Do not bow...

Lenny sank his teeth into E444's upper lip, gripping it tightly as he pulled hard with his remaining strength, tearing it off his face like ripping apart two pieces of cloth. E444's lip was torn off his face.

Lenny leaned back, exerting every ounce of energy he had left to accomplish the gruesome task. Like the sudden release of pressure from a bottle of cola, like a scarlet fountain unleashed, a vibrant spray surged into the air, painting the surroundings in a macabre hue. The unexpected turn of events left the onlookers, even the demons themselves, utterly speechless.

E444 attempted to scream, but his own blood rushed into his mouth, causing him to gag and choke. Pushing Lenny off, he fought through the searing pain coursing through his body. Instinctively, one would typically reach for the injured area, trying to soothe the agony, but in E444's case, there was no place to grab. He bowed his head, his mind overwhelmed with thoughts on how he had landed himself in such a wretched predicament. 

Meanwhile, Lenny slowly rose from the ground, the torn-out lip still clutched between his teeth. Blood dripped from the severed flesh onto his body, a crazed look in his eyes, his eyes glinting with madness. Witnessing E444's torment and pain only served to heighten Lenny's pleasure.

<Side Quest completed>

<You have been awarded: +10 strength +increase in HP>

<HP 15>

His HP automatically loaded up, surpassing its base value of 10 and reaching 15. Though seemingly insignificant, the boost was substantial. Lenny could feel a powerful, invigorating, refreshing sensation surging through his limbs, gradually healing the scars on his body from his previous battle with the D4022. This was it—the very fulfilment he sought. And all he had to do was savor a mere bite. A self-satisfied smile crept across Lenny's face. This felt far easier than the gruelling toil he had to go through in his past life to ascend to such heights.

Truly, this system was tailor-made for someone like him—someone who harboured no reservations when it came to seizing opportunities of such beauty.

However, the demon instructor's fury ignited instantly. Lenny had blatantly disregarded his orders, and the demon instructor growled menacingly as he advanced towards him. Everyone watching could tell that Lenny was in dire straits. He had only just arrived, yet he had injured the top disciple and defied the instructor's authority. There was simply no way he was getting out of the disciplinary action that awaited him.

The Demon instructor closed in on Lenny, his muscular arm raised, ready to unleash a punishing blow. But Lenny was cunning and quick-witted, he immediately dropped to his knees, extending his hand towards the demon. The demon instructor halted, intrigue flickering in his eyes. In Lenny's outstretched palm was the upper lip that belonged to E444.

"Forgive me, instructor! I only thought you were hungry and decided to present you with a light snack." Lenny explained, his voice laced with feigned sincerity.

"Huh!?" The demon instructor exclaimed, caught off guard by Lenny's words.

"-"

"-"

"-"

A hush fell over the arena as Lenny's peculiar explanation perplexed all who heard it.

According to his account, his reason for disobeying and tearing off E444's lip stemmed from a desire to present it as food to the instructor. The demon instructor paused for a few seconds, a wicked smile curling his lips. He snatched the upper lip from Lenny's hand, and tossed it into his mouth. As he chewed on the fleshy morsel, traces of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth. He turned towards E444 and remarked, "Not bad! Quite tasty, I must say!"

Demons, at the end of the day, will forever remain true to their nature. There was no room for favoritism within their realm. In the eyes of these creatures, all human beings were mere sustenance.

Showing favor to one would only hasten their demise, serving them up on a platter for the demon's consumption. While the demons were prohibited from kill the stock without orders from Cuban, the arena's owner, there was no rule against indulging in the occasional snack— parts lost in battle.

However, something unexpected occurred, causing Lenny's brow to furrow in concern.

<Red Alert: You have bowed before a demon. All stats will be <em>Halved for five minutes>

Lenny could not believe what he had just heard.

His stats would be halved? All he had done was act instinctively to ensure his survival. He had witnessed firsthand the mercilessness of the demons and their unwavering obedience to authority. Disobedience was undoubtedly the gravest sin in this world. Yet, he just couldn't simply let this golden opportunity slip away. The rewards that paid before him were too enticing to ignore. 

And so, he had taken the risk. Not out of a desire to please the demon, but rather to preserve his own life. However, it seemed the system frowned upon his actions. Lenny wasn't entirely surprised by this revelation. Even the holy books of his former world spoke of gods who were inherently jealous by nature. Surely, Lucifer, the embodiment of whom the Satan system represented, wouldn't tolerate his followers bowing to others, especially demons who had betrayed him. The Satan system, as a conduit for Lucifer's influence, facilitated users' growth according to certain guidelines. Consequences for missteps were to be expected.

Yet Lenny couldn't help but feel a sense of injustice. No one had warned him about such a consequence. He let out a low sigh, resigning himself to his fate. Little did he know that his problems had only just begun.

The instructor demon, his satisfaction evident after consuming the lip, continued to speak. "Not bad! Not bad!! But the fact remains that you disobeyed me. You will now face four opponents in combat and, upon completion, endure 50 lashes from the whip."

With each word, the instructor reached for the whip by his side, tightening his grip. Simultaneously, he gestured, beckoning four gladiators to step forward.

Each of them brandished a weapon, their expressions devoid of earlier amusement. Having witnessed the brutal clash between Lenny and E444, they understood the severity of the situation and were prepared to fight without holding back.

Lenny cursed silently within his mind, contemplating how he could possibly confront these adversaries at full capacity with his strength halved.