Chapter 524 (2/2)

During their weeks together, Hank had gathered a few ideas about Vandal. He ate the meat of monsters and took on some of their characteristics. But what Hank didn’t realize was that due to the consumable nature of this, Vandal didn’t use truly powerful monsters as fuel in a duel against other humans.

After takings 6 bites of the dried meat, Vandal swelled to become a 3 meter tall red hulk, smashing the trees of the copse and revealing the python minions. They bit and attempted to bind him, but his raw physicality just ripped through their bodies. He was a force of nature. And behind him, his squad moved quickly, shooting bolts of fire at the incapacitated snakes, reducing the pressure by finishing off the wounded enemies.

Sighing after the battle, Vandal transformed back into a normal human with an unhappy expression. “Only have one more of those. Apparently, it came from a four armed ape in the borderlands, had to trade with the Ghosthound’s crew to get it. What a waste, definitely overkill.”

Ezekiel hadn’t heard, but Hank’s ears harpened at the mention of the term “the Ghosthound”. Then, he inwardly shrugged. Although they called Ezekiel his name, it wasn’t so strange for them to have a nickname for Ezekiel’s son. But that didn’t sit quite right with Hank.

There was something in the way Vandal said the name, something in his tone that gave Hank pause. But he couldn’t rewind and hear it over again. Plus, it was a small thing. So they moved on towards East End.

When they arrived, it was almost nightfall, with low clouds sliding in from the edge of the horizon. It would probably rain that night.

As they spotted the mall that made up East End, Hank spotted something else. A small bunny like creature, peering over a rock at Hank. Aside from the fact that its ears seemed as long as its small body and lay flat against its head, then down its back, it really looked exactly like a brown rabbit. But there was an intelligence in its eyes, and a strange brown glow around it that seemed to indicate it was something more sinister.

Hank reflexively drew his repeater and then hesitated. Even if it was a monster, it was such a small thing, and he didn’t see a Level indicator above its head. Was it really just a bunny? Or a weird variation caused by the System? That didn’t seem very difficult to believe.

Shrugging, Hank instead shoo-ed it away, and turned to follow the others in his group. But as he did so, he could clearly hear the soft sound of paws delicately moving over rock. Resolutely, Hank ignored it. The creature wasn’t stalking him or getting closer, just following him. So what was the harm?

But as they arrived at the entrance to the mall, which had been heavily reinforced with metal bars, the sound of the feet grew frantic; the little bugger had launched into a sprint.

Wheeling around, Hank leveled his repeater, but still, when he looked at the small body, the brown fur…

….wasn’t this just a fucking rabbit?

But in its eyes, Hank saw something else now: excitement.

The bunny leaped, squealing, and Hank decided to say fuck it. He fired his repeater, causing the rest of the group to turn around. The bullet took the bunny in the chest.

Or it would have. Instead, the bullet passed through the rabbit, causing a few ripples in its body. The rabbit continued unabated, slamming into Hank’s right hand. But again, instead of being flung away, it sank into his hand, entered his body. It felt… warm and comfortable.

Congratulations! You have learned the Skill Elemental Affinity (Unique Earth) Lvl 1.

“Welcome to East End,” Vandal said, yawning while he did so. “Land of the Elementals. Come on in, before more of them come to claim you all.”