CHAPTER 22 - 22 – MONSTER HUNTER (PART 2)

Chapter 22 – Monster Hunter (Part 2)

"Wow, already moving up the ranks," Lune muttered, her voice tinged with surprise. "That was so damn quick."

"The ranks?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh? Well," she leaned back slightly, crossing her arms, "Each stage of your evolution has a name. When you absorb enough monster essence to reach the required number on your menu, you evolve. Before your evolution, you were what's known as Chrono Origin. The stage you just reached is called Chrono Born."

Jack blinked, then tilted his head. "And what's the difference between one rank and another? How do I even tell?"

"Good question." Lune smiled slightly, clearly pleased. "First of all, your physical abilities receive a massive boost. Your Time Essence pool grows, and your Time Core expands. As for sensing the rank of others, you'll learn with time. Each rank alters the flow of a person's Time Essence. Once you're used to it, you'll be able to recognize the shift just by feeling their presence."

Jack nodded slowly. "I see... So, what are the ranks after Chrono Born?"

"After Chrono Born, the path goes as follows: Chrono Eater, Chrono Maker, then Chrono Sovereign," she said, her tone becoming more serious. "Once you hit Sovereign, you enter a completely different playing field—one with power so immense it's almost incomprehensible. Beyond that, only two more ranks have ever been recorded: Chrono Saint and Chrono God. Very few ever reach the Saint level, and only one person in all of existence has ever ascended to Chrono God. At that level, you're essentially a deity among mortals."

"Interesting..." Jack muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing. "And I assume moving up each rank gets exponentially harder?"

"Absolutely. Check your status now."

Jack focused for a moment, and his interface appeared before him:

[Name: Jack Blackwood]

Age: 16

Bloodline: None

Title: None

Main Chronical: Tree of Wisdom

Lesser Chronical: None

Essence Consumed: (1/100) (Chrono Born)

"Oh, now I need a hundred essence points?" Jack asked, a little surprised.

Lune nodded. "Yes."

"Hmm... That doesn't sound that bad. I could just keep killing weak monsters and grind that number quickly... Or not, I assume this isn't a loophole."

"Hehe, clever idea," Lune chuckled. "But unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. What I didn't tell you is that all living beings, even monsters, have their own version of your status menu, though they vary in structure depending on the creature. Not all are conscious or even sane, but they're still under the same ranking system. So, once you rank up, killing monsters below your level gives you only a fraction of the usual essence."

"How much of a fraction?" Jack asked.

"Ninety percent loss. You'll only get about 0.1 essence per kill from those feral dogs now."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "So basically, in order to grow stronger, I have to fight stronger monsters?"

"Exactly. Only creatures of equal or higher rank will give you enough energy to evolve."

Jack hummed thoughtfully. 'The Clock really didn't leave any loopholes, huh... Interesting.'

He glanced down at his palm. "I want to check my Tree of Wisdom again. I wonder if any new options opened up."

Channeling his essence, the Tree of Wisdom once again appeared, now far more responsive than before. It sprouted instantly, as if it had adapted to him already. Jack saw the familiar red orb from earlier, but now, just above it, two new orbs glowed faintly—one blue, one green.

"Hmm, let's see... I've got nine points to spend," Jack muttered. He tapped the first orb.

[Monster Hunter II]

Base strength increases considerably.

Unlock Cost: 8 Wisdom Points

"Oh, an upgraded version," Jack noted. "That'd give me more raw power. Not bad... What about the other one?"

[Forlon's Edgeless Sword]

A sword with a blunt edge. Every kill makes it sharper. Stacks up for 10 levels within a 5-minute window. If time passes without a kill, the sharpness resets. At max sharpness, it can kill any Chrono Origin or Chrono Born instantly.

Unlock Cost: 9 Wisdom Points

"A weapon, huh?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "That's a pretty unique ability."

"What kind of weapon?" Lune asked, curiously glancing at him.

"A sword. Completely blunt at first, but it gets sharper with every kill. At its peak, it can insta-kill anything my level or below."

"That's quite the blade," Lune said, sounding genuinely impressed. "Weapons with special properties like that are rare. Even in Aevum, they're valuable and hard to find."

Jack nodded in agreement. "It's perfect for my current situation. I'm surrounded by weak enemies—I could easily rack up the kill count and sharpen it fast. I can't always rely on finding good weapons, but I can always find monsters to kill."

Decision made, he tapped the green orb, then selected 'Yes.'

Immediately, the orb lit up, and golden light gathered around Jack's right arm. In a swirl of shimmering particles, the weapon began to materialize, forming out of nothingness.

Jack watched silently, his expression unreadable. Within seconds, the sword had fully manifested in his hand.

It was elegant in design—long and narrow, resembling a katana. But the handle and the blade bore signs of age. It wasn't rusted, but the edge looked battered and chipped, devoid of any sharpness.

Jack ran the blade slowly across his wrist, watching closely.

Nothing.

Not even a scratch.

"Completely blunt," he muttered. "Can't even cut my own skin... and that's softer than those dogs."

Lune's eyes glinted. "So, what will you do?"

"I'll focus on stabbing, not slashing," Jack replied calmly. "A stab has a better chance of piercing. Once I land the first few kills, the sword will begin sharpening."

'Smart,' Lune thought to herself, watching him with a hidden smile. 'He's already adapted to the weapon's downside. That's my Jack... hehe~'

"Now then..." Jack's gaze shifted toward the outside street. "I've already made it halfway through the block. I just need to reach the end and cut through the alleyways to leave the neighborhood."

He mentally mapped out his route, preparing to move. But just as he was about to crawl out of hiding—

SKREEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

An ear-piercing screech tore through the air, making his whole body tense. A chill ran down his spine.

His eyes snapped up toward the rooftops.

A large, hulking silhouette loomed on the edge of a house's roof, casting a long shadow over the chaos below. Whatever it was, it was massive—far larger than any of the other beasts he'd seen.

The atmosphere shifted.

"RAAAAAAAAAWR!!!"

The creature let out a thunderous roar that shook the ground. Every single feral dog below immediately froze and turned toward the sound, their eyes wide... and afraid.

Jack narrowed his gaze. 'That reaction... Is it...?'

HOP!

The beast leapt gracefully off the rooftop, slamming into the ground with a thud that cracked the concrete. Now in full view, Jack could see it clearly.

A monstrous dog—its body grotesquely mutated, with far too many eyes and a mouth lined with jagged, knife-like teeth. Its presence was overwhelming. The ground almost seemed to tremble beneath it.

The other dogs slowly approached, then bowed their heads submissively.

'Just as I thought... The pack leader.' Jack's fists clenched. 'And it looks really strong.'

"You should move, Jack," Lune said seriously, her eyes no longer playful. "That thing is dangerous."

"I know," he muttered and turned, crawling toward the shadows. But before he could vanish, the beast suddenly whipped its head in his direction.

Its nostrils flared.

Jack froze.

Then their eyes met.

The beast's glare locked onto him with terrifying clarity.

'Shit...'

"RAWRRRRRRR!!!"