After exiting the dungeon, I took a leak on a tree close to it. I know it's a little weird but I'm marking the place and making sure I can easily find it with my nose. I then resumed my hunting, I now had a clear goal of level 35 and it was best to hit it before the next full moon.

I continued walking in the forest until I was blocked by a cliff. It wasn't the biggest cliff out here but it was still a hindrance. I was looking around to see if I should go around it or go up when I spotted a cave on the side. It didn't look like anything but something was bugging me about it. After a while, I discovered that it was because the place was marked with a something scent. Monster generally don't mark their territories like that so it must be a beast, and must be quite an intelligent one. Since mana arrived and beast adapted, their personalities change and became more aggressive and generally didn't stay in one place and wouldn't bother with markings. Only when they get intelligent enough do the influence of mana offset and they go back to their original personalities, which will then slowly change because of their upgraded psyche.

I slowly approach the entrance and look inside. There are a few bones next to the wall close to the entrance and what looks like a leaf bed. The cave is only a dozen meters deep and a few meters large and had nothing else of significance. Whatever was living here was clearly not home so I decided to just leave and come check on the way back. If that beast was old and strong enough it may be possible to have a peaceful talk with it, and if it isn't capable of that then I can just kill it and have some Exp.

I just walked away and resume my walk. After a few minutes, I found my rare monster since the mad coyote, if we don't count the ones I killed while in berserk mode.

^War orc^
Race: Monster
Sex: Male
Rank: Rare

Hp: 1123/1123
^ ^

It was 2 and a half meters tall, with a plump and green body that didn't seem like one of a fighter. It had a simple leather skirt barely hiding its genitals and its torso and faces had stripes of red war paint. Its face was a mix of pig and human with tusk popping out of its mouth.

A war orc is a 2-star rare rank monster. It has a pretty imbalance stat that makes him a great opponent for speed base hunter. It has 3-star strength and endurance but all its other stats are 1-star. With my current stat, I could be considered a 1-star rare hunter but I got enough attack power to take on a 2-star. Even if we're evenly matched in terms of speed stat, I got the advantage in terms of body mass and nimbleness so as long as I don't get hit, my claws will get through its endurance.

I used the fact it didn't notice me yet to slowly go behind him and lunged at its weak spot. After consulting the Pokedex, I found that orcs in general had a weak spot on their back. It generally was covered in paint but there is a spot that has a darker shade of green and if you strike it, depending on the specie and strength of the orcs, it will stun them. This one weak spot wasn't even covered and I could clearly see it.

^You have dealt a critical blow^
^Hp -679^
^War orc is stunned for 6 seconds^

¨ROAAAR¨

It roared in pain and I understand him, I mean I took 60% of its hp in one strike. I used its stun condition to attack him two more times.

^You have dealt a critical blow^ x2
^Hp -298^
^Hp -151^

^You have killed a War orc^
^Exp +283^

Each consecutive hit dealt less than the previous one but with my very high attack power for my level, I easily kill him. I knew that if it wasn't for the fact that he was alone, inattentive, and had its weak spot in plain sight then I would have had a much harder time. Also field monster tends to be less dangerous than dungeon monster because dungeon monster generally have some equipment that isn't just branch or rocks.

I quickly checked its body for any valuable parts and was preparing to leave when I got interrupted by some roars. It seems that this war orc wasn't, in fact, alone, as demonstrated by the two enraged orcs coming from behind the tree.

I quickly dodge the first one who was blindly charging at me and strikes at the second one trying to splatter me with its club.

They both have around the same amount of hp as the first one but I do not have the advantage. While I was parrying and dodging the attacks of the second orc the first one came charging again. This time I was prepared and I dodge while pushing him headfirst into a thick tree. He is momentarily stunned and I use the opportunity to attack him.

^You have dealt a critical blow^
^Hp -642^
^War orc is stunned for 5 second^

Huh? I hit is the weak spot? His was properly covered so I didn't expect and even try to hit it. I was going to capitalize on my lucky shot but the other orc use the fact that I was distracted to hit me square into my side.

^You have suffered a strong blow^
^Hp -403^

Fuck... that hurt, but at least he got less than half my hp so I didn't get stunned. I quickly retreated out of its range and took account of the situation. One orc was currently stunned and the other was guarding him. I couldn't let the stun go to waste so I quickly charge at the one guarding the other and side-step its strike to swipe at his eye.

^You have dealt a strong blow^
^Hp - 245^
^You have blinded the War orc^

I got the confirmation that he couldn't see and rushed at the newly recovered orc behind. Just as he was facing me I use my hand like a spike and tried to pierce its heart.

^You have dealt a critical blow^
^Hp -547^

While it seems that I didn't get its heart, I did puncture his lung causing him to vomit blood. I quickly dealt the finishing blow, gaining 284 exp, and sidestep to my left to dodge the strike of the last one who had somehow pinpointed my location. I couldn't get out of the way enough and he manage to hit my leg.

^You have suffered a critical blow^
^Hp -515^
^Your leg is broken^
^You are stunned for 4 second^

That fucker actually broke my leg and stun me but luckily he still couldn't see and swang in the wrong direction, letting me recover from the stun.

I then decided to run away. As much as I hated the idea of fleeing with my tail between my legs, I hated the idea of dying even more. I was left with less than 100 hp so one hit from him and I'm dead while he surely has more than half his hp left. There was no way I could hit him enough while not being hit myself with a broken leg. At least it was blinded and couldn't follow me.

Just as a thought that the orc stopped moving and started sniffing the air. Well... shit. I just remembered that orc had poor eyesight and a good nose, the only reason he didn't use his nose sooner is that it's dumb and was enraged by the death of its comrade. I quickly got on all four to use my arm as a replacement for my leg and used gale's favor to turn the wind so that he couldn't smell me but it was too late and he started to charge toward me. I ignored my broken leg and jump to the side, dodging him. he then ran into a tree and started sniffing the air again but this time he couldn't smell me so I hastily increase the distance before gale's favor ran out. I could now maintain it for a little more than 2 and a half minutes. To my luck, even without my smell, it's started walking in my direction.

After a minute and a half, I couldn't see him anymore but I could still smell and hear him. The moment the wind isn't masking my smell he will surely charge directly at me. Then I arrived at the cliff with the cave in it. If the beast inhabiting the place was aggressive it would be suicidal but I decided to take the chance and go inside the cave. Since the place was marked with another beast scent, I would be safe from the orc sense of smell.

Just after going inside, my mp ran out and the wind died down. Luckily the cave was still empty and I took place on the leaves bed. After around an hour, I had recovered a quarter of my hp and I tried to construct a splint out of wood and my t-shirt. Things like a broken bone and lost organs don't get miraculously fixed once your hp is full, for a missing part, it needs a strong healing skill and for a broken bone, time, or healing skill. Still, it likely won't take more than a week to heal.

As I was contemplating if I should wait to be fully healed or leave now, the owner of the cave came back, growling.

It was a meter and a half tall gray wolf with some light blue streak in its fur, giving a lightning feel to it. Its paw had a long black claw that had lightning jumping from time to time between them. He had a long tail and sharps canines, that he was currently showing to me while growling.

^Alpha Thunder wolf^
Race: Beast
Sex: Male
Rank: Rare

Hp: 2232/2232
^ ^

It was a thunder wolf and an alpha at that. Thunder wolves are generally 4-star monsters but an alpha is between 5 and 6-star. They shouldn't be living in this forest but judging by the lack of tribe this alpha had, he must have been driven out of its home by a stronger monster or another alpha. The good news is that thunder wolves are semi magic-user and have more intelligence than most beasts, and alphas have even more intelligence. The bad news is that it is still a monster way too strong for me and I am currently intruding in its home, injured.

It slowly walks toward me and I lift my hand up in the air to show I don't mean harm, and it seems to work because it then stops growling and starts to sniff the air. After a few seconds, it arrives before me and seem to examine me. I try to start a conversation.

¨Hello?¨

It then looks at me and barked. While I couldn't understand it since it wasn't a word, it seem that I could infer some meaning behind is bark. He seem to ask what I was, but I couldn't be sure so I decided to just introduce myself and say why I'm there.

¨My name is Natasha Smith and I'm a werewolf. I was fighting some War orcs but lost and nearly died so I ran and use your cave to mask my odor so they couldn't follow me.¨

It looked at me and with a woof, he left the cave. I think he meant for me to stay here, anyway he didn't seem like he was going to kill me or force me to leave so I decided to wait and see.

After half an hour, he came back with a dead orc, which was the orc I fled from. It seems he found it and killed it. Did he wanted to eliminate the threat? He then pushes its corpse before me and barked, he then started eating it. Oh, he was bringing me food. It seems that wolf was actually pretty kind.

Since I was pretty hungry, I started eating with him. Orc, unsurprisingly, tasted like pork. After eating, he got closer to me and wrapped himself around me, and started sleeping. It was still around noon but I decided to follow its example and take a nap.

I woke up to him licking my face. Once he saw I was awake, he barked and lowered himself. I think he wants me to go on his back so I do. After climbing on his back and grasping at his fur, he gets out of the cave and looks around, then at me. Does he want to bring me back home? Holy shit that wolf is kind, for a beast.

I point in the direction of my home and he starts jogging. We arrived at my cavern when the sun started setting. He dropped me inside and turn to leave but I called to him.

¨Wait!¨

He turned to me

¨Do you want to stay with me? I got enough room for two and I wouldn't mind some company.¨

He stoically looked at me and nodded his head. I think he was trying to seem benevolent and grand, but his furiously wagging tail totally ruin that, not that I mind since mine was also strongly wagging. It seems we were both happy to make a new companion and I'm even happier since it's a strong and beautiful wolf like him. Wait... Is this an erection? Oh, I'm sexually attracted to him arent I? Well, it's probably normal for a werewolf to be in a close relationship with a wolf. Anyways, sex will have to wait for my leg to heal.