Chapter 20: The Blood Arrow

Despite his inability to see the colors, Aiden can see strange markings on the caterpillars like creature shimmered with an unseen energy, pulsing faintly across their bodies.

Aiden stayed quiet, high up in the tree. He could tell from their wiggling that they were searching for something.

They darted their heads everywhere, like they were scared. Aiden stayed very still. He'd gotten stronger and faster lately, sure he could take down one of these grown-up caterpillars. But fighting a whole bunch at once? Different story.

He also didn't know what tricks these big guys had, compared to the smaller ones he'd fought before. Maybe they could do way more damage. Still, Aiden wasn't going to run if they came after him.

His near-unbreakable regeneration ability combined with his lightning-fast digestion system made him virtually unkillable for any creatures of his current level – unless they could inflict instant death, bypassing his regeneration entirely.

Sometimes, Aiden really wants to know what is the rank of his Perennial Regeneration Ability.

He had obtained it after consuming the Indelible Ichor, an ancient being of supposedly incredible level, and somehow its bloodline fused with his Devil Bloodline.

For such a powerful being, Indelible Ichor seemed strangely useless in terms of offense and defense. That was a really strange creature.

Ssshhh!!

A sudden hiss ripped through the air, followed by a sickening thud. One of the caterpillars crumpled to the ground in a heap. Its body twitched once, twice, then lay still.

Aiden's eyes widened. Aiden hadn't seen what happened, but he spotted a blood-red arrow sticking through its head.

Another arrow, another crimson flash, found its mark. This time, the target let out a shrill screech, a sound that cut through the silent forest like a rusty blade. It thrashed in its death throes, the arrow embedded deep in its thorax, staining the once-pristine white markings with a blossoming crimson flower.

The others, witnessing their fallen comrade, erupted into a frenzy. They scattered in a desperate bid for escape, their thick bodies lumbering with surprising agility. But escape was futile. Arrows rained down, each one a crimson harbinger of doom.

One by one, the Giant Matured Caterpillars fell. Some met their ends silently, their life force extinguished in an instant. Others shrieked in defiance, their struggles valiant but ultimately futile against the silent, deadly rain.

Aiden's heart pounded as fast as it could. Soon, the last dark red arrow found its mark. The massive creature, its body riddled with crimson, let out a final, guttural gurgle before collapsing onto the forest ground.

A tense silence descended upon the clearing. Aiden, his body still coiled in alert, didn't dare move.

Aiden's mind reeled, struggling to grasp the events of the past few seconds. Whoever, or whatever, that was could kill those monstrous creatures with a single shot. He knew with chilling certainty – that being could kill him just as easily before his regeneration kicked in.

He held his breath, every inhale and exhale a potential giveaway in the hunter's presence. After all, even breathing could be detected, and if he could sense it, this unseen hunter undoubtedly could too.

'Fortunately, the blood around me served as a potent camouflage. Even with extraordinary senses, the scent of my body would likely be masked by the pool of blood.'

He waited, a knot of unease twisting in his mind. The hunter might return to look for its prey, even though notifications confirmed the kills.

His heightened senses couldn't detect anything in the surrounding area, but that didn't guarantee safety. This unseen entity could still be out there, observing, waiting.

He can't be careless.

After a tense ten minutes, the sound of rustling leaves broke the silence. Aiden peered down, he saw two figures emerged from the dense brush.

They were humanoid figures, with dark skin and piercing eagle-like eyes. Slightly larger than humans, their ears were pointed backward, adorned with what appeared to be leaves in the lobes. Clothing fashioned from leaves covered their bodies, and intricate designs made from blood decorated their skin.

They resembled barbarians from his world, except for the unusual backward-pointing ears.

Aiden watched intently as they approached the fallen prey. The male being has a tattoo of an arrow emblazoned across his chest, stepped forward and placed his hand on the dead caterpillar.

A jolt passed through the creature's body, a final twitch before it went completely still.

Suddenly, the dead caterpillar began to deflate at an alarming rate. It shrunk and warped, its essence seemingly being siphoned away. Aiden watched in amazement as the shape of a red arrow materialized above the back of man's hand, slowly taking shape from the creature's very essence.

The process took barely a minute. Once the caterpillar was reduced to a dry husk, the arrow solidified, pulsating with a faint red glow. On the tip of the arrow, the catterpiller face could be seen.

The male retrieved the arrow with a practiced motion, then tilted his head back and swallowed it whole.

A satisfied smirk played on his lips as the deadly projectile vanished down his throat.

The male grunted, a signal for his partner. The female humanoid mirrored his actions, approaching one of the other fallen caterpillars and placing her hand upon it. The same process repeated itself – the creature shriveled, its essence feeding the formation of a crimson arrow above the back of woman's hand.

Within mere minutes, both figures had consumed the essence of all six caterpillars, each transforming into a blood-red arrow. The male devoured four arrows whole, while the female settled for two. Aiden watched in stunned silence from his perch, his mind reeling. This was the first time he'd witnessed such an absurd ability, and most unsettlingly, both humanoids possessed it.

Did that mean all nine chosen from his world, the "Nine Kings," as they were called, shared this same devil bloodline? The possibility struck him with a jolt, and he couldn't dismiss it out of hand. He needed to contact the others, see what abilities they'd manifested.

For now, his only desire was for these two strangers to disappear. Thankfully, after finishing their grisly task, they seemed oblivious to his presence. They began to turn back towards the dense foliage, but just as they were about to vanish, the female abruptly stopped. She swiveled her head, eyes locked in Aiden's direction. Confusion flickered across her face, and she muttered something to her partner in their unintelligible language.

The male responded with a gruff reply, both their voices harsh and guttural. After a brief exchange, they turned away once more, their figures swallowed by the verdant embrace of the forest.

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