The Red Scorpion Mercenary Corps would not have taken a body away, and monsters would not selectively drag off a single corpse in such a short time.
As the thought settled, Ryan's expression darkened.
Earlier, he had struck Chang Bo and left him incapacitated, assuming him dead. In the chaos of battle and the aftermath, he had neglected to confirm it.
Now it was clear that Chang Bo must have survived and escaped while everyone's attention was elsewhere.
This was bad.
Chang Bo was a member of the Wolf Sky Mercenary Corps.
Worse still, Ryan had personally killed Zhang Yuxi, a silver-robed core member.
There was no possibility that the Wolf Sky Mercenary Corps would simply let this matter go. If Chang Bo returned alive, trouble would inevitably follow.
Ryan searched the surroundings carefully, scanning the ground for footprints, traces of blood, or signs of flight.
Unfortunately, the battlefield had been completely destroyed by violent clashes and explosions. Dust, rubble, and dried blood covered everything, erasing any clear trail. No matter how meticulously he searched, he found nothing.
After a long moment, Ryan let out a quiet sigh. "If it's a blessing, it can't be avoided. If it's a curse, it can't be dodged."
Returning here had been meant to tie up loose ends, yet ironically, the greatest omission had slipped through his fingers.
Still, Ryan did not allow anxiety to take root.
If Chang Bo truly escaped, then so be it. Trouble would come sooner or later, regardless.
As long as his strength continued to grow, even the Wolf Sky Mercenary Corps would eventually be nothing more than stepping stones beneath his feet.
With that thought, Ryan stopped wasting time and turned toward the deeper reaches of the Forest of Death.
He had agreed to a three-day period with Li Mingtian, and only one day had passed. There was no reason to rush back yet. If he returned stronger, he would crush all doubts and opposition in one decisive display.
At his current level, the outer regions of the forest no longer posed a challenge. To grow faster, he needed stronger prey.
He moved swiftly, heading straight toward the inner regions. As he ran, Ryan calculated silently.
After using the mountain-splitting finisher against Zhang Yuxi, he had twenty points of God of War value left. If he reserved ten points as a safety net, he could still afford to unleash one more finisher. Used wisely, that single strike could bring immense gains.
The only pity was the scarcity of God of War points.
Through experience, Ryan had already grasped the pattern.
Aside from initial rewards, these precious points were mainly obtained through completing system missions and killing designated targets.
Unfortunately, without active missions, there was no way to replenish them at will.
"Still, strength comes first," Ryan muttered, accelerating his pace.
Along the way, he brushed past a few first- and second-rank monsters, ignoring them completely. Ten minutes later, the atmosphere subtly changed. The trees grew denser, the air heavier, and faint, hostile presences flickered at the edge of his perception.
Ahead of him appeared a group of monsters.
They resembled giant cats, but their forms were twisted and savage. Some had red fur, others white or pitch-black. Their limbs were long and sinewy, completely unlike the short-legged cats of Earth. Each possessed a feline head paired with a body more like an ape's, and their scarlet eyes glowed with feral hunger.
Ryan activated the Sky Eye Technique without hesitation.
Name: Bloodthirsty Cat Demon
Level: 23 (Rank-3 monster)
Description: Lives in groups, extremely fast. Becomes frenzied at the sight of blood. Its claws are razor-sharp and can tear through armor with ease.
Threat Assessment: Medium.
Even for an ordinary Upper Elite, encountering such a pack would mean certain death.
But Ryan was far from ordinary. With Phantom Step and countless attribute pills reinforcing his body, his speed alone rivaled that of an Exalt.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Let's begin."
He picked up a stone and flicked it toward the nearest Bloodthirsty Cat Demon. The monster reacted instantly, its body blurring as it dodged aside with terrifying agility. The stone missed its mark, but the effect was immediate. More than a dozen pairs of crimson eyes locked onto Ryan at once.
A low, savage growl rippled through the group.
The Bloodthirsty Cat Demons lunged forward in unison.
Ryan laughed softly. Missing the throw no longer mattered. This was exactly what he wanted.
Activating Phantom Step, his figure blurred as he turned and sprinted deeper into the Forest of Death, deliberately keeping just enough distance to avoid being caught while ensuring the monsters remained in pursuit.
As he ran, more Bloodthirsty Cat Demons emerged from the shadows, drawn by the disturbance, joining the chase one by one.
Ryan's eyes gleamed.
This was their territory. And where there were minions, there was usually a king.
Thoughts of experience points and treasure rewards ignited his blood. His pace quickened, leading the growing horde ever deeper. And as if answering his unspoken anticipation, a terrifying presence suddenly emerged ahead of him.
From the shadows stepped a Bloodthirsty Cat Demon whose entire body radiated a deep crimson glow, its aura far more oppressive than the rest.
Ryan's heartbeat quickened.
"A boss…"
This cat demon was clearly different from the others. Its body was nearly twice the size of ordinary Bloodthirsty Cat Demons, and a dense crimson glow wrapped around it.
When it fixed its gaze on Ryan, those scarlet eyes did not blink once, radiating a suffocating pressure that made the surrounding air feel heavy and oppressive.
Ryan immediately activated the Sky Eye Technique, not daring to underestimate it in the slightest.
Name: Poison Elvis
Level: 37 (Rank-4 monster)
Description: A creature said to have escaped from the ruins of an ancient land, later reproducing and evolving within the Forest of Death. It ultimately became a king among monsters, possessing lightning-fast speed and terrifying lethality.
Threat Assessment: High
After reading the information, Ryan's expression grew solemn.
This Poison Elvis was clearly the leader of the Bloodthirsty Cat Demons, a true king that commanded an entire territory.
As a fourth-ranked monster, its strength already rivaled that of an Exalt realm expert who had treasures.
Facing such an existence head-on would be extremely risky. One misstep could mean death, and Ryan had no intention of gambling his life in a frontal clash.
Fortunately, he had Phantom Step.
Even if Poison Elvis truly moved as fast as lightning, Ryan was confident that he could still escape. His plan had never been to fight this king directly.
Instead, he followed his original strategy. After confirming the target, he casually tossed another stone and immediately turned to flee, sprinting deeper into the forest without hesitation.
As expected, Poison Elvis took the bait.
The moment the stone disturbed the area, its murderous intent erupted.
In its own territory, it was the absolute ruler.
How could it tolerate a human provoking it repeatedly?
*Graaaa*
With a sharp roar, Poison Elvis burst forward, leading the pursuit with overwhelming momentum.
With the king joining the chase, the situation changed completely.
Bloodthirsty Cat Demons emerged one after another from all directions, no longer requiring Ryan to deliberately provoke them.
Simply by running through the forest, he attracted wave after wave of these monsters, all of them locking onto him with frenzied red eyes.
Ryan could not help but marvel at the effectiveness of his plan.
After consuming countless attribute pills and mastering a ground-level movement technique like Phantom Step, even these infamous monsters could not catch up to him.
Moreover, despite being at the Upper Elite level, his control and courage far surpassed that of many Exalts. Who else on Holy Mystic Continent would dare to lead such a massive horde of monsters through the forest simply to farm experience?
As time passed, the number of cat demons chasing Ryan grew rapidly.
It was as if Poison Elvis's presence had awakened something within the forest.
Previously, Ryan would only encounter a few monsters after traveling a certain distance.
Now, with every step he took, Bloodthirsty Cat Demons poured out from the shadows, joining the pursuit without hesitation.
Ryan found the situation both baffling and amusing.
Had his hatred value really reached such a terrifying level?
Had he somehow triggered racial hatred?