Demon Chapter

Chapter 4: Contractor 1064

Gavin Lin mingled among several zombies and walked into the chapel.

The hanging cage holding Kane was ten meters away, but Gavin Lin certainly didn’t dare lower him down at this moment. Directly beneath the cage stood Tristram’s strongest monster: Griswold.

Judging by experience, Griswold was at least ten times stronger than the zombie Gavin had just encountered. At his current level, if this monster discovered him, Gavin might not even have a chance to flee.

The terrifying skeleton stood motionless. Gavin Lin felt that if he faced Griswold directly, he’d be torn apart in less than a tenth of a second. It was pure intuition—but in his present state, he was vastly outmatched.

Fortunately, the church was filled with monsters: over twenty zombies milled about. Disguised in rotting zombie skin, Gavin Lin had little fear of being exposed.

“I need to find a way to lure these monsters out—otherwise, there’s no chance of saving Kane!” Gavin Lin thought as he habitually scanned his surroundings.

The interior resembled the area outside: several wooden racks held nailed corpses. Only now did Gavin notice that the bodies weren’t heavily decomposed—they looked as if they’d only just died. Most were stripped naked, drenched in blood, and beneath each rack lay mysterious symbols drawn in blood, resembling intricate script or, more precisely, a pentagram-like array.

Having studied game art before, Gavin Lin immediately recognized these markings as demonic script from the world of Diablo—ritual symbols typically used for sacrifices.

The intended recipients of such offerings were high-tier demons, possibly even Demon Lords like Diablo himself.

Just then, Gavin’s eyes flicked to one of the “corpses” on a rack—and his eyelids twitched. He’d just seen the corpse’s fingers move slightly.

Thinking he might have imagined it, he stared intently—and confirmed that the chest was rising faintly with breath.

Could this person still be alive?

A flood of thoughts rushed through Gavin’s mind, but he chose the most direct approach: get closer and observe.

Taking slow, halting steps, he approached the rack.

A group of zombies lingered nearby, clearly coveting the fresh human flesh—but some unseen pressure kept them from crossing a certain line.

That pressure came from Griswold. Clearly, this fearsome undead was offering the blood and bodies to far more powerful demons in Hell.

Any zombie that dared draw near would be met with a low, threatening growl from the skeletal warrior.

As Gavin Lin drew closer, Griswold’s gaze shifted toward him—as if wary that this lowly zombie might defile the sacrifice meant for demonic powers.

But when Gavin stopped a meter from the rack, Griswold’s attention lingered only briefly before turning away. In that instant, Gavin broke into a cold sweat—he felt as though a hundred shotguns were aimed at his head.

Once the tension eased, he carefully examined the figure on the rack. By now, he was certain: the person bound there was still alive.

The man was so weak his head lolled limply, eyes tightly shut, drool trickling from the corner of his mouth. There were no obvious wounds on his body; aside from occasional finger twitches, he showed no other signs of life.

Scattered beside him were articles of clothing—apparently stripped from him. One glance stunned Gavin Lin as if struck by lightning.

He saw a suit, a tie… and even a mobile phone.

In that instant, everything clicked.

Glancing back at Griswold—now looking elsewhere—Gavin quickly reached down, snatched the phone, and gently touched the man on the rack.

Immediately, a message appeared before his eyes:

Target: Contractor 1064, male, Level 0. Other information unknown.

Indeed, the captive was another Contractor—just like himself.

Judging by the number, Contractor 1064 had arrived slightly earlier—perhaps only an hour before. But luck hadn’t been on his side. Gavin guessed he’d been discovered by the monsters soon after arrival, stripped like livestock, and nailed to the rack.

Gavin was sure 1064 had entered not long before him because the man was still breathing. Assuming the rules of this world applied equally, 1064’s countdown timer should also be set to 2 hours and 15 minutes—just like his own—and the man showed no signs of having killed any monsters.

Therefore, he was still alive, meaning his timer hadn’t yet run out.

For a moment, Gavin felt a flicker of relief—if he hadn’t left the room earlier to search for Wirt’s Leg, he might be in this exact predicament now.

Since this man was a Contractor, what about the other bodies?

Gavin turned to another corpse nearby. This one was unmistakably dead—its abdomen had been ripped open, intestines spilling everywhere.

Beside it lay several worn pieces of leather armor.

Because the body was already rotting, the surrounding zombies ignored it. Seizing the opportunity, Gavin touched the corpse and received the expected information:

Target: Contractor 1002, male, Level 3. Status: Deceased.

His heart skipped a beat. Another Contractor—and one who’d reached Level 3. Judging by the state of decomposition, Contractor 1002 must have died earlier, likely while attempting to rescue Cain and falling to the formidable Griswold.

Several other racks held similar corpses. Gavin didn’t need to check them—he knew they were all Contractors.

His spirits sank.

From the evidence, the conclusion was grim: numerous Contractors had tried to save Cain, and every single one had failed.

Even a Level 3 Contractor had been stripped and displayed as a carcass. For Gavin—a Level 0—this mission was practically suicide.

The sudden realization caught him off guard. Alone, his chances of rescuing Cain were virtually nonexistent—the dead around him were proof enough. Fortunately, he still had seven hours—plenty of time. And already, a plan was forming in his mind.

He clutched the phone tightly. From now on, his entire strategy would hinge on this device.

Near Contractor 1002’s body lay a few scattered pieces of leather armor. A thought struck Gavin: could these be equipment items, like Wirt’s Leg?

Curious, he bent down carefully and touched one.

Leather Armor

Type: Light Armor

Defense: 12

Required Strength: 5

Durability: 24

Required Contractor Level: 3

His eyes lit up instantly. Without checking the other pieces—boots, greaves—they were almost certainly equipment too.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but he didn’t pick them up. Instead, gripping the phone firmly, he shuffled unsteadily out of the chapel.