Mutated Demon Species? Devil?

The Beast Kingdom lay far to the north, and even with Riku's immense strength, the journey took almost three days. During his travels, Riku encountered and slaughtered several demon species, collecting 2,000 exchange points in the process. He no longer needed to avoid minor threats; his confidence had grown significantly. Now, as long as he didn't cross paths with a superior race, he'd be fine. Even if he did, unless it was someone as powerful as Jibril, he could still escape.

The journey wasn't only about fights; Riku also found five treasure chests along the way. One was a silver treasure chest, and the remaining four were bronze. Unfortunately, the bronze chests contained mostly junk.

"Hacking master skills... what use are those here?" Riku muttered in frustration, thinking of how pointless it would be to hack Dwarven warships with skills from Earth.

Another chest revealed a revolver with unlimited bullets—an effective weapon only against ordinary humans and weaker demons, making it virtually useless.

Then came a stronger version of a stench bomb. Riku's nose wrinkled at the foul memory. He had been tempted to throw it away but ultimately decided to store it, despite the corners of his mouth twitching in annoyance.

Only the last bronze treasure chest contained something remotely useful—a high-tech device that absorbed particles from the air to construct clothing. It was convenient, sure, but did nothing to improve his combat power.

The silver treasure chest, while better, wasn't much more helpful. Inside lay an Asauchi—a nameless Zanpakuto from the world of Bleach. Awakening it would be a hassle, and at Riku's current level, wielding a Zanpakuto wouldn't significantly boost his strength.

As Riku neared the Beast Kingdom, he noticed something intriguing on the system map: a gold treasure chest nearby. It would take several more hours to reach it, but he thought it was worth the detour.

"Forget it, I'll grab the gold chest first. It might contain something useful—maybe a hidden trump card. That way, it'll be safer to go to the Beast Kingdom," Riku decided aloud, altering his course.

After three more hours of traveling, Riku found himself in a dark and gloomy canyon. The very air seemed oppressive, and an unsettling feeling crept over him.

"——!" Strange noises echoed throughout the canyon, putting Riku on alert. He turned sharply, his purple eyes narrowing as he spotted the source. Several grotesque snakes with decaying bodies were slithering toward him, flicking their tongues menacingly. They weren't alone; demons and other creatures emerged from the shadows, surrounding him.

"It seems I've stumbled into a demon nest," Riku sighed, shaking his head. "This isn't going to be easy."

Bronze and silver treasure chests weren't all that challenging to obtain, but gold ones were on another level.

Suddenly, the five rotting snakes opened their mouths, releasing a cloud of dark, putrid gas. The rocks in its path crumbled and melted—clearly a potent poison. Riku frowned, then stomped on the ground, creating a massive crater as he launched himself skyward.

With his Hermes Boots, Riku hovered a hundred meters in the air. He held out his hand, and a powerful elemental reaction took form.

"Projection."

A bow and a spiraling demon sword materialized in his grip. Riku nocked the sword onto the bowstring, drawing it back fully before releasing it.

"Whew——!" The sword shot through the air like a bullet, slamming into one of the giant, rotting snakes, which let out a strangled hiss as black blood splattered everywhere.

"Boom——!" The impact triggered an explosion akin to that of an intercontinental missile, obliterating the targeted snake and several others nearby. Riku wasn't done yet. He continued to fire sword after sword, each projectile causing a blast that sent chunks of rock and dust flying.

Soon, the entire canyon was shaking from the force of the explosions. Every demon species below was obliterated, their remains scattered like dust.

"Swish——!" Riku relaxed slightly, having successfully wiped out the enemies below. However, a sharp noise reached his ears, and his instincts screamed danger. He didn't hesitate—using Shambhala, he teleported to a safer location.

A gust of wind tore through where he'd just been, slicing the air apart. The sheer force was enough that even Riku would have been reduced to mince if it had hit.

"Demon? Or is it a mutated Devil?" Riku looked up, his eyes narrowing at the sight.

Hovering in the air was a giant eagle, five times larger than a normal one. Its body was devoid of feathers, instead covered in what looked like black metal plates. Its talons and beak were sharp enough to pierce almost anything. But what unnerved Riku the most were its eyes—blood-red, filled with a deep malice. The giant eagle gazed at Riku, not as a threat but as prey.

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