Chapter 16: Adjuchas?

Somewhere in the Forest of Great Void.

Four towering giant trees entangle each other, and their branches are connected together, forming a special nest above the giant trees. A strange and eerie atmosphere hangs in the air, as though the forest itself holds secrets of ancient power and forgotten horrors. Within this entangled sanctuary, a roar echoed from the heart of the nest. The sound was guttural and strange, reverberating through the trees, causing the creatures within the forest to pause in cautious reverence.

The roar belonged to Hubert Allen, a being who was only four or five meters tall, with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a serpent. His form exuded a dangerous aura that seemed to command fear itself. He glared at the half-human, half-scorpion creature standing beside him with contempt, a vicious sneer curling upon his lips.

"Ian Gray, you pathetic fool! The two hundred Gillians I gave you to command have disappeared without a trace. How dare you claim they were lost? Was it not your treacherous subordinates who pilfered my bounty?" Allen's voice was filled with venom, dripping with anger and arrogance.

Before Ian Gray could respond, Hubert Allen's massive snake tail lashed out in a swift motion. The tail struck Ian Gray with such force that it sent the half-scorpion creature hurtling through the air, crashing dozens of meters away and tumbling to the ground with a painful thud. Allen's gaze remained unwavering as he watched Ian Gray struggle to regain his composure.

Ian Gray, who was as much insect as humanoid, scrambled to his feet, a mixture of fear and submission in his expression. He bowed deeply before Allen, his posture one of utter humility.

"My great Lord Allen, I swear I did not steal the Gilians. The loss is beyond my control. Please, allow me to track down the thief and bring them to justice. I will lead my forces to hunt them down!" Ian Gray's voice trembled, though he tried to sound sincere.

Allen studied Ian Gray, his eyes narrowed with calculated amusement. It was clear that Allen relished the opportunity to humiliate his subordinate. There was a sick pleasure in the way he toyed with Ian Gray's desperation.

"I am almost impressed that you still have the audacity to speak after your shameful defeat at my hands," Allen spoke, his tone dripping with scorn. "But it seems your cowardice knows no bounds. You, a mere degenerate, cannot even keep control over your own minions. How pitiful."

Allen's gaze grew colder as he continued, "You will hunt down the betrayers and make them pay with their lives. If you fail again, it will be your end. But if you succeed, perhaps I'll consider allowing you to regain your dignity."

Ian Gray's eyes flickered with a mix of fear and hatred, but he nodded eagerly, desperate for Allen's approval. "I shall do as you command, great master."

Soon, Ian Gray, with a dark expression on his face, led a large group of ordinary Gillians away from the nest. These Gillians, though numerous, were far less intelligent and far more expendable in Allen's eyes. They followed Ian Gray with nervous obedience, knowing that their lives depended on his ability to please their cruel leader.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, something within Ian Gray snapped. In a sudden, violent outburst, he whipped his massive tail around and impaled one of the Gillians nearest to him. The creature let out a muffled cry before being torn to shreds by Ian Gray's anger. His body shook with fury as he vented his frustrations, a primal scream of rage escaping his lips.

"Hateful! Hateful! Hateful!" Ian Gray roared, his voice raw with emotion. The remaining Gillians scattered in fear, their eyes wide with terror as they watched their comrade's brutal end. Ian Gray, now somewhat calmer, cast a cold glance at the terrified Gillians, who dared not make a sound. His mood had darkened, and the air around him seemed to thrum with a dangerous energy.

Ian Gray had once been an Adjuchas in the Forest of Great Void. He was once a solitary predator, a force to be reckoned with. But that was before he met Hubert Allen,who was his equal in strength. Despite their similarities, Allen had managed to trap Ian Gray through cunning tactics and overwhelming numbers. With his defeat, Allen had crippled Ian Gray's body intentionally, ensuring that he would never rise to his previous level of power. Stripped of his dignity and his chance to evolve further, Ian Gray had been imprisoned and forced to serve Allen as a commander of Gillians.

As punishment for his perceived failure, Allen had planted snake venom within Ian Gray, further ensuring his obedience. From then on, Ian Gray had been nothing more than a puppet on strings, doing Allen's bidding and leading lesser Gillians into battle without question. His body, now broken, would never heal, and his mind was slowly being warped by the venom coursing through his veins.

For the past few months, Ren had been hiding his presence using breath-catching techniques, slipping unnoticed among the Gillians. He had infiltrated their ranks, quietly hunting them down one by one. His movements were precise, and each kill was an opportunity to absorb more power. Ren estimated that he had eliminated nearly one hundred Gillians over the course of his hunt. His spiritual pressure had grown exponentially, increasing tenfold since his arrival in the Great Void Forest. His strength had undergone a transformation, but despite all his success, Ren realized that he was no closer to achieving his ultimate goal.

"Is simply devouring Gillians not enough to promote me?" Ren thought quietly to himself, his mind filled with questions. "Perhaps I need to hunt an Adjuchas... that's the only way forward."

He paused for a moment, reflecting on his thoughts. In the past, he had never encountered such difficulty in advancing his rank. The process seemed simple enough in the original framework of his world. But then he realized—there had been no mention of anyone like him, someone so intent on devouring and evolving. The thought of this realization brought him a sense of calm.

Just as Ren's thoughts settled, his keen senses caught sight of another lone Gillian in the distance. Without hesitation, he drew his sword, moving swiftly and silently towards his target. With a single, forceful slash, he cleaved through the Gillian, bisecting it with brutal efficiency. His tail extended, a dark golden vortex forming at its tip, swallowing the creature's remains. As the Gillian vanished into the abyss, Ren's body thrummed with renewed energy, but he couldn't help but wonder—what was next?

"Haha, is there such a coincidence?" Ren chuckled, sensing a trace of conspiracy in the air.

But he didn't let it bother him. With his current strength, even if he encountered an Adjuchas, he might still be able to hold his own. As for encountering a Vasto Lorde—if one truly wanted him dead, they would not need to go through the trouble of setting up a bait. A Vasto lorde could simply strike and kill him in a single blow.

Ren's mind was focused on the task at hand, brushing off any concerns about higher-level beings. He had bigger things to focus on.

Sure enough, after Ren had killed the second Gillian, he sensed the presence of a third Gillian not far off. He could feel its spiritual pressure lingering in the air, and an amused grin spread across his face.

"Interesting," Ren muttered to himself, intrigued by the turn of events.

Deciding to play along, Ren followed through with the apparent trap. Without hesitation, he swallowed the third Gillian along with its spiritual pressure, letting his ghoul soul absorb its essence.

However, as Ren consumed the third Gillian, a sudden realization hit him. He had been surrounded.

A large group of Gillians had closed in, their presence a quiet but unmistakable threat. Ren's senses flared, but he remained unfazed, his instincts alert but calm.

Then, a figure emerged from the crowd. A humanoid Gillian, standing at less than seven or eight meters tall, appeared before him. It was half-human, half-scorpion, with two enormous scorpion pincers and a massive scorpion tail swaying behind it. The creature's most striking feature was the red mask it wore, with a gap the size of a human hand on its face, giving it a menacing, enigmatic appearance.

"Adjuchas? No, this must be a special Gillian who degenerated from Adjuchas," Ren mused, observing the figure before him. His heart stirred with a mix of excitement and curiosity. Since entering the Great Void Forest, Ren had only encountered mindless giants or creatures without intelligence. The last time he had encountered an intelligent being, it was giant hollow, who had attacked him with a sneer in the desert. But now, he was facing a creature with intelligence, and Ren was intrigued by the potential of what was about to unfold.

The half-scorpion creature, Ian Gray, eyed Ren with a puzzled expression, noticing the strange behavior and the enormous sword in Ren's hand.

"A strange Adjuchas? Why do you hunt these low-level Gillians? And what is that sword you carry? It looks similar to the weapons of the invading shinigamis," Ian Gray remarked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

Ren's eyes flickered, a glint of understanding crossing his mind. He nodded slightly in acknowledgment of the observation.

"So he recognizes me as an Adjuchas," Ren thought. "It seems my spiritual pressure has finally reached that level."

Ren didn't deny the observation. Instead, he focused his gaze on Ian Gray, a surge of excitement running through him. The prospect of a challenging opponent, someone with intelligence and strength, intrigued him.

Ian Gray seemed to understand the message that Ren was sending, and to Ren's surprise, he waved his hand to calm the Gillians around him. With a stern expression, he stepped forward, clearly signaling his intent for a one-on-one confrontation.

Ren's eyes gleamed with anticipation. This encounter, it seemed, was about to get much more interesting.