It was another entrance into the true outlands.
After a well deserved break, the team had gone back to the East Immortal Fort, and picked up some missions at the Adventurer Guild.
Neo thought about picking extra missions but the team had more than enough on hand.
This time, their entrance into the true outlands landed them in a forest.
This scared everyone so much that they reached for their Adventurer Cards.
This place was still a part of the true outlands.
When they confirmed this, they relaxed.
Their eyes never stopped darting to the trees, though.
That strange zone had carved a trauma deep in everyone’s mind.
They moved, sharp and alert.
That, however, didn’t prevent them from walking into an ambush.
This forest was really the best place to set an ambush.
Its trees blocked the meager light one could get in the true outlands.
The mist that covered everywhere also reduced visibility.
Neo wondered how long the demons had been waiting in place.
They really had the patience.
There were more than twenty of them that surrounded the team.
Every direction blocked.
They charged at the team.
Demons preferred close combat.
Their bodies gave them the advantage.
The team didn’t waste time.
Lancelot’s shield was already up in front of him.
He activated his technique, and covered everyone in a transparent essence dome.
The demons smashed into it.
Their actoin made the dome wobble.
It remained strong, however.
Guarding the team members within.
Lancelot used another technique.
He knocked the demons back, their attack directed back at them.
The dome vanished.
The demons were scattered.
The team was quick to escape the encirclement.
Neo and Mia remained near.
Lancelot fell further back together with Sofia and Derek.
It was a good time to pick off the demons.
Neo and Mia were side by side as they attacked the demons.
Their moves steady.
Sofia and Derek also attacked.
Throwing daggers flashed, and arrows followed.
Neo and Mia retreated to join the team, one step after another.
Mia signaled.
Sofia and Derek focused their attacks on the demons.
Holding them off from engaging the two.
The two retreated with quick steps, and joined the team behind Lancelot.
Lancelot was ready.
From his shield, the projection of a wide and heavy shield made of essence came into being.
It smashed into the incoming demons.
Knocking them back once again.
The team’s actions were smooth and neat.
This whole fight looked no different from a daily routine.
Neo and Mia were already on the knocked back demons.
Their longswords flashed.
Sofia and Derek weren’t far behind with their daggers and arrows.
It was an easy fight.
Neo didn’t seem to get tired.
He never stopped swinging.
His sword cutting down demons.
Devour still had more than enough essence to spare.
The last demon’s head was chopped off, concluding the fight.
“That was amazing!” Sofia exclaimed.
“I didn’t know you were this strong.”
She was excited as she came to stand beside Neo.
He only smiled.
Mia looked at him with suspicion.
Everyone was a bit tired from their earlier exertion, but not Neo.
Her eyes roved over his body.
He didn’t seem any different from before.
Just more vigorous.
She couldn’t hold her curiosity forever though.
“What did you take?” She asked directly.
Neo smiled.
“It’s a secret.”
Derek snorted.
Neo knew now that it was an ingrained habit of the young man.
“Performance pills are all good.” Derek said, as if a senior lecturing his junior.
“They just make you useless when you are needed the most.”
Neo didn’t bother with him.
“Come, tell me what’s the secret.” Sofia whispered to him.
She looked around as if to check if anyone was listening.
She seemed not to care that all eyes were on her.
She moved even closer.
Her voice soft, as she whispered again.
“I won’t tell anyone.”
Neo turned to Mia.
“Let’s clean up, everyone.”
The clean up was quick.
They took the items required for their missions.
Mia registered the military merit, and they left all that was of no use behind.
*
They hunted more demons over the next few days.
Then, Neo brought up something.
“I want to separate from the team for a few days.”
“A few days!” Sofia exclaimed.
Neo didn’t mind her, neither did Mia.
“Alright.
Be careful.” She told him.
Then, she looked him over.
“Also, I don’t know what you have been taking these days.
I have never seen you get tired.”
Neo had been asked this question almost everyday.
He tried for a new answer.
Saying it was a secret did not seem to deter anyone.
“It’s nothing really.
I am just in a good mood.”
“I am in a good mood too.” Derek was surly.
“Are you sure you know what a good mood is?” Sofia asked him.
“Far better than you do.”
Sofia felt it was a waste of effort to grace him with a reply.
She turned to Neo.
Her face all smiles.
“Can I go with you?”
“I will prefer to go alone.” Neo answered calmly.
Derek whistled.
Now, he truly seemed to be in a good mood.
*
Neo left the team.
He and Mia had used a function of their Adventurer Card.
They could tell which direction the other was in through their cards.
That way, Neo could always find them and return to the team.
He had been holding back while he was with the team.
Now, it was the time to go wild.
The first demons he came across were a team of five.
When they saw him, their first action was to check around to see if they were surrounded.
It was indeed strange to see just one human walk towards them with such confidence.
He didn’t conceal his intent to pick a fight with them.
He drew his sword and charged.
It was just one lone human, but they still moved as a team.
The demons had a thought.
If it was just one mad man, they would be done with him in no time.
If it was a real expert, it was best to fight him together.
Neo activated his Five-character bloodline, Nascent Essence Loving River Snake.
Of course, it was just a cover for Devour.
His forehead shone with the dim gold light of five interconnected characters.
He kept Devour’s limit to that of the Nascent Essence Loving River Snake.
It was best he become familiar with this bloodline, and get a feel of how useful it was in a fight.
He never once activated it when he was with the team.
Now was the time to use it in a proper fight.
The demons saw his forehead shine with that dim golden light.
They knew they had met an expert of the human race.
They got fired up.
Killing him will gain them more merits.
They fought without holding back.
They could not afford to hold back against an expert.
Seeing them rush at him like this, Neo felt pleased.
Essence recovery was very important in a fight.
The Nascent Essence Loving River Snake made sure its bearer never had a problem with that, and it also disrupted the essence recovery of opponents.
Neo fought to his heart content.
He didn’t hold back on the techniques he used.
If its usage didn’t surpass the recovery of his Five-character bloodline.
He used it.
That was the main purpose of this hunt, to get used to the bloodline.
The fight with the demons didn’t last long.
Against Neo, who couldn’t run out of essence, they were outclassed.
He cut every one of them down.
He didn’t feel tired at all.
Now, it was time for the second reason he went on this private hunt.
He claimed his military merit from the dead demons.
That was something he couldn’t afford to lose.
Not when it could be helped.
The dim golden light on his forehead still displayed the interconnected characters of the Five-character bloodline, Nascent Essence Loving River Snake.
However, what happened next was beyond the capabilities of a mere Five-character bloodline.
Even Swallower at its peak would struggle to do something like this.
Neo used Devour.
He didn’t just sit back, and let the bloodline do the work.
He controlled everything.
A formless and invisible domain wrapped the dead demons.
The domain seemed to have many small invisible teeth that tore through them at a very deep level.
A level beyond what Neo could perceive or describe.
When it was done, there was nothing left.
Not even a drop of blood.
It broke them down to the purest essence.
Devour could have done this easily, but Neo wanted to know how it felt.
As the team left the demons body behind after killing.
Devour had been pestering him, but he couldn’t go back and devour those bodies.
He still felt the need to be careful.
If there was something he needed to keep a secret at all cost.
It was Devour.
Neo took in the essence left behind by Devour’s domain.
The result was immediate.
His essence cultivation increased.
It wasn’t like the normal process of drawing in essence.
It was a substantial and instantaneous increase.
His essence had increased by more than half.
Devour was truly something else.
Such instantaneous increase was impossible to believe.
That his essence also remained pure and stable was beyond any common sense.
He looked around at the empty place.
Neo thought he would feel something special like the first time he killed, but now he just felt empty.
Like a bottomless pit.
Maybe it was Devour affecting him.
Devour didn’t seem to like what Neo was implying.
It disagreed.
It mattered not.
Devour would perform all further devouring.
He would stick to the fighting.
(^o^)
Hi, This is a book you might really like.
If that’s true.
Please share and recommend.
If you don’t find it to your taste?
Please, do share and recommend.
To your friends.
Your enemies.
Parents, children, uncles, aunts.
And you know, the whole squad.
You might just be making someone’s day with that simple gesture.
Love you all.
(Love) (Love) (Love)
XO,
XO,
XO,