The Scumbags Guide to Enslaving Demon's

He grasped the latch.

Cold black wax pooled across Austin’ fingertips.

Glyphs writhed across the iron hatch as his hand broke the seal. Mouths yawned. Wings unfolded. Horns writhed into new configurations. One by one, the sigils shattered apart releasing a scent so thick with blood and demon musk that Elena gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth.

The hatch swung open.

Warmth poured from beneath.

Austin peered down into a stone room lit by red lamps which hung from chains along the walls. Flames licked their smoked glass surface feeding on something dark and wet. Lines of iron cages stretched across the space beneath the hotel. Some housed shriveled figures with too many limbs crawling over themselves. Others were empty aside from claw marks gouged into the floor. Still more contained organized piles of bones.

The woman from below stepped out of the nearest cage.

She was tall for a demon, roughly Austin’ age with long crimson hair and slender gold eyes. Horns tipped with black curls through her hair. She wore a tattered red coat over athletic muscle. Nine tails twitched behind her, each shackled to the cell wall with individual green chains.

She eyed him warily.

"You are not Malrec."

"No." Austin replied.

"Then you are either stupid enough to have opened this place or strong enough to survive it."

"Probably both."

Seven stepped down into the vault first spear held at the ready. Elena lowered herself down after him, crossbow drawn. Maelis hovered near the hatch with ember fire dancing between her fingers, watching the cells.

Her expression grew cold.

"Bloodline stock," she murmured. "Malrec has been hoarding them forever."

The fox demon’ ears flattened against her skull. "We have names."

Maelis locked eyes with her. "Then share yours."

She tipped her chin up proudly. "Rin."

The System overlaid Austin’ vision.

[Entity detected: Nine- Tail Fox Demon.]

[Bloodline: Crimson Huntress.]

[Threat estimate: High.]

[Potential consumable traits: Illusion, Blood-Tracking, Tail-Step, Predatory Charm.]

Austin scanned the last line twice.

Predatory Charm.

Rin noticed him hesitate and narrowed her eyes. "You can see the menu, can’nt you?"

Elena looked at him quizzically. "The what?"

"Nothing." He gestured at her. "Sure."

The fox demon stepped to the bars, yellow eyes fixed on Austin. Chains connected her tails to the wall, drawing sparks from their red fur with every flex. "You smell like a Devourer. Newly risen, but already sated with stolen things."

He shrugged off the implication. "Why did Malrec keep you here?"

"He wanted my bloodline, not my obedience." Rin’ smile chilled. "He breeds rare demons until their worth peaks. Then he harvests what he wants."

Elena swallowed.

Austin scanned down the vault. He could make out the contents of the other cages now. A feathered woman with fractured wing bones lolled in one cell, unconscious. Across from her, a towering horned brute slouched against the wall by his wrists, stakes digging into his skin. At the far end of the room, something large breathed behind a veil of chains.

Austin felt himself grow hungry.

He resented the sensation.

From above, Vorth’ voice floated down into the vault. "Careful there, Devourer. The larder is trapped."

Austin glanced up. The Chain- Warden hovered over the hatch, still trapped by the root covenant but able to see into the vault.

"What kind of trap?"

He smiled down at them. "The kind that feeds on appetite."

The lamps flickered out.

Elena cursed. Seven raised his spear. Only Maelis’ ember- light filled the room, casting violent shadows across the cells.

Then the chain curtain rustled at the far end.

Something tore through it.

A demon beast.

Muscle bound its waist, sinew weaved through its black fur. Bone plates rimmed its shoulders and spine. Four mouths split its muzzle, needle teeth lining each jaw. A green brand burnt across its head.

[Entity detected: Larder Warden.]

[Classification: Chained Ravager.]

[Threat estimate: Severe.]

[Warning: target gains strength from nearby captive fear.]

The Ravager bounded for Rin’ cage.

Austin acted first.

Midair, he snagged the beast around its muzzle, wrapping one arm around its upper jaw and squeezing with his knees braced against its plated chest. Momentum carried him back three steps. The creature’ bottom jaws snapped at Austin’ arms, screeching tooth against Bone-Plating.

Its brand glowed white.

Every captive screamed.

The Ravager bulk surged with power.

"Break the brand!" Maelis shouted.

Austin spotted the magic thread at once: thick green yarn laced from the beast skull and into every cage of the vault. Fear traveled through it in ropes, tethering every prisoner’ panic to the monster.

He could consume the thread.

Thought forked in his mind.

Why was consuming the thread so simple?

Ignoring that question, Austin shoved the Ravager into the nearest cell wall. Iron groaned. The beast convulsed, clawing thick lines into his shoulder. He yelped and shoved his knee into the creature’ side before wrenching both hands into the glowing brand above its head.

"DEVOUR."

His fingers sank into black nothingness.

Fear resisted him. Throngs of terror poured through the magical thread, overwhelming his dark gut with panic from every chained prisoner. Austin nearly devoured it reflexively.

Then Rin hissed over the screaming.

"Don’t take it. Sever it."

The solution was obvious.

Austin pulled.

The thread ripped from the cages, carving itself into the Ravager instead.

The beast keened.

For the first time since Austin imprisoned him, the Ravager felt every ounce of fear it had absorbed.

Its bones shattered. Four jaws snapped apart. Austin punched through the opening in its chest, yanking out a black nugget the size of his fist.

The Ravager died.

> [Larder Warden neutralized.] >

> [Chain- Fear Tether rerouted and destroyed.] >

> [Potential consumption available: Ravager Core.] ;

The core vibrated in his grip.

The fox demon licked her lips. "Eat it." Rin said. "That is what you were born to do."

He wanted too.

His heartbeat answered greedily from beneath his ribs. One demon core and Austin could harvest the power to weaponize fear himself. He could taste it cooking in the creature’ muscles. The whole vault smelled of captives, bloodlines, and raw power.

Elena bumped his arm gently.

"A lot of things want to go inside you," she observed. "But that does not mean they should."

Austin glanced between the core and cage filled room around him.

He clenched his fist.

"Ignoring some of them will keep this hotel standing," he said. "This one feeds the Bastion."

The vines rippled above them, as if in response.

"You are stranger than you smell, human." Rin said, dismissing his decision.

Austin tucked the core into his coat. No sense picking fights while there were cages left to clear.

He crossed the chamber toward Rin’ cage.

"Show me what Malrec keeps in the back cage," Austin said.

Her tails wrapped around her ankles defensively. Even Maelis ceased studying the open cells and stared toward the iron veil at the vault’ end.

"That," Rin replied, "is why he will burn this entire hotel down to bring it out himself."

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