Chapter 3: The Hellhound Trial
Kurogane trekked through the monotonous landscape, the system's blue glow still imprinted behind his eyes. He'd been walking for what felt like hours when the air grew heavy and thick. Dark clouds gathered unnaturally fast, swirling into a menacing vortex above. A cold wind whipped through the valley, carrying the scent of ozone and wet earth.
"Strange weather," Kurogane muttered, pulling his thin jacket tighter. But this was no ordinary storm. The sky tore open, releasing a deluge so violent it felt like the heavens were trying to wash the world away. Within moments, the path became a raging stream, muddy waters pulling at his boots, threatening to sweep him off his feet. "I need shelter - now!"
His eyes scanned the rocky cliffs through the curtain of rain. There! A dark opening, barely visible behind a curtain of waterfall-like runoff. He scrambled up the slippery incline, fingers digging into wet stone until he tumbled into the cave's mouth.
The cave was larger than it appeared from outside, with a high ceiling that vanished into shadows. The air was cool and carried the mineral scent of damp stone. Stalactites hung like stone teeth, dripping water into shallow pools that echoed through the chamber. He found a flat rock shelf and collapsed against it, his breath coming in ragged gasps. For a moment, he simply listened to the symphony of dripping water and distant thunder.
As he caught his breath, he ventured deeper into the cavern. The temperature dropped noticeably, and a strange, sulfurous odor reached his nostrils. That's when the system interface flashed urgently:
[Quest: Defeat the 6-Headed Hellhound]
Recognition struck him like a physical blow. "No... not this already!" he whispered, panic clawing at his throat. "I remember this arc! The first hellhound is just the beginning - after it falls, a whole pack emerges!" His mind raced through the manga panels he'd read. The hellhounds were mid-tier enemies, appearing much later in the story. Why were they here now?
From the deepest shadows, six pairs of crimson eyes ignited. A low, multi-tonal growl echoed through the cavern as the creature emerged. It was massive, each head larger than Kurogane's torso, with obsidian-black fur that seemed to absorb the light. Six necks twisted and wove like serpents, each mouth dripping acidic saliva that sizzled where it hit the stone floor.
[Quest: Defeat the 6-Headed Hellhound]
[Time Limit: 20 Minutes]
[Reward: 10,000 Tokens]
[Penalty: Death]
Kurogane's hand went to his sword hilt. "So it begins," he breathed, adopting a defensive stance.
The hellhound moved with terrifying speed, becoming a blur of darkness and glowing eyes. Kurogane barely dodged, feeling the wind from six snapping jaws. He rolled across the rough stone, coming up with his katana ready.
"Dammit! Too close!"
He remembered the manga clearly now - the hellhounds had armored hides that could deflect most weapons. Only precise strikes to their weak points could penetrate their natural armor. As the creature lunged again, Kurogane spotted an opening and brought his sword down in a perfect arc aimed at the primary neck.
"Got you!"
The blade connected with a sickening clang, sparks flying as it bounced harmlessly off the thick hide. Kurogane stared in disbelief. "Impossible! I didn't even scratch it?" The realization hit him like a physical blow - he was drastically underpowered for this fight.
[Time Remaining: 15 Minutes]
"Five minutes already? How can I defeat something I can't even damage?" Despair threatened to overwhelm him. "If only I'd paid more attention to the combat details in that chapter!"
The hellhound didn't give him time to think. It attacked in a coordinated assault, all six heads striking from different angles. Kurogane deflected two attacks, but a third head caught his arm in its powerful jaws. Bone crunched, and white-hot agony shot through his entire body. Two more heads joined, tearing at his limbs as he screamed.
"This is... really the end..." he thought, vision blurring. "I was too arrogant..."
[Status: Critical - Consciousness Fading - Reinforcement Applied]
Suddenly, golden light enveloped him. The searing pain vanished, and his crushed arm regenerated before his eyes. Energy flooded his system, and his vision cleared. He stood up, staring at his perfectly healed arm in wonder.
"I should be dead... What just happened?" There was no time to question it.
[Time Remaining: 10 Minutes]
"Ten minutes. One last chance."
As the hellhound charged, Kurogane noticed something he'd missed before - when it ran, it exposed its underside for a split second. The memory came rushing back: in the manga, the protagonist had discovered their bellies were less armored!
He dropped into a slide, moving underneath the charging beast. With all his strength, he thrust his sword upward into the exposed stomach. The blade sank deep, and the creature let out six simultaneous howls of agony before collapsing.
"Yes! It worked!" But his triumph was short-lived.
From the darkness, twenty more sets of crimson eyes appeared. The pack had arrived.
"Of course," he muttered, tightening his grip on his sword. "The real fight begins now."
He remembered their weakness, but facing twenty at once was overwhelming. When the first hound leaped, he repeated his sliding maneuver, stabbing upward into its belly. It fell, but three more immediately took its place.
[Time Remaining: 5 Minutes]
"Only five minutes? I can do this."
He moved with renewed determination, taking down hound after hound. Soon only one remained, larger than the others - the pack alpha.
The alpha fought differently, its heads extending unnaturally to strike from unexpected angles. But Kurogane remembered another detail - the left side of their necks had a vulnerability where the armor plates didn't quite meet.
He dodged right and delivered three precise strikes, severing heads from the left. Three fell, but two remained.
[Time Remaining: 1 Minute - 59 - 58 - 57...]
The countdown echoed in his mind. "No time to panic!"
As the final two heads struck, Kurogane leaped high, twisting in mid-air. He came down upside-down, driving his sword through the creature's back and out its chest in one fluid motion.
[Remaining Mana: 0]
[Quest: Successful]
He lay panting on the stone floor, barely believing he'd survived. "I did it... I actually did it!"
[Reward: 10,000 Tokens + Healing]
[New Feature Unlocked: Item Shop]
[Stats Updated]
Agility: 100/10
Mana: 8000/20
Speed: 100/5
Strength: 100/5
The Item Shop interface appeared, dazzling in its complexity. Pages of skills, weapons, armor, and even mercenary contracts scrolled before him. His eyes widened at the "Void Dagger - 50,000 Tokens" with its description promising the ability to "cut through space itself."
But what caught his attention was "Enhanced Jump - 8,000 Tokens." The ability to move ten times faster for three seconds could have saved him so much trouble in that fight.
Without hesitation, he purchased it.
[New Skill Acquired: Enhanced Jump - Cost: 8,000 Tokens - Remaining Tokens: 2,000]
The knowledge flooded his mind - how to channel mana to enhance his movement. He could feel the potential coursing through him.
Stepping out of the cave, he found the storm had passed. Sunlight broke through the clouds, illuminating a world washed clean. He took a deep breath of the fresh air, feeling the weight of his new ability.
"Time to test this out," he murmured, and with a thought, activated Enhanced Jump.
The world blurred around him as he shot forward, covering what would have been a minute's walk in mere seconds. A grin spread across his face. This changed everything.
Somewhere in the distance, a mountain peak pierced the clouds - his next destination, and undoubtedly, his next challenge.