Chapter 69
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: The Summoned Beast's Evolution (2)
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Kehung?
The Giant Hounds, startled by the sight of their owner Kang Sa-hu staring at them in shock, turned their gazes toward him in unison.
But Kang Sa-hu, fully absorbed in the new "evolution" information regardless of the Giant Hounds' reactions, scanned the system window's contents with a serious expression, reading it over multiple times.
"Evolution... evolution. Is this different from just a rank-up?"
Kang Sa-hu reflected on the time he had spent with the Giant Hounds so far.
The first summoned beasts he had obtained by turning the monsters he hunted during a Gate Break into soul cores.
Afterward, they had hunted countless gates, served as excellent mounts, and grown so strong through constant training that they were incomparable to their initial state.
Yet their rank hadn't changed, and since levels weren't visible, he assumed they might have leveled up if such a system existed—but there was no way to confirm it.
Above all, no matter that they were summoned beasts, their foundation stemmed from his skill, Soul Core Creation. It was possible that feeding soul cores—also soul cores themselves—to the Giant Hounds was the cause.
"I need to check."
No amount of pondering or speculating would yield real information, so Kang Sa-hu focused on the part that read "0.04% until evolution" to initiate it first.
He didn't know exactly what 0.04% entailed, but hunting this gate should show some change.
With his thoughts settled, all that remained was action.
"Let's go."
Until now, when hunting Namwang's F-rank gates, he had stayed back and ordered them to hunt on their own.
But with something to verify, Kang Sa-hu leaped onto one of the Giant Hounds to join the hunt this time.
Woof woof woof!
Awoo~ Woong.
Excited that their owner was coming along, the Giant Hounds barked joyfully.
'Their behavior and name clearly point to the canine family, but their appearance and howling make them seem wolf-like.'
Of course, since dogs descended from wolves, there wasn't much difference, but Kang Sa-hu didn't stop his deductions.
'If they truly evolve and their bodies transform completely... could they become something like Cerberus or Fenrir?'
As a human, Kang Sa-hu couldn't help feeling expectant at the word "evolution," unconsciously imagining powerful beings from myth. He shook his head, snapping out of it, realizing he'd gone too far.
No matter how much he speculated or anticipated...
Hearing a hundred times was no match for seeing it once.
Protoders were about a meter in size, with transparent, sparkling wings like those of a dragonfly.
True to their forest-dwelling nature, their bodies were a pale green, and their large black eyes gave the impression of weakness at a glance. But the Protoders' true strength lay not in physical prowess.
Their real power was the mild poison they carried in their bodies.
Mild in their ecosystem, perhaps, but this poison—capable of threatening a normal person's life with mere contact—came in two varieties: neurotoxin and paralytic toxin.
These two poisons alone deterred most creatures in their habitat from attacking easily, making fights something to avoid.
But the beings charging at them now tore the Protoders apart mercilessly, as if to say, "Who cares about that?"
Grrr!
Woof woof!
The Giant Hounds, over 3 meters in length, needed no elaborate attacks to hunt the 1-meter Protoders.
A single rough swing of their paws was enough; the Protoders trying to fly away lost balance in the generated wind and plummeted.
The Giant Hounds didn't even bother biting the fallen ones to death—they simply crushed them underfoot.
Shaa-!
Shaa-kek!
The Protoders shrieked as they drew their last breaths under the paws.
Though both were E-rank on paper, the Giant Hounds—reborn as powerful summoned beasts called "Devourers" through countless battles and Kang Sa-hu's influence—were utterly beyond what the Protoders could handle.
Shasha-!
Flap flap.
Of course, even with such a clear gap in power, the Protoders didn't go down without a fight.
They desperately tried to inflict their poison on the Giant Hounds.
When the poison on their wings rode the wind from their flapping into the Hounds' noses, several Giant Hounds felt a burning pain in their nerves and momentarily paralyzed, halting in place.
However, the Giant Hounds—having gained the out-of-spec "Troll's Regeneration" through their Devourer ability—detoxified the poison within a minute and shook their heads vigorously as they rose.
Shaaaak! Shaaa-!
Faced with this absurdity, the Protoders screamed.
The dazed, shrieking Protoders soon met their end under the Giant Hounds' paws.
"Hm."
Watching from atop a Giant Hound at the rear, Kang Sa-hu observed with interest as the Protoders flapped their wings desperately to poison the Hounds.
"Poison, huh..."
At the word "poison," Kang Sa-hu's eyes darkened subtly.
He had never encountered a monster using poison offensively before.
And since poison was something hard to come by casually, he had forgotten about it after not seeing it up close.
But seeing the Protoders' poison now naturally reminded him of when he earned the title "The Strongest Necromancer."
'......'
Seven years ago, when he received that title.
The Vatican paladins who must never be allowed into the Necromancer Society, the helplessness of the necromancers.
And recalling the Vatican's holy relic, the "Holy Grail," creases formed between his brows.
Woof, woof?
Kiiing...
Sensing Kang Sa-hu's anger, the Giant Hounds flinched and glanced at him nervously.
The sound snapped him out of his deepening fury, and he reined in his emotions.
"It's not your fault. Don't worry."
Keh, woof.
Though Kang Sa-hu tried to brush it off, the Giant Hounds—having felt his anger once—began hunting the Protoders at an even faster pace than before.
'I can't let my emotions run deep in front of the summoned beasts from now on.'
His summoned beasts were mentally linked to him; a strong thought from Kang Sa-hu transmitted his intent directly.
Conversely, he could check the Giant Hounds' emotions, physical conditions, and even thoughts.
Reading their minds—"The owner is mad because we're not hunting hard enough"—Kang Sa-hu gave a wry smile.
'No. No summoned beasts follow my words as diligently as you do. You're doing great. Thank you.'
When Kang Sa-hu closed his eyes and projected the thought strongly, the Giant Hounds received it and were moved.
And the moved Giant Hounds' actions sped up even further.
Shaaaa-!!
As the already overwhelmingly superior Giant Hounds grew faster and stronger for some reason, the Protoders wailed as if shedding tears.
"Hmm."
The Giant Hounds had slain all the underlings and were now moving to take down the boss monster to clear the gate.
Kang Sa-hu, watching quietly from the rearmost Hound, stroked his chin.
"Just 0.006% fulfilled..."
Despite hunting same-rank Protoders, seeing only a mere 0.006% rise out of 100% allowed Kang Sa-hu to draw a conclusion.
'Hunting monsters definitely contributes to fulfilling evolution, but not by much.'
It could be low because they were same-rank Protoders, but even then, a whole E-rank gate yielding just 0.006% didn't add up.
If monster hunting were the main driver, it wouldn't explain how the remaining 99.66% had been filled.
'Then what's left is...'
Riding a Giant Hound, Kang Sa-hu stored the wings of the last processed Protoder into his Subspace skill, then reverted the Protoder to a soul core.
Clink.
His eyes grew serious as he gazed at the Protoder soul cores.
'It's just consuming soul cores.'
With that thought concluded, Kang Sa-hu transmitted an intent to the Giant Hounds.
Receiving the "Stop" command, they immediately halted their charge, lining up neatly in the forest clearing and looking at him.
Even the one carrying him joined the line, allowing all 30 Giant Hounds to come into view at once.
His first encountered, first commanded summoned beasts—still his most used for transport, hunting, and gathering.
Gazing at them warmly, Kang Sa-hu levitated the soul core in his hand with his Psychokinesis skill.
"You've all done well. Just the boss left. For now, catch your breath and eat these soul cores one by one."
Woof woof!
Woof woof woof!
At the promise of soul cores—like puppies hearing they'd get a bone—the Giant Hounds wagged their tails in delight.
Using Psychokinesis, Kang Sa-hu floated three E-rank Protoder soul cores generously before each Giant Hound, watching them intently with a grave expression.
Hah hah hah.
Kiiing, ngh.
He had worried they might resist since evolution was so close, but seeing them drool and fidget like dogs commanded to "wait" with a bone in front, Kang Sa-hu let out a hollow chuckle.
Tense about the unknown, he took a deep breath and placed a soul core into a Giant Hound's mouth.
Crunch crunch.
Crunch!
The Giant Hounds chewed and devoured the soul cores deliciously.
He wondered how 3-meter behemoths could so precisely nibble soul cores the size of his finger.
But brushing aside such trivia, Kang Sa-hu watched tensely.
And soon after they swallowed...
The system window changed.
The summoned beast 'Giant Hound' has fulfilled its evolution progress.
Checking the summoned beast 'Giant Hound's' loyalty.
Checking the summoned beast 'Giant Hound's' experience.
Checking the summoned beast 'Giant Hound's' potential.
Checking the owner's capabilities.
All evolution conditions have been met.
Evolution is now possible.
So many windows popped up so quickly.
But with his post-awakening dynamic vision from honed physical abilities, Kang Sa-hu read every word without missing a letter and swallowed hard.
"...Evolution."
Tense in the unknown situation, he mumbled.
-Nothing happened.
"......?"
Woof?
Kang Sa-hu and the Giant Hounds exchanged baffled looks.
With nothing occurring, he checked for a button in the system window, but there was none.
As he puzzled over how to trigger the evolution...
Suddenly, he sensed something odd in his Subspace skill.
Even amid the confusion, he opened the Subspace, reached in, and rummaged until he found the cause.
His eyes widened in shock at the "cause" in his hand.
"...No way."
Kang Sa-hu stared with trembling eyes at the "cause" gripped in his hand.
The 'Monolith's Core'.