Chapter 18: The Wolves and the Wandering Tree
Ariana descended in an area of the forest near the mountain. She carefully examined the surroundings and decided that it would be the ideal place to create her next monster. Using the System's ability to create living beings, she began shaping her new creation. In no time, a beautiful black wolf appeared before Ariana.
After gaining a more solid understanding of how to create using the System, she decided to try it on her own and produced a few more wolves.
[Name: Shadow Wolf]
[Power Level: 1]
[Mana: 130]
[Strength: 25]
[Intelligence: 14]
[Magic: 110] [Abilities: [Shadow Camouflage Lv1], [Enhanced Night Vision Lv1], [Dark Claws Lv1], [Shadow Bite Lv1].
Ariana was satisfied with her creation and named the wolf 'Shadow Wolf.' The wolves exchanged glances for a moment and then ran into the depths of the forest.
Ariana continued to closely observe the wolves' behavior in the nearby forest. There was always one wolf leading, sniffing the ground as if searching for something, while the other wolves followed closely behind.
The wolves were guided by their sense of smell to a spot where two deer were grazing and feeding on the fruits of the trees. The deer remained alert, keeping a close watch on their surroundings as they fed.
The wolves approached the deer, staying low and moving silently, as if preparing for an attack. However, what followed wasn't a direct assault. Two of the wolves disappeared suddenly, sinking into the ground like shadows, only to reappear the next moment emerging from the shadows cast by the deer. They advanced swiftly and bit the deer's necks.
The other wolves, seeing the opportunity, also joined in the attack, not missing the chance to share in the delicious meat. Ariana was extremely surprised by the wolves' ability to work as a team, a characteristic that set them apart from other animals or monsters like goblins, who often acted selfishly, prioritizing themselves over others.
Months passed, and the wolves established their dominance in that forest. However, a constant challenge for them was the presence of a giant slime that roamed the region and often stole their food. Though their instincts warned them not to confront the giant slime, as they believed they weren't strong enough to defeat it, they decided to take the initiative.
The enormous slime was motionless, absorbing a gigantic skeleton. It was impossible to determine the origin of that skeleton, but it seemed that its previous owner had not met a pleasant fate.
The wolves approached the giant slime in complete silence, now in greater numbers and surrounding it from all sides. The giant slime sensed the threat and began to writhe strangely. Suddenly, it fired a projectile made of its own matter toward one of the wolves, which skillfully evaded. The projectile hit a nearby tree, rapidly melting it.
The wolves, realizing the danger, adopted an intelligent strategy. They began to encircle the slime, making it difficult for it to target any of them. One of the wolves took the initiative and used its 'Shadow Bite' ability on the slime.
Dark energy in the form of jaws advanced toward the slime, but upon touching its surface, it was completely absorbed, leaving no mark on the slime's body.
The wolves continued their attack, but their claw and bite strikes were all absorbed by the slime. The pack leader, realizing their attacks weren't working, had an idea. He used his claws to knock down a nearby tree, which fell forcefully toward the slime, crushing a significant portion of its mass.
The slime began to absorb the tree, and it seemed to be regenerating rapidly. The wolves wasted no time and attacked almost simultaneously. However, with the slime absorbing some of their attacks and regenerating as it consumed the tree, it suffered no damage.
The wolves were exhausted and panting, realizing that all their previous attacks had been ineffective. Approaching the slime was also dangerous due to its absorption ability.
The pack leader tried his attack once more, noticing that when he got close to the slime, he could cause some damage before his attack was absorbed. His eyes gleamed with the discovery.
The slime, realizing it was cornered, began spinning rapidly and fired shots in all directions, but the wolves managed to take cover in nearby shadows and avoided the attack.
In a haunting howl, all the wolves launched their attacks simultaneously at the slime, which now couldn't absorb them all. Desperate to survive, the slime's orb began to shine brightly, and several other slimes started to appear nearby. However, these new slimes were weak and fragile, unable to withstand the wolves' attacks for long. The slime was running out of energy and growing weaker.
The wolves continued to launch attacks against the slime, which was now weakened and no longer able to regenerate. Gradually, the attacks began to take effect, destroying the slime's mass rapidly. The slime shrank in size until there was nothing left but a large crystal lying on the ground.
The wolves ignored the crystal and left, knowing that they were now the rulers of the forest, having conquered the territory that once belonged to the giant slime. The forest now belonged to the Shadow Wolves.
Ariana was amazed by the incredible battle she had witnessed. The formidable enemy, the Slime King, had been defeated by the Shadow Wolves in an impressive fight. While she admired the wolves, an even greater surprise occurred. A massive whale descended from the sky, as if diving into an invisible ocean in the air.
The gigantic whale approached the forest and opened its enormous mouth, creating a powerful suction force that seemed capable of sucking in all the trees in the area. Then, the huge crystal left behind by the Slime King was drawn into the whale's mouth.
Ariana was surprised by the sight of the whale, which had apparently returned only to claim the spoils and departed quietly. She couldn't help but laugh at the situation.
Continuing her observations, Ariana saw that the wolves no longer exhibited anything out of the ordinary. Satisfied with the wolves' progress, she decided to fly around Arcadia to check the situation in the area where the Avid Ent had been previously.
However, when she arrived there, she was shocked to see that the Avid Ent was no longer in its original location. It seemed that the tree had developed a kind of mobility and moved to another place.
Ariana flew closer to the Avid Ent, trying to understand what could have caused this change. She noticed that the tree seemed to be in constant motion, dragging its roots and leaving a trail of destruction as it advanced.
Intrigued and curious, Ariana descended to the ground, keeping a safe distance from the Avid Ent, which seemed oblivious to her presence. The giant tree continued its silent journey, ignoring other living beings and monsters that crossed its path.
Ariana continued to follow the Avid Ent until she saw that it had stopped near a small forest and inserted its roots into the ground, assuming the appearance of a regular tree.
Curiously, Ariana watched the tree for a while, trying to understand the reason for this change in behavior. Soon, other trees began to grow around the Avid Ent, and it camouflaged itself within the forest, waiting for other creatures to approach.
The scene fascinated Ariana: the Avid Ent was acting like a lurking predator, moving in search of food and camouflaging itself when there were no prey nearby.
While Ariana watched the Avid Ent with fascination, Angely approached her and whistled. 'So, this is the monster the fairies have been talking about,' she said.
Ariana chuckled. 'That little fairy almost got caught by it,' Ariana commented.
'No chance,' Angely replied, aware of the significant difference in strength between the two.
Angely descended and approached the Avid Ent. 'But what a peculiar creature, my goddess. Why did you create it? It doesn't seem useful at all, and it's killing the forest's animals,' Angely questioned.
Ariana observed Angely approaching the Avid Ent and heard her question. She pondered for a moment before replying, 'I created it with the intention of restoring balance to the forest, but it seems to have evolved unexpectedly. However, as I watch it, I realize that it plays a crucial role in the local ecosystem. By hunting the animals, it helps control their populations and prevent imbalances in the environment. Nature has its own way of finding harmony, and the Avid Ent is a part of that process.'
Angely seemed to consider Ariana's words, looking at the Avid Ent again with a thoughtful expression. 'I think I understand, my goddess. Sometimes, what seems destructive at first glance can actually be an important part of the cycle of life.'
But Angely still found it cruel, the way the animals were killed by this monster.
If you like the story and want to support the author, here you can make a $1 donation! https://ko-fi.com/horaciogui
Join our Discord https://discord.gg/Ftzku9qT