Chapter 47: The Blood-Scarred Hyena [Bonus Chapter]

The third line of defense was suddenly breached, an unexpected turn for everyone, especially since the beast tide had only begun an hour ago.

Even Yi Yeyu and Yi Zheng, standing atop the massive stone, were taken aback as they watched several monsters break through the line. They were about to intervene, but saw Lin Huang, several hundred meters away, summoning Tyrant and charging after the monsters. A group of youths behind him followed suit without hesitation.

The creatures that tore through the defense were five Mad Demon Hyenas, belonging to the Plague species. Although called hyenas, they differed greatly from their earthbound namesakes. Their fur was a smoky black-gray, bodies stretching nearly three meters in length. With slender limbs and agile forms, they moved like shadows. Two malformed horns protruded from their heads, and a menacing white bone spike ran along their spines from the neck down to the hips. The rest of their bodies were covered in red pustules—some swollen, some ruptured and festering—emitting a nauseating stench.

Lin Huang remembered the information about these monsters well. Plague species were rare, but Mad Demon Hyenas were the most common among them. According to the data, they carried more than three hundred types of viruses, dozens of which posed deadly threats to humans. Without prompt treatment, their bites or scratches could lead to severe infections, and even death.

Seated on Tyrant's shoulder, Lin Huang drew his Grey Eagle 17 and began firing at the Mad Demon Hyenas from afar.

Gunshots rang out in rapid succession. Caught off guard, the hyenas were struck repeatedly, their agonized howls echoing. Already agitated, they shifted their focus and charged straight at Lin Huang.

The armor-piercing explosive rounds failed to hit any vital spots, inflicting only minor injuries. Rather than intimidating them, the attacks only enraged the beasts further.

Seeing the hyenas redirect their aggression toward him, Lin Huang felt not fear, but anticipation. He slid down from Tyrant's shoulder, recalled the beast, and summoned White instead.

In terms of combat strength, Tyrant and White were comparable, but White's hunting prowess was a tier higher. With second-level blood energy, he wielded two extra blades, and his attack range was much broader.

The few hundred meters between them vanished in an instant as the five Mad Demon Hyenas closed in on Lin Huang.

Only then did he notice that one of the hyenas had shed most of its pustules, leaving behind ghastly blood-red scars. Lin Huang arched a brow—this was a sign of mutation, and it seemed to have just completed the transformation; the pustules hadn't fully disappeared yet.

White appeared before Lin Huang, his eyes blazing red, and his blood-colored wings swept out, blocking all five hyenas.

Unhurriedly, Lin Huang stowed the Grey Eagle 17 and drew his Black Iron Warblade.

His gaze locked onto the mutated hyena as he spoke to White, "White, leave the one on the far left to me."

Receiving the command, White retracted his left wing, leaving the mutated beast exposed.

With blood-red scars lining its body, the hyena fixed its gray eyes on Lin Huang and lunged, jaws dripping with slime, aiming straight for his head.

Lin Huang stood his ground, shifting his foot, and swept his blade horizontally, drawing forth a spray of black blood.

The scarred hyena let out a miserable howl; its belly, just revealed to Lin Huang, was slashed open, creating a one-meter gash that exposed its intestines.

"What exquisite swordplay!" Yi Yeyu and Yi Zheng, observing from the stone, exclaimed simultaneously.

Yi Yeyu's eyes sparkled; she had always thought Lin Huang was merely a summoner who dabbled in firearms. She'd never seen him wield a blade. This first glimpse stunned her with its brilliance.

"This Wildlands Blade Manual truly lives up to its reputation. If I were on equal footing with this monster, a single strike could have severed it in two," Lin Huang marveled once more.

The scarred hyena, having just mutated, had almost shaken off its bewitched state. Lin Huang's strike jolted it awake, freeing it from the lingering effects. Sensing the danger posed by this human, the beast turned to flee, inadvertently choosing a direction toward the human stronghold.

Seeing it attempt to escape, Lin Huang advanced in quick strides, gripping his blade with both hands, and suddenly accelerated. The hyena, noticing the attack from its flank, tried to dodge, but Lin Huang blurred and was upon it in an instant, plunging his blade into its neck.

The Black Iron Warblade slid into the hyena's throat as effortlessly as slicing tofu, leaving only the hilt visible. It wasn't the blade's sharpness, but the terrifying precision of the Wildlands Blade Manual.

The move wasn’t finished. Lin Huang pressed down, dragging the blade downward in a swift motion that tore a gash over a meter long and nearly eighty centimeters deep, ripping open most of the hyena’s neck and leaving its head lolling to one side.

From the wound, black blood poured like a waterfall, pooling on the ground as the once ferocious beast’s life quickly ebbed away.

A prompt from Xiao Hei sounded.

[Congratulations, Host. Monster Card Fragment: Scarred Hyena x1 obtained.]

[Host has completed a cross-tier kill. Rare Skill Card acquired.]

Lin Huang didn’t pause to check his new cards. As he finished off the scarred hyena, Zhou Le and his companions arrived.

White had already slain two Mad Demon Hyenas, while the remaining two were beset by the group of young hunters.

Soon, the threat was eliminated.

Lin Huang led the youths at a jog toward the breach, where a Bronze-ranked hunter, pale-faced, was struggling single-handedly against several monsters.

They rushed to his aid, dispatched the beasts, and then asked what had caused the defensive line to fail.

It turned out that while the Bronze hunter was battling several hyenas, one suddenly mutated. Its speed surged unexpectedly, and in the chaos, it bit the hunter’s left hand before escaping with its companions.

"In your condition, you must seek treatment immediately," Lin Huang advised. "The scarred hyena’s virus, if untreated, will pose a grave threat to your health."

"But here..." The Bronze hunter hesitated, worried that leaving would leave the line vulnerable.

"We’ll cover this gap," Lin Huang assured him, his expression resolute.

"If there are only a few monsters, that’s fine. But if their numbers swell, can you hold?" The hunter remained concerned.

"Senior, don’t underestimate us—especially not this one. He single-handedly took down that scarred hyena, and did it with just two strokes," Zhou Le interjected, eager for him to agree.

Just then, Yi Yeyu’s voice carried from afar, "Luyang, go back to the stronghold and get treated. Leave this to Lin Huang and his team."

The hunter named Luyang, full of apologies, bowed and left with Zhou Le’s support.

~~~~~~

[Here’s a bonus update for ten thousand recommendation votes! Spent over two hours this afternoon searching for monster design material. Actually, I’ve already set up quite a few high-level monsters, but still lack many low-tier ones. If you’ve played games or watched anime with memorable monsters, please recommend them! Or share your own original monster ideas—if I can use them, I’ll include them in the book and credit the creator.]