The red sun slowly sank behind the jagged mountains of the Outcast Demon Land.
Inside the cave, Rai sat silently on a stone ledge.
The mana crystals beside him glowed faintly, lighting the dark cave walls with a cold blue light.
Outside…
Grik, Tora, Mek, Ruun, and Zik had returned.
And they were not alone.
More demons stood behind them.
Weak demons.
Injured demons.
Demons with broken horns and torn wings.
Outcasts.
At first there were ten.
Then fifteen.
Soon nearly thirty demons gathered nervously outside the cave.
None of them dared step inside.
One whispered nervously.
"Is he really here…?"
Another demon looked at the ground.
"The human who killed the Rare Demon…"
Grik raised his hand.
"Quiet."
He stepped forward toward the cave entrance.
"Rai!"
His voice echoed inside.
A few seconds later…
Rai walked out.
The moment he appeared, the gathered demons stiffened.
His tall figure stood at the cave entrance, his messy black hair moving slightly in the wind.
His ice-blue eyes scanned the crowd.
And his Fear Aura naturally spread across the area.
Several demons instantly dropped to their knees.
Others trembled where they stood.
The silence was heavy.
Finally Rai spoke.
"You came."
Grik nodded quickly.
"They want protection."
The other demons looked down nervously.
One demon spoke hesitantly.
"We… were chased from our clans."
Another added quietly.
"No demon lord allows weak demons to live."
A third demon spoke.
"We heard you defeated the Rare Demon."
Rai looked at them silently.
Thirty weak demons.
Starving.
Injured.
Broken.
The Demon Realm had thrown them away.
Just like it threw him into the Outcast Land.
But Rai didn't see useless creatures.
He saw something else.
Opportunity.
Power.
If they worked together…
Even weak demons could become strong.
The system suddenly appeared.
---
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Quest Progress Updated.
Build Your First Territory
Followers Recruited: 32 / 10
Requirement Completed.
Next Requirement:
Secure Food Source
Defend Territory
Reward Pending.
---
Rai read the message quietly.
Then looked back at the demons.
"If you stay here…"
His voice was calm.
"You work."
The demons quickly nodded.
"Yes!"
"We will!"
Rai pointed toward the wasteland.
"There are monsters everywhere."
"Food will not be difficult."
He looked at them again.
"But if enemies attack this territory…"
His ice-blue eyes grew colder.
"...you fight."
The demons nodded again.
For the first time…
Someone was offering them something better than survival.
A place to belong.
Suddenly—
A loud rumble shook the ground.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
The demons looked toward the horizon.
Dust clouds were rising in the distance.
Grik's face turned pale.
"Oh no…"
Tora stepped forward nervously.
"That's the Blood Fang Gang."
Several large demons were approaching.
And behind them…
Nearly fifty demons marched across the wasteland.
Their leader stepped forward and laughed loudly.
"So this is where the human is hiding."
His red eyes locked onto Rai.
The outcast demons immediately panicked.
But Rai didn't move.
Instead…
He stepped forward to face them.
The first territory invasion had begin.