The monster howled.
A deep, thunderous sound that tore through the valley, echoing endlessly across stone and sky.
And then—
Movement.
From the hills… from the jagged high terrain above…
Hounds.
Dozens of them.
They poured down like a living avalanche, shadows stretching, claws scraping against rock as they descended. In an instant, they surrounded Shin.
The ones that survived his earlier onslaught—those that had witnessed his brutality—should have feared him.
But they didn't.
Not anymore.
Something had changed.
They stood taller. Their muscles tensed with renewed strength. Their eyes burned with something sharper than instinct.
Confidence.
They rallied behind the mutant.
The mutant roared.
And the entire pack answered.
Then they moved.
From all sides.
Cutting through the wind like lightning.
Shin didn't move.
He stood firm—expression calm, breathing steady. His eyes swept across them once.
I count about 50 of them.
A pause.
No matter…
His gaze lifted.
Locked.
Onto one target.
My opponent is not them.
A step forward.
My opponent… is him.
The mutant.
At that moment, the air shifted.
Mana surged.
The hounds' bodies pulsed as energy flooded through them—their speed increasing, presence rising, pressure thickening.
Shin exhaled slowly.
Not good to stand still…
Mana erupted from his body.
It wrapped around him, reinforcing muscle, bone, and reflex—every fiber sharpened.
Then—
He stepped forward.
And vanished.
The ground cracked beneath his foot as he launched himself straight toward the only obstacle between him and the mutant—
The hounds charging from the front.
Faster.
He accelerated again.
His body cut through the wind like lightning.
A blur.
He passed through them—
And silence followed.
For a fraction of a second.
Then—
Bodies split.
Cleanly.
Severed in half before they even realized what had happened.
Blood spilled across the ground.
Shin didn't stop.
He was already beyond them.
Still heading straight for the mutant.
But—
The others adapted.
From his sides.
From behind.
They caught up.
Three hounds lunged.
Instantly—
Shin broke his charge.
Steel flashed.
He parried the attack from behind—
Lowered his body—
And ducked the strikes from both sides.
The hounds collided.
Bone slammed into bone.
A perfect opening.
Shin moved.
One swing.
Two heads fell.
Clean.
Precise.
But they didn't stop.
They kept coming.
Relentless.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Mana-infused claws.
Gnashing fangs.
Coordinated strikes from every angle.
Shin moved through it all.
Dodging.
Parrying.
Countering.
Each motion efficient. Each movement deliberate.
Yet—
A slight irritation crept into his expression.
They're… coordinated.
Another attack—
Deflected.
This is getting annoying.
A hound lunged low—
Aimed for his leg.
Shin jumped.
High.
Cleanly evading it.
Mid-air—
His eyes sharpened.
End it.
"Beast Mimicry…"
His body twisted in the air.
"Second Form—Severing Blade Claw."
And then—
It rained.
Slashes.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of razor-sharp arcs tore downward as he descended.
The hounds didn't stand a chance.
Their bodies were shredded before they could react.
He landed.
But the attack didn't stop.
The barrage continued.
Cutting.
Erasing.
Until—
Nothing remained.
Silence.
Shin stood atop a field of corpses.
Blood pooled beneath him.
Mana pulsed from his body—heavy, oppressive… suffocating.
His breathing?
Calm.
His face?
Serious.
Unmoved.
He looked forward.
The battle… has just been won.
A pause.
But the war… is just beginning.
Across from him—
The mutant.
Still standing.
Still watching.
The two locked eyes.
Measuring.
Evaluating.
Then—
It moved.
A sudden burst of speed—
Claws mid-swing.
Shin reacted instantly.
He parried.
But—
The force—
Too heavy.
His body was launched backward.
Air tore past him.
Mid-air—
He twisted.
Stabilized.
Eyes locked.
"Beast Mimicry…"
His grip tightened.
"First Form—Predator's Fang."
He shot downward.
Like a spear.
The mutant responded.
It charged.
Head-on.
And then—
Impact.
A devastating explosion tore through the valley.
Stone shattered.
Dust engulfed everything.
For a moment—
Nothing could be seen.
Then—
The dust settled.
Shin's eyes narrowed.
The mutant…
Was still standing.
A flicker of disbelief.
…It's still alive?
Normally—
That would've ended it.
His expression hardened.
Displeasure.
Without hesitation—
He dashed forward again.
Full speed.
"Beast Mimicry…"
"Second Form—Severing Blade Claw."
This time—
No restraint.
A storm of slashes rained down at lightning speed.
Each strike precise.
Each cut deep.
Tearing into flesh.
Breaking it apart.
The mutant howled.
A raw, agonizing sound.
But Shin didn't stop.
The attacks continued.
Endless.
Relentless.
Until finally—
A loud thud.
The mutant collapsed.
Its massive body hit the rocky ground.
Motionless.
Shin stood still.
Watching.
"…It's over."
Or so he thought.
He walked forward.
Slowly.
Cautiously.
To confirm the kill.
The monster's breathing—
Faint.
Fading.
It'll die soon.
He turned slightly.
Another victory.
And then—
Something pierced him.
His body froze.
Claws.
Through his back.
His eyes widened.
Shock.
…What?
Confusion flooded in.
He hadn't sensed it.
Hadn't expected it.
Then—
A metallic taste.
His mouth filled—
Blood.
He coughed.
It spilled from his lips.
Pain twisted across his face.
Then—
His body reacted.
Regeneration activated.
Flesh began to mend.
But—
The monster noticed.
And drove its claws deeper.
The pain—
Exploded.
Shin coughed again.
More blood.
His grip tightened on his sword.
Teeth clenched.
I can still—
But the monster moved first.
It lifted him.
Effortlessly.
Suspended by its claws.
Then—
A swing.
BOOM.
Shin's body slammed into the ground.
The earth shattered beneath him.
Cracks spread outward like a web.
Pain surged through his entire body.
For a moment—
He couldn't breathe.
Then—
Regeneration.
Again.
His body began to repair itself.
Slowly.
Too slowly.
His vision blurred.
His eyelids heavy.
He could barely keep them open.
…My stamina…
It was draining.
Fast.
Regeneration was consuming everything.
Above him—
The mutant stared.
Disappointment in its gaze.
That's when it hit him.
Realization.
Cold.
Sharp.
…A trap.
His eyes widened.
It let me win.
It pretended… to be defeated.
Just to lower my guard.
A bitter realization.
What a cunning bastard…
Then—
Another thought.
More terrifying.
Its intelligence…
Too high.
The monster began to walk toward him.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Each step—
Heavy.
Final.
Shin lay there.
Watching.
Unable to move.
And he understood.
Each step it took—
Was a step closer to his death.
The mutant stopped in front of him.
Towering.
Dominating.
And in that moment—
Only one thought remained in Shin's mind.
…Could this hound…
A pause.
Be the Alpha?