Wolves.

  Rowan old time foe, that was if he didn’t include dragons to the list.

  Last time they had ambushed him, but this time, he was ready.

  Rowan had felt them stalking him and sent a few mana pulses to confirm their location and number. He had first used a regular mana pulse where the range was ten feet, which was pointless as he hadn’t caught anything on it. Then he sent out the specialized mana pulse, facing only his back. It was then at the limits of its range that he caught a whiff of the predator’s presence. A few more were sent as the wolves quietly crept up on him.

  Unlike the five wolves that came after him, this time there were three wolves. Each one quietly stalking him, as if he was prey, unaware that he had already known about their presence. They were also on the smaller side, as they were about as big as a pony.

  Not that the size made any difference in deadliness. The wolf’s fangs and claws could still kill him easily.

  Rowan still faced the killer tree, acting as if his attention was on it. Learning from experience, he was waiting for the wolf to pounce on him. A wolf in the air was a much easier target than one running around.

  Last time Rowan had relied on the tree, this time he would only use it as a last resort. Three wolves were a manageable number, at least he hoped so. It was still pushing the limits of his skills, but there was still something else that gave Rowan confidence. When he had sent out the mana pulses, he was able to observe the mana of the wolves. There was less mana compared to certain beings, like the killer tree in front of him. From what he understood so far, less mana meant less of a threat.

  It was almost time as the mana pulses were telling him the wolves had stopped and one of them positioned themselves to leap at him. Rowan already had his bow and arrow in hand. His weapons were ready since he left the camp as it would be foolish to go exploring without a weapon in hand. Even with the new sensory technique, Rowan wasn’t confident to stroll through the Forest of Death empty handed. There were still so many unseen and unknown dangers.

  Rowan finally caught a glimpse of the wolf as it entered the edge of his vision. He held his breath as he watched one wolf jump at him. He immediately turned around, leaped backwards and released an arrow.

  Thwack!

  It was a perfect shot. The arrow entered between the eyes of the wolf, killing it instantly. That didn’t stop the body from continuing to fly at Rowan from the earlier jumping momentum. It landed in front of the teenage boy with a thud. Rowan's heart leapt with joy as the first shot had ended up wonderfully.

  However it was still too early for Rowan to celebrate as there were still two other wolves who were now running after him after the first one failed.

  The second wolf didn’t give him a chance to breathe as it was already leaping at Rowan, eager to rip out his throat. The slight hesitation of joy in killing one wolf turned out to be fatal as he didn’t have a chance to draw another arrow. So Rowan used the only other weapon he could at the moment.

  His hands.

  Or more specifically his left hand, as the other hand still had a bow. It would not be good if he broke it.

  As the wolf came charging at Rowan, he could smell its foul breath. It was enough to make one puke, but he did something different.

  Rowan swung his fist, imbued with his mana, at the wolf’s head.

  The results were surprising, for both parties.

  It turned out his mana filled fist hit a lot harder than he thought as he watched the head become a bloody mess upon impact. It was like being hit by a club. The monster didn’t even know what hit it before it died. Blood splatter on Rowan’s face as the rest of the wolf's body flew sideways from the force of the collision.

  Seeing the fate of it’s companions, the third wolf came to a grinding halt. It had never seen such a creature in the forest before which was why it and its companions decided to hunt it. However they had never expected that the creatures they hunted were far stronger than they had imagined.

  Rowan stared at the third wolf as it stood its ground. It bared its fang in a threatening gesture. Growling, it stared at Rowan as if it were about to jump at him at any time. At this point, Rowan had drawn another arrow and had it pointed at the wolf. His eyes closely observed the wolf’s every movement.

  He was not going to make the same mistake twice.

  The silent standoff between human and wolf ensued, neither moving an inch. The tension between the two was palpable. Rowan felt that if he blinked, it would be over in an instant.

  As if finally making a decision, the wolf opened its mouth and let out an ear shattering howl. Rowan grimaced and prepared for the incoming onslaught. Only one species will walk away today.

  However the fight that Rowan expected never came.

  With the most bloodthirsty howl he ever heard, the wolf turned tail and fled.

  Huh, that was not the result I was expecting.

  Rowan blinked in surprise. With the way the wolf was acting, he had thought the wolf was going to fight to the death, not run away.

  While the end of this battle was disappointing, Rowan would say this was a good outcome when he decided to face the wolves. The best outcome would have been if he had killed all the wolves without injury. The worst outcome would be if he ended up dead of course.

  Rowan decided to study the spoils of his victory. The first wolf he studied was the one he punched. The fist was still imprinted on the head in a bloody mess. He hadn’t expected his fist to be so strong. Maybe he was stronger than he thought? Besides the head, the rest of the wolf seem to be in good condition.

  Rowan lifted his head to find the wolf he had killed with his arrow, only to notice that it was gone. The spot where it fell was empty. Instantly on alert, Rowan took a look around him with an arrow drawn. He was sure the wolf died on the first blow as he remembered seeing the arrow sinking into its head.

  This could only mean that there was another predator hiding around here.

  Frowning, Rowan already sent out a blast of mana pulse. If it was alive, then it had mana. If it was within ten feet of him, Rowan was sure he would catch its presence right away.

  The results from his mana pulse turn out to be very different from Rowan’s thoughts.

  He was able to find the wolf’s body right away.

  It wasn’t being carried away by a mysterious predator, nor did it move on its own.

  No, the wolf's body was still in its original location, but it was being dragged underground.

  Even though it was dead, there was still a bit of mana on the wolf’s body. Give it a few more minutes and all its mana would have dissipated. The leftover mana was the reason Rowan was able to catch its presence on his mana pulse. The body was being dragged down by roots.

  At this sight, Rowan already knew who was responsible for the wolf’s disappearance.

  The killer tree.

  Sighing, Rowan turned around and heaved the wolf he punched over his shoulder. The killer tree was not something he was ready to face yet. He could only give up the prey. They say that dead bodies are heavier than living, but the wolf’s body turned out lighter than he thought. As he made his way back, there was one question on his mind.

  Why did monsters like stealing his prey so much?