Treasures and Battling in the Abyss

The Beast Kingdom lay in the distant north, and Riku, despite his formidable strength, required nearly three days to reach it. Along the way, he engaged in combat with various demon species, amassing 2,000 exchange points. With this newfound confidence, Riku no longer evaded encounters with lesser foes as he had before. Even when faced with superior races, he felt secure, knowing he could escape unless confronted by a formidable opponent like Jibril.

During his journey, Riku not only eliminated demon species but also stumbled upon five treasure chests. Among them, one was silver, while the rest were bronze. However, the contents of the four bronze chests proved utterly useless to him. Skills related to hacking had no relevance in this world, and an unlimited-bullet revolver had limited utility against anyone but ordinary humans and demons. A more potent stench bomb offered little advantage, though Riku begrudgingly stored it in his inventory. The final bronze chest contained a high-tech item capable of creating clothes from airborne energy particles, convenient but offering no combat enhancement.

The silver chest yielded something of value—an unnamed Zanpakuto (Asauchi) from the Bleach universe. However, awakening it posed a significant challenge. Riku's current strength rendered the addition of a Zanpakuto a marginal boost at best.

As Riku continued his journey, he realized that he was only a few hours away from reaching the Beast Kingdom, but a nearby golden treasure chest beckoned him. He debated whether to investigate it, pondering whether it might provide valuable assets for future encounters.

Three hours later, Riku arrived at a gloomy and foreboding canyon. Something about it raised his concerns. Eerie sounds echoed, and he turned to find several massive, menacing snakes and various mountain demons closing in. He realized he had intruded into a demon nest, and the challenge here was greater than acquiring silver or bronze chests.

Suddenly, the five enormous snakes exhaled a toxic gas that corroded the surrounding terrain. Riku, however, responded swiftly, creating a pit beneath him and propelling himself into the air using Hermes Boots. With his Elemental power, he summoned a bow and projected the Demon-spiraling sword, taking aim and firing it at the snakes.

The sword pierced one of the snakes, causing it to explode violently, sending shockwaves throughout the canyon. Riku didn't stop there, relentlessly raining down more projectiles and obliterating the other snakes. The canyon shook, and the remaining demons met their demise without exception.

Yet, danger lurked as Riku sensed a sudden disturbance in the air. A monstrous presence had emerged, and with quick reflexes, he shifted positions using Shambhala. In the spot where he had stood, the atmosphere was cleaved open as if by a colossal force, confirming that Riku's actions had saved him from certain annihilation.

Now, a new adversary stood before him—an immense eagle with an eerie, metal-like black hide, razor-sharp claws and fangs, and blood-red eyes fixated on Riku, as if sizing him up as prey.