As the sun started to set, the forest remained calm. It seemed like another uneventful day, and Astrea felt a little more relaxed after watching Ying Zhu handle himself better than before.
Once again, as night approached, Astrea checked in on Ying Zhu. She asked if he was ready to return, but just like the previous night, he wanted to keep going.
"Fine, but don't forget the rules. Stay away from the deeper part of the forest."(Astrea)
Ying Zhu nodded, and Astrea allowed him to continue. Still, she didn't immediately leave. She stayed hidden for a while, watching him from a distance, making sure nothing unusual occurred.
Astrea returned once again to check if Argus was awake, but he remained deeply immersed in his meditation.
{Ying Zhu's POV}
When Astrea left, Ying Zhu found himself surrounded by a pack of six wolves. Despite their numbers, he easily defeated them, as they were much weaker than him. After killing the first five wolves, Ying Zhu felt a surge of power and realized he had leveled up.
He continued his hunt for a dark wolf that had managed to escape from the pack. Thanks to his increased stats, he quickly caught up with it. He swung his large butcher knife at the dark wolf. The wolf tried to dodge, but it wasn't quick enough, and Ying Zhu managed to injure it on its back.
Even though the dark wolf was hurt, it continued to try to escape. Ying Zhu noticed that the wolf was heading towards the middle part of the forest, an area that Astrea had strictly forbidden him from entering. This part of the forest was known for being home to much stronger beasts—F Rank and above. The dark wolf seemed to be taking a gamble, preferring to risk its life by running into a more dangerous area rather than being caught by Ying Zhu.
Ying Zhu remembered Astrea's warning about not going into that dangerous part of the forest. He hesitated for a moment, considering whether he should stop. However, he was so close to catching the injured wolf that he didn't want to let it escape. The thought of losing his prey was unacceptable to him. He was determined to finish the hunt before the wolf could get too far, despite knowing the risk of entering a dangerous area.
A few seconds later, Ying Zhu closed the distance between himself and his prey once more. He raised his butcher knife, preparing to deliver a decisive blow to the dark wolf. This time, he was determined to end the wolf's life with one powerful slash.
Despite sensing its impending doom, the dark wolf continued to run with a fierce determination to survive. Its will to live was strong, but Ying Zhu was relentless.
'You're dead.'(Ying Zhu)
With a swift and powerful swing, Ying Zhu brought down the knife. Even though the knife was large, his motion was quick and precise. The dark wolf's eyes widened in despair as it realized it could not evade the attack.
The blade cut through the wolf with brutal efficiency, and blood splattered as the wolf's body was cleaved in two. The dark wolf collapsed, lifeless, confirming the end of the chase.
As Ying Zhu examined the lifeless body of the dark wolf, he noticed something strange. Beneath the corpse, a black, shadowy form began to wriggle and detach itself. It slithered toward Ying Zhu.
The dark wolf's shadow, as if animated by its own will, moved directly toward Ying Zhu and was absorbed into his own shadow.
What was particularly unsettling was that the dark wolf's corpse now lay devoid of any shadow. This was an eerie sight because typically, everything that existed cast a shadow. Ying Zhu's ability was to absorb the shadows of the monsters he killed or even those of corpses he approached, regardless of whether he had been the one to kill them.
Astrea had witnessed this phenomenon before and was always shocked by it. A corpse without a shadow was indeed a rare and mysterious occurrence, something that would certainly catch the eye of anyone.
Ying Zhu saw the shadow had already been absorbed and was about to head back to avoid the forbidden area when he suddenly noticed a large shadow looming behind him. Instinctively, he leaped away from his spot, sensing that an attack was imminent.
His timing was impeccable. Just as he moved, a massive claw slammed into the ground where he had been standing. Looking back, Ying Zhu saw a gigantic black bear standing there, its paw still extended from the powerful strike.
The bear's eyes glowed with a fierce, predatory light as it locked its gaze on Ying Zhu. Fora moment, it seemed to ignore him, its attention drawn instead to the dark wolf's corpse. Drool dripped from its mouth as it sniffed the air, clearly attracted to the scent of blood.
Without hesitation, the bear began tearing into the dark wolf's remains, its powerful claws ripping through flesh and bone. It seemed that the bear had been nearby when Ying Zhu was hunting the dark wolf, drawn by the scent of blood. The bear had likely followed the trail, arriving just in time to claim its prize.
However, as the bear continued its feast, it noticed something standing near its food. Enraged, it launched itself at the intruder. The bear didn't care who had killed its prey; its only concern was that this new presence was a competitor for the food. With a roar of fury, the bear attacked, driven solely by its instinct to protect its meal.
Ying Zhu didn't know the bear's motivation, but he knew that the bear in front of him was a threat. Anger surged through him as he realized the bear had attacked him while he was vulnerable.
Ying Zhu's soul flame flickered violently as he cast aside Astrea's warning about fighting monsters from a higher realm. Fueled by anger, he leaped into action, gripping his Reaver positioning it above his headand swinging it downward at the bear without a hint of fear.
The Reaver struck the bear's thick hide, creating only a slight injury despite the force of the blow. The bear roared in fury, its meal interrupted. Enraged by the pain and the audacity of the attack, the bear's focus shifted entirely to Ying Zhu. It growled loudly, its eyes blazing with a feral rage as it prepared to retaliate, not just for the pain but for the disturbance to its meal.
Ying Zhu was taken aback when his attack didn't have the expected effect. He had always been confident that his Reaver could split enemies in half with a single strike, especially when targeting their heads, which he believed to be their weakest point.
His lack of battle experience became evident as he realized that his assumptions about monsters were not universally accurate. Every creature had its own unique strengths and weaknesses, something Ying Zhu had not yet learned. The bear's resistance shocked him, making him understand that not all monsters could be dealt with in the same way. The bear's resilience and ferocity were something he had not anticipated.
The bear, undeterred by Ying Zhu's surprise, swung its massive claws with a powerful, deliberate motion. Ying Zhu saw the attack coming and recognized its sheer force, choosing not to underestimate it despite its seemingly slow speed.
Ying Zhu did not know how to defend, as he had mostly relied on attacking his enemies until now. Instead of trying to block or evade, he decided to counterattack. He swung his butcher knife with all his might to meet the incoming paw, confident that his superior strength would prevail. The knife clashed with the bear's claw in a brutal exchange of power.
The bear's paw and Ying Zhu's Reaver clashed briefly. Ying Zhu's soul fire flickered with growing confidence, but his expectations were suddenly shattered. The bear's claw, imbued with immense power, overwhelmed his attack and sent him flying backward with a forceful impact.
Fortunately for him, his counterattack had worked, significantly reducing the power of the bear's attack. Most of the force was absorbed by his strike, leaving only a fraction to impact him directly. Although Ying Zhu felt some of his bones crack from the blow, the pain only fueled his anger further. His soul fire flickered as he gazed at the one who caused him this.
Roar!!!
The bear roared loudly, celebrating its apparent victory. When it noticed that its competitor for the food was still alive, it dashed toward Ying Zhu with the intent to finish him off while he was still disoriented.
Ying Zhu was already aware of the incoming danger and quickly got up, using his Reaver like a stick to help him regain his balance. Just as he steadied himself, the bear lunged at him with a powerful swipe of its paw.
Reacting swiftly, Ying Zhu rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the bear's attack. He continued to roll across the ground until he managed to create a bit of distance between himself and the bear. As he stopped rolling and took a moment to catch his breath, he could feel the dirt and debris clinging to his body.
Despite the narrow escape, Ying Zhu didn't feel relief. Instead, a deep, seething anger began to rise within him. He felt humiliated and furious at himself for being forced to roll around in the dirt just to survive.
'What am I doing? A knight of Master Argus, rolling around in the dirt like some pathetic coward? I can't accept this!'(Ying Zhu)
Ying Zhu's soul flame flickered.