The night had finally fallen.
After the sun set, the air in the forest became increasingly heavy.
It seemed that many of the demons here were nocturnal creatures, causing them to appear in every corner of the forest as soon as dusk fell and become active.
Under such circumstances, it was undoubtedly more dangerous here at night than during the day.
Fortunately, after sunset, Shane finally found a hideout that met his requirements.
It was a cave situated at the bottom of a cliff.
"If it's there, I should be able to spend a night, right?"
Shane, hiding in the bushes at the side of the cave, looked at the scene without a hint of joy on his face.
"No matter how I look at it, that guy doesn't seem to intend to let me go in."
A closer look revealed a demon lying in front of the cave.
It resembled a sturdy leopard, covered in spots, its fur pitch black, and flames flickering on its back—a demon dog.
The demon dog seemed to be asleep, lying before the cave with its eyes closed, its back gently rising and falling as it breathed steadily. However, with each breath, an extraordinary heat accompanied it, causing flames to spew from the corners of its mouth, nostrils, and even its closed eyelids, looking just like a Hellfire Dog guarding the gates of hell, intimidating anyone who dared approach.
Shane felt somewhat helpless.
"Though I had mentally prepared myself..."
After all, having followed the reactions from his Enemy Detection skill to find this place, encountering a demon was expected.
But seeing such a fierce beast appear in front of him, Shane felt a tinge of fear in his heart.
Even though, according to the reactions from the Enemy Detection skill, this demon dog seemed weaker than the fierce bird from earlier, causing the skill's feedback reaction to be weaker, this time was different from earlier.
This time, Shane had to attack rather than be attacked.
Only by doing so could Shane occupy the cave and make it his hideout.
Shane slowly adjusted his breathing.
"It's okay, with the Holy Sword in hand, I can't fail."
Shane tightened his grip on the Holy Sword, encouraging himself.
"The opponent is weaker than the bird from earlier, and I could even defeat that bird in one hit, so there's no reason I can't do the same to this dog."
This is what Shane told himself.
However, this time, Shane did not intend to confront the opponent directly.
Theoretically, with the Holy Sword's protection and both his Level 10 Physical Resistance and Magic Resistance skills weakening any damage Shane might receive, facing the demon dog weaker than the bird from earlier, Shane should win even in a direct confrontation.
But, forgive Shane; he was still someone who hadn't experienced much combat. To face such a ferocious demon head-on would be too demanding.
Moreover, if he could win without any risk, why face it directly?
Hence, Shane carefully lowered his breathing and footsteps, moving stealthily through the trees and bushes to hide his figure as he quietly approached.
"Acquired skill—Concealment—Would you like to learn?"
At this moment, such information surged into Shane's mind.
Shane was initially stunned, then quickly checked it out.
· When in hidden, lurking, or ambush states, the skill reduces scent, breathing sounds, footsteps, and even presence to a certain extent, depending on the skill level. If the skill level is high enough, it can affect the surroundings and nearby individuals.
The appearance of this skill was a timely rain.
Initially, Shane worried about being discovered by the other party.
No matter what, the opponent was a dog, and Shane had mentally prepared himself to be exposed due to his scent.
But the appearance of Concealment completely eliminated Shane's worries.
Thus, Shane learned the skill without hesitation and elevated it to Level 10.
At this Level 10, the Concealment skill, enhanced further by the Holy Sword, shattered any limits.
By the time Shane realized it, he had already silently and seamlessly arrived behind the demon dog.
The sleeping demon dog was utterly defenseless, its entire body exposed before Shane's eyes.
Immediately, Shane acted decisively.
As the Holy Sword fell, its brilliant, sharp blade pierced straight through the demon dog's body.
The demon dog let out a wretched howl, finally awakening from its deep sleep, opening a pair of eyes as red as burning flames, its entire body exploding with a dreadful fiery blaze.
Shane, who was almost touching it, was scorched directly by the flames, turning into a fiery human being and caught in the fire.
However, Shane's Magic Resistance skill seemed to activate, and the protection effect of the Holy Sword was also triggered, allowing Shane not to suffer any harm despite being bathed in flames—not even feeling the slightest warmth.
Before long, the flames disappeared.
The demon dog, pierced by the Holy Sword, fell lifelessly onto the charred ground, all the flames on its body having extinguished. The ground beneath it gradually stained red with blood, leaving only some grasses nearby burning gently.
"Acquired skill—Assassination—Would you like to learn?"
Having successfully slain the demon dog, Shane acquired a new skill.
· When executing an attack in hidden, lurking, or ambush states, it increases the probability of a one-hit kill.
· When in hidden, lurking, or ambush states, it has a high probability of detecting the enemy's weak points.
Undoubtedly, it was also a rather practical skill, and Shane elevated it to Level 10 in an accelerated heartbeat.
"Thanks to these skills, the situation went smoother than I imagined."
Shane withdrew the Holy Sword from the deceased demon dog and instinctively stepped back.
After his second time slaying a demon, Shane had grown somewhat accustomed to it, though the blood scent still seemed to awaken some psychological trauma, making him hesitant to get too close.
"But I can't just leave the corpse lying there; otherwise, it will surely attract other demons drawn by the blood scent."
Considering this, Shane endured his discomfort, first covering the blood with nearby soil and then dragging the demon dog's body into the cave.
The cave was filled with the smell of wild beasts, extremely unpleasant, and littered with bones and rotten flesh, seemingly the remains of the demon dog's victims.
"No wonder you chose to sleep outside; it's so foul-smelling in here."
Shane felt like crying but held back his tears.