The elder's advise.

The elder finally spoke in a serene tone.

"You are really ruthless, even to your own blood."

It was not an insult, nor was it a compliment.

It was just a statement to Oliver's ears. He was unable to discern the elder's intentions from his tone or words.

"So what?" Oliver muttered. His tone was neither rude nor provocative; he directly asked the elder what he wanted to say.

For a moment, the forest was silent, the only sound was the faint rustling of leaves. Oliver felt the weight of the elder's gaze, as if he was being seen for the first time.

The elder looked at the young face and those eyes…

Those eyes… He felt something mysterious and deep within them but could not exactly tell what. This surprised him. It was the first time he couldn't comprehend something.

He said, "Nothing. How do you feel?"

Oliver frowned, feeling that the elder was being weird. If he wanted to say something, he should just spit it out. What was the point of moving around in circles?

"What? Are you here to avenge them?" Oliver asked, his tone growing colder. If that was the case, it would be very hard to leave unscathed from here.

His mind raced through possible escape routes, but he knew none would be fast enough if the elder decided to act.

"No, not at all. I am not here to interfere."

Contrary to his expectations, the elder simply shook his head and denied the notion.

Oliver saw him glancing at the healing vial and the talisman he had looted earlier.

"Want them back?" he smirked and asked playfully. He knew the elder was not allowed to interfere in the hunt and obstruct other participants. He was just testing the elder's limits now.

A mischievous glint appeared in Oliver's eyes. He decided to test the boundaries of the elder's patience.

The inner devil in him wanted to abuse this situation for his benefit.

The thrill of pushing limits, of dancing on the edge of danger, was intoxicating.

He wanted to try provoking the elder. He had read in novels that protagonists would usually provoke and scam such elders with their arrogant words, and the elders, who had pride as high as mountains, would get furious and let the protagonist scam them.

Of course, real life was much different from his willful imagination. The elder again shook his head.

"You can keep them. It is their fault for not being strong enough to defend their possessions. I can see that you wish to provoke me like you did with the two siblings. I would advise you to not do such things in the future. As an elder, you will only make more enemies instead of allies if you act like this. Feel free to ignore my words. Good luck on your hunt."

The elder's calm demeanor was unshakeable, a testament to his centuries of experience. It was clear Oliver's provocations were falling flat.

The elder spoke in a calm voice, not offended at all. He turned around and moved his fingers in the air as the two siblings disappeared from their positions.

He was curious about the two powerful unknown techniques that the boy had utilized in the fight but did not ask. He knew those techniques were not used to their full potential but were already so destructive. He could imagine what the output would be if someone like him or above him used that technique.

A great weapon against demons…

Oliver couldn't help but touch his neck awkwardly. The elder was correct; he was being immature. While some people get offended easily, this elder from the clan seemed quite wise and calm. Oliver couldn't help but respect him.

He had expected a scenario like those in cliché novels where he offends a powerhouse and is then hunted down by the clan and their forces. He felt relieved that it did not develop into that. He was not sure if he could live his life in hiding forever.

Slowly, he left the scene, heading back to his hidden den near the water stream. He was thirsty and hungry.

__________________

"Gulp… Gulp… Haah~"

He quenched his thirst by drinking mouthfuls of fresh, cold water. In the middle of the night, drinking chilled water was the best.

Rumble…

"Ugh, I am hungry…" His stomach rumbled. The previous fight had drained him too much. He needed to eat something urgently, or it would be difficult to fight and concentrate.

He did not find anything to eat in their belongings, so he was in a bind.

He could try to eat a demon, but there was a chance he would get poisoned since their flesh and blood were toxic to humans.

He sighed. There was not much choice. He could only try to find some fruits in the forest.

In the end, he mustered up his last bit of power and used [Cosmic Void Gaze] to find some fruits that he ate quickly.

It was better than nothing at least.

The rest of the night, he spent resting in the den. He made sure to properly cover the den beforehand to avoid getting attacked by a demon.

The early morning light filtered through the trees, casting a peaceful glow over his hidden den.

He woke up early in the morning, mostly recovered. His wounds had healed to a great extent.

"Woah! My body feels as good as new!" he exclaimed excitedly as he did arm stretches. Although his body was still sore, he was no longer exhausted or seriously wounded.

After that, he went out and searched for a suitable demonic presence around him.

He had the talisman of the third sister with him, but he didn't know which demon was inside. If it was something weak, he would rank lower. He didn't want to bet on this.

It was a risky bet after all.

He saw a few demons, but they were all handled quickly. Not much effort.

He had time until the afternoon before the demon hunt event ended, so he needed to get a demon before the deadline.

Now that the elders had seen his strength, it was not mandatory for him to keep hiding it. If he did, he would only turn out more suspicious instead.

He might as well get something out of it.