From that point onward, the hunt became increasingly one-sided for Max.
He encountered another three Razorhounds inside a chamber filled with broken stone pillars.
The creatures attempted their usual ambush, but he noticed their movements before they could surround him.
WHOOSH!
The first Razorhound missed.
SLASH!
The second collapsed.
The third tried attacking from behind, only for Max to turn around before it could reach him.
THUD!
Within minutes, all three were dead.
[Razorhound slain.]
[Razorhound slain.]
[Razorhound slain.]
The subsequent encounters weren’t much different.
A Razorhound hiding above a tunnel entrance was discovered when Max heard its claws scraping against the ceiling.
Another tried concealing itself behind a pillar, but the scent drifting from its hiding place gave it away.
Max even began recognizing when a chamber was occupied simply from the irregular breathing and faint movement of the creatures inside.
However, what impressed him most wasn’t his improving senses.
It was the way his body fought.
During one encounter, a Razorhound launched itself toward his exposed back, and Max instinctively dropped onto all fours before twisting around to face it.
His gauntlet flashed upward.
SHNK!
The creature screamed as the claws tore through its stomach.
Max immediately sprang forward, landing on top of the wounded beast before finishing it with another strike.
Only afterward did he realize how he’d moved.
’Did I just...’
Max looked at his hands, then at the corpse beneath him.
He had reacted almost exactly like another predator.
Even his posture had changed without conscious thought, and for a brief moment, he’d moved more naturally on all fours than standing upright.
Max slowly rose.
"...That’s a little concerning."
Still, he couldn’t deny how effective it had been.
He harvested the core and Devoured the corpse before continuing.
By the time another seven Razorhounds had fallen, Max’s backpack had become considerably heavier.
He hadn’t consumed a single additional mana core, and every corpse had provided another portion of Experience.
The improvements were gradually slowing, but the accumulated gains were still substantial.
[Feral Instinct: 46% >> 67%]
Max smiled at the notification.
Then, while walking through the next passage, another message appeared.
Ding!
[Feral Instinct: 67% >> 68%]
"Huh?"
Max stopped.
He hadn’t Devoured anything.
The increase had come entirely from his recent fighting.
Like the last time, he’d confirmed that meaningful combat experience could improve mastery even without consuming another monster, although the progress was considerably slower.
Max’s smile widened.
"Good. Very good."
The last ordinary Razorhound appeared near the entrance to the deepest section of the Gate.
Or rather, Max discovered it before the creature could reveal itself.
He stopped beside a stone pillar and tilted his head.
Something was breathing quietly on the opposite side.
Max smiled.
"Found you."
GRRR!
The Razorhound burst from its hiding place.
WHOOSH!
Max shifted aside almost casually, allowing the creature to fly past before catching its neck with the gauntlet.
SHNK!
The claws tore through flesh, and the Razorhound collapsed without managing a single attack.
Ding!
[Razorhound slain.]
[EXP +10]
[EXP: 90/140]
Max removed its core, then used [Devour] on the corpse.
[Feral Instinct: 68% >> 70%]
Seventy percent.
Max looked down at his blood-covered hands.
He had barely increased his physical Stats since the beginning of the hunt, yet the difference in his fighting ability was almost unbelievable.
Razorhounds that had once forced him to retreat were now struggling to land even a single attack.
And the more he fought, the less Max needed to consciously think about what his body should do next.
He was learning how to fight like a predator.
The tunnel ahead was different from the others.
It was considerably wider, and the claw marks covering its walls were deep enough to make Max wonder what kind of creature had left them.
Bones littered the ground near the entrance, while a heavy animal scent drifted from somewhere beyond the darkness.
Max approached cautiously.
Then his body suddenly tensed.
GRRRRRRR...
A deep growl echoed from the chamber ahead.
Max immediately stopped.
[Feral Instinct] was reacting far more strongly than it had to any ordinary Razorhound.
Whatever was waiting inside was dangerous.
Max glanced at the dark entrance before moving toward the wall and sitting down.
There was no reason to rush.
His clothes were torn, his body was covered in scratches and bruises, and although his level-up had cleared his earlier exhaustion, the continued fighting had already caused Fatigue to accumulate again.
He opened his Status.
[Fatigue: 43]
"Yeah, I should probably deal with that first."
Max removed his backpack and counted the mana cores inside.
Seventeen.
Combined with the one he’d consumed earlier, that made eighteen ordinary Razorhound cores altogether!
Nine for sale, nine for himself.
’Time to feast!’
Since he’d already eaten one, Max selected another eight and placed the remaining nine back inside his backpack.
He picked up the first core.
CRACK!
[Mana Core Devoured.]
[EXP +10]
Another followed.
CRACK!
[EXP +10]
Then another.
CRACK!
[EXP +10]
The familiar cold sensation spread across Max’s tongue as he continued chewing.
By the fifth core, another notification appeared.
DING!
[Level Up!]
[Level: 5]
[Fatigue: 0]
Max stopped chewing for a moment as strength flowed into his body.
The familiar exhaustion disappeared, and his muscles felt more powerful than ever.
He clenched his fist and smiled.
Another level.
And he still had three cores left.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
[EXP +30]
[EXP: 30/190]
Max swallowed the last fragments before opening his Status.
[Name: Max 79UG03]
[Level: 5]
[EXP: 30/190]
[MP: 140/140]
[Fatigue: 0]
[Class: Glutton (Unique) | Rank: ???]
[STR: 14]
[AGI: 15]
[CON: 14]
[INT: 14]
[STA: 14]
[WIL: 14]
[Devoured Experiences: Feral Instinct (70%)]
[Equipments: Unknown Gauntlet]
[Progress: 18/50]
Max stared at the numbers for several seconds.
Two levels gained, a substantial improvement in combat ability, and nine valuable cores still waiting to be sold.
Not bad for his first Gate.
He dismissed the screen and leaned against the wall, allowing himself a moment to rest.
Although his Fatigue had disappeared, the injuries he’d sustained were still there, and the last thing he wanted was to underestimate whatever lived inside the final chamber.
GRRRRRRR...
Another growl echoed from beyond the passage.
Max’s smile faded slightly as [Feral Instinct] reacted again.
He had become considerably stronger during the hunt, but every instinct he’d gained was warning him against entering that chamber carelessly.
Max rested the gauntlet across his knee and closed his eyes.
He would face the Alpha soon enough.
For now, he intended to rest.