"You want to end this battle, but you were the ones that came to attack me first," said Damian, who despite knowing that he wasn't in much of a better position, was the one that was in the right and had the support of the unusual Monkey Beast.

"Well you have gotten me back by taking two of my subordinates, and if you want to continue this battle, I will surely kill you and your beast pet with ease" stated the group leader confidently.

However his confidence didn't seem exaggerated or arrogant and Damian really believed that he had the capability to do so, but also assumed that doing so would need him to go all out and sacrifice something.

"Then you can leave and take your subordinates, but if you turn back and try to sneak attack me with your concealment technique, I won't be so kind a second time," said Damian who was aching all over and felt that he was about to collapse at any moment.

He was wary of the royal academy students' concealment technique that he didn't understand yet, but he wasn't planning on staying where he was for long and he wanted to get out of the Inner Part of the beast woods as soon as he had recovered enough to leave.

Damian was relatively safe from beasts in the Moose Beast's territory, but if a nearby beast smelt blood, they may be curious and decide to scout the Moose Beast's territory.

Doing so, they would find the weakened and injured Damian who wouldn't be able to fight back, which was why Damian wanted to get rid of the royal academy students quickly and form some sort of truce with them.

"It is our loss today, and me and my subordinates will not attack you or get in your way again in the beast woods" promised the group leader, shocking Damian and his own subordinates.

"But sir, with your power we can easily take them"

"Yeah and this Monkey Beast isn't that scary and hasn't done us much damage"

The complaints made Damian wary and he held his bow with an arrow prepared, ready to continue their battle, not letting his guard down.

"Silence, my decision is final. Do you wish to go against my orders?" bellowed the group leader as he glared at his subordinates, causing them to instantly lower their heads and even intimidated Damian slightly.

"What's your name?" asked Damian.

"Clay, what about you?"

"That is something that you don't need to know and you will find out in the future. Hurry up and take your subordinates to get medical attention before it's too late" answered Damian.

Clay scoffed and smiled at Damian's answer, not caring whether Damian told him his name or not as he was planning to investigate such a young talent that could rival him anyway.

He signalled to his two subordinates to carry the other two and follow him as he began walking away nonchalantly with his back towards Damian, almost as if he didn't see Damian as a threat.

Damian understood what Clay was trying to show by his actions, but didn't get angry.

Instead, Damian smiled as he fired his arrow towards Clay.

He wasn't one to sneak attack someone else and had aimed his arrow accurately so it would pass by Clay's face and leave a small slash on his face that drew a small amount of blood.

Clay didn't dodge or block the arrow that he knew wouldn't harm him much and was merely Damian showing off his arrow skills, or so he thought.

"We will battle against each other fairly in the future and I won't be in a weakened state like this," said Damian who was curious and excited to have a tough and exhilarating battle against such a tough, mysterious and capable opponent.

"That we will" agreed Clay as he wiped the small cut on his face with his palm and the small cut seemed to instantly heal as he continued walking away without turning around to face Damian.

Damian hadn't fired the arrow to prove a point or get Clay's intention.

His real purpose was to draw a small amount of blood and hope that it was enough to copy his Soul Spirit that was incredible and Damian felt that he was ready to permanently copy one or maybe even more Soul Spirits.

Damian gave it a few minutes until he was sure that the royal academy students had left before staggering over to the small amount of blood that was on a tree.

After his arrow slashed past Clay's cheek, it pierced into a tree and after disintegrating, the blood stayed on the tree and Damian was hoping that it hadn't all dried and that it was enough to copy the Soul Spirit.

Reaching the tree, despite it being disgusting, Damian didn't hesitate to suck out any blood that was left on the tree and held it in his mouth.

Permanently copying a Soul Spirit would require it to integrate the ability into one's body and was quite a straining process, which would be very difficult in the state that he was in.

The Monkey Beast was confused by Damian's actions and followed behind him closely, which was quite annoying for Damian, but he ignored it and let the beast do as it pleased until he repaid it for its assistance.

After that, Damian was planning to leave the beast, but for the time being, it would also be useful, especially since he was struggling to move his body.

[Utususu, would I be able to permanently copy the Soul Spirit now?] asked Damian with the small amount of Clay's blood, that he was able to salvage, in his mouth.

{Do not even try to do so, your spirit is shaken and your body is in a dangerous weak and wounded state. Take time to rest, recover and prepare yourself physically and mentally for it} answered Utsusu.

With that Damian had no choice but to delay attempting to permanently copy Clay's Soul Spirit, but until then, what was he meant to do with the blood in his mouth?