It was early in the morning. A drifting hazy mist filled every corner of the forest, embellishing Kane Jungle, which was known as "the place with the highest crime rate" in the Mythical Continent.
Deep within the gloomy jungle, where countless unidentified mythical monsters lived, the visibility was extremely low. Not a single ray of sunlight was able to penetrate the sky-shielding fortress formed by the lush towering trees there. The mysterious fog further lowered visibility in the jungle, resulting in the dim environment becoming confusing and… dangerous.
There was a saying which goes, "the environment shapes the ecosystem." Monsters that were able to adapt and survive in Kane Jungle were surely no common beasts.
Even the weakest and lowest ranked monster, the "Galewind Wolf" was not to be underestimated by humans! A Tier 3 wind attribute monster, it was a master of Tier 1 to Tier 3 Wind magic. It also possessed melee abilities that were comparable to a regular Tier 3 warrior. Besides, coupled with its lightning speed as well as its familiarity with the complex jungle environment, it could easily rip any weak adventurer who entered the jungle into pieces.
The scariest part was that although Galewind Wolves did not live in groups, they were one of several rare monsters that did not reject their own kind. Whenever a team of strong adventurers met with a pack of Galewind Wolves, the possibility of the team being annihilated was utterly high if they were to be caught off guard.
However, high risks begot with great rewards.
The fur, hides, fangs, and claws of a Tier 3 monster like the Galewind Wolf were extremely suitable as raw materials for magic equipment and medicine. Those who were lucky could even obtain a Mana Core worth hundreds of gold coins. Despite the fact that it was just a Mana Core of a Tier 3 monster, it was still very much sought after by Alchemists, Elementalists, Summoners, and
This, in turn, attracted a lot of adventurers to enter the place without hesitation in spite of the dangers the Kane Jungle was well-known for. They would engage the monsters in combat deep within the jungle, dancing on the edge of a knife.
The Galewind Wolf was merely the first stage that many adventurers needed to pass. They were scattered all over the outermost layer of Kane Jungle, like hitmen around the periphery of that dark place.
***
Somewhere among the dense, dark shrub, a Galewind Wolf with a vague silhouette crouched silently. With its eyes half-closed, it completely blended into the darkness…
It was not sleeping.
As a member of the Kane Jungle, the Galewind Wolf stayed alert at all times, patrolling the area. It dared not slack even if it was just for a second. However, it was different from the other Advanced Monsters; it was better at protecting itself in this dark place.
The act of shutting its eyes was merely to conceal its pupils, which emitted a green light in the dark. By doing so, it could hide itself better.
Merely relying on the irregular airflow in the wind… the Galewind Wolf could completely grasp everything that occurred within its territory, such as this very moment!
The Galewind Wolf felt a sudden turmoil in the air.
In an instant, it involuntarily embedded its claws into the ground and stood up! Its body resembled that of a tensed giant bow attached with a bowstring. Facing a certain direction, it then gradually opened its eyes...
Like two balls of ghostly green fire that suddenly lit up in the dark, it was an unexpectedly frightening sight!
One step… two steps…
The increasingly heavy and slowed footsteps of a human allowed the Galewind Wolf to make the clearest judgment… It was one person…
After an extremely faint growl, it snapped its jaws wide open and bared its long, white fangs.
*Woosh!*
With no intention to remain hidden, the giant beast leaped out of the woods.
As a matter of fact, it did not even have to hide. The Galewind Wolf was a natural-born nightwalker in Kane Jungle. After the loud rustling, the beast leaped towards the lone human, ready to attack. Like the night itself, its massive body was like a shadow. As it charged towards the human, its speed increased, causing the sound of the rustling leaves to grow louder. It was the kind of sound that would invoke chills and intense fear.
Its green pupils were as bright as the moon in the dark environment.
After it gained a clear view of the adventurer, its green pupils contracted slightly as it increased its speed…
It was an Elementalist!
The solo adventurer in the Kane Jungle was an Elementalist with a near-zero close quarter combat ability. Out of instinct, the Galewind Wolf chose to charge rapidly at the human, who was daring enough to invade its territory. It wanted to fight with the human at close range.
Unfortunately…
This was probably the last big mistake it would ever make.
"Water, condense."
It was clear and calm—a simple rhythmic chant by the adventurer. His voice carried no sense of urgency.
As though a mysterious mechanism was triggered, the moment he finished pronouncing the last syllable of his chant, something happened. It was as if the water vapor within a ten-meter radius had been affected. It began to accumulate at a certain point at a speed that was visible to the naked eye. The water vapor formed an Aquaball that was one meter in diameter, and it happened to obstruct the charging Galewind Wolf.
Unsurprisingly, the Galewind Wolf refused to take a Tier 1 Elementalist seriously. Turning a blind eye, it roared angrily and leaped from the ground!
"Shield!"
The adventurer chanted once again. With chilling rays of light shooting out from a staff, the surrounding temperature plummeted all of a sudden!
Water condensed into ice, and ice morphed into a shield! This was Elementalism.
It was supposed to be an Aquamancer's little trick, used to halt enemies, who intended to initiate close-ranged combat. It was a stunt any Tier 1 Aquamancer who had changed classes could have easily pulled off.
Yet this time, the adventurer appeared to be struggling with the spell.
It was a little too late…
The fiercely charging Galewind Wolf crushed the one-meter Aquaball right before it condensed into ice, making it impossible for it to be turned into a shield.
The adventurer remained calm despite the fact that he was about to be shredded into pieces by the Galewind Wolf. He then moved aside to dodge the incoming attack.
However, something unexpected happened!
"Woo... wooof…"
The Aquaball, which had been torn apart splashed around in the air and did not stop changing states. As the temperature continued to drop, it condensed! The Galewind Wolf felt a sudden gripping sensation around its waist and it instantly realized that the fragmented Aquaball was now acting like a swim ring. It was tightly attached to the center of its waist, extending all the way to its hind legs. The Galewind Wolf was well-known for its fragile waist despite its durable head and mouth, and it let out a miserable howl.
*Bam!*
The Galewind Wolf brushed past the adventurer, hitting the ground hard. It rolled a few meters before coming to a stop. Not only was it not as vigorous as before, it was also unable to move after being affected by the cold.
The adventurer, deadpanned, raised his staff again. He did not forget that his opponent was a ferocious, Level 35 monster. Even though it was frozen and unable to escape, it was not actually hurt in any way.
However, in order to obtain the "materials" he needed from the Galewind Wolf, he had to kill it before its frozen state expires.
Without a doubt, he could only attack its head in order to acquire a piece of the Galewind Wolf's flawless fur. If the quality of fur dropped substantially, he would not be able to sell it at a good price.
"Frostsoul, Shura's Needles!"
Three jade-white, chill-exuding Frost Needles formed rapidly before the eyes of the Galewind Wolf…
The next moment, green-colored blood spewed out from its eyes.
"Owoooah!"
The shrill screech was the last of the Galewind Wolf's roar and it startled the tranquil Kane Jungle!
The adventurer was apparently very familiar with the Galewind Wolf. Not even eight seconds into it, the fight was concluded; this was not something a normal Elementalist could have done.
Not to mention, two normal Tier 1 elemental skills were already enough to apply a fatal Frozen status on a Tier 3 Galewind Wolf. This sort of manipulation, planning, and organizational ability, in addition to the familiarity he had with the Galewind Wolf, as well as his confidence, were truly impressive. As for the last two Tier 3 magic strikes, they seemed to be rather less eye-catching. Multiple attacks on the frozen Galewind Wolf using Tier 3 magic skills were as easy as threading a needle.
Upon receiving the notification for the experience gained by the system, the adventurer squatted down with ease, and performed an action he had been practicing for tens of thousands of times. Within seconds, a whole piece of black fur, fangs, and claws from the Galewind Wolf were all sorted out...
If the quality of the raw materials from a Galewind Wolf was not bad, they would be worth one gold coin; if one was lucky, it would not be a problem to make hundreds of gold coins in one night with every other expense included.
"Huh?"
Seemingly noticing something, the adventurer's body shook a little. He suddenly stared at an object pressed under the skull of the Galewind Wolf... It was a green Mana Core, the size of a thumb.
"Ha, I'm lucky."
Feeling happy, Qin Ruo wiped the green Mana Core in his hands for a second. He straightened up, revealing his face, which had been hiding under the shadow of his cloak. It was quite a handsome and lively face.
Galewind Wolf's Cores were hard to acquire even through the massacre of a thousand Galewind Wolves. He never thought he would get it so soon this time. It was a really good day indeed.
Storing the Mana Core, Qin Ruo was in a good mood. The day before, someone even offered 450 gold coins to procure a Galewind Wolf's Core. It seemed like he would complete his daily mission above quota in advance. In that case...
Was he to continue, or to return early?
After some hesitation, he decided to venture farther. After all, it was the day the Elite Boss, "Galewind Wolf King" would respawn! It was good to have a go at it as well.