Sensing that about a quarter of all the [Gift of Souls] had been used, and that most participants were also severely injured and covered in wounds, Olthagia thought to himself:
'It's about time...'
With a forceful push of his feet, he leaped onto the branch of a nearby tree and began running along the treetops.
Fortunately, the resilience of the [Demonized Plants] far exceeded that of ordinary plants, or else simply bearing Olthagia's weight would have been a major issue. Standing over two meters tall and weighing far more than ordinary creatures of his level, normal plants would have been unable to support him.
Thanks to his high-speed attributes and ample magical power, even in the dense and leafy treetops, Olthagia moved with ease, reaching speeds exceeding 360 kilometers per hour. He could easily outpace high-speed trains on Earth with just his legs, and he could go even faster if he were on the ground.
'Hmm?'
After running about halfway, Olthagia suddenly came to a halt.
He could clearly sense that one [Gift of Souls] had broken through the chaotic battlefield and was rapidly approaching his direction. Through his [Energy Vision], he observed that the one carrying the [Gift of Souls] was a demon whose strength should be that of a [Low-Rank Demon], and behind him were at least hundreds of demons in pursuit.
To fish in troubled waters among hundreds of demons, or to do so among millions—this was yet another choice laid before Olthagia.
While the former offered a higher chance of obtaining the [Gift of Souls], choosing the latter meant there was no real need to fight for it. He knew well what he truly relied on.
For other demons, the [Gift of Souls] might be the only shortcut, but he was different—he had the evolution system!
The millions of [Demonic Creatures] engaged in the chaotic battle were all targeting the [Gift of Souls], but he could shift his focus. As long as there were [Demonic Creatures] for him to kill, that was enough!
With the powerful demons preoccupied with fighting over the [Gift of Souls], he could safely take advantage of the chaos. While the [Demonic Creatures] that usually required him to search for one by one were now gathered together, he could slaughter the weaker ones en masse to accumulate [Evolution Points]. Whether or not he obtained the [Gift of Souls] was not particularly important. As long as he had enough [Evolution Points], advancing was no challenge for him.
However, letting the [Gift of Souls] that had come right to him slip away didn't align with his nature. It would make him feel like he was inexplicably losing out. After all, when something was right in front of him, how could he not try to take it? What kind of demon would he be then?
After some thought, Olthagia decided it would be better to first test the waters with this small group of [Demonic Creatures]. If he could easily seize the [Gift of Souls], he would take it. If there was no opportunity, he would head to the chaotic battlefield and pick off the weaker ones.
Having made up his mind, Olthagia quickly carved a large hole into the tree trunk with his hands and slipped inside, concealing himself as he waited to give the approaching demon a big surprise.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5...
Thanks to his [Energy Vision], Olthagia ignored the obstacles blocking him and silently counted down from within the tree trunk, estimating the distance.
'You bastards, you've wounded me so badly. Once I recover, I'll definitely kill you all...'
Feeling the pursuers closing in behind him, Gukelius, who had never been in such a sorry state since advancing to the rank of a Low-Rank Demon, was filled with resentment.
In a one-on-one fight, he could easily defeat any one of them, but they had given him no chance, attacking him together from the start and leaving him severely injured. If he hadn't run fast, he would have already lost his life.
The Gift of Souls was not only effective for Lesser Demons but also had a significant impact on Low-Rank Demons like him, especially since he was about to be expelled from the Wailing Forest. He had nearly reached the time limit for staying in the forest, and in a few days, he would be forced to leave. (Note: Creatures in the Wailing Forest whose strength exceeds that of a Low-Rank Demon or who have stayed too long are forcibly expelled.)
Surviving in the Bottomless Abyss outside with his current strength wouldn't be easy, so he had to seize every opportunity to enhance himself!
Unlike Lesser Demons, who were essentially beasts with little capacity for thought, Low-Rank Demons possessed enough intelligence to ponder many things, and it was inevitable that they would develop a fear of death.
The next moment, a strange force struck his soul, causing his head to go numb!
Although it didn't deal him significant damage, it made him stumble, and he lost his footing, tumbling to the ground and rolling twice.
His pursuers, seeing this, weren't entirely sure what had happened, but the fluctuations emanating from the Gift of Souls on his body were unmistakable. Without hesitation, they launched a barrage of attacks!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions erupted, blasting a crater into the ground.
When the smoke cleared, Gukelius, who had been alive and kicking moments ago, was already dead, his body reduced to half its original form.
The Gift of Souls was sent flying to a spot not far away.
All the beings present instantly and tacitly lunged toward it, none noticing that the number of pursuers had suddenly increased by one.
Nor did anyone notice that among the demons rushing toward the Gift of Souls, one deliberately stepped on Gukelius's body and stood there for a moment.
By the time he left, Gukelius's corpse had turned into a desiccated husk!
[+477 Evolution Points]
'What a pity. The body is incomplete, and the soul was shattered by the saturation attack,' Olthagia thought with slight dissatisfaction.
Moving at a slightly slower pace toward the Gift of Souls, he casually approached a Lesser Demon from behind, struck it with a Soul Strike to paralyze it, and then thrust his arm through its back into its chest, crushing its heart.
[+89 Evolution Points]
Although confident in his ability to take on any Low-Rank Demon in a one-on-one fight, Olthagia had no intention of stepping into the spotlight. After all, he was just an ordinary Lesser Demon, and there was no need to show off. For now, it was enough to spar with Demonic Creatures that matched his status.
The ground looked as if it had been bombed, pockmarked with craters everywhere.
Broken rocks, shattered tree debris, and splattered flesh and blood covered the grass.
"Hand it over! We'll let you leave!"
Temple frowned as he spoke in a low voice to the demon panting heavily before him.
At this moment, only three demons were still standing: Temple, Solo, and Grimpu.
Temple didn't want to push the other party too hard. He was already feeling exhausted, and if he were to be severely injured by a desperate attack now, he wasn't sure he could survive.
All three of them were Low-Rank Demons.
The first to be eliminated were all the Lesser Demons, who were directly slaughtered by the combined efforts of the Low-Rank Demons.
After the Low-Rank Demons turned on each other, only these three remained standing.
The four of them were the strongest and most cunning among all the demons. But wait, there were only three standing—where did the fourth one come from?
Of course, it was Olthagia, who had already found a spot to lie down before they joined forces to slaughter the Lesser Demons!
Over the past few days, he had specifically evolved an ability to control his aura, all for the sake of ambushing others.
"What the hell are you guys babbling about? Hurry up and fight! If one more of you dies, I'll get up and kill you all!!"
Lying in the pile of corpses, listening to the three Low-Rank Demons bickering, Olthagia couldn't help but feel irritated. He still wanted to go to the chaotic battlefield ahead and pick off some easy targets. He didn't have time to waste with them.
"10, 9, 8, 7..."
Feeling like he couldn't hold back any longer, Olthagia began counting down. If they hadn't started fighting by the time he reached zero, he would get up and kill them all, even if it meant taking some minor injuries.
These three half-dead weaklings didn't have the ability to kill him. The only reason he hadn't acted yet was to conserve his strength for the upcoming chaos.
Fortunately, he didn't have to count to zero. The three demons failed to reach an agreement and started fighting again!
This calmed Olthagia's restless heart, and he relaxed once more, lying back down.
But fate was not on his side. After exchanging a few more blows, the demon holding the Gift of Souls decided not to drag things out any longer. He threw a few poison orbs to force the other two demons back and then turned to flee!
He wanted to make a run for it!!
Olthagia couldn't tolerate this!!
Solo, sensing that the two behind him hadn't reacted yet, ran as fast as his four legs could carry him, as if he were on drugs. After taking two steps, he immediately tried to use the escape spell he had been hiding—Swift Form—to leave them far behind.
Thud!
A sharp pain and the sensation of being pierced came from his side. Before he could turn around to see who had ambushed him, a hand gripped his neck, and sharp claws dug deep into his skin.
Rip!
The sound of leather being torn.
Olthagia directly tore out his throat along with a large chunk of flesh, while his tail pierced Solo's heart, leaving him no room to struggle.
"Wasting my time!"
After absorbing everything, Olthagia tossed Solo's corpse aside with one hand, while the other hand held the fist-sized Gift of Souls. He looked at the two demons who had now charged in front of him.
"Hand it over!"
Temple, looking at Olthagia, whose hands were covered in blood and who was licking the flesh off his tail, whispered in a low voice.
Although the opponent was only at the level of a [Lesser Demon] and had killed a [Low-Rank Demon] through a sneak attack, Temple felt a sense of unease. The other [Low-Rank Demon] also had a similar feeling, as his demonic instincts warned him that the opponent before him was dangerous. Subconsciously, he took a step closer to Temple.
"Hahaha... leave it to you?"
Seeing the two demons cautiously watching him, Olthagia opened his mouth and let out a low laugh.
Then, right in front of them, he opened his mouth wide, almost to the point of reaching his ears, and swallowed the [Gift of Souls].
'The system converts the [Gift of Souls] into Evolution Points.'
[+21000 Evolution Points]