Chapter 14
With my level up and a +3 boost to endurance, my body felt lighter than ever.
But as I fought, I noticed something strange.
The Helhounds weren’t acting normal.
Usually, they’d circle around me—
Testing for openings.
But today?
They charged without hesitation.
They fought like cornered beasts.
They were ready to die.
I glanced around.
That’s when I saw it.
The cave behind them.
Inside—
Wounded Helhounds.
Young pups.
They were protecting their own.
I hesitated for a brief moment.
Even monsters… had bonds.
But still—
They saw humans as prey.
And I wasn’t here for mercy.
I ended them.
The battlefield was silent.
The ground was soaked in blood.
Helhound corpses lay in piles.
And I wasn’t done.
I still needed to—
Drag all these corpses back.
Store them in the checkpoint.
Repeat this for hours.
A true hunter’s work was never just about the kill.
I bundled the Helhounds together—
Tied them with rope.
And began the long, grueling trek back to the checkpoint.
Each trip?
At least 10 minutes.
And I’d need to make five trips.
But before I could return—
More Helhounds arrived.
Eyes burning red.
Fangs bared.
Snarling in fury.
They had smelled the blood of their pack.
I grinned.
“Good. More to hunt.”
Unlike before—
I no longer let them bite me.
I no longer took unnecessary damage.
Every movement was calculated.
Every attack was precise.
Every Helhound fell like clockwork.
My reactions were sharper.
My senses were heightened.
This wasn’t just fighting anymore.
This was domination.
For the entire night—
I slaughtered them all.
Another 54 kills.
Total score: 74.
By dawn—
The storage container was overflowing.
Blood seeped from the cracks.
And the officials hadn’t even arrived yet.
When the checkpoint crew arrived,
The official stepped out—
The same one who had given me the key.
I tossed him the key.
“Morning. Hope you’re ready to clean up.”
He stared at me.
Then—
CRASH!
The moment he opened the container—
A mountain of Helhound corpses collapsed out.
The official fell backward.
Eyes wide.
Mouth open.
“H-how… the hell did you do this alone?!”
I smirked.
“Found a den. Cleared it out.”
Then—
I grabbed a piece of bread and milk from the supply crates.
Ate. Drank. Walked back into the forest.
At noon—
I returned to the resort.
Casually.
Relaxed.
As I entered,
The entire dining hall turned silent.
Sang-heon came sprinting towards me.
“HYUNG! DID YOU SEE?! YOU’RE IN THE LEAD!”
I blinked.
“What?”
Sang-heon shoved his phone in my face.
Current Kill Scores:
Choi Cheol-min – 105 kills
Lee Ji-seok – 86 kills
Wait.
“I was ahead when I left. What happened?”
Sang-heon frowned.
“Cheol-min’s party dumped all their kills onto him.”
“Not only that—”
“They also brought professional corpse carriers.”
“You’re the only one dragging bodies yourself.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“So they wanna play dirty?”
“Fine. Let’s finish this properly.”
I stacked my plate with food.
An entire tray piled high.
One plate?
Not enough.
I grabbed five more.
Ate. Ate. Ate.
For an hour straight—
I consumed enough for ten people.
Sang-heon sat across from me.
Watching in disbelief.
I finished eating.
I stood up.
“Tonight, I’m going deeper.”
“No more playing around.”
I sprinted into the forest.
This time—
I wasn’t just hunting.
I was going to exterminate them.
I traveled further than before.
Deeper into the mountains.
After ten kills,
I found another den.
But this one…
Was different.
The Helhounds outside—
Were larger.
More muscular.
They weren’t just guarding.
They were organized.
The moment they saw me—
One howled.
The others took formation.
They moved like trained soldiers.
I smirked.
“Finally. A real fight.”
As they charged,
I didn’t dodge.
I didn’t retreat.
I went straight in.
One lunged for my throat—
I caught it mid-air.
Crushed its ribs.
Two more bit into my arms—
I slammed them into the ground.
Another went for my leg—
I kneed its jaw, shattering it instantly.
Blood splattered.
The ground shook.
The real battle had begun.