Chapter 395

Here is the English translation of the provided novel excerpt, adhering to the given glossaries and maintaining the original tone and style:

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395 Moon and Hill and the Sorcerer #1

Grrrr…

Rrrrr…

There was always something I wondered about. In this Gaia Continent, where food is scarce and people are all similarly short—

Why the hell are beast cubs so d*mn huge?

Palm-sized spiders.

Bees bigger than fists.

Cats as large as lions.

Crocodiles the size of trucks.

Dogs as big as mid-sized sedans.

And most of these creatures don’t bother hiding their ferocious nature—they love smashing things and devouring whatever they can, which is why they’re called monsters.

Indeed, Orthos, the two-headed dog, is a monstrous beast that more than lives up to the name “monster.”

Grrr…

Rrrr…

Having noticed my presence while sucking honey from a beehive high on a cliff, Orthos leaps down with a heavy thud.

The drop was easily over ten meters, but the beast didn’t seem to care at all.

It simply planted its pillar-like legs into the sandy shore, drooling thick, sticky saliva from both of its gaping maws.

“Th-that thing is looking at us…! If you drive it away, I’ll give you a chance to pat my head…!”

Doris, seemingly terrified by its menacing appearance, had already hidden behind me, peeking out nervously.

But even that didn’t feel safe enough—she quickly darted further away, hiding behind a rock jutting from the shore.

Typical of a timid nymph, I guess.

Though, to be honest, I kind of wanted to hide behind that rock with her. A goddamn two-headed dog the size of a tank?

Its short, black fur glistened sleekly, making it look well-groomed—

Thump, thump—

But beneath that fur, its muscular body bulged like a steroid-pumped pitbull, making me feel like I was standing in front of a d*mn armored vehicle rather than a dog.

Its face, more wolf or fox-like than canine, had elongated, sharp snouts.

Grrr…!

Rrrr…!

The way it snarled, gums exposed and jagged teeth bared, made it look like a cross between a crocodile and a hellhound.

Whatever it was, one thing was clear—it was pissed.

Maybe it thought I came to interrupt its honey feast. Or maybe it was my white fur standing on end.

Sssss—

Ever since I faced Orthos, the lion pelt of Romulus, Echidna’s beast, draped over my back and head, had been rustling as if it had a will of its own.

“….”

Grrrr…

The giant dog and I stood frozen, locked in a silent standoff.

I didn’t know why it was targeting me, but I was sizing it up—gauging its strength.

From what I’d heard, Antiope had struggled against this thing, suffering serious injuries. No wonder it was called a Gold Tier monster—it looked every bit as formidable as the title suggested.

A beast that even heroes like Hippolyte or Shilaya, with their golden necklaces, would have trouble slaying. Could I take it on alone?

Bare-handed? No way.

Swoosh—

I pulled the club strapped to my back.

Zzzzzz—

As I channeled aura into it, the club glowed a vivid crimson.

But the bright red light, like a police siren, seemed to excite Orthos even more. It kicked off the sand and lunged at me.

Whoosh—

There were at least a hundred meters between us, but it closed the gap in just two bounds—so fast it made my hair stand on end.

Rrrrrr—!

The problem? One of its gaping maws was already rushing toward my shoulder, ready to tear into me.

I barely managed to dodge by jerking my head sideways, but Orthos knocked me back with its sheer mass. Then, as if trying to swallow me whole, it clamped both jaws around my head.

CRUNCH, CRACK—

“d*mn it!”

I barely avoided getting my skull crushed, but if this kept up, I’d be dog food in no time.

“Here, chew on this, mutt!”

I shoved my club into its mouth like a gag.

GRRAAAA—!

GRRRR—!

It gnashed its teeth, trying to bite through the club—harder and tougher than steel—but failed to break it.

This is why good gear matters.

But I couldn’t just admire my own weapon.

With all my strength, I kneed the monster dog in the gut.

SCREECH—!

YELP—!

Orthos yelped in pain and collapsed.

I immediately climbed onto its head, locking its neck between my knees.

“A biting dog needs a beating!”

Then, I started hammering its skulls with my fists.

In my head, I heard an imaginary cheer:

Ahh—! That’s Hassan-nim’s 125th Hell Execution Technique, Flesh Tenderizing…! Extra damage against four-legged beasts…!!

Of course, this wasn’t any “Flesh Tenderizing” technique, nor was Paranoi here to narrate.

Shaking off the weird thoughts, I raised my fist high.

“Take this, you mutt!”

WHAM, WHAM—

YELP, SCREECH—!

GAAAH—!

With each punch, Orthos writhed in pain, howling. No matter how strong a monster it was, enduring fists that bordered on divine was no easy feat.

“d*e, b*stard!”

YELP—! SCREECH—!

Huff, huff…

Soon, it started whining like a starving stray.

Seeing this, Doris rushed out from behind the rock and grabbed my arm.

“Th-that’s enough…! The poor dog…!”

“Hey, you’re the one who wanted me to beat it up for stealing your honey!”

“Honey can be gathered again…! I’m Doris, nymph of honeywater—I can collect it faster than anyone…!”

She seemed to pity the d*mn beast. I guess hearing it whimper like that could soften anyone’s heart.

As someone who’d raised large dogs before, I didn’t enjoy beating one either.

But I also knew dogs were smart—they’d whine to play on people’s sympathy and avoid punishment. And this one had two heads—double the brains. A dual-core processor of a dog.

Just as I was about to deliver one last blow to incapacitate it—

SCREEEEEECH—!

A sharp, high-pitched sound pierced the air.

My ears, sensitive enough to pick up whispers, felt like they were being drilled into.

GRRR—!

WHOOSH—

Seizing the moment, Orthos shoved me off and bolted away like an arrow.

I tried to chase it, but speed wasn’t my forte—it quickly vanished. See? Not so hurt after all.

Rubbing my ears, I frowned.

“The hell was that? What’s with the noise?”

Doris, covering her own ears, answered:

“The dog’s owner blew a strange horn…! Up on that high mountain hill lives a wicked person who commands black dogs and monsters to do evil…!”

She pointed toward a nearby island—Moon and Hill, home to the fierce and cruel pink-haired Tatari Tribe.

True to its simple name, the island had a towering peak. That sound must’ve been the owner’s whistle, calling back their pet.

A Gold Tier monster as a pet? What kind of b*stard is this?

Leashing a violent dog like that without even a muzzle—definitely a piece of work.

Whoosh—

I looked up at the island’s peak.

Tingle, tingle—

Maybe it was my imagination, but I felt multiple eyes staring back.

“Pfft—hah, hah, haaa!”

When I returned to the Nox Child Tribe from the salt quarry, carrying a heavy load of salt rocks—

I found Elpride flailing inside a giant jar.

At first, I thought she was bathing, but apparently not.

“Why—why do I have to do this?!”

Dressed in a thin, swimsuit-like slip, she wiped water from her face.

Beside her, pink-haired girls with neat ponytails stood with arms crossed.

“You have to submerge to feel the spirit! All the way under!”

“Just hold your breath for a minute! The spiritless world is like water—you’ll drown if you don’t get used to it first!”

Then, they pushed Elpride’s head back under.

“Gah—blblbl!”

Elpride, who hated water, was clearly suffering.

Splash—

But the girls dunked her completely before slamming a thick wooden lid on the jar.

“Hold on for a minute! If you want to sense spirits, you’ve gotta endure!”

So Elpride, intrigued by ancient primal sorcery, was training here.

Of course, she couldn’t take it—she burst out, gasping.

“Hahh—hahh… Nope. No way. Any other methods?”

The pink-haired girls exchanged glances.

“Fine. Just soak your body. But we’ll have to heat the water—that okay?”

“Might get a little hot!”

“I can handle heat.”

Elpride compromised, sitting sideways in the jar.

The girls lit a fire beneath it.

Whoosh—crackle, crackle—

As flames rose, steam curled from the jar where the white fairy soaked.

“Mmm… this is nice. Warm…”

True to her love of baths, Elpride melted into the hot water.

Watching her, I had flashbacks to my slave days—boiling her bathwater outdoors. PTSD incoming.

The pink-haired girls whispered among themselves.

Too bad we can’t submerge her fully—better effects that way.

She’s scared of water, what can we do? Anyway, we split the water, right?

Obviously.

Nymph-infused water is good, but elf-infused water? Double the effect!

Dunno! But I’m excited!

“Elf-infused water”?

So they planned to use Elpride’s bathwater as a potion ingredient.

Unaware, Elpride just sat there, face flushed, looking blissful.

I called out:

“Hey, Elpride. What’re you doing in there?”

“Idiot, can’t you see? Spirit-sensing training. Don’t interrupt—I need to focus. Gotta see this ‘spirit vision’ or whatever…”

As she spoke, the girls tossed dried herbs into her bath.

“Huh? What’re you putting in?”

“Dried mugwort and fragrant herbs. Makes the bath smell nice and improves skin!”

“Hmm…”

Elpride frowned at first, but the pleasant aroma soon made her ears droop—she was enjoying it.

To anyone else, it looked like she was being boiled alive, but as long as she was happy, who cared?

The herbs did smell healthy—good for skin and body.

A medicinal bath could only help, not harm.

Reminded me of my mom boiling herself in herb-infused water sometimes. Kind of nostalgic.

Splash, splash—

Elpride flicked water at me.

“Anyway, if you’ve got nothing to do, scram. Didn’t you hear? Nox Child Tribe rules—men and women can’t get within three steps of each other.”

“We’re outsiders. Who cares?”

“In Ideope, follow Ideope’s rules. You Samaritan savage.”

Her weird insistence made me back off.

“Over there—that’s Luna’s place…! Her warehouse and room…!”

Following Doris’s directions, I headed toward Luna’s room.

Creak—

Peeking through the slightly open door, I saw a space filled with herbs, grass, and flowers—giving off a wild, beastly vibe.

Like a forest from hell.

Bubble, bubble—*

“No… not this either.”

In the center, a pink-haired girl with twin braids muttered over a boiling pot, tossing in ingredients.

“No, no—still not right. The water’s gotta be special. Regular water won’t cut it!”

Something wasn’t working. Luna looked frustrated.

“Luna, what’s wrong?”

“Ah, Hassan—! It’s no good. I need special spring water. Wanna come with me to Moon and Hill Island?”

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(Translation ends here.)

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