Ian Gray roared. Immediately, the surrounding Gillian retreated far enough to leave enough space for him and Ren.
"Call out!" A sound of breaking through the air rang out as Ian Gray made the first move, charging directly at Ren. Two scorpion clamps lunged toward Ren like sharp scissors.
At the same time, Ren swiftly pulled back and blocked with a knife in his right hand!
"Clang!" As the double pliers clashed against the blade, sparks flew everywhere.
Ren waved his left hand downward, and a ten-meter-long thunder whip was immediately thrown out. Seeing this, Ian Gray stepped on the void, spiritual energy exploding under his feet as he swiftly retreated ten meters away.
"Bang!" The thunder whip shattered several giant trees with unparalleled power. Just as Ian Gray thought he had escaped its range, the whip abruptly stretched, twisting in midair like a flexible Razer striking toward his back.
Just as Razer was about to pierce Ian Gray, the scorpion tail behind him lashed out, its sharp tail needle imbued with pitch-black spiritual pressure, colliding with Razer.
"Bang!" The powerful spiritual pressures collided with a deafening noise, sending violent winds howling through the area, causing the surrounding giant trees to sway.
While Ian Gray struggled against the thunder whip's relentless assault, Ren appeared directly above him, raising the long sword in his hand. A crackling thunder arc encased the blade before it came slashing down, unleashing a massive, dark golden sword light infused with lightning's fury.
Ian Gray, still reeling from the previous assault, barely had time to react. Faced with the overwhelming sword light, he frantically attempted to dodge, but he was too slow—his right arm was severed instantly.
Blood gushed from the wound as Ian Gray clutched his severed arm, his face pale with pain and shock.
But it wasn't over. Ren's thunderous sword light continued its destructive path, slicing everything cleanly in two.
"So strong! If I wasn't injured..."
Though Ian Gray had been enslaved by Hubert Allen and had degenerated into a Gillian, he always considered himself an Adjuchas, refusing to accept his lower status.
Thus, upon sensing the immense pressure radiating from Ren, he mistook him for an Adjuchas as well and eagerly engaged in battle, hoping to prove he was still the proud warrior he once was.
Ren looked at the half-human scorpion before him, and for once, he did not immediately press his advantage. Instead, he stopped and gazed at his opponent with complicated emotions.
Through their battle, he had come to realize that his opponent did not fight with sheer aggression, but rather with a deep, lingering desire for death.
"I don't need my opponent's mercy!"
Ian Gray glared at Ren, his dark spiritual pressure surging outward. Countless sharp needles, shimmering with black-purple light, erupted from the tail of his scorpion form, streaking through the air toward Ren.
Seeing the deadly barrage coming his way, Ren shook his head. He had hoped for a fair, exhilarating battle, but it had still turned into a one-sided slaughter.
Yet, despite knowing he was doomed, the half-man, half-scorpion in front of him still bared his fangs at Ren. That was worthy of respect.
And so, Ren decided to honor his opponent in the only way he could.
Gripping his sword with both hands, he let arcs of electricity dance across the blade before swinging it with all his might.
The dark golden sword light reappeared, illuminating the sky in a brilliant, almost divine glow.
"So strong... Even if I were at my peak, I wouldn't stand a chance. He can definitely defeat Hubert Allen!"
This was Ian Gray's final thought.
The sword light dissipated, leaving behind a giant crack more than ten meters long in the ground, along with the remnants of the half-human scorpion.
Ren stepped forward, activating his soul absorption ability, consuming every trace of the corpses littering the battlefield.
As the last severed arm was drawn into the dark golden vortex behind him, Ren felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
A Gillian who had fallen from Adjuchas level possessed spiritual pressure equivalent to a hundred ordinary Gillians.
Then how much more delicious would a true Adjuchas be?
When killing this half-human scorpion, Ren discovered another lingering spiritual pressure , Adjuchas lurking behind the scenes!
"Don't worry, I'll come for you soon!"
At the same time, Hubert Allen, feasting within his nest, suddenly shivered, sensing an ominous presence.
Ren, having just absorbed the half-human scorpion, glanced around. The Gillians were in complete chaos, their leader now dead. He licked his lips, eager to continue his hunt.
"That half-man scorpion was truly generous. Not only did he offer himself to me, but he also delivered over a hundred ordinary Gillians as a gift!"
While Ren mercilessly slaughtered the fleeing Gillian horde, he recalled the half-human scorpion he had just devoured. It had been a satisfying meal, and soon, more than a hundred Gillians followed suit, swallowed and digested by Ren's ever-growing hunger.
At this moment, Ren could feel his spiritual pressure surge—an increase of nearly 50% compared to before the battle.
"Thank you for your sacrifice, half-man scorpion!"
More importantly, for the first time in a long while, Ren felt somewhat satiated. He had a strong premonition that if he consumed another one or two hundred Gillians, or perhaps a single Adjuchas, he would achieve a long-awaited evolution.
"I have not yet ascended to Gillian, yet my power already rivals that of an Adjuchas. If I were to fully evolve, would I immediately compare to a Vasto lorde?"
Ren pondered this tantalizing possibility.
Determined, he pushed his spiritual pressure to its peak, honing in on the faint trace of Adjuchas energy left behind by the half-human scorpion. He intended to strike while the iron was hot—he would track down this Adjuchas and consume its flesh and blood to propel himself to the next stage of evolution.
Focusing intently on the distant spiritual pressure, Ren set off toward the south. He traveled for hours, weaving through the barren landscape, each step bringing him closer to his next prey.
Eventually, he felt the Adjuchas presence growing stronger. But alongside it, he also detected hundreds of Gillian spiritual pressures surrounding the area.
"A fully intact Adjuchas, backed by hundreds of Gillians... This could be tricky, but not impossible."
Ren gazed at the massive nests perched upon four towering trees in the distance. Taking a deep breath, he steadied his mind.
First, he would eliminate the Gillians stationed at the periphery. Only then would he advance into the heart of the nest to confront the Adjuchas.
Without hesitation, he concealed his presence and began his silent hunt, picking off his prey from the outermost edges.
"Call out!"
With a swift motion, a dazzling sword light streaked through the darkness, instantly killing a lone Gillian standing guard. Ren wasted no time, immediately absorbing its soul with his ghoul ability.
As he prepared to dispatch the next target, a sudden shift occurred.
Deep within the nest, Hubert Allen's eyes snapped open.
"An enemy attack!"
"Roar!"
Hubert Allen's deafening howl sent the entire Gillian horde into a frenzy. The once-dormant creatures erupted into chaotic movement, all eyes now locked onto Ren, their would-be predator.
"Of course... I can't rely on the same tactics I used against those mindless Gillians when dealing with an Adjuchas!"