Hero Hack: Reversing Heroes and Raising Harem-Chapter 99: Two Dogs Barked

Droven staggered back, clutching his arm.

Velra’s venom had already begun to sink into his veins.

His breathing was sharp and uneven, twisting his face.

"Poisoned me...?"

"You think I’m scared of a little sting?"

Velra landed lightly in front of him.

Her eyes never left his.

"No," she said coldly.

"I think you’re the easiest one to break."

Droven raised his blade, swaying slightly.

"I’ll gut you before it spreads—"

She vanished—Quick Step.

In a blink, she was behind him.

A Spinning Kick slammed into his lower back.

A faint Venom Trace glowed in the air where her foot had passed.

Droven hit the ground with a grunt.

He rolled, trying to rise, but his body already felt heavier.

"Why are my legs... so slow...?"

Velra didn’t answer.

She just circled him like a predator.

Every step she took left behind arcs of Blade Trace and faint shocks from Shock Trace.

He swung blindly.

She danced past it, almost playful now.

"Not used to your body failing you?"

Droven growled.

"You were supposed to be weak. A puppet!"

"I was," Velra said.

"Until I met him."

She activated Waltz Zone again.

Droven’s body slowed even more as her speed rose.

One kick.

Then another.

She didn’t stop moving.

Every kick layered more Blade Trace around him.

He swung again.

But her afterimage stayed behind.

Afterimage Trace.

He struck only air.

Then—

CRACK.

Her Hard Kick connected with his temple.

He dropped instantly.

His hand twitched, fingers clawing for a weapon.

Velra calmly walked up to him, crouched beside his head.

"You thought I’d ever bow to you?"

He couldn’t even speak.

"You’re not worthy to look at me."

Her last kick came down like judgment.

SNAP.

Droven was no more.

She stood over his corpse, eyes cold.

"One down."

Then she turned to the next.

Gozmak and Gurrak were no longer grinning.

They had seen how fast Droven died.

He hadn’t even had time to scream properly.

Velra’s movements were sharper and cleaner now.

Her speed was beyond what they remembered.

Quick Step, Waltz Zone, and her whole new abilities.

"She’s different," Gozmak growled, flexing his arms.

"She ain’t playing anymore."

"Then neither are we," Gurrak snarled, crouching low.

Gozmak cracked his neck.

"I’ll take her head-on."

His muscles swelled, his veins bulging as Pain Threshold surged.

"She can kick me all she wants. Every hit makes me harder."

He charged.

Velra met him with a blur of motion.

Her foot struck his ribs.

But instead of stumbling, Gozmak laughed through the pain.

"More," he grunted, eyes glowing red.

"Hit me more!"

Velra’s expression didn’t change.

Behind her.

Gurrak moved in silence, claws extended, body half-shifted into his Wolf Form.

His speed and aggression were doubled.

He leapt—aiming for her back.

But Velra disappeared with a sudden Quick Step.

He spun past both enemies in a tight arc.

A green shimmer of Venom Trace followed her steps.

She landed behind Gozmak and struck again.

Her heel slammed into the back of his knee.

Followed by a rising knee to the base of his skull.

Still, he turned with a smile.

"Hurts good."

"You’ll feel it soon," she said quietly.

Shock Trace flickered along his legs.

His steps began to slow.

Gozmak swung wildly.

She dodged again.

Gurrak tried to flank her once more.

But was blocked by another Afterimage Trace.

Leaving him off-balance as his claws cut air.

Velra kept dancing.

Every step layered more Blade Trace around Gozmak.

He charged again, ignoring his bleeding arms.

She ducked low, sweeping his legs with a poisoned heel.

He collapsed to one knee—but tried to stand.

Until his muscles locked.

"Wha—?"

The venom had finally stacked too high.

His limbs shook.

Velra stepped in front of him, eyes calm.

"You like pain?"

Gozmak growled, teeth grit.

"I live on it!"

"Then live through this."

Her final strike.

A flawless Spinning Kick.

Sliced through the air.

Amplified by Blade Trace.

Laced with venom, electricity, and a shockwave of raw power.

CRACK.

His neck snapped sideways from the force.

Gozmak’s massive body fell with a loud thud.

He didn’t move.

He didn’t groan.

He was done.

Velra stepped over him, her breathing steady.

"Two down."

She looked toward Gurrak, the last one standing.

"No more teammates. Just you and me."

Gurrak’s claws flexed.

"You’ll regret everything."

Velra smiled.

"No. You will."

---

Zain was now sitting casually with one knee raised.

He was watching the battle below.

Smoke and venom shimmered in the broken arena.

He grinned, eyes tracking Velra as she moved with elegance.

"She’s using all her new abilities better than I thought."

Zain folded his arms. "Still..."

His eyes narrowed toward Gurrak, who now stood alone.

"That one’s different."

Zain watched the fur on Gurrak’s arms begin to thicken.

His body grew more beast-like by the second.

"The same beast transformation type."

He remembered the feeling. The power spike. The pattern.

"Just like Scavratt."

Zain recalled the rat beastman.

When in rage, his strength spiked above normal A-Rank.

Into AA-Rank territory for brief bursts.

"If Gurrak’s the same..."

Zain’s smirk thinned.

"...his stat might skyrocket."

He shifted his posture slightly.

"And if he gets pushed far enough."

"He might not fight like a man anymore."

"He’ll hunt like a beast."

Then his eyes flicked sideways, thoughtful.

"And if that’s true..."

He leaned back, resting one hand on the concrete.

"I wonder if the wolf man will show up."

That transformation user.

The one who helped Scavratt escape.

Zain hadn’t forgotten him at all.

A real transformation-type support unit?

Maybe.

Zain grinned wider.

"If he shows up here too..."

His fingers curled slightly.

"...I’ll just join the fight."

---

A deep, animalistic growl echoed through the ruined arena.

Gurrak’s muscles bulged, his bones cracking as fur sprouted across his skin.

His mouth extended into a snout, and sharp fangs protruded from his jaw.

His claws lengthened, twitching in anticipation.

He didn’t speak anymore.

He couldn’t.

What replaced his words was a bestial roar that shook the walls.

Velra narrowed her eyes.

"So... you lost yourself, huh?"

She felt the shift.

The weight in the air.

"He’s not A-Rank anymore."

"This power..."

Her hand clenched into a fist.

"...Above AA-Rank."

She could feel her legs tense.

Her instincts screamed.

And yet, she stood her ground.

Zain’s words echoed in her head.

"Show me what a Velvet Demon really looks like."

Velra exhaled and dropped into stance, one foot forward.

"This is it," she said softly.

"The last sacrifice."

And then she moved.