I CHOSE to be a VILLAIN, not a THIRD-RATE EXTRA!!

[I hope all your questions and inquiries are answered, Host. So, why don't you initiate the memory assimilation? Without complying with the First Quest, you will be unable to know the remaining traits]

Ashok gave a sly smirk but didn't respond to the System's command. Without a word, he began unbuttoning his shirt.

[You do not need to remove your clothes for memory assimilation, Host.]

"I know," Ashok replied, holding the edge of his shirt with his left hand.

[Host, then stop wasting time and begin the memory assimilation.]

'This System can exert physical pressure upon me, but it can't force this memory assimilation into me. Good'

"I won't begin the process of memory assimilation just yet. What I'm about to do now is something else entirely—it's a Ritual," said Ashok, his voice steady as he began wrapping the worn shirt around his closed left fist. With his right hand, he moved deliberately, winding the fabric around his hand like a bandage, the old cloth rustling softly with each turn.

[What Ritual?]

'A ritual that will restore my freedom, and lead me to my love'.

"A Demon Summoning Ritual." The words left his lips without hesitation, though they weren't entirely accurate. He adjusted the fabric once more, pulling the cloth tighter around his fist, ensuring the makeshift bandage was secure. After a final check, he muttered under his breath "This will do." 

[WHY WOULD A SERVANT OF A GOD SUMMON A DEMON?] The System roared, its voice vibrating with intensity, almost unleashing a wave of pressure upon Ashok.

Ashok slightly struggled against the pressure; he could feel that the System was purposefully restraining itself, holding back just enough to give him room to respond.

'It was apologizing a moment ago for its previous demeanor, yet here it is again, its pressure barely contained'. The inconsistency of the System's demeanor was almost comical, but he knew better than to mock it now.

"Everything is to follow the will of THE GREAT GOD," Ashok answered, his voice unwavering as he invoked the name of the God with the same reverence and authority the System had shown until now.

The pressure on him went away as soon as the Great God was mentioned. 

[How is summoning the Demon the will of the GOD?] 

"I am going to trick a demon into giving me a free wish," said Ashok. as he raised his cloth-covered fist, now resembling a makeshift punching glove, and swung it at the mirror in front of him. The force of his punch reverberated through his arm, but the impact was underwhelming. His fist bounced back slightly, the surface of the mirror remaining unchanged, its reflective surface mocking him with its stillness.

'What a shitty body? Even my previous body was better than this one.' 

[How are you going to trick the demon?] The System's voice crackled with both curiosity and skepticism, its presence still looming over him, pushing for an explanation. After all, even the System knew the power that lay in a demon's wish—a wish granted by demons, which are said to be just a level below a God's blessings. The allure of such a gift was undeniable, and the System was no exception to that rule.

Ashok gritted his teeth and, without answering, threw another punch with all the strength his body could summon. This time, when his cloth-wrapped fist collided with the mirror, a sharp crack echoed through the room. Small fractures spidered out from the point of impact, spreading rapidly across the glass, splintering it into a web of tiny cracks. 

"Once more, and that will be enough," Ashok muttered under his breath, staring intently at the cracked surface of the mirror. His voice was steady, but there was a sharp edge of determination in it. He paused for a moment, his reflection warping in the fractured glass, then added, almost as an afterthought, "And as for the answer to your question... I'm going to trick it using this memory assimilation."

'As if I would ever allow myself to become one with someone else's memories.' he thought bitterly, disgust welling up inside him like poison and so, he punched again, putting all his anger into the attack.

With the third punch, the mirror finally gave way. There was a sharp, almost satisfying crack as the glass splintered, and the fractured pieces tumbled away from the frame. Shards of the broken mirror cascaded down, scattering across the floor in a chaotic shower of glass. Each piece hit the ground with a sharp, crackling sound. 

Some of the shards came too close for comfort, a few even grazing the back of his hand as they fell. But Ashok was spared any injury. The cloth wrapped tightly around his fist absorbed the force of the sharp edges. 

[How are you going to trick it with memory assimilation?]

"A demon summoning ritual summons a demon from Hell. Summoning generally requires a medium—a conduit through which the ritual can be completed. Since I don't have a physical medium at my disposal, I'll use a sacrifice." as he spoke, Ashok slowly unwrapped the shirt from around his left hand. 

[Care to explain what will be the sacrifice?]

Ashok's eyes flickered with a cold intensity as he bent down, his gaze scanning the scattered shards of glass that littered the floor. His fingers brushed over the jagged edges of the pieces, careful not to touch them directly. After a few seconds of searching, his eyes locked on a larger shard, one that caught the dim light and shimmered with a dangerous gleam. Without hesitation, he carefully slid his left hand, still wrapped in the shirt, over the shard, lifting it gently. 

"My memory," Ashok muttered, he turned on his heel and walked out of the washroom, the shard glowing faintly in the dim light.

As he shut the washroom door behind him, the familiar voice of the System echoed in his mind, cold and analytical.

[If I am not wrong, summoning is the act of connecting two planes to call a mid or high-ranking demon, as they are the only ones capable of granting a wish. Once a demon is summoned, it will first claim the sacrifice, and then, depending on the quality of that sacrifice, it will grant a wish.

Will you not lose your entire memory the moment the demon claims the sacrifice? Because there is no such thing as a partial sacrifice.]