Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

Chapter 488 The Hunting Ground

The Knicks' leadership is indeed reliable.

After bypassing several dangerous areas and walking up a slope, a dark cave entrance appeared before us.

The entrance to the cave was very narrow, allowing only one Bone Spike Wolf to squeeze in sideways at most.

The edges of the stone wall were worn smooth, and there were many claw marks, indicating that something had indeed been going in and out of here before.

"This used to be a temporary outpost for the horned demons," Nix said, squatting by the cave entrance. "After the mine was exhausted, they left."

Ian peeked inside; the cave was pitch black, but thankfully he didn't need any light.

As my senses unfolded, the detailed structure inside the pit came to mind.

The mine is about 25 meters deep. The entrance is narrow, but it gradually widens after going down seven or eight meters. At the bottom, there is a platform about half the size of a basketball court.

There were several thin cracks in the stone wall, from which a faint stream of air seeped out. Dried bloodstains were scattered throughout the pit, along with some broken bones, the remains of which were unknown—whether they belonged to miners or other monsters.

What pleased Ian most was the entrance, which served as a natural barrier.

Bone-spiked wolves could barely squeeze in, but strong stone-skinned demons would definitely not be able to get in. If a horned demon were to force its way in, its body would be half-stuck.

Given his current condition, this pit is safe enough.

"Not bad," Ian said, then flipped over and jumped down.

Knicks hesitated at the entrance for a moment, his eyes darting around, before finally squeezing in, trotting behind Ian.

Ian stood at the bottom of the pit, sensing the surrounding environment. It was dry, quiet, and there were no signs of other life.

The ventilation cracks bring in hot air from deep within the rock, making it slightly warmer than the outside temperature, but not too cold.

Together with Knicks, he built a barrier half a person high with the rubble at the entrance of the hole.

If a Bonethorn Wolf happens to pass by and smells the scent, it will take at least a few more seconds to squeeze in, which is enough time for him to deal with it.

"Sir, should I go outside and find something to eat?" Nix rubbed his paws together, his eyes drifting towards the cave entrance.

Ian leaned against the stone wall, his immortal soul flowing slowly within him. In another day or two, his injuries would be fully healed.

But he can't just wait around; he needs to replenish the energy he consumes each day, so he needs to hunt.

"Let's rest tonight." Ian closed his eyes slightly. "Starting tomorrow, you'll take me hunting."

Knicks nodded repeatedly, curled up in a corner, wrapped his wings around his body, and soon started snoring.

Quassa can fall asleep anywhere, which is probably one of the reasons why they have survived in the Abyss to this day.

the next day.

Knicks brought Ian to a rocky beach, the territory of the Bonethorn Wolves.

"There are often lone bone wolves around here," Nix said, crouching behind a rock and pointing ahead.

"The patrol team passes by once every morning, and there's nothing much going on at other times."

Ian crouched beside it, his senses already set in motion, and quickly located his target.

Five bone-spiky wolves were scattered in various corners of the rocky beach, gnawing on the remains. The closest one was thirty meters away, with its back to them.

Ian didn't rush to act; instead, he checked the data analyzed on the panel when he killed the Bone Spike Wolf the previous night.

[Bone-Spiked Wolf: Medium to Large Predator]

[Weaknesses: The mandible is extremely soft and structurally fragile; the third vertebra is the nerve center, responsible for coordinating the forelimbs and hindlimbs; and the abdominal armor scales cover less than 30% of the body.]

Threat Level: Low

Three fatal weaknesses, clearly recorded.

Ian broke off a sharp piece of rock from the cliff face, weighed it in his hand; it wasn't very handy, but it was better than nothing.

He crept toward the nearest bone-spiked wolf, twenty meters, ten meters, five meters.

The Bone-Spiked Wolf was still gnawing on the remains, its attention entirely focused on the scraps beneath its mouth.

Ian raised his right hand, and with a whoosh, the shard of rock struck the back of the Bone Spike Wolf's head with pinpoint accuracy.

The powerful force made it lower its head sharply. Ian pushed off with his feet, leaped forward, and his claws were already embedded in its jaws.

Just like the first time he killed the Bonethorn Wolf, it was clean and efficient.

The Bone-Spiked Wolf lay sprawled on the ground, its limbs twitching a few times before becoming still.

Ian crouched down, placed his palm on the corpse, and used Chaos Conversion directly.

A familiar warmth seeped into the corpse from his palm. The abyssal energy within the flesh and blood was extracted bit by bit, impurities filtered out, and transformed into a pure, warm current that flowed into the body.

The panel is jumping around.

[Abyss Energy +5.2]

Current evolution level: 11.57/100

Ian nodded to himself; this bone-spiky wolf was a bit bigger than the one from yesterday.

"You're amazing, sir."

The Knicks suddenly appeared from behind, his eyes gleaming and his voice high-pitched.

Ian ignored it and continued to touch the next one.

The second, the third, the fourth.

They all used the same method: smashing stones on the back of the head to distract them, then stabbing their claws into the jaws to kill them instantly.

Occasionally, one of them would react quickly enough, and Ian would switch his attack method, kicking the third vertebra of its spine directly.

The Bone-Spiked Wolf's waist will break on the spot, its hindquarters will lose control, and while its front half is still struggling, its throat will be crushed.

Clean and efficient, with no unnecessary movements, the Knicks followed behind, their mouths never stopping.

"Sir! That one was killed so quickly too!"

"My God! It didn't even struggle!"

"My lord! Were you once the overseer of a large mine?"

Ian paused, then turned and glanced back at it.

The Knicks immediately shut up, shrank back, and dared not offer any more indiscriminate praise.

As Ian was absorbing the corpse, the last Bone Spike Wolf emerged from the crack on the west side.

It wasn't alone; another one followed behind it.

The two bone spike wolves spotted Ian at the same time and saw their companion's corpse.

The howl tore through the air as two bone spike wolves flanked from both sides, moving as fast as two gray lightning bolts.

His fangs were exposed, and his dark yellow eyes were filled with murderous intent.

The Knicks screamed and spread their wings, ready to take flight.

"Shut up." Ian's voice wasn't loud, but it startled Nix, who abruptly retracted his wings.

Ian stood still, his eyes calm.

When the wolf on the left reached three meters, it pounced first. Ian dodged to the side, and the Bone Spike Wolf missed its target, its chin slamming directly into the ground.

Before it could even raise its head, with a snap, Ian's claws severed its spine.

He casually slapped it on the head with his paw, shattering its skull. At that moment, the one on the right circled around behind him.

Ian didn't turn around. He leaned forward slightly and swung his right paw backward, precisely cutting into the Bonethorn Wolf's jaw.

The wolf's entire body was whipped and flipped over before crashing heavily to the ground.

Ian turned around, took two steps to it, stuck his paw in, and stirred it around a couple of times.

Knicks hid behind the rocks, his mouth agape, then stared at the corpse on the ground with burning eyes.

Ian placed his palm on the corpse of the fifth Bone Spike Wolf, and soon the panel popped up.

[Abyss Energy +5.4]

Current evolution level: 31.2/100

At this rate of evolution, it won't be long before he ascends to become a true demon.

"Clean this up thoroughly." Ian gestured with his chin toward Knicks. "Don't let the smell of blood drift too far."

"Yes, sir!" Nix ran over, grabbed the Bonethorn Wolf's hind legs, and began to drag it.

Although it was small and thin, it was quite strong. After dragging itself a couple of steps, it turned around and secretly glanced at Ian.

"Sir, these—these remains, after I've dealt with them—"

"Here's a wolf leg for you." Ian waved his paw, completely unconcerned.

Knicks' eyes shone even brighter, his mouth gaped open, and he dragged the carcass of the Bonethorn Wolf even faster.

Over the next few days, Ian expanded his hunting range. He had cleared out most of the bone spike wolves in the vicinity and began looking for other prey.

A nearby Stoneskin Demon would be a good target.

Nix led Ian to the Stoneskinned Demon Queen and then ran away into the distance.

"My lord, the skin of the Stone-skinned Demons is harder than stone, and even the Horned Demons don't want to mess with them."

Ian looked at the Stone-Skinned Demon in front of him, which was the size of a bear, with four legs on the ground and gray-black rock armor protruding from its back.

It was gnawing on a piece of exposed magic iron ore, making a crunching sound as it chewed.

Ian scanned the monster with his mental energy and found that its rock armor was extremely hard, rendering ordinary physical attacks almost ineffective.

However, its weaknesses are also obvious, with insufficient coverage at joints, especially the neck, armpits, and inner abdomen.

Ian narrowed his eyes and walked towards the Stone-skinned Demon.

The Stone-Skinned Demon raised its head and saw the tiny creature, which was less than knee-high to it, and let out a low roar.

Then it began to charge at Ian, its massive limbs stomping the ground with a rumbling sound.

The Stone-Skinned Demon's attack method is very simple: it slams its front paws down on the head.

Ian dodged to the side, his claws slamming into the ground, sending shards of rock flying and leaving a crater.

On the second shot, Ian dodged again.

The Stone-Skinned Demon grew impatient and slashed its claws three times in quick succession, each slash accompanied by a dull whistling sound.

The ground was smashed and cracked, and the rubble hit Ian's scales with a crackling sound.

But Ian kept circling the edge of its attack range; he knew this brute-force opponent well.

He is strong and fast, but his attacks are clearly indicated, giving him enough time to judge the direction.

Soon, the Stone-Skinned Demon's pace slowed down, and its stamina began to deplete.

Ian seized the moment when it extended its claws, and slid down to its lower abdomen, where the inner rock armor was thin and a weak point.

He pressed his right palm against the surface of the rock armor, activating the Chaos Transformation, and a strange suction force seeped out from his palm.

The power of chaotic transformation, like countless extremely fine threads, penetrated into the crystalline structure of the rock armor and began to decompose layer by layer.

The Stone-Skinned Demon let out a mournful roar, its four legs kicking wildly as it tried to shake off the thing in its abdomen.

But Ian's claws were already embedded in the cracks of the rock armor, gripping it tightly.

The rock armor quickly shattered, revealing dark red muscle tissue inside, and the palm pressed directly against the muscle.

A warm current flowed into his body, thicker and richer than the energy of other monsters.

[Abyss Energy +8.7]

[Mineral Energy +3.2, converted into Abyss Energy]

Current evolution level: 43.1/100

The Stone-Skinned Demon crashed to the ground, its roar growing weaker and weaker, its dark red eyes slowly losing their luster.

Ian withdrew his palm, and then heard hurried footsteps behind him.

Nix ran over to the Stoneskin Demon's corpse, glanced at it, then looked up at Ian, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly.

How did the adults manage to do that?

It had been in this area for so long and had never seen anyone's claws tear through the skin of a Stoneskin Demon.

Ian dusted off his hands. "Clean this up, the rest is yours."

Knicks paused for a moment, then pounced on the remains of the Stoneskin Demon like a madman.

After a hearty meal, Knicks took Ian to a nearby underground river.

The water in the underground river was black and viscous, emitting a sour and putrid smell. Several thumb-thick, dark red tentacles were buried in the mud along the riverbank, their color exactly matching the mud when they were still.

"Sir, watch out for the bottom of the river." Nix crouched at a safe distance, his eyes fixed on the tentacles.

"That thing hides in the mud, moves extremely fast, and the liquid it sprays can corrode scales. Last time, it almost bit off my tail."

The mud exploded as soon as he finished speaking.

A two-meter-long, dark red centipede shot out of the mud with the speed of a whip.

Dozens of legs left afterimages in the air, mouths opened, and a stream of green liquid sprayed directly into Ian's face.

Ian dodged to the side, the liquid grazing his ear and splashing onto the stone wall behind him, hissing and smoking.

The Knicks screamed in fright and ran far away again, hiding behind a rock to watch the game.

The centipede missed its first attack, its body bending in mid-air, and its second attack went straight for Ian's neck.

Ian reached out with his right hand and precisely grabbed a section of its carapace from the middle. It was slippery to the touch, and the centipede's carapace was covered with a layer of mucus, which was rather disgusting.

The centipede's body suddenly twisted, almost slipping out of Ian's grasp.

Ian spread his other hand out, his five claws embedding themselves in the gaps in the centipede's carapace, tearing along the gaps all the way to its tail.

The centipede's dozens of legs twitched violently a few times before it stopped breathing.

Then, another centipede popped out from the riverbed. Ian did the same thing, pulling it out, stepping on its head, and tearing it apart.

Knicks was stunned, recalling how he had been chased all over the place by a centipede.

It survived that time by using its invisibility, but a small piece of skin on its tail was burned off by the corrosive liquid, and it hurt for several days.

For this young Tanari, killing centipedes is as easy as pulling weeds.

"My lord," Nix swallowed hard, "your bloodline must be of unparalleled nobility!"

Ian ignored it and let the panel scan the centipede's data.

[Data collection for the Abyss Centipede is complete]

[Attack Characteristics: High-speed attack, corrosive liquid spray, armor protection]

[Weaknesses: Head ganglia, abdominal carapace junction]

[Abyss Energy Value: Medium to Low]

Centipedes don't have high energy levels, but they are numerous; there are at least seven or eight more hidden in the mud along the underground river.

When all the centipedes were killed and the energy accumulation reached 80 points, a new message popped up on the panel.

[Abyss Energy: 81.2/100]

[The body absorbs multiple abyssal energy sources (organic/mineral/mixed), and the energy pathway can be optimized.]

[Scanning all energy circulation nodes in the body — Completed]

[Abnormality detected: 7 energy blockage points were found in the body, with severe accumulation of impurities]

[Cause Analysis: The original host used an inefficient devouring talent for a long time, and impurities could not be expelled, accumulating at the energy cycle nodes.]

[Recommendation: Using chaos transformation to clear blocked nodes can improve overall energy circulation efficiency]

Ian closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking deep into his body.

Sure enough, the seven nodes were like blocked pipes, slowing down the flow of energy. These impurities were left behind by Zul's body.

Abyssal creatures absorb energy through devouring and evolution, but the conversion rate is low, and a small portion remains in their bodies as impurities.

Over time, these impurities will seep into the soul and affect consciousness.

All demons have this problem, and it's more severe in older demons.

Why are the Horned Demon Overlords so irritable and bloodthirsty? It's not entirely their nature; it's the chaotic consciousness within them that's eroding them.

With a slight thought, Ian felt the chaos transform and flow slowly within his body, passing through the seven blocked nodes one by one.

Each time it passes through a place, it breaks down and removes the impurities there. The whole process has an indescribable tingling sensation.

The unblocking process lasted about half an hour, and all the nodes in the body were unblocked. The panel then displayed the final result.

[With blockages cleared, energy circulation efficiency improved]

[Evolutionary potential assessment: High]

Ian moved his body around and felt the changes. His strength hadn't increased much, but his whole body felt refreshed.

Knicks squatted down beside him, staring wide-eyed at the gray particles emanating from his body.

"My lord, you—you've been poisoned?"

Ian glanced at him sideways. "If you say another word, you won't be allowed to eat for half a month."

"Uh—" Knicks covered his mouth in fright, not daring to ask any more questions.

Back at his lodgings, Nix unexpectedly discovered a worm deep inside the pit.

This thing has no fighting ability. It is translucent and looks like a flexible tube about the thickness of a finger. It emits a faint glow when it wriggles.

Knicks' eyes lit up, and he crouched down to use his claws to dig through the wet mud on the rock wall.

"Sir, I've had this before! Although it's not very filling, the meat is very tender and it's delicious."

As it spoke, it pulled the worm off the rock wall, stuffed it into its mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and swallowed it with a gulp.

Ian watched it enjoy its meal without stopping it. He simply had the panel scan it and, seeing that the insect had little energy, lost all interest.

He leaned against the stone wall of the pit, closed his eyes, and the panel appeared before him.

Zul: The Child Demon

[Talents: 1. Chaos Transformation 2. Devouring Evolution]

Status: Good

[Energy Cycle: Unobstructed at All Nodes]

At the current rate of efficiency, the promotion should happen in the next day or two.

Nix was curled up in a corner of the pit, dozing off. He and Ian had been running all over the perimeter of the mine for the past few days.

Ian watched its retreating figure, a slight smile curving his lips.

These past few days, without being told, Knicks would run up and drag the body away on their own. After Ian finished dealing with the body, it would quietly come over to fawn over him.

"My lord—" Then he stared longingly at the remaining wreckage.

After Ian gave the remains, the Knicks ate them very carefully each time, as if they were eating something delicious.

The creatures at the bottom of the abyss have a hard time surviving; finding a bite to eat is already a stroke of luck.

For the Knicks, being able to work with a strong but not bloodthirsty leader is already a dream come true.