The forest had grown quiet again.
The flame at the end of Wein's branch flickered softly, casting long shadows across the trees. Smoke from the burning wood curled lazily upward while the smell of singed fur lingered faintly in the air.
Wein stood still for a moment, staring at the body lying in the dirt.
The wolf looked even larger now that it was dead. Its thick gray fur covered a heavy frame built for hunting, and its claws were long enough to tear through flesh with ease. The wound in its throat had stopped bleeding, leaving dark stains on the ground beneath it.
Wein slowly crouched beside the corpse. He studied the wolf carefully. Wein was no stranger to killing animal, he has been hunting small animal his whole life for a living. So he didn't really felt bad for killing this wolf, especially when it tried to kill him.
Wein reached forward and nudged the body slightly with the burning branch.
He leaned back slightly and observed it again, this time with a more practical mindset.
Was there anything useful he could take? Wein had heard stories from traveling merchants when he was younger. Some special beasts possessed valuable materials—rare bones, organs. Those items could supposedly be sold for a good amount of money.
But after examining the wolf for a moment, Wein quickly realized the truth. How could he harvest its organs? He doesn't have any tool with him at the moment. And beside, Overgrown wolves aren't special at all. It's a common beast roaming the northern part of the kingdom.
He tapped the creature's thick fur with the branch again. The meat was poisonous. Everyone in the northern villages knew that. Eating it would cause severe sickness, sometimes even death. Even starving travelers avoided it. Wein certainly had no interest in trying. And besides, he wasn't hungry. Ever since awakening his bloodlines, his body had felt different. The warmth of Spiritual Essence flowing through him seemed to sustain his body in subtle ways.
'If creatures like these possessed valuable rare materials, they would have been hunted into extinction long ago.' Wein thought.
Wein knew that special beast are rare because their population has been continuosly hunted by humans. As for Overgrown wolves, no one cares about such pest. Even villagers like him knew that. Humans were ruthless when it came to profit. If there were something valuable inside this wolf, hunters and mercenaries would have wiped out every pack in the region years ago.
Wein exhaled quietly. "Maybe the skin."
The fur might have been useful. Thick wolf pelts could be sold in cities, or used for clothing during winter.
But after a moment he shook his head.
he have to remind himself once again that He didn't have the tools. Skinning a beast properly required a sharp blade and some experience. Right now he had neither. Trying to tear the hide off with a burning stick would only ruin it.
Wein used to carry a hunting knife like every hunter in the village. But when the savages raided the village, all his possessions were looted during the raid.
"So, no loot? It's my first time killing such beast and I get nothing from it." Wein muttered.
Wein stood up again. The dead wolf remained where it had fallen, illuminated faintly by the torchlight.
For a moment he simply looked at it. His first kill. He thought he might feel something. Excitement. Fear.
But none of those emotions came. Instead, what he felt was something much simpler. Understanding. The world outside the village was dangerous.
Beasts hunted people.
People hunted beasts.
And sometimes people hunted other people.
The rules were simple.
Kill. Or be killed.
Wein accepted that without hesitation. He lowered the torch slightly and glanced toward the surrounding forest. Hunter instinct quietly stretched outward through the darkness.
The four surviving wolves were already far away. Good. But that didn't mean the forest was safe. Wolves were pack creatures. Five had attacked earlier. But what if a larger group was nearby?
Wein imagined the possibility, fifty wolves, a hundred wolves.
Even with awakened bloodlines, that would be dangerous. His instincts were confident that he could handle the small pack he had encountered earlier. But overwhelming numbers were different.
even fools knew that Power had limits.
And Wein had no intention of dying a second time in the same week. "That would be embarrassing." He said.
The thought made him snort quietly. He glanced one last time at the dead wolf. Then he turned away. The forest path stretched ahead of him, still dim under the faint glow of the torch.
Wein adjusted his grip on the burning branch and began walking again. The warmth of Spiritual Essence flowed steadily through his body as he moved. His steps were calm and controlled, his senses alert to every sound around him.
The night air had grown cooler. Mist began creeping through the trees, drifting slowly across the road like pale ghosts. Yet Wein didn't feel uncomfortable.
His Fire Bloodline kept the torch burning steadily, its light guiding him forward through the darkness.
His Hunter Bloodline remained quietly active, scanning the forest for danger.
The combination of the two abilities made traveling at night far easier than it should have been.
Wein walked for several minutes before the forest began thinning slightly.
The road ahead widened, and the trees grew less dense. That was a good sign.
Major roads leading toward cities were usually kept somewhat clear to allow merchants and travelers to pass.
Which meant he was still heading in the right direction. Wein's golden eyes reflected the firelight as he continued forward.
The City of Flower waited somewhere ahead. Wein didn't know what kind of place the City of Flower truly was. But one thing was certain. It was far more interesting than the village he had left behind.
And now that he had awakened his bloodlines…
The world ahead felt much larger than it ever had before.
Wein continued walking through the night. Moving one step closer to the city that would change his life.