Chapter 6: Hunting in the Woods
Five months later.
A light dusting of snow drifted through the sky above Bokala Forest.
It was a harbinger—Anzeta Great Plateau was entering winter. And with it, the Beasts began hunting in packs, preparing for the long, brutal cold ahead.
The trees whispered with rustling movement. Grey shapes darted swiftly between the trunks—fierce, silent predators. Their elongated muzzles, triangular glowing blue eyes, and razor-sharp fangs left no doubt as to their identity: Fangwolf.
One of the apex predators of the deep woods, masters of coordinated pack tactics.
Before them, a panicked herd of forest deer scattered in terror, hooves thundering against the earth as they fled for their lives.
The wolves, however, moved with chilling calm. The alpha, the largest and most powerful Fangwolf, let out a long, guttural howl. The others answered with low, rhythmic calls.
There were over a dozen in the pack, perfectly synchronized. Some drove the deer from behind, others flanked from the sides. A few had vanished entirely—forming a widening, trap-like encirclement.
Minutes passed. The wolves held the upper hand with ease. Without exhausting themselves, they herded the disoriented deer into a narrow mountain pass—a natural chokepoint.
Trapped and desperate, the deer saw only one escape. They plunged into the ravine like drowning men clutching at straws.
In the chaos, a small fawn was crushed beneath hooves, its body left behind in the mire.
But the ravine was no sanctuary. It was a death trap.
"Awooo—oooh!"
As the last deer vanished into the pass, the Wolf King erupted into a triumphant howl.
From the far end of the ravine, the missing Fangwolves emerged—closing the net.
The entire herd—thirty-plus deer—was now completely surrounded in the tight, narrow defile.
Panic erupted. The deer stampeded in every direction, only to collide with walls of snarling, blue-eyed predators.
The Fangwolves’ eyes glowed with predatory hunger. They surged forward.
Blood sprayed. Screams filled the air. The scent of iron hung thick in the cold mountain wind.
Only the lead stag, with his massive antlers, managed to break through the encirclement on the far side. He led a dozen others to freedom, leaving behind a dozen fresh carcasses.
The hunt was complete.
The Fangwolves charged at the fallen prey, tearing into flesh with ravenous hunger—gorging themselves before winter's icy grip tightened.
The Wolf King savored the choicest morsels—the internal organs—savoring the feast he had meticulously planned.
A mist began to rise from the valley floor.
At first, the wolves paid it no mind.
Then the fog thickened—swirling, dense, blurring their vision until they could no longer see one another.
Shadows flickered within the haze—phantom shapes, fleeting and unnatural.
Crack. Crack.
Was it the snapping of bones? Or the crunch of a wolf’s spine under teeth?
Then came more howls—wild, chaotic, meaningless. But to the wolves, they carried a strange logic: commands, warnings, calls to attack, or the signal to feast.
Had a scholar been present, he would have recognized it instantly—Cantrips: Magical Trickery. Simple spells woven to mimic sounds and sensations, exploiting the mind’s instinctive fear of the unknown.
But the beasts knew nothing. Their instincts screamed danger.
They were lost.
"Awooo—!"
The Wolf King rose to his feet, howling sharply—calling for his pack.
The others answered with confused, uncertain cries, trying to locate each other.
But the fog and the phantom noises shattered their sense of direction. No signals. No answers.
Then—something caught the Wolf King’s attention.
A sound above.
A rushing, howling wind.
He lifted his head instinctively.
And in his eyes—only fire.
"Boom—!"
[Kill Adult Male Fangwolf – 200 Experience Points]
[Kill Adult Male Fangwolf – 200 Experience Points]
[Kill Adult Male Fangwolf – 200 Experience Points]
[Kill Adult Female Fangwolf – 200 Experience Points]
[Kill Fangwolf Leader – 700 Experience Points]
"A bountiful harvest. Not a single one escaped."
Kai Xiusu exhaled a plume of sulfurous steam, light and playful. He stretched his vast crimson wings.
The Red Dragon swept across the valley, gliding over the treetops like a shadow given form.
A predator among predators.
To him, the forest’s fiercest beasts—those that sent even seasoned hunters fleeing in terror—were nothing more than mobile experience points.
Below, in a thicket of underbrush, a massive Furious Boar rooted through the soil with relentless hunger.
It dug up tender fern roots, unearthed hibernating snakes, and devoured chunks of earth rich in Elemental Energy.
Standing over two meters tall at the shoulder, the beast looked like a living hill.
Its tusks, curved like scimitars, jutted from either side of its snout. Beneath thick, matted hide lay layers of fat—armor forged by nature itself. The outer layer was hardened with years of packed dirt and mud.
No ordinary iron blade could pierce its hide. Only the most seasoned hunters dared face such a creature.
"Huff-huff."
The Furious Boar snorted, blowing a puff of earth into the air. It continued rooting—snorting, digging—until at last, it uncovered a grub.
Treasure.
It gulped it down greedily.
Then—movement.
A flicker in the grass. A small snake, slithering away.
"Huff!"
The boar charged, quick and eager.
The snake danced just ahead—leading it deeper into a rocky cliffside.
The boar, blinded by hunger and rage, charged forward—its tusks poised to crush.
But the snake vanished.
Then—silence.
A shadow fell from above.
[Magic Missile]
Three arcane orbs struck the boar’s thick hide—piercing through, unleashing unblockable, unstoppable magical force.
The beast roared in agony.
"Beast Fury!"
Its eyes flared crimson. Its bristling back hair stood on end. It spun wildly, searching for the attacker—hooves churning up dust, tearing at the earth.
This state was akin to a Barbarian’s Rage—its strength and Constitution surged beyond natural limits.
Worse—its pain was forgotten. Its fatigue vanished.
Countless adventurers had thought they’d crippled it. Only to be torn apart by its furious, mindless charge.
But now—no target. No enemy.
Only blind rage.
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom!"
It charged the cliff wall, shattering stone. It gouged the earth with its tusks, uprooting trees, tearing the land apart.
Minutes passed.
The frenzy ended.
The giant beast collapsed, spent, panting on the ground.
The battlefield was in ruins—rocks shattered, soil torn open, the cliff riddled with cracks.
Slowly, it regained its senses.
With a sigh, it began chewing on the grass at its feet.
Then—
"Ignis (Fire Bolt)!"
A blazing arrow plummeted from the sky, searing its hide black.
A second later, a crimson shadow plunged from the heavens—landing atop the boar’s broad back.
"Ooooh…"
The beast let out a whimper—too weak to fight.
The Red Dragon sank his fangs into its spine.
A clean, swift kill.
The once-untouchable king of the forest—now a lifeless mound of meat.
[Kill Mature Furious Boar – 1,100 Experience Points]
[Level Up! You are now Level 2]
Kai Xiusu tore through the thick hide, scraped away the fat, and exposed the deep red, fresh meat beneath.
He didn’t bother to cook it.
He simply ripped a piece from the loin and devoured it raw, teeth tearing through flesh.
The Red Dragon possessed a unique digestive system—everything he consumed was transformed. Most became nutrients for growth. The rest turned into potent Elemental Energy. Waste? Almost nonexistent.
"Tough meat. A bit too tough."
Mouth still smeared with blood, the Red Dragon offered a casual assessment.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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