Ch 18: Second Path

Lucifer, on the other hand, was running depth within the forest and anger was palpable on his face as he had to flee.

In the meantime, he dodged the attack that was coming from the MuZi or he would have been burned to death, though there was still some minor injury, he had already been healed up by his auto-heal ability, so this time, he did not have to waste his hatred points.

But why did he not go straight towards the Silver Sparrow Mountain? Well, the path was blocked by the enemy and if he wanted to go there really, then he had to follow two paths.

One was the walkway, where he had gotten a fight with a drunkard and the second was straight connected to the Silver Sparrow Mountain, which he was currently following.

Though it was a dangerous path, what could he do? Beasts were not as intelligent as humans so, if he became careful there would not be a problem, this was the thought he was carrying within his mind.

Focusing keenly on everything he dashed forward. Searching for a nice place to stay for a while, if getting near the lake or waterfall then it might be better.

Lucifer did gain quite a lot of hatred points from the recent interaction with the MuZi especially, the three Mud-headed people. And he was still gaining hatred points.

[Hatred Points: 145.2]

Now, putting everything in one place, he felt, he had to make haste for his plan to improve his strength, sensing the rise of the tension.

He saw the sun was already in the middle, and he was getting strive from hunger though there was nothing he could do about it. Except hunt some beast.

So, for some search, he started to roam around, he handled the starvation quite well as the hungry life of the street already made him persistent so, he did not feel any nervous.

"Whatever, let's train here… This place might be filled with danger but as well as this place is perfect for training"

Lucifer's heart filled with a high spirit.

Yeah, Lucifer knew that, the beast might be dangerous but, their body was also filled with nutrition. So, if someone did consume it for the time being, their body would become powerful too, even though they were not Ascendents. Not only that, the higher tier beast meat, if consumed, mana flow would also increase, accelerating oneself progress when practicing skills or cultivating their power.

Thus, the serene forest being dangerous, had its own opportunities.

Not only that, but this forest was also filled with different types of precious herbs, for making precious medicine or pills and so on. If one becomes lucky then, no one knows when the person gonna be rich. But all comes with luck.

***

As Lucifer crept closer to the wild rabbit, his eyes honed in on his prey, his heart quickening with anticipation.

Roar!

Suddenly, a thunderous roar shattered the forest's tranquility, sending the rabbit bolting away like a flash, its graceful form vanishing into the underbrush.

Lucifer cursed under his breath. "Why is my luck always so terrible? Is this the curse of my dark power?" He watched the rabbit's desperate escape, his stomach growling with frustration.

"Shit."

Despite his anger, Lucifer knew better than to venture toward the source of that furious roar. He had learned from experience that, while beasts may lack the cunning of humans, their instincts made them fiercely aggressive. Many regarded humans as mere delicacies. To approach that sound would be akin to walking straight into a tiger's den—suicidal.

Rumble, rumble.

The ground trembled beneath him, vibrating as if a horde of beasts was charging in his direction.

"Shit, here we go again."

Lucifer dashed toward a nearby tree, relying on his High-Level Steal Art to cloak his presence from whatever was barreling toward him.

Through the canopy, he glimpsed a stampede of wild bulls racing past, their massive forms fleeing as if they were being hunted. But whom were they running from? The average power level of the wild bulls was tier one, though a few elites could come close to tier two.

"So, the pursuer must be tier three? Damn, I need to run, or I'll be dead meat."

Lucifer considered the implications: encountering a tier three beast was close to a death sentence. Those creatures were far stronger than an Earthbringer powerhouse, a force to be reckoned with. Even within the most powerful clans, it was rare to encounter such an elite.

Prioritizing caution, Lucifer swiftly changed direction again, determined to distance himself from the chaos. He was cold and indifferent toward others, but he cherished his own life too much to throw it away foolishly.

As he maneuvered away, a sudden impact sent him careening into a tree.

Bang!

Dazed, Lucifer shook his head, bewildered by the attack that had come out of nowhere. He hadn't even had a chance to react.

"Cough, cough."

Gasping, he scanned his surroundings, his mind racing. The hunger that had momentarily distracted him now fueled his anger. This was unacceptable. He wanted to lash out and punish whatever had dared to strike him.

He observed everywhere his surroundings to see who had attacked him, yet found nothing, but suddenly system notification pooped up.

[Detecting the enemy in front of you has the power of a 2-tier beast: Low-level Earthbringer.]

Lucifer grappled with disbelief. "How did that 2-tier beast notice me?" 

He had gone to lengths to conceal his presence, but it seemed this creature possessed an acute sensitivity, a trait not uncommon among beasts of its kind.

In this world, beasts progressed similarly to Ascendants, following their unique paths to power. They thrived on devouring other beings, absorbing their strength to grow ever more formidable. Lucifer was well aware of this truth; it was a lesson learned through both observation and experience.

The flow of mana in the air granted all beings the potential to evolve, a chance to become stronger. Yet, not everyone could harness this energy to their advantage. Only those fated to wield it could truly embrace its power without peril. For the reckless, who attempted to tap into its raw essence, the consequences could be dire—often culminating in death.

Thus, every creature in this realm had to tread carefully, resisting the all-consuming greed for power that could lead them to ruin.

As Lucifer massaged the sore spot where the impact had struck, he caught a glimpse of the beast—not merely a shadow, but a formidable figure slicing through the foliage as it darted about with astonishing speed. It was so fast, he barely had time to register its form before it vanished again, leaving him with nothing but a sense of imminent danger.