After the intense and thrilling battle, Mo Fan felt that it had actually benefited his evening training and the growth of his Stardust. Clearly, only relying on hard work isn't always the best way to improve.
The next day, after fully recovering his magic energy, Mo Fan ventured into the wilderness once more. Having gained some experience from the previous day, he felt much less psychological pressure on this outing.
However, since he was only exploring the outskirts, he didn't encounter any monsters that day.
For the sake of his own life, he naturally wasn't going to venture too deep.
In the following days, Mo Fan occasionally ran into Colossal Eyed Ape Rats, while at other times, he found nothing, just like on his first day.
Soon enough, the vacation ended. Back at the academy, watching his classmates still practicing on wooden dummies, Mo Fan felt a bit like an adult watching children.
Of course, even though he felt that way, he didn't show it.
Then Mo Fan suddenly remembered something—the One-Eyed Demon Wolf that had stolen the Underground Holy Spring.
That creature could definitely drop a valuable Soul Essence!
However, he recalled from his past life that it was an advanced-stage One-Eyed Demon Wolf.
Mo Fan didn't think he could handle an advanced-stage One-Eyed Demon Wolf on his own.
"Hey, Fan-ge, did you notice that since our training, class monitor Zhou Min has been secretly watching you?" said Zhang Xiaohou, who suddenly leaned over while Mo Fan was thinking about how to get the Soul Essence.
"Yeah, I noticed." Mo Fan nodded.
"Do you think she likes you?" Zhang Xiaohou asked, grinning.
Mo Fan wasn't narcissistic about it. He knew that Zhou Min had been acting that way because she probably needed his help. After all, nothing in this world comes without reason.
"I think it's because of my stellar performance during the training session. She probably has something she needs help with." Mo Fan said.
While they were talking, Zhou Min was already walking toward them. She looked shy and hesitant, with a touch of vulnerability that could stir anyone's protective instincts.
Zhou Min was quite pretty, with clean, shoulder-length black hair and a delicate face that carried the pride common to many young girls. Although she often acted tough and distant toward boys, she had a warm heart that was hard to hide.
As Zhou Min approached, Zhang Xiaohou quickly walked away without hesitation.
Even though Mo Fan had said Zhou Min was probably coming to ask for help, Zhang Xiaohou still felt that her behavior looked more like a girl with a crush.
"Mo Fan, do you have time tonight?" Zhou Min asked, glancing at Zhang Xiaohou, who had left, and then turning to Mo Fan.
"Do you need something?" Mo Fan asked in return.
"It's like this: my grandmother lives on Banyan Tree Street, which is an old neighborhood being demolished to make way for a new development. During the summer, I stayed with her, and we kept hearing strange noises from the construction site next door, like something heavy being moved, even though I was told they don't work at night. My grandmother keeps saying that there's something in that rundown part of the old neighborhood. I've tried to get her to move out, but she doesn't want to leave, so I'm hoping you can come with me to check it out. I don't feel comfortable leaving her there alone, especially since the noises at night are really creepy." Zhou Min explained.
"I think it's likely that there's a monster there." Mo Fan responded.
"A monster?!" Zhou Min was taken aback. Could there really be a monster in the city?
The last time Zhou Min encountered a monster, the fear of it stayed with her even now. But this was the city, not the wilderness. How could there be monsters here?
Seeing Zhou Min's disbelief, Mo Fan nodded and said, "You heard me right. There's a good chance it's a monster. Based on the kind of noise you described, I'd guess it's a One-Eyed Demon Wolf. You don't need to worry. I'll contact the city's monster-hunting team for you."
"But what if it's a false alarm? Wouldn't it be a waste of their time?" Zhou Min asked, worried.
"It's their job to deal with this kind of thing. I'll contact them. Tonight, take your grandmother out of there for the night. Once I've taken care of it, I'll let you know," Mo Fan reassured her.
He didn't plan on bringing Zhou Min along. Although she was brave, she wouldn't be much help against an advanced-stage One-Eyed Demon Wolf.
Besides, even the monster-hunting team might need his assistance. So, he needed to stay hidden.
"Alright…"
"You trust me, right?"
Since Mo Fan had said so, Zhou Min didn't argue further and replied, "Okay."
That night, Mo Fan arrived at the old Banyan Tree Street. Just as Zhou Min described, the neighborhood was in a state of disrepair. It looked like it had just suffered a major earthquake, with dust everywhere, temporary construction fences, potholes, and half-demolished buildings.
He'd heard that the area was supposed to be developed into a new commercial district, but due to severe financial issues, the project had been abandoned, leaving the city with this unsightly mess that even the municipal authorities didn't know how to handle.
Most of the residents had already moved out, except for a few homeless people taking shelter in the dilapidated buildings and some elderly folks who refused to leave, including Zhou Min's grandmother.
Upon entering the area, Mo Fan took out some monster-detection powder he had prepared.
He sprinkled the powder in a ten-meter radius around himself, and soon enough, the powder formed a footprint in the dusty ground, as if something had stepped there.
As he ventured deeper into the ruins, he saw a shadow writhing in what used to be a ground-floor room.
It was a hulking creature, its head nearly brushing the ceiling of the second floor.
It had a wolf-like body similar to the DireWolf, but this one stood on its hind legs like a werewolf!
The most noticeable difference was its eye.
It had only one eye—a single, giant eye on its wolf-like head that gleamed menacingly in the dark.
This was a One-Eyed Demon Wolf!
Mo Fan had learned about this vicious monster countless times in his demonology class. Unlike the Colossal-Eyed Ape Rats, which lurked in dark corners, the One-Eyed Demon Wolves lived in the wild and had a natural hatred for humans. They often hunted humans as food!
Savage, greedy, and bloodthirsty, they loved killing and terrorizing anyone who dared to leave the safety of human settlements.
Seeing this creature for the first time filled Mo Fan with a sense of dread that was far beyond what he had felt with the Colossal-Eyed Ape Rats or the DireWolf he had faced before.
(End of Chapter)