*Huff* *Huff*

The Mandrill elder was out of breath, he had been running the whole night. Initially, everything went according to plan. They hid in the trees, the ambush worked, and they even managed to land two hits on the devil child.

The Devil Child was a name they started calling him with, no one knew when it started. However, all of them understood perfectly that it made perfect sense. He has hatched out of the egg just a couple of days ago and these last couple of days were the most dreadful and terrifying days their horde had to face.

The elder still to this moment couldn't believe what he saw. Earlier he clearly felt the fluctuations of the devil's life energy, he was without a doubt a Mid Body Refinement monster, but the moment he started channeling and casting magic you could feel the arms of death embracing you. Even if the attack wasn't meant for you.

Every strong Peak, High, and Mid monster of the horde was dispatched, yet they couldn't protect the members who were chosen as bait. A shame no one of them dared to even mention it, they just acted as if nothing happened. Two of them died and one is at death's door, even now the elder isn't entirely sure if Hassa was still alive or not.

They didn't even know when he arrived, there was no sound, no energy, nothing.

They only knew he was there when some of the weaker of the horde fell after hearing just the residue of his spiritual attack.

Afterward, what greeted their eyes was a sight they'd never be able to forget.

A pitch-black demon with dark flames radiating all over his body in a five-meter radius, the second those flames made contact with the Mandrills below they were even more shocked. Those flames were too strange, they burned but yet they didn't, they were not really hot as one would expect from flames. They were just evil things of destruction, obliterating everything in their wake.

Originally, they planned to launch their attacks the moment he arrived. However, they were so shocked and terrified by the power he displayed that all of them blanked. Only the death and pained shouts of their comrades brought them out of their stupor.

They landed the first attack on his head, which brought him down to the ground, and before he could even stand up a second attack completely broke his wing.

All of the fear he made them feel before was turned into joy and they jumped one after the other, toying with him, they saw how he was barely alive. He was barely breathing and was not moving, they could tell he was alive of course but they knew he was close to death.

Even the elder felt the same way as them, however, because he was too old and too experienced from all of the others, he decided to throw another rock which worsened his injuries even more.

Even after all of that, he decided to stay back and let the others kill him.

Everything about that eagle was too strange, even if he could kill him he didn't want to do it with his own hands. He was afraid, of what? Even he had no idea why he made him this apprehensive and scared.

Then! They heard the most terrifying sound they have ever heard in their lives. The Mandrills closer to the devil all of them dropped one by one.

The elder thankfully with three other elders stayed back, but even they were stunned by the sound.

The elder felt as if he was a tiny insect and a gigantic mountain fell on top of him from the high heavens. His mind blanked! For a couple of seconds, he couldn't think, feel or do anything whatsoever.

He just stood there terrified at how small he felt, he couldn't even imagine how the others who were closer and weaker would have left.

But he could guess. Even after he saw them after they woke up, they were never the same. They were scarred, not in the body but the mind.

A body's injuries given enough time with their amazing vitality heals very quickly, but all of them woke up more sensitive to sounds. Not in the good way mind you, if they heard the slightest high-pitched sound they'd flinch and get scared.

The elder then followed after him with all of his energy, as if his life depended on it because it did!

Yet, the moment they were about to catch him, a sledgehammer dropped down from the skies at a crazy speed and crushed them whole.

Of course, there was no sledgehammer. He just used his spiritual attack, this time at an even closer distance and with more terrifying vigor.

That's how his spiritual attack felt at close range. To this moment, whenever the elder remembers it he shudders in fright! He was once again reminded of the feeling used to feel when he was still a Low Body Refinement Mandrill exploring the mean corners of this dark forest.

He felt so small and weak because he was. He knew he was no match for him, the only way to bring him down was through numbers.

Which made him furious, he thought that he'd became strong, powerful, and respected. After all, he was the strongest Mandrill, he was second only to the king!

Then he kept on chasing him with all of his might because he knew this was once in a lifetime opportunity.

But to their dismay, he disappeared! At first, they were able to hear some faint sounds and follow after them. However, after a while, he just vanished. They decided to split up and look for him, he was severely injured and out of magic. Where could he go?

Yet, nothing!

The elder glanced at his three companions and some of their subordinates, they have just met up again after splitting up.

No one knew where he vanished.

A heavy atmosphere enveloped the group, nobody spoke.

They all know what awaited them was nothing but death and tragedy. They'd have to leave the territory that they have spent painstaking years of effort to secure and control. They have enemies everywhere, and without a Foundation Establishment exploring these forests is a death wish.

After a while, the elder spoke, "Let's hurry back and go to the tunnel Horbac spoke of."

The others nodded without the slightest bit of relief on their face.

Because a big underground tunnel in the middle of the dark forest and empty? Who the hell would believe that? They only hoped that whatever was in that tunnel was weaker than the devil and his mother.

*BANGG!*

As the elder was running in front leading this group of Mandrills, a boulder-like shadow hit him in the chest sending him flying back towards the other elders and their subordinates.

Before he could even process what happened, he heard that terrifying sound again!

*Screeeeeeeech!!*

A High pitched eagle sound penetrated the depth of his soul, due to his previous soul injury his mind blanked and his consciousness was on the verge of fading out.

Just as he was about to be knocked conscious, he felt tremendous pain all over his body. Only to discover that he and all the group of elders were in the middle of a world made of dark flames.

That's all he could see...

'NOO!' He made a quick call he put all of the strength he had on his body and he jumped as he had never jumped before. Then he grasped a tree branch with all of his strength to not fall to the flamming hell below.

As he looked down, he was shocked and terrified. All of the elders were lying down, dead.

Their subordinates were merely unconscious, but the devil was slowly making his way toward them.

The elder looking at this scene was scared out of his wits, but then as if ashamed of that fear a crazed look appeared on his face.

By now, the fire radiating from the devil had already stopped.

*THUD*

He dropped down and started hyperventilating...

He knew, the devil was injured and had already used his magic. This was the best time to kill, and he would kill him even if it meant dying together with him! He can't be allowed to live he thought.

"AHHHH!! I will kill you even if it's the last thing I do"

Then, he started running with all of the speed and strength he could muster toward the eagle that is currently killing the other Mandrills.

Just as he was about to grab him and break every bone on his body, the eagle dodged and landed on a nearby high branch.

Not giving him any time to rest, the elder using his skill condensed all the dirt and debris his giant hand could hold to form a scary ball-shaped object and threw it towards him at a crazy speed.

But, the eagle dodged it.

He kept creating more and more throwing it at him with unimaginable speed and accuracy. However, the eagle was very lithe and graceful in the air, an agility one would not expect from a monster of his size or level.

As his mana kept decreasing, the elder started to take hold of his emotions.

He can't just keep going and rampaging mindlessly.

He turned back and ran towards a tree and started climbing. He wanted to use the tree's altitude to jump and catch him mid-air.

Just as he was about to jump from one branch to another, he felt intense pain in the joints behind his keens.

*Thudd*

Then his legs gave out and he dropped to the ground.

To his utter horror, he couldn't feel his legs anymore!

All of the anger he had earlier as a reaction to burying down his fear vanished, and all he could feel now was dread.

The color drained from his face, his heart started beating rapidly. In fact, it started beating so fast that it became the only sound he could hear.

"Please spare me...", he said with a voice filled with helplessness.

But, all he could see in the golden eyes of the devil approaching him was puzzlement. Like someone who has no idea what they were doing!

And that was the most terrifying.

"I beg of you, I don't want to die...", he said pleading

Suddenly, he received a reply just not in the form he was expecting.

*BANG!*

A sharp steel beak landed at the back of his head!

"ARGHHHH"

"You devil I curse you to die a horrible death"

*BANG!!!*

"ugh..", The elder started losing touch with reality, he knew he was dying...

He turned to look at him in the eye with a look filled with hatred!

*ROOOOOOOOAAAAAR*, He made a last dying roar filled with unwillingness and rage at how things turned out.

"BAANG!" Then, his head exploded!