Slithering like worms in the leafy forest floor were snakes thicker than a bottle and longer than an arm. Each adorn night-black scales that fail to crack under a boulder’s weight, and shining amethyst eyes piercing the maze of ancient trees.

Behind them, the cloud Spawns loomed like birds of prey in the morning. Their movement caused leaves to rain down, but the Spawns were quicker. The snakes were already swarmed by them before the leaves could touch the soil, and Kiru arrived to see several lumps of Spawns biting down on the newborn snakes.

Kiru hissed, though his eyes were glowing in approval. He felt so pleased that he flew like he was on clouds. having said so, he swiftly organized his army into three groups.

The first and second group were tasked with carrying the forty feet snake and its children, while the third group was tasked with surrounding their loot. It was a simple formation, but it served Kiru well throughout his many expeditions.

The journey back to their nest was rock-stale. They hadn't even run into any prey animals, making Kiru both displeased and relieved. Where there are prey, there are predators. The same goes for the other way around, and he figured that they wouldn't run into any more apex predators.

Hunting the snake stressed him to no end, he even thought they would fail! The snake was like a lightning bolt, mowing through his army without giving them any time to react.

Thinking about the loss, he remembered the war between humans and the three rulers. After the agent's defeat, Helzar, La'Queen, and Zharan didn't hold back in invading all the human cities within the continent.

During the war, Kiru led several armies to both victory and defeat. Yes, defeat.

that was the snake's weakness.

The humans, although far weaker than the snake, were resourceful and did everything to hold back the invasion of the Swarm, the Lava Ants, and the Mad Intrusion.

On the other hand, the snake fell victim to its beastly instincts and gluttony. It knew the Spawns could self-destruct, yet it kept eating the Spawns leading to its demise. If only it used its speed advantage, he would've failed in claiming its head.

Kiru hummed, his head throbbing at a missing part of his memories. During the war, he fought and killed countless humans. He wasn't a saint and he'd die for Helzar, but he knew he did something treacherous. To what it was, perhaps no one will ever know.

Kiru already shared his memories with Helzar more than once. Helzae knew what he did and that he erased a piece of his memory. Still, he remained breathing to this day.

Maybe his lord had forgiven his sin, but that no longer bothered him. His lord owns his heart, body, and soul. He'd die with a smile even if his lord did so by throwing him to pigs.

Seeing their leader slowly being at ease, the Spawns within the army relaxed as well. They spent too much energy during the hunt. Although they can regenerate through devouring, too much forceful healing will burden their body. They might even pop like an overripe tomato.

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Of course, their formation remained tight. The only thing that loosened was their alertness, which gave the pair of amethyst eyes lurking behind the trees a weakness to grasp. Its body was cloaked by its charcoal fur, blending it in with the darkness that ate the entire forest.

+++-+++-+++

Looking at the mountain range, Rex’s brows furrowed while a frown kissed his lips. His eyes caged helplessness which leaked through his hesitant steps. His target had just entered that mountain range, which to him looked like the jaws of a lion.

I lion with demon horns.

“First that stupid ant, and now it's Helzar,” he rubbed his temples, easing the headache stewing in his head. He wouldn't enter the mountain range, not after all the troubles he went through just to leave it.

“I got some of Zharan's flesh,” he touched the pouch hanging on his waist. It contained wet, fresh flesh, yet it was somehow dry.

It was made from the hide of a mutated animal, and although he couldn't make a bigger one, it did its job.

Feeling the flesh sloshing around the bag, Rex sighed as he looked at the sky.

“Don’t worry brother, I'll save you.”

He stayed there for a whole day, contemplating on his next plan. Even as the night's cold rain and the heat of the sun crashed on him, he remained sitting. He neither ate nor slept, but his eyes remained vigorous despite looking a little lost.

“Hmm?” In the middle of the afternoon, his shoulder twitched. Normally, his Sunlight Sparrows would be flocking around him, but now he let them roam free. Looking behind him, he saw vast plains. However, near the horizon, a group of men were heading his way.

FOOOSH—!

He tilted his body—CHUK!

Looking at the ground behind him, a hole was formed and if he hadn't moved, there'd be a coin-sized hole on his shoulder too.

“Che,” Rex stood up as he spat on the ground. After a few stretches, three small Sunlight Sparrows landed on his shoulders, while one adult Sunlight Sparrow gracefully landed behind him.

“Damned bastards,” he mumbled before his body flickered into flames. When that group of men finally reached where he was, they all sighed in disappointment. Their guns were at the ready, but it looks like they would waste ammo today.

+++-+++-+++

Kiru screamed, having woken up in a startle. Not far away, a black panther was running away from them, and in its mouth was the corpse of a forty foot snake.

Hearing his near primal scream, the Spawns woke up from their daze and locked their gaze on the panther, their wings buzzing to fly.

however, Kiru suddenly halted them. he commanded. He wasn't about to let the newborn snakes be snatched away too!

In an instant, Kiru’s body burned like blue flames and trailed after the thief like a vengeful ghoul.

The panther was fast, Kiru couldn't even catch it after a minute of chase. His army was a bit behind him, which made his mind throb in worry—he might just lose his hard earned trophy at this rate!

The Spawns all had one weakness, including Helzar. They had very little stamina, and a minute of burning through his energy was already taking a toll on Kiru's body.

Kiru once again looked behind him, seeing his army beginning to burn their life energy. Kiru already knew what would happen if he pressed on with the chase, his army would die before reaching the panther.

Kiru slowed down, opening his mandibles to give a command.

“ROAAR!!!”

However, his words came to a halt when a deafening roar thundered through the forest. As his body gently to a halt, he saw two giants standing with their claws out. They were looking elsewhere and after following their gaze, he saw the rapidly disappearing panther.

That panther was definitely another apex predator, but it looked like a scavenger in Kiru’s eyes. On the contrary, the two giant bears who stood up for their home attracted his starving gaze.

+++-+++-+++

Compared to the speeding panther, the bears were turtles in comparison. Even though they were severely weakened, Kiru’s army made quick work of them.

The giant bears were easily thrice the size of the bears he knew of. Even its three children he didn't initially notice were almost the size of a teenage human.

Still, although the bears killed more Spawns and snapped dozens of trees in the process, it was helpless in the face of his ruthless and starved army. They didn't hold back, and they peeled the skin right off the bear's body whenever they could, just so the bears would bleed out and fall.

After the battle, he found himself with five dead “naked” bodies. Their skin had mostly been peeled off. The three young bears resisted and killed many Spawns too, so even they weren't spared by the Spawns’ ruthlessness. Their bodies had missing parts of flesh as well, which was the work of Kiru’s army taking bites out during the fight.

Such was the result of Kiru forbidding his army from cannibalizing to minimize casualties.

The moon had slipped under their mandibles during the fight and the sun was already rising.

Kiru said through his link with his army. He ordered both halves to move toward each other and in less than an hour, the two sides were reunited.

he ordered, but just as he said so—

“CAW!!!”

Darkness suddenly engulfed them, and from above, a bird the size of a cloud was staring right at them.