Day 12 — Around 8 AM
Ethan sat cross-legged near a small, crackling fire, the faint morning chill still hanging in the air. He held a long, sharpened stick over the flames, slowly roasting strips of Hexaron meat, their oily scent mixing with the smoky air. The fire popped now and then, little embers dancing into the wind like tiny fireflies.
[Author Note: Quick reminder! The beasts in Ravager's Den had their DNA altered to be tougher, deadlier, and more aggressive. But that doesn't mean they were inedible. A lot of their meat is still safe for humans — if cooked right. So yeah, roasted Hexaron is totally on the menu.]
Ethan's eyes were locked on the flames, but his mind was miles away. He wasn't just cooking, he was thinking. His hands moved on their own, instinctively wiping the long gone blood off Nightbane. A deep sigh escaped him, heavy and tired. Regret? Maybe. Frustration? Definitely.
He leaned back slightly, tilting his head to stare at the ruins of what used to be his makeshift shelter — once a weird, birdhouse-looking thing made from wood and ropes. Now, it was barely a pile of scraps.
"It's... completely wrecked," he muttered under his breath. "What now?"
The universe supposedly offers a window when doors close. In his case, it coughed up three – each more undesirable than the last.
First, he could try to rebuild the shelter. That was probably the safest bet, but that would cost him time, maybe even the whole day. And right now, every hour mattered. So, that stayed as Plan C.
Second, he could just rough it out in the open. Live under the trees, sleep by the fire, keep moving, like he used to before. But that meant no proper sleep. No safety. Not even the illusion of comfort.
Third... he could move to that second location he found while surveying a few days ago. About thirty minutes south of the waterfall, nestled deep in the forest, there was another massive tree — similar to this one, but with one huge difference.
The tree had been cleanly cut in half, with the entire top portion missing. It didn't seem like a natural break, either. It looked deliberate, as if someone had sliced the giant tree straight across with terrifying power. It was almost like the technique Ethan used to defeat the Hexarons, but there was a big difference. The precision.
When Ethan used the technique, not only the Hexarons, but also the surrounding trees were cut. But only the tree was cut in that place. Everything else remained the same.
But what really stood out was how the flat, exposed surface had been transformed. Someone had used their ability to shape and modify the wood, turning that open wound of a tree into a functional, livable space. The surface was hardened and there were many living arrangements.
It wasn't fancy, not by a long shot, but it was secure and livable.
It sat high above the ground, with thick roots twisted upward like stairs, giving it a good vantage point and a natural defense against beasts. A perfect hideaway.
Well, almost perfect.
The biggest issue? It was close, almost way too close, to the Silent Line.
The Silent Line wasn't anything physical. It wasn't marked by signs or fences. It was invisible, but every seasoned hunter knew where it was. It acted like an invisible border between the outer and inner zones of Ravager's Den.
The most shocking part is that, for reasons no one fully understood, beasts from the inner area usually didn't cross into the outer area and vice versa. Some folks thought it was because of territorial instincts. Others believed it had something to do with the forest itself, like it was keeping the ecosystem balanced. A very few believed that the reason was the Core area, which kept the other two areas under control.
But here is the problem. "Usually" didn't mean "always."
There were stories. Beasts that broke the rules and chased prey across the line. Rare, but it happened. Ethan saw it firsthand too.
Ethan wasn't dumb. He knew the risk. He knew that the Silent Line wasn't a guarantee of safety. But right now? He needed shelter. Real shelter. And that weird tree-home was his best bet.
He let out another sigh, dragging a hand through his hair.
"Maybe I should've just accepted Mary's offer and let her build me a proper base," he muttered. Then, as if he was possessed by a ghost, he repeatedly shook his head in a frenzy. "Nope. She must never hear that. She'll never let me live it down. I'd be grilled for life."
Thus he took a silent vow to never utter another word about this.
After finishing his meal and tossing a few more thoughts around, Ethan finally stood up and started packing. He hated the idea of moving toward danger, but he hated the idea of being exposed and vulnerable even more.
So he chose the second location. Not because he was scared of Mary's teasing. Nope. He did not mind Mary calling him an inexperienced hunter. Not at all.
Definitely not.
He tightened the straps on his bag, gave the remains of the shelter one last glance of gratitude, and headed towards the waterfall.
Time was ticking, and Ravager's Den wasn't the kind of place that waited for anyone.
Ethan stood at the base of the massive tree, his head tilted all the way back as he took in the size of it. It was enormous — even bigger than the tree where he'd built his last shelter. Its trunk alone was wider than a house, and it stretched so high into the canopy that the top was lost in the leaves above. Or at least, it would've been… if the top half of the tree still existed.
The only reason he ever found this place was pure, dumb luck. Or more accurately Mary's nosy curiosity.
When Ethan was searching this place, she was floating around, lost in thought as usual, scheming up new ways to make him buy something useless. That's when she stumbled across this weird and beautiful place, a giant tree cut clean in half, like someone had sliced it with a blade the size of a skyscraper.
She didn't keep it to herself either. She immediately called Ethan over, practically dragging him.
When he arrived and looked around for a bit, he found thick vines and twisted bark spiraling up the trunk, not quite stairs, but close enough. With a bit of effort, he made his way to the midpoint of the tree, where the sliced top had been turned into a wide, open platform.
Back then, he didn't move in right away. It was too close to the Silent Line for comfort and he already had a perfectly fine place. But standing here now, seeing it up close again, he couldn't help but admit it. This place was incredible.
His mind went towards the conversation he had with Mary after finding this place.
"Well, at least you finally did something useful. Good job," he teased back then, flashing her a sarcastic thumbs-up.
"I'd rather you buy something instead of praising me," Mary snapped back, floating in a lazy circle around his head.
"Yeah, well, that's not happening."
"Then shut up."
Ethan chuckled at the memory, a small smile tugging at his lips as he grabbed a nearby vine and started climbing.
It took some time to reach the platform, but when he pulled himself up over the edge, the view made it worth it.
The top of the tree had been hollowed and shaped into a flat, spacious area. There were no walls or roof — just the exposed, smooth surface of the cut wood, almost like a natural deck. Someone had clearly used their ability to manipulate the tree, smoothing the wood into clean patterns and even creating raised edges for safety. It was open to the air, but somehow it felt... peaceful. Almost sacred.
There were signs someone had once lived here. Old, worn carvings along the floor, a few faded markings that might've been symbols or just art. It felt ancient, like a forgotten relic left behind by the ancient people.
But the one thing that was confirmed is that this place was under the influence of someone's ability. That is why the tree still did not grow and kept the same shape.
Ethan set his pack down and stood in the center of the platform, spinning slowly to take it all in.
"Well," he said to himself, stretching his arms, "that solves our shelter problem."
He cracked his neck and looked out over the forest.
"Now let's get back to training."
And just like that, after a bit of rest and settling down, he was on the move again. He took down ten D-rank beast that day, a moderate amount that was just enough to celebrate his new place.
Days 13 and 14.
These two days were all about the grind, just pure combat, no big surprises, no overly emotional moments, and no life-or-death close calls. Just Ethan doing what he did best: slaying beasts.
On Day 13, he took down six D-rank beasts and one C-rank. Not the most impressive haul compared to some of his past days, but still solid. The real treasure was something else, though.
While going through a mossy ravine after the day's last fight, he stumbled across ten full stalks of Tearpetal Ferns, swaying gently in the wind like they were waiting just for him.
Now, these plants weren't exactly legendary or ultra-rare, but they were in insanely high demand as they could be turned into a top-grade healing potion, more potent than the one Ethan made. But the process was in no way a jolly ride.
First, they had to be soaked in water for 31 straight days. Then they had to be boiled at exactly 1500°C for three whole days. And that was just the start. The whole process needed exact sunlight levels, perfect stirring intervals, and the right balance of water-to-plant ratio. One tiny mistake and Boom. All wasted.
Because of all that, even though the plant itself wasn't rare, successful potions were, which made Tearpetal Ferns stupidly valuable. So yeah, finding ten stalks in one go was an absolute jackpot.
Day 14 wasn't as exciting. He ran into two separate packs of five D-rank beasts each. Took care of them after some effort. Nothing too wild, just a bit tiring. No special loot, no strange or lucky discoveries, just a routine day of battle. This was probably what a normal hunters day held in the den.
Honestly, it felt kind of dull after the high of the last few days. But even the quiet days had value. His body was adapting better. His movements were smoother, sharper. Bit by bit, the wilderness was shaping him into something stronger, which meant that things were going as he planned.
Still, by the end of Day 14, Ethan found himself hoping for something a little more interesting on Day 15.