Ch 156 – Wind Ox Plains

To be a hunter is essentially the same as becoming a Youtuber to the current children of Earth in the year 2055. More than 30 years have passed since the apocalypse went by and the people of Earth have already adapted to their peculiar world. From governments cooperating with hunters, hunter agencies, guilds, clans, sects, and such to protect their nations, to hunters cooperating with the government to gain political and financial benefits.

Humans learn to adapt, learn, and overcome. They are a race with the ability to grow in the face of danger and change. Now, the whole world is already starting to treat monsters and dungeons as a natural part of human society.

And of course, there are some laws put in place to protect young aspiring hunters, one of which was something quite logical: Underage hunters can't enter dungeons and face monsters unless forced to fight them in life-threatening situations.

So, teenage hunters can't enter dungeons and face monsters. That's something quite responsible and spread throughout the entire world.

But it directly opposes Isaac's plans for rapid growth, he doesn't have time to wait for his servants to grow up and become adults. He wants them to grow stronger whenever they have the chance, and his nanites are not good enough to directly manipulate their physical bodies and bring them beyond human limits of physical growth.

Only by directly killing monsters and extracting 'experience' could they attain stronger bodies. Mind was already taken care of with the assistance of Isaac's AI and nanites, while Spirit can be trained without having to deal with monsters.

But there is another reason why Isaac wants to enter a dungeon.

And so, four figures can be seen standing inside a dark cave draped in darkness and silence.

One was a teenage boy with long black hair and abyssal dark eyes, wearing a simple white shirt and black pants. Perched on his shoulder was a weird black bird similar to a raven, with its wings and feathers gleaming with a metallic glint.

The other one was a muscular teenager with red blood hair that flowed like a river, his eyes gleaming with a deep thirst for blood like a battle-hungry maniac. He wore a tight-fitting black shirt and baggy black pants.

Beside them was a teenager with long black hair and shining black eyes. He wore a simple white robe that increased his charm and elegance to another level, like an immortal or a celestial. Sheathed on his waist was a sword contained in a black sheathe, it was of simple design lacking with extravagance, a blade made for practicality.

And finally, there was a young teenage boy with fluffy golden hair and golden eyes. He wore a simple black shirt, black pants, and a pair of black gauntlets that covered both of his arms. He had the air of a rich young master, yet also the air of a genius who is humble and calm like the depths of the sea.

The four stood in front of a glowing blue dungeon entrance situated on the wall in front of them and a purple screen flashed in front of them.

[Wind Ox Plains]

'Wind Ox, they are C Rank monsters that are normally calm and friendly, usually moving in small groups when wandering around. Their appearance is similar to an Ox, but with green fur and longer horns, along with the ability to control the wind around them and move in the air.' Isaac recounted in his mind and the three other servants of him gained the same information.

Without even uttering a single word, Isaac walked forward and the three followed from behind, entering through the portal without hesitation, and into the dungeon they went.

So what if laws prohibit minors from entering dungeons, mere laws won't stop Isaac from getting what he wants. He has already done murder so he is already a criminal, so why not also enter dungeons?

With his thousand years of experience, he would of course have high attainment in all paths of magic, and that includes divination. With a simple spell—though advanced for others—he easily located a dungeon entrance that is hard to find and is far away from public eyes.

As they opened their eyes, the four found themselves in an open field of grass with a blue sky above and the green ground below. Emerald green grass pervaded their sight everywhere they look, and harsh winds collided with their bodies.

But with the help of nanites, they remained standing still without much effort, including Yokota Makoto who doesn't specialize in physical related abilities.

"Bahamut, go."

Hearing his order, the perched bird on his shoulder nodded its head and flew to the sky, its eyes gleamed with intelligence and it flew away from them into the far distance.

They waited, and the sound of hooves stomping on the ground and a horde of green oxen charging straight at them. Some ran on the ground while others flew through the air with a green veil of wind covering their bodies.

In front of them, a black bird flew at drastic speeds through the air and perched back on Isaac's shoulders. Nodding his head, Isaac snapped his fingers and Gal Jum laughed loudly and looked at the horde of Wind Oxen rushing at him fearlessly.

"Come at me! I'll show you what it means to have unrivaled strength!" Gal Jum rushed forward to the group of Wind Oxen, his hair fluttering in the wind and he arrived at the ox at the front.

His arm moved through the air with strength, and it collided with the head of the Wind Ox. A loud boom, and Gal Jum was flung to the back while his arm ruptured into flesh and bones, but he landed with a flip and his eyes remained crazed and hungry for battle.

With his servant status, his arm rapidly grew back and any of his injuries disappeared quickly. For the Wind Ox? Not so much. It cried out loudly as its head was bashed in. To be able to exert strength far above what his body can handle, that was another benefit of being a servant. Even when a human can exert a thousand kilograms of force, they won't do it as they would destroy their bodies in the process from the rebound, but Gal Jum doesn't need to fear it.

He rushed forward once more, and arrived at the corpse of the Wind Ox in a few breaths. With haste, he slapped his palm to the dead corpse of the Wind Ox and his mana hastily erupted outwards, encapsulating the entire corpse and causing a bright rainbow glow to erupt.

"HAHAHA! Now this, now this is what it means to have the strength of an Ox!" A burst of booming laughter erupted and Gal Jum's entire body can be seen rapidly changing.

His previously bulging muscles turned bigger, while his veins roared with energy. A stream of warmth pervaded his entire body and a green Wind Ox totem can be seen lowly being formed around his chest through his tattered clothes.

Slowly, his body stabilized and adapted to the increase in strength, and Gal Jum felt his body receiving the strength of the Wind Ox. From its strength, defense, vitality, and speed, he has become a Wind Ox in human form!

But he didn't stop there, no, no, no. A power developed by Isaac Deathwill, a being who has lived for a thousand years, would of course mean great potential!

"Transform!" Grinning, Gal Jum's body started to rapidly change. Green fur erupted from his pores, horns sprouted from his head, and his appearance became half beast and half man.

As a veil of green wind covered his entire body, he roared and charged forward fearlessly to the horde of Wind Oxen in front of him and showing unrivaled might.

On the other hand, in a faraway place, Qian Feng calmly faced the horde of Wind Oxen rushing toward him and wielded his normal metallic sword with a cold face. His aura at that moment was far from what he usually shows. Like a blade now unsheathed, his sharp sword intent unfurled without reserve.

Finally, the Wind Oxen arrived at his place and he moved swiftly through the area. Like he has eyes all throughout his body, his sword moved through the air and killed Wind Ox to another with a single strike. He moved through their raging charges and dodge every single attack of theirs with an unnatural serenity and tranquility.

But as if deciding that it was enough, his eyes dilated and he took in a deep breath of air. As air filled his entire lungs, he poured his mana into his sword and activated a martial art. As a burst of sword energy flooded out, he spun in a circular motion and he returned back to a standing position in a single breath, sheathing his sword just like in an anime.

At the same time his sword was sheathed, a burst of blood erupted from the Wind Oxen all around him. Killing them all in a single move, it showed his unparalleled genius with the sword.

And on another place, Yokota Makoto glances at the horde of Wind Oxen rushing at him with a grin. He stared at them fearlessly with confidence stemming from something unknown. Even with a Level 3 Body, it wouldn't be able to contend with a Level 4 Monster, and he knew that clearly. What he was confident in was his power!

Blue electricity crackled around the soles of his feet and he raises his leg high into the air. Stomping it down, he saw sharp spikes erupt from the ground in the far distance, killing multiple Wind Oxen in a single move.

Slamming his gauntlets together, a ball of white light formed between his palms that pulsated chaotically. It was comedically small, like a small dot of light, but the energy it was emitting was fearsome and terrifying.

Grinning, he lunges it forward and he watches it land in the middle of the beast horde. Releasing his control over it, the ball of light rapidly expanded and swallowed the horde whole. The moment it receded, he saw them dead and lying on the ground without a single bruise.

Seeing that the trio was making good progress, Isaac nods his head with a satisfied smile before turning back his attention to the flying black bird in the air. 'It's time.'

As if hearing his command, the black bird changed direction and flew towards a group of dead Wind Oxen and a horrifying change soon ensued. Its black beak rapidly expanded, turning into a large monstrous maw that swallowed the entire corpse of the Wind Oxen and a rapid change soon occurred.

Examining the changes, Isaac's eyes gleamed with wonder and watch as the Devourer he now has under his control rapidly evolves.

A Devourer usually needs biological mass, data, and energy to evolve. But with the servant status of the Devourer, it has unlimited physical energy to expend! Meaning it only needs to it and it can evolve to the utmost limit from what the new species it has consumed!

From a black bird, the Devourer turned into a moving black glob that swallowed tens of Wind Oxen at a rapid pace. As if gaining enough mass, it slowly changed form once more like a wriggling mass of black goo. After a while, its new form can now finally be seen. It held a body similar to a minotaur but instead of a bull, it was part Ox. Not only that, but it held black fur with durability tougher than steel. Jet black wings with feathers gleaming with a metallic shine. Its four limbs have a hole in the middle where it can explode out fierce winds from the natural abilities of the Wind Ox. Its tail was similar to a large spiked mace. Its pair of horns were now gone as it would only dampen its physical abilities when it is grabbed.

It roared loudly, its voice booming throughout the entire dungeon. A roar came in return from the far distance and the Devourer saw a large Wind Ox flying in the distance. It was the Boss Wind Ox of the dungeon! Its size was many times greater than a normal Wind Ox, like a large elephant!

The Devourer roared, it saw that the Boss Wind Ox would be a great source of new data to use for its evolution, so it charged head first after flapping its jet black wings with enough power to cut the grass around it.

The two monstrous beings clashed against one another with monstrous strength. Wind clashed against one another as the Devourer swung its fist to the Wind Ox, who in turn constructed a barrier of wind.

At the start, they were quite evenly matched as this was the first time the Devourer is fighting another being, but it quickly adapted with its natural born talents and its body gained more data to use and evolve. It was adapting and evolving in real-time, showing the terrifying might of a Devourer with endless energy to use from and evolve!

And just like that, it roared, and its fist bulged many times, its mass increasing to an incomparable degree and smashing against the wind barrier of the Wind Ox. Breaking through it, the fist transformed into a monstrous maw and swallowed the entire Boss Wind Ox.

"Ahahaha!" Isaac laughed loudly after seeing the scene and he finally saw the might of a God firsthand.

'To think its offsprings are this strong! I have countless ways to give a Devourer endless stamina, so I wouldn't even need a cheat to allow it to become so broken! The level of Gods, I wonder when I'll reach it?' Isaac questioned with confidence before watching a blue portal opening up in front of him.

Calling the others to return to him, the Devourer transformed back into a black bird and Gal Jum can be seen now having no shirt to wear and his body was covered by multiple Wind Ox totems.

With their business now finish in the dungeon, they arrived back at the cave just in time as a notification popped up in Isaac's vision.

Gal Ryuk: Master, the preparations for Paragon Guild is done.

'Oh? From one fortunate encounter to another! The luck of a cheater is truly terrifying!' Isaac laughed loudly before he stopped and his eyes gleamed.

'Or maybe the scheming of Braun is just that horrifying.'

AN: This chapter has 2438 words.

(September 22, 2022 – 302nd day of writing)