Testing out the upgraded skill I found that the fire could now cover up to my elbows. Shutting off the skill, I looked towards Alvin, noticing the terrified look on his face as he stared at the blood covering my shirtless body. Letting out a slight laugh, I began to walk towards him.
Arriving in front of Alvin I put my hand on his shoulder and said. "We will be splitting up from here. Make sure to get the meat and hides of the beasts you kill." After saying this, I walked back to the two hides on the ground and picked them up before walking in a random direction along the edge of the barrier, looking for my next victims.
Looking at the notification in front of me after I had just devoured another two flame hounds, I couldn't help but let a look of disappointment appear across my face.
[You have devoured 2x flame hounds: Limit reached you will no longer gain stats from devouring flame hounds.]
"Tsk" I knew that it was too good to be true. Of course I wouldn't be able to infinitely eat the same weak beast to become stronger but it sucks this means I need to find new prey. But upon a second look at the notification, I noticed how it said nothing about skills when it comes to devouring the beast, which means that I can continue to upgrade my flame coat skill.
A couple of hours later I returned to where I had left Alvin holding 10 hides in my hands. During this time, I also upgraded my flame coat skill from level 2 to level 4, making the flames now cover my whole arms and even my neck.
Noticing a figure ahead, I kept on walking towards them. Arriving in front of the figure that was Alvin, I noticed how he had another 5 coats in his hands, meaning that we got 15 altogether today. "Nice work", I called out whilst looking at the hides he's holding in his arms." Thank you, sir," Alvin called out in response with a proud look on his face, but that faltered once he looked at the 10 I have in my arms.
Just as I was about to say more to Alvin I was interrupted by a loud noise.
"RRAAAAWWWRRRR" A roar resounded throughout the area, causing the grass around our feet to sway from the sheer force of the roar.
Looking towards the direction of the roar I found a giant flame hound in the distance surrounded by five normal flame hounds. The giant flame hound had golden fur and fire-covered paws, ears and eyes. Looking at the hound, an instinctual sense of fear began to overcome me, but more than that, a sense of excitement began to well up in my very being. Looking to my right towards Alvin, I saw him kneeling on the floor, shaking in fear.
"Pathetic," I whispered before slowly walking out of the barrier towards the flame hounds. Starting at a walk, I slowly began to speed up before I was eventually running full speed with a grin on my face.
The flame hounds did the same as they began to run towards me, barking and growling, but disappointingly, the big one stayed behind, letting its underlings run towards me alone. They were underestimating me, they're going to regret that.
After a couple more seconds of running the flame hounds and I finally met. Quickly kicking the hound in the front, I shattered its skull, killing it instantly before moving onto the next.
After a minute or so of fighting, 5 corpses lay at my feet, lifeless. Meanwhile, I stared at the giant flame hound in the distance that was now running towards me with anger in their flame-filled eyes. Meeting the giant flame hound, I tried to punch it, but surprisingly, I was sent flying by the force of its moving body, unstoppable like a moving train. Getting up from the ditch that my body formed in the ground I wiped the blood from my lip before activating my flame coat skill.
Running back to the still-moving hound, I quickly dodged out of the way of its attempt to bite me before sending my flaming fist towards its open neck.
"Arrrrrg" the hound let out a slight whine before going in for another attack. Unprepared, the hound's fangs sank into my right shoulder, causing an immense amount of pain to shoot through my body. In extreme pain, I could hardly think, but I knew one thing: I was in danger, and I needed to do something and fast.
Looking into the eyes of the hound as its teeth were wrapped around my shoulder, an extreme anger welled up inside of me. I stopped thinking instead of just acted on my actions. Raising my arm I reached my hand towards the flaming eye of the hound. As my hand touched the flaming eye of the hound, a sizzling sound resounded as my hand was being burned, but I didn't stop. I kept on pushing.
The dog winced in pain as my hand penetrated its eye, but it didn't stop biting; instead, it clamped on tighter, but I didn't stop either.
My arm was now elbow deep in this hound's eye. Close to my limit, I had to act fast. I began to move my arm vigorously, turning the inside of the head into stew.
[You have killed an Alpha Flame Hound: Acquired E rank monster essence.]