Chapter 16
Chapter 16
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Triumph Against the Alpha Hellhound
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As I tried to straighten my body, blood gushed from my mouth. My body was regenerating in real time, but with my Regeneration Skill still at E-Rank, it was impossible to recover from wounds this severe in an instant.
The moment I staggered to my feet on trembling legs, it charged at me.
I forced my unresponsive body to move and rolled across the ground again, dodging its front paw by a hair's breadth.
As I rolled along the ground, trying to recover as much as possible, it had no intention of giving me that time. It turned its head to the side and opened its jaws wide, trying to bite me.
My battered body's reaction was too slow, and I couldn't dodge its maw.
I grabbed its upper and lower fangs and held on, but its biting strength surpassed my Strength.
I was gradually pushed back until it finally sank its teeth into my side. Its fangs dug deep into my body, but I used both arms to keep its jaws from closing fully. If my body weren't so sturdy, it would have been torn in two in one go.
When it failed to chew me up in one bite, it started shaking me like a chew toy. The shaking drove its fangs even deeper into my body bit by bit.
[Regeneration level has risen from E to D.]
[Sturdy Body level has risen from F to D.]
[Strength has increased by 5.]
Just as I felt like my waist was about to snap, the notification windows appeared.
I could feel strength surging into my arms gripping its fangs. Its jaws slowly began to open, and at the same time, my wounds regenerated, new flesh slowly growing back. The newly regenerated skin and muscles were tougher than before.
The strengthened skin no longer allowed its fangs to penetrate. My body repeatedly regenerated and pushed back, until its jaws finally opened completely.
A look of bewilderment filled its eyes.
While we were locked in a stalemate with me gripping its mouth, flames flickered in its throat.
I hurriedly clasped my hands together to force its mouth shut, twisted my body, and wrapped both arms around its snout, squeezing.
The massive beast had a huge head, making it hard to wrap my arms around it fully and apply pressure. But now that Regeneration had reached D-Rank, that was no longer an issue.
[Regeneration (D): Adjusts the body's regeneration.]
Now, the Regeneration Skill allowed me to reshape my body within the limits of my imagination. The directions for combat from now on would become incredibly varied.
Focusing on my body's contours and visualizing an enlarged form, I heard my bones and muscles creak as my body began to grow. My energy reserves weren't high and my proficiency was still low, so I only grew about 40 centimeters taller, but that was enough to lengthen my arms and fully envelop its snout.
Startled by my enlargement, it wildly shook its head and thrashed to shake me off. Hanging on like a pendant, I poured all my strength into crushing its snout with both arms.
In agony, it desperately rubbed its snout on the ground and slammed its head against trees and rocks to dislodge me. But my Sturdy Body, which had jumped two levels at once, demonstrated a defensive strength leagues above F-Rank even without fully transforming yet. On top of that, enlarging increased my muscle mass and Strength, allowing me to grip its body even harder.
Perhaps trusting their leader, the other Hellhounds that had been watching until now charged in to protect it and bit onto my body. They latched on everywhere without a gap, but their attacks no longer fazed me.
When the alpha seemed exhausted, I wedged its snout between my left arm and side. Then, with my freed right fist, I smashed down on its head.
Boom, boom.
The impacts echoed, but unlike the smaller ones, its head didn't shatter in one hit.
The little Hellhounds were dangling all over my body, but I ignored them and kept pounding the largest one's head relentlessly.
[Level up.]
Soon, its body went limp. I'd lost too much blood and was exhausted, but leveling up made my body feel a bit lighter.
Next, I grabbed and flung off the ones clinging to me one by one, punching away the rest. At the start of this subjugation, I couldn't deal with the ones latched onto me by punching, but now my vastly increased Strength made it effortless.
You'd think the survivors would flee with the tide turning this much, but they kept charging without running.
To make matters worse, endless Hellhounds had gathered in response to the earlier howl.
But with the alpha defeated and my Sturdy Body leveled up, they were no match for me.
I launched myself toward the oncoming pack.
* * *
"Good lord...."
It was morning by the time the retrieval team from the Awakener Management Bureau arrived in response to my request. They cautiously navigated through what must have been hundreds of Hellhound corpses to approach me.
"Did you take all these down by yourself?"
The government worker asked me, pale-faced, as I rested covered in blood.
"Yeah. Can I head down now?"
"Ah, yes. We'll handle the retrieval."
With the Hellhound pack threat gone, the retrieval team was back in operation. Exhausted and starving, I just wanted to get back quickly.
Too lazy to walk, I hitched a ride on one of the Awakening Bureau's small mountain vehicles to return.
After washing up, I started eating at the cafeteria.
"Hyung! You okay? I was worried when you weren't at the evac zone yesterday."
Sanghun approached me first, his face full of concern, as I began my meal.
"Yeah. Caught a few more and came back just now."
"Good to hear."
As Sanghun and I were eating, Section Chief Baek Youngshin approached with a bright expression.
"Sorry to interrupt your meal. Mind if I sit?"
He asked politely, and I gestured to the chair across from me with an open palm.
"You stayed behind alone to hold them off yesterday. The resort set up a defensive line, but if they'd scattered everywhere, it could've hit civilian areas. Thanks to you gathering and blocking the Hellhounds in the middle, we avoided major casualties. The hunters scattered on the mountain made it back safely too. Thank you."
Section Chief Baek Youngshin bowed his head to me. Looked like the fleeing hunters had made it back fine.
"No big deal."
"We found a large specimen too. We're guessing it was the focal point they rallied around. The Management Bureau should have detected its existence—our apologies for the oversight."
Section Chief Baek Youngshin bowed again.
"We'll provide maximum support for whatever you need going forward. We'll pay the full Hellhound bounty, even though it was supposed to be half. You're F-Rank now, right? We'll promote you to E-Rank immediately. I'd love to bump you to D-Rank, but the short time since your awakening hits a regulation snag."
I hadn't expected him to go this far with the offers. Stopping what could have been massive civilian casualties must have played a big role.
"Thank you. Then I'll head out to hunt some more."
I shoveled the rest of my food into my mouth and stood.
"Pardon? More?!"
Section Chief Baek Youngshin jumped up from his chair in surprise.
"Might as well go for first place since I'm here."
"We already tallied the results. The plan was until noon today, but with so many injured, we called everyone back and ended the subjugation."
"Oh, really? What place did I get?"
"Even without retrieving everything you hunted, you're overwhelmingly first, Hunter Lee Jiseok. Congratulations."
I'd caught so many, it was taking time just to retrieve them.
"Thanks. Guess I can eat more then."
Section Chief Baek Youngshin glanced at my already-empty plates, his face saying, *More?*
"Haha.... Eat up then. See you at the closing ceremony this afternoon."
He greeted me with cold sweat beading on his brow and stood.
But even if I ate everything here, I'd still be hungry. With Sturdy Body jumping two levels at once, my body was constantly regenerating with evolved cells.
Now, my body could block rifle rounds or ordinary flames unless hit dead-on.
And my Strength stat had surpassed 40. Stats get harder to raise the higher they go, and the power of +1 early on versus +1 at high levels is worlds apart. Now I could lift a car.
"Hyung, how many did you say you caught? Just how many did you get?"
Sanghun, who had quietly listened to my conversation with Section Chief Baek Youngshin, asked with a stunned look.
"Just a few."
As I chatted and ate with Sanghun, I spotted Choi Cheolmin passing by in the distance.
"Hey, Cheolmin."
Caught trying to sneak past, he flinched and turned toward us.
"Time to pay up."
I held out my palm.
"How the hell did you catch that many?"
Choi Cheolmin approached reluctantly, his face twisted. Bandages wrapped his body and head from injuries.
"Dunno. Worked hard and it happened."
"Bullshit! You caught three on the first day, and now hundreds on the last—solo, no party?!"
Choi Cheolmin slammed the table like when he'd first picked a fight, yelling.
"If you lost, act like it. What's this?"
Sanghun stood to block Choi Cheolmin.
"Unknown punks keep picking fights. You think I'm a joke too?"
Choi Cheolmin ground his teeth.
"You act ridiculous, so you look ridiculous. Don't regret it later—just wire the money."
I said, still seated at the table.
"You F-Rank losers look down on me?"
"Man, you'd think you were an S-Rank Hunter the way you talk. You're E-Rank too, right? Oh, and I'm E-Rank now. Just got promoted."
"What.... What?! How so fast? Bribery? You bribed them to fake the numbers too!"
Watching Choi Cheolmin spin his own story made me sigh.
"You low-IQ or something? If I hunted and caught more than you, it means I'm stronger—why charge at me? Even if I'm weak. But if I'm connected enough to rig ranks or subjugation scores at the Awakening Bureau, shouldn't you be careful? Don't you think at all?"
Sanghun, listening, stifled a laugh with a *pfft*.
"This bastard's laughing?!"
Lost for words, his face trembling, he snapped at Sanghun's leaked chuckle and swung a fist at him. Swinging in here? Was he really that dumb?
His IQ might be low, but as a notable E-Rank, his movements were definitely faster than Sanghun's. Sanghun dodged in surprise, but Choi Cheolmin's fist was quicker. Sanghun took the hit and fell backward.
"You okay?"
I sighed, stood, and helped the fallen Sanghun up.
"That bastard!"
As he tried to charge again the moment he stood, I pressed his shoulder to stop him. Furious and lunging, Sanghun looked baffled when my grip kept him completely immobile.
I forcibly calmed Sanghun and approached Choi Cheolmin, standing face-to-face with him.