I Can Devour Monsters' SSS Talents

Lian could see the scene in his mind, but that was exactly the problem, just by hearing it, he could tell that it had been a trick and a trap.

”I told him to say it again.” Kain said calmly.

The man had laughed and said it again, and the result had been an official duel.

”Did you beat him that badly?” the Young Vorhelm asked.

”It depends on what you call ’that badly.’”

”How many days was he in the medical center?”

”Three weeks.”

”Then that badly.” Lian stayed silent for a few seconds and then nodded.

”He said it again himself, it was his own fault for daring to make fun of my friend.” Kain shrugged.

”You know it was a trap?”

”A trap?”

”Right, they wouldn’t say things like that in front of you for no reason when they knew you were my best friend, their goal was to provoke you and they succeeded.”

”Damn... so it was my own stupidity.” Kain hit his forehead with his hand.

Anyway, it was something that had already happened and could no longer be changed.

That duel was the first time Kain’s name had really spread throughout the academy.

Not only because of the violence he had shown but also because of the power he had shown, before that, many people only knew him as Lian Vorhelm’s friend.

After that, not anymore, he became known because of the power he had shown, because he had dared to beat one of Rodrick’s men almost to death.

”Then Rodrick came to me.” Kain continued.

”Was he angry?”

”No, he was very calm, I didn’t think much about it at the time but now that I think about it, it’s strange, and he came and asked, ’You caused all this trouble because of a dead man?’”

”I told him that dead man was my friend.” Kain’s face became cold as he remembered that moment.

”Then he said I should accept that you were not coming back anymore, and I told him he could keep his delusions to himself and that I was sure you would come back soon.”

”What did he say after that?” Lian asked calmly.

”He said then stay alone until that happens.” Kain gave a bitter smile.

And apparently, he had meant exactly that.

After that, everything happened so slowly that he had not expected it.

So slowly that it was not even possible to choose one specific day as its beginning.

First, one of the hunting teams Kain had worked with several times said that they were full.

Then another group canceled his mission.

Some people who used to train with him regularly slowly started keeping their distance.

Mission invitations became less frequent and if he wanted to do academy missions, he had to go alone.

Parties and student gatherings no longer had his name on them.

Even some people who had no problem with Kain preferred not to be seen too close to him when Rodrick’s people were around.

”No one directly said Rodrick told them not to work with me, of course, there was no need, it was completely obvious.” Kain said mockingly.

Lian said nothing, now the strange atmosphere of the academy when he had entered finally made complete sense, those looks, those distances, this was not just the popularity of a student.

It was a network.

He could understand the goal behind that bastard’s actions, first he had used a trap to find an excuse to deal with Kain, the only person in the academy who was not considered a member of his group.

He had probably only been after Kain at first because he wanted to humiliate him and then, after Lian returned, show him that he had taken not only his former fiancée but also his best friend away from him.

Bastard actions that came from his old grudges.

But after seeing this boy’s real power in that duel, he had decided to either make him submit to him somehow or make his life miserable.

”At first I thought it would take a few weeks and then end, but it didn’t.” Kain continued.

”And what did you do? Just watched?”

”What was I supposed to do? Beg them to let me hunt monsters with them again?”

The corner of Lian’s lips rose slightly.

No.

That was not like Kain at all.

And if it had been like this, considering that this boy had not only managed to complete his first evolution but had also reached his current level, it meant only one thing.

”So you went alone.”

”Yeah.”

The first month was hard, very hard, Kain was used to group hunting, one person held the enemy, one person supported them and one person covered the back.

But when he was alone, every mistake came directly back to him and every mistake could have been the last mistake of his life, because after that he would die.

”Three times I almost died but then I learned what I had to do.” Kain said completely normally.

He had been forced to learn, he had no choice, if he wanted to reach his goal, if he wanted to not fall behind Seraphina and Lian, he had no choice but to keep becoming stronger at any cost.

First he had learned how to choose an escape route, then, how to check the area before fighting. How to follow a monster for hours without being seen.

Where to set traps, when to retreat and more importantly when not to fight at all.

Slowly, what was supposed to be a punishment had become the best training of his life.

”When you don’t have a team, you either become smarter or you die, for now I chose the first option.”

”Good choice.” Lian smiled.

Unfortunately, four-star classes had a hard time hunting alone, it was not that they could not do it, unlike three-star, two-star and one-star classes that did not have such potential even at their best, a four-star class could do it.

But it was not easy, besides individual power, they needed intelligence and battle sense and had to learn exactly everything Kain had learned.

But five-star classes had an easier time with this, especially if they had at least an A-rank talent.

”I think so too.”

But the point that changed everything happened a few months ago, the point that turned him into a rising star.

”I was level 31 and I happened to find a dungeon, but unfortunately, its boss was a level twenty-four Fallen Monster.”

Lian’s eyes changed slightly, this time the number was not small, especially for a normal level 31 Awakener there was a very high chance of certain death.

”Yeah, I know.” Kain saw his reaction.

A level 24 Fallen Monster was, in terms of real power, comparable to a normal level 37 or 38 monster.

Maybe even higher.

For a level 31 Awakener, a direct fight was almost suicide.

”You were alone?” Lian asked.

”Completely.”

”How long did it take?” considering that he was still alive, it was clear that he had either succeeded or escaped and from his tone, the second one did not seem likely.

”Almost six hours.”

Kain had not defeated that creature with raw power, that monster had chased him for six hours and he had kept changing its path, leading it to specific places.

He had set traps, created wounds, pulled back, returned again, used up his energy and only when the monster had become weak enough, he entered the final battle.

”In the end, I almost lost my left arm.” He added very casually.

”You sound a little too proud of that part.”

”Because I still have it, besides, it’s proof that I succeeded.” He raised his left hand and moved his fingers.

Lian sighed.

Even so, he could not deny that he was impressed, Kain had been strong before they left.

But this Kain was different.

The System had not ignored the hunt either, after killing the Fallen Monster, a title had been registered for him.

[One-Man Hunter]

This title had been given to him because he had completely hunted a very powerful monster without direct help from others.

Its effect was not very exaggerated; it only slightly increased his resistance, speed and physical strength when chasing and fighting a target alone.

But the title itself was enough and when he brought the monster’s body to the academy to prove that he had killed it and then sold it, that was when the real noise started