Gurgle... gurgle. 

What is that sound? 

Water flowing? Bubbles? 

As Alan gazed at the dim crimson before him, his consciousness gradually returned. 

Am I submerged in water? And unable to move? 

Did I not drown? Or suffocate? 

No, this is unbearable; I feel as if I'm suffocating. 

I must escape. 

Escape... 

Crack... crack. 

With the sound of something shattering, a sudden brightness illuminated Alan's vision, and his skin swiftly registered the concept of 'cold.' 

Darkness, solitude, an endlessly extending expanse of rocky plains, dotted with peculiar red stones he had never seen before. 

Where am I...? 

As Alan contemplated this, he opened his mouth, only to emit a vague, incomprehensible sound from his throat. 

It was then that he realized his body seemed to have undergone a transformation. 

Small, emaciated. 

His dark red skin resembled the exposed muscles of a human, and his hands, noticeably smaller than a human's, bore five sharp claws at the tips. 

More unsettlingly, Alan could distinctly feel two small protrusions hidden beneath his scalp, poised to break through the skin at any moment. 

What have I become...? 

As Alan pondered in terror, a translucent window materialized before him. 

Location: Abyss Hell. 

Current Species: Minor Hybrid Demon. 

Bloodline Composition: 

Abyss Demon 3% 

Low-level Demon 60% 

Mixed Bloodline: 37% 

Bloodline Evaluation: Pathetically mixed. 

Power Evaluation: Easily crushed. 

Current Task: Escape from the Basin of Original Sin. 

Could it be...? 

It took Alan a full minute to comprehend his predicament. 

I have... transformed into a demon. 

Indeed. 

Looking up at the sky revealed only darkness, unlike the night sky; it was a blackness akin to an abyss, instilling a sense of impending descent. 

Everything around him was rock—red and black stones intertwined with flowing magma, radiating waves of terrifying heat. 

Alan could not even spot a blade of grass or a drop of water. 

Only crimson, nothing else. 

This is hell. 

I was once human, a being living on Earth; why have I awakened in this place? 

Before Alan could finish lamenting, an overwhelming hunger surged from his stomach, nearly drowning his sanity. 

Is there anything to eat? I need sustenance. 

As this thought surfaced, an unfamiliar message appeared in Alan's mind. 

After birth, if demons do not consume food within half an hour, they are driven mad by hunger, transforming into mindless, low-level demons. If they go three hours without food, they will starve to death. 

This... is a message left by my bloodline. 

Reflecting on this, Alan scanned his surroundings and discovered a pool of pale pink flesh beneath him. 

It seemed he had just emerged from that pool of flesh. 

The flesh appeared repulsive, reminiscent of a stray dog crushed by a truck. 

Yet, in the grip of extreme hunger, Alan reached out, scooping up the pool of flesh and bringing it to his mouth. 

It was slimy and reeked of blood, and the minor demon seemed to lack salivary glands, rendering the flesh in Alan's mouth akin to blood-soaked sludge. In that moment, Alan truly wished he were a native little demon, able to instinctively devour this repugnant flesh. 

Ugh... 

Ultimately, driven by human will, Alan could no longer tolerate it and expelled the half-chewed flesh from his mouth. 

Ugh... ugh... 

No... I cannot ingest this; it feels as if one is forced to swallow excrement. 

But... I truly will starve to death. 

While Alan was lost in turmoil, suddenly, with a sound reminiscent of an egg cracking, a nearby rock shattered. 

Gurgle... A chunk of flesh, roughly the same size as Alan, rolled out from the 'rock.' It opened its eyes, glanced around, licked the congealed blood on its arm, then quickly bent down to consume the remnants of its own 'rock.' 

This... must also be a demon. 

Having emerged from the same place, perhaps we are... relatives? Perhaps these rocks were birthed by the same mother... 

Crack... 

As Alan mused, the newly born little demon devoured the ground's flesh with ravenous greed, letting out a low growl. 

Pfft! 

Then, visibly, the little demon's emaciated body swelled like an inflated balloon, and a sharp horn pierced through its scalp, protruding. 

Is... is this evolution? 

"The means by which demons grow stronger lies in consuming other life forms, thereby refining their bloodlines and evolving towards the primal sin of the world." 

The memory inscribed in his bloodline flooded back, causing Alan to shudder. 

To consume all life forms. 

It sounded as though this creature would not show any kindness simply because of their shared lineage. 

As if to confirm Alan's thoughts, the newly evolved little demon turned its head and, upon spotting Alan, its eyes glinted with a thirst for blood. Before Alan could react, the little demon lunged at him, its powerful arms pinning Alan's down, rendering him immobile. 

Beast! 

Alan understood that clinging to false hopes would only lead to his demise. Rather than meekly becoming the breakfast of a newly born demon, he would fight fiercely. Besides... 

Gazing at the little demon's pale red neck and muscular shoulders, Alan felt an intensifying hunger that belonged to a demon. At that moment, he truly believed that if he did not consume something within half an hour, he might be driven mad by hunger. 

Awoo... 

Clearly, the newly emerged little demon fought purely on instinct, which meant tearing open its prey's throat with claws or biting through their windpipe. 

But Alan was different. 

He had once been human, possessing a modicum of combat experience. 

For instance... 

Bang! 

Just as the little demon thought Alan was powerless to resist, preparing to sink its teeth into his throat, Alan suddenly slammed his head into the little demon's nose. With a shriek, the grip on Alan's arm loosened. 

At that moment, the primal beast within Alan surged forth; he opened his sharp-toothed maw and viciously bit down on the little demon's throat. 

Though the newborn demon had undergone one evolution, its neck still bore soft flesh, reminiscent of the texture of beef tendons. However... 

The little demon's neck was even juicier and more tender, and Alan could sense the diminishing breath from its lungs. 

Pfft... pfft! 

Crimson blood flowed into Alan's mouth, and in an instant, a primal, bloody hunger consumed the last remnants of his sanity. He chewed and swallowed, devouring this 'sumptuous feast' to satiate his growing appetite, while simultaneously, Alan's previously frail limbs began to fill out, becoming stronger than the little demon itself. 

Finally, when Alan came to his senses, he found the little demon had already been decapitated, its body half devoured. 

At that moment, the peculiar translucent panel reappeared before Alan. 

Devoured Life Form: Little Demon. 

Acquired Bloodline: Painful Inferior Demon: Ordinary Bloodline, capable of strengthening muscles and claws. 

Acquired Bloodline Experience: 100. 

Bloodline refinement available.