My SSS-Rank Gluttony Talent: I Can Evolve Limitlessly
Chapter 77: Here to question the chief

Chapter 77: Here to question the chief

Burus stuttered, struggling to speak through the tightness in his throat. "N-no problem... y-you can have anything you want."

Without waiting for a response, he removed the storage ring on his finger and tossed it forward with trembling hands.

Riley caught it mid-air, eyes narrowing just slightly as he stared at the metallic ring.

"T-that’s... that’s all I have w-with me," Burus stammered, sweat trailing down the side of his temple. "I... I hope that’s enough."

Riley didn’t reply at once.

His eyes flashed with a strange glint, almost amused... before a smirk slowly stretched across his face.

"It’ll do," he said.

Then, he turned around, waving a hand lazily over his shoulder.

Burus exhaled sharply the moment he did, feeling like an invisible weight had finally been lifted off his chest.

The pressure... the crushing sense of death that had coiled around his neck... was finally gone.

But then—

Schlk!

Something sharp suddenly stabbed through his throat, and he gasped in disbelief.

His eyes widened in horror, blood spraying out of his mouth, splattering to the grass below.

His hands instinctively reached for his throat, trembling as they wrapped around the end of the long brown spike, sticking out of his neck.

’W-what...?’ he mumbled inwardly, choking on the blood flooding his mouth.

Then—slowly—he turned his head.

And saw Riley.

He was now facing him, however, the smirk on his face had gone, replaced by a cold, emotionless look.

"I’m sorry..." Riley said softly, the words calm, almost gentle. "But I can’t let you live."

Burus’s knees buckled as he dropped to the ground.

His lips parted slightly—perhaps to ask why, or maybe just to breathe one last time.

But all that came out... was blood.

His skin turned pale, and seconds later, he collapsed on the ground, his life fully snuffed out of him.

The spike remained lodged in his neck, blood slowly oozing out, dyeing the grass below in thick red.

Riley let out a quiet sigh.

"You know too much," he muttered.

He spun the storage ring around his finger once and then glanced at the five other corpses spread across the grass, their eyes still frozen in horror.

’That’s one less problem to worry about,’ he thought.

This was the real reason he had come here.

Finding out why the village chief had been so obsessed with claiming the farmland, dealing with the guards, those were all just secondary objectives.

The only true objective had always been eliminating the farmer.

Burus was the only person who had seen him back when he used his gluttony talent, devouring those Spiked Rats.

He also knew about the Hungry Demon, and how it devoured hundreds of people by sucking them into its mouth.

Even if he hadn’t fully understood it now, Riley was sure that sooner or later, he would put the pieces together. He would find out the true identity behind the Hungry Demon, which was him.

Due to that alone, he never planned on letting him live.

Still, Riley had wanted to be sure.

And then, a few minutes ago, that confirmation arrived in form of a notification from the system.

[Farmer Burus is terrified of your power!]

[Your Relationship with the farmer has been affected!]

[Relationship with "Burus Cornhead" has shifted: Respected —> Wary!]

That was all he needed.

From the way Burus had been acting, it was clear he was already realised this, or was at least suspecting him.

There was no way Riley could leave someone alive who had seen what he had—someone who knew what kind of monster hid behind his face.

No matter how cruel it might seem, no matter how pitiful Burus had looked, gasping on his own blood... he had to die.

’How unfortunate.’ Riley thought, dragging his gaze away.

Nonetheless, he was sure the farmer never told anyone about him. In fact, he had confirmed this himself.

A few minutes before killing Burus, he made sure to stylishly bring up questions about when he saw him consume those spiked rats.

He made sure to notice his reactions, and confirmed the man was even too terrified to speak of him to anyone else, talkless of exposing his talent.

Riley turned his gaze toward the corpses scattered across the blood-soaked field, his expression unreadable.

"What should I do with them...?" he muttered, gently tapping his chin.

The wind rustled quietly, brushing through the tall grass as if whispering back to him.

He stepped forward, crouched beside the first guard, and grabbed the sword still clenched in his lifeless grip.

With a sharp tug, he yanked it free, and placed it into his storage ring.

One by one, he moved to the others, stripping each of their weapons and armor, before dumping them in his storage ring also.

Once he was done, Riley exhaled, straightening up as he surveyed the now half-naked corpses lying still.

"That’s better," he murmured, brushing dust off his hands. "They’ll sell for a good price."

A faint smirk twitched at the corner of his lips.

Then, his mouth widened, their almost reaching the tip of his ears.

A thick, monstrous suction erupted from within, powerful enough to ripple the air around him.

Fwoooooosh!

The six corpses—including Burus—were ripped off the ground instantly, limbs contorting as their bodies shot toward him, dragged violently into his gaping maw.

There were no screams, neither could they resist as their flesh and bone were swallowed whole.

Even the blood-stained grass beneath their bodies was not spared, as a few patches were caught in the pull, vanishing into the abyss of his mouth.

And then—

Snap!

His mouth sealed shut, the the farmland grew quiet again.

The only sign anything had happened were the torn patches of grass where the bodies had once lain... and the faint red stain that clung to Riley’s lips.

He licked it off with a slow swipe of his tongue, savoring the faint metallic taste.

Then, he sighed deeply.

"Now..." he muttered, turning away from the patch of ruined grass. "That’s taken care of."

[Level 12 human warrior killed!]

[+150EXP]

[Level 13 human warrior killed!]

[+150EXP]

[...]

[...]

[You have devoured: Human Warrior]

[Acquired: Strength +15.3, Agility +19.1, Endurance +23.1, Vitality +12.1, Mana +17.3, Skill: Strength Boost(D-rank)]

[You have devoured: Human Farmer]

[Acquired: Strength +12.3, Agility +15.1, Endurance +18.4, Vitality +13.5, Mana +11.3, Skill: Crop Harvest(E-rank)]

[...]

[...]

[...]

Notifications continued to flash across his vision for some seconds, before coming to a stop.

Riley scoffed.

"Hmm... to think I’d get a farming skill?" he muttered, a bit amused.

Still, he couldn’t deny the growth. Even taking away the skills, the sheer stat gains from devouring six trained warriors—and Burus—were quite substantial.

His fingers flexed slightly, already feeling the boost in his limbs, the tension in his muscles loosening just a little more.

He turned away from the patch of grass where all the corpses had once been, now nothing but bent soil and torn weeds.

Then, as he began walking, his voice dropped to a quiet murmur.

"The village chief..." he muttered. "I wonder what secrets you’re hiding."

His eyes narrowed slightly, sharp with thought.

"Stealth."

Fwoosh!

He vanished.

The wind whipped violently behind him as his body tore forward, his speed immense—so sharp that to anyone watching, it would’ve seemed like he had just teleported.

*

A few minutes later...

Fwoosh!

He stopped.

A light gust of wind spread out from beneath his feet, rustling leaves and sending dust curling through the air.

Riley now stood in front of the chief’s manor.

It loomed above him, tall and wide, a structure built far more lavishly than anything else in the village.

The walls were made of a polished concrete blend with wooden supports carved into strange tribal patterns.

Gold-lined ornaments shimmered faintly near the corners of the roof, and red silken banners fluttered along the edges.

It looked like something pulled out of another world entirely, especially when compared to the mudbrick and wooden huts scattered around the rest of the village.

Even the stone path leading up to the front steps was swept clean.

His gaze trailed up, scanning the windows, the shape of the upper floor, the gaps in the roof tiles.

’No doubt,’ he thought. ’This is where the castle of the village chief sits.’

Two guards stood posted on either side of the arched wooden doorway, clad in slightly worn chainmail and armed with spears.

But the moment Riley appeared in front of them, their eyes bulged.

One of them flinched back with a gasp, his mouth falling open.

"Wh-what—!?"

"H-how is he—!?"

They didn’t even finish their sentences before their instincts kicked in and they charged at him.

"How dare you come to the chief’s castle!" one of the guards roared, gripping his spear with both hands.

"Die!" the other shouted, lunging forward without hesitation.

Both men swung their weapons down in unison, aiming for Riley’s chest.

However, the latter suddenly vanished without even making a sound.

Their blades sliced through empty air, and they subconsciously glanced at each other in confusion.

Before either of them could react, Riley reappeared behind them, his daggers gripped firmly in both hands.

And then—

Splurt!

Blood burst out of the guard’s throat, splashing to the ground.

The men froze in horror, their hands instinctively flying to their necks, trying to stop the blood from gushing out.

But it was pointless.

They staggered, choking violently, the gurgle of blood clogging their throats—

And then collapsed face-first to the ground.

Their bodies kept twitching for a few seconds, blood oozing out of their necks, dying the ground red.

Riley tilted his head slightly and smirked.

"I’m just here to question the chief," he murmured, his voice laced with mockery. "No hard feelings."