Myriad Devils-Chapter 90: The infestation plaguing the Blood-Drip Jungle
There was a stark difference between the lowest, Earth-grade treasures, and Sky-grade treasures.
One such difference being, an Earth-grade treasure, no matter the circumstance, would always be an Earth-grade treasure.
On the other hand, Sky-grade treasures, like stellar fighters and beasts, could undergo a kind of evolution, seeing to it that its capabilities and effects become more powerful and potent.
Bolan wasn’t someone that was ignorant of the world’s knowledge. In fact, not long after perceiving the reactions from his magical item, his mind clicked, and he was able to arrive at an answer for this oddity.
Evidently, this caused him to rise to his feet before heading to the mouth of the cave which was over a hundred steps away.
Blocking the cave’s entrance were thick shrubs and bushes that concealed it from any unwitting beasts that might wander nearby. Without hesitation, he pushed through the head-high foliage. As the grass brushed against his skin, a slight frown appeared on his face when he finally emerged from the thicket. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
But this frown disappeared in the blink of an eye as he whispered to himself, "Isn’t my fortune too good? Refining a Sky-grade treasure only to realize that there’s another treasure able to help in its evolution not too far away?" Chuckling to himself, Bolan’s presence slowly seemed to disappear in his near environment even though he maneuvered through the forest as he usually did before.
There was nothing unordinary about his movements, and yet, as he took one stride forward, followed by another, and as his tactical boots landed on the earth beneath his feet where hardened leaves, twigs, and mud resided, there wasn’t even the slightest sound that rippled into his near surroundings.
Whilst his every inhale lasted several seconds, a testament to how deep the breaths he took was, and his exhale lasting even longer, as time passed, though his inhaling lasted longer and longer, the movements of his chest became more and more obscured.
Seamlessly, and completely unsuspectingly, a dark aura began leaking from his body, dripping into his surroundings.
The forest, densely filled with trees that towered mightily above his head was the ideal place for him to maneuver through.
But not too long after leaving the cave, Bolan’s path collided with another life form, causing him to tilt his head with annoyance.
He was especially annoyed because on this creature’s back was a single red wing.
Three hundred meters away, the one-winged monkey stood, surveying the area.
Oddly enough, although Bolan had long breached its field of vision, seemingly, it was yet to pick up on his presence.
But what was even more peculiar, was its actions.
Like a guard patrolling its designated vicinity, it stood on one spot for a while before trotting across thirty meters and coming to a halt, standing on that spot for a short period.
It completed three more rounds of thirty-meter walks, but by then, Bolan, who was previously a few hundred meters away had now seemingly disappeared completely.
Just then, as it came to a halt, observing its surroundings, above its head, the light which cascaded the skies seemed to be blocked by a dark cloud.
Due to the sudden abruptness, the one-winged monkey glanced upwards.
What it saw sent chills down its spine as Bolan’s dark blade descended with ferocity. The beast commander’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in shock, but it was far too late to react.
There was no sound.
The dark blade, coated by an obscure darkness, sliced through the creature’s flesh without obstruction.
Although the one-winged monkey reacted swiftly enough to prevent Bolan from severing its neck, nearly half of its upper body was sliced apart, its wing completely severed from the rest of its form.
Along with its wing, its right shoulder and chest, and a chunk of its upper abdomen fell to the ground with a thud. The scent of blood in the air intensified as the shocked expression of the one-winged monkey fixed on Bolan, its body frozen in place. Clicking his tongue, Bolan sheathed his blade, choosing not to strike a second time.
Brushing past the one-winged monkey, by his fourth stride, the rest of the monkey’s body fell to the ground, blood splashing chaotically into the surroundings.
Its blood seeped into the earth, nutrients for mother nature.
’That one-winged monkey’s movements were weird.’ Bolan mused internally, ’Almost as if it was guarding an area.’ Once his thoughts reached here, a strange light flashed through his eyes, ’Don’t tell me...’
...
Time passed.
Bolan made his way deeper into the Blood-Drip Jungle.
Amongst other random beast commander creatures, and even plant beasts, what was most notable to him was the number of one-winged monkeys.
In fact, even if he was to add up all the different creatures he had slayed, it wouldn’t even be close to the thirteen one-winged monkeys he had killed.
Behind him, what Bolan had left was a trail of one-winged monkey corpses.
Upon entering the second world, the power he was able to draw out of his darkness related principle was greatly amplified.
Not just that, but when combined with his mastery over his own body, something that Anon and Seth once spoke of, Bolan’s natural ability to erase his presence suddenly amplified.
Hiding in plain sight.
It was an ability that was highly sought after, and yet, not many could achieve it.
From mastering his own body and being capable of reducing his heartbeat and controlling even the most minute sound that would leak from his body, to drawing out the mystical abilities of his darkness related principle which was seemingly capable of swallowing his very aura and presence, as if it could cloak him in invisibility.
Without realizing, he had achieved all the qualities of an assassin, helping him to soundlessly take care of these one-winged monkeys one by one.
Speaking of the one-winged monkeys, interestingly, it was obvious that the one-winged monkey horde that attacked them was only a part of a much larger horde of one-winged monkeys.
Most glaringly, it appeared to him that the Blood-Drip Jungle was suffering a plague. Countless one-winged monkeys have now infested its territory.
In the matter of maybe a two or three days, the one-winged monkey species had seemingly become the most numerous.
But Bolan was indifferent.
The ends of his hair had grown past his shoulders, and his dark blade now dripped the blood of one-winged monkeys even when sheathed and strapped to his waist.
Although it wasn’t even an Earth-grade Divine weapon, it had slayed more than two dozen creatures comparable to the second world.
On his face, past the aloofness that would send tremors in the hearts of weak-minded individuals, very subtly was a smirk.
As he approached the depths of the Blood-Drip Jungle, and as he killed more and more one-winged monkeys, the Sky-grade treasure in his possession began buzzing more and more chaotically.
To the point that, even if he was a mortal, he’d be alerted by its trembling. More than trembling, he felt that it was more accurate to describe its reaction as bubbling excitement.
Unknowingly, as the magical item grew more excited, his expectations also increased.
"Eh?"
In one swift movement, a veil of darkness swallowed Bolan’s figure, allowing him to disappear without a sound.
Soon after, as he exited this veil of darkness, he was standing atop a tree branch more than thirty meters above the earth.
From there on, his movements were soundless whilst he burst forth with tremendous speed, maneuvering from the branch of one tree to another.
By the time he came to a halt, he had crossed slightly more than three kilometers.
When his movements halted, as if to welcome him, an ear-piercing eruption occurred!
Before his eyes, an open field stretched out in the distance.
Under the light of the blood red sky, the earth exploded, and debris violently rocketed into the surroundings.
What took place before him left Bolan both too stunned to move, and even dripping with fear...
’Red Ape?!’
Towering!
That was really the most accurate description of the beastly creature that was before him.
As its every roar caused the earth to tremor and the skies to crack like glass, the monstrosity swung its furry, titanic arm, causing the dozens of one-winged monkeys that ran across its arm, to be sent flying away at breakneck speed.
At the same time, Bolan was atop a tree branch more than thirty meters above the earth, and yet, he was barely on the eyelevel of the humongous creature releasing crazed bellows.
’These one-winged monkeys?!’ Although the creature was utterly shocking, rightfully so too, the most heart-stirring scene wasn’t even the monumental Beast General before him, but instead, the countless one-winged monkeys that swarmed its body.
Like ants, these one-winged monkeys numbered in the hundreds or more, as they released blood-curling screams and assaulted the Red Ape without a care for their own life.
The sight made Bolan’s skin tingle with discomfort.
’How many?! Possibly a thousand...’ Bolan’s heart thumped with genuine fear. Not even twenty-one-winged monkeys was already enough to send him and thirteen other stellar geniuses into mass havoc.
Currently, there were a thousand such creatures, with each one seemingly just as strong as the one-winged monkeys from the second wave, if not even stronger.
This...
To Bolan, it appeared even more frightening than if there was only a single monster battling it out with the Red Ape beast general.
And as the Red Ape released roars of anger, the sight only became more frightening, with a river of blood forming beneath its feet.
To all of this, Bolan remained observing in the shadows.
