After resting for a few hours, Aethryon began moving again.
His body was still getting used to his recent growth, but his energy had already returned. His long body glided silently across the forest floor while his tongue constantly tasted the air.
However, he had only moved forward for ten minutes when
He suddenly stopped.
Human scent.
And not just one.
Aethryon immediately sank into the tall grass and carefully looked ahead.
Through the bushes, six people were walking through the forest.
Aethryon recognized them immediately.
They were the men Lu Hao had sent.
The large man walking at the front looked bored.
One of the men behind him complained with a sigh.
"Captain… I think we should just go back already."
He rested his spear on his shoulder and grumbled.
"That fat guy's body is nowhere to be found. By now he's probably inside the stomach of some Iron-Biting Rat."
The man next to him burst out laughing.
"Maybe the rat is still digesting him."
Another one added with a grin.
"If he was really that fat… that rat probably got food for three days."
The group began laughing.
But the leader frowned.
"Quiet."
He lowered the massive sword from his shoulder and planted it on the ground.
"Did you forget Lord Lu's orders?"
His voice hardened.
"We don't return until we find the body."
Silence fell for a moment.
Then one of the younger men in the back muttered again.
"Still… something is strange."
He looked around the forest.
"There aren't even any bones here."
Another man shrugged.
"Maybe another spirit beast ate him."
Then one of them chuckled and spoke dramatically.
"Or maybe…"
"…the killer rat will come back and eat all of us."
The group burst into laughter again.
But at that moment…
Hidden within the grass, Aethryon watched them with narrowed eyes.
His long crimson body slowly coiled.
He flicked his tongue into the air.
The scent of humans…
And they looked quite delicious.
Aethryon thought quietly to himself.
"…There's no fat one this time…"
"…but they'll do."
Aethryon carefully observed the six men.
As he flicked his tongue through the air, he quickly realized that none of them gave off a true sense of threat.
That could only mean one thing.
All of them were weaker than him.
Aethryon didn't want to waste time.
He slowly slithered out from the tall grass and appeared directly in front of them.
The six men immediately stopped in their tracks.
The first to speak was a short man.
"What is that?"
Another man narrowed his eyes and looked closely at Aethryon.
"It looks like a Datura Snake…"
He took a step forward.
"…but it's a little different."
The captain of the group suddenly became serious.
His gaze locked onto Aethryon's long crimson body, the patterns on his scales, and the feral gleam in his eyes.
"Be careful."
His voice was firm.
"This spirit beast is at least 100 years old."
The laughter within the group instantly disappeared.
All six men took a step back.
Then the captain shouted.
"Summon your Martial Spirits!"
At that moment, spiritual energy erupted from all six of them.
Each of them summoned their Martial Spirit.
Behind one man appeared a massive Stone Axe Spirit.
Another was accompanied by a ferocious Shadow Wolf Spirit with sharp fangs.
Behind another rose a heavy Iron Shield Spirit.
The captain's martial spirit was a gigantic Black Steel Sword.
Spiritual power vibrated through the air.
Then beneath each of the six men, two spirit rings appeared.
First Spirit Ring White.
Second Spirit Ring White.
A total of twelve white spirit rings glowed across the forest floor.
The white color indicated they were only ten-year spirit rings, but even so, six spirit masters attacking together could still be dangerous.
The captain raised his sword.
"Stay alert!"
Without taking his eyes off Aethryon, he continued.
"This snake isn't ordinary."
Meanwhile, Aethryon calmly watched all of their preparations.
Six humans.
Twelve spirit rings.
All forming a battle formation against a single small serpent.
Aethryon flicked his tongue into the air.
Then a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes.
The six men moved almost at the same time.
They had clearly fought together before, because the moment the captain gave the signal, they spread out and formed a rough semicircle around Aethryon, cutting off most of his escape paths. Their spirit rings glowed faintly as spirit power surged through their bodies.
The captain lifted his massive Black Steel Sword Martial Spirit and shouted,
"First Spirit Ring Skill Steel Slash!"
One of the white spirit rings beneath him flashed, and the sword suddenly expanded with a layer of condensed spirit energy. He dashed forward and swung downward, the blade cutting through the air with a sharp whistle.
At the same time, the man with the Stone Axe Spirit roared and activated his own skill.
"First Spirit Ring Skill Crushing Chop!"
The axe glowed white as he jumped forward and aimed directly at Aethryon's body.
Meanwhile, the man with the Shadow Wolf Spirit lunged to the side, his body becoming faster and lighter. His white ring flashed as well.
"First Spirit Ring Skill Shadow Bite!"
He rushed forward like a predator, aiming to pin Aethryon down while the others struck.
The remaining three men did not stand idle either. One raised the Iron Shield Spirit and charged to block Aethryon's path of retreat, while the other two used their own martial spirit techniques to launch ranged attacks of condensed spirit force.
For a moment, the forest erupted into chaos as spirit power filled the air.
But in the middle of it all
Aethryon simply watched.
The crimson serpent tilted his head slightly as the six spirit masters rushed toward him with their combined attacks.
In his eyes…
they were slow.
Extremely slow.
"…Too weak."
The first one to reach him was the Shadow Wolf Spirit Master.
He leapt forward with confidence, claws extended, believing his speed would give him the advantage.
But before he could even finish his attack, Aethryon moved.
His body blurred.
In an instant, the crimson serpent shot forward like a bolt of lightning and struck the man's throat.
CRACK.
Aethryon's venomous fangs pierced deep.
The man's eyes widened in shock.
Before he could even scream, the venom flooded into his bloodstream.
He collapsed instantly, his body twitching on the ground.
The others froze for a split second.
"W-What?!"
But Aethryon didn't stop.
The second victim was the Stone Axe Spirit Master.
The man's axe was still mid-swing when Aethryon suddenly appeared beneath him.
The serpent's tail whipped upward.
CRACK!
The venomous spike pierced straight into the man's abdomen.
He screamed as corrosive venom entered his body.
Within seconds, he fell to the ground, convulsing violently.
The captain's eyes widened.
"Fall back! This thing is"
He didn't finish the sentence.
Aethryon had already moved again.
The third man the shield user raised his Iron Shield Spirit just in time.
But the shield didn't help.
Aethryon struck his exposed leg, injecting venom before retreating again.
The man barely took two steps before collapsing.
Three down.
The remaining three men now looked completely terrified.
"This monster…!"
One of them tried to run.
He turned and sprinted toward the trees.
But Aethryon calmly chased after him.
His long body glided across the ground like flowing water.
Within seconds he caught up.
Another bite.
Another body falling lifeless onto the forest floor.
Four.
The last two men were shaking now.
The captain raised his sword with trembling hands and shouted desperately,
"Together! Attack together!"
They charged.
But their movements were sloppy now, filled with fear.
Aethryon struck first.
His tail whipped across the captain's chest.
The venom spike tore through flesh.
The captain collapsed almost immediately.
Five.
The last man dropped his weapon.
"W-Wait!"
But Aethryon had already lunged forward.
The final bite ended it.
Six.
Silence returned to the forest.
Six spirit masters…
all dead.
Aethryon slowly lifted his head and flicked his tongue through the air.
Then he looked at the bodies scattered across the ground.
"…Even the fat one lasted longer."