Hellbound: Rebirth Of The Strongest Slayer.

Chapter 76 76: Treasure Hunting (1)

While the hellish training with Raoth that he believed would help Beast Army grow had officially begun, Rayden and Grah set out to hunt for a treasure. Something worthy. Something tempting enough to make that annoying monkey finally join hands with him.

The journey went too smoothly.

It was already close to afternoon, yet not a single beast showed itself. Odd.

Then again, not really.

Rayden and his beast Army had already wiped most of the surrounding creatures clean. Anyone with a voice worth hearing, he offered a place in his army. Anyone without value became fuel for his Soul Energy Bar.

Simple.

Clean.

Brutal.

But soon, the silence cracked.

A fox stepped out from between the trees.

Two tails. Slender body. Burning eyes.

Rayden felt it instantly.

Stage Six Beast Arc One.

Two whole stage above Grah.

The fox's gaze locked onto the blue-horned wolf and a low growl rolled from its throat. Its two tails rose high, swaying like blades ready to cut. The sight of Grah alone was enough to stir its buried rage.

Perfect.

The two beasts charged at once.

No hesitation. No probing.

Just pure force.

Rayden slipped away from Grah's flank at the last second, letting the wolf take it head-on. He needed to see the gap. Needed to measure the difference in strength with his own eyes.

The result came fast.

The gap was wide.

The fox kept up with Grah's speed, and speed was Grah's strongest suit. Worse, the fox's raw strength easily suppressed him.

If I don't step in, Grah won't last long.

Rayden activated Infernal Instinct.

Hellskin Fortification.

Ultra Boost.

Soul Echo Vision.

The four pillars he never skipped when a battle smelled dangerous.

He lunged.

His fist aimed straight for the fox's skull.

But the fox turned at the perfect moment.

One tail lashed out.

It slammed directly into Rayden's head.

The fox expected bone fragments. Blood. A shattered human skull.

Instead, Rayden merely tilted his head slightly, as if he had been tapped with a stone.

The fox froze.

Just for a breath.

That breath was enough.

Ember of Will.

The tail wrapped around Rayden's head ignited in burning crimson.

The flames did not flicker.

They devoured.

The fox screeched, twisting violently, trying to shake off the fire. Rayden poured more soul energy into the skill, his eyes cold as the crimson blaze swallowed more of the tail.

If the fox had not latched onto him, Ember of Will would not have been this destructive. It might have resisted. Maybe even suppressed it.

But direct contact erased that advantage.

The small resistance it possessed was nothing.

The fox came to a brutal conclusion.

The fire would not be quenched.

Pain like this could not be endured.

With a savage bite, it tore its own burning tail off.

Blood sprayed.

The forest echoed with its agonizing scream. The sound would have made others hesitate.

Rayden grinned.

Finally.

An opening.

Now, Grah.

The wolf, momentarily forgotten by the fox, shot forward like a bullet. His jaws clamped onto the fox's neck with brutal force, nearly ripping flesh from bone.

The fox reacted instantly, claws smashing into Grah's head and hurling him backward.

But the damage was done.

The neck wound bled heavily. The severed tail bled even more.

Pain.

Blood loss.

Weakening.

Rayden's Soul Echo Vision saw it clearly. The fox's energy flickered, unstable.

You are hurting.

Let me put you out of your misery.

He charged.

The fox tried to stand tall, fury blazing in its remaining tail. But its movements were slower now. Sloppy.

Rayden closed the distance.

The rest was fast.

Minutes later, the forest fell silent again.

The fox lay still.

Soul energy surged into Rayden like a flood, filling his bar, warming his veins. The rush was intoxicating.

He stood over the corpse, eyes calm.

That was quite a tough one.

But the fact that he could easily take down a Stage Six beast with Grah's help… didn't that mean something?

Didn't that mean he was already on the level of those two bastards from the Scavenger who kidnapped his parents?

Rayden's eyes darkened.

He could not say for sure. The gap between humans and beasts was different. A Stage Two human could sometimes outplay a Stage Four beast. Intelligence. Skill combinations. Control. Those things mattered.

Still…

It was satisfying.

His control over his ten skills had improved drastically over the past weeks. The timing. The stacking. The flow of soul energy. He was no longer reckless. No longer sloppy.

He was sharper now.

Closer to their level.

Maybe already there.

Maybe even stronger.

But Rayden did not allow himself to drown in that illusion. False confidence killed faster than blades.

Instead, he climbed atop Grah's back.

"Move."

The wolf obeyed, and they continued their treasure hunt.

Along the way they found trinkets. Jades. Strange metallic fragments. Ancient-looking scraps of cloth. Some items were remarkable enough for Rayden to toss into the bag Grah carried.

Most were ignored.

None of them would satisfy that arrogant monkey.

They kept searching.

Beasts appeared from time to time. Some ran. Some fought.

The outcome was predictable.

They died.

Soul energy flowed.

The first day passed.

Then the second.

The same routine. Hunt. Search. Kill. Move.

Repetition began to gnaw at Rayden.

And what did Rayden hate the most in his long years of living?

Boredom.

Yes, he was still technically still a child in this body.

It did not matter.

He despised stagnation.

If one more day passed without finding something worthy enough to lure that monkey, he would return and convince it the hard way.

Maybe he could trick it.

Confuse it.

Manipulate it.

That would work too.

But near the end of the third day, something changed.

Something that made Rayden's blood freeze inside his veins.

Freaking hell.

He looked ahead.

A few dozen meters away stood a massive creature.

No.

Coiled.

A snake.

Several meters long. Thick as an ancient tree trunk. Scales dark and layered like armored plates. Its body alone radiated pressure that made the air feel heavy.

What the hell is that.

Grah growled under his breath, barely audible. He did not dare raise his voice. Neither of them needed words.

If that thing noticed them and decided to kill them…

They would die.

Instantly.

Rayden cursed internally.

He had spent weeks conquering parts of this forest. This was the first time he had encountered a beast that radiated such suffocating dominance. The aura alone pressed against his skin like invisible hands.

For long minutes, neither Rayden nor Grah moved.

They barely breathed.

Rayden's eyes narrowed.

He was certain.

This snake was far stronger than anything he had met since arriving in this world. It might have already surpassed Arc One. It might even be Arc Three.

Or worse.

Arc Four

If that was true, facing it head-on meant death.

Zero chance.

Absolute.

Yet something felt off.

Rayden frowned.

By now, a beast of this level should have sensed them easily. Their scent. Their heartbeat. Their soul fluctuations.

But the snake remained still.

Too still.

Its massive body did not shift.

Its tongue did not flick outward.

It seems to be asleep.

There was only one explanation.

The beast was fast asleep.

It sounded ridiculous. A monster like that, sleeping out in the open? Unlikely.

But it was the only reasonable answer to why it had not already devoured them.

Slowly, carefully, Rayden stepped down from Grah's back.

He activated Ethereal Shroud.

White mist wrapped around his body, thin and silent, blending into the air itself until he vanished from sight. Even Grah could barely track him.

Rayden moved forward.

One step.

Then another.

Every muscle controlled. Every breath measured.

Closer.

Closer.

He was now right in front of the massive head. Up close, the creature was even more terrifying. Scales thick as armor. Fangs slightly exposed. The body was twisted at an odd angle, as if it had fallen mid-motion.

Rayden narrowed his eyes and activated Soul Echo Vision.

The moment he truly looked, his heart slammed violently against his ribs.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

He swallowed and, against every instinct screaming at him to back away, placed his hand on the beast's head.

Cold.

His pulse raced.

He focused harder.

No heartbeat.

No internal movement.

No circulation.

Nothing.

Rayden hit the snake's closed eye hard.

No reaction.

He pressed harder.

Still nothing.

He stepped back, breathing heavier now, mind racing as he ran experiment after experiment. Checking for the faintest fluctuation of energy.

There was none.

The suffocating aura was still there.

The dominance.

The pressure.

But the life inside it?

Gone.

Rayden stood there in silence.

Then he whispered to himself.

"It's not sleeping."

His eyes widened slowly.

"It's dead."

This overwhelming, terrifying beast that could have erased him with a flick of its tail…

Was already a corpse.

To be continued...

Author's Note:

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