Chapter 8
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Hungry Slayer 8
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He parted the undergrowth that sprouted without regard for seasons. After walking a short while, Dane spotted massive pyramid-shaped piles of dung.
‘This size means at least five.’ Epups had a habit of stacking their shit in specific spots.
It marked the boundaries of their territory, and judging by the moisture in the dung, they weren’t far off. But the meat bell in his chest hadn’t rung yet.
‘Catch five quick and get started.’ Waiting for them to come shit wasn’t a bad idea, but Dane didn’t have the luxury.
No need to track them, either. Exposing himself boldly to draw them in for a meal was far easier.
A surefire way to announce prime bait and summon them fast.
Dane slashed his palm deeply and flung blood into the air.
The scent drifting on the wind would definitely rile them up. He kept spraying blood as he followed their traces.
-Meat meat meat...
The bell tolled. They were closing in.
Their tracks led into a reed bed towering to head height. Dane plunged right in without hesitation.
Moments later, the reeds rustled unnaturally against each other. The urge to call for meat thrummed through his entire body.
‘Front and flanks are decoys. The attack starts from behind.’ They were clever, distracting the eyes and striking from the rear. The one from behind was the leader. Take that one first. Dane’s body shuddered once.
"Dp!"
The one lunging from behind to rip out his throat lost its head instead.
The wound on his self-inflicted hand vanished clean. Without pause, Dane reached for the one charging from the side with jaws wide.
"Vn... vnq!!" He jammed his hand deep into its mouth and seized the tongue. As the panicked beast tried to back away, he yanked harder. It flailed, unable to bite.
When it lunged in desperation, he held firm and stalled. It looked like his arm was being gnawed from the shoulder down. But it was just scratches piling up.
‘I’ll concede this much.’ He used that one as bait.
"Vnvnq!" The others, clueless, rushed in for a bite. Greedy bastards. He severed them before their teeth could sink in. That was the fight.
Bewildered, three more fell one by one. Finally, Dane slit the throat of the one whose tongue he held.
All the scratches healed.
* * *
‘No clue how many I need for stability. No strong ones among the applicants, but better safe—grab as many as possible.’ He wandered and snagged 46 Epups total. No sun in sight, just the lingering clouds in the western sky tinged orange.
‘Far enough from base camp... this should be fine.’ He dumped his hefty bundles in the heart of the reed bed. The leather-wrapped front paws thudded to the ground. Fist-sized paws, but the sheer number made them heavy.
Plus the deboned meat prepped for dinner wasn’t negligible. He laid the meat woven with reeds on clean Epup hide, then neatly arrayed sharp Epup ribs for skewers.
‘The glowing part from my first Epup. This tenderloin from the nape along the spine—it’s the best.’ It no longer fueled his power, but it was precious meat to live through today. He rose at once to forage for firewood.
‘Hm?’
A foreign presence from afar prickled his senses.
Something was coming.
Approach from where the reeds began far off. Straight on, they’d cross paths the moment he cleared the brush.
‘Not Epup...’ Bipedal gait from the footfalls.
Five in number.
The reeds’ rustle and erratic, sloppy movements screamed careless or clumsy. Beasts didn’t move like that.
‘An applicant?’
The current applicants were no better than monsters. Elves only cared about results, so some would surely try robbing others’ hauls.
Dane adjusted his cleaver grip to greet the guests.
-Shwa!
Humans burst from the reeds in a line. Five as expected. Two women, three men. The same ones who’d glared murderously from the hilltop.
"Huh? You’re that guy who went down alone!""What’re you doing here?"
"By himself?"
They scanned the surroundings quick with Dane in front. Confirming he was alone, they relaxed—then gaped at the mound of Epup front paws beside him.
"Wha... what the... what is that?""You caught all those for real?"
"You did that?"
Questions flew. The meaning was the same either way, so Dane just nodded silently.
That sparked a bigger uproar. Disbelief thickened, turning to denial and sneers.
"Hey, Svino. What do we do?" At one man’s question, a burly guy from the back shoved through the noisy bunch and approached. Probably their leader. Svino, most likely.
"Young friend, level with me. Did you cut these Epup paws in advance for the test?" Everyone knew that was nonsense. The intent was crystal clear.
Dane let out a small sigh, and Svino pressed on.
"No idea how you learned the test in advance through dirty means and stockpiled these... but that ain’t right. Gotta be fair and square!"
Did bullshit sound true if said with enough conviction? His crew nodded along, eyes on Svino.
"You’ve got your whole life ahead, so I won’t make an issue of this. Leave ‘em and go." Svino tapped the hilt at his waist. Don’t comply, and it’s force. He showed his true colors fast.
‘Tyler won’t listen either, obviously.’ Their eyes burned with greed and killing intent already. Probably robbed other applicants before this. What more words were needed?
Dane silently thrust his cleaver forward.
His own signal to use force. Laughter erupted from the briefly flustered group.
"Waving a meat cleaver like you’re hot shit...""Kid’s got no fear." Their killing intent thickened. Threat level: raccoon pack.
"If you won’t hear reason, no choice. Hunters must be honest. Reflect in death." As Svino finished, five blades pointed at Dane. Hard to say if they were hunters or bandits now.
‘Will it regenerate if I cut humans...?’ Perfect chance to check.
A breeze swept through, reeds clashing crisply. At the sound’s tail, the frontmost Beard thrust his sword.
The brute’s massive frame seemed to swell as he struck quick enough. But Dane had seen it coming.
‘Slow. How do clowns like this call themselves hunters?’ He twisted aside easy to gauge their skill. Beard was probably the strongest. Nothing more to see.
‘Gotta take a hit first...’ Too many cuts would hurt.
Beard’s blade grazed perilously close, blood spraying from Dane’s arm. A smirk flashed on Beard’s face.
"As expected... Burk’s blade never misses." Buoyed by the onlookers’ cheers, Burk charged fierce again. But the arm stabbing at Dane was gone.
Svino’s crew couldn’t comprehend.
The boy stood still, yet suddenly Burk’s forearm hit the dirt still clutching the sword.
Simple reason. Burk was slow. Dane was too fast.
"Arghhh!"
As eyes fixed on rolling Burk, Dane checked his arm. Wound gone clean.
‘It works.’
The God of Butchery was fair.
‘Test over... but to avoid loose ends, kill them all?’ If they came for blood, give it. That’s the hunter’s way, betting life for life. That’s what he’d learned.
But Dane didn’t know how this world viewed murder.
Hunting solo was fine, but he didn’t want hassle. Plus it was the test. Couldn’t guarantee no penalties.
"Pointless to risk your lives..."
"Kill him!!!!"
Svino thought different. Dane launched at the charging pack.
* * *
Dane started late dinner prep.
He’d left five corpses neatly in the reed bed beyond. They’d feed other beasts or monsters.
The law of the jungle.
Filling his flesh with another’s. He’d slashed for it earlier; now he’d eat for it.
Sparks rose from the fire, fading in the moonlight. Dane spread his ample Epup tenderloin thin on clean hide.
He laid slices on the cleaver’s broad side and heated over the flames. Makeshift skillet.
-Sizzle!
The savory aroma teased his salivary glands with the pleasing sound. Crimson faded on the mini griddle.
Once the blood was gone, he crammed a bite and chewed.
‘This is it...’
Fresh-grilled Epup was pure delicacy. Rich juices chased by umami.
Dane shoved meat in fast to quell the vertigo.
Eyes closed, savoring, he heard approaching footsteps.
‘One this time. Human again?’ He turned toward the direction and waited. The figure sharpened.
‘A monster...?’
Beat-up shape. Blood smeared its sleek scales in the moonlight. Yet no hostility. Pure curiosity and shock filled its eyes.
"You... what’re you eating?" A lizardman with a massive spear strode up and asked.
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