Chương 37: Chapter 37
Kaden stared at the system notification as it ticked upward until it finally read:
[System is detoxifying poison: 100% detoxified…]
A second notification appeared:
[Host is now immune to the paralysis poison.]
Kaden clenched his fist, still lying on the ground. His body was normal again—he could feel the strength returning to his muscles—but he wasn't happy. How could he be? The sounds of the tier two beast were still too close, just behind him. Although he could now move, he remained perfectly still. If he stood up, the beast's attention would shift to him, and within seconds, he'd be nothing more than a meal. The only plan that came to mind was to lay still and wait. When the beast got close enough, he'd use the element of surprise to launch an attack. Maybe, just maybe, he'd find a way to escape.
Kaden's heartbeat thundered in his chest as the quenching sound grew nearer. The beast was within five meters now.
"Maybe it'll be full from eating the tier one beasts," he thought desperately.
He almost laughed aloud at his absurdity. "Who am I kidding? These monsters never get full, especially not on human flesh."
The sound grew louder. The tier two beast was right behind him now. His heartbeat pounded in his ears as he tightened his fist, black veins pulsing across his arm. Summoning every ounce of his courage, Kaden stood abruptly and struck with all the power he could muster, aiming at the source of the sound. This attack was his only chance. If it failed, it would be the end of him.
The punch connected.
But Kaden didn't run as he had planned. Instead, he froze, staring at the figure he had just hit. The beast had fallen to the ground from the force of his punch. Only… it wasn't a beast.
It was a man.
The man groaned, standing up while rubbing his cheek. "What the hell, kid?" he said, his voice filled with annoyance. "I saved you, and this is the thanks I get?"
Kaden's eyes widened. "I'm… I'm sorry," he stammered, quickly lowering his head in apology. He glanced around and saw the bodies of the Ratogores littering the ground, their corpses riddled with fatal wounds. Just as he'd suspected, they had all been killed. But it wasn't a beast that had done it. It was this man. And the quenching sound he'd heard? It had been the man carving out the beasts' crystals.
He felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. "I've been so stupid." But it wasn't entirely his fault. Who would've thought that a human, not a beast, was responsible? At the very least, the man could've spoken up earlier.
The man stopped rubbing his cheek and said, "I see the poison has left your system. You must be a student of the Rose Faction Academy," he added, eyeing Kaden's uniform.
"Yes," Kaden replied, his voice still laced with regret.
The man picked up a sack filled with beast crystals from the Ratogores and slung it over his shoulder. "You should head to the shelter. Your school's probably looking for you," he said before turning to leave.
"Wait," Kaden called after him.
The man turned back sharply, irritation clear in his expression. "What?" he snapped.
Kaden couldn't blame him. He'd used every ounce of strength in that punch, enough to kill a tier one beast. It was a miracle the man's jaw hadn't shifted entirely.
"When the beasts were chasing me, I ran without thinking about the direction," Kaden explained. "And my map is with my group. I have no idea how to find the shelter."
The man groaned, clearly annoyed. "Follow me," he muttered.
On their way, Kaden couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing on this planet?"
The man's response was curt. "To hunt."
Kaden's mind raced. For the man to have taken down those tier one Ratogores so easily, he must at least be a tier two ability user. The thought sent a shiver down his spine.
After an hour of walking, the shelter finally came into view. The man stopped and gestured toward it. "This is where we part ways," he said.
"Thank you," Kaden said sincerely before heading toward the shelter. He was exhausted—his body felt heavy—but above all, he was angry.
"I will kill that Duke," he thought, his eyes burning with determination.
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