escape

[With your current Mana these are your options:

1st hell: every demon, including those with royal blood essence.

2nd hell: every demon except those with royal blood essence.

3rd hell: None

Recommendation: A demonic beast from the second hell: Demonic Phantomstorm Cat]

"How strong is it? The Demonic Phantomstorm Cat, what order would you rate it at?" Leonel asked the system inwardly.

[Approximately 5th-6th order.]

"Summon it!!!" Leonel shouted with vigor, catching the princess off guard.

"What?!" she exclaimed, barely able to react before a demonic magic circle appeared in the prison. A ghastly shadow figure materialized within, its size comparable to an average cat, black fur with purple stripes weaving through its body.

Before the princess could even process the scene, the cat swiped its claws, shattering the reinforced magic chains with ease. The next instant, both it and Leonel were enveloped in a ball of darkness.

The princess knew attacking them would be futile, as the dungeon had an anti-magic barrier. However, this barrier didn't seem to affect demonic magic, giving Leonel the upper hand. From within the darkness, his voice echoed.

"Roselle!!! Mark my words! You will pay sooner or later! And when you do, I hope you regret your actions!!!!" The voice faded along with the darkness, leaving no trace of them nor the shadow. It was a perfect escape.

"It seems the Great Ancestor was right… There is more to that boy than meets the eye! But wasn't he a normal servant boy before? Or was he influenced by the power of the ring? What have I created?" The princess thought to herself, feeling a deep sense of disappointment at herself for even thinking of entrusting the fate of her kingdom to a mere servant boy.

[I'm afraid the boy wasn't your doing! His soul is strange… even I couldn't see through it! It's probably the strong fate behind him. But do not lose hope, for even if he is heavenly favored, the luck of a chosen one will eventually run out or become meaningless in the face of absolute power! So all you have to do is grow stronger! Try your best and put everything into reaching the seventh order. Only then could I truly be of help to you and awaken your full potential.] The voice of the Great Ancestor, Morgan Aelfhim, reverberated in her mind.

"Alright! Everyone, spread the news! The bounty on Leonel's head is one thousand gold! Make sure wanted posters of him are in every corner of Aelfhim and send the word to the two neighboring kingdoms!" The princess said, her frustration palpable. She knew better than to underestimate the power of demons. She understood that teleportation could cover vast distances, far beyond the walls of Aelfhim.

"But my lady! We aren't exactly on good terms with the kingdom of Wilfharm!" one of the guards protested, but he quickly swallowed his words when he saw the cold, piercing look on his princess's face.

"Yes, my lady," the guard answered, lowering his head.

---

[Outside of Aelfhim: The Great Forest of Terra]

"Amazing!! To think that the power of this cat could warp over 100 kilometers in the blink of an eye! This world is vast!" Leonel began to daydream, his eyes alight with excitement as he stared at the cat, which seemed to remain motionless.

"It seems I was forcefully summoned against my will, and a contract was forced upon me by that ring! How strange. Do you care for an explanation?" the cat said, its voice clear and deep, though its mouth remained still.

"Yo... you can talk? A real talking cat?!" Leonel marveled, a wicked smile crossing his face as his curiosity piqued.

"That seemed to be an insult to my level of intelligence! Comparing me to a mere cat? I'll have you know that I can easily have your head in your own hands while you're still breathing!" The cat's form blurred, appearing behind Leonel in the blink of an eye, its claw pointed dangerously at his neck.

"Insolent creature! I'll kill you!" Leonel growled, attempting to strike the cat, but he found himself restrained by an invisible force.

System, explain!

[Very well! Explanation: The type of contract between you and the Demonic Phantomstorm Cat isn't that of a servant and master, but rather that of a subordinate and leader! As such, right now you can't harm it, but it also cannot kill you.

Solution: Get stronger! If your stats exceed its own, you might activate a powerful magic in the name of the contract that will cause pain to it. The pain grows more intense the more it resists you. If you're stronger than it, you could bypass all rules and simply kill it.]

"So you're probably feeling cocky because I can't hurt you? Then how about now!" Leonel smirked, his tone filled with defiance.

[Initiating rewards.]

[Name: Leonel

Title: Hero/T********R

Class: Hero

Str: 4th(+1) order (90%)

Spd: 5th(+1) order (20%)

Int: 5th(+1) order (50%)

Phq: 5th(+1) order (50%)

Mana: 5th order (30%)

Talents: Quick learning, quick adaptation, hero's will, swordsmanship, magic affinity

Equipment: 11th-grade Demonic Ring (Skills: Demonic Summon (1/3), Demonic Absorption, Anti-Demonic Magic, Partial Transformation)]