Howls of pain are the only thing I hear besides the crunching of bones and the pitter-patter of rain.

Unlike the [Black Wolves] that live in huge packs, the [Shadow Wolves] are solitary creatures that don’t have more than five wolves grouped. I haven’t seen a [Shadow Wolf] over level 50. That seems to be their bottleneck. I read that creatures that get subjugated by another beast have their power capped below the leader. The only way for them to advance would be to kill the leader.

That means there is a level 50+ monster that stalks these lands.

There are three types of hunters. Ambush, pursuit, and persistent hunters. If you ignore skills, wolves and humans are persistent hunters, utilizing superior stamina to exhaust their prey. [Shadow Wolves] traded their exceptional wolf stamina for stealth.

I walked around as bait, pretending to be weak and injured. When the wolves sniffed me out to attack, they would be met with an unfortunate surprise. Their attacks do hurt me, and the shadows that try and

restrain me are annoying, but my tamed beasts counter-ambushes the wolves.

[Resistance: Piercing 46 > 78]

After two days of massacring wolves, I let my beasts rest. I focused on them all reaching level 30 before anything else.

Name / Nickname

Rob / Little Buddy

Species

Shovel Skeleton E

Level

30 (4500/45000)

Evolution Requirements

Not Met

~

Health Points

145/145

Mana Points

125/125

Armor Points

5

Might

31 > 41

Agility

50 > 60

Vigor

29 (13 > 19 +10)

Mind

10 > 25

Spirit

15 > 25

~

Name / Nickname

Duchess / Thisss one

Species

Winged Serpent D (Rare)

Level

Level: 30 1251/45,000

Evolution Requirements

30 (1251/45,000)

~

Health Points

110/110

Mana Points

500/500

Armor Points

0

Might

10 > 22

Agility

25 > 45

Vigor

10 >22

Mind

40 > 100

Spirit

14 > 50

Charisma

15

Luck

10

~

Name / Nickname

Khan the Exile

Species

Ariel Scavengers D (Unique)

Level

30 (9871/45000)

Evolution Requirements

Not Met

~

Health Points

200/200

Mana Points

175/175

Armor Points

0

Might

40 > 80

Agility

20 > 40

Vigor

20 > 40

Mind

15 > 35

Spirit

15 > 35

Perception

15 > 35

Flash Gordan and I did not gain any levels. I wanted my weaker tamed beasts to get as much experience as possible. Now that we are a team of five that each has our distinct advantage in a fight. We can start to track down stronger beasts and kill them together. I plan on going to a different edge on this huge Island after tracking down the leader of the [Shadow Wolves].

I am three days deep inside this fracture, almost reaching the fourth. I only have a few days left to get as many levels for myself. The best way to do that is to utterly destroy higher-leveled foes to benefit from my [Fell the Mighty] title.

In my time in the [Shadow Wolf] territory, I found a central cave that the wolves stayed away from. I didn’t investigate it intensely since I still wanted to grind up my beasts. I head towards my next destination.

~

The cave sits embedded into a hill in a clearing. I get to the edge of the tree line and peer past. A giant tree sits on top of the mound, and its roots block off the entrance. [Shadow Wolves] can briefly become ethereal and pass through small gaps. That must be how the leader gets in and out of his home.

I wonder if the leader is [Shadow Wolf] or if they have a hierarchy tag. Some creatures get “lord” or ‘king” in their name when they rule over many of their kin. That [Giant Snail Patriarch] is a good example. Since it fathered a ludicrous amount of children, it became a patriarch.

I sneak towards the entrance, careful not to step on one of the numerous animal bones that litter this clearing. And pull out a tool from my bag that I haven’t had the chance to use.

Everyone needs a hatchet in a forest. iI’s common sense, same with a fire starter.

I try to be as discreet as possible as I attempt chopping down the roots.

*WACK*

Suddenly the mound starts to shake as the roots rip from the ground away from me. I hear leaves rustling as I jump from the entrance back to the clearing.

The massive tree creaks as roots and branches start swaying in anger.

Holy shit! It's the tree!

My expert observational skills came in hand as I dodged a shadowy whip that tried to take my head off.

I should have expected that something was wrong. The [Shadow Wolf] can turn ethereal, but that doesn’t mean its prey can. There is also no animal excrement anywhere.

[Shadow Arbor C lv 65]

I point my finger to the writhing tree, and all five of us start our attack.

~

I am the first one to charge out and attack. Dozens of roots and shadow whips swing belligerently all around the clearing. Bones shatter as this behemoth of a tree flies into a tantrum.

Once It ‘spotted’ me, it started to focus its attacks. The whips want to wrap me, and the roots attempt to bludgeon me to death.

I duck, dive, and dodge all the attacks as Rob and Duchess attack it from a distance. Rays of light and bullets of bone rain from the treeline, damaging bark and blasting away roots.

The rustling grows louder as the tree attacks faster. It can’t see outside of its range, the clearing. The only threat it see’s right now is Flash Gordon and me.

Plant creatures are sitting ducks, but they get a ridiculous health bonus for being rooted in the ground. Killing the roots lowers the health bonus and makes it more manageable to take this guy down.

Khan finally moves in. He floats above the whips and starts to attack the roots. He infuses his bite with lightning damage instead of piercing, capitalizing on the damage.

Rays of light burn the exterior of the tree. The pain distracts it long enough for me to make my way up the mound and reach the trunk.

Rock beats wood.

Trees don't have a traditional weak point, so I slam Flash Gordon against a piece of charred bark and activate my skills.

[Empower] on Flash Gordon.

[Sacrice Health] taking away 300 health and adding it to my attack.

[Donkey Punch] for good measure.

[Critical Hit!!!]

-1500

*CRUNCH*

Flash Gordon caves in the entire side of the tree. Black sap bleeds out of the massive indent as the mound erupts into roots curling in pain. The tree is somehow still alive.

My hand recoils in pain after delivering that blow. Flash Gordon trembles from the aftershock. Flash Gordon also applies my addition [Unnarmed] damage, curious.

[Flash Gordon gains a skill.]

[Wood Cruncher D

The User deals 30% more damage to wood.]

[Wood Cruncher is reacting to Bone Crusher and Armor Cracker!]

[Skill Seige Weapon is Created!]

[Seige Weapon C Lv1

The User deals 25% more damage to ‘hard’ targets.]

That's my boy! Brand new skill and a skill reaction! And the skill can be leveled.

A massive root bats me away. I was distracted by the awe of Flash Gordon that the tree managed to get a sneak attack off me.

-100

The damage is quite significant if you consider my resistance should have lowered the damage by almost 200 points.

[Heal Everything] mends my mounds. I use barely over 100 mana and almost get to maximum health.

“Try and finish it off!” I yell across the clearing to Rob and Duchess. The tree must not have that much health after the bombardments and the root damage. The blow I delt was meant to try and weaken it further, but now it's on death’s door.

Before either of my beasts can give an affirmative, the tree starts acting suspiciously.

The leaves turn black, almost like they are drawing in darkness. I don’t stick around and try to make distance away from the tree. Little too late, unfortunately.

The darkness that coated the leaves shoots out in a dome of night. The wall of black quickly eats everything in the clearing.

~

I can't see or hear anything. It’s almost like my entire perception has entirely disappeared. I instinctually step back as I feel the wind of an attack barely pass my nose. The next one hits.

I get batted away again, slamming back into the ground as I groan in pain. I can only hear my thoughts in this black void.

Another attack hits me while I'm down. Tendrils hidden in the darkness start to bind my limbs.

I struggle against my bonds, but the strength is too much. Right when I was about the dump all my remaining points into might. A tremendous flash of light lights up the surrounding for just a moment before being swallowed by the darkness.

The light came from one of Duchess’ new spells. The light burns away the shadow whips and sears me as well.

-40

[Resistance: Radiant 25 > 26]

[Master’s Whistle] has the passive effect of one of my servants always knowing where I am. She must have used that to find me and give me a clear picture of my surroundings.

The tree was right where we left it, on the mound.

Duchess flashes again, but a massive root tries to swat her out of the air. My [Martyr] triggers as I take the damage on behalf of my beast.

I bolden myself with [Bolster Resistance]. Spending 98 mana to boost my blunt resistance to a whopping 390

-110

The taste of blood fills my mouth as the blow lands heavily on my body. Duchess could have died if I wasn’t right next to her. Fuck that tree.

For the first time in a while, I get into the first stance of Flash Fu. With my pitchers' pose set up, I blindly hurl Flash Gordon at that fucking tree. I have over 100 mana left, so I heal myself for 300 hit points and spend 100 hitpoints on [Blood Sacrifice] to get 100 mana.

[Sacrifice Health] converts 300 hitpoints into damage as I spend the 100 hundred mana I just got to instantly heal that amount.

My blood churns, and my heart burns as I play yo-yo with my blood.

*CRUNCH*

-300

A wave of emotion radiates from this tree. The darkness disperses like it never existed as the tree cracks and crumbles underneath its death. The latent energy churns and whips up wind as inky blackness coils around the trunk.

The energy slowly stops as the tree’s hardy life finally snuffs out. Its final suicide attack is no more as the dark sap from the tree pools around it like blood.

I march up to the top of the hill and rip Flash Gordon out of the dead [Shadow Arbor]. Next to where Flash Gordon was, is an elemental crystal.

[Shadow Crystal C]

“Good find, Flash Gordon.”