Chapter 174: Monster Hunt
The monster roared so loudly that the entire forest seemed to shake. It was a gigantic creature resembling an enormous bear, standing nearly four meters tall.
Thick black fur covered its body, while layers of muscle bulged beneath its hide. Its claws were longer than swords, and every step left deep footprints in the earth.
Zoe clicked her tongue as she examined the beast. "That’s bigger than I expected."
Beside her, Zia quietly tightened her grip on her daggers. Unlike Zoe, she said nothing. Her eyes remained fixed on the monster as her heart pounded rapidly. She seemed a bit afraid.
Lara, however, simply smiled.
The bear monster lowered its body and suddenly charged. The ground exploded beneath its feet as it rushed forward like a living avalanche. Most would have dodged. Lara did the exact opposite.
She charged straight at it.
The collision was violent enough to shake the surrounding trees. Lara’s body slammed into the monster’s chest, bringing the creature to a halt for a brief moment. Then the beast retaliated. One massive claw swung through the air.
The attack struck Lara directly. A deep slash tore across her torso, ripping through flesh and muscle. Blood sprayed through the air as a wound stretched from her shoulder down toward her waist.
Zia’s eyes widened.
"Lara!"
The injury would have crippled most people. Lara barely reacted.
Ignoring both the pain and the blood pouring from her body, she stepped forward and grabbed the monster’s wrist. The beast immediately tried to pull away, but Lara’s grip was unyielding.
Muscles bulged throughout her body, her eyes glimmered, and claws appeared on her hands. She partially activated her beastification.
The monster roared and struggled harder. However, Lara didn’t move an inch. Instead, she looked toward Zoe.
"Move fast, useless bitch!"
That single command was all the cat girl needed. One moment, she was standing beside Zia. Next, she was a blur racing around the battlefield.
Long cuts opened across the monster’s chest and arms. Blood sprayed as she attacked again and again. The beast roared, but it could barely react, as Lara kept holding it.
Then chains erupted from Zoe’s hands. The metal links wrapped around the creature’s legs, then its arms, then its torso. The bear monster roared furiously as it struggled against the bindings, but every movement only caused the chains to tighten further.
At that exact moment, Zia moved. The assassin girl slipped behind the monster without making a sound. Her dagger flashed once.
The blade slammed into the back of the creature’s neck. The bear released a pained roar and staggered.
Lara immediately took advantage of the opening.
Still holding the monster’s arm, she twisted her body and drove a fist directly into its face. The impact sounded like an explosion. Bone shattered. The creature’s massive body was launched backward before crashing heavily into the ground.
For several seconds, the monster twitched before it stopped moving.
Lara finally released a long breath and glanced down at the massive wound covering her torso. The flesh was already moving, muscles reconnecting as she recovered completely. Her healing ability was incredible.
Then the dog girl glared at Zoe, annoyed.
"You were too slow, and you need to be more careful. Even with me holding it, that stupid thing almost hit you."
The cat girl’s eye twitched.
"I cut it half a dozen times. I did very well, you buff whore!"
"Yes, yes, congratulations. All that and you barely damaged it. If Zia hadn’t finished it off, I would have needed to do the job myself."
Then Lara turned to the smaller cat girl.
"But your attack was too weak. You need to put more strength into your swing."
Zia immediately lowered her head, avoiding the fight she couldn’t win.
"Sorry!" she said in a high-pitched tone. "I will try to get better."
"You targeted the right spot, but you should take advantage of your speed to make your strikes stronger," Lara complimented.
"O-Okay..." Zia answered.
Zoe finally lost her patience. She stepped forward, pressing her chest against Lara’s. "You don’t have any right to boss us around."
Lara slowly turned her attention to Zoe. Her suffocating pressure suddenly filled the area.
Zoe’s body stiffened instantly. She hated it, but her instincts recognized the truth.
Lara was stronger than her. Much stronger.
Lara smiled.
"Need I remind you who carried the entire fight?"
"You, dirty dog." Zoe rolled her eyes.
Annoyed, Lara stepped forward. Zoe’s breasts were larger, but Lara was even larger, smothering her chest against the cat girl’s.
"A skinny cat like you shouldn’t be talking so much."
"Skinny?" Zoe nearly exploded. "Who are you calling skinny?"
Zoe pressed her own large chest against Lara’s.
Zia could only watch from behind as they argued. Compared to either of them, her own chest was beautifully small. She preferred not to enter that fight, because she knew she would be at a disadvantage.
The argument continued all the way back to the castle.
Lara and Zoe kept throwing insults at each other while Zia quietly followed behind them. By the time the trio finally reached the fortress gates, both girls were still glaring at one another.
Their attention was immediately drawn toward the training field, where a miserable scene awaited them.
Dozens of girls were sprawled across the ground, drenched in sweat and barely capable of moving. Some were lying flat on their backs, staring at the sky, while others were desperately trying to catch their breath.
At the center of the field stood Arlo. Following the orders Shin had given him, he trained the girls and instructed them. Once they entered the tower, he would take them into his clan and continue guiding them.
And, of course, to make the girls strong and capable enough, the training needed to be brutal, because once they entered the tower, things would be even worse.
Arlo noticed the trio approaching and glanced at the bloodstains still covering their equipment.
"Looks like your hunt went well."
"We killed it," Lara answered.
Arlo nodded before looking toward the exhausted newcomers scattered around the field. After a moment, he exchanged a glance with Lara. The dog girl smirked.
"I think they’ve suffered enough."
"For now," Arlo agreed. "There is no point in keeping them in the test phase. They need to unlock their full system."
Relief immediately spread through the training field. The newcomers looked as if they had just received a royal pardon.
Arlo stepped forward and addressed everyone.
"As instructors, we can take all of you to the destination. Once there, you will need to make a few choices, so listen to my instructions carefully..."
Arlo continued explaining the next phases of the test. His instructions were similar to the ones Shin had given Eva and Kaho.
Then they guided the newcomers to the exit.
