Starting out as a Dragon Slave-Chapter 69: Grade C

Hugo watched for a moment as the young hunter lay on the cold ground, still shaken by the after-effects of the end of his [Berserker] skill. He motioned to the medical assistants to come quickly, pointing at Isaac:

- Come on, he needs quick treatment. Bring him some energy syringes. His body has taken far more than the usual limit for a test of this rank.

The two assistants, dressed in white coats, arrived at once with a small briefcase. One took out several syringes filled with a luminous bluish liquid, while the other checked Isaac’s vital signs with a portable scanner.

Isaac watched, breathing heavily, his muscles still shaking with violent tremors. Hugo crouched down beside him again, his gaze serious but benevolent:

- Whatever you’ve used has done you a world of damage. Berserker] is a dangerous skill, especially at your level. You need to learn to control its side effects. These syringes contain a powerful liquid energy that will accelerate your body’s natural cellular recovery process.

He paused slightly, staring straight into Isaac’s eyes:

- Now, listen carefully: as soon as you get out of here, go and restore yourself immediately. Eat a lot, and eat well. Your body is going to draw heavily on your reserves, it’s going to need resources.

Isaac nodded weakly, grimacing slightly as one of the assistants gently injected the energetic liquid into his vein. He immediately felt a pleasant warmth invade his muscles, soothing the stabbing pain that had been running through them since the end of the fight.

Hugo stood up and gave Isaac one last look:

- I’ll take care of the official paperwork and your test results. You just lie here and recuperate. I’ll only be a few minutes.

He turned and disappeared into an adjacent corridor, leaving Isaac in the care of the medical assistants.

Lying on the floor, Isaac felt his [Regeneration] skill combining naturally with the injected liquid. His tremors gradually subsided, and his muscles began to regain their natural tone. His breathing became more regular and his muscular pains rapidly subsided.

One of the medical assistants looked at the data on his screen with amazement:

- His recovery is... incredible. He’s already regained almost 70% of his muscular capacity in just a few minutes.

The other nodded with a discreet smile:

- I’ve never seen such a powerful combined effect. He has exceptional natural regeneration coupled with the energy serum. At this rate, he’ll be fully recovered in just a few moments.

Isaac, hearing their exchange, smiled a weary but satisfied smile.

- I suppose... that’s one of the advantages of risking your life so often.

After about ten minutes, Isaac was already able to sit up on his own, clearly feeling that his body was regaining all its usual strength. He stretched his arms slightly, checking his muscular condition. There was almost no trace of the brutal backlash he had felt earlier.

Just then, Hugo returned to the room, holding a sheet of official paper in his right hand. He walked straight over to Isaac with a slight, sincere but professional smile:

- Well, you’re recovering fast, Isaac. I’m glad. Here’s your official exam result sheet.

Isaac rose to his full height, gently grasping the document Hugo held out to him. He quickly scanned the clearly written lines, his heart pounding with anticipation:

"Isaac Leroux - Official rank elevation exam results

- Physical tests (Strength, Speed, Endurance): Confirmed C-rank

- Mana: Exceeds C-rank expectations

- Combat skills: Exceptional, exceeds usual C-rank criteria

- Official class awarded: Warrior"

At the bottom of the sheet, a handwritten annotation from Hugo himself:

"Excellent skills and remarkable potential. Unreservedly admitted to rank C."

Isaac looked up at Hugo, slightly astonished:

- Warrior, eh? Suits me, I suppose.

Hugo crossed his arms, his face still serious but with an amused sparkle in his eyes:

- Given your fighting style, your intensive use of the katana, and your exceptional physical abilities, this is the class that best suits you. Your official C-rank hunter card will arrive in two days’ time. You should be proud: few hunters rise through the ranks as quickly as you.

Isaac nodded slowly, his gaze instinctively returning to his personal system panel. His interface still read "Hunter rank D+". He frowned slightly, muttering inwardly:

"It must be the pure stats. My system doesn’t yet recognize my newly acquired abilities."

Hugo noticed the slight hesitation in his eyes:

- Is something wrong?

Isaac shook his head, quickly dispelling his confusion:

- No, everything’s fine. I was just thinking about how far we’ve come. Thanks, Hugo.

Hugo shook his hand firmly and respectfully:

- It’s well deserved. You’re a rare fighter, Isaac. Keep up the good work and you’ll keep rising through the ranks. But don’t forget to master your dangerous skills, like [Berserker]. Reckless hunters don’t usually live to be old.

Isaac smiled frankly this time, feeling real pride swell his chest:

- I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks again for everything.

Hugo nodded soberly, then left the room, leaving Isaac alone with the results sheet in his hands. He stared at the paper for a few seconds, silently savoring this moment of official recognition. A new milestone had been reached.

Isaac took a deep breath, feeling the revitalizing energy of the serum still circulating in his veins. He now had only one desire:

Eat. Lots of it. And fast.

With a light laugh, he left the room in his turn, ready to face this new stage in his life as a C-rank Hunter.

Isaac quickly left the guild, his stomach rumbling loudly, as if protesting against the monstrous energy expenditure he had just made. Hugo’s advice was still echoing clearly in his head:

"Eat a lot, and eat well. Your body will draw heavily on your reserves."

This phrase was running on a loop in his mind. He could already feel a titanic hunger rumbling deep in his gut, reminding him that the energy serum had triggered an accelerated regeneration that was devouring his internal reserves at full speed.

Without further ado, Isaac rushed to a nearby butcher’s shop, attracted by the tantalizing scents wafting from the elegant storefront, illuminated by reddish neon lights. He entered, jingling a small bell, immediately attracting the attention of the butcher who was methodically slicing a huge piece of bright red meat behind his counter.

- Hello, young man! What can I do for you?" asked the man with a warm smile.

Isaac swept his gaze over the stalls filled with a variety of meats. He could clearly feel an instinctive urge to go for the protein-rich red meat.

- I’m going to have... a lot of meat. Three kilos of beef, please. The best you’ve got," he added without hesitation.

The butcher arched an eyebrow slightly, surprised by the quantity.

- Three kilos just for you? Are you having a feast or something?

Isaac smiled slightly, embarrassed:

- No, just... very hungry, he said simply, shrugging his shoulders.

The butcher laughed softly and began to carefully cut large, thick slices, placing them delicately on a scale. After carefully wrapping the order, he announced:

- That’ll be a whole hundred euros, young man.

Isaac grimaced imperceptibly as he held out his card to pay.

- Ouch," he murmured softly, "my wallet is suffering almost as much as my body today...

The butcher burst out laughing as he handed her his well-filled packet.

- Eat well, then! With so much of it, you must be pretty hungry!

Isaac smiled gratefully and nodded before making his way out of the store. He walked briskly home, driven by his growing hunger.

When he reached his apartment, Isaac was relieved to see that Léna hadn’t returned from work yet. He put the meat on the table and immediately rolled up his sleeves, ready to start cooking. Time was running out, and he felt an almost primal urgency knotting his stomach.

He heated a huge frying pan, generously adding oil, butter, salt and various spices, which soon released a delicious aroma throughout the apartment. He found himself salivating profusely, impatient, as the thick steaks sizzled briskly over the fire, releasing an almost irresistible aroma.

- It smells so good..." he muttered to himself, barely restraining himself from devouring the raw meat.

A few minutes later, he had before him a mountain of cooked meat, perfectly browned and juicy. Without ceremony, he grabbed fork and knife and began devouring with a ferocious, almost animal-like appetite. Each bite was a blessing that seemed to calm his hungry body, giving him immediate and intense satisfaction.

Twenty minutes later, Isaac had wolfed down the entire three kilos of meat. His belly was now distended, forming a large, round lump under his T-shirt. He slumped heavily in his chair, sighing with a mixture of pleasure and discomfort:

- My God... I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so much meat in my life," he murmured, placing a hand on his swollen stomach. How can my body take so much at once?

His stomach gurgled loudly, a sign that the accelerated digestion had already begun, probably boosted by his natural skill of [Regeneration].

For almost three hours, Isaac lay slumped on his sofa, alternating between light sleep and wakefulness, feeling the meat digest slowly but with supernatural efficiency. He felt a strange, pleasant warmth circulating through every muscle fiber, an almost euphoric sensation accompanied by a pleasant light tiredness.

When he finally came fully awake, he instinctively invoked his status panel, curious as to the real effects of this unusual meal. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw the changes:

[Isaac’s status updated]

- Strength: 108 (+1)

- Endurance: 89 (+1)

- Senses: 72 (+1)

He remained speechless for a few seconds, completely stunned.

- Seriously... he breathed slowly, incredulous. I increased my stats just by eating a lot of meat? That’s crazy.

He struggled to his feet, shaking his head slightly as he smiled, half-amused, half-impressed:

- If only everything else were so simple...

The front door opened suddenly, startling Isaac. Léna entered the living room, throwing her keys on the table.

- Hi Isaac! I’m sorry I’m late, but I had this interminable meeting at work! Have you eaten anything?

She stopped dead in her tracks, staring at Isaac, still slumped over with an abnormally swollen belly.

- Er... Is everything alright? What exactly did you eat?

Isaac smiled awkwardly:

- Just three kilos of meat... Nothing special...

Léna stared at him, mouth agape, before bursting out laughing:

- You’re definitely not normal, Isaac!

He smiled in response, his stomach still rumbling slightly.

- Believe me, I know...