The sword that was supposed to pierce through the back of Achram’s neck simply slid off it! The tip of the sword couldn’t pierce through his skin hardened by his evolution, leading it to skid off the skin. Bucko couldn’t even hold his sword properly after that strike, feeling the vibrations echo back to his spine.

It felt like he hit a steel wall, and all the power that he used on the strike was reflected in his hands.

How could that be?!

“How…that…that’s impossible!” Bucko exclaimed. He was down on the ground, his hands trembling. He looked up at Achram whose eyes remained deathly calm. It was as if he knew what the outcome would be before it even happened.

‘Rule 12 of hunting. Don’t turn your back to the enemy!’

Showing your back to the enemy was supposed to make you vulnerable! It was supposed to have caught Achram off guard with no defenses. He shouldn’t have been able to react to the strike at all.

However, the problem was that Achram didn’t react at all. He simply let the sword hit him because he knew that it would be ineffective against him.

“You think that you had me just because you were a ‘better’ hunter than me?” asked Achram, standing up and showing that he was at least a head taller than Bucko. “I follow a different set of rules now. I only follow God’s words.”

Looking at him now, Achram exuded a strength that was well hidden beneath his low aura. Even though he wasn’t as hairy as the other Thalls or his jaws weren't as dominant, Bucko felt like he was looking at an apex version of Thalls. But how could that be?

Shouldn’t he be the one with the aura of perfectness? He was the one who hunted beasts and animals for years! He was the one who made the ultimate sacrifice and decided to sell off Thalls to save the village! He should be the one blessed with powers!

“You were supposed to be dead! How did you survive?!” Bucko screamed. Anger was the only way he could overcome the fear in his heart. He knew that his death was decided the moment that Achram arrived well and better from the mountain.

“I was blessed by God. He has given me a new life!” exclaimed Achram. He looked up, feeling as if the God of Icy Rock was still looking over him.

“With his grace, I can see everything. None can get past me, not even you guys.”

When they found out that their surprise attack was all for naught, the rest of the guys surged out of the bushes and attacked Achram all at once. There were four Thalls in total, each one of them was an elite hunter that hunted with Bucko for years, making their cooperation and chemistry enhance their attacks.

If the four of them hunted together, then they could even kill Alpha Bears. Achram should be no different.

Two of them were wielding swords and they were the first ones to face Achram. One of them attacked his upper body, targeting his head, the most vulnerable part of anybody. The other swordsman targeted the legs, in hopes of crippling him and preventing him from running away.

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But the surprise attack didn’t only have two swordsmen. It also had two other hunters wielding spears, ready to pierce through any weakness they saw in their target. Usually, once the swordsman did their damage, the spearmen would then target the injury, exacerbating it into a fatal wound.

They saw how strong Achram’s skin was, so these spearmen decided to attack one spot altogether. They thrust their spears at his ribs, hoping to bypass his defenses and target his heart. That was also one of the techniques they used to deal with animals like bears and lions who were much stronger than they were.

Achram simply ignored the two spearmen and focused his attacks on the swordsmen. With his Lazarus Piercing Eyes, he was able to see a bright light in each one of their bodies. This wasn't the first time he saw these stars. Back in the mines, when he hit the star with his pickaxe, the soil burst into dust and debris.

This star allowed him to see the structural weakness of his enemies. He raised his hand and only used one finger. He then stabbed his finger into the swordsman's right shoulder. He targeted the exact place where there was no muscle or bone to protect his insides.

The swordsman's face twisted in pain as he felt a deathly sensation of electricity emanating from his shoulders. This was one of the previous injuries he had from a previous hunt, and he thought that it had healed properly. He was wrong. And Achram pinpointed it with accuracy and aggravated the injury.

He let go of his sword and writhed in pain on the ground. This was the kind of pain that was much more painful than being bitten by a jaguar or being punched by a bear weighing hundreds of kilos. This was the kind of pain that went straight to his brain, the kind of unbearable pain that would make him want to die.

Achram then proceeded to do the same with the other swordsman, this time, targeting the weak point on his neck. With just one chop with the hand, Achram hit the Thall’s nerve point, incapacitating him.

Now, it was time for the two other spearmen. With just one tug, the two Thalls were pulled out from the safety of the bushes. The reason why these Thalls used a spear was because their close-up fighting ability was slim to none.

If the two swordsmen were helpless against Achram, then these two spearmen were even more useless the moment that Achram closed the distance between them.

With his Lazeus Piercing Eyes, he made quick work of them. All four ambushers were down on the ground. They were all still alive, but they were all writhing in pain.

If he was the same Achram from before, he would have spared their lives. After all, they were still his comrade in arms during hunts. No matter what, they were still his neighbors in the village. He even grew up with them and even trained with the same master.

However, Achram was different now. He saw things much more clearly. If these Thalls were willing to sacrifice another Thall’s life to slavery, then their lives weren’t worth sparing. He hoped that he could bring everyone to the mountain and let them join God’s kingdom.

But they weren’t worthy.

Achram picked up one spear from the ground. And with an emotionless face, he plunged the tip of the spear into their hearts one by one. Blood poured out from their mouths, clutching their chests and looking at Achram with disbelief.

They didn’t think he was capable of killing them.

“This is my mercy to you. Trust me, I would have wrung your bodies and put your heads in a stake for the suffering that you have caused my family, but I don’t want my God to see such brutality.” Achram’s complicated eyes showed anger, yet he concealed them as much as he could.

He was not here to relieve his anger. He was here to fulfill the duty that his God had tasked upon him. They were merely obstacles that must be erased. He must not indulge in anything more, even if he wanted to torture them until they cried for help.

He also didn’t want his family to see such things, especially his daughters.

Bucko stumbled backward, landing on his butt. He looked at Achram with fear, his eyes showing that of a cornered rabbit about to be killed by a lion. He didn’t think that Achram would go to such lengths. How could he so easily kill them?! Has he no shame?!

“You…you’re a bad spirit! You’re a malignant demon that has taken over Achram’s body! The original must have died in the mountains. That’s why you changed so much!”

Bucko said whatever he wanted to say, still not believing that Achram could have changed this much. He found it more believable that Achram’s body was taken over, rather than Achram getting God’s blessing and evolving to the next level.

Achram could have explained that he evolved thanks to the legendary Ether, but he was sure that Bucko wouldn’t have believed him. He also wasn’t worthy to know the majesty and blessings of God.

And if he did tell Bucko that God could make him powerful, there might have been a chance that Bucko plead for his forgiveness. He could have asked to see this God and be blessed the same.

At that point, Achram’s loyalty to his God would have forced him to forgive Bucko and let him meet God.

He couldn't let that happen, so Achram simply didn’t tell the truth to him.

“No, get away from me!”

Achram walked over to Bucko, with the tip of his spear still leaking the blood of Bucko’s former hunting comrades. He looked down on Bucko and said,

“I hope you taught your son not to be like you.”

“You! Are you going to make my son an orphan?!”

Achram nodded his head. With a slight smile on his face, he said,

“Yes. Don’t you remember?”

Achram pierced the spear tip in Bucko’s heart.

“Rule 30 of hunting. Make sure you kill your prey.”