CHAPTER 58: HUNT (2)

[Blood Berserker]

The world shifted. Heat roared through his veins like molten metal, muscles swelling with explosive power. His heart hammered not in fear, but in savage exhilaration. Every sense sharpened, he could hear the minute rasp of the wolf’s breath, smell the iron tang of its saliva, and feel the subtle tremor in the ground as its claws pressed into the soil.

The wolf lunged, its left claw sweeping for his chest with murderous precision.

Astrael’s lips curled. ’Too slow.’

He dropped low, sliding beneath the blow, his shoulder grazing the coarse fur as he passed under. Twisting up from the crouch, he drove his fist upward into the wolf’s jaw.

BAM!

The impact cracked like a thunderclap, the beast’s head snapping back. Its snarl turned into a guttural roar, more from outrage than pain.

Astrael landed lightly on his feet, eyes locked on the enemy. "You wanted a hunt... now you’ve got one."

The Bloodmaw Direwolf shook its massive head, froth and blood spattering from its maw, then lowered itself and circled him, slow and deliberate. Its claws dug furrows in the earth, and its breath steamed in.

Astrael’s pulse was a war drum in his skull. The Blood Berserker’s skill gnawed him at the edges of his thoughts, tugging him toward something feral, something that didn’t care about tactics or survival, only tearing the opponent apart. His lips pulled back in a grin that was far too sharp for comfort.

The wolf lunged again, faster this time. Astrael didn’t retreat — he stepped into it, catching the swipe of its claw with his forearm, pain ripping up his arm like fire. He ignored it, using the momentum to slam his elbow into the side of its skull.

CRACK!

The wolf reeled, but Astrael was already moving with his fists and knees, which became a blur. He hammered into its ribs, felt the solid resistance of bone under flesh, then caught the beast’s snapping jaws with both hands, holding them apart by sheer force. Its rancid breath washed over him, saliva dripping onto his forearms.

His vision bled red at the edges, the Berserker’s hunger howling in his ears.

"Come on!" he snarled, voice almost unrecognisable, "Bite harder!"

The wolf twisted violently, breaking free, and raked its claws across his side. Warm blood gushed, the sting sharp and electric, but instead of faltering, Astrael’s grin only widened. He launched himself at the beast barehanded, grabbing its thick fur and driving a savage knee up into its throat.

The dire wolf choked, coughing blood, but lashed its tail and slammed into him with brute force, throwing him back into a tree hard enough to rattle his bones.

Astrael staggered forward, spitting blood into the dirt, eyes burning. "You’re not getting away... not till one of us is dead."

The wolf snarled, crouched low, and charged. Astrael didn’t move aside this time. He met it head-on.

Their collision was a thunderclap in the still forest. Claws tore into his shoulder, but his arms were already wrapping around the wolf’s head. Fingers tangled in the matted crimson-and-black fur, nails digging into flesh. The beast’s jaws snapped shut inches from his throat, its teeth clicking like a bear trap.

AHHHHHH!

Astrael roared, a sound that was no longer wholly human, and wrenched with every fibre of strength the Blood Berserker gave him. The wolf thrashed, claws carving bloody lines down his back, but he didn’t let go.

The muscles in his arms bulged, tendons straining, the sound of tearing flesh and cracking bone filling the air. The beast’s yelp turned into a desperate, gurgling screech as Astrael forced its jaws wider... wider...

RIP!

With a wet, sickening snap, the lower half of the Bloodmaw’s jaw tore free, tongue lolling uselessly. Blood poured over Astrael’s hands, warm and thick, painting the ground beneath them.

The wolf twitched violently, then collapsed, its eyes still burning red for a heartbeat before the light bled out of them.

Astrael stood over the corpse, chest heaving, breath steaming in the cool air. Blood ran from his arms to his elbows, dripping in slow, steady beats. His heart still pounded with the rhythm of the Berserker, but in the silence that followed... only the whisper of the forest remained.

"Huhuhuh!" Astrael breathed rapidly.

His knees almost buckled the moment the Bloodmaw’s body hit the ground. The rush of the Blood Berserker skill slowly fades away like a tidal wave retreating, leaving only emptiness in its wake.

His vision started getting blurry. Each heartbeat felt heavier than the last, pounding sluggishly in his chest. His limbs, moments ago brimming with explosive strength, now burned with a deep, bone-deep ache.

He stumbled back a step, kegs squelching in the pool of blood beneath the corpse.

"Damn..." he muttered under his breath, dragging the back of his blood-soaked hand across his mouth. His legs trembled with every shift of weight.

"Forgot... how much this skill... takes out of me."

He lowered himself to one knee, more out of necessity than choice, and steadied his breathing. His head felt light, as if he were floating in the sea of clouds.

Astrael glanced at the Bloodmaw’s corpse. Even in death, its hulking frame looked dangerous. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips despite the exhaustion gnawing at him.

Astrael straightened slightly at the crystalline chime in his mind.

[Ding!]

[You have acquired the soul energy of Bloodmaw Direwolf]

[+20,000 EXP]

[Ding! The Divine Talent Plunder has activated.]

[You have acquired:]

[Strength +20]

[Agility +33]

[Blood Howl (E)]

[Predator’s Gaze (D)]

[Blood Claw(E)]

A faint flicker of light danced before his eyes, phantom symbols burning in the air for only him to see, before sinking into his body. His veins felt as though they had been injected with molten iron for a heartbeat, then the sensation faded, replaced by a faint hum beneath his skin.

He exhaled slowly, tasting the change. His legs felt just a little more coiled, his grip just a little tighter.

Astrael’s lips quirked faintly despite the sweat running down his temple. Now he has to handle the corpse so as not to attract other beasts in the forest. And he had to do the skinning by himself.

But in the dungeon realm, it’s different. In the dungeon realms, the system handled everything; the kill would translate directly into neat, glowing loot appearing in his inventory: fangs, pelts, cores, all tagged and ready for sale or crafting.

The real world was different. If he wanted the pelt, the fangs, the claws, he’d have to get them himself. Skinning, cutting, hauling, bloody work that took time, tools, and the risk of attracting other predators with the smell.

He gave the Bloodmaw’s body one last look, rolling his shoulders despite the fatigue weighing him down.

His fingers twitched toward his belt knife. "Let’s see what you’re worth."

Just as Astrael crouched beside the Bloodmaw’s hulking corpse, the clear, toneless chime rang in his head again.

[The skills Predator’s Clarity and Predator’s Gaze meet the compatibility threshold for Synthetic Talent.]

[Would you like to merge them?]

[Warning: Merging will consume both existing skills permanently. Success will create a single advanced-tier skill. Proceed?]

He didn’t answer right away. Predator’s Clarity had been his silent edge — sharpening his senses, letting him feel the minute shifts in the world around him. Predator’s Gaze, though newly acquired, could briefly freeze weaker prey in place. Together... the potential was obvious.

Astrael’s breathing slowed, still heavy from the Blood Berserker’s backlash. His mind weighed the risk against the reward. If the merge fails, I lose them both... but if it works...

A grin ghosted across his lips. "Do it."

[Ding! Initiating skill synthesis...]

[Predator’s Clarity + Predator’s Gaze → ???]

[Loading. Please Wait....]

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.

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[Synthesis Successful!]

The air seemed to tighten around him, his vision momentarily blacking out as if the forest itself had vanished. Then—

[Ding!]

[New Ability Acquired - Predator’s Dominion (C).]

[Predator’s Dominion (C) — An advanced predatory instinct skill. Sharpened perception within a 30-meter radius, detecting movement, mana flow, and intent. Allows the user to exert suppressive killing pressure on all targets within range, scaling with the user’s strength and presence.]

Astrael’s hand was still resting on the Bloodmaw’s cooling fur when the faintest ripple brushed against his senses.

The moment Predator’s Dominion flared to life, the forest changed. His mind painted a living map: the subtle flutter of leaves thirty paces to his right, the faint pulse of mana threading through a small creature’s veins, and... the slow, measured prowl of something bigger, feline, closing in.

Astrael’s head tilted slightly, eyes narrowing toward a cluster of brush.

He rose to his feet, turning fully toward the stalker — and unleashed the weight of his new ability.

The forest seemed to freeze.

The feline’s yellow eyes widened as its body locked up mid-step. Its muscles trembled violently, ears flattening, tail low. To Astrael, the sensation was strange — as though his own killing intent had taken physical form, wrapping around the beast like a suffocating shroud.

The cat-like monster’s breathing became shallow, every instinct screaming at it that it wasn’t looking at a human... it was looking at something far worse. Something that would rip it apart without a flicker of hesitation.

Astrael stepped forward once, testing the leash of terror he now held. The feline collapsed onto its haunches, trembling like a cub before its apex predator.