Lucien find it even more difficult to figure out the demon. Sometimes he was vicious enough to seek blood and think of nothing except eating children. Sometimes he's naive enough to be fooled by Lucien's terrible acting.

If Aiden was awake and he heard Lucien saying this, he would definitely laugh at him for three straight days. Lucien can't have that. He needs to be flawless, cool, and reliable in front of the protagonist.

Lucien is not planning to be some kind of self sacrificing hero as he play with the demon. He just want the protagonist to see him as strong. To appear more formidable and reliable is more important than being seen as weak and fragile. He's doing all this handiwork to secure his future. When all these ordeals with demons in orphanage are over, the protagonist will take him under his wing. Lucien can start enjoying life under the blessing of protagonist's halo.

Lucien is super excited to see that.

He looked back at the children. He just need to last forty hours. That's all. If Lucien doesn't want the cold, cunning, and ruthless protagonist to appear, Aiden must not experience the cold slaughter of children happening in front of his eyes. He must not witness any more terrible things happening. Lucien must protect the protagonist! Yes! Find a reason for him to stay the same.

As time passed by, Lucien felt his limbs had gotten better. He waited for the demon to give him the weapon he requested. Good thing the demon forgot the weapon upstairs. Lucien heard him cursing under his breath . The demon trotted back upstairs without looking back.

This give Lucien ample time to wake Aiden up.

"Aiden!" He shook his shoulders vigorously. But Aiden is completely knock out.

If shaking was useless, what about a hard slap?

PAK!

The sharp contact of his rough palm against his soft, tender cheek made Lucien stutter a cuss mantra. Yet it worked perfectly. Aiden slowly stirred, his wide big eyes blinking against the moonlight.

He saw Lucien's face, wide anxious pair of eyes staring at him in alarm. Aiden's heart immediately jumped out of his chest. He quickly got up and placed his two small hands on Lucien's cheeks.

"What's wrong?"

Lucien did not notice Aiden did not pay attention to the unconscious children around them. His focus was only on Lucien's worried face. His chaotic feelings were borne just from that look.

Lucien hastily removed the pair of hands and whispered urgently.

"I will distract the demon while you take the children away from here, you understand?"

Aiden's body stiffen.

"No! Let me stay with you!"

"No time! Just do what I told you." Lucien gazed behind the dark, dilapidated closet.

"Move that closet aside, there's a hole that connects to a small tunnel hole which leads to the west side of the village's draining system. Wait for me there, okay? Don't let anyone see you. Remember, don't trust anyone,"

This is the first time Aiden saw an obvious trace of panic in Lucien's eyes. Aiden know this man is afraid.

Why are you afraid?

I am here. Let me help you.

Don't cast me aside. Let me stay with you.

The basement door swung open. Lucien hastily shove Aiden aside. The demon peeked his head from under the stairs, carrying a two-meter long whip with him. What's strange about the whip is not its bone-curved handle that latch tightly on human's palm, preventing it from coming off, nor its long slimy body that seems super slick. It was the dotted bony stones that were engraved on its long body.

It was made of sharp stones that seemed to be taken from human bones. Lucien coldly sweated as he saw it. Aiden saw his change of expression and was eager to voice out his question, but the hand pressing him down prevented him from moving.

Aiden silently lamented. What's happening? Why is Lucien acting strange? Will the demon hurt him? No way!He squirm a little in an attempt to struggle, yet Lucien pinch his skin, bringing his movement to a halt

"Are you an obedient child?"

"Yes, I am an obedient child." Lucien's usual expressionless face resurfaced. His eyes are tranquil. He successfully suppressed the panic that broke free from his face.

Aiden gaped at the two.

"Then we will start the game." Under the moonlight cast from the small window, the demon's hideous grin made Lucien and Aiden's hair stand up.

The demon lash out his whip. Lucien flinch, afraid to get hit. He expected the pain yet it did not come. When he opened his eyes, he looked down to see his bonds broken.

"Here, child." The demon threw the whip towards him. Lucien studied the whip in his hands. It was quite heavy, but manageable.

Lucien inwardly lamented. He had never used a whip before. His fingers are more skilled at typing and attacking anime reviews and internet creators. Not swinging a whip.

His lifestyle is taking a toll on his current situation. Now he was beginning to regret living as a shut in otaku.

"Let's go," The demon headed out. Lucien stood up and tried to practice swinging the whip in his hands.

"System, is this weapon genuine? Can it really harm the demon?" Lucien asked the question in his head.

The system did not answer. Instead, the moon ray lit in the whip's path, the slimy surface glittered, and words started to appear above the whip.

[Item: Demon's whip]

[Owner: Lucien Blake (System 00108 Host)]

[Quality: Rare]

[Level: 1 (Upgradable)]

[Attack: Above Average]

[Ability: Killing pain inflector]

[Function: In demons, each lash can cause three times the pain.]

[Limit: The killing pain inflector that causes instant death can only be used once a day.]

[Remarks: The lethal pain inflector, when it touched a demon's vital spot, can kill them on the spot. Lucien is a cowardly host. Many systems refuse to be in charge of him. Item is having second thoughts whether it is in good hands or not.]

Lucien: ...…

He had never been insulted by a whip in his twenty-one years of life.

Lucien swung the whip a few more times, getting used to the feel of the item in his hands. The whip seem like it has a life of its own. It can quickly guess what Lucien is trying to do in breaking Aiden's bond behind his back obediently.