Wolf snuck to the edge of the ruined glade in the dusky light of Demon Forest’s noon. The moment he crossed the clearing’s border, Wolf sprinted towards the Demonic Converter.

Its leaves violently rustled above his head, causing shaking as if hurricane-force winds blew. The tug of war started again. The gigantic tree sought to dispel layers of enchantments Wolf had active, while the young True-Namer countered by casting yet another Subtle Scapegoat.

Left without its guardians, the Demonic Converter resorted to its last tricks. It attempted to weaken Wolf and dropped all its apples, but the youth didn’t care. Instead, he smiled.

They always follow the same pattern. Then something rose from the pit of Wolf’s stomach. Luckily, the half-digested food stopped right beneath the throat. Ugh. If I don’t eat enough, I regret it; if I eat too much, I regret it.

As his body strengthened, Wolf’s speed increased proportionally. His feet smashed into the ground like meteors, leaving behind small craters of compressed soil. Thanks to his ridiculous velocity, Wolf reached the Demonic Converter before the first apple struck the overturned grass.

He didn’t bother braking. Such a motion would waste time. Instead, Wolf jumped, slamming his feet against the Demonic Converter’s trunk, yet despite his momentum, he failed to shake the giant tree.

Wolf grinned. It feels great to be this strong. I feel like I can do anything!

The brutal blow would’ve torn Wolf’s tendons before, but after the transformation, all he sensed were his muscles groaning in discomfort from this thunderous impact.

In the dilated flow of time, Wolf crouched against the bark. Book appeared in his hand. He frowned, focusing on processing dozens of actions. A rain of black apples reached him, but he stored them into his Ring of Holding, all the while casting Subtle Scapegoat.

Those quill exercises were damn useful.

Using the aftershock, Wolf straightened his legs, uncoiling his muscles like powerful springs. He somersaulted and landed a meter away from the Demonic Converter. He drew a deep breath through his nose, using a moment to separate yet another sliver of his conscience. That wisp of his attention focused on Internal Energy flowing through his body. A surging wave detached from the warm current, rushing towards Book while causing ripples in Ghost Shroud.

Wolf’s Internal Energy flared through his hand, piercing his camouflage, but he didn’t care; he let it flood into Book.

Sunder the Mountains! Internal Energy erupted out of Book and the simple slash exploded with earthen light. Book’s blade hardly pierced half a meter into the trunk, but the aura cleaved all the way through the Demonic Converter.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a screech and a rustle of leaves, the tree slid sideways and toppled over, while Wolf began panting.

Deafening explosions of branches cracking and snapping echoed in Wolf’s ears, but the young man smiled at how great it felt to bring down the fucking Monster Beast in one slash.

It wasn’t worth it, but using a Ninth Order strike in an actual fight was damn awesome.

While Wolf savored his triumph, Scapegoat triggered, dragging him down from his high cloud. The youth’s mouth twisted. He finished replacing the Scapegoat and started casting another while moving halfway up the Demonic Converter’s trunk. He chose the logical spot and started hacking without further investing Internal Energy.

Wolf expected this routine work would go much the same way it did with other Demonic Converters. He could focus on chopping, ignoring everything else. However, something which he couldn’t ignore assailed Wolf’s mind.

Steak. As soon as Demonic Converter tore down Wolf’s mental defenses, a juicy thought invaded his psyche.

I just ate. Wolf tried to resist with logic, but the exquisitely prepared piece of meat dangled in front of his eyes, giving off a tantalizing aroma. Gravy dripped from it and Wolf’s mouth watered.

He bit the inside of his cheek, focusing on the task at hand. It’s messing with my mind. I’m full to the point of vomiting.

His argument was perfectly valid. The other party countered with steaming dumplings whose intoxicating scent made Wolf’s head spin. The cool sensation of Charter family’s creamy chocolate gelato iced Wolf’s tongue while his brain froze.

He gnawed his lower lip, hyperventilating. His heart raced, and his stomach growled even though it was full to bursting. Wolf failed to notice it, but he stopped swinging Book.

Thoughts of food overwhelmed his brain. Under normal circumstances, Wolf’s psyche was too strong for a Demonic Converter to influence. It could only sway his mind a bit. However, with the presence of an existing sitomania, the demonic tree obstructed his brain functions with ease.

After enduring for several dozen breaths, Wolf screamed and ran off into the forest to forage for dumplings and gelato.

By the time he came to, he had long lost sight of Demonic Converter’s glade. His stomach quieted, and tempting visions of inviting foodstuffs no longer plagued him.

I can’t fight that thing without Shield Mind. At least for now. Wolf paused. Silver, do you have any suggestions?

Wolf focused on the egg in his Mind Palace. His skin crawled. For a moment, he heard the slurping.

You’ve severed its roots, Master. It should be on its last legs. Silver analyzed calmly. I think it will run out of Soul Force after a week or three. Then, it won’t be able to invade your mind. Burp!

Did you just burp? Wolf cocked an eyebrow.

It’s impolite to ask such things! I’m a lady. Good night! Silver snored loudly several times, disdaining to continue this conversation.

Wolf’s lip twisted, and he shook his head. You really shouldn’t use Barbara as a role model.

Since Silver chose to ignore him, Wolf started plotting plans, but swiftly realized there was little to consider.

Time flew. Wolf’s days passed in eating, attacking Demonic Beasts or Demonic Converters and meditation.

Seven months went by. During this time, Wolf was disgusted with his progress. He barely knocked down three Demonic Converters in twice as many months.

This morning did not differ from the previous two-hundred-and-odd ones. Wolf got up early. Before he properly opened his eyes, Wolf took out the heater, a frying pan and a random slab of meat.

“Gah, Gargoyle.” Wolf’s lips curled downward and his throat clenched as he lost on his random steak lottery. Still, he scooped out a ladle of fat and, with a plop, smacked it onto the frying pan. He placed the pan onto the heater with all the sapience of an automaton.

Wolf froze in the middle of mechanically moving the frying pan to evenly distribute the melting lard. I am disgusted by food in the morning!

The youth laughed like mad and threw the nasty hunk of meat out of the folded space he slept in.

You’re wasting food, Master. Silver chided Wolf, but the young man didn’t care. Instead, he entered his Mind Palace and hugged the egg.

“Hahaha! It’s over! It’s finally over,” Wolf’s Mental Aspect shouted while spinning the giant egg through the air.

“While I must admit this is entertaining,” Silver said from her shell. “You’re a grown man, Master. You shouldn’t do jolly jigs just because you’re no longer famished.”

“Hahahaha! You’re now imitating Anna. Asking me to stop doing something you enjoy just because of appearances.” Wolf teased the egg, but Silver didn’t care.

“Master, haven’t you learned by now that keeping up appearances is important?” Wolf stopped. Random memories flashed through his mind. Him not acting according to the retarded social norm, then paying the price for it later down the line.

“Did you have to ruin the moment?” Wolf’s Mental Aspect twisted his lip sourly.

“Congratulations on advancing, Master.” Silver’s voice was a mix of teasing and sulking. “I knew you could overcome this trivial challenge of having to eat a tad more for several months. It must have been unbearable.”

It wasn’t, and Wolf was aware of it. The hunger pangs were a nuisance and a time-sink; other than damaging his dignity, they posed no real danger.

“Well, thanks. Now I feel like a kid happy over something he built with wooden blocks.” Wolf’s joy disappeared like morning mist before the summer sun.

“You’re welcome,” Silver said with a straight shell. “If you want to enjoy a proper sense of achievement, how about you complete your task on the same deadline, despite losing these seven months? Then you’ll have something to feel proud about.”

Wolf’s Mental Aspect opened and closed his mouth.

“Silver,” the Mental Aspect said. “When did you grow up so much?”

“I was always mature!” Silver protested, her loud pitch ruining her sagely moment.

“Ah, so it was merely a passing moment of brilliance.” Wolf’s Mental Aspect continued to tease, but deep down he approved of Silver’s plan.

He was now five times stronger than before, and he believed he could blast through a Demonic Converter’s defensive ring and bring it down through sheer physical prowess.

“I should test it,” the Mental Aspect said after several moments of silence. “Thanks, Silver.”