Rayden brought the boulder down with terrifying force onto the man’s left leg.

The rock weighed at least one or two tons. It fell like judgment.

The result was instant.

Bone shattered like brittle glass.

A crack echoed through the clearing, followed by a scream so sharp it felt like it could slice the air itself. The man shrieked violently, pitifully, thrashing against the dirt as agony swallowed him whole.

No one showed mercy.

Rayden smiled like a child playing with toys.

Grah watched with a blank, monotone expression. If anything, the wolf just wanted this over with. The memory of that massive serpent still crawled under his skin. The sooner they left this place, the better.

The scavenger screamed until his voice broke.

Then he fainted.

“Well. Still not enough,” Rayden muttered.

He lifted the boulder again.

And slammed it down on the other leg.

Another brutal impact.

Another sickening crack.

The man woke into a fresh wave of pain, his broken voice tearing out one more scream before darkness swallowed him again. His heart raced wildly, stuttering between beats. He felt like death was hovering inches away.

Rayden stopped.

If he continued at this pace, the man would die before he gave up anything useful.

A splash of cold water hit the scavenger’s face.

He jolted awake.

The first thing he saw was the cute baby staring down at him.

His instincts screamed danger.

He tried to move.

Tried to crawl.

That was when he realized.

He could not feel his legs.

At all.

Slowly, shakily, he turned his head.

Where his legs had been were now crushed masses of blood and ruined flesh.

Gone.

Just like that.

Sweat poured down his face.

He was doomed.

Truly doomed.

The thought of robbing this baby now felt like the stupidest decision of his life. This was no child.

This was a monster wearing a baby’s skin.

He did not know how close he was to the truth.

Although if Vastro knew what the man was currently thinking he would have been a bit amused and annoyed, comparing those nutty brats were far beneath him.

The man and the baby locked eyes.

Silence stretched between them.

Then the baby leaned forward.

A small hand reached out.

The man’s heart nearly exploded.

“Please. No more. Please. Please,” he begged, tears mixing with dirt and blood.

The tiny hand kept moving.

Slow.

Unhurried.

Like death itself taking its time.

Was this it?

Was he about to die?

The man screamed again as the small palm descended toward his face.

It touched him.

One second passed.

Then two.

No new pain.

No crushing blow.

He was not dead.

Confusion replaced terror.

Just as relief started creeping into his mind, a small, cute voice echoed inside his head.

“I guess it really worked.”

The man froze.

That voice.

It was the voice of a child.

His eyes snapped open.

The baby was still there, one tiny hand resting on his head.

“You can hear me, right?” the voice spoke again inside his mind.

The man shooked his head frantically, trembling.

Rayden smiled.

“Good. So you can hear me.”

Truthfully, this was just an experiment. He had not been sure if Hell Influence would allow him to form a mental link with humans.

Apparently, it worked perfectly.

Rayden’s gaze suddenly turned cold.

The temperature around them seemed to drop.

The man felt his fear freeze into something solid and suffocating.

“If you dare act smart,” Rayden’s cute voice echoed inside his head, calm and soft, “if you spill even a single lie from that filthy mouth of yours, if you hesitate when I ask something…”

His red eyes glowed brighter.

“You will not enjoy what happens next. Or do you want a second round before we even start?”

The threat came in a baby’s voice.

Soft.

Almost sweet.

It made it worse.

The man’s heart skipped violently.

“No. No. No. I will answer. I will do as you say,” he shouted, bowing his head as much as his broken body allowed.

“Good,” Rayden replied.

He began with the basics.

“Tell me everything about the Scavengers. Structure. Strength. Positions. Who answers to who.”

The man was just a foot soldier. He did not know much. But what he did know, he poured out without holding back.

Ranks.

Supply routes.

Hidden checkpoints.

How they gathered resources.

How they punished failure.

If he gave enough information, maybe he would live.

That was his hope.

Too bad he had no idea who he was dealing with.

After listening carefully, Rayden compared the information with what his bird beast scout had reported earlier.

It matched.

Almost perfectly.

One detail stood out.

“Fourteen elites?” Rayden murmured.

Not eight

Ten.

That makes it Interesting.

And fun.

He continued.

“Have you seen two humans. A man and a woman. Callack and Selene.”

The scavenger shook his head desperately.

“I do not know those names. Anyone captured either joins us as a slave or is killed. Women…” He hesitated for a second.

Rayden’s eyes darkened.

“Speak.”

“Most are taken by the Lord. The ones he does not want are allowed to join. Or they become servants.”

The more Rayden listened, the colder his face became.

He hated them.

Every last one of those scum.

If they had laid a single hand on those two foolishly kind parents of his…

Their deaths would be far worse than this man’s.

The scavenger’s eyes widened in horror.

Rayden had not realized he let that thought slip through the mental link.

“Please,” the scavenger screamed. “Please let me go. I gave you everything. I told you everything you needed.”

Rayden looked at him calmly.

“I will let you go if you answer one last question.”

Hope flickered in the man’s eyes.

“What is it? I will reply. I swear.”

Rayden nodded.

“Is there any place in this part of the forest where I can find a valuable treasure?”

The man froze.

He blinked once.

Twice.

Several times.

Wait.

Is this monster in baby form… a treasure hunter?

The yellow orb around his neck should have confirmed that already.

A baby treasure hunter.

Nothing about this child made sense.

Rayden’s eyes narrowed.

“Well?”

The man snapped out of it and nodded quickly.

“Yes. Yes. Several hundred meters from here there is a massive cave. Deep. Old. It is said to be filled with treasures. No one dares explore it fully. If you go there, you will definitely find something worthy.”

Rayden stared at him for a long moment.

Then he nodded slowly.

He stood up.

“You have been of good service.”

Y

The man’s eyes widened.

Was he going to kill him?

“But you said you would let me go,” he cried, betrayal thick in his voice.

Rayden blinked.

Then tilted his head.

“I did not say that,” he replied calmly. “But since you have been useful, I will let you go.”

He stepped aside.

“Now leave.”

Hope exploded in the man’s chest.

He nodded frantically.

Yes.

Yes.

He would crawl if he had to.

He turned, trying to push himself up to run.

And then it hit him.

He had no legs.

His heart rattled violently in his chest.

The pain returned like a tidal wave.

For a second, despair almost swallowed him.

But survival was stronger.

He dropped forward and began crawling.

Using his hands.

Dragging his ruined lower body behind him.

Every movement tore at broken bones and battered flesh. His vision blurred. His arms trembled. Sweat and tears mixed with dirt and blood.

He crawled anyway.

If he could reach the Scavenger base, he could be saved.

He crawled.

And crawled.

Hope swelling in his chest with every inch gained.

Then a shadow fell over him.

He froze.

Slowly, he looked up.

His heart thumped once.

Twice.

Rayden stood before him.

Looking down at him with what almost seemed like genuine pity.

“What is your name?” Rayden asked through the mind link.

The man hesitated.

Then gave up.

“Juan,” he replied weakly.

Rayden nodded.

“Juan.”

He crouched slightly.

“My good friend Juan, you seem to have been brutally mutilated. You are in such a terrible position.”

His voice was soft.

Sympathetic.

“I cannot stand here and watch you suffer like this.”

Juan’s eyes twitched.

Rage and terror mixed inside him.

He wanted to lunge at the baby.

Rip his head off.

But he could not.

He did not dare.

Why show pity?

Why act concerned?

He was the one who did this in the first place.

Rayden’s expression shifted.

The pity vanished.

The smile returned.

Cold.

Playful.

“Well,” he said lightly, “I guess the only way to help you is to put you out of your misery, my good friend Jun.”

He paused.

“Or was it something else?”

Juan’s heart skipped.

He tried to beg.

Tried to scream.

Too late.

Rayden’s eyes glowed crimson.

Ember of Will activated.

A tiny spark appeared on Juan’s torn clothes.

Small.

Harmless.

Then it roared.

Flames swallowed him whole.

Juan thrashed, his broken body writhing as fire consumed flesh, cloth, and bone. His screams lasted only seconds before they dissolved into crackling embers.

Then he fell still.

Burned to a crisp.

Rayden watched calmly.

A faint smile resting on his face.

“Well. That was fun.”

He turned and walked back, climbing up to sit atop Grah’s head.

The wolf had not even bothered watching the end.

“Alright, Grah,” Rayden said casually. “The small fun is over.”

He glanced in the direction the scavenger had mentioned.

“Let’s head to that cave. Grab the treasure.”

His red eyes narrowed slightly.

“And then we go home.”

Grah stood up immediately, relief clear in his posture.

Finally.

Let’s get this treasure hunting business done.

And leave this cursed place behind.

To be continued…

Read the special author note below.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep