Realizing its target was still alive, the beast screeched in anger before charging at Kang, causing him to run in terror. Although its speed couldn't compare to the rooster's, its titan size allowed it to close the distance and catch up to its target before it could do anything worthwhile.
[-500 Blood | Remaining Blood: 4140]
Flying through the air once again, Kang dismissed the familiar message and began thinking of a viable solution. Fighting was out of the question, and escaping seemed futile after what had just happened.
"Fight and I lose 500 Blood. Attempt to escape and I lose 500 or more," Kang thought quietly, coming up with the idea of playing dead to force the beast to leave him, despite knowing very well he could be torn apart again. Resigned, Kang proceeded to play dead, as it was the only solution he could think of at the moment.
'Please, just leave…' Praying silently, Kang kept his eyes fixed on the beast approaching his still body. Soon, the beast swung its long, sharp claws at him, cutting him into three pieces.
[-300 Blood | Remaining Blood: 3840]
'Thank god this idiot didn't aim for my head right away,' Kang sighed in relief, having lost 300 Blood compared to before. 'This thing has no intention of letting me go unless I disappear entirely.' Noting the beast's behavior, Kang decided to give it everything and run away while Accelerate was active.
'If necessary, I'll activate Crimson Armor as well. Although it would cost about 2000 Blood, it's better than getting butchered while conscious.' Wanting to avoid the Blood loss at all costs, Kang prepared his last solution before standing up. Ignoring the beast, which screeched the moment it saw him rise, Kang began running once again, this time with Crimson Armor activated, since it consumed less Blood.
"Damn, this isn't working—" Hearing the beast's stomps closing in, Kang realized his speed still wasn't enough. Fearing he'd waste Blood for nothing, he activated Accelerate, increasing his speed by another 30%. The boost caused the gap to widen slowly, and as the beast's stomps grew quieter, Kang knew his plan was working.
Aware that the beast would continue chasing him regardless, Kang scanned his surroundings for a place the creature couldn't reach.
"Screw it, the forest will do." Spotting the forest far to his right, Kang headed in that direction, hoping to lose the beast since he couldn't find anywhere else to hide.
A few minutes later, Kang entered the forest, altering his direction several times, hoping the bushes and trees were large enough. Hiding inside a thick bush, Kang kept his eyes on the rampaging beast, which searched for him all around.
Suddenly, Kang frowned, sensing a stronger presence in the area as the beast's speed began to slow. Soon, the beast's threatening screech echoed through the forest, piquing Kang's curiosity.
"Just a quick look," Unable to resist, Kang sneaked through the bushes toward the sound. "A snake?" Sure enough, the presence he sensed belonged to a creature as large as the one that had chased him.
While both beasts eyed each other, Kang activated his Detection ability to get a better sense of the newcomer. While the 'chicken' stood on two legs, the snake's green, half-glowing body dangled from the trees, facing its opponent. Luckily, the creatures were too focused on each other to notice Kang.
[Forest Serpent (B)]
[Description: Although ranked B, this titan can kill its foes with a single bite due to its highly poisonous venom.]
"One bite or not, I'm out!" After glancing at the serpent's information, Kang turned around and crept back through the bushes before running out of the forest once he felt he'd gotten far enough.
"Holy crap, that was close." Emerging from the forest, Kang slowed down gradually, releasing a sigh of relief. Thanks to his decision to enter the forest, he hadn't lost as much Blood as he'd feared. Though he lost 1500, it was better than the 2000 he'd expected.
Learning from his experience, Kang went on a hunt immediately. His goal was to collect as much blood as possible to avoid facing such a situation again. Along the way, he slaughtered anything in his path while actively avoiding B-rank creatures and above. As he had guessed, the size of the beasts determined how much Blood they gave.
By the end of the day, Kang had gained an additional 10,500 Blood and 110 years' worth of lifespan after hunting 3 C-ranked and 6 D-ranked beasts. Of the five new abilities he acquired, two D-ranked ones combined to form Blinding AcidBomb, two were kept, and one triggered a system prompt when he absorbed it.
[Ding!]
[Accelerate(C), Overdrive(D), and Rage(C) can be sacrificed to upgrade Crimson Armor(S)] [Note: 33% of Accelerate(C)'s efficiency will be lost to maintain the final ability rank] [Would you like to proceed?]
"Yes." Curious about the outcome, Kang agreed immediately, disregarding the 10% dexterity the ability would lose. Shortly after, the system message displaying the upgrade process appeared before his eyes.
[Upgrade in progress…13%…21%…41%…81%...100%]
[Crimson Armor upgraded successfully]
"What do you mean?" Kang was confused, expecting the upgrade to make the ability SS-rank. Curious, he opened his status window to check the ability's description. However, nothing seemed different.
"Maybe the stats themselves increased…" With no way to confirm until he tested the ability, Kang didn't dwell on it and resumed his hunt. As much as he was sailing smoothly, his pace was slow resulting in a fleeting sense of dissatisfaction.
"No matter how many beasts I kill, I always end up finding more. This place is suspiciously peaceful; it could easily be considered a haven for these beasts. It doesn't make sense for them to leave unless something forces them. Is it because I'm no longer human?" During Kang's hunt, he was able to gather valuable insights about the inhabitants of this rift, making him suspicious of its true nature.