The destroyed area gradually regained its calm.

Just a few feet away from the edge of the destroyed area came a rustling sound.

A human and a bunch of small creatures appeared from behind a shrub. They looked bedraggled, as the human male had dirt on his face and messed up clothes. The little black creatures' fur lost its shine because of the dust covering them from head to toe.

Anom looked at his surroundings and couldn't help but take a deep breath while thanking his luck.

While he knew that the beast was strong, the destruction it caused was more than what he had expected.

He shook his head and looked at the sniffers. After seeing that all of them looked fine, besides their dirty appearance, he decided to leave.

Man, it looked like we really provoked an overlord this time. Anom thought while on the way back. It was clear that the black-furred and green-striped beast was the boss of this part of the jungle.

Anom realized that the fruit it was guarding was probably prepared for its child, as the beast itself didn't have any need for such a low amount of energy when it could get more than that from hunting.

Anom also realized that the area they were hunting in was on the border between the territories of two overlords. He still felt a chill when he thought about those eerie-looking green eyes. Although it was currently morning, the dense forest had some areas that were dark like the night. And that blood-red colored beast looked like a phantom in the darkness.

The pits they had dug previously while hunting the red goats proved useful once again. They were lucky enough to survive, and it was thanks to Anom's plan, but most of the credit should still go to the Little Devils.

Anom realized after interacting with them that they were really good at working as a group. And it was not only regarding their mutual cooperation and communication. Even their innate ability to hide their presence increased in strength when there were more of them.

Just like now, when they even managed to hide Anom. Even the aura and smell of the fruit did not leak in the slightest.

Anom really wondered how such great creatures got their population reduced from numbering in the millions to a few hundreds.

The group took a detour and arrived at the place where they had hid their harvested goods.

The little devils scattered around and began retrieving the bags. Anom also left to search for his bag.

Gathering everything together, they found two of the bags damaged in the rampage, with one having half of its contents still salvageable. The other was completely crushed beneath a tree trunk.

After sorting out the goods, the group left.

It was already afternoon when they reached the sniffers' hill.

Anom helped the group organize the spoils while he helped with the preservation of the meat.

Soon they prepared a feast and had a fulfilling lunch. After lunch, Anom went back to his cave room to rest.

He sat down and began to think about the things he had learned while the beast was chasing him. His movement technique and speed had improved considerably, and there were still some revelations left that could be used to improve further.

Anom took out the fruit, which was the cause of the morning madness.

He looked at the fruit in his palm but couldn't decide how to use it. Plus, he had licked the fruit's skin before, and it was pretty bitter, so he was not sure about its taste.

"Well, it's not like this is the worst thing I've done to grow stronger." Anom muttered as he took out his blade and used it to make a cut on the fruit.

A sweet fragrance assaulted his nose the moment the fruit's skin was cut open. Even though he was full after lunch, Anom still found it hard to resist such an appetizing smell.

"Even my body is craving the energy inside this fruit." Anom made another cut with his blade, and a bite-sized slice was separated.

As soon as he put it in his mouth, Anom felt as if he had just eaten the most wonderful dessert in the world. The fruit melted inside his mouth, leaving behind a sweet taste, a fruity flavor, and a cool aftertaste.

When the fruit reached his belly, Anom felt a burst of energy bubbling inside of him.

He acted quickly and focused on himself. Using his mental energy, he controlled the energy inside his stomach and guided it to the other parts of his body through the various energy channels. It was no easy task, as he had to distribute different amounts depending on the capacity and size of the channels. Furthermore, the flow had to be maintained at a constant speed in all the channels, as any hiccup in any energy channel might cause damage to the said channel. This can also result in a chain reaction, which might end up harming Anom badly.

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Anom was observing the flow of energy with rapt attention. Soon the flow was stabilized, and he began using it to strengthen his energy channels.

Anom stood up, and just as he was about to use the energy to temper his body while doing various exercises, his senses, which were currently on full alert, picked up a great disturbance in energy outside of his body.

Anom divided his focus to open his eyes. He soon realized that the disturbance was coming from the incomplete fruit in his hand. It was leaking its energy at a rapid rate every second.

Anom panicked at the prospect of wasting such a great amount of energy due to his negligence. He acted quickly and used the only method he could think of right now.

Anom removed the fruit's skin and began taking big bites of its flesh. Soon, the whole fruit had entered his belly as he nodded satisfyingly.

He closed his eyes and began focusing on controlling the new burst of energy.

But not long later, he realized that he had messed up. The amount of energy in the whole fruit was too great for him to absorb in one sitting.

But it was too late now, as he had to keep his full focus on the torrent of energy inside his body and prevent it from going berserk.

Anom increased the portion of energy distributed to each channel. He also increased the speed at which the energy flowed inside his body.

He had used the energy channels to their full capacity, but that was still not enough, as the remaining energy threatened to burst out at any time. He had no choice but to increase the amount and speed of energy once more.

"ARRGHH!"

The increase caused his energy channels to swell, and considering that the energy channels were spread over his whole body, the pain he felt was no joke. Even the worst training he had gone through could not compare to this. It was his tenacity and determination that kept him from fainting from the pain.

He gritted his teeth tightly and stood up. Anom started doing various motions and exercises to utilize the energy to temper his body.

He ran around the room, did push-ups, squats, handstands, and all the other exercises he could do right now; he practiced his fighting techniques with full momentum.

Anom knew that this was the only way to cope with the large amount of energy inside him, which could go berserk due to the slightest negligence.

And while he was in constant pain and pressure due to this, it also helped him improve himself at a breakneck speed.

Soon, his movements increased in precision along with his speed. His physical strength and stamina also showed improvement.

He continued like this for about an hour before finally stopping. The energy had been assimilated completely by now, and he was no longer in any kind of danger.

Thud!

Due to the tense state he was in, he fainted the moment he stopped.

Anom didn't know how long he kept sleeping. He woke up with a grunt and stood up from the floor.

He wasn't feeling any pain, as he felt refreshed and his body felt lighter. He tried to move around and realized that all his movements were more defined and powerful.

Anom began testing his skills inside the room, only stopping after he was satisfied. He smiled as he felt the increase in his strength.

"This level of strength and skill might make me the best mercenary if it were back on Earth. Who would have thought that this kind of strength used to be common before the suppression?" Anom lamented as he noticed the increase in his strength.

"Well, it looks like I'll have to work hard on behalf of my world. Maybe I'll see the old glory returning with my own eyes someday." Anom tried to imagine what it would be like if that really came true.

But soon he shook his head, as such a thing was too far away for him to consider right now.

He walked toward the exit. After coming out, he realized that it was already evening, which meant he had been sleeping for a few hours straight.

But now that he felt full of energy, it was time for him to do some work.

He walked towards the sniffers' caves and found them outside, arranging the ingredients for dinner. He really envied their easy lives. Well, they suffered their own share of difficulties before settling here.

He helped them deal with some chores, like chopping meat and applying herbs and salt to it.

Soon, a mouth-watering smell wafted around in the air, and the sniffers' mouths were really watering.

They jumped on the food as soon as Anom gave the signal, especially the meat. Anom was speechless, as he really admired how these guys managed to do without meat for such a long time. Maybe that's the reason they love eating meat so much.

They chatted as they ate. Anom informed them about his improvement and the effects of the fruit. He also warned them not to take such reckless actions in the future.

The Little Devils were happy regarding Anom's improvement, as they considered him their friend, someone the goddess sent to look after them.

After the dinner ended, Anom decided to inform them about the thing he wanted to talk about the most.

"I'm leaving!"

As soon as they heard him, all of their expressions froze. They looked as if life had lost all meaning for them, while some of them squeaked about how the goddess had abandoned them.

Anom was speechless at their reaction. He hurriedly waved his hand as he feared that some of them might jump in the fire to commit suicide.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! What's up with these expressions of yours? It's not like I won't be coming back anymore. You are all my friends and, as the lover of the goddess you all believe in, it is my duty to help your tribe recover its former prestige, becoming even better than before. I'll help you make all those who looked down on you and harmed your race regret their decisions. And as you know, it will be easier for me to improve my strength while being among other humans. Don't worry. I will keep coming back regularly."

The group calmed down after listening to his explanation. They also realized that it was also for the good of their tribe.

Anom also warned them not to mess around inside the forest, at least while he was away. He had already prepared enough meat to last them for quite a while.

They soon arrived at the entrance of the crack.

The whole tribe came to see off Anom. They were reluctant to part, but it was for the best.

Anom looked at them and smiled, saying, "Don't give me those sad faces. I'll be back soon. So, be careful till then." He then looked at the leader and said, "Keep yourself and your group safe. There are still many areas in the forest waiting to be raided by us. And don't forget to keep practicing your skills, alright?"

The leader came forward and put his paw on his chest as if to reassure Anom. He knew that Anom had high expectations of them, and he would try his best to live up to those expectations.

Anom took a last look at the group and smiled. He turned around and walked away, his figure disappearing in the night.

The group looked at his disappearing silhouette, not realizing that the day they began to recover their past glory was not so far away anymore.