Michael, standing at the entrance, saw the body of an alien that looked half-human. Its body was human-like, but its face resembled a monkey's.
He was confused because monsters of the Ape race generally did not come to this particular battlefield, as it was meant for Warlord realm warriors and offered no benefit for a Demon Ape alien. This was a powerful group within the monster race, whose bloodline was considered noble.
Thinking this, Michael did not hesitate to approach the alien's body. He saw a large spear wound on the torso, likely from a fight.
From the extent of the damage, one could determine the alien had died from severe bleeding; even now, blood covered the dead body, which was ten feet tall.
Although the alien had collapsed in the cave, its body could not hide the demeanor of a powerful being. Looking carefully, Michael saw that the alien was not over 50 years old, suggesting it had been a genius from the alien camp.
With this information, Michael determined that this dead Warlord might have a significant background within its race, which was not a good sign to be involved with.
Michael began searching for a space ring. When he looked at the body, he didn't see any ring on its fingers.
Then he noticed a ring placed near a long-cold bonfire, which he guessed the alien had taken out to heal itself. A small bottle was also near its hand, suggesting it had died before it could take the medicine.
Michael reached out to take the ring and the bottle. He was sure the 10,000-year Willow Heart plant elixir was inside the bottle; otherwise, the alien would not have taken it out. This plant elixir contained huge amounts of energy, aiding in healing and breakthrough.
A 10,000-year-old Willow Heart plant elixir could help any General realm warrior break through to the middle stage of the Warlord realm. For those already in the Warlord realm, it could directly elevate them to the peak of the Warlord realm, a process that itself required immense energy.
Michael started to check for other things, but to his disappointment, he found nothing. Seeing there was nothing else, he left the cave and began to organize everything as it was. With the rate the snow was falling, it would not take long for the entrance to be covered again.
Michael, who had reset the scene, started moving back toward the mountain where he had been hiding. It was one of the best places to conceal himself, located deep in the mountains where people rarely set foot.
On his return, Michael moved more slowly so as not to attract anyone's attention; otherwise, the consequences could be severe.
It took him about twice as long as his initial journey. He saw a few mutated beasts fighting and detoured around them to avoid attraction.
When Michael reached the cave entrance, he did not enter immediately. Instead, he covered the entrance with a large stone, which would help fend off monsters and anyone who happened to come by.
After everything was secured, he took out the bottle containing the Willow Heart elixir. It was important to consume it now to increase his realm, and he did not know how long ago the elixir had been extracted, as delay might cause a loss of energy.
After removing his body armor, Michael sat in a meditation position to consume the elixir. He opened the cap of the bottle and could see the strong vitality of the Willow Heart seeping out.
Without hesitation, Michael drank the liquid.
Suddenly, a huge amount of energy began to surge inside his body. Without delay, Michael started running his body tempering method to maximize the energy absorption.
With the flow of energy, Michael, whose realm was at the late General stage, began to advance.
It did not take long for him to break through to the War General realm, but the energy continued to steadily increase his cultivation. He did not know how long it would take, as he was in a deep state of meditation.
Meanwhile, Michael, deep in cultivation, would have been surprised to see a group of Ape race aliens arriving at the very cave he had just left.
When the group came near the cave, they removed the branches and trunk covered by snow.
One of the aliens entered the cave and called out,
"Boss, the dead body of Zamoth is here."
As the rest heard this, they entered. A leader, about eleven feet tall, looked around the dead body as if searching for something.
When he didn't find what he sought, the anger on his face was evident.
"Find me the space ring! Look everywhere! I need his space ring!"
They searched every corner of the cave, even checking the body again, but they could not find the ring, which frustrated him even more.
He then took out a device from his own space ring, which functioned as a communication device across different spaces for aliens—one of their few advanced technologies—and dialed a number.
"Sir Ormok, we found Zamoth's dead body, but there was no sign of the space ring he snatched from the auction."
A powerful voice came from the other side.
"Thanga, what was the cause of death? Was anyone else involved?"
Thanga hesitated, knowing the people involved in the robbery were all at least at the Warlord realm or above, but he knew his boss's temper.
"Other people were involved, but most covered their faces, so we can't be sure who among them got the item."
"Looking at the wounds on Zamoth's body, there are spear marks all over. But he died in a small battlefield where most people are below the Warlord level, and the few who are Warlords aren't powerful enough to kill him."
"So I don't think anyone from this battlefield could have done it. The only possibility is that someone was tracking him. He was injured in the process and might have entered this battlefield to heal, but the injury was too severe, exhausting his energy, and he died here."
"As for the space ring, it might have been lost or taken by either the attacker or someone from this battlefield. But my guess is the attacker took it, as he wouldn't have spent so much energy without claiming the ring."
Ormok, who looked more human but with ape characteristics, was on another battlefield. He gritted his teeth, his face red with anger.
"Look for the attacker. A spear user might be found when he comes to search for the ruins using the map. Also, check the battlefield for anyone fitting the description."
"Find me that map, or get me the person who attacked Zamoth, dead or alive. Try not to spread the information; otherwise, more powerful people might be attracted."