Chương 47: Chapter 46 When the Forest Fell Silent

"The weather is pleasant." As usual, Karath washed with soap at the well before leaving the settlement with his uncles and older companions.

"Do you agree, Buddy?" Buddy followed him outside as naturally as ever. When Karath first discovered the pup, it had been no larger than a small dog. During the following month, it grew at an astonishing rate. The pup had apparently suffered from severe malnutrition before Karath found it. Once he began feeding Buddy meat and the hearts of monsters every day, the wolf seemed to grow larger by the hour. In only one month, Buddy had reached the size of a medium dog, comparable to a husky or similar breed.

Compared with the adult Giant Wolf Karath had seen, however, he remained tiny.

"Will you hunt alone again today, Buddy?" The group had reached the enormous tree used as the point where hunting parties separated. When Karath asked the question, Buddy wagged his tail as though responding and disappeared alone into the undergrowth. Karath chuckled and began hunting with the others.

"Krahahaha! Today, Karath will finally witness Kaden's true skill!" Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators! Kaden immediately began boasting when they were assigned to the same group again.

"Before displaying your hunting skill, perhaps you should learn to count." As though following a prepared script, Krog immediately provoked his older cousin. Their exchange had become an ordinary part of every hunt. The three moved through the forest in search of prey. They installed traps along paths frequently used by animals. Whenever they discovered unusual terrain, they measured the distance and recorded it for the map.

When they encountered animals or monsters, they concealed their presence, approached carefully, and killed them. During the hunt, a faint rustling came from the bushes beside them. In the past, Karath would have tensed and assumed prey was approaching. Rustle. The vegetation parted, and Buddy poked his head through. A dead rabbit hung from his jaws. After accompanying Karath on hunts for the past month, the pup seemed to have learned enough to hunt independently.

"A rabbit today?" Karath stroked Buddy's head as the wolf proudly presented his catch.

"Keh heh heh. That creature is remarkably intelligent. Perhaps Kaden should raise a wolf as well."

"Why? Buddy already seems more intelligent than you."

"That is true." Kaden laughed heartily without realizing Krog had insulted him. Krog, who had expected a different reaction, smiled with a strange expression. Amid that familiar atmosphere, Karath was the first to sense that something was wrong. It was not a clear sound or visible sign. A chill crawled along his spine, accompanied by an instinctive feeling of danger. His gaze moved toward the side. Then he understood.

"It is strangely quiet." No sound surrounded them other than their subdued conversation. The insects that constantly filled the forest with faint noise had fallen silent. Not a single bird could be heard. The forest had not become completely soundless. Thud. Thud. A distant noise reached them. It was quiet, but impossibly heavy. At the same time, a faint vibration began traveling through the ground beneath their feet. Karath, Krog, Kaden, and Buddy all turned toward the source at once.

Something appeared beyond the undergrowth. Its enormous body dwarfed every troll, manticore, and Horn Boar they had ever hunted. Karath had never seen such a creature alive. Yet it felt horribly familiar. A skull belonging to the same species rested inside his family's home. It was the monster his father had died killing. The tyrant of the forest. An ogre.