Chapter 113: Salasso’s “Prey”

The system’s initial evaluation left Wu You slightly disappointed. Although the primary purpose of creating this demon was to fashion a humanoid minion distinct from the usual vampire type, the first demon was named differently—directly taking the title of “Primordial Demon.” This reflected a certain expectation Wu You held.

As for the use of Transcendent Energy materials, Salaso had already been designated by Wu You. Yet, surprisingly, there was no visual deception involved. That couldn’t be right—when the demon was forged alchemically, considerations about camouflage had clearly been made.

Wu You then proceeded to create five more demons in succession, but the total mental energy consumed was still less than that of the first one. Their names were simply “Demon,” without the “Primordial” prefix.

Choosing to summon the Primordial Demon Salaso, a streak of black light flashed, and a tall, burly demon appeared before Wu You. It knelt on one knee, then lifted its head to gaze at him. Its eyes glowed a faint red, with vague blood vessels swirling inside, resembling some chaotic symbol.

“Master, I feel that my physical limits are on the verge of breaking through. I hope you will permit me to act freely,” it spoke before Wu You could say a word.

Breaking through its limits? Could it reach the critical point without consuming Transcendent Energy materials?

Wu You pondered and said, “Everything else is fine, but you’re a bit too conspicuous.”

Salaso understood immediately. Its wings folded tightly against its back like cartilage. Then, black fine lines rippled across its body. The wave spread quickly, and in less than three seconds, a robust, handsome man with black hair and eyes stood before Wu You—wearing a suit, no less. Wu You had never provided it with clothes, so the suit was clearly an illusion.

But Salaso’s display was not over. It stepped into a patch of shadow cast by a large tree illuminated by the dandelion of light wheels. As its foot crossed into the darkness, its entire body gradually vanished.

Though Wu You could sense through his perception and system that Salaso remained within the shadow, the visual effect was truly formidable.

What more could be said? Night would fall soon, and then it would essentially be invisible. Wu You nodded to the shadow and agreed to its request.

“Very well, go.”

***

Wang Shenyu was a student freshly promoted to his senior year of high school.

He came from an unremarkable family and never ranked among the top students. His parents often quarreled and frequently compared him unfavorably to other children. Sometimes they openly expressed lofty hopes for him; at other times, their disappointment was harsh and cutting.

Especially after entering senior year, every greeting from relatives and elders focused solely on grades—grades, grades, grades.

He spent five and a half days a week on campus and one and a half days at home during breaks. Saturday mornings were filled with four dreaded classes, yet the school repeatedly reminded students these were “self-requested, voluntary tutoring sessions.” The students had long grown numb to this, as it had been the same from elementary through high school.

Wang Shenyu attended a second-tier high school, failing to meet the standards of key schools. The undergraduate admission rate for an ordinary class was less than 20%, meaning only the top ten students had a chance to get in.

He hovered between ranks 20 and 30, growing increasingly anxious as more exams piled up.

Wang Shenyu wasn’t ambitious and had no grand plans to catch up within a year. He sometimes wished to escape it all and simply attend a technical college, convinced by the common refrain that a bachelor’s degree was worthless. But deep down, he knew this was self-deception.

His days were spent in a mired, restless grind.

His favorite pastime was secretly reading novels during free time or self-study classes. Occasionally he and a few close friends would sneak out to internet cafes near the school and stay up all night.

They often gathered to mock the exam-oriented education system, the crushing pressure on students, and society’s overemphasis on the college entrance exam.

If anyone took a day off, they would be buried under a mountain of assignments and mock tests.

Such escapist attitudes were present in every school, but even more so in theirs.

Today was Friday, and Saturday loomed ahead.

Although Saturday mornings still held dreaded classes, many students relaxed that day.

During the last evening self-study session, a few students sitting together in the back exchanged knowing glances. Among them was Wang Shenyu, and all silently gave an “OK” sign.

The school cafeteria opened several windows from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., selling fried rice, fried noodles, and pork tenderloin to prevent students from going hungry after self-study.

They each bought a portion of fried rice and hurried toward the dormitory building, but didn’t enter. Instead, they circled around toward the school’s fence.

Behind some greenery, a section of iron railing had been deliberately broken, leaving a hole just big enough for a person to slip through.

Once outside, a short walk led to two internet cafes behind the school.

Boarding students always managed to save some of their weekly allowance, and these friends liked to spend one night a week staying up late online. They had made arrangements with their dorm mates and knew how to handle room inspections.

Tonight, they reached the internet cafes without incident.

Nearby was a barbecue stand, always open at night, with seven or eight people waiting for their food.

In the shadows not far off, the Primordial Demon Salaso watched these people with keen interest, its gaze repeatedly drifting toward Wang Shenyu.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened as Wang Shenyu and his friends entered the internet cafe. The barbecue customers, having purchased their food, also headed into the same internet cafe.

Only one man, carrying a box of grilled eggplants, paused briefly before entering, frozen for a moment. Then, as if snapping out of a trance, he shook his head, muttered a few words, and followed inside.

“Headshot, headshot... Yeah! We won!” Wang Shenyu and his friends cheered, having just won a round of the FPS online game Call of Duty.

“Hey, you guys are pretty good! Want a match?” the man who had just entered approached them, eager for competition.

Gaming was one of the few domains where Wang Shenyu and his friends felt confident, so they readily accepted.

“Alright, if you can wipe out half of us, you win!”

He snorted. The man laughed lightly and said no more, beckoning his companions to log in and join the game.