Chapter 4
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Hungry Slayer 4
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In front of his eyes were teeth.
The time he spent with Kaipatu had been a mere instant.
Dane was still surrounded by monsters, his body being torn apart.
“Uwaaaaaah!”
Intense pain and rage.
The bewilderment of having met a god.
The relief of still being alive—all mingled into a scream.
And an unbearable hunger on top of it.
In that moment, another chunk of his shoulder was ripped away. He reflexively swung his arm.
‘Huh?’
The moment the monster’s neck was severed, the pain in his shoulder vanished.
A gap opened in the monsters’ attacks as well.
Still lying down, Dane swung his cleaver wildly, slashing at anything in reach. If they bit, he cut; if they lunged, he sliced them clean through.
‘Huh?’
The more he cut, the more his flesh filled in.
[……By cutting, you shall live.]
He understood the words.
‘Regeneration!!!’
As he tested the ability granted by Kaipatu with each slice, no monsters survived.
‘Is it over?’
In a daze, he stared at the wreckage. He couldn’t believe he’d done it.
“Ha…….”
There were those watching such a Dane.
Deliel and Walter stood before a large circle emitting a pitch-black glow.
“Did you see? Your son?”
“Yeah. Looks like he met a god or something……” Deliel replied nonchalantly, frowning. Her son hadn’t even noticed his parents’ presence.
“I thought he was done for, but he turned it around like this.”
“He’s overdoing it. He won’t die just from some flesh being torn off.”
“For someone saying that, you seemed pretty pissed off.”
“Who’s one to talk…… Who started cursing first.”
The moment the parents had crossed through the black circle, they’d charged at the monsters devouring their son, hurling double curses—only to freeze in place.
There’d been no room to intervene. They could only watch as Dane butchered the monsters at tremendous speed.
Dane stood blankly amid the corpses of eight monsters. Blood still trickled from wounds all over his body.
“Huh?”
Walter was startled because his son suddenly began field-dressing the monsters.
Dane’s cleaver danced. His body moved on its own. It wasn’t will—it was instinct.
‘Meat.’
That was the single word implanted in Dane’s mind.
One monster’s body was fully portioned out, then another.
With each one, no more blood flowed from Dane’s body, and the missing flesh fully regenerated.
The parents gaped at their son’s insane recovery.
“Ha…….”
Once fully restored, Dane properly settled in and began field-dressing the monsters in earnest.
The monster’s body was perfectly disassembled at unbelievable speed, despite it being a type he’d never seen before.
He neatly arranged the portioned meat on a spread-out hide, and it looked appetizing.
Dane stared intently at one chunk. It was the thin cut between the neck and loin.
‘Meat glowing like this.’ Dane pulled some rock salt from his torn pants and sprinkled it over the chunk, sliced it to a good eating size, and savored the taste.
It was as intensely flavorful as he’d hoped. Chewy yet tender, nutty yet clean. One bite called for two.
Dane kept slicing and eating.
The parents silently watched their son’s antics. It was as if the world contained only him and the meat.
After cutting and eating one glowing piece from each monster’s body, Dane finally turned to his parents and beckoned.
“Dad. Light a fire for me.”
“Uh……? Oh…….”
Walter sat beside Dane and quickly gathered twigs, striking flint to spark a flame.
Once the fire took shape, Dane skewered chunks of meat on sharp ribs and began roasting them. Only after grilling and eating all the intensely glowing pieces did he continue speaking.
“Mom, these guys ate all the Bloodrock meat. These are Epups, right? The nuttiness builds the more you chew—it’s so good. Try some, come on.”
“…….”
Her son’s earnestness was so intense that even the great Deliel couldn’t twitch in annoyance. Dazed, she sat beside him.
“Gonna eat?”
Walter licked his dry lips and asked Deliel. She held a piece of roasted meat Dane had handed her, blinking.
Monster meat was something she’d never tried. Hesitation was natural.
Dane chewed nonstop, eyeing his mother curiously. It wasn’t easy for the parents to keep ignoring him. Unable to resist, Deliel put the meat in her mouth.
“Huh?”
“What?”
Deliel shoved another piece in. That was answer enough to embolden Walter.
Soon Walter was hooked on monster meat too. It was so good he wondered why they hadn’t tried it before.
The family of three roasted and shared Epup meat for a while. The unexpected campfire carried on.
“I met a god too.” Dane said casually, staring into the campfire. Deliel was turning a skewer to check if the meat was done.
“Figured as much. Who was it?”
“Kaipatu.”
“Kai……patu? What’s that? A god like that exists?”
“Yeah. The God of Butchery.”
Deliel and Walter looked at each other. The bewilderment on their faces soon turned to laughter.
“Puhahaha!”
“Uhahaha!”
Dane shook his head lightly at his parents. He’d expected this reaction.
“Man! That’s gold. The God of Butchery. Haha!”
“No wonder…… We knew from the start. He’s always had a knack for cutting meat weirdly well.”
Deliel was genuinely amused, and Walter repeatedly marveled at the grain of the meat his son had prepped.
“Wild as hell, but I like it.”
The parents gazed quietly at their son.
“Your son’s definitely got something special about him.”
“Your son, you mean.”
Dane recounted his conversation with Kaipatu. The two focused intently, frowning now and then.
“‘To cut is to live, live by cutting’—gods and their fancy nonsense.” Deliel clucked her tongue in mockery.
“So…… cutting your own flesh makes it regenerate. Done right, you could be immortal?” Walter eyed Dane’s body as he asked.
“Maybe not if your head’s cut off or heart pierced—instant death.” Dane replied flatly. Deliel and Walter stared at him in disbelief.
“This kid…… Don’t even think about testing it.”
“No need for me to do it myself.”
Deliel glared, demanding confirmation, and Dane shrugged like it was someone else’s business.
Walter waved his hands to draw attention, unnerved by the mother-son exchange.
“But…… endlessly craving meat. He’s already meat-obsessed—gonna get worse? Hey, son. Anything feel different? Like, craving it more?”
“I did go crazy wanting it…… but it’s not like I lose reason. Sprinkling salt proves it.”
The son saying so did seem different.
“Anyway…… don’t just rejoice that you got power. Especially that last part.” Deliel spoke with utmost seriousness. Her eyes gleamed unusually red.
“Find the ultimate meat, and your wish comes true?”
“Right. Sounds nice, so be extra careful. Gods want a lot.”
“Whatever it is, I’ll know when I find it. Don’t worry too much.”
The parents had no choice but to accept their child was grown.
With no more questions, Dane stood and bundled the remaining Epup hindquarters with cord.
“Gonna dry these into jerky. For the road.”
Dane seemed set on leaving his parents’ side.
* * *
While the meat dried, Dane entered the Black Forest alone every day.
What he’d been up to was clear from his return—clothes shredded, body caked in blood, but not a scratch. His pack and hands always carried monster meat and hides.
“No big ones in these mountains, huh.”
“Big ones…… Your mom’s blocking the passes.”
“So limited types.”
Dane smacked his lips, his mind filled with desire for the wider world.
Deliel and Walter felt the loss of sending off their longtime joy but didn’t show it.
No reason or excuse to hold him. They only felt the duty to release their grown son to the world.
Unaware of their feelings, Mekel Mountain’s cold winds nicely dried the Epup thigh meat.
Dane chewed the jerky—crispy outside, moist inside—as he prepared to depart.
His gear was simple.
The pack held a whetstone, dried herbs, a few rock salt lumps, full of Epup jerky, and basic survival tools.
Weapons: just the crude cleaver-like chopper. Days fighting monsters proved it sufficient.
Walter, watching the geared-up Dane, spoke.
“Joining a hunting party wouldn’t be bad.”
Hunting monsters solo was near impossible. Dane, who’d slaughtered eight Epups alone, was exceptional.
Even so, Dane didn’t dismiss the advice.
To hunt more unknown monsters, he needed info.
A party would yield it easier than solo scouting.
“Follow the Root Path to the World Tree’s heart. Need meat? Step off a bit.”
The path was built on the World Tree’s roots. Starting from the continent’s center, it spanned everywhere; cities and villages formed along the monster-repelling route.
“Once down the mountain, watch the talking ones more.”
Beasts were pure. Schemers plotting for gain were the problem.
Dane already knew the world’s ways, matching their worries.
Their parting words felt warm. Especially seeing disappointment plain on faces usually sly.
Dane strode to Deliel and hugged her tight.
“What’s this…… Grown-ass kid being gross……”
Her body felt so small—the first hug from his mom. Dane held silently, then turned to Walter.
“Don’t come……”
Walter backed away, but Dane was faster. Father and son kept bodies distant, arms only embracing.
“Thanks for raising me. I’ll be back.”
A plain farewell.
* * *
Winter blanketed the Tike Mountains. Four full days descending from home, another mountain awaited Dane.
‘Peaks everywhere, they said. Mountains without end.’
He climbed and descended nonstop, gnawing jerky. He had to chew. Beyond hunger, like withdrawal—he needed meat constantly.
When boiling impulse surged, he drew his cleaver.
The urge worked like another sense. Faster, more precise than sight, sound, smell—perfect forewarning.
‘Hallucinations almost.’
Heartbeat thumping like ‘meatmeatmeatmeat……’ meant beasts or monsters nearby without fail.
Hunt, eat, head south, wandering mountains aimlessly.
Each day was fresh.
From closed world to open—it was joy enough.
Many days passed that way.