Moving cautiously between the trees, Long Tian advanced step by step. The darkness was thick, and he could barely see more than a few meters ahead. Only the faint light of the moon filtering through the treetops helped guide him. Every snap of a twig or whisper of the wind put him on high alert.
He held the wood-cutting axe with both hands, muscles tense and mind focused. Although he had no experience in this kind of exploration, his survival instinct kept him sharp. He knew that if he let his guard down, he wouldn't live to tell the tale.
The route the system had shown him hours earlier was still burned into his memory. With every step, he tried to recall the direction of the stream and the natural landmarks. He paused for a moment, listening. A faint sound of running water told him he was close to the first checkpoint: the stream he needed to follow to reach the hill.
He crossed it carefully, his makeshift boots getting soaked. The water was icy, but he didn't complain. On the other side, the ground became steeper and the forest denser. This was where the real danger began.
As he slowly climbed the hill, something moved in the bushes to his left.
He froze.
His eyes scanned the darkness, but he couldn't make anything out clearly. He gripped the axe tighter.
"Come on… just a bit more."
After nearly two hours of silent walking, Long Tian finally reached an area where the terrain dropped sharply. In front of him opened a giant crevice, as if the earth had been torn by some tremendous force. At the edge of that crevice, under the soft moonlight, some plants glowed with a faint silvery light: moon grass.
Long Tian's eyes lit up for a moment. There it is… he thought.
However, his excitement quickly faded when he realized something obvious: that spot was far too exposed, completely out in the open. If he could see it from this distance, wild beasts surely could too.
He crouched in the bushes and began to observe carefully.
It wasn't long before the silence of the night was broken by a sound that chilled his blood: howls. Wolves.
One, two… five.
The howls came from the left and were getting closer fast. Long Tian clenched his jaw and gripped the handle of his axe tightly. He knew he couldn't fight an entire pack with his current body.
But before the wolves fully appeared on the scene, another heavy and guttural sound echoed from the crevice.
GROOOAAH!
A massive brown bear emerged from the trees on the other side of the clearing. Its fur was torn in some places, and old scars covered its back. The bear let out a powerful roar that made the bushes tremble.
The wolves, instead of fleeing, circled the bear aggressively. The air grew tense instantly.
From his hiding spot, Long Tian held his breath. A fight over the moon grass? he thought.
And he wasn't wrong. A second later, one of the wolves leapt at the bear, starting a fierce battle between predators for the right to claim the precious plant.
The fight between the bear and the wolves had reached its peak—a frenzy of collisions, snarls, and roars. The wolves, swift and sharp-toothed, moved like shadows, striking and retreating quickly. The bear, however, defended itself with relentless fury, crushing, biting, and tearing its attackers apart with every blow.
One of the bolder wolves, with dark gray fur, lunged at the bear's neck with incredible speed. But the bear reacted instantly, spinning its massive body so the wolf crashed into its flank. With a ferocious roar, the bear struck the wolf with its hind leg, sending it flying through the air. Blood burst from its torn side. The wolf hit the ground, dead before landing.
The remaining wolves grew enraged at the sight of their fallen companion, yet they didn't hesitate to attack again, attempting to flank the bear and cover all angles. One approached from the left while another leapt for the bear's back. A third, older wolf waited in the shadows, looking for the perfect moment to strike.
Bloodied from the earlier fight, the bear turned toward the wolf on the left and struck with a fierce roar, launching it through the air. The other two wolves seized the chance—one clung to its back while the other bit at its hind legs. But the bear crouched low and used its weight to crush them, snapping bones with ease.
One wolf was shredded under the bear's claws while another tried to sink its teeth into the bear's face. The bear bit down savagely, tearing the wolf apart in a single movement. The clash raged on, but the bear was clearly gaining the upper hand. The last wolf, realizing its comrades were gone, tried to flee—but the bear gave no chance. With surprising speed, it lunged and crushed the wolf's skull with brutal force. The final wolf dropped dead. The battle was over.
Panting heavily, the bear paused and scanned the area warily. It had won, but the effort had drained it. Despite its injuries, it remained a formidable threat, its eyes locked on the fallen wolves.
Long Tian, hidden and watching from a distance, felt the weight of the tension in the air. The wolves were dead, but the bear was still alert. It was exhausted, yet still dangerous. But now was his chance. The Moonlight Grass shimmered gently under the moonlight, just a few meters away. If he could reach it, he'd complete his mission. Yet the bear was still on guard.
Long Tian knew he couldn't wait much longer. This was his window. As he prepared to move, a sudden sound froze him in place.
A wolf's howl.
It was deep and low, breaking the silence of the night. Long Tian held his breath. The bear heard it too—it raised its head, eyes fixed in the direction of the howl. This wasn't a regular call; it signaled something stronger was approaching.
The bear tensed, muscles coiling as it let out a low growl, challenging the unknown threat.
The howl repeated, closer now, and Long Tian could hear the sound of footsteps—several of them—drawing near. Tension filled the air. Something big was coming, maybe worse than the bear.
He stayed motionless, not daring to breathe. Should he act now while the bear was distracted? Or would that be too risky?
Then, from the shadows of the trees, a massive figure emerged. A giant black wolf, larger than any he had seen before, eyes glowing red, fur as dark as night.
Long Tian instantly knew this was no ordinary wolf. It was the leader, a dominant beast, come to avenge or defend its pack. The bear and the giant wolf locked eyes, a clash of titans imminent.
The bear growled, baring its sharp teeth. The wolf responded with a howl that shook the forest air.