*Chapter 16: "The Unexpected Twist"*
As Damon prepared to land the final blow, a voice echoed in his mind. It was Wizard, his trusted advisor. "Damon, wait! You don't have to kill the demon. You can subordinate it instead."
Damon hesitated, considering the option. He focused his energy and used the Subordination skill. The demon's eyes glazed over, and it fell under Damon's control.
"Ah, you've won the battle," Wizard's voice said. "Your stats will be restored, and you'll receive a boost in power."
Damon's stats immediately returned to normal, and he received a notification: "You've defeated a high-ranking demon. Stats increased by 100 points each."
Damon's eyes widened in shock. "This demon was that powerful?" He felt a surge of pride and confidence.
The demon transformed into a human form. Damon named him Lucious and decided to take him out of the dungeon. As they exited, Damon exchanged the loot from the boss for a substantial amount of money.
With his newfound wealth, Damon bought some clothes for Lucious and introduced him to Saiya as his new personal assistant. "Lucious will protect you and do as I command," he said.
Lucious bowed. "Yes, boss."
Saiya smiled, trusting Damon's judgment. "Okay, I'll work with him."
Damon's confidence soared. He decided it was time to take on professional hunting jobs. He headed to the Aura Blade Guild and saw Ryker; their eyes locked onto each other in a moment of mutual awareness.
To be continued.....