#107
The Rolling Pumpkin (2)
‘Did they say it was similar to an ogre?’
This was the result of analyzing the monster based on various pieces of information by those knowledgeable about monsters, before Harley emerged onto the surface.
However, they also mentioned that there were many differences, so they weren’t entirely sure. He only realized why such a statement was made after seeing the creature for himself.
“Kwoooor!”
The ogre was the top predator in this place, the Northern Mountain Range, which was overrun by monsters.
With tough skin that ordinary spears wouldn’t pierce, a bone structure harder yet more elastic than metal, and remarkable regeneration capable of quickly healing most wounds if sufficiently nourished.
Moreover, its body was packed with dense muscle that served both as weapon and armor, combined with keen senses that made hunting easier, this was no ordinary monster.
‘Even Harley, who was quite strong before, was on the brink of death when facing an ogre.’
The only weakness it had was that maintaining its overwhelming physique required investing most of its waking hours in hunting and eating…
But in this monster-rich Northern Mountain Range, that was hardly a concern.
Crack—!
And now, Harley was engaged in a game of tag, dodging an ogre that charged at him, breaking trees in its wake.
When he slyly looked back, he met the gaze of not one but two pairs of red eyes.
“Khuu—!”
“Kakakak!”
Yes, not just one pair, but two!
With a height exceeding 6 meters, boasting a much bulkier body than the average ogre.
Most notably, it had two heads atop its shoulders.
‘A Twin Headed Ogre…’
The four crimson eyes tinged with madness stared at him unblinkingly, and the two mouths equipped with shark-like teeth were already dripping saliva.
‘I suspected that higher species are more susceptible to madness, but…’
Just like Harley now, the madness clinging to the monster accumulates as it’s absorbed by the predator.
But if this well-known glutton ogre has been consistently eating monsters deeper in the mountains…
‘Besides, it has one body but two heads affected by madness?’
The brain-like thought mechanisms were essentially the exit for the madness residing in its body.
Having two heads meant double the efficiency compared to other monsters.
Of course, that would also mean increased energy consumption, but for a creature that just eats all day, that wouldn’t be an issue.
“Kieeek!”
Harley twisted his body to dodge the monster charging at him and kept running.
About 30 minutes had passed since he’d lured the ogre deeper into the mountains, and the number of monsters pouring in from all directions was steadily increasing.
Snap— Crack!
Then, the smaller monsters that chased after him were caught in the claws of the Twin Headed Ogre, heading straight into its mouths.
Like a marathon runner snatching up water bottles on the course, the ogre adeptly used both its hands to shovel the monsters in and chew them as if it were a sacred labor.
“Giiick!”
“Kuhok!”
If not for the continuous screams of the monsters echoing, it could almost appear as a scene of divine labor.
‘It really doesn’t stop eating. Well, this should be a good distance.’
Keeping a safe distance, Harley slowed down and came to a stop.
Of course, he didn’t plan to just evade it.
‘The amount of madness concentrated in that one body surpasses everything I’ve accumulated, and I can’t just walk away from it!’
As he stood still, not only the Twin Headed Ogre but monsters from all directions began to target him.
Their instincts, engraved to be hostile against beings not fully consumed by madness, compelled them to mindlessly show their murderous intent.
And Harley…
“Hooou—.”
With his mind racing, he slowly awakened the madness and summoned forth his power.
As all the cells in his body activated simultaneously, white steam erupted from his mouth, causing a mirage to rise from his entire body.
Skills like ‘Beast of Frenzy’ triggered all at once as his eyes ignited with red and green flames.
‘Yes, I might never get this chance again.’
Although he had diligently absorbed magic stones under the pretense of vision spells, there were limits to that method.
But look at that.
Countless monsters all darting straight toward him.
And alongside, the massive amount of ‘madness’ contained within them.
Ah! How delectable!
If he could devour all of that, how much stronger would he become?
Crack! Snap!
With a loud noise, his muscles writhed and expanded.
His size surpassed 3 meters, and his beefed-up arms extended with blade-like claws.
His legs transformed like those of a beast, sprouting sharp claws as well.
Strictly speaking, the combat state he had previously displayed wasn’t all that Harley was capable of.
“Khat! This is exhilarating! Hahaha!”
All his sensory organs—eyes, nose, ears—enhanced to an extreme, pulling in the information around him as his now gaping maw filled with rows of shark-like teeth.
By pushing his previously restricted skills of ‘Mutation’ and ‘Physical Transformation’ to the limit, he transformed entirely beyond human recognition…
“Kakakak!”
The surge in combat power was beyond comparison to before.
Whizzing— Whoosh—
The two axes attached to Harley’s back fell away with a whirling sound, spinning in the air.
At that point, the green flames from his left eye spread to the axes, turning them toward the monsters baring their teeth at him.
“Delicious feast ahead!”
With that, the madness emanating from his body fully enveloped him as he assumed battle stance.
“Kieek?”
“Kuoork—?”
The monsters reacted oddly.
Just moments ago, they were ready to pounce with wild fury, but now they hesitated and scanned their surroundings…
‘What’s this? Suddenly their hostility vanished? …Wait, could it be they see me as one of them?’
Even the Twin Headed Ogre, which had been pursuing him fiercely, seemed somewhat startled.
Of course, it was aggressive enough to devour other monsters without hesitation, but being this thorough just to chase one down seemed inefficient.
Harley pondered while feeling the madness brewing within him, his vision tinted crimson.
‘Looks like they think I’m fully consumed by madness.’
Although it was unintentional, this was a new discovery.
If he used this method, he could now roam freely among monsters, avoiding their predatory ecosystem.
But for now…
“First strike, guaranteed victory!”
Boom—!
He kicked off the ground, charging at the Twin Headed Ogre that was close enough.
“Kwang—!”
“Kakak!”
The monster that had simply been watching him instantly responded to the attack.
Once a collision occurs, their nature dictates they’ll fight until one dies, so it was only natural.
As the humanoid beast and the massive monster clashed fiercely…
“Hmm, indeed. This place is interesting.”
A cold voice echoed from where Harley had just stood.
“Kieeek?”
“Kruuk—?”
Simultaneously, the monsters that had been swarming towards Harley awkwardly turned their attention to that voice.
In the center of the thick, wild forest, a man dressed in an outfit out of place for the scenery stood.
A pristine black frock coat, crisp and unwrinkled as if it were from a noble class.
His hair slicked back, pale skin, and red eyes.
With a cynical smile that revealed sharp fangs.
He was Heinz II, the new lord of the Brokoslac Clan and the hidden ruler of the Talia Kingdom.
“Kwoooor—!”
Monsters surrounding him roared in unison and dashed toward Heinz.
Even one head of the Twin Headed Ogre, which was in a death struggle with Harley, momentarily glanced over, showing just how much attention his presence garnered.
“Even if they’ve been tainted by madness, they’re still living beings.”
Yet Heinz muttered calmly as he observed the monsters rushing towards him.
His right hand slowly raised.
“As long as there is blood flowing through that body, it is a futile struggle.”
With a fluid motion like a dance, his right hand traced a circle around him.
And then.
Shhiik— Puhwak!
The bodies of the monsters caught in the trajectory were severed in half and tumbled to the ground.
Since their heights varied so greatly, the areas where they were severed—neck, waist, legs—differed as well…
But even those who managed to survive would find little meaning in it.
Since this place had already turned into a sea of blood.
「Blood Mystery」
Red, blue, green…
The colorful control over the blood, severed from the master’s body, now entirely belonged to Heinz.
And it was tempered with iron will, becoming weapons endowed with murderous intent.
“Kweeek!”
“Khewk!”
As he rampaged through the still-living monsters, his own body began to swell.
Blood begets blood, and that blood, in turn, breeds more sacrifices.
“Hmmm…”
An overwhelming spectacle, yet Heinz only furrowed his brow slightly.
‘It might be due to the monster’s vitality, but the control isn’t perfect. Plus, the madness lingering in the blood is quite bothersome.’
The moment a host dies, the madness inherent to their body begins to evaporate, but there remained a significant amount of madness within the freshly slain warm blood of the monsters.
If he hadn’t acquired overwhelming blood control through ‘Hybrid Evolution,’ he wouldn’t have been able to carry out such ruthless slaughter.
Now he was akin to a calamity for beings below a certain threshold.
Of course, such a statement also meant that he wouldn’t have much strength against those above a certain level…
“Kwoooor…!”
Skkk—
“Uuugh! Huh!”
As a troll charged through the storm of blood towards him, its neck was severed and fell to the ground.
Then, a high-pressure jet of blood shot forth from Heinz’s fingertips, obliterating its brain and heart simultaneously.
“At this level, it’s more of the same, huh? Now, let’s see what these guys taste like. Kuhp, spat—!”
He brought the blood of a slain monster to his lips, only to spit it out immediately.
Blood tainted with madness from monsters was simply the worst.
Vampires draw power by drinking the blood of their victims, absorbing their vitality and mana.
But monster blood is stuffed with energy considered a mutated form of mana, making it inefficient for absorption, and coupled with the corruption of madness, it was utterly inedible.
“Tsk, I hoped otherwise. It can’t be helped.”
Heinz continued his slaughter of the monsters as he manipulated the blood, extracting magic stones from their hearts and gathering them in one place.
Whoosh— Thud!
Then, he snatched the green-glowing pickaxe ‘Ellinne’ that came flying towards him and stowed it away into his spatial dimension magical equipment.
This was also one of the reasons Heinz had come all this way.
‘As things turned out, Heinz had nothing pressing to do for the moment.’
He had gathered plenty of intel, and the growth of his power was progressing smoothly.
Moreover, Harley wasn’t suited for mass slaughter, so he thought it better to have Heinz waiting in advance, aware that he would run into trouble surrounded by monster hordes…
‘Had I known that liberating the madness completely would prevent monster aggression toward me, I would have done it much earlier. Still, I need to retrieve the pickaxe, and I’ve gathered a good amount of magic stones, so it’s all fine.’
Heinz nodded to himself and then turned his gaze to Harley.
“Hah hahaha! This one is remarkably tough! It’s downright enjoyable!”
The Twin Headed Ogre—No, now it had become a ‘Single Headed Ogre’—was currently being torn apart by Harley, who was less than half its height.
That brutal beast form of his was pressing the ogre down without even using any weapons.
‘Well, to be honest, Harley had always been stronger barehanded.’
He had occasionally taken to using weapons during his time in civilization, but his primary weapon had always been his monstrous body itself.
Puhk!
Finally,
The sharp claws plunged into the ogre’s chest, and Harley yanked out its heart, magic stone and all.
Crack! Snap!
And as he consumed it, the madness he absorbed surged within him, exceeding all that he had taken before.
His heart raced and blood flowed faster, muscles expanded, heat radiated from his entire being, but…
‘What’s new about this feeling?’
It was merely a familiar symptom at this point.
Ignoring the whispers of madness that buzzed in his head, Harley returned to his human form and grabbed the axe that was flying through the air.
“Hahaha! I feel refreshed after a good sweat! Now, let’s have a little snack!”
He plopped down in front of the pile of magic stones from the smaller monsters, scooping them up and shoveling them into his mouth.
Crisp! Crunch!
Aside from the madness, he was not only reinforced from the Twin Headed Ogre but also saw an increase in energy storage efficiency, so he aimed to stock up.
But then,
At that moment, while Harley was peacefully consuming his nutrients.
[KuoOOOOO—!]
A massive roar filled with immense energy erupted from deep within the mountains.
The overwhelming wave that spread shook the atmosphere and vibrated the surrounding mana.
The presence contained within the sound sent chills down his spine, bringing him to an instinctive state of extreme tension.
‘What is this?’
The gazes of both Harley and Heinz II turned towards the source of the sound simultaneously.
The energy itself felt different, but they had recently experienced something quite similar.
Specifically, from Hans and his subordinate, Entrasio.
That meant the owner of this roar was none other than—
‘A Dragon?’
The dragon that had been slumbering in the north had awakened.
