Zar barely spent any Lifespan over the last half a year, so it had naturally built up to a point that exceeded anything he had saved up before. Of course, he had the very tempting urge to just blow it all on multiple occasions, but with his indomitable will, he resisted temptations.
His goal was to keep gathering enough Lifespan to surpass the 1,000-year mark. Then and only then would he go on a purchasing spree, upgrading everything he could.
On a side note, there was something he had been meaning to try with the Shadow Beasts: he wanted to forcefully evolve them.
You see, his Shadow Beasts were unable to naturally become stronger. This meant that they stayed just the way they were from the very moment they were converted into Shadow Beasts.
'However, as much as I'd like to evolve them in whatever ways I can, I just don't see any benefits in doing so right now,' Zar thought. 'I replace them quite often, what with all these secret Demon Beast hideouts I'm now discovering. Thus, wasting Lifespan on upgrading them would turn out to be just that—a waste.'
"Well, whatever," he shrugged. "I suppose I'll just save it for another time. Perhaps when I finally escape this damned place—"
BOOOOM!!
Snapping Zar out of his stupor was a thundering explosion so loud and damaging that it caused stalactites to loosen and fall from the moist stone ceiling. A powerful attack had clearly just gone off near him, and it seemed to have come from…
"Where I sent my Shadow Beasts." Zar's blue eyes grew colder, realizing that a small chunk of his Innate Energy had been drained, a clear indicator of a Shadow Beast restoring itself after death. "Those Hunter Therians actually dare to slay my non-hostile Shadow Beasts? Is it a death wish they have…?"
FWIP!
Blurring from his spot, Zar reappeared a few dozen meters above where his Bear Shadow Beast restored itself. From there, he could see the scene below unfold.
"That shadowy beast actually completely restored itself!?" The Leopard Therian's danger indicators rang like crazy, his pupils dilating in mild fear. "W-What even are these things…!?"
The moment they showed murderous intent and struck out, the two Shadow Beasts attacked as well. And in that swift exchange, the Shadow Bear lost its life.
Yet it wasn't the only one to die, for the life was snuffed out of one of the weaker members of the Bravers Hunter Party. At first, the loss was shocking, but it was not to the point of being demoralizing; they just had to kill the second unknown Shadow creature as well.
Then they'd come out as the ultimate victors!
Or so they originally believed…
Garrick's savage eyes darted about, attempting to locate the summoner. Even after scanning the entire area several times, he didn't stop.
There had to be a Summoner!
There just had to be one!
"Where…" Garrick deliriously mumbled, his mane-like hair looking crazier. "Where is the fucking Summoner!?"
"Ahhh—!!"
In his daze, another member of his Party lost their life!
"Dammit, stab the big snake in its gut!! I'll fend off the bear!!"
"I'm working on it!"
"HSssSsSsss…."
The Apex Viper Snake Shadow Beast was dealt a lethal blow. And though the Braver Hunters were given a bit of respite, in the very next second, all color drained from their faces as they watched in sheer horror as the giant shadowy snake fully regenerated.
It then focused its piercing sinuous glare on the remaining four Hunter Therians, hissing like their worst nightmare.
'This… This can't be happening…!'
Garrick's thoughts began to spiral out of control, with large droplets of sweat trickling down his square face. With trembling hands, he raised his greatsword, yet seemed to be internally conflicted about whether he was really willing to risk his life here.
"What should we do, Party Leader!?"
The panicked shout of one of his teammates cur through the tense air. However, Garrick was far too lost in his own distress to even realize someone had been talking to him.
By the time he eventually snapped out of it, the turning of his head came to a slow crawl as he saw the face of the devil consume his vision.
"M-Monster!" Garrick cried out, startling his teammates into looking his way.
"Being called a monster is not something new for me," said Zar in a chilling voice, a shadowy energy seeping out and spreading across the damp floor. From the blanket of shadowy energy, dozens of powerful figures emerged, each one vastly different from the others. "But if I'm truly as much of a monster as everyone tells me I am, shouldn't I act more like one?"
"!!!" "!!!" "!!!"
Garrick—who was lying in a puddle of his own piss—and his three teammates felt a sense of terror that made their teeth involuntarily chatter. They looked the devil in the eye, a couple even holding up their weapons with shaky hands.
"F-Firebal—"
The mage-type, bird-like Therian girl of the Bravers Party's chant remained unfinished. Her now decapitated head made sure of it.
"Don't try to interrupt me," Zar said coldly, his hands dripping fresh blood. "That's what a monster would say after doing something like that, no? Or am I not the kind of monster you think I am?"
After the dire reality of their situation fully settled in, the Hunters clung to the straw presented to them. Through tears and snot, they falsely flattered the terrifying being before them, his presence growing more and more monstrous in their eyes.
However…
"That's nice," said Zar, black lines streaking under his eyes. "But I don't agree—"
SPURT! SPURT! SPURT!
Four fountains of blood erupted behind his turned figure.
"I really am just a monster," he finished.
"Collect their Sky Cores and then continue doing as I originally instructed," Zar ordered a couple of Shadow Beasts as he left the scene, his pace slow yet daunting. "Killing these Hunters will definitely bring me a lot of trouble, but leaving them alive after one of their own was killed would've only made my headache worse."
*Ding~!*
Giving him a little something to soothe his soul, the Infinite Beast Evolution System fired off some System Notifications: