Chapter 55: 56-Investigation

First there was anger.

Then a quiet acceptance mixed with disappointment that came immediately afterwards.

Why did Rowan come to terms so fast? Because this was not the first time his prey had been snatched in front of  him. It only reminded him that the Forest of Death is a harsh place to live. 

Only the strongest survive the depths.

The brown wolf had not been considered the strongest amongst the monsters Rowan had witnessed today, but it was a different kind of monster that he had never faced before. While some of the monsters he faced had fought back before, he was never in a disadvantageous position. Most of the monsters he killed had been finished off in one shot. Some were unaware what killed them, while others had been killed after a brief exchange of blows. He never expected for an enemy to return fire back at him. At most, Rowan thought a monster would rush in to eliminate him once Rowan's presence was discovered. Today Rowan had a taste of his own medicine as usually he was the one attacking from afar and it was bitter.

Archery was his primary way of attacking. It was what he trained all these years as his key to survival. However, never in his mind did he think monsters could manipulate the ground and attack like the wolf. 

It was an eye opening and brutal experience, but one he was glad for. Now that he knew the possibility existed, he would need to think of his own counter measures for monsters who could also launch projectiles from afar.

Frankly Rowan was surprised that he got out of the battle with so little injuries. Cuts and scrapes covered his body, but none of it was fatal. After a day of rest, he would be completely healed.

In a way, Rowan was glad that only the wolf was taken. He could have been the one snatched up instead since his guard was down as a result from finishing a taxing battle. The battle had been too loud, too attention grabbing. In fact, now that it was over, it was surprising that only one monster came at the end. If another monster had interfered, then that may very well be his last day in the Forest of Death. The monster that snatched the wolf in the end had disappeared so fast that most people would not be able to recognize it on their first sight.

However, Rowan was different.

It was not his first time seeing the monster after all.

Rowan didn’t know if it was because this was the second time the monster or a sign of his growth, its features were even more distinct in his eyes.

It was the red dragon, the same one that had snatched the deer from him.

While the dragon had swiftly flown by, Rowan noticed one specific detail.

It’s mouth was curved upwards, as if it was smirking at the teenage boy.

This instantly angered Rowan as he wanted to shoot his remaining arrow at it, but gave up the idea. He could only helplessly swallow his complaint. As much as he wanted to yell and curse at the shameless dragon, it was currently not the time to do so. It was most important for him to leave the area as quickly as possible, before other monsters began to gather.

This encounter only reminded Rowan something he heard long ago.

Strength comes in many forms.

He forgot who he heard it from since it its been too long.

In this particular case, strength doesn't just mean prevailing over the opponent; it also means having the power to preserve their strength and prey for themselves. 

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Even if Rowan was stronger than the wolf, it meant nothing if he couldn’t keep it. Maintaining their battle strength even after going through harrowing battles was not easy. 

Rowan had not returned back to his camp empty handed. On his way back, he encountered a carnivorous deer. Fortunately he sensed it first and silently released an arrow to end its life. The poor thing didn't even realize who reap its life in the end.

The first thing Rowan did when he returned to the camp was skin the deer. It’s funny how the post work took longer than the actual hunt. After today's battle, he needed something else to wear as the wolf’s pelt was damaged. It was still wearable, but Rowan wanted something just in case.

When Rowan disposed of the flesh at the Mother Tree’s trunk, he observed the single fruit growing from its branches. It looked just about ready. A golden hue of mana emitted from it. It looked very similar to an apple except for the mana and its color was yellow. It would fall any day now. While Rowan was curious on how the ripened fruit would look, he decided to patiently wait. He didn't want to prematurely pluck it. If anything Mother Tree would let him know when it's ready.

A week had passed since. Rowan had spent a few days resting before going out again to hunt. This time, he was far more successful as he returned with a few monsters without anything snatching them away. Each return trip instilled more confidence into Rowan and he decided it was time to further explore the Forest of Death.

There were a few places that he had observed through the Mother Tree that had been strange. Rowan decided it was best for him to personally investigate. There was only so much one can notice through mana signatures.

One of the places that Rowan observed was what he believed to be a flower field that would take a few hours of travel.

What is so strange about flowers? 

For one thing, no monster roamed that particular area.

Rowan only saw that particular trait in one place.

When a monster housed an abnormal sense of mana and was not to be messed with. 

However it was a plant and what made a plant so scary that monsters avoided it?

Another place that Rowan wanted to see, at least from a far, was the goblin village. He only just recently realized that there were a few particular mana signatures that stood out in a way that they were different from the standard goblin.

There were other places to investigate, but those were the ones that stood out the most.

Maybe it was foolish to go personally investigate dangerous places, but this was an obstacle Rowan needed to overcome. Otherwise if a dangerous situation occurs when he could have taken some time to investigate the threat which could later save his life, it would be extremely foolish to not investigate. Haste would only lead him to his death faster.

That didnt mean he had to be stupid in investigating. He needed to make a plan.

The question was how do you investigate a dangerous place from afar?

Then an idea dawned on Rowan. He just needed to grab a ‘volunteer’ from one of the places he planned to instigate.

 

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