The night passed without any trouble. I woke up when the sky started turning gray. My body felt a little stiff but the qi inside me had settled down more. I ate the last bit of roasted rabbit meat and drank from the stream.
I still had only 20 Merit Points. One pull needed 100. I needed to keep earning.
Last night I had already killed one Gray Fur Rabbit. I was glad I learned some basic cooking skills from the home chef back at the clan. That meant the beast hunting mission was at 1 out of 5. I only needed four more.
I decided to finish it today. Heavenly Appraisal would help me find targets and stay safe.
I moved through the forest carefully. After about an hour I spotted another Gray Fur Rabbit. I killed it with my dagger. That made it 2 out of 5.
I kept going. The forest was calm. I used the stream to hide my scent and stayed low to the ground. By midday I had killed two more rabbits and one Weak Horned Rat. The mission was now at 4 out of 5.
I was getting better at this. My strikes were more accurate and I moved quieter than before. The new qi helped a little even if it was still weak.
I kept hunting. Not long after I found the fifth one. Another Gray Fur Rabbit. I killed it with my dagger.
The system chimed.
[Mission 1 complete.]
[30 Merit Points granted]
Current Merit Points: 50
Good. Halfway to one pull.
I skinned the rabbits I had killed today and wrapped the meat in leaves. It could last a day or two if I was careful. I also gathered a few more common herbs while I walked. Every little bit counted.
The forest started to thin out a little as I headed northwest. According to the map Green River Town was still about a day and a half away if I kept this pace.
I walked for a long time. The trees became less dense and the ground more open in some places. I stopped every now and then to check the map and make sure I was still going the right way. My legs were getting tired but I kept moving. I did not want to stay in one place too long.
Around late afternoon I found a good resting spot under a big tree with thick roots. I made a small fire and cooked some of the fresh rabbit meat. It tasted better than yesterday. While I ate I thought about the next step. With 50 Merit Points I was getting closer. My E Rank luck meant the pull would probably give me something basic but even a low grade movement technique would be useful right now.
I needed to move faster and quieter. Walking around with almost no combat power was dangerous. If I ran into something stronger than those rabbits I would be in real trouble.
The sun was going down again. The forest grew quiet. I put out the fire and leaned against the tree.
Just as I was about to close my eyes I heard something.
A low growl came from the darkness between the trees.
It was not a rabbit this time.
I slowly stood up and activated Heavenly Appraisal toward the sound.
The stats appeared.
Shadow Wolf (Qi Refinement Stage 4)
Strength: 11
Agility: 13
Stamina: 10
Combat Power (CP): 92
My stomach dropped.
It was stronger than me. Much stronger.
The wolf stepped out of the shadows. Its eyes glowed faintly as it stared at me. It looked hungry.
I reached down and pulled out the small dagger I had packed when leaving the clan. It felt tiny in my hand.
The wolf growled again and took a slow step forward.
I backed up against the tree. My heart started beating faster.
This was bad.
I gripped the dagger tighter. The blade was short and not very sharp. It was only meant for small tasks, not fighting. The wolf was bigger than I expected. Its muscles moved under dark gray fur as it circled slowly to my left.
I tried to think fast. Running might make it chase me. Fighting it head on was stupid with my current strength. My CP was only 48. The wolf had 92. That gap was huge.
The wolf lowered its head and growled louder. Saliva dripped from its jaws. It looked ready to pounce.
I took one small step to the side, trying to keep the tree at my back. My foot stepped on a dry branch. It snapped loudly.
The wolf lunged.
I swung the dagger wildly as I dodged to the right. The blade cut across its shoulder but it barely did anything. The wolf was too fast. Its claws raked the air where my chest had been a second ago.
I stumbled backward and fell over a root. The wolf turned quickly and came at me again.
This time I rolled to the side and slashed upward with the dagger. The blade sank into its front leg. The wolf yelped and jumped back.
Blood dripped from the wound but it did not look serious. The wolf shook its leg once and stared at me with even more anger.
My breathing was heavy. My hands were shaking a little. I was not used to this. Back at the clan I was weak and useless. Now I was out here alone facing something that could kill me in a few seconds.
The wolf circled again, slower this time. It was testing me. I stayed on my feet and kept the dagger pointed forward. My qi was flowing a bit faster now from the fear and adrenaline.
I knew I could not win a long fight. I had to end this quickly or run.
The wolf suddenly charged again. This time I did not dodge sideways. I stepped forward at the last moment and stabbed straight at its neck with everything I had.
The dagger hit but slid off the thick fur and bone. The wolf's head slammed into my shoulder and knocked me to the ground.
Pain shot through my arm. I tasted blood in my mouth.
The wolf stood over me, jaws open.
I raised the dagger one last time, aiming for its eye.
The wolf snapped down.