At the dawn of creation, chaos and order vied for dominion over the realms. After a fierce battle, chaos was vanquished and fell into the depths of the world, forming the abyss, while order, exhausted, perished, giving rise to the primary realm.
Demons, then, were born from the carcasses of chaos.
The original demons were powerful, wielding the laws of chaos. However, as demons engaged in relentless slaughter, the powerful ones fell, and from their corpses, many lesser demons emerged. These lesser demons fought amongst themselves, giving rise to yet smaller demons, until the numbers of demons swelled, while their strength diminished.
Now, Alan could be described as a minuscule, minuscule, minuscule demon.
The path for lesser demons to grow stronger was simple: trace back their lineage, expel the weaker bloodlines, and extract the powers of the primal demons from their mottled heritage, eventually transforming into the embodiment of chaos, rising from the abyss to annihilate the primary realm.
After slaying the little demon before him, Alan rightfully acquired its bloodline—the Painful Inferior Demon. This demon combined the powers of gluttony, wrath, and greed, boasting a robust physique and insatiable hunger, deriving pleasure from tormenting weaker foes.
Such demons were not uncommon in the abyss, yet they were certainly stronger than Alan's current form.
Location: Abyss Hell.
Current Species: Minor Hybrid Demon.
Bloodline Composition:
Abyss Demon: 3%
Painful Inferior Demon: 5%
Low-level Demon: 55%
Mixed Bloodline: 37%
Bloodline Evaluation: Pathetically mixed.
Power Evaluation: Easily crushed.
Demons are indeed a fascinating race.
After a bout of combat, Alan let out a sigh, marveling at the fact that he could immediately absorb what he had just consumed…
As reason returned to his mind, he recalled the repulsive substance he had ingested and felt a wave of nausea, though he could not bring himself to expel it.
It seemed that the flesh had been thoroughly assimilated.
Observing a 15% decrease in his low-level demon bloodline on his panel, Alan realized this was the so-called 'weak bloodline' being supplanted by the more potent bloodline of the Painful Inferior Demon.
Simultaneously…
Gazing at his razor-sharp claws and his more muscular arms, Alan nodded with satisfaction.
He had to admit... the sensation of evolution felt remarkably good.
Next, as the system task indicated, he needed to escape this basin.
Alan peered into the distance and faintly discerned towering stone walls. It appeared this basin was immense, comparable to a journey of three to five days by car in his human life.
However, it was clear that Alan was beset not only by the stone walls but more so by the gnawing hunger and… the presence of his demonic 'companions.'
Crack…
Crack…
With a few familiar sounds, several more 'rocks' shattered around him, and a few newly born, un-evolved little demons tumbled out.
But this time, Alan would not be caught off guard.
Pfft!
His sharp claws sliced through the neck of one newborn demon as effortlessly as a heated knife through butter. Immediately after, Alan delivered a powerful kick to another little demon, which was smaller than him, sending it crashing into the wall. It twitched a couple of times before falling still.
To his surprise, Alan felt no moral burden.
Perhaps these grotesque flesh forms bore no connection to humanity, so Alan felt no kinship with them. Killing these creatures felt as natural as exterminating mice in a trap.
One, two—Alan methodically dispatched the little demons before him with the most efficient methods at his disposal.
Yet suddenly, a cacophony of birth sounds echoed across the plains; these bloodthirsty creatures, having consumed their placentas, turned to fight amongst themselves. In an instant, the previously silent expanse erupted into a chaotic uproar.
Roar!
Just as Alan prepared to seize one of the little demons and strangle it, the creature unexpectedly let out an enraged roar. It opened its mouth, and a fireball the size of a baseball erupted forth, striking Alan squarely in the chest. Instantly, a searing burn forced Alan to release his grip as the little demon fled like a startled rabbit. It was then that he realized this was not a newborn demon but one that had evolved, possessing bloodline abilities.
Alan regained his focus, glancing around in astonishment.
How many little demons were slaughtering one another in this expanse?
One hundred? One thousand? Perhaps ten thousand? Or even hundreds of thousands?
Alan had no time to calculate, but he could see that his field of vision was filled with little demons entwined in a gruesome dance of death, drenched in flesh and blood.
In such circumstances, it would not be long before more of these little demons evolved—no… perhaps even stronger ones.
He needed to grow stronger and consume them all.
In a web novel, this would be the moment when the protagonist displayed overwhelming power, and upon regaining his senses, only he—no, just one little demon—would remain.
Yet Alan did not share this optimism; in this situation, the odds of survival for each little demon were staggeringly low, merely a fraction of one in several hundred thousand. Even he, having evolved, possessed only marginally better odds, akin to gambling—requiring a streak of 'sixes' to survive.
Chuckling to himself, Alan recalled having faced a similar scenario back on Earth.
He had emerged as the victor amidst billions, swimming to first place.
But this was hardly the time for jest.
Alan suppressed his discomfort and seized a piece of a nearby little demon, shoving it into his mouth.
The memory of his bloodline told him that this was the best remedy for the burns on his chest.
Devouring the bloodline, Painful Inferior Demon bloodline increased by 2%.
Indeed, this demon's bloodline provided less than the previous one.
It seemed the Painful Inferior Demon bloodline offered by little demons would diminish over time.
What distinguished Alan from ordinary little demons?
It was the will of a human.
Ordinary little demons followed their instincts, unable to restrain their craving for flesh, mindlessly clashing with their fellow demons until they ultimately perished.
But Alan was different; he understood the necessity of controlling his bloodthirst.
In this scenario, the lesser demons on the fringes had a greater chance of survival.
Alan sought to take advantage of the fact that these little demons had yet to fully evolve, aiming to escape to the outskirts—a task that would be incredibly exhausting.
However… as long as he had ample flesh, he could overcome any challenge.
With this thought, Alan twisted the neck of a little demon that lunged at him, tore off a chunk of flesh, and without hesitation, swallowed it whole. From his observations, little demons did not seem to suffer from indigestion.
Afterward, he found a relatively sparse area populated by the little demons, rose to his feet, and sprinted forward.
Roar…
After an indeterminate duration of running, a little demon, roughly the same size as Alan, suddenly charged from the side, knocking him to the ground. It was clear this demon was much larger than Alan, yet it lacked sharp claws.
Damn it…
Alan slowly rose, stuffing the piece of flesh he had held onto into his mouth. The fatigue and dizziness began to fade.
Indeed… his instincts had proven correct; this demon was on par with him.