The dark tide surged, shrouding the world in a thick, oppressive gloom.

  Deep within the Klan Mountains, Veronica and the injured Muken were running for their lives, their figures flickering in and out of the dense forest, as if the darkness itself threatened to devour them at any moment.

  Muken’s right arm had been torn open by the razor-sharp fangs of a Void Hound, leaving a deep, bloody gash. Blood gushed from the wound, streaming down his arm and leaving a trail of crimson droplets behind him. His weapon had long since been lost, and now he could only clutch a short rifle in his left hand, his gaze filled with both vigilance and terror. Every few moments, he glanced back at the monsters relentlessly pursuing them.

  The two Void Hounds were lean, sleek, and eerily smooth, like messengers from the depths of hell. Their speed was terrifying, and their hooked claws gleamed menacingly in the dim light, slicing through the air with each leap.

  They could have easily caught up to Veronica and Muken, tearing them apart in an instant with their grotesque, petal-like maws. Yet, they didn’t.

  Instead, they seemed to be savoring the hunt, relishing the fear radiating from their prey. It was a cruel game—one where they delighted in watching their victims struggle in despair.

  Veronica’s heart pounded with urgency. She ran with all her might, occasionally grabbing Muken to urge him forward.

  She knew that if they could just reach the patrol range of the border fortress, they might have a sliver of hope. But Muken’s steps were growing heavier, his breath ragged and labored. The void toxin was steadily eating away at his body.

  “Hang in there, Muken! We’re almost there… almost!” Veronica shouted, her voice trembling—not just to encourage Muken, but to reassure herself.

  Ahead, the boundary of Klan Mountain was finally within sight—hope flickered before them like a distant flame.

  But fate had never been kind.

  Suddenly, the darkness ahead churned as if stirred by an invisible hand. A towering, black monstrosity lunged forth, its petal-like maw splitting open as it let out an ear-piercing screech.

  A sickly red tongue lashed out like a writhing whip, striking Veronica’s neck. A putrid stench assaulted her senses, making her stomach churn.

  “They’ve caught up!!!”

  A chill of fear shot through Veronica. Fury and despair intertwined in her heart. These wretched Void Hounds—they had been toying with them all along. Letting them glimpse salvation, only to snuff it out in the cruelest way possible.

  She stared at the writhing rows of eyes atop the creature’s head, her gaze hardening with resolve. Without hesitation, she drew her longsword, ready to fight to the death.

  “If I’m going down, I’m taking that disgusting tongue with me!” she snarled through gritted teeth.

  “So, their weakness is the tongue?”

  A low voice suddenly echoed from the shadows beside her.

  Veronica stiffened in shock, her sword nearly slipping from her grasp. She whirled around, only to see a tall figure emerging from the trees.

  Dressed in a long black coat and a leather hat, the man exuded a chilling presence.

  “Buck… Frank!?”

  Veronica’s eyes widened in disbelief.

  She never could have imagined Buck appearing at such a moment.

  Buck stood there silently, his gaze fixed coldly on the Void Hound.

  In the depths of his black pupils, something dark seemed to whisper—an unsettling presence that sent a shiver down the spine.

  “1777 HP?” he murmured to himself, his voice calm and measured, as if the terrifying creature before him was nothing more than a trivial nuisance.

  It made sense now. No wonder the young hunters couldn’t stand a chance against these Void Hounds.

  A dark beast of this caliber… even a Second-Tier Hunter like Viddens would have to tread carefully.

  In truth, even an elite Second-Tier Hunter would hesitate before engaging two Void Hounds. A single misstep would spell certain doom.

  But in Buck’s presence, it wasn’t the hunters who needed to measure their strength—it was the Void Hounds.

  The beasts sensed the overwhelming life force radiating from him, and for the first time, they hesitated.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  A shudder ran through the Hound’s body, its eyes glinting with wariness.

  It had never encountered a human exuding such sheer, suffocating power.

  Then, from the darkness behind Buck, another Void Hound lunged.

  This one was larger, its aura even more insidious.

  Unlike its cruel counterpart, which delighted in tormenting prey, this one preferred swift, lethal strikes—an executioner in the truest sense.

  Like a bolt of lightning, it pounced toward Buck’s back, claws gleaming with murderous intent.

  “Watch out!”

  Veronica’s scream tore through the night, her heart hammering in her chest.

  Her breath hitched as she stared in horror, uncertain how Buck could possibly counter such a sudden, vicious assault.

  But then—

  A deep crimson fist lashed out from behind Buck, its speed so blindingly fast that Veronica barely registered the movement.

  With a thunderous impact, the punch struck the Hound’s midsection.

  A massive shockwave erupted as the beast’s body twisted unnaturally—before splitting in two.

  “Dead…?”

  Veronica’s eye twitched violently.

  She could scarcely believe what she had just witnessed.

  The attacking Void Hound had been obliterated midair, its flesh and blood bursting apart in an explosion of gore.

  Thick, purplish-red ichor rained down like a grotesque storm, drenching the earth in nightmarish hues.

  The other hound trembled upon witnessing its companion being instantly slain, involuntarily taking a few steps back, its eyes filled with fear.

  It seemed to realize that this human before it was not an opponent it could easily handle. It wanted to escape, to flee from this terrifying existence.

  But how could Buck let it go so easily? His gaze sharpened as he swiftly grabbed his hand axe and dashed forward in a single bound. The hound flicked its body, its long tail transforming into a shadowy whip lashing toward Buck. A cunning move—its real intent was merely to lure Buck into closing the distance.

  Void Hounds knew no fear. They were born savage, fearless of anything. But at the same time, the word "dodge" did not exist in Buck’s vocabulary either. With unwavering determination, he stood his ground, allowing the barbed tail to pierce into his body. Then, with a sudden twist, his powerful muscles clamped down, trapping the tail’s tip within his grip.

  What followed was a brutal, blood-soaked clash that Veronica had the misfortune—or perhaps the privilege—of witnessing.

  The noble young master who usually seemed distant and aloof now fought like a crazed warrior, locked in a life-or-death struggle against the monstrous creature.

  Veronica’s mind went blank. She could only watch in stunned silence as Buck’s axe severed the hound’s tail.

  As the battle raged on, Buck faced off against the beast’s razor-sharp claws and fangs without faltering. He went as far as to rip off one of the hound’s legs with his bare hands. With its agility crippled, the creature's movements became sluggish.

  Seizing the moment, Buck pressed forward. Months of grueling training had refined his combat skills to an entirely new level. His axe intercepted the hound’s snapping fangs, and then, like a bolt of lightning, his monstrous hand plunged into its throat. He wrenched its body toward him, then drove his knee brutally into its heart.

  Desperation drove the dying beast to unleash a final, vicious counterattack—its back suddenly split open, revealing a pair of bladed appendages that shot straight toward Buck’s eyes.

  A perilous situation.

  Yet Buck remained unfazed.

  A pale, inhuman arm shot forward, effortlessly catching the bladed claws mid-air. The hound froze, as if it had momentarily forgotten its next move.

  Without hesitation, Buck’s monstrous hand dug into the creature’s chest and wrenched out its heart in one swift motion.

  The entire battle lasted barely a minute. Buck had only activated his monstrous claw six times in total.

  The Void Hound’s relentless flurry of claws and venomous fangs had managed to inflict over a thousand points of damage on him. But compared to Buck’s staggering 48,830 health points, this was nothing—barely a scratch.

  With a final, decisive strike, Buck severed the hound’s arm before retrieving the shattered claw of the slain beast. He absorbed and devoured them with practiced ease, his life force surging by another three thousand points.

  Only then did he finally turn toward Veronica, his gaze cold as ice. Or more precisely, his gaze was fixed on her chest.

  "Lady Veronica, you are safe now."

  His voice was deep and steady, as if the harrowing battle just now had been nothing more than a trivial exercise to him.

  Snapping out of her shock, Veronica instinctively tightened her hold on the unconscious Muken and took two steps back, her expression complex as she stared at Buck—filled with both fear and unanswered questions.

  "Who… are you really?" she asked, her voice trembling. At that moment, she no longer cared about where Buck’s eyes had been wandering.

  "I am Buck Frank. Have you lost your memory?" Buck frowned slightly, but inwardly, he was already deep in thought.

  He was considering whether he should simply eliminate these two hunters right here.

  Because of Viddens, he had always regarded the Hunter’s Guild with caution. If any high-ranking figures from the guild sought to target him, he had no qualms about killing every lone hunter he came across.

  In fact, he had been waiting for them to make a move. Viddens had died so mysteriously—surely the Hunter’s Guild wouldn’t just let it slide.

  Yet strangely enough, no retaliatory attacks had come.

  He was certain the guild had taken notice of his relentless demon hunts over the past two months. So why hadn’t they made a move yet?

  Veronica observed Buck’s contemplative expression, and a thought crossed her mind.

  There had been rumors circulating recently—whispers of a powerful figure relentlessly hunting dark creatures along the frontier.

  Could that person be Buck Frank?

  "Lord Buck, how… how did you achieve this?"

  Veronica’s curiosity was now fully piqued. She was desperate to know where Buck’s overwhelming power came from.

  This wasn’t the kind of twisted power one could obtain from a mere cultist’s ritual.

  True ascension into supernatural power was no simple feat. The success rate of any ascension ritual was abysmally low. Even Viddens, after years of effort, had failed to ascend.

  But Buck showed no intention of answering.

  Unwilling to give up, Veronica pressed further. "Lord Buck, why have you not joined the Hunter’s Guild?"

  Buck stared at her expressionlessly. "Are you inviting me to join?"

  "The frontier branch of the guild does not oppose the use of… unconventional means to combat the darkness. With your strength, you could save many lives."

  Her eyes shone with expectation.

  Buck rolled his eyes.

  Then, he pointed at Muken slumped against her back and said coldly, "If you don’t heal him soon, he’s going to die."

  To him, Muken’s health bar was already nearing empty.

  Veronica jolted in alarm, suddenly remembering her companion’s dire condition…