Chapter 77: I Am Hargex! (Not a Chapter Dog—I

In the arena.

The man-eating lion Eury slowly devoured the man’s liver beneath him, blood and shredded flesh splattering onto its mane, staining its golden fur red.

It was a beast that had transcended base appetites, preferring only human organs.

Meanwhile, all spectators in the stands were celebrating a windfall—this was one of the rare moments they had defeated the house.

At that moment, an anomaly erupted.

As if by divine miracle, the man’s missing organs regenerated at a visible, rapid pace, and his torn chest resealed itself.

Moreover, his skin, once covered in countless scars, now sprouted new flesh buds repairing those wounds.

Beneath his copper skin, muscles grew like vines, his bones cracked with ear-piercing pops, and his already towering frame swelled further, reaching two point eight meters.

This bizarre sight startled the man-eating lion, causing it to step back two paces; its mane was caked with thick, sticky blood.

The spectators in the stands who noticed the anomaly were utterly stunned.

“H-He’s got no organs left—how can they grow back?!”

“Could it be the God of Earth and Life bestowing a blessing?”

“By the gods, I’ve lost ten times—and now I’m about to win! Don’t reverse it again!”

Ignoring the surrounding clamor, Thirteen—or rather, Hargex—slowly rose to his feet, his massive form instantly casting a shadow across the sand.

Without the ugly scars that had once covered his body, his frame now appeared flawless, like a hero of the divine age—each muscle forged like tempered bronze, gleaming with a metallic sheen under the sun.

His face was iron-hard, radiating unmatched heroism; several female spectators in the stands now gazed at him with burning eyes.

“What greatness this Prince possesses!”

Looking down at his scarless, brand-new body, Hargex murmured.

That the Prince had crossed an unimaginable distance to grant him, already dead, new life—and the incredible boon of Thirteen’s Rebirth.

What power—nearly divine!

He had once arrogantly believed he glimpsed even one-tenth of the Prince’s greatness; now he saw he had barely scratched one percent.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

At that moment, the man-eating lion on the sand recovered from its shock, its brilliant golden eyes greedily fixed on Hargex as it moved closer slowly.

A mere human—even if resurrected—what did it matter? Merely another meal, another chance to feast on organs!

Recalling the delicious taste of those organs, saliva thick with stench dripped from its fanged maw.

“Beast.”

Sensing that killing intent, Hargex clenched his fists and stared coldly at the giant beast before him.

He no longer harbored any desire to die. His life belonged to the Prince; even if he died, it must be in the Prince’s grand mission to cleanse the world of sin—not swallowed by a beast!

It was time for it to taste the Prince’s greatness!

Muscle Enhancement.

Berserk.

And the boon of Greatness from his rebirth.

Crack. Crack.

Three abilities acted upon Hargex: his muscle fibers grew like vines, his bones exploded like firecrackers.

His stature surged upward—three meters, three point five, four meters—until he finally stabilized at over four meters tall.

The entire audience sat frozen by this shocking sight; even the nobles on the highest balcony rose to their feet, jeweled goblets slipping from trembling fingers.

The man-eating lion, mid-lunge, froze in place.

Now the size disparity had reversed—he stood like a giant beside a kitten at an adult’s feet.

“Roar!”

After a moment’s hesitation, the giant lion roared and lunged at Hargex with blinding speed, leaving afterimages in its wake.

The dignity of a named beast forbade it from retreating before its prey.

Yet the next instant, Hargex’s right leg slammed forward like a battering ram—the sonic tear of displaced air made nearby spectators clutch their ears in pain.

Before the lion’s claws could strike, an incomparable force slammed into its belly.

Its pupils shrank violently; in its brilliant golden irises, the spectator stands receded rapidly as its three-meter-tall body flew upward like a severed kite, its mane exploding in the air.

Boom!

It struck the arena’s stone wall at a speed faster than its charge, producing a thunderous impact.

The thick, unyielding stone wall instantly cracked with a spiderweb of fractures.

When the lion shook its head and rose again, its gaze was noticeably clearer.

Gazing at the towering giant approaching it, its brilliant golden eyes flickered with fear—even its tongue lolled out in submission.

The dignity of a named beast meant nothing before death.

“Since you ate my liver, pay with your life,” Hargex said calmly.

His current state was better than ever—he felt as if he could crush steel in his hands.

“Roar!”

Realizing submission was useless, the man-eating lion reignited its battle fury, unleashing a deafening roar as brilliant golden magic surged from its body like a tidal wave.

It was ready to fight to the death—and as a beast with adult intelligence, it knew the giant before it could not use magic; this was its advantage.

The next instant, the lion leapt, its body sheathed in golden magic, aiming to bite Hargex’s throat.

Clang!

Yet Hargex stopped the terrifying bite with his bare hands.

His palms clamped like iron vices around the lion’s jaws, his bulging arm muscles forcing the mouth open.

Crack!

The lion’s jawbone groaned under unbearable strain; Hargex’s knuckles sank deep into its lips, blood streaming down his wrists.

The agonized lion thrashed wildly, its front claws slashing at Hargex’s chest, its thick tail whipping his shins like a steel whip, leaving bloody marks.

But to Hargex, who had long grown accustomed to pain, it was useless—he simply channeled every hidden ounce of strength within his body.

The battle between man and lion had silenced the entire crowd; not a single breath dared be drawn as all watched, frozen.

“Grrr…”

Gradually, the lion’s growls turned to whimpers.

The fury in its brilliant golden eyes faded into pleading.

This beast that had torn apart countless caravans now looked pitiful, like a kitten strangled by its throat.

Hargex did not waver—he knew this beast did not repent; it was merely terrified.

With a sickening rip, the lion’s jaws were wrenched open to an impossible angle, blood gushing like a waterfall, drenching Hargex’s chest.

The man-eating lion Eury—dead!

“Huff… huff…”

Dropping the lion’s corpse, Hargex gasped as he straightened up.

Gazing at the stunned crowd, he took a deep breath, squared his chest, and roared:

“I am not a butcher—I am… Hargex!”

His voice rolled like thunder, echoing through every corner of the arena.

A torrent of brilliant golden magic erupted from his body—the magic-suppressing collar around his neck shattered instantly.

His headband’s marking also changed: the white of commoner became emerald green of comrade, the deep purple of Berserker transformed into deep blue of Hundred Deaths Warrior.

After hundreds of life-or-death battles, and having slain the man-eating lion bare-handed before all eyes, twenty-one-year-old Hargex had forged a great deed—and ascended to the New Moon Rank!

At that moment, every single person in the arena, even the nobles high above, dropped their jaws in shock.

(End of Chapter)