The Fire Hound hesitated, its two heads snapping back and forth, scanning the area. It stared at the meat, ears twitching. Something felt off.
Still, hunger won over caution.
The moment its front limb brushed against the runes, dark vines erupted from the ground, coiling around its body like living chains. The monster barely had time to struggle.
Vale was already midair.
Klein casted the debuff before the creature even realized what was happening. With a single, fluid strike, Vale's blade cleaved through its neck. The severed head hit the ground with a dull thud.
[ You have slain a D-Rank Awakened Monster: Fire Hound. ]
"Not bad," Vale thought, breathing steadily. He had used less mana this time—enough that, with a few hours of rest, he might manage another trap. A small but significant improvement.
"That was fast," Klein commented, landing beside him.
"Let's waste no time and—" Before Vale could finish, a loud growl pulled his attention away.
His head snapped around. There—another two Fire Hounds stood, their large fangs bared, ready to strike. Their eyes gleamed with fury.
"...Vale?" Klein said, his hands trembling as he tightened the grip on his shortsword.
A dark expression crossed Vale's face as he eyed the two hounds.
"Climb the wall and use the bow," He said, taking a battle stance.
Klein didn't linger. He climbed the wall, and just as he ran off, the two hounds rushed forward.
Vale didn't hesitate—he dashed ahead to meet one of them.
He swung the blade of the katana toward the creature's neck.
But the swing of his slash missed by a small margin. At the same moment, the second Fire Hound lunged at his leg.
Vale swiftly sidestepped, dodging the attack, then leaped backward, creating distance between himself and the monsters.
Without wasting even a second, the two hounds lunged again, fury burning in their crimson eyes. They charged side by side, no gap in their defenses as Vale searched for a way to split them apart.
Then—he cast his ability. With his depleted mana essence, the vines manifested for less than a second, barely enough to slow one of the creatures down.
But it was enough.
Separated from its mate, the lone hound continued its rush toward Vale, who was already waiting. He sidestepped the large lunge and swung his weapon wide.
Blood sprayed as a long cut sliced across the monster's torso.
The creature collapsed to the ground, losing blood rapidly.
The second hound was already midair, lunging toward Vale—but he wasn't done. He drove his blade down into the injured creature.
[ You have slain a D-Rank Awakened Monster: Fire Hound. ]
Just as the voice finished announcing the kill, the second hound crashed into Vale, sending both of them tumbling to the ground. The hound ended up on top of him, his blade lodged in its jaw as he blocked its fangs from reaching his face.
He gritted his teeth, trying to force the monster off him, but it was to no avail. Though not massive, the creature's muscular build made it too heavy to lift. Vale felt his strength faltering as his mana essence began to fade. His arms trembled under the pressure of the monster's jaws—and just before they gave out, a loud whistle pierced the air.
The creature twisted in pain. Another two whistles followed, each arrow striking its back. The monster fell to its side, writhing in agony. Dark veins stretched from the wounds, quickly rotting its flesh.
Up above, Klein stood with the bow, aiming down at the beast.
Just as another arrow struck the monster, Vale was already above it, eyes locked with the creature's as he swung down.
[ You have slain a D-Rank Awakened Monster: Fire Hound. ]
[ You have received an Artifact: Flask of Salvation ]
Vale tried to steady his breath. His heart raced, and his body throbbed with pain as he stared at the dead monsters.
"Is… is it over?" asked Klein, already beside him.
"Yeah…I think so."
Vale sat down. As the adrenaline drained, dizziness swept over him. His entire body ached in pain, and his mana essence was completely depleted.
"That was close" Vale thought, recalling the battle.
If it weren't for that bow and its unique attribute—capable of poisoning—he would've been dead. His gaze shifted toward the bow, studying it more carefully.
"I'm out of mana essence," said Klein, noticing his look.
"The poison attribute drains a lot of my mana. That last shot took all I had." He added.
Vale nodded. He figured as much. Poison that strong was bound to take a toll on its user—but even if it only allowed a few shots, it would be immensely helpful in future battles.
The two men rested for a couple of minutes.
At the same time, Vale summoned his Status Window—curious about the new artifact.
*****
Name: Vale
Core: Dormant
Core Rank: [ E, 14/250 ]
Artifacts: [ Ordinary Katana, Titan's Ring, Fire Cloak, Flask of Salvation ]
Relics: [ Four-Eyed Raven ]
Abilities: [ Vine Bind ]
Unique Ability: [ Ravenous Spark ]
Quest: [ Wanderer's Revenge ]
*****
"Fourteen?" He lingered on the number, just realizing how quickly it had changed.
During his First Trial, slaying Dormant monsters increased his rank by one.
But now he had slain five creatures and gained ten points.
"Do Awakened monsters grant two points per kill?"
Accepting that as the only explanation, his focus shifted to the Flask of Salvation.
Flask of Salvation Description: [ A handful flask turning blood into water, bringing salvation to its wielder. ]
"Turn blood into water?"
Wasting no time, Vale summoned the flask. A glass bottle appeared in his hand—empty and featureless.
He walked toward one of the monsters and filled the flask. As the liquid entered, it turned into clear white water.
He hesitated, watching the liquid inside, then took a small sip.
His eyes widened.
"It's drinking water!"
Without missing a beat, he chugged the entire flask before refilling it and passing it to his companion.
"W-What is this? Are you sure it's safe?" Klein asked, watching the bottle with a hint of suspicion in his eyes.
"It's safe. Do you want it or not?"
The lanky student hesitated but stretched out his arm and accepted the flask.
He watched the liquid inside the bottle for few seconds and then chugged it all.
"It's really water!" Klein said, his doubtful expression morphing into excitement.
"I received a new artifact. It lets me turn blood into water."
"Blood? Wait… whose blood?"
Vale's eyes shifted toward the monster. Realizing what he'd just drunk, Klein's face turned slightly green—but he quickly brushed it off.
"That'll be useful. I doubt there's much water out here."
The pair then skinned the dead hounds and split the remaining mana crystals. Klein took one, restoring most of his mana essence, while Vale fed the other to his spark.
The two of them set out to return to the shelter.
They were overdue for some rest.