Chapter 36 The Misfortunate

The first thing I noticed was the peach-red glow illuminating my surroundings. I wasn’t sure whether it was coming from the sun or something else entirely.

I raised my head and took in the landscape before me.

The first thing that caught my attention was how completely devastated the place looked. It was a vast, relatively flat area, scattered with broken walls and what appeared to be the remains of some sort of civilization that had been completely destroyed.

I could also see several forests in the distance, although parts of them had been levelled and cleared. What caught my attention was that the destruction seemed to follow a particular pattern. Several connected sections had been cleared in an almost synchronized manner, as though something had moved through those areas, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.

Above everything, that strange reddish light continued pouring down from the sky.

I raised my gaze and finally caught sight of it.

A red sun.

I gave it a brief glance before turning my attention back to my surroundings and taking in the full view of the place.

The first thought that came to mind was simple.

This place is creepy as hell.

I’d expected something cooler and less creepy. Something more like a double dungeon.

I scratched my head gently and let out a sigh.

Well, then.

Just as I was about to look around some more, my eyes caught sight of a few scattered rocks. They weren’t exactly lined up, but they seemed to form a loose trail leading in a particular direction.

I followed their path with my eyes and noticed something.

There was a huge mountain behind me.

I turned around, and my eyes widened slightly as I took in its sheer size. The mountain stretched incredibly high into the sky, and at its peak, I could make out what appeared to be some sort of structure.

I couldn’t quite distinguish what it was from where I stood, but just looking at it gave me an idea.

That was probably the peak of the dungeon.

I mean, that’s usually how these things worked, right? The highest point was probably where the boss was located. All I had to do was defeat the boss, and I’d have cleared the dungeon.

Right?

No.

I stopped myself.

I didn’t want to find out exactly how strong I was just yet.

Back in the district zone, I’d only used three percent of my power, and I’d practically wiped the whole place out.

This is an opportunity to find out exactly how strong I am.

So, all I had to do was make my way up that mountain, and I’d be A-OK, right?

Before I could even finish that thought, a tremendous gust of wind swept through the area.

Something emerged from the opposite side of the horizon, where the forests stretched into the distance.

It was huge.

A monstrous figure suddenly burst out from among the trees, closing the distance between us in an instant. It stretched out one of its enormous paws, its claws poised to slice right through me.

However, just as it came within a few inches of reaching me, my eyes flickered to the side.

And there it was.

A massive, wolf-like beast radiating bloodlust with a series of horns protruding from its body. Three horns jutted out from its neck, while another two extended from either side of its head.

Its mouth was wide open, revealing several monstrous rows of sharp canines. Two particularly large fangs protruded from its lower jaw, making its already terrifying appearance even more intimidating.

Its enormous paw was right in front of me, with several hard, razor-sharp claws just inches away from my body.

An opponent already? I smirked confidently at the misfortunate beast. Bring it on.

I took a step forward, allowing the beast to pass through the space where I had been standing. It crashed onto the ground, rolled several times, and slammed into one of the scattered stones, sending it tumbling across the floor.

With my hands still in my pockets, I stared at it with a worried smile.

However, that was when I felt them.

It wasn’t just one presence. There were several.

These monsters were enormous. Even on all fours, they looked intimidating, and when they stood on their hind legs, they were probably about ten feet tall.

One after another, they emerged from all directions. Some crawled out from the rubble, while others stepped out from between the trees. Before long, I found myself surrounded.

System notifications appeared beside each of them.

[Monster Identified=> Fang Hound. Rank: C Level: 7]

My eyes followed them as I counted.

One, two, three, four, five.

Five hounds, huh?

That sounded way too easy.

Each of them growled as they approached, saliva dripping from their open mouths. Their eyes were completely black, and every step they took landed with a heavy thud, making them seem like giants.

"This was meant to be fun," I said, taking my right hand out of my pocket.

I raised it slightly and stared at the approaching beasts.

I’d already tested my speed back in the district. Perhaps it was time to test something else.

My strength.

One of the wolves had started moving closer from my right, while another approached from behind. I could sense its enormous presence drawing nearer. Judging by its size and the similar aura it carried, it was probably another Fang Hound.

It took a few careful steps, seemingly trying not to startle me, before suddenly pouncing.

Just as the beast came within a few inches of me, I swung my right hand backwards.

A fierce slap connected with its jaw.

The impact shattered its jaw into pieces, practically reducing its head to a mess of red before its enormous carcass came crashing down. It landed on the ground and rolled in front of the other beasts.

The remaining hounds paused.

They stared at the body of their fallen companion before turning their attention back to me. Their growls grew heavier, their hostility becoming even more apparent.

I turned my gaze towards them, this time with a proud grin on my face. My palm was completely bloodied from the strike.

"Come on, you beasts. Give me your best shot."

The beasts roared.

The ground trembled as all five of them charged towards me at once.

Now, that was a challenge.

I brought my fingers together and stretched out my hand, forming it into the shape of a blade.

As the five beasts rushed towards me, I leaped backwards, allowing them to crash into the spot where I had been standing. However, before they could recover, I moved behind one of them, grabbed its tail, and squeezed.

The beast whimpered in surprise. I could feel its bones cracking beneath my grip.

Then I swung it around and slammed it into the ground.

Its body burst apart like a balloon, spilling its organs across the floor.

Another beast immediately turned towards me, but I was already moving. I reached it in an instant and slammed its head into the ground.

As for the remaining three, I used my hands to cut through their necks.

All of this happened in a matter of moments.

By the time the last remaining Fang Hound recovered, it found all its companions dead, with me standing before it.

Five system notifications appeared before me.

[System: Congratulations! You have killed a Level 7 Fang Hound.]

[System: Congratulations! You have killed a Level 7 Fang Hound.]

[System: Congratulations! You have killed a Level 7 Fang Hound.]

[System: Congratulations! You have killed a Level 7 Fang Hound.]

[System: Congratulations! You have killed a Level 7 Fang Hound.]

I pointed at the last beast.

"Yeah, you’re next, little guy."

The beast stared at me. Surprisingly, it didn’t back away. If anything, it seemed to grow even angrier as it dashed towards me at a thunderous speed.

Right as it charged, I smiled.

This time, I was going to use one percent.

My fingers began to glow, twinkling as energy surged through them and gathered at my fingertips.

The beast continued charging.

As it drew closer, I concentrated on keeping the energy contained. I could feel it building, growing stronger as the distance between us gradually disappeared.

Soon, it was right in front of me.

Its jaws were only a few inches away from my face.

I smiled at it.

"Boom."

Then I released the energy.

It shot forward like a projectile, flying straight into the beast’s open mouth.

The impact forced its jaws several metres backwards before the energy suddenly imploded, destroying the beast along with a noticeable portion of the ground surrounding it.

The explosion tore through the area, leaving a massive crater where the Fang Hound had been standing.

Just like that.

I stared at the destruction before me, a smile spreading across my face.

Then, one final notification appeared.

[System: Congratulations! You have slain a Level 7 Fang Hound.]