Alan could see that the demon before him had a completely different bloodline. Its arms were thick and muscular, extending beyond its knees, and it moved with a gait reminiscent of a baboon, but lacked claws on its hands.
From their earlier collision, Alan realized that he was no match for this creature in terms of strength, but he could run a tad faster.
If he were to engage in a direct confrontation, the best outcome would only be mutual destruction.
However… Alan had no intention of facing it head-on.
With this thought in mind, he seized a chunk of flesh nearby and hurled it at the baboon-like demon.
Pfft!
The shapeless mass of flesh exploded on the demon's face, causing no real damage but igniting its fury.
It immediately charged toward Alan, its powerful arms propelling it forward.
Alan turned on his heel and fled, all the while picking up another piece of flesh from the ground to toss at the baboon demon.
"Roar!!"
Humiliated, the baboon demon let out a furious roar, wishing it could squash the tiny bug in front of it into a pulp and then savor the remains.
But it soon noticed that Alan had halted and displayed a… smile.
Yes, that sort of grin that indicates a scheme had succeeded.
Though the baboon demon, being a lesser demon, lacked the understanding of tricks, it instinctively sensed something was amiss.
Sure enough, Alan spotted two or three other little demons that had appeared around them, drawn by the scent of blood from the baboon demon. These were all demons that had evolved at least once.
"Roar!"
As Alan watched, several demons began to fight among themselves, while he chuckled in the distance, grabbing a nearby newborn demon and taking a hefty bite.
After all the food he had consumed along the way, killing this newborn demon felt as effortless as twisting open a bottle of mineral water. However, the nourishment it provided was merely a throat-wetting.
Of course, demons did not require water, but Alan, having once been human, found the dry air of Hell uncomfortable. Only blood could moisten his lips… though the taste was far from pleasant.
He had to be careful not to spill too much blood on himself, or he might end up like the foolish baboon demon, besieged by others.
Finally, after a mournful scream, the baboon demon's massive body collapsed. Its arms were riddled with wounds, and the fatal injury was a deep gash across its neck. Yet the little demon that had inflicted that wound was now a pulpy mess on the ground, while the other little demons that had attacked were also missing various parts.
As expected… mutual destruction.
Alan watched with keen interest, but he knew this was not the best time to strike.
In the world of little demons, there was no such thing as cooperation. Among all the little demons, sharing a kill simply did not exist.
Creak…
With an unpleasant sound, the evolved little demons began fighting once more, and in their frenzy, they started gnawing at the carcass of the baboon demon, much like dogs fighting over scraps.
After the violent clash, one little demon, missing an arm and half a leg, emerged victorious. Though severely injured, its wounds healed at a visible pace. It had killed other little demons and the baboon demon, and according to the laws of demons, one of its bloodline powers had reached its peak.
It was on the verge of evolving.
Snap… Snap…
The muscles of the surviving little demon began to swell again, its size increasing while its sharp claws fell away, replaced by a terrifying bone blade that extended from the back of its hand.
It took a step closer to the Painful Inferior Demon—a potential future Painful Inferior Demon, or perhaps even a Great Demon or a Lord Demon, taking its first step towards chaos. But alas, this step would soon come to an end.
Because Alan had been waiting for the perfect moment.
Pfft!
His sharp claws sliced through the little demon's neck. Its legs and arms had yet to fully regenerate, but the remaining limb still swept down and knocked the little demon that had been clinging to its back to the ground.
Awooo…
Alan instinctively let out a wail as he was rolled across the ground, but he suppressed the cry of pain that followed.
He knew that emitting any sign of weakness would draw the attention of nearby creatures, making him a target for their collective attack.
The little demon that had just evolved grasped at its neck, attempting to pick up a piece of flesh from the ground to consume, but the deep wound had severed its esophagus and artery, causing its blood to flow out faster than it could heal.
Boom!
The potential future Great Demon collapsed.
And there, the treacherous ambusher approached, enduring its own wounds to quickly enjoy the spoils of battle.
Alan had completely cast aside his initial discomfort; he knew that if he didn't hurry to eat, a stronger little demon would soon set its sights on this chunk of meat, leading to further complications.
**"Absorb Painful Inferior Demon bloodline."**
**"Current Painful Inferior Demon bloodline exceeds 37%. Cost: 100 bloodline experience for evolution. Confirm?"**
**"Confirm!"**
Alan wiped the corner of his mouth; he could no longer afford to hesitate. The sooner he grew stronger, the better his chances of survival.
Roar!
With a low growl, pain surged through Alan's body. Unlike his first evolution, this time felt as if he were being torn apart.
His claws fell away.
His bones elongated.
His muscles filled out.
Bone spikes jutted from his arms…
Once everything had settled, Alan fought against the urge to collapse and took a few more bites of the surviving demon's flesh.
He had grown stronger…
But just then, a once-evolved little demon noticed Alan and lunged toward him.
Get away!
Alan swung his arm in response, striking the little demon. Fresh from his evolution, Alan had little stamina left, and his swing lacked power.
However, upon impact, the little demon flew aside like a ragged cloth, crashing into a nearby rock. It collided with two newborn little demons along the way, finally landing with a thud, its chest pierced by the bone spike protruding from Alan's arm, blood still flowing from the wound, motionless.
"This is… power."
At last, after replenishing his strength with the flesh of the demons beneath his feet, Alan stood and looked at his noticeably more muscular body. He surveyed the area, filled with little demons only reaching his waist, and clenched his fists, a surge of determination swelling within him.
The feeling of becoming stronger was addictive.
He began to understand why these little demons fought so eagerly; they were all likely in pursuit of this sensation.
Yet this feeling, while it propelled him forward, could just as easily lead to his downfall.
With so many little demons around, it was likely that others could evolve just as he had.
Even if he was among the strongest little demons, the earlier encounter with the baboon demon was a reminder that two fists could hardly compete with four hands; a fierce tiger could still fear a pack of wolves. If multiple little demons turned against him, he could find himself overwhelmed.
Thus, he resolved to find a secluded spot to quietly develop his strength.