Chapter 79
RustleâŠ
She warily looked in the direction of the sound and saw someone familiar.
âYou again!?â she exclaimed, unable to hide her surprise. It seemed like this guy was always around, no matter where she went.
No matter how hard she tried to avoid him, fate seemed to push them together.
Yet, for some inexplicable reason, a strange, familial feeling surged in her heart whenever she saw him.
She couldnât quite figure out why.
âHey?â Oliver waved.
The demonsâ attention was quickly drawn to the new prey that had entered the scene. Their eyes gleamed with ferocity as they moved slowly yet cautiously, sizing him up.
âHere to help!â he shouted, retrieving the last weapon he had on himâa pair of daggers.
He hadnât used them before because he lacked control over them, but with his other weapons out of commission, he had no choice but to resort to them. Despite not being needed here, the presence of two minor-rank demons spurred him to join the fight.
âYO! DEMONS, COME AT ME!â he yelled, causing the two demons to flinch and then turn even more aggressive.
GrowlâŠ
One demon, with muscular arms and a tail, charged at him with angry eyes and a salivating mouth.
Oliver remained calm. Instead of dodging, he waited for the demon to get closer. As it neared, he pressed down on the ground beneath his feet with force, propelling himself into the air. His body formed an arc as he threw one of his daggers straight at the demonâs eye.
ROAR!
The demon wailed in agony and pain as the sharp metal lodged itself in its eye. Oliver landed gracefully behind the demon and, taking advantage of its disoriented state, rushed forward to stab its back with his other dagger. But the dagger couldnât penetrate the demonâs tough skin.
He silently marveled at the demonâs tough hide, realizing it could fetch a high price.
The muscular demon grew even more aggressive, almost berserk, as it charged madly at anything nearby. Oliver continued his attacks, but they were less effective than against weaker demons.
Just then, he heard Nadiaâs voice from afar.
âYouâre using a low-quality weapon against a demon. Itâs ineffective!â
Oliver knew she was right. His cheap weapons were no match for the demonâs muscular body. He looked into the demonâs black eyes, seamlessly activating his [Cosmic Void Gaze] ability.
[Enshrouding of Death]
A frightened cry escaped the demonâs mouth as its eyes began to lose focus. Oliver appeared in front of the demon, and before it could faint from fear, he stabbed his dagger through its face. Simultaneously, he extracted the dagger from its eye and plunged it into the demonâs chest with all his strength.
The power of Level-4 strength showed as his entire hand sank inside the demonâs body due to the terrible force. The demon was killed instantly.
This all happened in less than a moment. Oliver used [Cosmic Void Gaze] while rushing toward the berserk demon. He activated it so quickly that no one could comprehend what was happening, drawing attention to the act of his hand sinking into the demonâs thick skin.
He had successfully hunted the demon.
Even if someone from the outside, including the elders, saw this scene, they would not find anything abnormal. And even if someone keenly sensed something amiss, there would be no proof, as he had killed the source of informationâthe demon. They wouldnât be able to extract any information.
At best, they could only harbor suspicions about why the demon had suddenly become docile and unstable, allowing Oliver to attack it. He could easily deflect such questions by claiming he was too quick and took the demon off-guard in its berserk state.
Swish!
He retrieved his talisman and slapped it against the demon.
VrrrâŠ
A vibration was produced before a gray light shone from the talisman, slowly enveloping the demon and sealing it inside.
With this, it could be said that he had successfully completed the demon hunt.
Boom!
He heard a booming sound and turned around to see Nadia throwing the thunder demon against a nearby tree. She moved fast, not letting the demon get back up before stabbing her sword through its abdomen.
The demon screeched in painâa wail of pure misery.
She was ruthless, quickly using her talisman and throwing it against the demonâs body. A light shone as the demon struggled and resisted, but after a futile struggle of a severely wounded demon, it was sealed for good.
She had managed to seal a live demon!
âGood work!â Oliver congratulated her from afar. She looked at him with a serene expression.
She hadnât expected to meet him here, let alone see him draw a demon towards himself.
Did he think she needed help?
The thought made her a bit pissed off. She was not weak.
She felt a twinge of anxietyâsurely he didnât think she was weak, right? It wasnât that she couldnât handle the two demons on her own; she was simply adamant about capturing and sealing the demon alive by weakening it.
It was nothing more than that.
She worried Oliver might think she was weak and had intervened to help her.
But she was more powerful than he might realize.
In fact, she had strategically chosen to weaken the demon before sealing it, ensuring a successful capture. She wasnât strugglingâshe was being methodical and precise.
Still, the idea that Oliver might see her as incapable gnawed at her pride. She wanted to prove herself, to show that she could handle whatever came her way without anyoneâs help⊠Her motherâŠ
Oliver, oblivious to her internal struggle, approached her. âYou did great out there,â he said with a smile.
She calmly looked at him without any fluctuations in her expression, trying to mask her irritation. âI had it under control.â
âI know you did,â he responded, his tone was calm. âBut it never hurts to have a backup, right?â
She nodded, but the words didnât quite alleviate her frustration. She didnât need a backup. She needed to prove her strength.
As they prepared to leave, the memory of the fight lingered in her mind. The adrenaline, the rush of combat, and the satisfaction of sealing a demon were still fresh. Yet, amidst all that, the shadow of doubt persisted.
âHow did he become this strongâŠ?â
âAnd what was that⊠the demonâŠâ
She silently glanced at Oliverâs backâŠ