Chapter 123: Chapter123-Hell Hound and Troll

I paused and watched Bron's reaction. He was smiling, seeming to think I had already decided to let him go. His confidence was apparent, but I stayed silent, letting the tension build... As his patience wore thin, he asked, "So, will you let me go?" I replied, "Yes, I will but only if you tell me who send you all here?" As soon as I asked, his expression changed completely. Fear flashed in his eyes as he stammered, "S-sorry, but I can't do that." Curious, I asked, "Why can't you tell me?" He took a deep breath and explained, "I made a blood oath with someone, swearing never to reveal anything about him. If I break that vow, my body will explode, and I'll die. That's why I can't tell you anything." I said, "Alright then, goodbye." Bron looked confused and asked, "Huh? What do you mean, goodbye? Are you not going to" **BANG** The sharp sound of a gunshot rang out, and Bron's body fell to the ground, a look of shock frozen on his face. Yeah, before he could finish his sentence, I pulled a gun from my inventory and fired it. The bullet had struck him squarely in the skull, killing him instantly. I muttered, "What a mess..." Kneeling beside his lifeless body, I took the rebel's badge from his hand. "Sorry, but I still don't think letting you go is a good idea. You had to die." I offered a brief prayer for Bron's soul before shifting my focus back to the surroundings. So many dead bodies scattered around. I needed to leave before any other hunters arrived and found me. As I turned to leave, something caught my eye. "Huh?" It was a mask. It was nestled in the belly of a bulky man, attached to his shirt. The mask was a Guy Fawkes mask, a rare item since the company that made them had gone bankrupt 20 years ago. Since then, no such masks had been sold in the market... Curious, I approached the man's body and picked up the mask. The mask was distinctive with its wide mustache, thin vertical beard, and pale face. It was crafted to conceal the wearer's identity while symbolically representing "the face of the people." What an interesting mask... It would be a waste to leave it behind. I've got to take it with me. I quickly tucked the mask and badge into my inventory and ventured deeper into the dense jungle. The air was thick with humidity, and the distant sounds of wildlife echoed around me. I started moving lazily through the jungle, but I remained on high alert, with my senses sharp and focused. I was still determined to hunt as many monsters as I could today. Glancing down at my watch, I checked the time. --- **Name:** Michael Frostburne **Total Rules Broken:** 1 **Current Rules Broken:** 0 **Time:** 4 p.m. --- Not much time has passed... It had only been two hours since I entered the jungle, though it felt like much longer. The thrill of the hunt made time seem to stretch... Ohh... yes, another thing, how many more essences do I need? Curious, I opened my character interface. The familiar screen appeared before me, displaying my progress. --- **Name:** Michael Frostburne **Race:** Human **Current Rank:** Iron **Title:** Netori King, Lust King **Progression to Platinum Rank:** 29% (4110/12500 essences) **Attributes:** [Power]: Gold [Speed]: Gold [Spirit]: Gold [Recovery]: Gold --- 'Just need another 150 essences to upgrade to next sub rank,' I calculated quickly. That's only fifteen more monsters... I can handle that. As I closed the interface and prepared to move on, I suddenly froze. Who? My instincts flared as I heard a faint rustle from a nearby bush. The sound was subtle, something a less experienced hunter might overlook, but I knew better. I crept towards the bush, careful not to make a single sound... Slowly, slowly... My senses were sharp, and every muscle in my body was tense, ready for anything that might leap out at me. **RUSH** As I got closer, the rustling grew louder, but I kept calm, my right hand slowly moving towards my blade, prepared to strike at any second. Finally, when I was near enough, something small and fast burst out of the bush, aiming straight for my eyes. **SWOOSH** "Shit!" It was a rabbit-like creature with sharp teeth and claws, trying to blind me in one swift move... **SLASH** But before it could get close, the sound of my blade cutting through the air echoed around me. The creature's body split cleanly in half, from head to toe, and it hit the ground with a dull thud, its face locked in shock. "That was close," I muttered to myself. The rabbit had appeared out of nowhere from the bush and made the huge mistake of going for my eyes. My right hand was ready, so I easily took it down before it could do any real damage. Yeah, when I said "shit," it wasn't about meit was about the rabbit... "I have to admit, this jungle is really dangerous..." I muttered, scanning the surroundings for more threats. Danger could be lurking anywhere. Once I was sure the area was clear, I knelt, picked up the rabbit's body, and stored it in my inventory. I had to keep moving because the sun was setting, and I only had a few hours left. Damn, I need to hunt fast... I didn't want the hunt to take too long since I had an online meeting with another company tonight. I quickened my pace and made it through the jungle, covering about two kilometers in no time. But then, I suddenly stopped. No, "stopped" isn't the right word for it. I didn't just stop; I was frozen in place. My feet were too scared to move. Why? Because... Before me was a sight that sent chills down my spine. "Who... did this?" I muttered... On the ground lay a creature I had never seen beforea new species that was truly uneasy for me... Although I had seen this creature in movies from my previous world, this was the first time I was encountering it in reality. It... It was a Hellhound, a terrifying beast with three heads and a body cracked with lava oozing out like molten blood. But... What was even more disturbing was its condition. One of its heads was completely severed, a few meters away, with an expression of sheer terror frozen on its face. Its legs were scattered around, lava still dripping from the stumps where they had been torn off. Brutal Whoever or whatever did this had ripped the Hellhound apart with terrifying precision and strength. It had to be a monster above its rankthere's no way a creature of the same rank as it is could have defeated it like this. I used my appraisal skill on the Hellhound to check its rank. As expected, it was Mid-Uncommon. That means the monster responsible must be at least peak Uncommon rank or higher. But the Hellhound's misfortune has turned into an opportunity for me. How? An Uncommon rank monster is worth 100 Essence points, and since this one is now as weak as a Common rank monster, it's best for me to finish it off. But hold on! I scanned the area but didn't see any signs of monsters nearby, which made me wonder if the attacker was still around. If it's not here, I need to finish off its prey before it comes back. I'm not too worriedI still have my dash skill, so if things go south, I'll use it to get out of here fast. After a moment of thought, I quickly moved toward the injured Hellhound. As I got closer, it looked at me, and instead of roaring, howling, or baring its fangs, it just stared helplessly. It was as if it had already accepted its fate. I took my stance, daggers ready, prepared to finish the job But just before striking, I gave the Hellhound one last glance. Both heads... Its dark red pupils seemed to beg for an end to its suffering. For the first time since arriving in this world, I felt pity for a monstera literal monster. Seeing that, I decided to make it quick. "Don't worry, buddy, I'll make it fast, though I can't promise it won't hurt." With those words, I swiftly stabbed both of the Hellhound's heads... I stabbed one dagger from the left and the other from the right. Even with my daggers buried in its heads, the Hellhound's body stayed completely stillno growling in pain or thrashing around like other monsters. What kind of creature is this? I knew it wasn't dead yet because I hadn't received a reward notification. So, I used my appraisal skill and found something that explained the current situation. The Hellhound had a skill called Death Resistor. From the name, I figured it was resisting death and trying to survive. What kind of overpowered skill is that? Well, let's see if it can actually hold out. But After a full minute, it finally collapsed to the ground, with hot lava oozing from its stabbed heads. I didn't care what it was doing during that time, because once it died, my rewards came through immediately. (Congratulations, Host! 1 Healing Potion (Gold) have been added to your inventory!) (Congratulations, Host! 100 Essences from Hell Hound have been added to your Character Profile!) (Congratulations, Host! 1 Monster Cores (Uncommon) have been added to your inventory!) (Ding, congratulations host! You have advanced to Mid-Gold Rank!) Oh, I just leveled up to the next sub-rank! That kill was really rewarding... I barely had to do anything and ended up with a bunch of free Essence points. Now, that's what I call luck. No risk, all reward... Who wouldn't want luck like this? As I reveled in my victory, the ground beneath me suddenly began to shake. "Huh? What's going on? Is this an earthquake or something?" I mumbled, struggling to keep my balance. The trees and branches around me began to shake violently, and the tremors only grew stronger... What the heck is happening? Why is it getting worse? Wait! It was clear that a monster was approaching. I quickly took cover in a nearby tree and made sure to store the Hellhound's body in my inventory before hiding. Damn, just as I was feeling fortunate about my luck, things took a turn for the worse. What kind of monster could this be? A Dragon? No, they'd be flying. A Giant? That seems more plausible Given the intensity of the shaking ground, I knew this creature must be at least Rare rank, which means it's as powerful as a Platinum rank or higher. After a tense minute of waiting, the source of the tremors finally came into view. Honestly, I couldn't see its face at all. I could only see its feet, which were 30 to 50 times larger than mine. Its enormous belly was about one-third the size of a Menara tree. After a moment of struggling to look at ist face, I used my appraisal skill on it... **Savage Troll** - **Height**: Approximately 30 feet tall - **Weight**: Around 3,000 pounds - **Strengths**: Exceptional endurance among all Uncommon rank monsters, strong regeneration, immense size, high durability, sharp claws. - **Weaknesses**: Slow agility, vulnerabilities to fire, cold, and acid, limitations in regeneration. - **Critical Body Parts**: Underbelly, eyes, head. - **Rank**: Rare Rank Monster - **Odds of Success**: There is an 8% chance of successfully defeating this creature in a confrontation. -**System Note**: Host, it is strongly advised not to engage with this monster unless you are prepared for the possibility of death. The creature was a Trollan immense, hulking beast that made me look like an ant... I wasn't surprised by its name, as Trolls are typically massive, but this one's underbelly was on a whole other levelit was huge. However... When I saw the system message, all I could think was: "Seriously, system? Was that nessecary?" **ROAR** As all this was happening, the Troll let out a roar that shattered my sound barrier. My ears... It hurt so much... Damn, why didn't you warn me that its roar would be this loud? I barely managed to stay conscious, holding my ears tightly with both hands to block out the deafening sound.