Iron Blooded Hound

Chapter 3: Strong Enough ??

Baby Vikir lay in the dimly lit nursery.

There's not much to do with a child who can't control his own body.

He simply nurses and ponders before reacting.

At 8, he felt mana for the first time.

By 15, he had accumulated one circle level of mana.

At 20, he began taking on missions like assassination and spying.

By 25, he excelled in swordsmanship.

At 29, he realized the limits of being an illegitimate child.

At 30, demons invaded through the gates of Pandemonium.

By 35, he had endured the era of destruction.

At 39, he emerged victorious in the war for the Empire.

The Baskevilles' hunting dog was 40 years old. It had been loyal, but they accused it of colluding with demons. In the end, it faced the guillotine.

Hatred for Hugo Baskeville grew. Vikir's nanny was startled as he gnashed his teeth. She quickly moved him away.

The nanny finished her shift and prepared to leave. But instead, she approached Vikir's cradle again.

Confused, she placed a large box in the cradle and left the nursery in a hurry.

Vikir gazed at the box beside him.

Had he experienced anything like this before regressing? No memories surfaced.

Struggling, he raised his head and peered out of the cradle.

Vikir's Cradle was quite distant from the others.

Something felt off.

His instincts were correct.

Eerie – Eerie –

Soon enough, the box was compressed and something emerged.

A present for a newborn.

snakes.

Two black, triangular-headed snakes slithered out of the box.

Deadly Mamba.

Also known as Chilbosa, a venomous snake that causes death within seven steps of a bite.

A rare species scarcely found in the world.

Vikir was astonished.

Who let this snake loose here?

Seemingly, the nanny departed without realizing what she had unleashed.

Initially bewildered, Vikir quickly understood the situation.

'Come to think of it, there were numerous cases of infants dying mysteriously in the nursery.'

Many children with exceptional abilities met untimely deaths.

Previously, he believed it was just accidental, an enemy's assassination, or plain misfortune.

However, the current scenario seemed dire.

The dark hand reaching for the nursery seemed to be from within the family.

Two deadly snakes were slithering towards him.

Their mouths were red and their fangs glistened, as if they were already stained with blood.

If not stopped, these snakes could wipe out all the children in the nursery.

This could lead to a catastrophe like never before seen in Baskevilles' history.

'Well, that's not ideal.'

There was no emotional connection to the family.

But seeking revenge at the expense of self-destruction was pointless.

Vikir extended his hand.

Having faced and defeated numerous monsters during the era of destruction, he was well-versed in dealing with reptilian creatures, especially those in snake form.

He knew their weaknesses and could use a newborn's body to kill them.

With a swift motion, Vikir grabbed each snake by the nape of their necks, where they couldn't strike.

The preemptive attack caused the snakes to struggle, trying to pierce Vikir with their sharp scales. But his body was protected by the River Styx, making it impossible for them to harm him.

'The scales may not hurt me, but I'm not sure about their teeth.'

Simultaneously, Vikir channeled his mana...

His body, devoid of mana since birth, was now filled with it.

This transformation occurred after he drank the water of the River Styx to its brim.

His fists started to glow with a faint light.

This is a level that the infants in this nursery will achieve in the next 8 years.

Vikir accomplished this feat before he even turned eight months old.

Tsutsutsutsutsu...

The two venomous snakes' bodies stiffened.

It was a moment of a weaker being facing a predator.

The two snakes froze, their scales rigid, as if sensing an unprecedented fear from the child before them.

Soon, Vikir's mana-charged hands mercilessly twisted the snakes' necks.

... Wood deok!

The skin and flesh remained intact, but the bones beneath shattered.

The snakes opened their mouths.

The pressure made their eyeballs bulge and tongues protrude.

With broken necks, the snakes shuddered and perished.

Deadly venom dripped from their exposed fangs.

The following day.

All the guardian knights in the household rushed to the nursery upon hearing the nanny's screams.

Vikir, grinning, held the two dead snakes with broken necks.

The knights were shocked to see that they were bloody mambas, known for their venom in the 'Le Rogue' Mountains.

Even though dead, the presence of such a dangerous creature in a nursery was a major concern.

Within minutes, news reached Hugo in the main castle, prompting him to hurry to the Fang castle.

Afterwards, the nannies who worked the night shift were all punished and a strict guard was placed in the nursery.

The person responsible for releasing the poisonous snake was never identified.

But only one individual.

"..."

A young hound dog observed everything silently.

A legendary child, who from birth, quickly navigated through challenges, spent the longest time in the River Styx, and defeated two poisonous snakes.

Vikir Van Baskeville.

He patiently waited in the cradle.

For the right moment to seek vengeance.

"..."

And eight years have gone by since that time.

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