Round 1

Name: Hellhound

Lv: 48 (Third Tier)

HP: 1800 / 1800

MP: 1200 / 1200

Skills: [Rending Claws Lv.6] [Bite Lv.6] [Hellfire Lv.6]

As expected, the Hellhounds weren’t low-level monsters at all.

Even a single one wasn’t easy to deal with—let alone a pack.

First priority: maintain distance.

No matter what, he couldn’t engage them in close combat.

That had been his strategy all along.

If Ye Yousheng were alone, he would’ve rushed in and forced a chaotic melee.

But right now, he was carrying Alicia.

He couldn’t act recklessly.

Alicia was flesh and blood.

If she got injured, wounds wouldn’t magically heal.

Broken bones or lost limbs wouldn’t recover.

Normally, mages used enhancement and protection spells to shield themselves.

But to conserve her mana, Ye Yousheng had forbidden her from using sustained magic.

But now…

“The situation’s changed, Alicia. If anything gets close to you, immediately use a defensive spell. Don’t waste too much mana—just cover yourself.”

He slowly retreated as he spoke.

“Huh? But then you—”

“Don’t worry about me. I won’t get hurt.”

Not understanding his body’s nature, Alicia protested anxiously,

“Don’t joke around! How could you not get hurt—”

“They’re coming!”

Two Hellhounds charged first.

Each was about half a person tall—not large, but incredibly fast!

Ye Yousheng instantly realized escape was impossible.

He chose to face them head-on.

With a kick, he sent the one on the right flying, then thrust his dagger toward the other’s head—aiming for a killing blow!

But it dodged.

No—not only did it dodge, it counterattacked during his opening.

It bit down on his right arm!

-56!

Fifty-six HP gone in a single bite!

“Grrrrrr… Awooo!”

Its fangs pierced clean through his arm.

The Hellhound didn’t let go.

The fire sac beneath its ribs activated—

Like a flamethrower, it spewed blazing fire from its mouth!

Flames leaked through its teeth.

Even Alicia, standing to Ye Yousheng’s left, could feel the terrifying heat.

Let alone his arm—right at the center of it.

His arm surface charred and blackened—yet didn’t break off.

His HP plummeted.

The searing pain twisted his expression.

“Ye Yousheng!”

Alicia was on the verge of tears.

She wanted to cast magic to help him—

But didn’t know what spell to use.

At this distance, any magic would hit him too.

She hated her own helplessness.

At such a critical moment… she was completely lost.

“GRAAAAH!”

Even Ye Yousheng couldn’t suppress the pain anymore.

But monsters didn’t stop for human screams.

The kicked Hellhound got back up instantly.

Together with two others, they attacked again.

And Death Knell advanced steadily toward them.

“Die already!”

Gritting his teeth, enduring the flames, Ye Yousheng swung his right arm—

Using the Hellhound still biting him as a weapon.

He smashed the three incoming Hellhounds away—

Then slammed his arm down onto the ground!

The Hellhound still didn’t let go.

It kept biting, flames still pouring from its mouth.

“OOOOOOOH!”

Then—

Ye Yousheng forcibly tore his own arm out of its jaws.

How?

Simple.

He ripped through his own flesh, muscle, and bone like tearing apart cloth.

A completely insane act no normal human could perform.

The arm he pulled free was unrecognizable—

Blood pouring, bone exposed, flesh torn, smoke rising, charred black…

And yet—

His hand still gripped the dagger.

Swing.

Pierce.

From skull—

Through eye—

Across the spiked collar—

Down the throat—

And ripping open the belly, shredding its organs!

The Hellhound died before it could even cry out.

Blood splattered across Ye Yousheng, staining half his body red.

“Alicia. Healing potion.”

“Wah… h-huh? Ah—h-here!”

Snapping out of it, Alicia fumbled and handed him the 300 HP potion.

The bite had taken over 50 HP.

The burning had taken nearly 100 more.

He was down to just 68 HP.

Ye Yousheng drank the potion in one gulp.

His arm—once horrifying—began restoring itself.

Alicia stared in shock.

“Th-This is…!”

“I told you. I won’t get hurt. So don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Use your magic boldly. Even if you mess up, I’ll cover for you.”

Those words flowed into Alicia’s heart like a stream of clear water.

Once, her mistake had nearly wiped out her entire team…

But now, someone told her mistakes were okay—he would fix them.

This… was what a teammate should be.

Not using each other.

Not blaming each other.

But relying on each other.

Covering each other.

A true teammate.

Someone she could trust completely.

Alicia hurriedly wiped her tears with her sleeve.

Now wasn’t the time to cry.

She had an answer to give him.

“Okay!”

At this moment, she was no longer the lonely adventurer she once was—

But a mage who trusted her teammate.

While they spoke, the monsters didn’t stop.

They surrounded them—front, back, left, right.

A complete encirclement.

His arm fully restored.

HP back above half.

Ye Yousheng shook off the blood from his arm and narrowed his eyes at Death Knell ahead.

“Come on. Round two starts now.”