Chapter 56
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 056
Chapter Title: Puberty
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Great success breeds arrogance.
For some reason, after the previous expedition ended too easily, Conrad and Edwin seemed to view this situation as nothing more than a childish game like hopscotch.
'Still... they’re not entirely without thought. Both of them know how to use their heads in their own ways.'
Edwin was pulling out all the stops to gain the Church Alliance’s support. That meant he at least recognized the dangers of the Demonic Realm to some degree.
So, if they received generous backing from the Church Alliance and a capable supreme commander led the army in a meticulously planned expedition, fulfilling the duke’s ambitions wouldn’t be entirely impossible.
Therefore, declaring the expedition a failure outright would be premature, but...
'...Somehow, it feels like it’ll end up that way.'
Woojin suddenly turned his head.
In the corner of the training grounds, Rex was dragging large sandbags around, letting out groans. As usual, he’d been caught slacking off and was now enduring even harsher training under Bow’s watchful eye.
Guys who rely on petty tricks like that will eventually pay a heavy price. Edwin and Conrad wouldn’t be exceptions.
'At least the training is showing results.'
Ten days had passed.
The second expedition wouldn’t start for a while yet. With nothing else to do, the wolves had been drilled relentlessly every single day, and their strength and stamina had improved noticeably from the grueling regimen.
A meaningful achievement in its own right. But the wolves seemed utterly depressed by the situation.
It was because the beasts around the pioneer city had been wiped out, leaving no chance to hunt, and the daily exhaustion from training was wearing them down mentally.
'It’s about time for some rewards.'
After wrapping up the day’s training, Woojin gathered the wolves together.
He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out two beast cores. Even after some time, they looked as fresh as newly butchered meat.
“Rex, Misha. Come get one each.”
The two called wolves stepped forward. The other two, Sean and Yan, watched enviously, smacking their lips.
“I’ll take care of you two later.”
Woojin made the promise to soothe them, then fed a core each to Rex and Misha. As planned, he gave the stonehide core to Rex and the chainscythe one to Misha.
Sensing their value, the two wolves carefully chewed and swallowed the cores. And the phenomenon Woojin had hoped for occurred.
Crack, crunch—
Changes began in Misha’s body. With sounds like joints popping apart, its legs visibly elongated. A sleeker, more agile frame.
Misha got hugely excited by the transformation. The wolf bounced around joyfully, circling the area. Its movements were far quicker and lighter than before.
'It inherited the chainscythe’s aptitude.'
Quick, nimble footwork.
A talent for faster legs and a lighter body. It couldn’t match the explosive acceleration of burst speed, but it excelled in stability.
Misha had successfully inherited the aptitude. In contrast, Rex showed no signs of change. It just stood there, blinking.
'...Did it fail?'
As Woojin felt a pang of regret,
Yawn—
Rex suddenly yawned. It kept nodding off, as if sleepy. Seeing this, Woojin realized what was happening.
“Sleep it off and wake up refreshed.”
Rex nodded in response, then curled up in the corner of the training grounds. It soon fell into a deep slumber. The other wolves sat around it protectively, guarding their sleeping packmate.
Woojin stayed in the training grounds too, closely monitoring Rex’s condition.
......Two days later.
Tick, tick—
A strange sound came from Rex’s body. Like a hatching chick pecking at its shell. Soon, its skin turned ashen, cracks spreading across it.
The other wolves panicked at the sight. It looked for all the world like the wolf was dead.
Woojin laughed and calmed them.
“Don’t worry. Just watch. You’ll all go through this someday.”
Beasts that consume multiple cores evolve into even stronger beings. Rex had always been stronger than the others, so this phase came earlier for it.
Crack!
The ashen back skin split open longways. From within emerged a red wolf, as if shedding its skin.
The new Rex stood tall and proud. Bigger and more powerful than before.
Woojin gave it a once-over.
'Definitely a higher caliber now.'
Its size wasn’t much different, but the aura it exuded was worlds apart. Hard to believe it was the same wolf from two days ago.
One thing bothered him, though.
“......Where’d the tentacles go?”
Rex’s tentacles were gone. When Woojin pointed it out, Rex smugly crouched a bit.
Whoosh!
Four tentacles burst from Rex’s back. Not only had their number increased, but it could now retract and extend them at will—an evolved form.
And Rex had learned a new aptitude too.
Groooowl—!
Brown stone enveloped the tentacles. The same aptitude the dark cultist from before had wielded. Woojin reached out and touched one.
'Solid and flexible.'
How strong were they?
Woojin raised his right hand. Gray scales soon covered his palm.
“Give it a smack.”
At the command, Rex eagerly swung a tentacle at Woojin’s palm.
Smack!!
A thunderous crack that stung the ears. Woojin stepped back a pace. The scales held, but the impact was spicier than expected.
'Stone whips, plain and simple.'
Better than hoped.
Woojin grinned in satisfaction, petting Rex’s head repeatedly. The pack leader had acknowledged Rex’s level. The other wolves looked on with envy.
This lifted Rex’s spirits even more. The red wolf held its head high proudly. In that moment, it was the most triumphant victor imaginable.
......Bow returned just then, having finished his errands.
“Rex woke up, huh?”
“Yeah. It’s gotten a lot stronger.”
Woojin boasted proudly, and Bow used his keen eyes to appraise Rex.
“No kidding, it’s changed beyond recognition. Now it can pull its weight anywhere.”
Even the old monk was impressed. In a rare show of praise, Bow reached out to pet Rex’s head.
Thwack!
Rex batted the hand away with a tentacle. Bow stepped back. Woojin was stunned.
'...Has this guy lost all fear?'
Bow smiled kindly.
“Heh heh... Grown independent already, eh?”
The monk chuckled heartily. But his eyes weren’t smiling. He looked like he was pondering how to handle the wolf.
Rex glared boldly at Bow. Realizing the situation late, Woojin understood.
'Lingering grudge from training.'
Rex had kept slacking, so Bow had punished it as an example. From Rex’s view, it was humiliating—especially in front of the others.
With its new power, Rex wanted payback for past humiliations. To onlookers, it was absurd.
'...It thinks it can beat Bow.'
Rex had never truly taken a solid hit from Bow. With stonehide mastered, it figured an old monk was no match.
Bow turned to Woojin with a smile.
“Mind if I teach Rex a lesson?”
“Go ahead. Please do.”
He added to Rex,
“Give it your all.”
“Grrr!”
Rex snorted fiercely, summoning its new aptitude.
Groooowl—!
Brown stone covered Rex entirely. Like a living stone wolf statue. Add the four stone whips, and it looked downright menacing.
To the clueless, the old monk might seem in dire straits, but...
Absurd.
“Yelp! Whimper!”
Soon, pitiful yelps rang out nonstop. Each palm strike from Bow sent Rex flinching and howling.
Bow’s strikes pierced the surface to hit internals. Stonehide or not, they couldn’t block it—and if Bow got serious, the hide would shatter anyway.
'Why even pick a fight?'
Woojin watched the one-sided discipline, lost in thought. Rex was usually quick on the uptake and rarely made such mistakes.
'...Power’s gone to its head. Forgotten its place.'
Proof: even while getting pummeled, Rex kept baring its fangs. Basically begging for more. Tucking tail and fleeing would’ve ended it sooner.
Suddenly surging with power had made it arrogant. Not good. Rex’s real edge was cunning, not stone whips.
'Needs fixing, pronto.'
Bow seemed to agree.
Crack, crash!!
Bow’s palms battered Rex relentlessly. It whimpered, curled up. Finally, tail between legs.
After the thrashing, Bow approached.
“Looks like Rex hit puberty. Right about that age.”
The wolf beasts, Rex included, were young. Teen years in human terms. New strength at that age sparked bravado.
“Better correct it before bad habits set in.”
“Got a plan?”
“A suitable tutor’s at hand.”
With that, he fetched her to the training grounds. Woojin laid the groundwork.
“Rex.”
He beckoned. Rex approached sullenly, mood soured from the beating.
Woojin made an enticing offer.
“Look over there.”
He pointed. Rex turned. A slender woman entered view.
“Beat her, and you’re off training duty for good. I’ll square it with Bow.”
“......Grrr!”
Rex perked up. No way it could lose. She looked weak and ditzy.
Rex assumed position. Woojin spoke to the one beside him.
“Cindy.”
“Yes.”
Cindy commanded,
“Rachel. Transform into panther form.”
Groooowl—
The woman before Rex suddenly became a massive black panther. It yawned lazily, then turned this way.
“......”
Rex averted its eyes downward. The panther sauntered over leisurely.
Lick.
It licked Rex’s face. Like prepping a snack, but really a sign of affection from the panther.
Rex stayed frozen. Couldn’t even dream of defiance.
Its wits seemingly returned...
Woojin waved the panther back. Fight was over before it started.
“Long road ahead. Don’t get cocky.”
“Whine...”
Rex’s puberty was short-lived.
Just bad matchup luck. Rex was plenty strong now. To celebrate, Woojin bought the wolves heaps of premium beef.
Rex seemed too dejected, so he kept praising it to boost morale.
“Master a couple more useful aptitudes, and you could even take that panther.”
Rex glanced slyly, paw pointing at meditating Bow. Wondering if it could beat him yet.
“Tough. Don’t wanna get thrashed again? Behave.”
“Whine.”
Rex sighed deeply. Dreamed of besting the monk someday... but reality was harsh.
Still, positive overall. Eyeing other powerhouses meant Rex had grown.
'...Should it join the second expedition?'
Rex’s evolution tempted him. Toss it some cores from the expedition, and the wolves would grow fast.
Problem: second expedition screamed leaky ship. Sinking slowly. Miss the bailout, and trouble brews. Wise to board?
He consulted Bow.
“What should we do?”
Bow smirked.
“Pointless worry.”
“Why?”
“You’re just hunting for excuses. City boredom’s got you itching for beast hunts, right?”
“......”
Nothing to say.