All, One, Everything.

Chapter 28: Getting caught

Preview: It captured my attention and immediately focused in a particular direction. There, a strange serpent-like being came out? It was the first time I've seen anything walk out of that eerie place after coming in. I was curious how it was and what experiences and mutations it could have possibly experienced there. And so, I tailed it.

And so, here we are in the present situation. My life is currently threatened by the strange sunflower demon I've been stalking for hours, together with its strange centipede friend. Never once have I seen them get stumped by other demons in their journey and I unknowingly let my guard down, accidentally exposing myself and bringing us here to the present situation.

Several roots rose up from the ground all around me as I immediately pleaded. "Please stop! I come in peace! I mean no harm! Really!" I know it was a futile action, but I tried regardless. As they say, humans can do anything when they're desperate. But am I still human?

"Liar! How could you not have ill intent when you were hiding right behind us! I'm sure you must've been planning to hunt and eat us! Clack!" The strange centipede coiled around the sunflower spoke. And it spoke surprisingly clearly! For god's sake, it's a centipede! But what can I expect in a world where demons and supernatural things exist?? Still, I turn my head away because I can't deny his accusations. I did have the intention initially but gradually changed my mind and just followed them out of curiosity. Looking at the dried up husk of the miserly demonic boar on the ground reminds me that a small mistake would turn that scene with me as the main character. And I obviously don't want that.

"Master! This thing should be punished and eaten directly! It's still trying to lie his way through! Let's immediately restrain him and kill him!" Pendra clacks his mandibles in annoyance as he looks at the ugly thing in front of him. Especially the mandibles it has on its mouth, it looks especially ugly and irritating, making it want to tear off its face. I cant believe there would be such an unsightly demon race that exists! And I actually met one of them! What cursed luck! Pendra inwardly curses and clacks his mandibles in annoyance.

Oh? So they are in a master-servant relationship? That's interesting. And seeing as how it is complaining to the sunflower, is it highly intelligent as well and capable of communication? I mean.. They might be the same as me! So, maybe I can actually live through this??

Yhaele thought in glee and started to think about how to come up with an answer that'll satisfy both the sunflower and the centipede to spare him. He also started weighing the pros and cons of him joining the duo as a team. Considering their outstanding hunting abilities and compatibilities, as well as his agility and intelligence, they'd make a good hunting team, giving him a great sense of safety and assurance.

Oh well, but the problem is how to convince them to let me join, and before that, the premise is that I can get out of this alive. Yhaele once again racked his brains for solutions when a cute voice suddenly reached his mind. It was as though the words and information just got sent there directly, not through soundwaves but something else.

"Yes! You're right! Let's kill and eat him right away!" Sunirae replied enthusiastically and the roots moved once again. "Stop, stop, stop! Please! I think I'll do a better job alive than dead! If you eat me now, you'll only gain fragmentary memories that are dubious, not knowing whether they're true or rumors. And you'll only gain a little bit of strength, and considering your current power, that isn't much. So, I say, why not let me be your guide and let me join your team? I know this place pretty well and I could guide you to places with a bunch of prey! Plus, I am good at fighting and have a strong body, I could provoke the prey and attract their attention while you finish off the kill! I say, we'll really have a good combination and synergy!" Yhaele cried out in desperation and articulately made up a reason to keep him alive on the spot.

Sunirae stopped the roots that were wriggling and couldn't wait to have a taste of a new dish and started to think it through. It didn't take long for Sunirae to come to an answer and decided to let him live. "Alright, you are going to join us on our travels now! For now, we don't have any idea of where to go and what to do, but we just want to become stronger! So, you should lead us to places that would make us become stronger! Or else, I'll eat you!" Sunirae said domineeringly in a cute voice. "Oh, and this is my servant, Pendra."

Yess!! Yhaele inwardly cheered and tried his best to control his expression. He knew that this was his chance to rise! And it's also the best opportunity to deserve the sunflower-centipede duo if they're in the same situation. With this, I can finally try exploring the places that I previously deemed impossible because either I was too weak or I would've needed cooperation from others. To think I was lucky enough to meet intelligent demons, or could it also be bad luck? Thinking about his situation that is of a semi-hostage and just a line close to a slave, he immediately replied "Yes, I have an idea in my mind. It is a place rich in Flaming Salamanders and other demons also loiter around there. But I couldn't get too close to hunt previously because there were too many enemies, but with your help, and my lead, I'm sure we can hunt them all and roast them into kebabs!"

"Kebabs? What's that?" Sunirae was curious hearing this word for the first time as it does not exist from the fragmentary memories of souls of the demons she had eaten.

"Oh, uh, just think of it as uh, very delicious dish. Oh right! I can roast them for you and let you taste it! I am sure you would definitely love it! Especially you, Pendra!" Yhaele started ass-kissing the centipede because he was aware that the centipede is definitely closer to the sunflower, and whatever he says about him could decide his fate. 24 years of living in a human society made him understand that one cant live without proper ass-kissing skills and not knowing when to bend. Even if it's a centipede, you have to be aware of the social and political standing of the people in the group in order to use it to the fullest and benefit from it.

"Clack. Hmph, you think I don't know what you're thinking? You must be thinking of ways to kill us while we are unaware then eat our meat! You must be thinking of harming my master! Heed my words! I am watching you!" Pendra clacked his mandibles in annoyance but he felt that this guy looked a bit more pleasing to the eye now, hence he gave his warnings.

"Hehe, thank you for the warning! I'll definitely watch my behavior well!" Replied Yhaele in absolute glee. He could sense the underlying meaning of the centipede and knew that he must've scored some points with him. Hmph! Even stupid centipede like you can't resist the power of words! Just like what the legendary adventurer Flemburg said, Knowledge is power!

Hehehe, I can finally approach those precious things and make myself stronger. These stupid demons. They may be capable of communication and are considered to have some intelligence but, they're still nothing compared to me! A former human! They can only be used by someone they deemed weaker and inferior. Keke, well it doesn't sound that bad. We're both using each other in order to achieve our goals in one way or another, right? I thought in anticipation as I look forward to my bright future in this new place.