David, lying on the ground, came to his senses, clutching his head. It throbbed painfully from hitting the tree.
After calming the pain a little, David got to his feet and looked around. He had been thrown some distance away from the island's center.
Because the island had partially sunk, water seeped up through cracks in the soil, reaching his ankles.
As he began walking, he noticed the trees around him looked as if they were starting to rot. Uneasy, David pressed on. His condition wasn't great.
Suddenly, a roar echoed through the air — deafening, terrifying, and piercing. The sound sent a chill down his spine.
Instinctively, David ducked into cover.
He could feel it — if that creature found him, he wouldn't be able to escape.
What is that thing? David thought.
Looking up, he saw mid-tier flying demons soaring toward the source of the roar.
David crouched lower so they wouldn't notice him. Once they were gone, he set out again, heading toward the center of the island to find his companions.
Eventually, his path opened into a wide field. But the moment he stepped out, he quickly pulled back into hiding.
The sight ahead left him speechless — half of the island was simply… gone.
Low- and Welterweights demons knelt by the shore of a massive lake that had formed there.
Why is half the island missing? What the hell…? David wondered, when suddenly the water began to rise.
Three enormous tentacles emerged from the depths. The demons trembled, bowing lower in fear of the monstrous being before them.
The tentacles slithered toward the demons, selecting a few at random, and dragged them beneath the water. Those chosen thrashed violently, screaming in unbearable agony.
After claiming more than a hundred demons, the tentacles finally receded, leaving only a handful of low-tier demons and two mid-tier ones behind.
Once the tentacles vanished, the survivors got to their feet and began to retreat from the area.
David, still frozen in silent shock, stared at the water.
That thing eats its own kind… Just how strong is it? A half-high-rank demon? No… This feels like a high-rank one. What a monster.
With that thought, David turned and began to leave as well. Soon, he reached a hill, sat down, and waited for his companions.