Mind control?
No, it seemed like the demon imp had gotten the message and was carrying out the orders.
Limon stopped messing around with the imp and brought up the info panel.
His magic value was originally 810, but now it had dropped to just 504—he'd burned through 300 points already.
The consumption was huge, and Limon could feel the imp draining his magic, not in an obvious way, but it was there. Summoning demons didn't just use up a ton of magic at first; it kept draining his reserves just to keep them around.
The need for a solid magic pool was clear now.
After all, this was a summoning system. The demon came from the abyss, not this world, so pulling it through had involved space magic. No wonder it was so costly.
Without dwelling on it, Limon focused on the imp's info.
[Demon Imp]
Race: Abyss
Level: 7
Strength: 14
Agility: 12
Stamina: 16
Intelligence: 23
Spirit: 27
Skills: Flame Arrow
Magic Value: 500/500
Most of the stats were average, except for Intelligence and Spirit, which were notably higher. It only had one skill, Flame Arrow, so the demon was probably a mage-type.
He had 30 points to distribute…
After thinking for a bit, Limon decided quickly: 10 to Intelligence, 20 to Spirit.
The effect was immediate. As his Intelligence shot up, Limon felt his mind sharpen, clarity flooding his thoughts. It was a strange, almost mesmerizing feeling, but after a few moments, he snapped out of it.
With the Spirit boost, his magic value cap shot up to 6000.
The Intelligence boost also made him more attuned to the magic around him—he could feel it swirling in the air, subtly replenishing his reserves.
Looking at his info again, he saw his magic value had ticked up by 3 points, from 504 to 507.
It seemed like Spirit helped speed up the recovery, so he made a mental note to focus on that in the future.
"Click, click."
About half an hour passed, and the calm of the quicksand pool was broken again.
The sand started to stir, white bones emerging once more.
But something felt different this time.
Limon felt a chill in the air, the unmistakable aura of death seeping from the quicksand. The curse's power was at work.
As skeletons appeared, the demon imp below, sensing the new threat, tightened its grip on the bone staff and bared its fangs, growling fiercely.
But without Limon's command, it was stuck in place.
"Hold your ground and take out any skeletons that land," Limon ordered.
"Raka, Raka!"
The demon imp perked up, eager to obey. It swung its staff, summoning a flame arrow that shot toward the nearest skeleton.
In the dark night, the arrow lit up the air, flashing like a bolt of lightning as it struck the skeleton. No explosion, no flames—just a direct hit to the sternum, shattering the skeleton into a pile of bones. The flame arrow kept going, disappearing into the distance.
"Raka, Raka."
Another roar, and another arrow flew, this time hitting two skeletons in a straight line, breaking them apart.
"Not very efficient…"
Limon watched the imp's efforts with a touch of disappointment. The flame arrows were strong but single-target, and the skeletons kept coming in numbers, making this tactic less effective.
Looking at the imp's magic consumption, Limon saw it had 412 magic left. Each flame arrow cost 20 points, meaning the imp could fire about 20 more before running out.
Not bad, considering.
Limon felt a little more at ease with the imp handling things. He leaned back, watching the battle unfold like a spectator.
The quicksand pool was much busier now, more skeletons emerging, but the imp was getting the job done.
"This is easy. I'll take out a ton tonight."
But then something caught Limon's eye—a flicker of blue flame in the distance.
Normally, the skeletons had weak soul fires, barely visible. But this one was bright, almost blinding in its intensity. It drew his gaze like a magnet.
This was no ordinary skeleton.
A message hovered above it.
[Skeleton Warrior]
Race: Undead
Level: 11
Strength: 25
Agility: 21
Stamina: 35
Intelligence: 9
Spirit: 8
Skills: xx
As it climbed out of the quicksand, the skeleton warrior stood tall, decked out in frayed leather armor and wielding a scimitar and shield.
It moved faster than the others, more agile, and gave off a dangerous vibe.
The demon imp noticed it too, recognizing the threat.
"Raka, Raka."
With a roar, the imp abandoned the other skeletons and aimed a fire arrow at the warrior.
"Dang!"
The skeleton warrior was fast, though. Instead of dodging, it raised its shield to block the shot.
The flame arrow hit the shield with a dull thud, leaving just a scorch mark. The skeleton warrior didn't even pause, just kept advancing.
It blocked the shot?
Limon raised an eyebrow. He had expected the shield to break under the force of the arrow, but it hadn't.
He waited, curious to see how the imp would respond.
"Raka, Raka."
Enraged, the demon imp swung its staff again, this time gathering a much larger fireball at the tip. The fireball swirled violently, charged with raw power.
"Lakka!"
The fireball shot through the air, a blazing streak of fury. The skeleton warrior lifted its shield, prepared for impact.
"Ka!"
Instead of an explosion, the shield shattered into pieces, and the fireball blasted straight through the warrior, sending it crumbling into a pile of bones.
The demon imp was visibly drained after the attack, its movements slowing. It still held the staff, ready to fight, but it was clearly exhausted.
Limon checked its magic value. It was at zero—using that charged attack had completely drained the imp.
Without hesitation, Limon severed the connection. The ground cracked open beneath the imp's feet, and molten magma consumed it in an instant, leaving only scorched earth behind.
"Demon summon!"
Limon chanted, summoning another imp from the abyss.
The new imp was much larger, towering over the previous one.
[Demon Imp]
Race: Abyss
Level: 15
Strength: 18
Agility: 14
Endurance: 21
Intelligence: 33
Spirit: 35
Skills: Flame Arrow, Fireball
Magic Value: 1250/1250
This time, the magic consumption was off the charts. Limon's reserves were nearly emptied.
But the new imp was far stronger, with Fireball in its arsenal, which would help clear the skeletons more efficiently.
Limon only had 11 points of magic left, and it slowly started to recover over time, which gave him some relief.
At least he wasn't in danger of losing the imp just yet.
"Stay here and wipe out the undead."
The new demon imp sprang into action, unleashing its first fireball on a cluster of skeletons, obliterating them in a blast.
Limon watched with satisfaction as the demon imp alternated between Fireball and Flame Arrow, clearing the undead with ease.
Relaxing again, Limon leaned back, watching the imp do its work.
Summoning demons had its perks. When facing weaker enemies, you could just sit back and let them handle the dirty work.
Time passed, and the quicksand pool continued to churn as Limon let the night unfold.