He didn’t think much about it—there was no point in doing so. He relaxed and observed his Primal Core as it slowly regenerated the small amount of mana he had consumed.

  Just like before, his pores opened, drawing mana into his pathways as it circulated through his body, forming a mana cycle similar to blood circulation.

  However, unlike blood circulation, which took only twenty seconds, the mana cycle was extremely slow. Because of that, it took nearly a full hour to completely refill his mana reserves.

  He frowned in clear displeasure and let out a disappointed sigh.

  "Alright, this is a problem. My mana absorption efficiency is way too low. At this rate, I won’t be able to recover mana during combat, so I’ll have to use it much more carefully in the future. Still, this isn’t something I need to worry about right now."

  He turned his head and looked at the dark tunnel behind him. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

  "I think it’s time to leave this place."

  He stood up on his three legs and walked toward the edge. Staring down at the vast forest below, he didn’t hesitate this time and jumped.

  He fell at an extremely high speed. At first, the wind toyed with his fur, but he quickly activated the "Immortal Body" skill. His fur and skin hardened, and a transparent mana barrier enveloped his body.

  Boom!

  Before reaching the ground, he crashed through numerous tree branches, shattering them and slowing his descent.

  In the end, he landed heavily on his legs, sending soil and stones flying in all directions and leaving behind a small crater in the ground.

  The birds scattered into the distance, while some nearby monkeys screamed in panic and hid, stealing quick glances at the strange wolf that had fallen from the sky—one that was smiling in a creepy, unsettling way. That only made them even more terrified.

  "Contrary to what I expected, that didn’t hurt. Looks like I’ve finally gotten over my fear of heights." Arthur chuckled softly, feeling deeply satisfied.

  Still, without letting himself get carried away by his excitement, he pushed his senses to their limits and carefully examined his surroundings.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  He noticed the presence of several weak creatures nearby and also picked up multiple unfamiliar scents, indicating that powerful beings were in the area.

  Naturally, he raised his guard and alertness. He glanced briefly at his severed leg, then limped northward.

  After traveling dozens—perhaps even hundreds—of miles through the tangled underground tunnels earlier, he had completely lost his sense of direction.

  He no longer knew where he was or which direction the Spider Woman’s nest lay in. In truth, he was moving blindly, unaware of what he might encounter or where he would end up.

  Despite missing a limb, his speed wasn’t affected much. He moved smoothly through the forest. Along the way, he passed a large river inhabited by ferocious beavers that had built a massive wooden dam. He also crossed a vast grassy plain where herds of deer and buffalo grazed.

  He was a little hungry, but he didn’t hunt. Even when the sun began to set, he didn’t stop—on the contrary, his activity increased, and he felt refreshed. Night had become his favorite domain now.

  The moment darkness fully swallowed the forest, the effect of the night predator manifested. His strength subtly increased, his presence faded, and with remarkable ease, he concealed himself within the deep shadows.

  He suppressed his scent, the sound of his footsteps, even his breathing, becoming like a wandering ghost that spread a chilling cold wherever it passed.

  He no longer suppressed his hunger or gluttony. Bar-ing his fangs, he searched for suitable prey to feed on. It took him only a few minutes to find a sleeping herd of buffalo, guarded by two D-Rank males.

  The effects of "Predator Eyes" activated. Like an experienced hunter, he slipped toward the herd from their blind spot. Even when he reached their side, they failed to notice his presence at all.

  Then, without warning, he lunged at one of the male buffalo, biting into its neck and tearing through its throat, main arteries, and nerves, leaving only a thin strip of skin connecting its head to its body.

  [+38 XP]

  He quickly released it and let it bleed to death, then pounced on an unsuspecting female that had just woken up because of the commotion.

  Before she could even understand what was happening, he swung his claws with force and severed her head cleanly. It flew off and landed nearby.

  The rest of the herd panicked and fled in all directions, crashing into one another like headless chickens. Naturally, he didn’t miss the opportunity and managed to hunt a third buffalo of E-Rank and a fourth of F-Rank.

  When the area finally calmed down, and Arthur was left alone with his prey scattered across the ground, he muttered in disbelief and shock, "That was easy—far too easy. Am I hallucinating, or have I really become this strong? Hunting four prey at the same time isn’t a simple feat."

  He shook his head, mocking the strangeness of the situation, his confusion turning into excitement.

  He then reviewed what had happened in his mind and realized that the reason he was able to carry out such an astonishing hunt wasn’t his Rank Up to D-Rank, but the combined effects of "Predator Eyes" and "Night Predator.”

  The effect of "Night Predator" allowed him to completely conceal his presence and approach the buffalo herd until the distance was practically zero, granting him a massive advantage in the opening attack.

  As for the effect of "Predator Eyes", it revealed the enemies’ weak points and the optimal route he could take to reach them as quickly as possible. With all these factors combined with his extensive hunting experience, he was able to kill the greatest number of prey with the least amount of effort.

  "Everything makes sense now. Still, I shouldn’t treat this success as a general rule. This time, all the conditions were in my favor."

  After this successful hunt, Arthur gained a deeper understanding of his own abilities. He estimated that he wouldn’t face any problems hunting from now on.

  After that, he moved toward the D-Rank buffalo, tore open its chest, and pulled out its Primal Core. It was about the size of a large pearl, blood-red in color, and faintly glowing.

  "Should I eat this thing? I think other predatory beasts do this." He felt a bit hesitant, but after thinking it over carefully, he tossed the Primal Core into his mouth like a piece of candy and swallowed it.

  [+4 XP]

  "This core tastes absolutely awful, but at least it gave me some XP—wait…"

  His thoughts suddenly stopped. He sensed his physical condition and noticed something astonishing—his own Primal Core was showing signs of activity.