Demons

While Aru's grin widened at the corpse of the mud pig lying lifeless, Dal watched him keenly from the safety of the tree above.

At that moment, the sight of Aru wielding a blood-stained knife seemed to blend eerily with the image of a devil.

How cruel must one be to find joy in the presence of death? Especially after inflicting such brutal wounds, rendering the creature unrecognisable.

Dal's blood ran cold as he bore witness to this gruesome scene.

*Gulp.*

Perhaps he shouldn't have provoked someone as unpredictable as Aru, he mused.

Yet, despite his misgivings, Aru had rescued him from the clutches of the wind wolf, ensuring his safety, at least for the time being. Surely, he wouldn't have saved him only to betray him later, right?

RIGHT?

Nevertheless, Dal resolved to steer clear of Aru in the future, a decision etched firmly in his mind as he descended the tree cautiously.

Now alone with Aru on the ledge, Dal felt it safe to approach.

The biting cold of the night wind seeped into his clothes, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

Nevertheless, he silently positioned himself behind Aru.

Meanwhile, Aru's gaze remained fixed on empty space as he chuckled softly, giving Dal a second to reconsider his decision to follow him.

*Snap.* 

Dal inadvertently stepped on a twig, the sound slicing through the silence like a knife.

Instantly, Aru's head snapped in his direction, his fist clenched, ready to punch in his direction.

A surge of fear gripped Dal as he cowered but relief washed over him as Aru recognised him.

'Sh*t. That nearly startled me out of my skin. This kid's got a talent for sneaking up on people, doesn't he?' Aru muttered under his breath.

Although taken aback by Dal's sudden appearance, Aru quickly returned his attention to the status screen before him.

The information displayed there held greater importance to him than the presence of his dear old bully.

Unaware of Aru's activities, Dal remained where he was, watching him silently gaze at the empty space before them.

[Symbiotic links available - 8]

[Spirit identity - Seed form, Elemental affinity - Water 70%, Earth 10%, Lightning 1%, Wood 1%]

[Spirit energy - 4.1]

[Missions:

Daily mission - Share all of the user spirit energy with the linked lifeform. Reward +1 link.

Challenge mission - Defeat a rank 1 lifeform. Reward +1 link.]

Having absorbed the spirit energy from the nemesis lifeform, the parasite, Aru's spirit energy had surpassed 4 units, much to his surprise.

He hadn't anticipated such rapid growth in his maximum spirit energy stat.

"Doesn't that mean I can hunt down more nemesis lifeforms to further boost my spirit energy?" Aru's hair stood up just thinking about the possibility.

If his assumptions proved correct, he could potentially ascend to greater heights of strength through this method and that too, at a faster pace. 

However, locating additional nemesis lifeforms would pose a challenge.

Even if he managed to find them, eliminating them would be no easy feat. His success this time had hinged on the host's pre-existing injury. Against an uninjured rank 1 creature, he would die immediately. 

Despite the daunting challenges ahead, Aru's determination remained unwavering.

The events of the day served as a stark reminder of the urgent need to bolster his strength. Failure to do so would likely result in his demise, transforming him into little more than a fertiliser in the unforgiving wilderness.

'I don't want to be fertiliser.' 

'Please, god. Don't turn me into fertiliser.' 

—

Meanwhile, back at the camp, a lot of things happened. 

Currently, the chief was sitting in front of a mysterious person. The battle was over and he had a lot of questions in his mind. So, he decided to ask the person that saved them.

"What is that thing?" He asked while pointing at a corpse.

A table separated the mysterious man from the chief, upon which lay the corpse of the creature in question. 

The creature was a meter long and had black scales all over its body. At a glance, it looked like a combination of a dog and a reptile. It looked horrifying with sharp exposed teeth and curved talons great for latching onto the body of their prey. 

The creature looked fast and agile as it chased after the migrating animals in a swarm.

The memory of the vicious creatures tearing apart the prey animal was embedded deep into the mind of everyone who saw that.

Taking a deep breath, the chief pointed at the corpse and repeated his query.

"What is it?"

"A demon, An extremely dangerous creature." the man replied solemnly. These demons were the same creature that the system deemed as nemesis lifeforms.

"A demon?" The chief found the notion difficult to believe. He almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the answer. 

Though their culture was filled with folklore and stories of demons, they were just stories without any basis. How can such a creature exist?

But then, he recalled something from his memory.

A couple of months ago, rumours had recently surfaced among the Boulder tribe's traders returning from the nearby city, rumours regarding demons. Initially, he dismissed them as mere hearsay, there seemed to be no credible reason to give them credence. After all, they were just rumours.

Every now and then, wild tales of distant lands circulated among the people. Succumbing to every fantastical notion would surely drive them to madness.

Yet, now, the lifeless creature before him could not be denied. Reluctantly, the chief acknowledged the undeniable truth before him.

"In any case, why is it here?" 

Demons or not, this was the real answer he wanted to know. It has been almost a century since the Boulder tribe began inhabiting the northern region. It was their home. He wanted to know why demons suddenly appeared in his home territory. 

"That's a mystery that is yet to be solved. All that we know is that they emerge from a pitch-black crater called demon wells. A demon well is some kind of gateway that connects to the demon realm. We sensed the presence of a demon well opening in this region and come to seal it." 

The mysterious man gave a simple answer. Although preposterous, it was not that difficult to understand. 

Chief lifted his bloodied hand to rub his beard and asked. The battle today had taken a toll on his aged body. There were bruises and blood everywhere on his body. Still, he held his head high and gazed at the person in front of him.

At a glance, you could see that he was a true warrior at heart.

The mysterious man, even though stronger than the chief, stayed respectfully to the side. 

"Alright, let's entertain the idea that I believe what you're telling me. Demons exist, demon wells exist, and they pose a threat. But who are you, and how do you come by such knowledge?" The chief inquired.

"My name Deva and I am part of a nameless group of people that come from the city of knowledge, Artha. Within our people, there has long been a prophecy foretelling a great catastrophe, and we were established by the sages of the past as a defence mechanism to safeguard the world in such dire times. Our mission this time was to locate and contain the Demon Well before demons could spread unchecked. Unfortunately, it appears we arrived too late. I apologise for that." The mysterious man sincerely said. 

After all, they had failed to do their job. It was only right that they apologise. 

"I've heard of the City of Knowledge, a place where tribes and clans hold no sway, the birthplace of the Great Sage, and the sole authority to which the five great clans defer. I have an old friend who once visited Artha, so I know a little about it." The chief said reminiscing about the past.

"If you hail from Artha, there's no need to inquire about your tribe or clan affiliation. Now, let's be direct. Why are you sharing this information with us? You and your companions are formidable, and it's evident that you don't require justification for your presence here. However, you've chosen to explain nonetheless.

What must be the reason for that?"

The chief asked in a sombre tone. 

"We need your help." The mysterious man instantly replied. He wasn't trying to hide it. 

"We need your help to defeat the demons that resurfaced." 

"But all the demons have died, didn't they?" The chief asked why pointing at the uninjured, almost corpse of the demon on the table.

The migrating animals were fleeing from a horde of reptilian-looking demons in pursuit. However, after a while, the demons began to perish of their own accord, with no intervention from anyone. As the migrating animals fled, the demons succumbed, and thus the battle concluded.

The mysterious man and his team of demon hunters saved the warriors of the Boulder tribe from the aggressive spirit beast nearby. 

That's how the event of the night took place.

So, why were they asking for help to hunt demons? Didn't they all die? 

"Indeed, a demon that fails to successfully merge with animals from our world will inevitably perish after a certain period. However, those that do merge gain the strength and abilities of their host, akin to parasites overtaking their host's body. Over time, they will begin to procreate. That's why we must stop them before they reach that stage."

The piece of information shook the chief to the core.