Mind Demon's Path of Domination

Demonlings.

Tier 0 Demons.

Demons who had not yet evolved even once after they were born. Unlike Tier-1 Lower Demons, they didn't have Soul Sense, neither did they have Defensive Magic Skins. They were weak, too. In fact, the Hunters compared Demonlings with handguns while they compared Lower Demons with heavy artillery.

Mark walked into the Dungeon. As expected, it was a science lab, but there was no world-class quality there anymore. The whole place stank of demon shit and sweat. Not to mention, almost all the equipment around seemed to have either been trashed or must have long been taken away.

The funny thing, however, was that the room was incredibly bright. There were too many lights on the ceiling, and they were all on. Yet, the more intriguing part was how every part of the lab was covered with an acidic smell and a green gas.

Indeed, it's full of contaminants.

But I don't feel a thing even when it enters my stomach. It just revitalizes me.

Mark's goal was the Dungeon Core. He wanted to tame the Dungeon Demon inside.

Where is the Dungeon Demon? Where is the Core?

The moment he entered, he spread his wings wide, and as Choi Sung and Yuri watched in absolute awe, he crushed head after head of all the Demonlings that threw themselves at him with incredible pace. The world stood in a standstill crescendo of death.

Indeed, as Choi Sung had said, a foreign Soul Sense had surrounded him the moment he came here, but he didn't give it any heed, and his limbs and wings just moved around rampantly.

Every time he moved, green blood splattered all over the place.

Even Mark's wings could steal lives with just a powerful swing.

Splash!

A detached head flew through the air and gently fell into Choi Sung's chest. His yellow hazmat suit was full of green blood now.

He looked at it.

Dona stopped gawking and moved towards the fight with a roar.

Choi Sung immediately shifted to her and said, "Miss, I don't think your husband needs you now… you will just be a burden. Even though," the Hunter clenched his hand, "you are stronger than me."

Dona ignored him entirely, and her gaze was on a particular demon preparing a demonic trick.

Suddenly, electricity burned like a dragon's head from a Rhinoceros-like Demonling's horns, and amidst a whirlpool of sliced body parts, Mark's golden eyes shifted towards it in wariness.

Dona was too late.

The creature ran like a meteor towards Mark and slammed its head into him with the electricity burning its horns, and Mark slid back a step.

Smirk.

Yet, even after the impact, there was not a single wound on his body!

Tier-1—Defensive Magic Skin!

A transparent energy barrier shimmered around his skin invincibly.

That was not something a Demonling could break, no matter how flashy an ability it used.

Dona screamed and ran to Mark's side. Her hands flashed red, and a fireball blasted onto the Rhinoceros' body. It groaned and, with a burned body, moved back.

Mark kicked in a casual way, and its head exploded into meat paste.

[Killed an Impure Demon—Soul Sphere had been automatically absorbed into your Soul Space.]

[Lower Quality Soul Sphere than your own Soul; the Soul Sphere had been used to strengthen your foundations.]

He straightened himself and growled at the Demons around. All of them shivered and stood in place.

Mark's imposing form was already so much bigger than theirs, and the blood now coated his entire form, which gave him a terrifying aura. Even his wings were stained green, and just him standing there made one feel chilled.

His split shadow warped, and its horns expanded to cover a huge part of the demons.

Choi Sung truly had chills.

Invincible, this was strength!

Mark looked around and frowned as he looked straight at the stunned Choi Sung.

"You don't need to handle the Demonlings. Find the Dungeon Demon and, if possible, the Dungeon Core. I'll do the battles."

"OKAY SIR!" Choi Sung shouted and ran through the lab in search while Mark cleaned all the Demonlings one by one.

These creatures didn't give him or Dona Soul Spheres to improve themselves anymore. Dona was a Pinnacle Demonling, and she couldn't grow stronger before Evolving. While Mark was a Lower Demon, and he just couldn't use Demonlings to improve himself.

Most of these creatures were now fearful and no longer tried to storm Mark, but he went towards them with his own initiative and killed like there would be no tomorrow.

If he lost his Defensive Magic Skin in the upcoming fight with the Lower Demon inside and these things stormed him then, he was bound to suffer a loss. Might as well kill them before they make a move.

Prevention was better than cure.

As he was fighting, though, Mark suddenly had an idea and jumped aside from the battle before catching Dona by the hand and throwing her in the middle of some Demons. The girl looked at him and made a face full of nervousness.

"Fight!"

She growled and kicked the ground. A wide red circle of fire appeared around her, and no Demons jumped in towards her.

Tier 0 Pinnacle demonic trick—Fire Shield!

Mark looked at her with an impressed face. He smiled at her, and she looked at him through the fire with anxiety. Mark could see the doubt right on her face.

"No, Dona, your mate is not going to abandon you," he said with a chuckle and jumped back. Dona's face became incredibly shocked at the sight, but Mark just used Heart Input on her. He entered her mind once again after such a long time.

Heart Input!

Dona's mind was rather simple even now. Her core existential philosophies were but a bit different.

Survival. Protecting my mate. Hygiene. Food. Intimacy.

Then, Mark frowned as it grew more chaotic to read. Indeed, his little Dona was becoming more capable.

He looked into her eyes gently, "I hate using this power on you, but this is good for you."

Mark whispered thoughts into Dona's mind that she needed.

I want to grow stronger so bad! I want to grow stronger! Stronger!

Dona looked at him with teary eyes as the flame around her vanished. A grasshopper-like Demon moved like the wind towards her when it saw the opening, and Dona screamed at the air and threw multiple fireballs at it without any hesitation.

The grasshopper burned to death, but that was no good. Now, Dona had no Mindpower to use her demonic tricks, and demons surrounded her. She looked towards Mark expectantly. Mark just looked at her and didn't do anything.

She thought with completely tearful eyes.

Is it because I am too weak that my Mate is abandoning me?

I want to grow strong. If I were strong enough, he'd have saved me.

Her eyes suddenly grew blank, and she stared into the empty space silently. Then, she clutched her chest in pain, and the surrounding Demons all moved towards her as if on cue. All of them seemed rabid to see her die.

Mark simply moved beside her, and his wings wrapped around her gently before he pulled Dona into his embrace. The demons all fell against the wings, and Mark powerfully spread them wide. All the demons were blasted off of him, and many of them died.

Dona looked at him relievedly with her luscious red eyes before she began to writhe in pain in his embrace. Dark, smelly liquids were oozing out of her body.

The requirement for a Tier 0 Demonling to become a Tier 1 Lower Demon was the intense Desire to grow stronger.

Dona was Evolving.

Mark had helped her do it!

Choi Sung ran past Mark, and Mark's eyes widened.

Choi Sung had one less hand, and his hazmat suit was red with blood.

The hunter is injured!

"It's strong, Mark," the Hunter said before he whizzed past. "There is a basement; it's inside. I left the door open..."

Mark frowned.

Choi Sung was no longer useful remaining here, and the Hunter didn't stay in the Dungeon any longer.

Mark didn't act cocky and followed in retreat out of the Dungeon.

Dona was tightly in his embrace, her seductive body writhing, quivering in pain. He looked into the Dungeon one last time, and the Demonlings shivered as he closed the door.

For all the violence inside, it was a silent parking lot outside the Dungeon.

"That didn't go as planned…"

For now, Dona's evolution took Mark's priority. She hugged him pitifully as she resisted the pain.

Mark knew the pain, too.

For even a man like him, it was tough to endure, not to mention this woman. She was struggling. He gently coaxed her as he walked into the truck's cargo. There, Choi Sung, too, was writhing in pain.

Mark looked at the sight of a lost limb with pity. "Maybe a healing demonic trick can heal it?"

Choi Sung was in no form to speak and just thrashed about in the driver's seat.

Mark sighed and looked at Dona, who was in his embrace. He wondered what new Demonic Trick she would gain. Maybe she might even become a bit more intelligent.

He couldn't wait.