blood trickled down Liu Feng's arm, hitting the ground.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!" The Long-furred Greedy Rat, having scratched the fire-wielding adversary, sneered triumphantly, pounding its fists and stamping its feet as if to mock Liu Feng.

Liu Feng, fighting through the pain, unleashed another fire dance.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!" A barrage of Flame Bursts erupted, sending flames swirling throughout the cafeteria, which was now thick with smoke and ablaze with light.

"Shadow Binding!"

The Long-furred Greedy Rat had intended to lunge at Liu Feng and finish him, but it suddenly found itself immobilized. It strained its eyes at its claws, which left deep marks on the floor, some even cracking, yet it remained utterly still.

Unseen by all, a dagger had been stealthily plunged into the shadow of the Long-furred Greedy Rat. Liu Feng's fire dance had been a diversion for Zhuang Qiushuo's Shadow Binding!

Zhuang Qiushuo had spent considerable time amassing the dark energy, channeling it all into the dagger. The dagger had nearly drained all of Zhuang Qiushuo's Shadow Magicka, leaving the Long-furred Greedy Rat powerless to break free anytime soon.

"Die!" The pain shooting through Liu Feng's arm sparked a flare of annoyance within him—he had actually been wounded.

"Explode! Explode! Explode!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

After releasing an onslaught of Flame Bursts, Liu Feng watched as the evil soul began to fade away, signaling the end of the battle. He exhaled slowly, a sense of relief washing over him.

Just then, Liu Feng's hand moved forward involuntarily, as if he had lost control, and he absorbed the massive evil soul with ease.

In Liu Feng's spiritual world at that moment, the Demon Sword lay suspended in the heavens, seemingly at the universe's core, radiating waves of immense demonic power.

A soul, identical to that of a Long-furred Greedy Rat, entered Liu Feng's spiritual world, spiraling around the Demon Sword.

The soul let out a terrified shout, seemingly struggling to break free.

What followed was a flash of brilliant light.

In the next instant, the soul of the Long-furred Greedy Rat continued to orbit the Demon Sword unharmed, yet it was now silenced, unable to make a sound.

A beam of light from the Demon Sword had erased the soul's consciousness completely!