Chapter 14: The True Hunter

Chapter 14: The True Hunter Damian walked along the forest path, deeper into the woods. It was empty, silent, and slightly unnerving. He knew demons lurked in places like this. And the odds of running into a high-ranking one? Much higher out here. But he had to press on. Damian wanted strength. He wanted to become someone capable of protecting himself—against anything. With the mediator role approaching in a few days, he needed power. For now, his disguise was working. But what about the future? No one knew what it held. Realizing he was truly alone in the forest, Damian activated his demon eyes. His vision sharpened, adapting to the dark. He could see clearly now—even in the shadows. Traces of mana glowed faintly, and his range of sight expanded. It wasn’t nighttime, but the dense canopy overhead cloaked the forest in near-darkness. Damian checked his surroundings. No houses nearby—just thick trees and silence. He’d already studied the maps beforehand. That was why he chose this location to search for demons. Eventually, as he moved further in, Damian felt something. A presence. Watching. He paused—and waited. Then, a creature stepped into view. Grotesque and goblin-like, with slick gray skin that looked damp, almost oily. It didn’t attack. Damian frowned. That was odd. Then it clicked—his new passive skill was working. The horns he absorbed had granted him an ability that softened demon responses toward him. "Can you understand me?" Damian asked. Some demons were smarter than others. Not all could speak. Higher-ranking ones could even pass as humans with disguises. This creature? It didn’t look smart or powerful. Damian was sure of that. To his surprise, the demon replied. "I can. Who are you? What is this smell?" The creature sniffed a few times. "Are you a demon?" With so many absorbed demonic parts, Damian was beginning to carry their scent. And other demons were noticing. That could be a problem when his time as a mediator came. "How do you know?" Damian asked. "I thought I was disguised." He wanted answers—hopefully this demon wasn’t too dim to help. "You masked your appearance, not your scent. You need to hide that, too. At least that’s what I’ve heard. You’re the first high-ranking demon I’ve met." So there it was. Simple logic—but the real question remained: how could Damian mask his scent? He had no clue. And clearly, neither did this creature. "Do you know if there are other demons in this forest? Strong ones? Weak?" Damian didn’t plan to attack this one—it had helped him, in a way. And if he could convince it to guide him to other demons, that’d save time. "Why do you want to know? Are you the evolutionary demon people are talking about?" That caught Damian off guard more than the creature speaking did. "I’m not. But I’ve heard the rumors. I live in the city. How do you know about that?" The demon gave a strange laugh. "Word travels fast. I have friends in the city. Everyone wants to know more about the evolutionary demon." Damian was no longer clueless about the demon world. He understood now—there were multiple demon groups ruling sections of the city and beyond. These groups wanted power, and they saw Damian as a potential asset, just like they saw the evolutionary demon as an asset too. If they could recruit the evolutionary demon, their advantage would be unmatched—especially against other factions and the hunters. "Anyway, do you know where those demons are or not?" Damian asked. "I do. A few I don’t like. Is that what you’re after?" The demon wasn’t dumb—it could sense Damian’s intentions. "Yes." * Damian had a destination now. Deep in the forest, there was an abandoned cabin that housed a small group of demons. They hunted unsuspecting travelers in the woods, or people near the main road. Their favorite targets? Stranded motorists whose cars broke down at night. In fact, they deliberately placed objects on the road to cause those breakdowns. To avoid suspicion, they attacked in different areas—and only every few months. If the attacks were frequent, hunters would come. Damian was impressed by their tactics. The hunters hadn’t investigated the area, which meant the demons were doing a good job staying hidden. It helped that they didn’t need to feed often. Some demons did. These ones? Apparently not. Damian eventually found the cabin but didn’t approach. He watched from afar first, using his demon eyes to analyze the situation. He peered through the cabin’s windows. Four demons. Hunched, lizard-like creatures with warped limbs and purple skin. Their auras weren’t strong. Damian had already suspected that—the demon who pointed him here said as much. But he needed confirmation. Trusting another demon blindly? That could backfire. Now that he’d seen it with his own eyes, he felt confident enough to make his move. Still, there was a problem. Fighting all four at once probably wasn’t smart. But splitting them up? That wasn’t an option either. These lizard-like demons stuck together. They moved as one, hunted as one. Damian knew that facing them individually was nearly impossible. They were the kind of creatures that operated like a pack. In the end, surprise was his only weapon. If he could take out one before the fight started, that might tip the odds. With that in mind, he moved—quiet as the forest itself. Damian even slipped off his shoes to mute his steps. Sharp twigs and spiky vegetation jabbed his feet, but he didn’t care. He was the hunter now. Focused. Unrelenting. His left eye glowed red. His body hunched low, like a predator ready to strike. He crept closer to the cabin door—it looked unlocked. That was his moment. Damian activated his claw attack. His nails twisted into sharpened blades. Then he lunged toward the nearest lizard. His agility had climbed steadily with every demon part he absorbed—and now, it showed. He was lightning-fast. The first lizard didn’t even flinch before Damian’s claws tore into its neck, slicing a deep wound. The second one—too close to escape—got the same treatment. Another slash to the neck. Both screeched. "Someone’s attacking!" the lizards cried out to one another. But neither of the wounded demons was dead—not yet. And Damian knew staying inside that cramped cabin with four enraged lizards was a death sentence. So he dove through the nearest window. Glass shredded his skin as he tumbled through, but he didn’t stop. He bolted back into the forest. All four lizards chased after him. But two wouldn’t make it far—within moments, they collapsed to the ground. Dead.