To gain Blood Essence, you need to kill living beings, but not all of them provide it. For three days, Viktor studied what makes monsters with Blood Essence unique. Finally, after killing a three-headed wolf, he found some answers.

  First, the monster must possess a certain level of strength. Second, it must have unique abilities, like the Crystal Bear that the worker killed. That creature had a special ability that allowed it to grow stronger when its crystals absorbed sunlight. Lastly, bloodline may play a role, whether it's a higher, purer, or otherwise unique lineage.

  Take these wolves, for example. It doesn't have any special abilities, but its three-headed nature makes it unique, and its leader is a powerful wolf.

  For now, these were Viktor's conclusions, though they weren’t particularly deep. Some were just theories and guesses. After all, he had only three days, and he wasn’t very skilled at studying. Everything was based purely on his observations.

  -Woo!

  The leader of the pack, larger than most, let out an angry howl and commanded its pack to attack the intruder. Its white fur glimmered under the moonlight, and all eyes locked onto the enemy, filled with fury.

  This leader was one of the rulers of the forest, standing above all other beasts. Many feared it, yet now, an intruder had barged into its territory, slaughtering many of its kin. Naturally, this enraged the beast.

  Blood spears hovered in the air as they shot toward the incoming wolves. Viktor remained still, unmoving, as he manipulated all the blood on the ground.

  The wolves were powerless in this situation. Every time they attacked, they were pierced by the blood spears. Some managed to bite Viktor, only to realize that their enemy possessed powerful regeneration.

  —Woo!

  Suddenly, the three-headed wolf halted its assault. The leader, wary of losing more of its pack, decided to move personally after observing it.

  "Not good!"

  Viktor frowned and immediately summoned a blood shield beside him. However, he was too late. The leader lunged forward, sinking its fangs into his arm.

  With a savage tear, the pack leader ripped Viktor's arm away, only for Viktor to flick his fingers. A sudden explosion echoed through the forest as his severed arm detonated inside the beast’s mouth.

  Just as Viktor thought he had won, a howl echoed through the mist. Light gathered in one place and then immediately shot toward him. The wolf had survived. It seemed to have anticipated Viktor’s attack, though its jaw was visibly wounded.

  Viktor managed to dodge the laser beam and his face became solemn.

  "The pack leader is faster than me... and not just that, it's intelligent as well. What kind of beast is this? Its strength is probably on par with mine."

  Instead of feeling fear, he felt more excited, and finally he could get serious as well. he had never used his full power because no opponent could make him go all out, but this time, a powerful enemy made his blood boil.

  "Make sure you don't die easily," Viktor said with a grin as blood wings appeared on his back. He soared into the sky, and with a flick of his wrist, the blood on the ground expanded, forming spears that shot toward the pack leader.

  The wolf leader dodged, and so the battle began.

  The battle between Viktor and the pack leader lasted for hours. The wolf's strength came from its incredible speed and its unique ability to fire laser beams from its mouth. Not only was it fast, but it was also as intelligent as a human.

  Fortunately, when it came to regeneration, Viktor had the advantage. Fighting from the sky, he constantly manipulated the blood around him, making it difficult for the three-headed wolf to keep up. It couldn’t fly and could only retaliate with its laser beams.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  As Viktor descended from the sky, he looked at the lifeless body of the pack leader. The beast whimpered, its dying eyes staring at him.

  A blood spear pierced its head, and Viktor absorbed the Blood Essence. As he turned around, he noticed the remaining wolves staring at him, their eyes filled with shock at the sight of their fallen leader. Viktor sighed.

  This was a world where the strong ruled over the weak. To survive, he had to learn to kill—for the sake of his own survival.

  ...

  "A new wave of monsters?" Viktor looked at his map, noticing several red dots rushing toward his castle. However, the Workers quickly eliminated them.

  After hunting for Blood Essence, Viktor always checked his map to monitor the situation at his castle. If anything serious happened, he would rush back immediately.

  The castle frequently attracted beasts, but thanks to the walls and patrolling Workers, the threats were swiftly dealt with. There were now ten Workers stationed at the castle, as he had summoned more for added security.

  So far, he had accumulated a total of 134 Blood Essence. He spared some to summon additional Workers, but his main goal was to save enough to upgrade the castle, which required 250 Blood Essence.

  After several hours, Viktor decided to head back. He was beginning to feel uneasy. The castle kept attracting wave after wave of monsters. Every time a Worker cleared them out, another wave would appear. Something about it felt strange.

  ...

  Zen Monkey stared at the wooden wall before him, his hand running over its rough texture before he leaped onto it.

  Behind this wall was a unique monster, unlike anything he had ever seen. These creatures looked as if they had come straight from hell, exuding an eerie presence.

  They were engaged in battle against the beasts, completely ignoring him. He stood there, silently observing.

  The Monkey King had ordered him to investigate the force that had suddenly appeared in the center of the forest. This new presence needed to be assessed—was it a friend or a foe? To test its strength, he first sent waves of beasts against it. However, he only used ordinary beasts.

  After three waves, the monsters had easily wiped them out, yet their leader never appeared. In the end, Zen Monkey decided to personally visit the owner of this castle.

  "I'm Zen Monkey, the 6th general under the Monkey King! May I know the owner of this castle?" Zen Monkey yelled.

  He waited for a while, but as minutes passed, no one appeared. However, his presence seemed to attract the monsters, as some of them rushed toward him. He easily overpowered them—their strength was only on par with ordinary beasts. But he didn’t kill them, only knocking them out. He knew they were the guardians of this castle, and perhaps its owner was simply elsewhere.

  Deciding to leave for now, he also ordered the waves of beasts to stop.

  Perched on a tree branch, he muttered to himself, "If not for the Monkey King's orders, I wouldn't be here. I wonder why he’s so curious about this castle. With his strength, something like this shouldn't concern him."

  Zen Monkey shook his head and remained there for a while, lost in thought. Suddenly, the rustling of a nearby bush caught his attention. He turned his head and narrowed his eyes.

  A massive snake emerged, its head larger than a tree trunk, its body covered in thick scales. Then, before his eyes, the snake transformed into a tall man with long hair.

  "My, my, what is a monkey doing in a place like this?" the man asked with a wide grin.

  Zen Monkey frowned but replied, "The same as you. It seems the snakes are also interested in this new force."

  "Indeed." The long-haired man nodded as he leaped onto the branch beside him. "My king is also curious about this place. There's something unique about this castle, isn't there?"

  "Unique?" Zen Monkey asked.

  "Aren't you curious? Weaker beasts are being drawn to this castle—even powerful ones that were in hibernation. My king told me this place carries a unique scent, one that might be linked to the evolution of beasts. Perhaps there's a treasure hidden here," the long-haired man said.

  Listening to the tall man, Zen Monkey was shocked. He also got a feeling that there was something strange here, a unique scent, but it was weaker, so he ignored it. He never expected that the snake would say it might be linked to the evolution of beasts.

  'No wonder why many beasts were so agitated, and it only works on weaker beasts, but for strong beasts it doesn't have any effect.'

  "If not for the current war between the Demon Kings, they would have already come here and razed this place to the ground. What a pitiful owner." He clicked his tongue and smirked.

  Zen Monkey listened but didn’t respond.

  The Green Death Forest was ruled by four Demon Kings, each controlling a different region. To the north was the Monkey King, also known as the Sage of the Wilds. To the east, the Serpent Overlord. In the west, the Wolf King, also called the Demon Sovereign. And to the south, the Tiger King, known as the War Monarch. These four were in constant conflict, each vying to become the sole ruler of the forest.

  However, each had its strengths and weaknesses. Despite fighting for hundreds of years, none had managed to claim total dominance over the forest.

  However, despite this, the war continued endlessly, becoming more of a daily routine for the four Demon Kings. It was no longer a battle for dominance but simply a display of strength.

  Zen Monkey and the long-haired man, known as Poison Serpent, had known each other for a long time. As generals serving their respective Demon Kings, they had crossed paths many times. Yet, despite the ongoing war, they never fought each other. Both understood that it was pointless—they were equally matched in strength.

  So, it's better to save their energy.y