Humans were such versatile creatures.

They were a resilient bunch. Despite their relatively limited capabilities and smaller lifespans, they were always well-versed in the art of innovation. In the many worlds he'd seen, Luizitine had encountered grand sights from homes that moved to dinosaurs who could speak in multiple tongues. And yet each world tended to harbor new oddities to discover. His most current was no different.

"Apps?" he repeated, his fingers running over the clear screen. The icons moved in response. "Fascinating. How do we harness their magic?"

"Not really what they're for," Karla explained. "We mostly just use 'em for stupid junk. Killing time. Games. Cringey videos. That sorta thing."

"But Dude could use his for navigation. How do we harness that?"

"Hmm? Oh you mean, GPS? Just touch that app right there. And...viola."

Luiz marveled as a map appeared across his phone. There was even a locator showcasing what he assumed was his placement.

Such an amazing invention. The power of location at the touch of his fingertips. He didn't know what the so-called cringey videos entailed, but he made a note to investigate the matter later, his attention shifting as he sensed the arrival of a new target. The sun was high in the sky, the junkyard offering very little cover for the soon-to-be fresh kill. They'd make for the perfect test dummy to get his minions battle-ready.

"Minion Gingee."

A large black head poked out of a hole in the ground, shaking off the dirt.

"We have a guest," Luizitine said, covering his face. "Eliminate him and try not to make too much noise."

The demonling's droopy ears rose.

"Bark. Yes, master!"

They burst out of the hole, more dirt getting flung in multiple directions, which Luizitine again had to cover himself to avoid. Such a powerful minion, but one with very little self-control. Gingee lacked the discipline of a true demonling. But that was why he'd brought them to the junkyard. It would be both a place to hunt prey and to turn his budding army into a force to be reckoned with. With the right resources and training, in time they'd even rival the likes of-

"WHAT THE- aghh!"

The hellspawn frowned.

Only seconds after he'd sent Gingee out, there was a scream that echoed across the entirety of the junkyard. That scream was short, but it had been loud enough to send multiple birds fleeing for safety. A familiar voice came not long after.

"Bark! Guest eliminated! Bark!"

Luizitine pinched his forehead. Dammit, Gingee. Karla was snickering, the ghost flying over to inspect the damage.

Both she and his loyal steed returned with a half-eaten corpse, only the legs having remained intact. Gingee spat the dead human at his feet, their tail beating against the ground for praise. Karla didn't help matters in the slightest, gleefully cheering on the demonling as if it had secured them the royal palace. Neither seemed to notice the hellspawn's budding annoyance.

This is what I have? This is the army I'm left to work with? Perhaps a restart wouldn't have been so bad. He could start fresh somewhere else. Surely another roll of the universal dice couldn't hurt.

No. I've trained kyubis to whistle. I can turn these fools into proper demonlings, yet.

He nodded to himself, rising from his makeshift throne of torn-up vehicles. Reconstruction efforts could wait.

"Minion Gingee! Minion Karla!"

They both straightened up, the cheering ending right away. A good sign. Luizitine marched towards them, his chest puffed out as he let the authority in his voice settle in the air.

"Mark this day, my minions," he said. "For today is the day we begin your transformation into true demonlings."

He stopped in front of Gingee, their eyes staring straight ahead as their tail continued creating dents in the ground.

"Minion Gingee, I will train you to utilize that power of yours."

"Bark. Master?"

"Do not be wary, my minion. Within you, I sense the seeds of greatness. You are a noble steed with good instincts. I will train you to harness those instincts. To utilize the power buried within."

He turned to Karla, who flinched. Compared to her fellow minion, the ghost was far weaker. In fact, Luiztine doubted she could truly hurt anyone with a physical body. Spirits operated on the astral plane, a place near but impossible for those on the outside to access. Her ability to affect the mortal plane would be fairly limited, especially considering her human origin.

But that didn't mean spirits were incapable. While directly harming a physical being would be a stretch, there were other ways to incapacitate prey. Auditory overload, curses, illusions. Spirits were experts of the psychological. Nothing short of holy magic would be rid of them. In that way, they were immortal. Not quite invincible, but useful to have in the field of battle. And given Karla's already potent illusionary abilities, Luizitine had high hopes for her growth.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Minion Karla," he said. "In time, I will turn you into the fiercest phantom on this planet. Not even the wizard himself will be able to touch you."

"Heh heh. Sure you looking at the right ghost, Lui?"

"I am. Don't underestimate yourself, Karla. A spirit's power is tied to their being. Just as I cannot perform dark magic without sufficient will, so too will you never perform a true curse until you become the master of your own mind. It may take time, but Gingee and I will support you."

Karla's smile grew, the ghost fidgeting in place at the praise. Between her and Gingee, Luizitine had little doubt they'd put the junkyard through its passes. And there was no better time to start than the present.

His hand rose, tan fingers turning red as his nails sharpened into daggers. Out of his skull popped his demonic horns, both curling as he completed the partial transformation. Given their inexperience, he knew he'd have to take things one step at a time. They'd start with the partial and make their way up to a full demonic mask as their skills improved. Only when they could best him at full power would they be truly worthy as his minions.

But for the time being, he was fine if they could faze him at all.

"We'll start with the basics," Luizitine said. "I want both of you to try to attack me. Karla, your goal is to support Gingee. Use whatever transformations you believe will aid you in this endeavor."

Gingee's whined, though a wild look immediately came to Karla's eyes.

"Any?" she asked.

"Any you are capable of, yes."

Her smile spread wider. Luizitine waved to his loyal steed.

"Shall we, Gingee?" he asked. "You wished to play, did you not?"

That got the demonling's attention, tongue dropping out as Gingee jumped to their feet. They needed no further encouragement to come charging.

A mound of fur and paws came leaping his way, Gingee smashing into the ground several feet behind the hellspawn. Ducking had been a non-issue, though it took his minion longer than he liked to notice they'd missed. He looked up to see Karla roaring in his face, her body having transformed into a monstrosity of fangs and tentacles.

Luizitine walked right through it.

"Poor choice, Minion Karla. I'm a hellspawn, remember."

She popped back into her human form, the ghost slumping in disappointment.

***

As expected, the two minions made for a poor combination.

Luizitine bounced off Gingee's back, his minion flying onward while he looked up to see a tangle of smokey limbs ensure his body. They snaked around him in midair, a giant eye appearing within the darkness. The illusion broke when they hit the ground, Luizitine stepping backward.

"Not good enough, Karla," he said. His senses came in warning, the hellspawn ducking as Gingee came crashing past and going through the ghost's new form. "And Gingee, you must learn to do more than pounce. Use your head."

Karla poked her head out of the Gingee's back.

"How am I supposed to scare you if you keep moving, jackass?" she shouted.

"Bark. This isn't fun, Master."

"Bare with it, Gingee." Luizitine checked his phone. There was still plenty of time left in the day. According to Karla, the world operated on a 24-hour time period. It was 3pm. "We shall keep going until sunset. Now that I've had a chance to assess, I think I see the true issue. Minion Gingee, stand."

The demonling whimpered but rose up once more. Luizitine raised his hands motioning for Gingee to do the same. He gave the air a few swipes before finally showcasing the damage by cleaving a vehicle in two. Gingee marveled at him, looking at their paws a moment before slamming it into a nearby beast.

It dented into a flat rectangle.

"Bark! Master, I'm strong!"

"Yes, you are, Minion Gingee. Your entire body is now a weapon. With every step, you could level a building. Now come."

"Bark. Yes, Master."

The demonling raced towards him, this time rising up to try to smash him with their paws. A better attempt, but not one difficult to dodge. He looked to Karla, still sulking in the air.

"You've already begun to expand your creativity," he said, ducking a swipe. "Don't let your mind hinder you, Karla."

She folded her arms. "All these changes are a pain, y'know. Nothing I do can even touch you."

"Which is why you're duty is support." He ducked under Gingee, sliding between their legs to address the ghost directly. "Until you can perform a curse, you will have to rely on Gingee's assistance."

A tail came beating the ground like a hammer, Luizitine dodging the blows as he spoke to his distressed minion.

"Karla, your strength is visual. Focus less on scaring me and more on helping Gingee. Let them be your fist."

"And I'm supposed to do that how, exactly?"

"That is for you to learn, I'm afraid. Your strength is adaptability, after all."

"How am I supposed to adapt to a friggin' dem-"

She stopped herself. As did he, the hellspawn's senses activating as he put a hand to catch Gingee's tail.

The demonling was panting heavily, finally dropping the ground as Luizitine let go. Both he and Karla were too focused on the sudden new presence in the junkyard. And the distant rumble of a vehicle.

Karla instantly hid herself, turning so translucent that only humans with magic would be able to perceive her. Gingee didn't have such a luxury, both due to their size and how exhausted they'd become. Whatever prey had wandered into their hunting grounds would need to be dealt with by hand.

At least that's what the hellspawn thought until he saw the other vehicles. None of which he recognized from the television or on the road.

The beasts all sported golden frames, one wielding a long tail with a hooked tip, another carrying a claw shaped like a shovel. But they were all surrounded by humans. Several humans. All of which had dawned coats and hats of bright yellow. Luizitine froze, his partial transformation fading as he looked upon the army that had assembled before him.

So soon? Did they find us already?

He'd been careful enough on the trip to the junkyard. And killing one human shouldn't have alerted so many. Not unless...

Curses. Was that human royalty?

As the thought overwhelmed him, Karla landed beside him, the ghost immediately frowning at the army of men.

"Crap. It's a construction crew."