Chapter 21 - Blood moon [3]

Suddenly, a series of translucent screens appeared before me. I realized that somehow I had surpassed level 15 without even noticing. However, there was no time for celebration as more monsters were rapidly approaching. Unless I decided to distribute my points, my only option was to continue eliminating the monsters.

With the ogre defeated, Ellen and I began the task of eliminating the remaining monsters surrounding the area. Most of them were Goblins, although occasionally some Hobgoblins appeared. Wielding my sword, I executed a precise strike, separating a Goblin's head from its body.

You defeated [Goblin - Lvl - 9] Experience was gained.

At that moment, my [Ecopulsation] emitted a sharp alert. In a quick movement, I turned around, raising my sword in front of me. It was then that a row of teeth met the blade of my weapon. A wolf had approached stealthily, which intrigued me, considering that my [Ecopulsation] detected it with noticeable delay.

Reactivating [Etheric Pumping], I felt a wave of strength invading my body, ether flowing directly to my heart, restoring my energies. With this renewed impulse, I easily dodged the wolf's attack, throwing it aside with an agile movement. Without giving it time to recover, I quickly advanced, striking with my sword.

However, my blow was superficial. At the last moment, the wolf jumped aside, narrowly escaping my attack. A prolonged battle could attract more enemies, and frankly, I wasn't interested in prolonging the fight with the wolf around me.

With this idea in mind, I channeled all the ether I could to my legs, preparing with the sword in position. In a quick movement, I ran towards the wolf and, in the blink of an eye, disappeared from my original location, reappearing beside it. My sword aimed at its head, but once again it dodged, as I anticipated. With a hidden dagger in my hand, propelled by [Infusion], I threw it towards the wolf, hitting it squarely.

You defeated [Wolf - Lvl - 12] Experience was gained.

Despite the wolf's high level, I still couldn't comprehend how it had approached me so stealthily. It was as if, literally, it didn't exist moments before trying to attack me.

Using my [Ecopulsation], I sent ether signals around me, seeking to detect any presence. Monsters emerged in the forest, but nothing about them caught my attention, so I ignored them. However, amidst this, a strange sensation ran through my ether: a wolf had suddenly disappeared from where it was, and I could no longer feel its presence.

Yes, as before, it reappeared suddenly, but this time, its target was not me. It ran quickly in Ellen's direction. I concentrated ether in my legs and launched myself towards her. As I approached, I grabbed her and threw us to the ground. In the next instant, the sound of a bite echoed. Looking back, we found a wolf glaring fiercely at us.

"Ellen, from now on we need to be careful. There's something in the forest hiding the wolves from my tracking ability"

Upon hearing my words, Ellen seemed momentarily confused by the sudden events, but soon composed herself and nodded. As we got up, the wolf lunged again. Ellen, using her power, tried to electrocute it, but it always dodged. These monsters are really sneaky, if you ask me.

Wielding my sword, I closely watched the wolf's movements. Although they may seem random at first glance, I realize there is an underlying pattern. If I explore this, I believe I can easily defeat it, or at least I hope so.

Taking a deep breath, I start my run towards the wolf. It shows its teeth again, as if ready to devour me. As I advance, the wolf leaps towards me. This doesn't surprise me; I had already noticed that these wolves always aim for the head. Honestly, they're not wrong, since that's practically the weak point of any creature.

However, to their disadvantage, this behavior presents several vulnerabilities. One of them is the need to jump to reach the prey's head. As it jumped, I slid underneath it and pushed my sword with all the force I had upwards, impaling the wolf. It struggled for a few moments, but its movements ceased quickly.

You defeated [Wolf - Lvl - 13] Experience was gained.

After that, I pushed the wolf's body away and stood up, breathing heavily. I can't deny that this was starting to wear me out. Nowadays, I'm not exactly the athletic type I used to be in the past.

"Go back to the bus and protect Noelle" I said, turning to Ellen.

"Aren't you coming?" Ellen asked, with a puzzled look.

"Not for now" I replied. "I need to venture into the forest and find out what's sending these wolves after us. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight without knowing what the heck is going on"

Ellen seemed a bit hesitant to let me go into the forest alone, where the monsters were coming from, but in the end, she agreed. I'm sure she recognized that her sister was the priority, and honestly, I can't blame her. Family always comes first.

As Ellen walked away, I glanced toward the forest and began walking in that direction. I could see monsters emerging around me, but whenever they approached, they were swiftly eliminated. Goblins no longer posed a threat to me, and with the wolves, I just needed to watch out for their teeth.

Entering the forest, I climbed a tree and closed my eyes, focusing entirely on my [Ecopulsation]. The ether signals hit me like waves, ebbing and flowing. I dedicated myself entirely to this sensation, seeking to extract as much information as possible.

And this time, something strange caught my attention: a monster, seemingly a Goblin, manipulating ether. I didn't recall ever seeing any monster using ether before, which probably indicated that this was the first case so far.

After discovering the possible presence of this being, I began moving between the trees cautiously and silently. Honestly, I didn't want to alert the monster without first understanding its capabilities. As I progressed, I reached a clearing within the forest, an unfamiliar area to me, but apparently close to the exit.

There, I was met with a diverse gathering of monsters: Goblins, wolves, Hobgoblins, and even Goblins mounted on wolves, an unusual sight to my eyes. In the midst of them, a Goblin held a staff, dressed in a garment reminiscent of a mage's robe. Activating [Identify], I waited for information about these new types of Goblins to appear before me, or at least that's what I hoped for.

[Goblin Rider] - (Lvl: - 18): A monstrous humanoid being, often seen in groups, this enhanced variant demonstrates remarkable abilities in using Wolves as mounts. While it shares similarities with conventional Goblins, its agility and lethality are considerably amplified thanks to this partnership with the beasts.

[Error: unable to use (Identify) on selected target. Skill level is too low]

Aside from the fact that Goblins mounted on wolves generally had levels higher than mine, I was surprised to find that I couldn't use [Identify] on the cloaked Goblin. Somehow, this ability had never been useless before. However, considering the situation, it seems that I need to increase its level if I want to find out more about this Goblin. Although this decision may seem impulsive, I honestly am not sure if I want to engage in combat with something whose nature I don't know.

Identify [Lvl - 1] -> Identify [Lvl - 3]

With everything set, I cast [Identify] on the Goblin again, and this time, I succeeded.

"It's time to find out what this guy is capable of" I muttered to myself as I carefully examined the description before me.

[Misty Goblin] - (Lvl: - 25): A Goblin who has carved out a unique path, specializing in the art of mist magic. Its powers allow it to obscure its tracks, fading away and silently reappearing behind its target, while causing interference in Ether, becoming imperceptible to detection or tracking spells.

While its ability was quite sinister, what surprised me the most was its level. It was the first time I had encountered a monster of level 25. This led me to question if this being was more powerful than the Glacial Sloth, but I quickly dismissed that thought. There was no way this "little monster" could be stronger than that thing.

Anyway, my thoughts now focused on how to deal with this situation. Honestly, I didn't see how I could confront that entire army head-on. If I wanted any chance, I would need to plan a stealthy attack.