chapter 11 (edited)

"By the gods above, this can't be just a coincidence!" Cyd muttered, snapping off a branch that had brushed against his bundle. He'd been trekking through this dense forest for almost an hour, and there was still no end in sight. Now, five wolves were closing in on him. The wildlife here was a bit too abundant for comfort!

Cyd shifted his bundle to hang from his thigh and clapped his hands towards the wolves. "Alright, come on then! Let's see how agile you are."

The wolves, unable to understand his words but perceiving his gestures as a challenge, attacked. Four wolves lunged at him from different directions, aiming for his limbs, while the largest one went for his throat. Cyd could even smell the foul stench of the wolf's breath.

"Attacking my limbs is one thing, but you should at least clean your mouth, you filthy beast!" Pinching his nose with his left hand, Cyd grabbed the neck of the largest wolf with his right.

The wolf, now held by its neck, stared dumbfounded at Cyd, much like the two wolves biting his wrists.

"My pants are ripped!" Cyd exclaimed, looking at his leg where two wolves were still gnawing. Chiron had helped fix his animal skin pants where they had been torn.

"Really, you should learn some self-awareness," Cyd said, tossing the wolf he was holding. He bent his knees slightly, causing the ground to crack under his feet. "I'm not that hungry right now."

With a powerful leap, Cyd soared to the top of the tallest tree, leaving the bewildered wolves below. "Bye-bye."

In a graceful motion, he spun and kicked the wolves attacking his calves away, then landed softly on the ground, looking at the five wolves twitching on the ground.

"This body is unexpectedly strong," Cyd mused. He had been told that the human body held unlimited potential, and after six months of rigorous training with Chiron, he was beginning to see a glimpse of that potential.

But to what extent? Even Chiron couldn't say.

"I just want peace," Cyd shrugged. Suddenly, the sound of a branch breaking behind him made him freeze. He smelled blood.

Turning slowly, Cyd saw a giant lion enjoying the wolves he had knocked down earlier. "Taking someone else's prey is not okay," Cyd said, rubbing his neck.

The lion glanced at Cyd disdainfully before continuing to eat. "Although reason tells me to run for a peaceful life, I guess I'm just a foolish human." Cyd pulled out a bow and aimed at the lion's head, smiling wryly.

The arrow shot out and struck the lion's head at lightning speed. The lion roared in anger, staring at Cyd as if it had been stung by a bee. It was ready to teach this insignificant human a lesson!

"Don't want to let me go?" Cyd's expression turned sour. "Just perfect!"

As the lion prepared to attack, Cyd leaped backward and vanished into the dense forest.

"Roar!" The lion's furious roar echoed through the forest.

"Huh? What's that sound..." On the other side of the forest, a tall young man frowned, looking in the direction of the roar. "Found you!"