Chapter 102: Burden

Kai was taking a bath in the hospital, considering he was practically covered in filth from head to toe.

It had taken him quite some time to bring down the dragon, largely because of its absurd durability.

Piercing through its scales had been a difficult task, and the constant rush of adrenaline had nearly made him forget that he possessed martial arts techniques specifically designed to penetrate defenses.

"Speaking of adrenaline, the entire battle feels like a blur now."

He could barely recall the finer details of the monsters he had slain. Throughout the ordeal, his mind had remained occupied with a single objective: getting his family to safety. Everything else had been secondary.

Looking back, he realized he could have handled things more efficiently. He had communicated with his armaments quite well, and he could have used the Void Sword to cleave through the Monarch’s domain much earlier.

"Haah... Your sacrifice will be remembered, Frozen Tooth."

His expression grew solemn as he recalled the attack that had created an enormous perimeter of ice around the battlefield. That single move had cost the dagger its very core, shattering it into countless tiny fragments.

Frozen Tooth had willingly carried out his request, even though the System had warned him that such an outcome was inevitable.

The reason was simple. Kai had demanded something far beyond what the armament was capable of enduring.

His promotion to SSS-rank had given him the power necessary to unleash such an attack, but the dagger itself couldn’t withstand the burden placed upon it. In the end, it had broken apart, sacrificing itself to fulfill its master’s wish.

Thanks to that ice barrier, I didn’t have to deal with all those creatures myself.

Kai knew the other hunters were strong, but strength alone wouldn’t have been enough against such overwhelming numbers. They would have been helpless if the monsters had descended upon them all at once.

And if Kai had been forced to engage every creature himself, the Monarch would undoubtedly have found an opportunity to exploit the situation. It could have attacked him directly or, worse, targeted his family to force him into submission.

That was precisely what Kai couldn’t afford to allow.

He couldn’t give that kid any more time.

[Host, the armament fulfilled its purpose and proved useful to its master in his time of need. For Frozen Tooth, there could have been no more fitting sacrifice.]

Kai released a weary sigh and leaned forward, resting his arms against the wall as he lowered his head beneath the warm stream of water.

He didn’t argue with the System’s assessment. There was little point in dwelling on something that couldn’t be changed, and Frozen Tooth had accomplished exactly what he had asked of it.

After remaining silent for a moment, he finally raised another question.

’System, I haven’t felt any of the aftereffects of that transformation. Is it because of the potion?’

Kai knew that being propelled from D-rank to the pinnacle of strength in such a short period had to come at a considerable cost. It was difficult to believe that his body could endure such an abrupt transformation without suffering some form of backlash.

Even during the battle, he had been able to observe the changes taking place within him in real time.

One moment, he had been running with long, powerful strides. A few moments later, his speed had reached a level at which even Hunter Hannah, an S-rank hunter, could no longer perceive his movements.

The transition had been so abrupt that, during the opening minutes of the battle, he hadn’t even possessed proper control over his own body. He had struck several monsters simply because he couldn’t regulate his pace, his movements carrying him forward far faster than he had intended.

Yet despite that lack of control, he had somehow managed to kill them.

His strength and durability had been so absurd that even his mistakes had turned into lethal attacks.

That was precisely why the System had suggested that Kai consume a potion himself after he had given one to Elara.

[Indeed, Host. However, you may experience severe pain a few hours from now. It is advisable that you sleep alone tonight and arrange for soundproofing.]

"..."

A chill ran down Kai’s spine.

Soundproofing? Just how unbearable was the pain going to be for the System to recommend something like that?

Still, he couldn’t bring himself to regret his decision. Whatever awaited him was a price worth paying for the strength that had allowed him to protect his family when they needed him most.

The pain is worth it.

A faint smile crossed his face as he finished washing up.

A clean towel and a hospital gown had been left for him nearby. He picked them up and began drying himself, grateful to finally be rid of the blood and grime that had clung to his body throughout the battle.

Just then, a notification sounded in his mind.

[Host, you have accumulated a considerable amount of experience points and completed several quests.]

[Calculating rewards. The results will be displayed shortly.]

Kai smiled faintly.

He would have been lying if he claimed he wasn’t excited to see what the System had prepared for him. After everything he had endured, the prospect of new rewards was certainly tempting.

But for now, there was something far more important on his mind.

He wanted to see Elara.

Take your time, System. There’s no rush.

....

[Association Headquarters]

Adam, along with Hannah, Daniel, and several other hunters, had just arrived at the Association headquarters.

The other hunters from Arden had either been admitted to the hospital for treatment or reunited with their respective officers and settled into accommodations arranged by the headquarters.

The moment they stepped out of the vehicle, a staff member hurried toward Daniel.

"Sir, the Chief is here."

Daniel’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He knew exactly whom his secretary meant by Chief

The Chairman of the Hunter’s Association had arrived in person.

°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading