บท 7: New Companion

**Previously**

Night has fallen:

I've got a few hours left before I reach Stanford University. Each step brings me closer to my objective. After a long day on the road, I arrive at a crossroads. And at this point, I think true Supernatural fans will know exactly what I'm about to do.

Summon a Crossroads Demon !!!!

END of Chapter 5

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Chapter 6: New Companion

The night is silent as the wind gently rustles the leaves of the nearby trees. I stand at the center of a deserted crossroads, alone. The atmosphere is heavy, almost too perfect for what I'm about to do. In the world of Supernatural, clichés hold real power. And here, at this precise spot, I'm about to summon a crossroads demon.

I kneel down, focused, pulling out the necessary elements for the ritual. Every move is precise, calculated. I carefully draw the demon trap symbol on the ground, ensuring that every line, every curve, is perfect. A mistake would be unacceptable. Sure, with my new abilities, I'm not really afraid of a simple crossroads demon... unless it's Crowley.

Once the symbol is complete, I stand and scan the area. The silence is thick, and under the pale glow of the moon, every shadow seems more menacing. My gun is ready, loaded with specially designed bullets to immobilize a demon if things go south. I tap the grip at my waist, an almost instinctive gesture to reassure myself.

"No way this is going south..." I murmur to myself.

I crouch again, this time to bury a small metal box at the center of the crossroads. Inside is a hastily taken photo of me, something Bobby had snapped for my fake papers, along with the rest of the items required for the ritual. Once the box is buried, I step back outside the demon trap, waiting for what's to come.

A few seconds pass, and then the atmosphere shifts. The air grows heavy, and the pungent smell of sulfur fills my nose. A female figure slowly emerges from the darkness, her form materializing as if by magic. Her smile is as sharp as a knife, and her eyes gleam with dangerous mischief.

"Well, what do we have here?" she says in a honeyed voice, gliding gracefully toward me. "Another human seeking wealth, lust... or perhaps power?"

She moves closer to me, her steps slow, hypnotic, as if trying to entrance me with her mere presence. But suddenly, she slams hard into the invisible barrier of the demon trap I had drawn.

— Bam.

She staggers, caught off guard, and her eyes widen in surprise.

"What the—?!" she hisses, her expression shifting from seductive to annoyed in an instant. Then, realizing what's happened, she narrows her eyes in anger. "Ah... a damn hunter." She spits the words, her tone turning venomous. "And here I thought I was dealing with another desperate idiot, like usual."

She takes a step back, eyeing the trap around her warily, her charming smile replaced with a scowl of frustration.

Seeing the trap work, I smirk in satisfaction. Without wasting any time, I activate my power on the demon to see what abilities I might download. Meanwhile, she grows more furious, pounding on the invisible barrier that imprisons her, trying to distract me with insults and provocations.

"Let me out of here, you bastard! You have no idea who you're dealing with!"

I ignore her for now, focused on what I can extract from her abilities. My gaze is locked on her as the interface of my power unfolds in my mind, displaying information about her skills.

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Status: Name: Azura

Species: Crossroads Demon (Red-Eyed Demon)

Age: 159 years

Full Demon Memory (200 MB)

Abilities:

Teleportation

Level: Master | Rarity: Rare (1 GB)

Info: Allows teleportation anywhere on Earth.

Flight in Smoke Form

Level: Expert | Rarity: Rare (2 GB)

Info: Enables the host to leave their body in the form of smoke. Caution, the body will be defenseless.

Demonic Possession

Level: Expert | Rarity: Very Rare (1.8 GB)

Info: Allows the host to possess the body of any being with weak or normal willpower. Caution, some individuals with strong willpower may resist. The stronger your will, the more powerful the individuals you can possess. Usable only in smoke form and with the skill "Flight in Smoke Form."

Telekinesis

Level: Expert | Rarity: Rare (1.5 GB)

Info: Allows moving objects or people up to a weight limit of 95 kg.

Demonic Pact

Level: Master | Rarity: Very Rare (1.2 GB)

Info: You can form pacts with individuals in exchange for their souls.

Supernatural Perception

Level: Master | Rarity: Rare (500 MB)

Info: Demons have senses far superior to humans and, as the damned, they can see Hellhounds.

Hellhound Summoning

Level: Master | Rarity: Very Rare

Info: Allows the summoning of terrifying Hellhounds, invisible to ordinary humans, that track marked souls or carry out the will of the demon.

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I completely ignored the demon, who continued to rage inside her invisible cage, and began downloading the abilities two at a time, methodically. Meanwhile, I leaned against my car, arms crossed, eyes locked on the demon who, after a few minutes, finally calmed down, realizing I was deliberately ignoring her.

A bit later...

Ding! — Supernatural Perception downloaded

Ding! — Demonic Pact downloaded

The downloads were finally complete. I straightened up and slowly approached the demon, who glared at me with burning hatred. Her tense body shook with anger.

"And you, filthy demon…" I began in a low, icy voice.

The demon abruptly cut me off:

"So, you finally decide to speak, hunter?" she spat with arrogance.

I narrowed my eyes, unimpressed.

"Shut up… and go back to Hell."

Without wasting another second, I started the exorcism in a firm voice:

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potentas…"

The demon, realizing things were taking an unexpected turn, tried to protest:

"Wait! Didn't you want something? Why did you—Ahhhh!!!"

I continued, undeterred, my voice echoing in the night:

"Omnis incursio infernalis adversii, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica…"

The demon screamed in pain, her body contorting under the force of the exorcism.

"No… no!!!"

I quickened the pace, relentless:

"Ergo draco maledicte Ecclesiam tuam secure tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos!"

The demon let out a final, terrifying scream as black smoke erupted from her host's mouth, swirling violently in the air before vanishing with a shrill cry. The host's body fell heavily to the ground, lifeless but finally freed from possession.

I let out a small sigh of relief. "Go back to Hell…" I murmured, more to myself than to the demon.

I can now teleport anywhere I want on Earth. The feeling is exhilarating, like the world is just a snap of my fingers away. But that's not all. I also feel something new, as if my very soul has grown more powerful.

My telekinesis, too, has taken a huge leap, now allowing me to lift about 95 kg with just a flick of my hand.

However, the ability that catches my attention the most is the one related to Hellhounds. Crossroads demons can summon these infernal creatures to track humans with whom they've made pacts. According to the information I've gathered, most Crossroads demons have a personal Hellhound. They feed them fragments of souls in exchange for loyalty.

Of course, they can summon other Hellhounds, but it's risky. These beasts aren't always loyal and can even turn on their masters, sometimes killing them.

The idea of having a companion for the adventure ahead crosses my mind. Why not, after all?

Remembering the rituals to summon and bond with a Hellhound, I teleport to several different places to gather the necessary ingredients. Once I have everything, I return to my car with a burger in one hand and a pizza under my arm.

"Well, what? Teleporting makes you hungry."

One of the perks of my new abilities is that they burn through calories and stamina. I can eat whatever I want without worrying about gaining weight—a dream come true for someone like me, who used to gain weight at the slightest temptation.

Speaking of transformation, my body has changed a lot. It has adapted to my new abilities. I've grown about 30 centimeters, now standing nearly two meters tall. The fat I once carried has completely vanished. My body fat percentage must be around 5%, which is ridiculously low. Even bodybuilders struggle to hit 7% with strict diets.

My eyes, once brown, now have a golden glow. Most of the impurities in my skin are gone, and honestly, if someone looked at me now, they'd have a hard time believing I'm only 19. Oh, and I won't go into details, but let's just say my "man package" has also benefited from this transformation. Let's just say… abnormally enhanced.

Anyway, while savoring my pizza, I begin preparing the ritual to summon my Hellhound. I drop a match into the ritual bowl. A flame ignites, and within seconds, I hear a small whimper.

From behind my car, a tiny puppy timidly steps forward, skin and bones, with a lost look in its eyes. A Hellhound… but in miniature.

"Did I mess up the recipe or something?" I thought as I approached it.

I reached out my hand. It growled slightly, as if scared, but then, sensing my presence, it calmed down. I started petting it, and it licked my fingers, still greasy from the pizza.

"You're not very scary for a Hellhound… but we'll get along just fine."

[Picture]

I teleported away, leaving the poor puppy alone for a moment, then reappeared with some fresh meat. You might be wondering where I got all that? The answer is simple: I stole it. Hellhounds have a very interesting ability. Only supernatural beings and their victims can see them. By downloading this ability, I've become invisible to most humans.

The puppy, starving, pounced on the meat. Although it wasn't a soul, it seemed to give it some energy. Meanwhile, I quietly enjoyed some donuts while packing up my gear, getting ready to head out again.

After eating, exhausted from the day's events, I fell asleep in the backseat of my car. The puppy, after finishing its meal, climbed onto me and curled up to sleep as well. I felt a bond form between us the moment I fed it. That must have been the finalization of the contract.

We're ready for what lies ahead, the puppy and I.

The next morning, I woke up with an unpleasant feeling of cold and drool on my t-shirt. I glanced down at Oslo, the Hellhound puppy, still asleep on me. "What a charming wake-up," I thought as I quickly wiped my shirt. I got back on the road with Oslo, whom I named after his skeletal appearance, "skin and bones."

While driving, a thought crossed my mind: I really need some sort of storage dimension. It's a shame the system I received doesn't come with a typical RPG inventory. With all the stuff I'm accumulating, it'd be really useful.

A few hours later, we finally arrived at Stanford. After driving through much of the city, I parked near the university. I decided to leave Oslo in the car. He was still too weak to follow me, and being invisible to humans, no one should notice him.

I stepped out of the car, taking a deep breath to focus. Once on campus, I spotted a student who seemed to have a few minutes to spare. I approached him and said:

"Hey man, I'm looking for a friend named Sam Winchester. Do you know where I can find him? He doesn't know I'm coming, it's been a while since we last saw each other, and I don't have his address."

The student stared at me for a moment, visibly intimidated by my imposing build and overall appearance. He seemed to hesitate, glancing around as if looking for an escape.

"Uh… Sam Winchester, you said?" He frowned slightly. "Sorry, man, that name doesn't ring a bell. I don't know any Sam Winchester."

He took a step back, clearly wanting to cut the conversation short. He nervously ran a hand through his hair and added:

"It's a big campus, you know, tons of people. Maybe try the admin office or ask someone else… but yeah, sorry, I can't help."

He gave me an awkward little wave before quickly walking away, clearly relieved to escape the conversation.

Do I really look that scary now...

I found myself bursting into laughter, seeing the guy's face crumble in front of my build. The situation amused me so much I couldn't help but laugh loudly, attracting curious and awkward glances from people around me. That's when I realized I no longer went unnoticed with my new appearance. "Well… I'll have to get used to this," I thought as I continued toward the admin office, still amused by the student's reaction.

Upon reaching the reception, a beautiful young woman greeted me with a professional smile. I quickly noticed her gaze lingered on me a bit longer than it should have. She discreetly eyed me, clearly not indifferent to my physique. "Damn, that's a change from before," I thought to myself, amused by this newfound attention.

I approached the counter with a friendly demeanor, intentionally softening my voice:

"Hi! I'm looking for information about a friend, Sam Winchester. I'm planning a little surprise for him. It's been years since we last saw each other, and since I travel a lot now, I thought it'd be nice to drop by. Unfortunately, I don't know his address. Could you help me find him?"

She smiled at me, slightly hesitant, before typing a few things into her computer, discreetly glancing at me every now and then. Clearly, my request was putting her in a delicate position.

"Oh, that's really sweet of you," she said with a wider smile. "But… I'm sorry, I can't give you his personal address directly, confidentiality and all."

Her tone was warm, but she genuinely seemed apologetic. A moment of silence passed before she added, with a sly smile:

"However…" she said in a softer voice, "if you gave me your number, just for security purposes, I think we could… work something out."

I held back a smile. Wow, are women always this forward here? Even though I was flattered, I had more important things on my mind. But why not enjoy the situation a little?

"With pleasure, *** *** ***," I said, giving her my number.

She quickly jotted it down, smiling, before discreetly handing me a slip of paper with Sam Winchester's address.

"Thanks a lot," I replied with a wink. She watched me leave, still smiling.

Well, I've got the address…

End of Chapter 6