Chapter 20: Daily Task: Addressing the Horned Demon as Master

East of the Monster Forest.

A cave hidden among towering mountains stood silently.

Inside the cave, the imprisoned demon wolves and goblins occasionally let out low growls and eerie cries, as if voicing their pain and resentment.

Following the winding passage deeper into the cave, one would be startled to discover an entirely different world within.

A small cave sealed by a heavy iron gate lay concealed within.

In the depths of this place, evoking images of filth and cold, was imprisoned a girl of breathtaking beauty.

She was like the brightest star in the night sky, radiating a light that could illuminate the world.

A single glance from her could make everything else seem dull in comparison.

Her golden hair cascaded like a waterfall, smooth and lustrous, each strand shimmering with an enchanting glow.

In the dim cave, her golden locks seemed like the only source of light, bringing a sliver of warmth and hope to the surrounding darkness.

Such a stunning girl should have been living leisurely in a magnificent castle, in a lavishly decorated room, or perhaps as the center of attention at an elegant and luxurious noble ball…

Yet…

At this moment, she shivered uncontrollably, curling up as much as possible on the pile of cold, hard hay in the corner of the cave, trying to draw even a pitiful bit of warmth from it.

And so, Su Nian endured her first night as a slave in humiliation and cold.

The next day.

“Screech-“

The sound of the iron gate opening signaled the arrival of the horned demon.

Suppressing the reluctance in his heart, Chu Tian gave a sharp tug on the rope binding the girl’s hands.

Feeling the pull on her hands…

Su Nian instantly awoke from her slumber.

She had slept poorly the night before the despair and cold were impossible to forget.

“Go, clean the cages outside and feed the goblins and demon wolves.”

“And don’t you dare steal any food, or you’ll be sleeping in a cage next.”

Chu Tian didn’t know when the day would come that he’d no longer have the heart to torment the girl before him.

So, his strategy of imprisoning monsters would continue.

Just yesterday, because of this girl, he had gained an unimaginable amount of rage points, greatly boosting his strength.

With this power, he might be able to capture even stronger monsters and imprison them here.

Su Nian stared at the bowl of slop before her, resembling pig feed-how could she possibly want to steal any of it?

But…

She was truly hungry now.

She hadn’t eaten anything all day.

Compared to the cold, hunger was even harder to endure.

In this world, for a slave, the easiest way for a master to break them was through food.

All the master had to do was feed them when they obeyed and withhold food when they didn’t…

This single tactic was enough to subdue the vast majority of slaves.

“Fine, I’ll go.” Su Nian agreed to the horned demon’s command in humiliation.

Now, as a defeated slave, cleaning and feeding livestock were the simplest tasks she could be given.

After a flurry of work,

Su Nian returned to the horned demon sitting at the cave entrance.

By now-

Her white dress had become much dirtier, and the physical exertion had left her even hungrier.

Mmm…

So hungry.

Just then,

The horned demon before her happened to pull out a piece of bread from his bag and began eating it alone.

Huh?

Do horned demons, these humanoid monsters, eat bread too?

Come to think of it.

This bastard horned demon before me is different from ordinary ones.

His habits and appearance are very close to humans, he can even speak human language, so it’s not surprising he eats bread.

Unconsciously.

Su Nian’s gaze instinctively fell on the bread slice in the horned demon’s hand.

The pang of hunger made her swallow hard.

Mmm…

She wanted it.

Her eyes shifted again to the backpack beside the horned demon.

The style was indeed bought from a human town.

She remembered the bastard horned demon had taken the bread slice from that backpack.

Which meant… there might be more normal food inside.

Chu Tian naturally noticed Su Nian’s gaze.

Even when he took the girl’s blanket yesterday, it had taken great resolve.

Deep down, he didn’t want this beautiful girl before him to go hungry or cold.

But there was no choice.

He had to make the girl understand how a slave should properly treat her master.

So on the first day, he gave her no food nor sufficient protection against the cold.

Today though…

He hoped the girl would show some awareness.

He wanted her to feel humiliated to generate negative emotions and harvest frustration points, without actually letting her suffer hunger or cold.

But if he gave in to all her demands from the start, the humiliation he could inflict would diminish…

Now, Chu Tian had discovered that provoking Su Nian’s sense of humiliation yielded massive frustration points.

“What, hungry?” Chu Tian asked knowingly.

“Yes,” Su Nian nodded, her voice barely louder than a mosquito’s hum.

“Can’t hear you. Never mind then. You can have whatever the demon wolves leave today. Keep an eye out, might find some scraps.”

He pointed at the slop-like food Su Nian had fed to the wolves earlier.

“Mmm… no.”

Su Nian absolutely refused.

Even fresh, that swill looked nauseating enough to make her vomit, let alone the monsters’ leftovers.

“I… I want bread.”

Mustering courage, she pointed at the bread slices in the demon’s backpack.

Chu Tian shook his head.

Clearly unsatisfied with this response.

“Oh? But I don’t know who you’re speaking to. The goblin perhaps?”

He gave his final hint.

To save money, the monster food he bought from town was just restaurant leftovers mixed with livestock feed.

Thus Chu Tian was confident the girl wouldn’t touch it.

“Mmm…”

Su Nian gritted her teeth, the mental barrier still too high.

She knew exactly what the bastard wanted – to hear her call him “Master” and acknowledge her slave status.

For a moment.

She hesitated.

Her pride waged its final struggle.

She’d come for revenge, only to be defeated, turned into a woman, and now forced to call him Master.

Humiliating.

Degrading…

Yet.

When she looked again at the revolting leftovers, her stomach spasmed.

Could she really eat that?

“Ding! Unlocked sub-quest: Daily Tasks.”

“Daily Mission: Address the special horned demon as ‘Master’ 0/3 times. Completing this daily will grant 3,000 Humiliation Points.”

Daily missions!

So I need to call the horned demon “Master” at least three times every day?

With nine days remaining, completing all daily missions would yield 27,000 Humiliation Points.

Adding the 50,000 points for agreeing to be a slave, plus miscellaneous humiliation gains…

The 100,000 points needed for escape would definitely be covered.

So… should I call him Master or not?