Suddenly, something floated in front of his face:
It was a small, glowing green beetle.
Vincent's instincts immediately kicked in. Without hesitating, he jumped back.
A split second later, the beetle emitted a bright green laser. The large rock he was hiding behind split in two with a loud crack.
"The little rat that was hiding finally came out," a smug voice announced.
Vincent looked up.
A pale-faced daemon with turquoise hair stood before him. Two horns protruded from his head, and his gaze was filled with mockery.
"Oh, so you're one of our kind, too," he continued, narrowing his eyes. "But I smell the disgusting stench of a lowly race."
"The blood of a traitor, Lord Zaraz? Seriously?" another daemon retorted.
The young man was tall and had dark brown hair. His appearance was almost perfectly human, with no horns or other striking physical features. However, the deep purple blood flowing through his veins could not be completely disguised.
Vincent guessed that the turquoise-haired daemon was the leader of the group.
Despite being surrounded, he remained calm.
"I have no interest in disturbing you," he said flatly. "The Daemon race and the Human race have a pact of non-interference."
"Indeed," said the daemon named Zaraz, his face grim—whether sincere or merely an act. "The human race is becoming increasingly arrogant. They have almost taken over a quarter of the hunting grounds. We haven't achieved anything yet."
Vincent listened without changing his expression.
"It's a shame," he replied calmly. "Then I won't bother you."
He turned to leave.
Before he could move, five glowing green beetles swooped down and surrounded him. Their thin wings hummed softly as they emitted a faint light that held a hidden threat.
"Young man, there's no need to rush," Zaraz said slyly. "We can work together. Find the spoils...and share them fairly."
Vincent almost felt like smiling.
Young man?
How ironic. The figure they were facing had lived far longer than they could imagine, passing through life after life and watching worlds crumble and be reborn.
But longevity wasn't always without suffering. Being strong didn't guarantee respect, either. He had seen too often how the weak curry favor with the strong for recognition.
And now, the offer of cooperation wrapped in a threat felt obvious.
"You're asking me to cooperate," Vincent said calmly, not looking up. "But by surrounding me like this?"
"Ah, forgive me." Zaraz waved his hand lightly.
The five green beetles disappeared in an instant.
"How about it? Interested in working together? We know where the Blue Crystal Stone is located. All day, we've only encountered Demonic Beasts and obtained the Black Crystal Heart."
Zaraz extended his hand as if to shake.
Vincent glanced at him.
His face was too easy to read.
Cunning. Manipulative. He was ready to use anyone for his own ends, even at the expense of others.
"I'm Vincent Caelthorn. Master of Sequence 3," he said curtly without taking the outstretched hand.
"I'm Zaraz, the team captain. These are my team members—Rufus, Olive, Yang, and Julius."
Zaraz listed their names one by one.
Vincent caught the disapproving looks from the team members. His presence was clearly unwelcome. To them, he could be a hindrance—or even a threat—to the distribution of the proceeds.
But Vincent didn't care.
All he needed were two things:
the Blue Crystal Stone,
and the Black Crystal Heart.
The group moved deeper into the forest. As usual, Vincent walked at the back, a position that allowed him to observe without being noticed. He wasn't trying to appear mysterious or hold back his powers to show them off at the right moment.
He simply had a clear goal.
They collected as many Black Crystal Hearts and Blue Crystal Stones as possible.
Soon, ten Level 2 Demonic Beasts appeared before them.
Metal Ironfangs.
Their bodies resembled wild dogs, but they had fiery red fur. Their jaws were coated in hard metal that glinted sharply when they opened their mouths. A pack of ten Level 2s was quite large.
Led by Zaraz, the group of Daemons sprang into action without much warning.
Their coordination was immaculate.
Zaraz was more than just a summoner who controlled insects from a distance. He could fight at close and long range.
The green-haired, horned daemon casually waved his hand. Dozens of glowing green beetles appeared and hovered in the air before firing thin, bright green lasers.
The beams easily pierced and sliced through the Metal Ironfangs.
Meanwhile, Julius, a mage, raised his long staff. The purple crystal on its tip glowed intensely.
Hundreds of ice stakes formed in the air and struck the five Metal Ironfangs at once, impaling and freezing them before they could fall to the ground.
In no time, the ten Metal Ironfangs were incapacitated.
Vincent stood behind them, watching.
He realized something.
They were moving too quickly, as if deliberately leaving none for him.
Zaraz didn't even glance at him as he began dissecting the dead monsters' bodies. He took the Black Crystal Heart and the Black Spine Core and distributed them among his four companions.
Vincent wasn't surprised.
This sort of thing was commonplace in hunting parties, both human and Daemon. Race differences were merely labels; greed and favoritism remained the same.
"Ah, I'm so sorry," Zaraz finally said, sounding contrite. "You missed out. You should have been more active. Don't be so aloof."
Vincent gave him a flat look.
"I'll look elsewhere," he said curtly.
He turned to leave but stopped when Zaraz suddenly approached him and apologetically patted his shoulder.
"I'm sorry if you were offended," he said lightly.
Vincent could sense the hidden meaning behind the touch.
But his face remained calm.
He had suspected from the start that this partnership would never be truly equal.
"Not at all," Vincent replied in a flat, calm tone.
Zaraz smiled faintly. "I'm relieved to hear that. I invited you to join, but I became a leader who neglected her members."
He turned to his four teammates.
"We're in the main Ironfang Metal area, a dense forest. You're free to explore and collect as many Black Crystal Hearts as you can."
Vincent watched as Zaraz tapped his bracelet. A transparent holographic screen appeared, displaying a map with several points indicating the presence of Demonic Beasts.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
The Daemon team's map was far more comprehensive than Johan's and the human team's. Their location information was more detailed and structured.
Soon, Zaraz's team began to spread out within a five-kilometer radius of the dense forest.
Several Demonic Beast locations were also sent to Vincent.
He didn't say much. After confirming his direction, he walked away, choosing to pursue his own targets.
There was still plenty of time before he had to return to the rendezvous point with Johan. More than anything, he hoped the two teams—human and Daemon—would not encounter each other.
He paused.