NOVPUBMaggot monsters converged from every direction. Daniel, like a sovereign among beasts, sauntered leisurely amidst the horde.
"Daniel, can you perhaps signal them to stop chasing us?"
"Yeah, while you’re prancing around like it’s a post-dinner walk, we’re over here gasping like spent hounds."
Mike, eyes narrowed with suspicion, queried, "Daniel, you’re not... one of them, are you?"
With a twinkle in his eye, Daniel responded, "You’ve caught me. Since you’ve unraveled my secret, I might just have to silence you all. Attack!"
With a mere gesture, the maggot monsters ’obediently’ surged towards Brooks and the group.
Everyone’s heart skipped a beat, their pace hastening even more.
"Damn you, Daniel! Is this really the time for jokes?!" Mike exclaimed in exasperation.
Alex chimed in, "If we keep up this escape and don’t find an exit, we’re as good as dead."
Daniel, with an air of confidence, advised, "Run with all you’ve got. This path is essential to find the way out. None of you will perish, that’s my word."
Words ceased, as everyone sprinted forward.
If Daniel said they’d survive, they believed they would.
But that didn’t diminish their desperate resolve.
Time ticked on relentlessly, and the group was nearing the crossroad from which they’d started.
Their desperate flight had rapidly drained their Spiritual Power.
Mike, the weakest among them, was on the verge of collapse, his body bloodied from near encounters with the swiftest maggot monsters.
Yet, an exit remained elusive.
A slight furrow appeared on Daniel’s brow.
Had he guessed wrong?
Was it possible that even after unlocking the Abyssal Gate, no exit would present itself?
He held onto hope, speculating that perhaps salvation lay just ahead.
Though the group was locked in a deadly chase, Daniel didn’t sit back indifferent to their plight.
He was attempting to use a newly acquired ability: the enhanced Devouring Maw.
A crack manifested on the palm of his left hand.
Instead of flesh and blood within, it revealed rows of sharp teeth.
Daniel thrust his hand into the swarm of monsters, grabbing a handful of maggots and shoving them into the Devouring Maw.
Unexpectedly, the Devouring Maw reacted as though it had ingested something foul, regurgitating its contents in evident distress.
Daniel surmised that the Devouring Maw could only consume intangible forces.
With that realization, he concealed the Maw once again.
Subsequently, Daniel fervently tapped into the deep recesses of his soul, channeling the Behemoth Mark.
Before long, a searing, swelling pain radiated from his left hand.
Lifting it for a closer look, another fissure had appeared, stretching even longer than the Devouring Maw, from the tip of his middle finger down to his wrist.
Then, the flesh on either side of the fissure began to peel back, gradually revealing two rows of teeth.
Unlike the jagged edges of the Devouring Maw, these teeth were smooth and aligned, resembling human teeth at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they bore a closer likeness to those of a bovine.
The Behemoth Maw!
Daniel then repeated his earlier maneuver, his right hand clutching a handful of wriggling, gooey maggots.
In the next moment, the Behemoth Maw gaped open, saliva stretching into long strands, exuding a foul, fishy odor, as if the very essence of the Behemoth itself was present, exerting a formidable suction.
Releasing his grip with his right hand, the maggot monsters didn’t stand a chance.
They were swiftly devoured into the cavernous maw.
Crunch, crunch!
The sounds echoed crisply, reminiscent of a wild dog gnawing on bones.
With each chew from the Behemoth Maw on his left hand, Daniel distinctly felt a peculiar energy coursing into him, like a gentle stream flowing into a vast river.
A fervent surge of power involuntarily welled up within him, causing his Spiritual Power to quiver and hint at growth.
An enigmatic glint flashed across Daniel’s eyes.
It wasn’t just the Spiritual Power; even his muscular strength began to shift.
Although the change was subtle, it was unmistakably intensifying.
Perhaps the maggot monsters he devoured were too weak, too few in number.
But if he were to consume more...
With this thought, he plunged his left hand deep into the swarm of monsters.
The Behemoth Maw, seemingly transported to a realm of sheer ecstasy, emitted exuberant moos and voraciously devoured the maggot monsters with a ravenous hunger reminiscent of a beast that hadn’t eaten for ages.
Hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of maggot monsters were sucked into the Behemoth Maw.
His body underwent swift transformations, both in Spiritual Power and physical strength.
After consuming tens of thousands of maggot monsters, his Spiritual Power soared at a staggering rate.
To put it in percentages, Daniel’s Spiritual Power was at a mere 1% right after ascending to a level 3 Evolver. But now, it had explosively surged to 10%.
Having just leveled up and already reaching 10%, he pondered; if he continued to feast in this manner, wouldn’t it be only a matter of time before he hit 100% and advanced to a level 4 Evolver?
The realization struck him like lightning.
The Behemoth Maw wasn a useful tool for leveling up!
No, it was even a divine artifact!
Of course, the Behemoth Maw couldn’t feast endlessly.
At this moment, it stopped consuming, seemingly having reached its devouring limit for the time being.
This limitation might be related to Daniel’s current power level.
If he were as potent as the Behemoth itself, he might be capable of swallowing countless monsters in one go.
Moreover, as more maggot monsters were consumed, the rate at which his strength increased began to slow.
To boost his power further, he’d likely need to devour even more formidable creatures.
This realization made Daniel involuntarily glance back at the distant door.
The Abyssal Realm was teeming with creatures mightier than maggot monsters.
Could he perhaps consider venturing inside once more?
On second thought, he dismissed the idea.
The Abyssal Gate was too close to the Behemoth, and venturing back in might lead to the same perilous end as before.
When the group reached the final fork in the path, their fortune took a turn.
This junction required them to round a bend and enter the only pathway they had come through.
Mike, lagging at the rear, swerved and tumbled into the passage.
The pursuing maggot monsters, unable to navigate the sharp turn in time, crashed headlong into the opposing stone wall with a series of muffled thuds.
The defense of the maggot monsters was notably feeble, or perhaps it was their sheer speed combined with the impact on their heads that caused them to explode, akin to being squished between two fingers.
The massive collision caused the stone-built wall to waver, and it crumbled in moments.
Light pierced through the gaping hole.
Daniel, who had been vigilantly monitoring the situation from the back, had his eyes dancing with intrigue.
Was this their way out?
Could breaking down this wall lead them to freedom?
Daniel couldn’t help but frown. If it were this simple, all their efforts seemed redundant.
"Stop running, the exit is here," he shouted, making his way out.
The maggot monsters surged forth.
Without giving the others another thought - nor did he need to - Daniel pressed on.
They were all veteran Evolvers; covering this distance and breaking free would be manageable for them.
It wasn’t long before Alex and the rest emerged, their bodies covered in blood, fleeing the pyramid in a disheveled state.
Daniel looked at them, a hint of surprise on his face. "Did you all really struggle that much?"
Brooks shot Daniel a resentful glare. "Did you think we’re all like you? Some kind of monster boss?"
Mike chimed in, "When we get back, I’m reporting that you’re an undercover operative sent from the monster realm."
Julia quickly adjusted her appearance and then curiously scanned the surroundings. "Where are we?"
Daniel replied, "If my guess is correct, this should be The First Pyramid."
He pointed in the distance. Only then did the group notice their black off-road vehicle, bearing the emblem of the Investigation Bureau, parked far away.
Behind them, the vast desert stretched out, barren save for the golden sands.
Only the elongated triangular shadow on the ground indicated their location, confirming beyond doubt that they were at The First Pyramid.
Alex furrowed his brows, "Were we drawn into that war chariot, transported to that enigmatic altar, and then sent back into The First Pyramid?"
"In this lifetime, I never want to set foot in this pyramid again," he swore.
Brooks exhaled deeply, a hint of wariness flickering in his eyes as he gazed at the looming pyramid.
For someone as confident as him to harbor even a trace of fear towards the pyramid spoke volumes.
Everyone sat on the ground, breathing heavily, each overwhelmed with the sensation of having narrowly escaped death.
Daniel stood to the side, hands clasped behind his back.
If his hunch was correct, this pyramid still held many secrets yet to be uncovered.
They were brought to a mysterious realm by one war chariot, but there were hundreds, if not thousands, of such chariots within.
Could it be that each chariot transports individuals to different locations?
Moreover, the people from the Rebirth Corporation wanted something from this pyramid and hadn’t found it yet.
They didn’t even know its location - was it in the pyramid or the Abyssal Realm?
Recalling the information related to the Godfather that he had come across in the pyramid, Daniel’s brow furrowed deeper.
He had a gut feeling that there would be many unexpected connections to unravel.
After a short respite, the group drove away from the desert.
A day later, their plane touched down in Golden Shores.
...
nvestigation Bureau.
Martin gazed at the disheveled state of Alex and the others, his expression laden with deep concern.
"The First Pyramid, teeming with endless maggot monsters?"
"Where lies the future of mankind?"
"But, this talk of Daniel being the leader of monsters -- where did that come from?"
Brooks, lounging on the sofa and casually picking his nose, remarked, "The ease with which he moves among those creatures, as if he’s walking in an uninhabited realm, speaks volumes."
"So, let’s not count his contribution in this investigation. The credit should be split among the four of us."
Mike: "..."
Alex: "..."
Julia: "Shameless..."
