Hero Hack: Reversing Heroes and Raising Harem-Chapter 45: Bloody Surprise

Zain exhaled sharply through his nose, his face twisted in frustration.

"Whatever. Let’s just focus on the next thing."

He opened his hand toward the air.

"System—turn off Scavratt’s auto absorption. Just give me the damn points already."

---

[Hack Initiation: Auto Absorption Shutdown & Point Transfer]

[Target: Scavratt]

[Effect 1: Disable Automatic Absorption]

[Effect 2: Transfer all accumulated Hack Points to Host]

[Hack Points Gained from Absorption: +2,500]

[Maintenance Cost (6 Hours): -600 Hack Points]

[Net Gain: +1,900 Hack Points]

[Current Hack Points: 3,880]

[Status: Executing...]

---

Zain frowned hard.

"Tch... That’s it?"

He scoffed.

"My points are still under four thousand."

His eyes burned, jaw tightening again.

"It’s because of that damn rat. I wasted too much... and still couldn’t kill him."

He let out a cold sigh and rolled his neck.

"Whatever."

His eyes glowed faintly red again.

"System—heal me. Enough to move is fine, but I’m not walking around in pain like some loser."

---

[Hack Initiation: Targeted Pain Suppression & Comfort Restoration]

[Target: Zain]

[Effect: Suppress remaining pain and restore body to a comfortable, stable state]

[Cost Required: 3,000 Hack Points]

[Status: Executing...]

---

Zain’s muscles loosened.

The tension in his ribs, his back, and his side faded instantly.

He rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles, expression more controlled now.

"Much better..."

His tone was flat—but under it, the fire still burned.

"Still not full... but good enough to hunt."

He took a few steps, adjusting the straps of his coat, scanning the alley with a cold gaze.

"I need more Hack Points."

He stared into the distance, eyes narrowing like a predator.

"Time to find new prey."

---

Zain walked slowly through the ruined alley, head slightly lowered, deep in thought.

His voice was low as he muttered to himself.

"Wait a minute..."

His eyes sharpened.

"There were seven enforcers that Scar—Savra—told me about."

He counted them off with one raised hand, fingers curling one by one.

"Ruckle and Burnshot... both dead."

"Skritch and Flicker... killed them together."

He smirked faintly. "Mirro... turned her own mirrors against her yesterday."

"And Scavratt..." His smile faded, jaw tightening.

"He escaped."

Zain’s eyes narrowed.

"That makes six."

He stopped walking.

His eyes glowed faintly red.

"That means there’s one more."

He activated Sharp Eye, scanning the rubble, shadows, and debris.

Every flicker of dust, every twitch of fabric—nothing escaped him.

A heap of crushed crates and torn garbage bags shifted slightly in the distance.

Zain’s lip curled.

"...There you are."

He rushed forward, boots slamming against broken stone as he closed the distance.

One brutal kick shattered the heap of trash.

A man tumbled out, coughing and flailing, eyes wide with panic.

"W-Wait! Wait!! Please—don’t kill me—I’m not a fighter!"

He raised both hands, stumbling back on the ground.

"I-I was just... just helping! I didn’t hurt anyone! I’m just a victim!"

Zain didn’t blink.

He stepped forward, eye twitching with irritation.

"You’re lying."

He scanned him with a flick of his eye.

---

[Name: Retox]

[Rank: C]

[Stats:]

[Str: C]

[Vit: D]

[Agi: C]

[Int: D]

[Low-Tier Abilities:]

[Strength Boost: temporarily increases an ally’s physical power, making their melee attacks hit harder.]

[Agility Boost: temporarily enhances an ally’s speed and reflexes, helping them dodge and move faster.]

---

Zain’s eyes darkened.

"You’re support."

He took another step.

"You’re the one who kept boosting Scavratt during the fight, weren’t you?"

Retox’s face paled. "H-How... how do you—?"

Zain’s voice dropped to a low growl.

"You’re the reason he got faster. Stronger. You made it harder for me to kill him."

His fists clenched.

"You fed that rat every boost he needed."

Retox’s eyes widened in horror.

"D-Damn it... he knows..."

He spun on his heel and kicked into a desperate sprint.

Agility Boost!

His body blurred forward, leaping over crates, twisting through the narrow gaps.

But Zain didn’t even move.

He stood still, calmly reaching into his coat.

"C-Rank support... thinks he can outrun me now that I’m A-Rank?"

Zain’s lips curled into a cold smirk.

"Let’s test something."

He sliced his palm cleanly with a flick of his blade.

His blood flowed, glowing faintly as he breathed on it—Blast Breath infused.

The drop of blood hardened in midair—spinning into a small, sharp bullet.

Zain loaded it into his rifle.

"Let’s see if this works."

He didn’t aim for the head.

He aimed lower—straight for Retox’s leg.

BOOM.

The shot cracked like thunder.

A half-second later—

"AAAAAGH!"

Retox collapsed mid-run, tumbling forward, clutching his shredded calf, blood gushing between his fingers.

He writhed on the ground, crying out.

"N-No—please—don’t kill me! I-I didn’t do anything! I just followed orders!"

Zain stepped forward, eyes glowing faintly red, rifle still aimed low.

"You gave me trouble," he said flatly.

"Made Scavratt harder to kill. Almost got me killed."

Zain stopped just a few steps away, lowering the barrel slightly.

"And even if I let you go..." His voice sharpened.

"You’re not running anywhere now."

Retox’s eyes widened as he tried to crawl away.

But then—he stopped.

His hands started trembling.

"Wh-what... the hell..."

He looked at his fingers—his arms—his skin was warping.

Veins turning black. His muscles swelling unnaturally.

His mouth quivered.

"N-No... no what’s happening to me?!"

Zain tilted his head slightly, voice casual.

"That bullet you took?"

"Had my blood in it."

Retox gasped.

"What...?"

Zain’s smirk deepened.

"You’re going berserk now."

Retox’s eyes widened.

"No—no no no no no—"

He grabbed at his leg, tried to press the wound shut, but it was too late.

His breath grew ragged. Muscles convulsed.

Zain just stood and watched as panic set in.

Retox screamed, "This can’t be happening!! I-I saw this—this happened to the thugs—NO!!"

His body jerked violently.

His spine cracked, bones twisting, limbs bulging.

Retox let out a distorted, gurgling scream as his face warped, jaw unhinged, eyes bulging with blood.

Zain kept his aim steady, watching with clinical detachment.

"You’re turning out even uglier than the others," he muttered.

"Guess C-Rank packs a lot more mess when they break."

The transformation stopped.

Where Retox once was now stood a grotesque, hunched beast.

It had overgrown arms, fused muscle, and shredded, mutated skin.

His aura spiked—feral, unstable, violent.

Zain’s eyes narrowed.

"...B-Rank."

He cracked his neck once.

"You’ll make fine food."