Chapter 120 The Daughter Of Fire And Steel 3

Hiro then made a lovesick face full of longing that had the rest of the caravan escort show various reactions in surprise. What happened to the dominating butcher everyone feared?

The person in front of them looked like a teenager who fantasized about kissing his crush. What the fuck? By this time, the San-Baka came back covered in sweat and blood. Aurum acted as the leader and shouted in pride.

"Master! We did it! We took down the mons…"

Only to find the unfamiliar man looking at Wedding necklaces before him. 'This dude must really like necklaces.' Thought Aurum. Before anyone else could say anything, Hiro choose three of the necklaces and closed the boxes.

The moment he stood up the very air around him changed. Once more an inhumane chill enveloped the man. The start contrast took everyone by surprise and set them on edge.

If earlier the butcher transformed into a lovestruck child, now the tyrannical monster appeared in all his inhumane temperament. The butcher's words broke the silence caused by his shifts in demeanor.

"Twelve minutes, passable. Did you salvage the corpses?"

Lars came forward and showed three magic stones as large as bowling balls. Geo, on the other hand, winced as he presented pieces of meat covered in blood and fluids of disgusting origin.

"We have master, here are the hearts and the magic stones. Unfortunately in our haste none of the scorpion carapaces got left intact." Explained Aurum.

- Alert: Party Leader Hiroto Musashi has shared [Meat shop], [Voracious], [Unquenchable] via [Butcher] -

Aurum, Geo, and Lars made disgusted faces after they read the descriptions of the skills they just got. As no one else saw the system messages the next words of the Wolfen butcher put everyone on guard.

"The Magic stones are yours, From this day forward you know what to do right?"

Wincing in disgust Aurum tried to make things better by asking to treat the meat.

"Can we at least…"

"No."

"How about we…"

"No."

"Even just a li…"

"No."

Denied any recourse but to start their careers are carnivores in the purest sense of the word. Hiro elucidated the matter, while slowly indoctrinating his slaves. He didn't mind the others hearing.

"This is what it means to follow me. If you want power, leave your humanity behind. I also threw mine away as what I desired needed such a price. If you wish to stay weak, stay human.

"But should the time your need for power comes, cry in helplessness and regret knowing the fault is no one else's but your own. If you stop here, I will look for new slaves. Choose."

Aurum after a moment of contemplation made a determined face and took one of the hearts off Geo's hands and started to eat it raw.

Lars, placed the bowling ball-sized magic stones by Hiro's feet presumably for safekeeping and followed suit.

Geo, after making faces full of revulsion, started to bite the bloody organ in his hands while forcing himself to not puke it.

Alan, Hach, and the rest of the caravan escorts were wide-eyed in disbelief. What were they seeing, did eating scorpion hearts give one power or something? Could they also get in on it? Hiro's words echoed in the minds of Hach and his men.

Unable to hold his curiosity in check Alan decided to ask for everyone's benefit. "Musashi-sama, does eating scorpion hearts give one's body a benefit or trait? Can we also partake in such a delicacy if the chance arises?"

Hiro coldly cut him off as he curtly answered. "It does not concern you, we are moving. San-Baka, change into the battle suits Alan provided. Then run to the front of the caravan. Anything and everything that comes. You kill, eat and repeat."

The butcher quickly inspected their stats and smiled as he noticed, they now had 80 INT and 40 STR. This was the threshold that allowed system users to operate without sleep. When he asked the system why it needed such stats specifically. Its answer left him in awe.

- Alert: At 80 INT, a System user gains enough brain power to create a "Second brain". And allows for Unihemispheric slow-wave sleep allowing for non-stop operations of the mind. While 40 STR gives the user enough energy to defer resting by eating. -

"What the hell is Unihemispheric slow-wave sleep?"

- Alert: This phenomenon exists in animals such as birds and dolphins. Granting humans a second brain gives a similar result. This new ability allows the user to toggle between brains. This allows them to rest the other brain while the other is in use. -

"Well, I'll be dammed, then does gaining more INT, grant more of these brains? Would I be able to research while I fight then?"

- Alert: Affirmative, although the thresholds are different increasing INT does grant enough brain processing power to have multiple active cerebral cortexes focusing on different things. -

Back to the present the butcher then looked at Alan as he asked. "If I can guarantee your caravan will be safe at night, can you arrange for your men to drive non-stop?"

Alan unsure of why such a request needed to be even considered looked at Hach for his opinion. The mercenary leader thought for a while before answering.

"I have enough men for 4 rotations if none of them need to guard. Just driving is something all of them can do. Theoretically, we can."

Bewildered the merchant verified what such arrangements were for. "Musashi-sama, what about you and your slaves? If you do all the guarding and fighting, how would they sleep, eat and rest? Won't they die at this rate?"

At his words Hiro smiled while ignoring the man's question instead he asked one of his own. "How long does it take to get to the next city?"

"12 days." Answered Alan.

"And if we do not stop?" Hiro added.

Hach had a troubled expression as he answered for the merchant. "If we only stopped for quick meals and bathroom breaks, Four days."

Pleased with the time saved, Hiro then made a vicious smile as he looked at Alan.

"As I told my slaves, to follow me they have to throw away their humanity and become something more. I am a monster. A monster needs no sleep and needs no rest. Make the arrangements. My slaves and I will handle security until we reach the next city."

Thus for the next four days, the San-Baka annihilated and devoured everything that attempted to even get near the caravan. The stress from the repeated cycle of monsters arriving, fighting then dying soon became normal for the people in the caravan.

Unbeknown to anyone else Hiro kept summoning all the high-level monsters he could sense and threw them at San-Baka to clean them up. Initially, Geo and the others kept complaining about being tired and needing to rest.

However the more they fought the stronger they became, and the more they ate the better they felt. When they started to earn additional stats, skills as well as calibers. Their attitudes completely changed.

Hach and the others initially thought they were just suicidal, but as the days passed they saw in real-time, the number of levels, loot, and skills that San-Baka gained. By the second day, the three lost all vestiges of being boys and grew up into hardened men. By the third, gone were the humans, and born were the monsters.