Chapter 78
“Hmm…?”
Oliver craned his neck as he sensed someone nearby. He had been continuously hunting demons for two hours, but so far, he was not able to find a good demon. He felt the forest was too easy! At least, to him…
What he didn’t know was that if the other children heard him, they would not hesitate to beat him black and blue for saying something so outrageous. They had been struggling to fight these bloodthirsty creatures. Demons were tough opponents for them, and they were the same age as Oliver too.
Rustle…
Suddenly, he heard something as he neared the water stream. The sound wasn’t close by, but his keen ears picked it up. He felt time was running out, and he had yet to hunt something good.
He could almost feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins. As he neared the sounds, he could somehow make out the sounds, it was as if someone was fighting.
He decided to follow the sound and moved toward its direction. It took him a few minutes to cover the distance and reach the exact location…
He saw an unexpected scene. It was Nadia. And she was engaged in combat with two demons alone. Sensing the feeling of dread, Oliver quickly realized these demons were the real deal.
Minor-level demons!
He immediately remembered the elder’s words. He looked towards her, still some distance away, hiding in the bushes. He doubted she sensed him, especially while fighting two minor-level demons at once.
Screeech!
He looked at the demons…
One shrieked, jangling chains, a short being of sickness and thunder. Two vicious eyes glared at her with absolute darkness. Another shriek resonated from its crooked mouth as Nadia brutally stabbed its side.
He looked at the other demon… A lush head of hair adorned its inflated head, almost bark-like. Constant snoring escaped the creature’s sinuous nostrils set within a bony nose. Its head sat atop a thick, stringy body. Runes or emblems, each glowing brightly, covered parts of its torso.
‘That…’
The creature rushed forward, its two legs gracelessly carrying its wicked body with frightful energy. A muscular tail snaked behind it, electric energies pulsing with every movement.
‘A thunder-attributed demon…’
The creature’s eyes were still fixed on her. Oliver just observed from afar. It seemed she was having trouble dealing with two minor-level demons on her own.
While she was not injured, and the demons were bleeding, she was still unable to subdue them properly. If he was not wrong, she wanted to seal a living demon in her talisman by weakening it. She didn’t expect another demon to ambush them as well. Now, the two demons tactically worked together to suppress her and would probably later duel to see who would eat her.
Oliver saw the demon roar and lunge at Nadia, bits of thunder and electricity crackling around its body. Nadia, who still had to awaken her elemental attribute, dodged and slashed its back. The demon was furious that its prey had once again dodged and it couldn’t feed.
Even among minor-level demons, a demon with an espera attribute was rare, so it was unfortunate for Nadia to encounter one. The second demon took this chance and attacked her from behind with its muscular, veiny arms. Nadia dodged by a hair’s breadth, jumping over the demon. She was extremely flexible and strong, not easily defeated by the two.
Oliver’s mind raced. “Should I intervene? Would she appreciate the help or see it as interference?” He knew that stepping in could change everything. But watching her struggle stirred something inside him.
He had some guesses why she was in such a situation.
_______________
Bam!
Nadia dodged the tail attack by a narrow margin. The demons in front of her were ferocious and really wanted to kill her. It was the first time she experienced such killing intent. It made her realize many things.
Demons were cruel and would not hesitate to tear you apart.
They were clever and liked to play tricks.
Never trust them. Kill them mercilessly whenever the opportunity presents itself.
She didn’t want to ruin this situation by killing the two demons. If a living demon was sealed, she might be recognized more since it was harder to seal a live demon than a dead one. She had to weaken them to the point where they couldn’t resist and then use her talisman to seal them.
But she found it hard to do. She wondered which demon she should kill. Not to mention, the thunder was annoying to deal with. It was agile and numbing, slowing her speed whenever she took a direct hit.
Every attack she dodged took a toll on her energy. “I can’t keep this up forever,” she thought, her frustration mounting. Sweat dripped down her forehead, stinging her eyes.
This demon was tougher than all the weaker demons she had killed so far. She coldly snorted and sent a wave of espera towards the demon—pushing it back. She wanted to control everything without using any secret techniques or too much espera. She was superior to these demons. Minor-level demons were nothing to her.
But even as she reassured herself, doubt crept in. “Am I really strong enough?” The thought was fleeting, but it stung.
The pressure of living up to her mother’s expectations weighed heavily on her.
She had to prove this to her mother. She was watching her. She had to show that even without using precious clan techniques, she could deal with these minor threats on her own. If she did that, then perhaps her mother would praise her.
Rustle… Rustle…
She suddenly heard some movement behind her and sensed a human presence. Her expression turned a little ugly. It was already tough dealing with two demons, but now someone else was coming. If that person turned out to be hostile, she might be in serious trouble. She was confident but not overconfident; facing three enemies at once would be very difficult.
Her eyes darted around, searching for the source of the sound.