Chapter 6 Forest Hunting
Five months later.
Scattered snowflakes had started to drift above the Bokara Forest.
This heralded the arrival of winter on the Anzeta Plateau, and the beasts had begun to hunt in packs, preparing for the long and harsh winter ahead.
The forest rustled with activity as a series of grey shapes darted quickly between the trees.
The protruding snouts, the inverted-triangle of blue eyes, and the sharp teeth all disclosed their identities—Terror Wolves.
Among the apex predators of the dense forest, they were the masters of pack hunting tactics.
They were in pursuit of a panicked herd of deer, scattering hooves in a desperate flight.
The wolf pack, however, remained unhurried. The strongest among them, the Wolf King, let out a long howl, which was met with responding yips from the others.
The pack consisted of over a dozen wolves, coordinating with each other; some drove the deer from behind, while others circled to the flanks, and even more had disappeared from view, gradually forming a gaping pocket-like formation.
After dozens of minutes of chase, the wolf pack had secured absolute initiative without expending much energy, driving the disoriented deer toward a narrow mountain pass.
In the wake of the wolves' relentless pressure, the deer took the pass as their final escape route, rushing into it like grasping at straws to salvation.
Even the smaller fawns were trampled to death in the chaos.
Unbeknownst to them, what they thought was a lifeline was actually a trap.
"Ao——woo——"
Once all the deer had entered the valley, the exhilarated Wolf King howled long, and the previously vanished Terror Wolves appeared on the other side of the valley. The entire herd, over thirty deer, were now encircled within the confines of the narrow pass.
The deer had now lost formation, bumping into barriers only to find bloodthirsty wolves waiting at every turn.
And the wolves, with their blue pupils glowing, could hardly wait to swarm them.
There was a moment of bloodshed and continuous cries, the valley engulfed in the stench of blood.
In the end, the leading stag managed to break through the blockade on the other side with its large antlers, leading a dozen deer to escape, leaving behind over a dozen delicious carcasses in the valley.
The wolves had achieved their goal.
The Terror Wolves rushed to partake in the feast, tearing into the deer's flesh, hoping to gorge before winter in order to survive the extreme cold of the North.
The Wolf King chewed on the most savory innards, savoring this well-prepared and hard-earned meal.
A mist began to rise in the valley.
The wolf pack initially dismissed it, but as the fog thickened, obscuring their vision of each other into a blurred chaos, they began to panic.
Shadowy figures flitted through the mist at intervals.
"Crack, crack"
It was unclear whether the sound came from the wolves crushing deer bones or the wolves themselves being crushed.
Ragged howls emerged from the fog, now commands for the hunt, now war horns for the attack, now permissions to feed—senseless to the wolves, yet carrying some significance.
If a learned Mage was present, they would easily identify this as the simple "Magic Tricks"—creating extraneous noises and sensations through magic.
Unfortunately, the beasts were unaware, instinctively panicked by the unknown, some even losing their reason.
"Ao wu——"
The Wolf King stood alert, issuing long calls to summon his pack.
The rest of the wolves also howled in confusion, trying to establish the general direction of each other.
But the dense fog had blurred their vision, and the constant strange noises confused them further, leaving them directionless and without any useful information.
Suddenly, the Wolf King realized there was a strange noise above.
It sounded like a howling wind.
Instinctively lifting its head, its pupils only reflected roaring flames...
"Boom——"
[Killed an adult male Terror Wolf, gained 200 xp]
[Killed an adult male Terror Wolf, gained 200 xp]
[Killed an adult male Terror Wolf, gained 200 xp]
[Killed an adult female Terror Wolf, gained 200 xp]
...
[Killed the Wolf King, gained 700 xp]
"An abundant harvest, not a single one escaped."
Cassius exhaled a sulfuric breath with relish and then stretched his wings.
A crimson figure soared past the valley, circling above the forest.
The Red Dragon, transformed into a fearsome hunter, overlooked the multitude of creatures in the forest, continuing the search for its next prey. To it, the wild beasts that common folk avoid were nothing but walking experience packs.
...
By the underbrush on the ground, a ferocious wild boar of enormous size rooted through the soil, searching for anything edible.
Whether it were the juicy rhizomes of ferns, small snakes about to hibernate, or clumps of earth containing special elements, all served as food for this boar.
With a shoulder height of over two meters, the boar looked almost like a small mountain from a distance.
Its tusks, curved like scimitars, protruded from the sides of its mouth. Beneath its thick fur lay layers of fat, and its fur was covered with hardened mud accumulated over many years.
The natural armor was so tough that even conventional iron swords often couldn't cut through it—it was a challenge only the most experienced hunters dared to take on.
"Humph humph..."
The ferocious boar could not help but snort loudly.
It exhaled a clump of earth and continued rooting with its coarse snout, rummaging around until it finally found what must have been the pupa of some insect.
The boar swallowed this precious protein in a hurry, as if having found a treasure.
Suddenly, it noticed the figure of a small snake in the nearby grass, which seemed to slither away as if escaping.
Grunt...
The ferocious boar chased after it with light-footed steps.
The snake appeared and disappeared, luring the boar to a cliffside.
As the hefty beast hurried forward with small, rushed steps, preparing to gulp down the snake, the snake's shadow vanished into thin air.
A shadow descended from above the cliff.
"Magic Missile"
Several Arcane Orbs hit directly onto the boar's thick hide, inflicting unavoidable magical field damage that was hard to defend against.
The ferocious boar couldn't help but let out a painful cry, followed by a frenzy induced by its injury.
"Beast Fury!"
Its eyes, red with anger, and the fur on its towering back bristled in all directions, as it turned in circles looking for its assailant, its hooves kicking up clouds of dust.
"Huff huff—"
This state was similar to the Trait of a Barbarian. In this state, the boar's strength and constitution received terrifying enhancements.
What's worse, it became fearless of pain and tirelessness. No one knew how many adventurers, thinking they had gravely wounded it, ended up bitten in two by those tusks amidst its rage.
However, the angry beast looked around again and again, yet it could never find its target nor sense the source of the attack. It could only release its surplus, tidal wave of fury indiscriminately.
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom!"
It slammed its massive body against the cliff, shaking loose chunks of rock, piercing the soil with its sharp tusks, and mashing trees.
Minutes passed.
When the frenzy ended, the giant beast lay exhausted on the ground.
Its surroundings were a complete mess, with rocks strewn all over the place, upturned and torn soil, and cracks all over the cliff face.
But it seemed to have recovered from its anger at being hurt and began leisurely munching on the grass roots on the ground.
"Ignis (Flame Arrow)!"
A Flaming Arrow fell from the sky, charring its fur to a crisp.
Soon after, a red figure swooped down from the heavens, landing squarely on the boar's towering back.
"Awww..."
The ferocious pig let out a cry like a whimper, but no longer had the strength to rise and fight.
It could only let the Red Dragon on its back bite through its spine with sharp fangs, ending its life cleanly and efficiently.
This once unchallenged ruler of the dense forest met a suffocating end.
[You have slain a prime ferocious boar and gained 1100xp]
[Your level has increased to Level 2]
Tearing open the tough hide, scraping away the thick layer of fat, the raw, bloody meat underneath was exposed.
Cassius didn't bother to heat it up; he just picked a piece of tenderloin, tore it off, and started chewing vigorously.
The Red Dragon had a unique digestive system and could practically eat anything. Most of what it consumed turned into nutrients needed for growth, while the rest converted into abundant Elemental Energy, with little waste.
"The pork is very chewy, just a bit too tough," the Red Dragon remarked with a bloody mouth.