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After the Glacial Sloth departed, I remained where I was, lost in thoughts about the future. I won't lie, a sense of dismay washed over me as I realized I had been spared by that creature. Perhaps it was just a quick visit to drink water, or maybe it was simply too lazy to cross the stream.

In the end, I survived purely by luck. If that creature had decided to attack me, I wouldn't have stood a chance. I would have simply perished without any chance of defense. This became evident by the fact that I couldn't move a muscle in front of the Sloth, even though I wanted to run with all my might.

(Haah... anyway, I guess I should head back. Plus, I still need to figure out a way to take this body with me) I pondered as I shifted my gaze to the boar's body.

Minutes later, the solution to carry the boar was actually quite simple. I resorted to physical strength. It might not seem like it, but when I infuse Ether into my heart and it spreads throughout my body, I gain impressive strength. I mean, much stronger than I initially thought.

Although I still faced some difficulty, I realized I could probably lift and toss a car now. That's the level of strength I had achieved. And though the boar was heavy, it was actually lighter than I expected. Maybe I was even stronger than I imagined.

With this optimistic thought, a smile formed on my face as I continued to drag the boar toward our makeshift camp. I kept my [Ecopulsation] activated since the moment I left the stream, as I didn't want to be caught off guard by some random monster.

Along the way, some monsters even attempted to approach, but as soon as they spotted the boar I had hunted and looked at me, most of them backed off. When I say most, I'm referring to the Goblins. No Hobgoblin or ogre came my way, which I sincerely appreciated, as it would be a headache to face them alone.

Of course, it's not like no monsters tried to attack me. So, when three wolves stood before me, I was genuinely surprised. From my point of view, Wolves and Goblins were similar monsters, or at least they were in games, as both were starter monsters.

Although I had detected them earlier with my [Ecopulsation] their movements were so strange that I honestly didn't understand what they were doing. Before I knew it, all three suddenly appeared in front of me, with two of them flanking me. I'll remember this for next time.

Using [Identify] the statuses of the wolves quickly revealed themselves to me. I must say, their levels were quite decent. In summary, they were a bit stronger than Goblins.

[Wolf] - (Lv: - 10): A carnivorous predator, usually found in groups to hunt their prey, though predominantly nocturnal, occasionally ventures out to hunt during the day. Possesses exceptional coordination skills, allowing it to ambush its prey with ease, confusing their senses by appearing to make random movements.

[Wolf] - (Lv: - 9)

[Wolf] - (Lv: - 8)

Okay, I won't lie, finding out that I was tricked by this ruse of the Wolves, not due to my own foolishness, but because that's what they wanted, left me extremely irritated. I can't believe I was made a fool of by these creatures. Drawing my two daggers, I glared fiercely at the Wolves.

"It's time you learned, you furballs. I'll show you don't mess with a predator"

Aside from the fact that somehow these creatures led me to an area with tall vegetation, and the fact that their fur was the same color as that vegetation, I'll probably be able to kill them in a few minutes. Sure, I took into account the possibility of them hiding in the vegetation, but honestly, I have an ace up my sleeve for situations like this.

And as I predicted, as soon as they heard my words, the wolves darted into the tall vegetation, blending into the environment. I didn't panic and calmly activated [Ecopulsation] again. Ether pulses began to emit, revealing the exact location of the wolves to me.

According to the wolf that seemed about to attack, I made it seem like there were openings in my defense. Anyway, I didn't imagine a wolf would think these openings were intentional - and indeed it didn't. As it leaped toward me, aiming for my throat, I turned to face it and hurled one of my daggers. My body was propelled by Ether as my [Infusion] skill was activated on the daggers.

The next moment, with impressive speed, the dagger pierced through the wolf, leaving a huge hole in its chest.

You defeated [Wolf - Lv - 8] Experience was gained.

That was undoubtedly a disturbing sight. As the wolf's blood gushed, I refocused my concentration on the surroundings. I don't know if it was because its companion was killed, but the wolves quickly changed tactics. I noticed this because initially, they seemed willing to fight separately but.

So now it seemed like the two remaining ones would try a joint attack. Of course, I wouldn't just stand there while they tore me apart. Gripping my last dagger tightly, I squared up and waited, ready to act as soon as I felt both wolves lunging at me.

I surged towards one of them, catching it off guard. Before they had a chance to attack me together, I decided to take out one of them first. As expected, my dagger found the wolf's neck easily, providing a quick and clean kill.

You defeated [Wolf - Lvl - 9] Experience was gained.

Without getting distracted by the translucent screen before me, I quickly turned to the other wolf. As it charged towards me, I leaped and hurled my dagger at it, piercing it and killing it instantly.

You defeated [Wolf - Lvl - 10] Experience was gained.

You leveled up [6] -> [7] and gained 5 stat points and 1 skill point.

With the level up, I took a moment to consider how to invest my points. After a brief thought, I decided to put the five points into Ether. I felt intuitively that the more points I invested in this area, the more refined and easier my control over this energy would be. Obviously, most of my abilities directly depend on Ether, so it's a sensible choice.

Well, it's not like others don't spend Ether either, but watching Ellen, she seems to consume much more Ether than I do. According to her, practically all the points she earned were invested in intelligence, as she believes it influences the potency of her Electrokinesis, although I don't fully understand the reasoning behind it.

Ether: 15 -> Ether: 20

With the stat points allocated, it was time to invest the sole skill point I earned. I didn't hesitate for a moment before deciding where to put it.

Infusion [Lvl - 1] -> Infusion [Lvl - 2]

Those were the areas I decided to invest my points in. In the future, I also intend to increase my strength, in case I find myself in a situation where my Ether is blocked. However, honestly, I don't believe that will happen anytime soon. For now, my main focus will be on enhancing my magical powers, at the expense of physical strength.

With a satisfied smile on my face for my choices, I picked up the bodies of the three wolves and threw them onto the Boar before quickly starting my journey back again. I honestly didn't know if it was possible to eat the wolves, but the Boar technically was also a monster so what's the harm? Either way, I plan to let someone else take the first bite anyway.

The rest of the way back was quiet; my [Ecopulsation] didn't detect anything else, so I didn't face any more attacks. As I approached the makeshift camp, the sounds of conversations quickly echoed in my ears.

As I emerged from the forest, curious glances turned in my direction but quickly shifted to the things I was carrying behind me. I must admit it was a bit amusing to see the surprised expressions on everyone's faces. We didn't exchange words immediately; I was busy observing what was happening around me. They really set up quite a sizable campfire.

As I approached Leo, I dropped my goods and looked straight at him. Like the others, Leo seemed surprised, or maybe even incredulous. Honestly, it was hard to tell, as he always had an expression of arrogant idiocy plastered on his face, regardless of the situation.

"Our food probably won't last long. I grabbed these things, but we need to check if we can eat them without risking being poisoned"

Upon hearing my words, Leo raised an eyebrow.

"So, you want us to test whether this is edible or not?"

At that, I just smiled and headed towards the bus, waving to Leo on the way. He was a sharp guy, so I trusted he would understand the importance of testing the things I brought. After all, if we didn't explore these options, hunger would inevitably set in on all of us.

Probably aware of the urgency of the situation, I could clearly hear some curses coming out of Leo's mouth as he went to inspect my goods. Either way, I had already done my part.

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