The Gluttonous Demon

As Seokhyun stepped through the gate, the world around him seemed to warp and distort. The cavernous room stretched out into an endless void of swirling shadows, and the temperature dropped sharply. His breath fogged in the cold air, but there was something else—something ancient and dark. The atmosphere felt thick with malice, as if the very space itself was holding its breath.

A low, guttural growl reverberated through the room, and Seokhyun's eyes snapped to the source of the sound. At the center of the void, a towering figure stood, cloaked in a haze of shadows. The demon, a grotesque being of unfathomable size, was wrapped in a swirling cloud of dark energy. Its presence was suffocating, its power overwhelming. The air around it shimmered with distortion, as if reality itself was bending to its will.

Beelzebub—the Primordial Demon of Gluttony.

The demon's form seemed to flicker, barely held together, like a broken mirror pieced together with fragments of darkness. His body was large and imposing, his features almost human but grotesque, with massive wings stretched wide behind him. His eyes glowed a deep, hellish red, filled with ancient malice and hunger. His mouth twisted into a grin that revealed rows of sharp, jagged teeth, each one dripping with an unsettling dark energy.

"You...," Beelzebub rasped, his voice like a thousand nails scraping against stone. "You should not be here, mortal."

Seokhyun's heart pounded in his chest, his body tensing. The very air around him crackled with malevolent power. He instinctively called upon his system, his hand flexing, his body already shifting into combat mode. But his system was silent, as if even the digital construct sensed the overwhelming power of the demon before him.

Beelzebub's hollow laugh echoed through the void.

"You do not understand, do you? I am Beelzebub, the Demon of Gluttony. I am one of the seven Primordials, an embodiment of hunger and desire that even the gods feared."

Before they could even prepare themselves, Beelzebub moved. His body was like smoke, twisting and warping as he lashed out, his claws reaching for Seokhyun. In an instant, he was upon them.

Aine tried to raise her staff to block, but Beelzebub's shadowy claw swatted her aside like she was nothing more than an insect. She hit the stone floor with a sickening thud, gasping for air, unable to rise.

Seokhyun's body froze as the immense pressure of the demon's power pressed down on him. He reached for his system, but it felt distant, as if the demon's presence was suffocating his connection.

"Do you not understand?" Beelzebub sneered. "I am Beelzebub, a being beyond your comprehension. Your souls will be mine."

Seokhyun struggled to breathe under the weight of Beelzebub's aura. Every movement felt like he was trying to wade through thick mud. His body screamed to move, to act, but it wasn't until he saw Aine's limp form that his instincts kicked in. His mind surged with a sudden, powerful urge to protect.

In that moment, the Descent of the Emperor trait activated.

[Descent of the Emperor – SS? Tier Unlocked]

A rush of power flooded Seokhyun's body. His mind sharpened, his senses heightened, and for the first time since entering this world, he felt like he could truly take control of his fate. The suffocating presence of Beelzebub faltered, ever so slightly, as Seokhyun's aura began to clash with the demon's.

Beelzebub's grin faltered, his eyes narrowing in surprise as the pressure around Seokhyun began to ease. "What is this…? How…?"

Seokhyun's eyes glowed with an intense, regal light, his very being emanating a power that should not have belonged to someone of his stature. His Emperor's Might surged outward, filling the cavern with an almost tangible weight. It was not merely defensive anymore—it was a force that rejected Beelzebub's presence.

Seokhyun's breath was steady, his hands clenched into fists as he stood tall in the face of the demon. The power of his Descent of the Emperor trait was no longer just a passive defense—it was an active weapon. The overwhelming force of Emperor's Might began to spread across the cavern, suffocating Beelzebub's shadowy form.

Beelzebub roared, fury and disbelief flashing across his face. "You dare to… resist me?"

But Seokhyun did not hesitate. The urge to protect, to survive, pushed him forward. His body, his soul, was now aligned with the very power of emperors, and this demon—no matter how ancient—was nothing more than prey before him.

Beelzebub, desperate to regain control, attempted to take over Seokhyun's body, to dominate his mind and soul. His form surged forward, claws outstretched, reaching to grasp Seokhyun's body and claim it as his own.

But it was then that the true power of Descent of the Emperor made itself known.

With a flash of intense light, Seokhyun's aura intensified, the Emperor's Might crushing down on Beelzebub with a force that shattered his control. The demon's form writhed and screeched in agony as the power of Seokhyun's will pressed against him like an immovable force. Beelzebub's shadowy essence flickered and flared, unable to contend with the overwhelming might of the Descent of the Emperor.

Beelzebub tried to resist, but it was futile. His form disintegrated, his essence consumed by Seokhyun's Emperor's Might. The demon's body, weakened by the war and his noncorporeal state, was unable to withstand the sheer force of Seokhyun's awakened power.

With a final scream, Beelzebub was obliterated, his form dissipating into nothingness. The cavern fell silent once more, the suffocating weight lifting from Seokhyun's shoulders as the demon was erased from existence.

Seokhyun staggered, his breath ragged as the power of the Descent of the Emperor slowly subsided. He glanced down at his hands, still tingling with the aftershocks of the battle. A sense of raw power lingered within him, and he couldn't help but feel that he had just crossed a threshold. He was no longer the weak, uncertain individual who had first arrived in this world. He had just defeated one of the Primordial Demons, a being of unimaginable strength, and he had done so with the force of his own will.

[Gluttony – Level EX Unlocked]

Seokhyun felt a surge of power deep within him. His Gluttony skill, now advanced by the essence of Beelzebub, pulsed with new strength. He could feel his ability to absorb and consume the essence of powerful beings growing even more potent. The demon's power was now his to control.

But more than that, he felt something else: the power of Descent of the Emperor had advanced as well.

[Descent of the Emperor – SS? Tier Unlocked]

With the SS? tier unlocked, Seokhyun's Emperor's Might could now affect a wider range of enemies. It wasn't just about protecting himself anymore. He could now incapacitate enemies with weaker souls, forcing them to succumb to the overwhelming killing intent that radiated from him.

His eyes turned toward Aine, who had been watching in stunned silence, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and fear. She was still on the ground, breathing heavily, but she was alive. And though she could not speak, the look in her eyes said everything. She had seen Seokhyun's power rise, had witnessed the overwhelming force that he now wielded.

"Seokhyun…" Aine whispered, her voice trembling. "You… you…"

But Seokhyun didn't respond immediately. He was still processing everything that had just happened. The feeling of power, of victory, was overwhelming, and yet there was something else—a sense of responsibility that settled deep within him.

He had to keep going. He had to become stronger. There was no turning back now.

"We need to keep moving," Seokhyun said, his voice steady despite the chaos that had just unfolded. "There's more to this dungeon, and we're not finished yet."

Aine nodded, her eyes still wide with awe as she slowly got to her feet. Together, they would face whatever challenges awaited them next—but Seokhyun knew one thing for sure: he was no longer the same person he had been when he first entered this world.