The Gluttony Hound extended its nearly ten-centimeter-long claws and slammed down, the sharp claws sinking deeply into the corpse of the zombie beast as easily as cutting through tofu.
To coordinate with the impact of the zombie beast’s body, Su Li swung his iron rod silently at the same moment.
Over the past two days, he had experienced numerous battles, large and small. From the initial panic to gradual calmness, and now to the point where he could think during combat, using the terrain and environmental advantages to create openings in his enemies, Su Li was growing at an astonishing pace.
The physical enhancement from being a Level 2 Source Spirit, combined with the explosive power of the "Muscle Boost Type 1," allowed his arms to unleash a force of seven hundred jin. With the one-meter-long iron rod in hand, the Gluttony Hound before him, though terrifying, did not intimidate Su Li in the slightest. The zombie beast’s corpse he had just kicked with tremendous force slammed into the Gluttony Hound. The creature, covered in blood-red muscles, possessed immense strength—arguably even surpassing Su Li’s in pure power.
But no matter how strong it was, the moment it blocked the zombie beast’s corpse, its body would inevitably pause. Su Li seized on that instant of hesitation.
Otherwise, given the Gluttony Hound’s strength, speed, and leaping ability, landing a precise hit would be nearly impossible, putting him at a severe disadvantage.
Su Li’s iron rod appeared almost flush beneath the horizontally charging zombie beast’s corpse, sweeping out sideways and striking one of the Gluttony Hound’s front legs solidly.
Though the Gluttony Hound’s entire body was covered in thick, exaggerated muscles, the heavy iron rod’s impact on its front leg was too much to withstand. With a crisp sound of bone breaking, the struck front leg immediately bent.
With one leg crippled, the Gluttony Hound opened its massive maw and let out a low, guttural roar—a mix of pain, anger, and madness. Relying on its remaining three legs, it charged again.
Su Li let out a soft sigh. With one leg broken, the Gluttony Hound’s leaping ability and speed were at least halved. Watching it rear up, Su Li gripped his iron rod and swung again, aiming to break its other front leg and render it completely useless.
Just as the iron rod was about to hit the other front leg, the Gluttony Hound suddenly twisted its body. Its hind legs pushed off the ground, and its torso contorted like a slippery eel, pulling its upper body back. Not only did it evade Su Li’s iron rod, but one of its hind legs stretched out, the nearly ten-centimeter claws extending, and swept along Su Li’s leg.
A muffled grunt escaped Su Li as a sharp pain shot through his left leg. Four bloody gashes appeared instantly, blood spurting out. Deep within the wounds, white bone was faintly visible.
Careless!
Su Li sucked in a cold breath. This Gluttony Hound was far more dangerous than he had imagined. He had underestimated it.
The four gashes were extremely deep. Su Li’s brow furrowed in pain, and his left leg could barely support him. Though he controlled the muscles around the wounds to contract and stem the bleeding, the agony still brought fine beads of sweat to his forehead and face.
Having landed a hit, the Gluttony Hound didn’t press the attack immediately. Instead, it fixed its gaze on Su Li, supporting itself on three legs as it slowly circled, as if searching for an opening to deliver a fatal blow.
Unable to put weight on his left leg, Su Li used the iron rod to steady himself, every muscle in his body taut. He stared back at the Gluttony Hound, wondering if this was the same monster that had killed Xu Xuehui’s father.
The claw marks on the wall and the torn wound on Xu Xuehui’s father’s chest all bore a striking resemblance to the Gluttony Hound’s handiwork.
“If it really was you, you beast, then today I’ll avenge him,” Su Li muttered with a sudden grin. He pulled up his left sleeve, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and dragged his weakened left leg forward, swinging the iron rod as he launched an attack.
Though Su Li’s iron rod swings were fast and fierce, the Gluttony Hound, even on three legs, remained agile. It leaped aside to dodge the strike and thrust its front claws toward Su Li’s abdomen.
If those claws connected, Su Li would end up like Xu Xuehui’s father—ripped open from chest to belly.
At that moment, Su Li’s left leg gave out, unable to support him, and he fell heavily backward, causing the Gluttony Hound’s claws to miss.
Seeing Su Li fall, the Gluttony Hound seized the opportunity without hesitation. It pounced, its massive jaws wide, aiming straight for Su Li’s throat.
Just as Su Li hit the ground, flailing as if in panic, he seemed unable to evade the attack. But as the Gluttony Hound closed in, Su Li suddenly smiled.
“A beast is just a beast—simple-minded.”
Lying on the ground, Su Li remained calm. Or rather, his earlier panic was a deliberate act to deceive the Gluttony Hound.
He shifted his body slightly, dodging the creature’s gaping maw, and raised his left hand. In it appeared a kitchen knife, which he brought down hard on the Gluttony Hound’s forehead.
With all his strength behind the blow, the knife sank deep into the Gluttony Hound’s skull, blood splattering. Su Li knew the blade had lodged firmly into the bone.
Su Li had intentionally fallen, positioning himself near the two large bags he had dropped earlier, where he had temporarily stored his kitchen knife and hammer. Falling served two purposes: to lure the Gluttony Hound into attacking and to retrieve the knife or hammer for a counterstrike.
Though risky—potentially leaving him vulnerable to a hit—Su Li was prepared to trade injury for injury.
As long as the wound wasn’t fatal, killing the Gluttony Hound and absorbing its Source Spirit would heal him.
So he let the Gluttony Hound pounce, grabbed the kitchen knife from the bag with his left hand, and struck back instantly, landing a solid blow to its head.
But the Gluttony Hound’s vitality was tenacious. Even with a kitchen knife embedded deep in its skull, it didn’t die. Its claws shot out, raking across Su Li’s chest.
A chill spread across his chest, and Su Li knew he was in trouble. Fortunately, his reflexes were lightning-fast. He pulled his legs back and kicked out, planting his feet against the Gluttony Hound’s soft belly, then thrusting with all his might, sending the creature flying through the air.
The Gluttony Hound tumbled twice midair before crashing heavily to the ground. Though its body was all muscle, its belly was soft. Su Li’s kick ruptured its intestines. It lay on the ground, blood pouring from its mouth and nose, convulsing—clearly on the verge of death.
Su Li was also badly injured. He lay on the ground, gasping for breath, a cold sweat soaking his back.
If he hadn’t reacted in time, the Gluttony Hound’s claws would have fully sunk into his chest and torn downward, truly gutting him. Even absorbing its Source Spirit might not have saved him.