Galatic Overlord:I Can Copy Other's Ability

Hex crouched down and looked ahead seriously. "Normal animals aren't that intelligent, right?" he asked, glancing at the others.

They nodded in agreement.

"It's definitely being led by something… or someone who's nearly reached 1-Star level," Cory said, analyzing the situation. Her words caused everyone to pause and look at Hex briefly, which made him frown.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" he asked, his voice calm but slightly annoyed.

Brook leaned forward with a serious look. "Should we try to hunt it? We might get something big out of it."

Harry, who was still recovering from earlier injuries, didn't seem too keen on the idea. His face clearly showed discomfort.

"I'm not the leader here," Hex said quietly. "I'm just a stranger to you guys."

"But you're strong," Brooklyn added, not hesitating even for a second.

Hex felt the weight of their stares. The group wasn't bad, he thought. No one had caused trouble, and everyone had held their own. But still, it felt like they were putting their hopes on him and he didn't like it.

The truth was, Hex didn't want to reveal too much of his power just yet.

"It might be risky," he said after a moment of thought. "We should scout the area first and understand what we're dealing with. No need to rush into anything. I might be strong, but I'm still a rookie. I only awakened right before the army selection."

His words dampened the mood. The group fell silent, but then Brook crossed his arms and scoffed.

"Why are you all getting so gloomy? Don't you trust your own strength?"

That snapped the others out of their hesitation. Their eyes turned to Harry, who clenched his jaw and spoke up.

"I can stay back and provide cover if things go wrong."

Lia nodded softly. "And with my healing, I can patch you up,at least if the injuries aren't too bad. But don't push your luck. Stay smart."

Her voice carried a calm firmness. The others finally relaxed a bit. In truth, Hex wanted the mood to grow tense, to see how they reacted under pressure.

They already had a decent sense of everyone's power except for Hex.

No one had questioned his abilities, and he didn't offer any explanation either. It was better that way.

They stood up and began following the trail quietly, heading in the direction where the hounds had come from. The air was heavy with tension as they moved step by step, alert and silent.

But they had barely walked a few meters when a sharp shriek tore through the forest.

Everyone froze in their steps.

The group came to a sudden halt, tension rising in the air. But Brook, ever the daring one, stepped ahead without hesitation.

"Huh? What's going on?" he asked, his voice firm as he took a few more steps forward.

"Hey, stop!" Brooklyn called out, trying to grab his arm. But Brook simply shook her off and moved toward the right, his eyes focused and alert.

Hex narrowed his gaze and suddenly caught sight of a faint trail of dust rising ahead. His instincts kicked in as he shouted, "Jump back! Quickly!"

Before anyone could fully react, loud crashing noises followed. Brook, who had moved further ahead, froze as he saw a massive hound charging at him with terrifying speed.

His body stiffened. He turned to escape, but the ground shook under his feet. The hound was already in front of him, its enormous body barreling through the trees.

He gasped, feeling her legs go numb. He tried to activate his power, but before he could, a whip-like vine flew out from behind, striking him across the waist and coiling around him.

The force yanked him back violently, dragging him across the dirt, leaves, and branches with brutal speed.

The hound, with no target in its path, crashed into a nearby tree. The impact echoed like thunder.

Boom!

The thick tree trunk cracked and burst. A chunk of the stem exploded into sharp splinters, scattering across the area. Even the hound didn't escape unscathed—its head swung in confusion, clearly disoriented from the impact.

That gave the others just a second to react. Brook coughed hard, dirt caked on her arms as she lay on the ground.

"Could you not drag me like this?" He groaned, his voice weak but annoyed.

The vine, though it had saved his life, had dragged him across the rough ground in a painful mess. Hex's lips twitched. He wanted to scold her but let it slide.

"Sorry, I'm not exactly trained," he muttered under his breath.

Suddenly, a shrill cry burst out from the woods.

"KYOOOOOO!"

The massive hound turned sharply toward them, its fangs bared and eyes glowing with rage.

"Brooklyn!" Harry yelled.

Brooklyn didn't hesitate. She stepped forward quickly and summoned a fireball in her palm. Without delay, she hurled it at the beast. The glowing sphere of flame struck the hound right in the face, exploding on impact. Smoke and heat flared up, disorienting the beast further.

Meanwhile, Cory leapt down from a small ledge nearby and slammed her hands onto the earth. The ground rippled and a raised mound formed under the hound's feet, throwing off its balance. The beast stumbled hard and smashed into the dirt with a thud, its limbs flailing.

As the smoke cleared, Brook got to his feet, wiping the dust from his arms. He pointed a finger ahead, his gaze became sharp and focused. Hex frowned, sensing something strange building in the air.

The next second, a sharp pulse shot forward like a gust. It streaked toward the hound lying on the ground. But the creature, sensing the danger, slammed its feet into the earth and pushed itself sideways, sliding just in time.

A wave of energy followed behind. It swept through the dirt and sliced across the ground, leaving a clean mark—like a blade had slashed it. The air shimmered faintly, and Hex's eyes narrowed. That attack was precise and sharp, almost like a sword strike made of pure force.