章 16: Dracolizard
Ren, who saw Daichi in danger, quickly positioned his sniper and used the scope to aim at the Hell Hound.
The problem was, the monster kept moving continuously, so Ren had to predict its movements to hit the monster's eyelids.
The power of felis ignis flowed through his body. Ren then maximized his vision, allowing him to see the Hell Hound more clearly.
He then took a shot. Meanwhile, the Hell Hound had pressed Daichi to a dead end. When Daichi, frightened and unable to see an escape route, the shot from Ren's sniper disturbed the monster, causing the hound to howl in pain.
Daichi seized this opportunity to run in another direction. Several other squad members came to cover Daichi's escape. Akihisa, as the captain, stood at the forefront using his assault rifle to bombard the Hell Hound with bullets.
Daichi survived the dangerous incident that almost took his life, but the battle against the Hell Hound was not over.
Although some rookies were not accustomed, led by Akihisa and other experienced members, the squad fourth managed to defeat the Hell Hound.
Afterwards, Akihisa and some senior members of the squad fourth began to skin the Hell Hound's corpse painstakingly. Some other squad members stood guard, watching for the arrival of other monsters attracted by the scent of the Hell Hound's flesh.
Once finished, the squad fourth resumed hunting other monsters. This time, they encountered a Venomous Dracolizard. One of the squad members stumbled upon it accidentally and was killed by the Dracolizard. However, this death alerted the squad to the presence of the Dracolizard hiding beneath the rubble.
As the battle unfolded in the ruins, Ren's sniper was less effective, so he assisted the squad up close with his pistol.
Normally, Dracolizards are silent and wait for their prey. However, when a group enters their lair, they become much more aggressive.
The Dracolizard's skin is black, but greenish fluid often oozes from within, moistening the outer layer. The Dracolizard uses this fluid to mask its scent, deceiving Hell Hounds known for their keen sense of smell.
Due to its impressive speed, even in tight spaces, the Dracolizard is a formidable foe for mercenaries.
For this reason, not all members of the squad fourth ventured into the rubble. Akihisa, knowing that Ren had genomancer abilities, decided to bring him along.
Ren, along with the others, walked carefully in the vast, dark warehouse. With his vision, Ren kept glancing in all directions, trying to locate the monster. However, he had not found it yet.
"Hey, look at this fluid!" Yuji whispered.
Ren approached with the others, seeing greenish fluid pooled on the ground. Clearly, it was from the Dracolizard. He then noticed the fluid leading north, precisely into another room.
"That room doesn't seem too big. If we enter, I'm afraid the monster will attack us from behind the door," Nishino said.
"Captain, let me check it. The others can prepare behind," Yuji offered.
Akihisa looked at Yuji, pondering something. He then turned to Ren and said, "Ren, open the door. The rest will wait here. Be vigilant."
"Wait, captain, he's still young!" protested Yuji.
The others also seemed surprised by Akihisa's decision, but they dared not protest the captain's decision, not wanting to become victims themselves.
"It's okay, senior. I'm sure I can handle it," said Ren.
Ren knew that Yuji meant well, but he understood Akihisa's decision. With his genomancer abilities, Ren was sure to survive.
Taking a deep breath, Ren walked towards the closed door. Upon reaching it, his hand quickly gripped the doorknob.
All other members of the squad fourth got ready. Ren pressed the doorknob and then opened it quickly.
There was nothing inside.
The tense atmosphere finally eased a bit. Sounds of relieved sighs were heard.
Ren stepped forward, walking into the room. He widened his eyes at the sizable pool of green liquid gathered there.
Without hesitation, Ren rolled backward. At the same time, the Dracolizard dropped from the ceiling.
It then chased Ren who was trying to escape. Ren ran and leaped out of the room, letting himself fall to the floor.
Gunshots rang out as the squad fourth bombarded the Dracolizard with bullets. However, the Dracolizard seemed unfazed by the human attacks. It continued running towards the squad fourth.
Ren and the others quickly fled, running away from the monster while continuously shooting at it.
The Dracolizard opened its mouth, a long tongue extending from it. It then used its long tongue to whip towards the squad fourth.
Ren managed to dodge, but some members were hit. Akihisa and the others kept running, paying no attention to those who fell. Ren knew they couldn't be saved.
The monster was delayed, and the squad fourth finally reached a safe place. Ren was still somewhat saddened by the deaths of two squad members from the Dracolizard's attack. However, he noticed that the others seemed unfazed. Perhaps, this was a normal sight for them.
Akihisa gave the squad fourth a break.
Ren consumed his supplies while sitting in a somewhat distant place. As he enjoyed his solitude, Yuji approached him.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Ren nodded.
Yuji then sat near Ren and patted his shoulder.
"If you feel uncomfortable and scared, you can choose to leave. It's normal; many people leave this job, and many don't get the chance to leave."
Yuji seemed to misunderstand. As someone who had experienced various life-and-death situations, Ren wasn't afraid of death. Before finding the monster gene fluid, he was even willing to die anytime.
He felt a bit empathetic towards those who died, whether it was just now or others who died before.
Nevertheless, Ren didn't say anything and let Yuji continue his lecture.
"Once, I also wanted to leave, live a safe life with the money I had. However, I had my own dreams, or rather, it was the dream of the woman I loved, unfortunately, she passed away.
I want to create a world where people don't have to suffer anymore. That's why hunting monsters is my way to reach that dream."
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