19 Acceleration

The wolves in front of Kei were very strong. Saliva was drooping from their mouths. The look they gave made it seem like him and his subordinates were a meal served from a five-star restaurant.

(These guys aren't going to wait on us to attack. It's fortunate that Ai and Yujin are still here. I'll get them to try fighting at least one of these together. Since that wolf leader is the strongest out of all of them, the less of those weaker wolves I have to face, the better.)

[Ai! Yujin! Fight the wolf behind me.]

Ai: [But… how can you face four of them by yourself? We know you're strong, but… Ai can help you!]

Yujin: [We don't want you to get hurt trying to save us. I can fight one on my ow- *interrupted*]

[Trust me, I know what I'm doing. Just fight the one behind me. I can beat the others ones on my own.]

Ai: [Okay! Please be careful.]

Yujin: [I trust you!]

(It's good that they care about me and all… but fighting one is more than difficult enough for the both of them. There's no point in using them as meat shields in this situation. They'd just get in my way. As long as they can hold one off, I can somehow manage to scrape by. Also, their presence makes hunting somewhat more bearable. There's no need in pointlessly getting them to risk their lives…for now.)

He activated "Hard", "Venom", "Slash", and "Spider Silk". This was no time to cut corners. Kei also brought out his claws using morphing. After making all of the necessary preparations, there was one thing left to do.

(Let's see what skills I can take…)

{Greed has been activated.}

{Your opponent is within range. "Greed" has successfully stolen the following skills: "Acceleration", "Pack Leader", "Howl".}

{Acceleration (intermediate-strengthened): upon activation, the user's speed increases significantly. However, the speed increase is relative to the individual's own innate strength. Strengthening this skill will allow one to slightly increase its boosting effects.}

{Pack Leader (experienced): upon activation, the user significantly improves their leadership qualities. This allows one's group to work and communicate much more efficiently. The more this skill is used and strengthened, the more people that can be lead with its effect.)

{Howl (intermediate): this skill allows the user to strike fear into weaker targets. This may cause paralysis effects on them. However, one must be far stronger than their opponents in order for this ability to take effect. Therefore, it is more efficient to use against larger groups of significantly weaker beings. The more this skill is used, the better the effect.}

Kei was surprised about the howl skill. When he checked, the wolf leader didn't have it. He concluded that one of the weaker beings might have been hiding this ability. Noting this, he decided to explore his abilities later on. Right now was not the time for that. Four strong monsters stood in front of him.

(I'll see if they can escape my trap.)

He made a total of four moving ropes using spider silk. After coating them with poison, he attempted to wrap the monsters and ensnare them. He took a quick peek at his subordinates. They were in a stalemate with the weaker wolf. Since he stole its speed, it would be hard for the wolf to make a surprise attack on the two. Content with the situation behind him, he once again looked forward.

(Woah… these guys are stronger than I expected…)

The wolf leader broke free with little effort. On the other hand, the other three monsters were still caught in the trap. However, they were violently struggling to escape. Kei decided to take this opportunity to deal with the bigger obstacle.

(I can't wait to be able to mimic you. For that reason, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to die first.)

A cheeky grin appeared on Kei's face. Similar to his thread, he coated his claws with "Venom".

(Let's see how long you can last…)

The white beast began to bear its bare its fangs. It sped towards Kei. Even with its ability stolen, it was still quite fast.

(I didn't want to do this, but it looks like I have to use a skill I haven't practiced yet…Let's just hope I don't get hurt.)

He activated "Acceleration" while running towards the wolf leader. His own speed had almost doubled!

(I feel as light as a feather… this is one heck of an ability….)

Within mere seconds he was less than a few meters away from the wolf. However, Kei could sense that it was still slightly faster than him. It could probably dodge all of his attacks using speed. He'd have to come up with an unconventional plan to inflict damage.

(It looks like I'll have to make a small sacrifice in order to beat this guy. It's a good thing I have mimicry…)

Since his subordinates were preoccupied with the one wolf that was now farther behind him, they wouldn't notice if he changed forms. This was ideal for Kei. Losing an arm or a leg wouldn't be a problem since he could just deactivate and then reactivate mimicry again. The pain would be discomforting, but the injury wouldn't be fatal since blood loss could be prevented. As a result, he decided that his plan of action would be to give up an arm in order to fatally injure it.

(If only I could find a way to catch this guy, I wouldn't have to pull these crazy stunts. I could also use a "Spider Silk" attack, but exhausting all my stamina just to get one hit is too dangerous. I still need to get a lot stronger… Anyways, here goes.)

Kei lodged his right claw down the wolf's throat. As it was attempting to rip off his arm, he took advantage of its inability to move and pierced its stomach with his poisonous left claw. This was a smart move by him. The poison in the wolf's body would soon spread. Furthermore, it was severely injured twice. The beast was now basically a slowly dying corpse.

(I need to get away...)

While his adrenaline was still high, Kei pulled out his left claw from the monster, and quickly cut off his right arm (up to the shoulders). While backing away from it, he regrew the arm using mimicry. However, since the pain was still maintained, his movements became a lot slower. Anything more, and the damage would be fatal.

(What the hell is this thing… it can still move? What a monster. It's a good thing that I immobilized the other wolves. Otherwise, I'd be screwed.)

Before passing out, the white wolf tirelessly continued launching assaults at Kei. As it attacked, he just barely managed dodge the attacks using acceleration. Eventually, its movements slowed down, then stopped. While staring right into his eyes, it took its last breath, and then fell over.

(That was a rough fight… but the results were worth it.)

From only that one kill, he moved up to level 58. Furthermore, after defeating it, he could now mimic the monster. Since it was not above experienced level, its form wouldn't be locked. This meant that he didn't need to worry about having to meet conditions before mimicking it.

(Good… good… now to deal with the last three.)

The oranges wolves in front of him were all still trapped inside his thread. However, when choosing to fight the wolf leader first, he had to cut off the thread from his fingertips in order to focus on the battle. Therefore, he could no longer freely control the rope they were tied in. Luckily, as he moved closer, it was visible that they could no longer struggle. When he previously ensnared them, he made sure to coat the thread with poison. Since the thread didn't pierce their skin deeply, it wasn't enough to kill them for now. Nonetheless, it was still able to cause slight paralysis.

(Oh... what's this?)

At the sight of what just happened, the wolves were terrified. Their leader was just brutally slaughtered by Kei. As he approached, they began to whimper; as though begging for their lives.

(It's a shame. If I could tame you guys I would. Too bad for you, its kill or be killed in this world. If I hadn't defeated your boss just now, it would be me and my subordinates who were dead. Either way, the poison in your bodies will spread and eventually kill you within a few days anyways. Let me end your suffering.)

He pulled out his claws and began to slash at them mercilessly. Within less than a minute, the three beasts became bloody corpses. By the end of the long battle, four wolves lay dead around Kei.

(Rest in pieces…)

From this event, Kei could now mimic both the wolves and their leader. Furthermore, he was now level 61. He was pleased that these stronger monsters could provide him with such a level boost. He wondered how many snakes he would have needed to kill to reach this level.

(I've gained quite a lot from today's hunt. That being said, I need to check up on those other two.)

Kei turned around to check up on his subordinates. From what he saw, the wolf they were fighting maintained the most damage. Ai and Yujin did have scratch marks here or there, but luckily, nothing severe.

(I guess I'll just sit down here and catch my breath for a while until their fight is over. With this, they'll become even more reliable in the future.)

He watched as their battle continued. After about a half hour, the wolf was slain. Kei was content with their progress. With this, the hunt was over. He stood up and walked towards them.

(These guys will definitely be important for my plans in the future. What an astonishing bunch of kids.)

[Good work you two! You've made me proud.]

Ai: [Thank you!]

Yujin: [Haha, this was easy! Next time, I'll beat one on my own.]

It was visible that Ai was blushing. Yujin also seemed thrilled upon receiving the compliment.

(Jeez…these guys are bad at hiding their feelings.)

Before returning to the village, they ate the wolf leader together. Its taste was sublime; especially compared to what he'd eaten previously. For that reason, he took big bites. The other two were also digging in. Since it was already dark, they needed to finish quickly. Afterwards, they each picked up a wolf corpse and carried it on their backs. As they were much stronger than before, this feat would be manageable. To not attract any unwanted attention, they would also have to somehow sneak the food in once they arrived at village. Moreover, Kei was carrying the claw weapons he picked off from the rabbits they previously fought. He was carrying them in a poorly-woven silk bag he made while waiting for Ai and Yujin to finish their battle. With this, it was time to go home.

(What a long day. From this hunt alone, I feel like we've gotten much stronger. There's also a lot of new skills I need to test out tonight.)

Kei had surpassed his previous limits. Furthermore, his subordinates were now even more capable than before. He returned to the village satisfied.