I Own the Evolution Domain

Novus begins to move as arrows whistle across the air, some passing through him and giving him small cuts, while some hitting the Direwolves around him directly, as if the arrows’ target are those creatures in the first place.

[A new type of D Tier poison enters the body, now absorbing the toxin into the bloodstream...]

[Detected a higher quality of poison being absorbed... progress being adjusted.]

[Absorption Complete.]

[Consume 1 more unique E Tier poison or toxin or 60 times the volume of the E Tier poisons or toxins already absorbed before to increase the Poison-Devouring Blood’s progress.]

’Poison...’ as soon as he saw the notifications flashing the moment his skin is pierced with an arrow’s tip, Novus immediately alarmed himself, his senses confirming the danger of being hit by the arrow even further as he witnesses what happens to some of the Ebony Direwolves waiting in the distance.

Several pained howls can be heard from the distance as blood spurts from multiple Direwolves’ bodies, arrows digging straight through their skin and flesh.

The worse has yet to come however as those Direwolves began feeling the muscle around the area hit by the arrow freeze and stiffen, the struggle to move said muscles becoming more and more apparent as whatever it is that is in the arrow continues to seep into their flesh.

"Kieeeehh!!! Kakaka!!!"

"Kaka!! Kiekiekkk!!’

As Novus watches some of his previous opponents gradually growing weaker as soon as they got hit with the poisoned arrows, he heard several high-pitched, seeming screaming noise from the trees where the newcomers are.

And despite not knowing whatever it is that these high-pitched sound means, Novus can instinctively tell.

Those are sounds of celebration, like hunters after a successful hunt.

It is only now that he is reminded of the moment that they reveal themselves.

Sensory Perception warns him of their arrival, multiple bipedal beings, standing on branches around them with limbs wielding variety of weapons, some bows, aimed towards himself and his previous opponents, said aim clearly not distinguishing whether he is fighting the Direwolves or not.

These new opponents indeed arrive, and he can confirm their existence through his senses, however, there are no rustling of leaves nor creaking of branches where they stand, showing their prowess.

It appears that these newcomers are just as much masters of stealth as the Ebony Direwolves.

However, contrary to the stealth stemming from their talent, the newcomer’s stealth appears to be systematic and technical, learned, rather than the instinctual use of talent that the Ebony Direwolves showcases.

Wind blows, leaves rustling in its wake, and its shifting allows some of the domain’s sunlight to pierce through the thickness of the forest.

And there, through the combination of Sensory Perception and the environment that just brightens, Novus was allowed to see them in their fullest form.

Standing just a head shorter than the average man, their skin shines the palest of gray.

These bipedal creatures slouch their backs a bit, allowing anyone in front of them to see their faces easier, the pointy ears, bloodshot eyes and the tall, but nonetheless crooked nose, paired with the predatory fang that extends beyond their mouths, made them appear all the more appalling to anyone who are unfortunate enough to witness them.

Some of them wields wooden clubs, descending down the trees with the intent of dealing with the remaining Ebony Direwolves unaffected by their first volley of attack.

Some of them wields primitive bows, string stretched and arrow tips aimed at their targets, seemingly well prepared for whatever tricks it might be that their opponents could pull.

"Kikik... kiaak!!!"

High-pitched screams resound across the surrounding once again as these humanoid creatures began making their moves, their bodies turning into shadows as they went ahead and closed the gap between themselves and their targets.

Cunning, brutal, ruthless.

Those are the only words that can describe how these humanoids move, their arrival within the Ebony Direwolves’ attacking range immediately prompting them to send in attacks as well, the clubs swinging down on the helpless, debilitated wolves as they beat the canines down further, disabling them completely as they break each and every limb in the wolves’ bodies.

For reasons unknown to the young man however, there are no kills, not a single direwolf being executed as if the newcomers have something else planned.

It appears that the newcomers, the humanoids, are easily gaining grounds on the Direwolves as one after another was debilitated, turned into nothing but living torso and head, by the humanoids, each of their motion swift, precise and merciless, not only to the wolves but also to themselves.

And it is as apparent as it can get, as despite profusely bleeding, some of the humanoids continues to tank hits, slashes and pounces from the Direwolves as they fight, their bloodied body not possessing an insane regenerative factor similar to Novus’ however, it appears that it will take much more than just bleeding out for them to die.

What is even more impressive is that while the club-wielders tanks all the damage from their targets, the bow and arrow users were gradually stacking hit after hit on the frontliner’s targets, making it more and more difficult for the targeted Direwolves to move, eventually falling under the combined might and strategy of these humanoids.

From this point onwards, it should’ve been obvious, the Direwolves falling under the power and strategic might of these humanoids.

Or at least, it should’ve been like that.

A single howl resounded, and this time, different from the previous tones of the Direwolves, more of communication rather than anything else, this one appears not to be a simple exchange or talk, nor is it a request.

That low, near sonorous howl seems to be more of a leader’s command rather than anything else.

Even Novus himself couldn’t help but feel his hair standing on ends as he heard the howl, that chill making him smile as he had come to realize that there is something even more powerful than the Direwolves he came into combat with previously.

As an outsider, Novus already finds such howl intriguing, attention catching, what more for the ones who knew what that howl actually means?

From that single howl, the remaining able combatants of the pack begins to move like never before, melding into shadow as they proceed to fight back against the threats, their figures disappearing from their opponent’s senses as they close in.

Blunt force from clubs and sharp, slashing attacks from claws meet each other as the pack of Ebony Direwolves finally begins retaliating against the humanoid creatures, turning what Novus expected to be a one-sided slaughter to an absolute carnage of a fight, beasts howling, screaming and squealing with each exchange.

Some wolves fall down the ground, smashed into soft, dead carcasses by clubs that hit them dead on, showing that the humanoids can no longer afford to continue their hunt.

The reason for these humanoid creatures now killing instead of debilitating shows as while some wolves fall, some of the humanoids dies as well, their body eventually plopping into a kneeling position as the are cut into clean halves by the Ebony Direwolves’ claws, innards scattering as blood forms pools around them.

And amidst all of it, Novus watches, the scene reminding him of the different level of brutality the Evolution Domain has to offer compared to the outside, two entirely different species fighting each other seemingly on similar level as each exchange thins out their numbers.