Eldritch Assassin: Reincarnated With An SSS-Rank Devouring System
Chapter 71: Trial Of Adaptation (III)

Chapter 71: Trial Of Adaptation (III)

[Next Phase Initiating: 60... 59... 58...]

Kael dragged himself up, pain spiking through every muscle. Each tick of the countdown hit like a punch to his spine. His body was a wreck—nerves screaming, blood oozing from a dozen cuts. Breathing felt like sucking air through a straw, his chest heavy under an invisible weight.

He slumped against a jagged boulder, the canyon’s mist curling around him like a living thing. Kael’s Abyssal Fang Dagger rested in his grip, its blade crusted with dark blood.

"Still not done," he muttered, his voice rough.

[System Alert: Adaptive Regeneration Efficiency — 40%. HP: 78%]

Kael scowled at the flickering system panel in his vision. "Tch. Cutting it close." His right arm twitched, unresponsive despite his healing ability activated—torn tendon, maybe. He didn’t have time to check. Survival came first.

[Trial – Phase 3 of Third Floor – Survive the Enemy Swarm]

He tore a strip from his tattered Bloodthread Mantle, wrapping it around a gash on his thigh. The cuts sealed slower now, his regeneration barely keeping up. He flexed his fingers, testing the dagger’s weight. Pain flared, but he could still fight.

40 seconds...

The mist shifted, swirling thicker, like it was watching him. The canyon walls loomed, their rough edges barely visible through the haze. A faint hum vibrated the ground, primal energy pulsing in the air. His Devour Essence trait stirred, hungry for it.

"Not now," Kael growled, shoving it down. Cultivating mid-trial was a death wish.

He staggered to a higher perch—a sloped rock shelf, it was stable and with clear sightlines. Better to control the battlefield. His boots crunched on loose gravel, the sound swallowed by the mist.

30 seconds...

Breathe in. Breathe out.

He cleared his mind, eyes scanning the haze. The air tasted metallic, sharp. His Night Predator trait pinged—a faint warning in his gut. Something was coming.

Click. Click. Shhk.

It didn’t sound like footsteps, not metal or claws.

Kael’s silver eyes narrowed, his grip tightening. "Not human," he whispered.

Movement flickered on the canyon walls—fast, uneven shapes darting through the mist. His heart kicked up a notch.

20 seconds...

Shhk—click!

A shadow scuttled above, then another. Kael stepped back, his boots sliding slightly. The countdown blared.

[Phase 3 Initiated]

The mist parted.

Multiple red eyes glowed, blinking into existence. On the walls, the ground, and even dropping from the canyon’s upper ledges. Beasts. Four-limbed, armored hides gleaming like blackened steel, lean and ravenous. Their jaws split wide, needle-like fangs glinting. Claws gouged the stone like it was clay.

[Blacksteel Direhound Beasts – Lvl 19-21. Count: 22]

Kael’s smirk flickered. "Great. A pack."

One lunged, no warning, claws flashing. Kael’s Eclipse Step kicked in—shadows cloaked him, his body blurring left. The beast’s claws sparked against the rock where he’d stood. His dagger slashed, scraping its hide. Barely a scratch.

The beast twisted midair, slashing back. A claw nicked Kael’s cheek, blood trickling. He stomped its paw—crunch—then drove his dagger into its neck, twisting hard.

One down.

A shriek tore through the canyon. The pack surged—fifteen, no, twenty, maybe more. They swarmed like a tide, claws scraping, fangs snapping.

Kael moved, pain be damned. His Eclipse Step blurred him across the shelf, boots finding grip on uneven stone. He struck fast—stab, twist, pull. One beast fell, neck pierced. Another lunged; he ducked, slashing its underbelly. Blood sprayed, but the hide held.

A claw clipped his thigh, tearing fabric. Another beast bit his forearm—fangs sank in. Kael roared, ripping it off and slamming it into the ground. His boot crushed its skull, but a third beast rammed him, knocking him back.

He rolled, barely avoiding claws to his chest. His HP flashed.

[Status: HP 69%. Bleeding Debuff Applied]

"Too many," he hissed, scrambling up. Three beasts pounced. He raised his arm—chomp. Pain exploded, fangs grinding into muscle. Kael howled, driving his dagger into its eye. The beast spasmed, collapsing.

He shoved the body off, panting. Blood dripped from his elbow, pooling on the rock. Two more beasts charged. Kael dropped to a knee, using a corpse as a shield.

Claws raked the dead beast, giving him a second to breathe. He stabbed upward, catching one under the jaw, then rolled, slashing the second’s legs. It stumbled; he finished it with a thrust to the neck.

[Status: HP 61%. Bleeding Debuff Worsening[

His vision blurred, and sounds muffled. The system pinged relentlessly.

[Enemies Remaining: 17]

Kael stumbled forward, weaving between boulders. Holding ground was suicide. He needed to thin them out. Hit and run. He remembered fighting street thugs in his past life—beasts were a bit dumber in comparison, all instinct. He could exploit that.

He feigned a limp, slowing his steps. A beast charged with its jaws wide open. Kael twisted low, Abyssal Fang slicing its gut as it overshot. It shrieked, collapsing. Two more leapt with their claws extended. Kael sidestepped, letting them crash into each other, then pounced—dual stabs, one neck each.

[Enemies Remaining: 14]

His legs buckled. He collapsed behind a boulder, sweat stinging his eyes. "Keep moving," he whispered, wiping his face. His arm throbbed, the bite wound oozing.

A dozen red eyes circled, glowing through the mist. A low growl rumbled—a deeper tone. Kael’s Night Predator screamed.

[Blacksteel Direhound Alpha – Lvl 25. Enhanced Armor, Speed +20% when battling alongside hunting pack]

The alpha stepped forward, it was twice the size of the others. Its hide shimmered, runes faintly glowing along its spines. Fangs like daggers, claws like scythes. The pack tightened around it, waiting for its move.

Kael’s smirk returned, shaky but there. "Hey there, Big guy."

The alpha roared, and the pack charged. Kael exploded from cover, hurling a dead beast’s corpse into their path. It tripped two, buying a second. He went straight for the alpha.

[Eclipse Step – Max Speed]

Shadows trailed him as he closed the gap. The alpha pounced, claws slashing. Kael slid under, dagger flashing—but it was too shallow, scraping hide. The alpha’s jaws snapped, catching his shoulder. Fangs crushed through muscle.

"AAAGHHHHHHH!!" Kael screamed, blood pouring down his shoulder.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.