Annihilation of the Great Horned Hyena Pack
Great horned hyenas lived and hunted in packs.
The pack leader was always a female, far larger and stronger than any male. Like a lion, she even sported a thick mane around her neck.
Just the height from her front paws to her shoulder exceeded two meters, and her length from head to tail stretched a full five meters—a true monster.
Packs numbered anywhere from dozens to hundreds of members, and a good many were the leader female's own offspring.
It was a matriarchal blood society.
Naturally, every great horned hyena obeyed the leader female's commands without question.
Great horned hyenas were nocturnal.
To survive the scorching desert heat, they'd adapted to move only under the cover of night.
Kuwooooh!
The great horned hyenas charged with terrifying momentum.
True to their nature as pack hunters, they knew no fear or caution.
Before their massive swarm tactics, most monsters or even Awakeners were swept away in seconds.
Most of the great horned hyenas targeted the hulking Dayton, but a few broke off toward Zeon.
"Damn it!"
Zeon hurriedly unleashed a Sand Blaster.
Shoooook!
The high-pressure sand blast shattered the lead hyena's head. Even with a comrade dying right in front of them, the pack didn't flinch.
"Tch!"
Zeon fired off Sand Blasters in rapid succession.
The Sand Blaster's power was formidable.
One shot, one kill—clean and sure.
The problem was their sheer numbers. Killing them one by one wouldn't cut it.
At this rate, he'd never escape the crisis.
Zeon racked his brain desperately while blasting away.
One isn't enough. I need at least five at once. That might balance things out.
The issue was mana.
He had to manage it efficiently while firing more Sand Blasters.
Can I pull it off?
No—this wasn't optional. He had to.
No time for doubt or hesitation.
Zeon swept his hand.
Five streams of sand rose from the desert and hurtled toward the hyenas.
Kyaak!
Five great horned hyenas tumbled to the ground amid screams, each with a coin-sized hole punched through its skull.
He'd split a single Sand Blaster into five.
To conserve mana.
But to maximize impact, he'd compressed each thin stream to a razor focus.
That was why their heads hadn't exploded—just pierced clean through.
The first try was the hardest. After that, it got easier.
He just had to follow the path he'd already blazed.
Shhhk! Shhhk!
Sand Blasters launched one after another.
Five at a time, punching holes through five hyena skulls.
It was just enough to hold the line.
Only now did he have a moment to glance at Dayton.
Zeon whipped his head that way and went wide-eyed.
"Holy shit!"
"Heh heh heh! More... more..."
Dayton swung Clayon amid manic laughter. Over a hundred great horned hyenas already lay dead around him.
He wasn't using any special skills like Zeon.
Just swinging Clayon. Again and again.
Every swing cleaved three or four hyenas apart.
Blood sprayed. Chunks of flesh flew.
The desert's red sands soaked it all up, turning an even deeper crimson.
Krunch!
Occasionally, a hyena latched onto Dayton's forearm or calf. But their teeth couldn't penetrate his flesh.
Dayton's body was harder than steel.
The hyenas' fangs shattered instead.
"Heh heh! That tickles."
Dayton grabbed the head of a hyena clamped on his thigh and squeezed.
Crack!
Its sturdy skull crumbled like a cookie.
He hurled the crushed hyena into the pack.
Kyaang!
Kyeng!
They tangled in a heap, rolling across the sand. Legs snapped at wrong angles. Guts spilled from ruptured bellies.
Dayton carved through the hyenas in a frenzy of madness.
No great horned hyena could stand against him.
That was when the watching matriarch finally stepped in.
A blue force field shimmered over her body.
At least B-rank, with magic-type abilities.
Crackle!
Sparks danced from the horn atop her head.
She wielded lightning magic, a subset of magic-types.
Flash!
Lightning erupted from her horn in an instant.
It sliced through the air, reaching Dayton before he could blink.
"Heh heh!"
Dayton swatted it down like swatting a fly.
The bolt that had lit up the night sky vanished in his palm.
Only then did true dread grip the matriarch.
She realized this foe was on another level from anything her pack had ever hunted.
Wooooh!
The matriarch bellowed the retreat.
Thrashing against an overwhelming foe was folly.
Half her pack was already gone.
Any more losses, and the pack's survival was in jeopardy.
Her judgment was spot-on.
The problem? Dayton had no intention of letting them go.
"Die, all of you bitches!"
Shing!
Dayton hurled Clayon.
It spun at ferocious speed, slicing through everything in its path.
Mournful hyena shrieks echoed into the night.
Zeon froze at the gruesome spectacle, too horrific to behold. But Dayton's show wasn't over.
Thud!
Dayton kicked off the sand and launched into the air.
Clayon, having reaped a toll among the hyenas, flew back to him.
Grabbing it midair, Dayton plummeted straight at the matriarch.
Like a meteor crashing down.
Its impact was just as devastating as a meteor strike.
BOOM!
Kuuwaaak!
The matriarch's agonized scream rang out as sand exploded in all directions.
Moments later, the wave of sand settled, revealing the carnage.
The matriarch was pulped beyond recognition. Only the massive horn on her head remained intact.
Dayton stood atop her corpse.
After such a brutal fight, not a trace of fatigue showed on his face.
He grinned, as if refreshed.
Zeon couldn't see him as human.
Zeon himself was rooted in place.
He didn't dare even breathe loudly.
Dayton's overwhelming power had crushed him.
Is he really human? He didn't seem to use any special skills.
Awakening granted unique skills.
Awakeners shone brightest wielding those skills.
Naturally, they'd pack more punch against mighty beasts like the matriarch.
But Dayton shattered that logic.
No skills—just raw power, crushing her outright.
Zeon shuddered.
He couldn't believe a human could be this strong.
No Awakener in Neo Seoul could match that with pure physical might alone.
That was when Dayton turned, locking eyes with Zeon.
"Heh heh! You survived, huh."
"......"
Zeon could only nod, too awed to speak.
Dayton smirked and harvested the matriarch's horn.
"Great horned hyena horns are tough—plenty of uses. With that lightning affinity, a little polishing turns it into a fine weapon."
He eyed the horn, then reached into empty air. It vanished like a lie.
Subspace? But he's martial-type, not magic?
Zeon reeled in shock.
Everything Dayton had shown screamed martial fighter. Yet here he was, wielding subspace—a rarity even among magic-types.
Zeon's worldview cracked.
Still, one thing puzzled him: Why need another weapon when he had Clayon? But he didn't dare ask.
Dayton stowed Clayon and drew a small dagger instead.
He tossed one to Zeon.
"From now on, hunt your own food."
"Huh?"
"Most great horned hyena muscle is toxic. Only the flank meat's safe—no poison, good for drying into jerky."
Slice! Slice!
He expertly carved a slab from a hyena's flank.
Not much—just a grown man's palm-sized chunk.
Zeon watched closely and mimicked him.
Experience told him Dayton wouldn't explain more. Best to learn by doing.
That's when he realized the jerky he'd eaten before was monster meat.
Hunted like this, dried into jerky.
No revulsion. He'd grown up in the slums, where food was scarce.
If it was edible, you ate it—no pickiness. Survival demanded it.
Zeon followed suit, efficiently.
Dayton cut just enough for a few days.
When it ran out, hunt again.
Zeon was different.
Not as strong, so he needed reserves.
Stockpiling as much as possible was smart.
He secured nearly thirty chunks.
Couldn't cut more—no storage.
Zeon stripped off his shirt, wrapped the meat, and slung it over his back like a bindle.
"Hmph. Using your head, eh."
Dayton chuckled.
After a couple days of harsh training, he'd started thinking smart. But still a long way off.
To make him truly useful, more brutal grinding ahead.
Dayton said, "Packed up? Let's move. Before others smell the blood..."
Not out of fear.
Just a hassle.
Zeon nodded and trailed after him.
He had no desire to linger amid the blood reek.
Dawn was breaking.
Daylight revealed the full horror.
Vultures already circled overhead, drawn by the corpse stench. More monsters would come for the feast.
That was the desert's law.
The strong devoured the weak; the dead fed others.
No one escaped it.
Following Dayton, Zeon was internalizing these laws one by one.
As usual, Dayton strode ahead without a glance back.
To keep up, Zeon activated Sand Step.
He'd burned a lot of mana overnight—figured it'd be tough.
Surprisingly, it wasn't.
Plenty left, and control felt smoother.
The night's fight.
Desperate battle, mana pushed to the limit—it had sparked a leap forward.
I'm stronger now. And I'll get even stronger.
Zeon eyed Dayton's back.
No clue why he dragged him along. But one thing was clear.
Stick with him, and he'd grow powerful.
If he survived.
Zeon hurried after him.