The Genius Son-in-law of the Swordmaster Household—Blessed by Authority Chapter 85

Deserted Island Survival (4)

― Paaaaaaah!!

A golden light erupted from Hector's body.

"W-what!?"

Charlotte, who had been pinning him down, jumped back in surprise.

'W-what is this!?'

It wasn't aura.

If it had been aura, the detection device attached to Hector's belt would have sounded the elimination signal.

'......!'

It was a force far more primal, wild, and fierce than aura.

A single word flashed through Charlotte's mind like a bolt of lightning.

"N-no way!"

An astonished voice burst from her lips.

"Is this... Goldhound Transformation!?"

The forbidden secret technique of the Goldhound family.

It was a skill that summoned the power of the family's founder and divine beast—the Gold Hound—by drawing on their blood, granting ferocious strength.

'Hector can use Goldhound Transformation!? Already!?'

Hector was only fourteen years old.

Even as a direct heir of Goldhound, it was a precocious age to awaken Goldhound Transformation.

To properly wield the Gold Hound's power, one needed a body trained to withstand the strain of beastification, and a strong mind to control the bloodlust.

'But Hector has neither!'

Hector was certainly bigger and more robust than his peers, but he was still no match for a trained adult swordsman.

Moreover, in Charlotte's eyes, Hector's mental fortitude was practically trash.

'Damn it... But how!?'

How could this worthless thug manage to manifest the Goldhound family's ultimate secret, the Goldhound Transformation, already!

― Grrrrrr...!

'Charlotte...! You damn bitch...!!'

Growling, Hector slowly rose to his feet.

'Because of you my whole plan is ruined! Shit!!! I was saving Goldhound Transformation for Ian!!'

Just as Charlotte saw, Hector was not yet in a state where he could properly control Goldhound Transformation.

His body was not trained enough to withstand the strain, and he had no mental strength to command the beast's instinct.

So he had saved this move to use only once in the most crucial moment.

His plan was to use the Gold Hound's blood to subdue Ian should he resist when Hector used Sophia as a hostage.

But Charlotte's interference threw everything off.

Her attacks and provocations sent his blood boiling, and in the end, she ignited the core of his Gold Hound blood.

'I went through so much to gather Gold Hound blood for this day...!!'

In truth, manifesting Goldhound Transformation didn't strictly require bodily training or spiritual refinement.

Those were merely foundations for control.

Actual manifestation was possible as long as one had thick enough Goldhound blood.

But Hector was only fourteen. No matter how direct the lineage, it was too early an age for his body to contain highly concentrated Gold Hound blood.

So Hector gathered blood from collateral relatives.

The night before the test, he injected himself with a distilled essence of Gold Hound blood, refined from their contributions, sharpening his blade of revenge.

He thickened the concentration of Gold Hound blood in his veins, making it so he could draw on beastly power at the slightest stimulation.

'Krrrrrr......!'

This was blatant doping.

A fraudulent act using external alchemical substances.

However, blood transfusion alone would never be caught by a doping test.

Moreover, many of the instructors overseeing this deserted island test were under the influence of Goldhound family's money and power.

There was no way Hector's cheating would be discovered.

'Kr...! Charlotte...!'

Power that he had prepared so thoroughly was blown in vain—all because of Charlotte.

'I'll make you regret ruining my plan...down to your bones...!'

― Crack! Crunch!

"Krrrrraaaaah...!!"

Hector surrendered himself fully to Goldhound Transformation.

"Kraaaaaaaaaaah!!"

― Snap! Crunch!

The wounds Charlotte had inflicted began to heal rapidly.

At the same time, his body twisted grotesquely.

His whole body swelled up, golden fur sprouting out.

His muzzle snapped forward with a crunch, and his fangs grew until they jutted out past his lips.

His golden irises enlarged, soon swallowing up all the whites of his eyes.

His breath grew animalistic, and saliva dripped down his lips—he looked every bit the starving beast.

"Uaaaaaaaah!!"

But it was an incomplete beastification.

"W-what is that!? It's disgusting!!"

Sophia shrieked in horror.

His snout had only partially emerged, the fur grown sparsely over half his body.

He looked as though an ape was stuck midway through evolution.

― Grrrrrrrrr...!

Still, the power he drew up was real.

Even if he faced off against that barbarian, couga, he wouldn't lose out now.

'Grrrrr...! I don't care about the details anymore. Those two will meet their end here!'

Now that Goldhound Transformation was released, Hector couldn't return to normal until all this beast energy was expelled.

Had he trained his mind, he might have suppressed it at will, but Hector lacked even that much willpower.

The longer the transformation lasted, the greater the burden on his body.

Worse yet, since he had forced this state through overwhelming power rather than mental strength, the time he could hold onto reason was extremely short.

In short—if Hector didn't vent this savagery quickly, he would have to pay a terrible price.

As time passed, his body and mind would crumble, and in the worst case, he could be eliminated immediately or suffer permanent aftereffects from the test.

'No time! I need to deal with that blonde bitch right now!'

― Paah!

Hector thundered into the ground.

The golden ape tore forward, the earth yielding as if it were butter.

― Screech!

The massive body surged with a speed that didn't fit its size.

"Wh-what!?"

As Hector charged, Charlotte instinctively raised both arms.

A solid guard to brace for the beast's blow.

But—

― Slash!

What flew at her wasn't a fist but claws.

Hector's razor-sharp nails sliced across both of Charlotte's arms as he passed.

"Aaagh!"

Crimson blood erupted from Charlotte's forearms.

A deep wound.

Droplets splattered thickly across the ground.

"L-Lady Lottie!"

"I-I'm fine!"

Sophia screamed and started rushing over, but Charlotte held up a hand to stop her.

"Stay back! Sophia! H-hah!"

Catching her breath, Charlotte steadied her stance to face Hector again.

But Hector was already launching a kick from her blind spot.

"What!?"

― Thud!

Hector's claws struck deep into her torso.

"Urgh! Ugh!"

—Urk!

Charlotte vomited her breakfast with blood as she dropped to her knees.

—Grab!

Hector savagely seized her by the hair as she knelt.

"Kuhuhuhuh...!! Charlotte! You arrogant bitch! Act all haughty again, let's see you try it! Charlotte! Come on, act tough one more time!!"

Hector's voice was a grotesque blend of excitement and savagery.

"Ugh... Uurgh!"

"Stop it!"

Sophia grabbed a stone and ran at him.

She meant to smash it over Hector's head to save Charlotte.

But—

"Oi! Where do you think you're going!"

Jacob, the number two thug in Hector's posse, grabbed Sophia.

"Eek!"

He wrenched her arm, throwing her to the ground.

—Thump!

"S-Sophia...!"

Charlotte groaned her name in agony.

"Urgh...urgh!"

—Rip!

Charlotte twisted desperately, almost tearing out her hair, but Hector easily neutralized her resistance with a stronger grip.

"GRRRRAAAAA!!"

Seeing Charlotte writhe and squirm unleashed the frenzy in Hector, causing him to howl.

He slammed his fist deeply into Charlotte's stomach once more.

—Whack! Thud! Thud!

The heavy blows echoed through the forest.

"Urgh! Ack! Gak!"

Charlotte collapsed, unable even to breathe.

Her body shuddered with pain.

"U-urgh!"

She vomited blood again.

—Whip!

Hector glanced down at her with satisfaction, then shook his head to dispel his bestial urges and turned away from Charlotte.

"Grrrrr!"

He raised his claws and approached Sophia.

Now it was time to deal with Sophia.

"Krk! Grrr!"

He could feel the time his rationality would last was quickly running out.

Hector knelt on one knee and seized Sophia's head by the hair as she lay pinned.

—Shing!

He pressed his razor-sharp claw against Sophia's soft, rounded cheek.

"Grrrrrr...!!"

He'd better hurry—should he start by gouging out an eye?

A wicked smile twisted on Hector's lips.

Even if she got treated, losing an eye would leave a permanent mark.

It was the perfect way to plunge Ian into despair.

"L-let go! Let go!!"

Sophia struggled, but Jacob's weight held her down—her resistance was futile.

"Heeek!?"

As the claw drew closer, rage in Sophia's eyes was quickly overtaken by terror.

"Krrrrrr... No, no...! Sophiaaaa!"

Charlotte crawled desperately across the ground.

But her guts were practically destroyed, her body refused to listen.

Her arms and legs thrashed, but only scratched the dirt.

—Ssst!

"Eek! Eeeek!! Young Master!! Young Master Ian!!!"

Sophia cried out, and Hector burst into a mad cackle.

"Grrr! Right...! Bark! Shout that bastard's name! Bark for me! Kehehe, hahahaha!!"

His claw drew ever closer to Sophia's eye.

Sharp talons about to gouge into her eyeball—

― Clack.

Someone took a firm grip on Hector's fingers.

The grip was cold.

"Krk?"

Hector turned his head.

He saw a face achingly familiar.

A calm boy with gray hair.

Ian Greysel was crouched at his side.

"Who do you think you're pointing that at?"

—Crunch!!!

A crisp sound of something breaking resounded.

"Krk!?"

A burning agony exploded from his fingers; looking down, he belatedly registered pain.

"GRRRRAAAAAAA!!!"

Hector's fingers were snapped and torn, like crab legs breaking apart.

Meat protruded from the joints like crab meat, quickly dyed bright red with blood.

Hector clutched his ruined hand and screamed.

Because he had tensed his muscles, the pain was doubled.

"Keugh!"

But even that scream didn't last a second.

Ian had instantly wrapped his arm around Hector's throat in a chokehold.

"Ku, keuk!"

Ian's forearm locked around Hector's neck like a noose.

"Grrrk!"

Hector clawed desperately at Ian's arm with razor-sharp nails.

–Clack! Crack!

But with Ian's forearms shielded by layers of tough bark, it was meaningless resistance.

–Squeeze!

"Ka—kek?!"

Ian's grip tightened, crushing Hector's throat more and more.

Hector's eyes fluttered, rolling backward.

Then, at last.

–Crack!

"Kek!?"

Bones twisted sickeningly; Hector's neck went limp.

His neck had been broken.

–Thud!

Ian threw Hector's body onto the ground, setting off convulsions through Hector like a seizure.

–Twitch! Twitch!

It was a spasm caused by a twisted nervous system.

It had taken only five seconds.

"C-crazy!!?"

"H-he killed him...!? Did he really kill him!?"

"Wha—what! Young Master Ian!!"

"......!"

Everyone present was stunned, friend and foe alike.

Not only Hector's gang, but even Sophia and Charlotte stared at Ian with dropped jaws.

"......"

But there was not an ounce of regret or panic in Ian's eyes.

He simply bore the look of someone who had done what needed to be done.

That gaze now turned coldly toward his next targets.

"G-gasp! H-he's crazy! That bastard...!!"

"He really killed him!"

"Is he going to kill us too!?"

"R-run! We have to run!"

"Aaagh!"

Hector's gang stumbled backward in terror.

More than half of them had already been humiliated by Ian's overwhelming skills during the entrance exam.

Now, fear engraved in their bodies was joined by real fear of death—there was no way they'd be able to muster any fighting spirit.

Their clubs and stones dropped heavily to the ground.

"Aaaaaaah!!"

As soon as one kid turned and bolted,

"Aaaaaah!"

"Aaagh! Spare me!"

"I don't want to die!"

"Instructor! Please! Somebody help us!"

As if on cue, the others scattered in all directions, running for their lives.

Screaming, Hector's gang fled every which way.

But Ian wasn't planning to let them go.

"You're not going anywhere."

Not a single one—he'd let none of them off easily.

They'd touched Sophia; he'd teach them what that cost.

–Swish!

Ian dashed forward.

"Aaaagh!"

First, the closest one.

Ian's foot struck out at the boy.

–Thud!

"Aaaagh!"

With a blow to the back of the knee, the boy fell, clutching his leg.

Next, the others, in order of proximity.

–Thump! Whack! Crack!

Back of the head, achilles' tendon, lower back—

"Aaagh! Aaargh!"

"Stop! Stop! Please! Aaaah!"

"Spare me! Spare me!"

Ian's fists and kicks struck true at every vital spot.

With a single blow, a goon fell each time.

It took less than twenty seconds for all of them to be left groaning and crawling across the muddy earth.

"M-my leg! It's...broken... Aaagh!"

"Groooooan..."

"Gak, kaak! C-can't... breathe...!"

Ian looked down on the whimpering, wounded boys with cold eyes.

"You brought this on yourselves."

Now that he'd hobbled their legs, the real lesson was about to begin.

It was time to engrave an unforgettable lesson upon Hector's gang.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

So satisfying...

Charlotte slowly redeeming herself...

I'm shipping Sophia x Lottie...

This novel is a trap. It's not GB it's Yuri...

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】