Chapter 42 - Day CXVI

I got up along with the sun, and just sat on the ground while fighting with a piece of beef jerky. I was trying to think of a better way to fight those wolfs. They were incredibly intelligent compared to rats or goblins. They communicated to a group on an enemy, and during the fight, they also synchronized their attacks. This, combined with animal agility, sharp fangs, and claws made them an incredible enemy.

If I had a team, this would be way easier, but since I was alone, they were a formidable enemy to me. But I wasn't gonna give up so easily. The crystals they were leaving behind were even bigger than those rats did. This could be my solution - I thought. I just needed to figure out how.

I started to think about traps but quickly gave up because of the lack of resources. Then there was also positioning during fights, but that also was a dead end. The only logical thing I could do was to not let them group and intercept incoming wolves, finish them as quickly as possible, then move. But such a tactic had many problems. I wouldn't be able to pick up crystals right away, and I also had to leave the cart behind. So somebody could steal my stuff, other wolves could eat the meat I had stored there or something else that I just couldn't think off the top of my head might happen. And the crystals, I just could not be able to find them later on. It was a terrible tactic, but the only one with some sense to it, that I could think off.

So instead of trying to figure out something else, and wasting my time in the process, I decided to think while hunting. I went into the woods, and after getting somewhat deeper, I left the cart and proceeded further.

After some more time howling alarmed me that they know I'm here. So I stopped and started to listen carefully. Soon noises of charging dogs were intercepted by my ears, and I went on ahead with full sprint, to the one that was, in my opinion, the closest.

That's how the strange, and bizarre hunt began. Full of tumbling, jumping, running, and smacking. Very exhausting, and even more chaotic. I only stopped when I was unable to hear any howling or sounds of charging wolves.

After few minutes of rest, I headed back, trying to recreate my path, using crystals on the ground as clues. I got completely lost several times, and for sure missed at least some stones. Finally, an hour or two after dark, I was able to find the cart.

I just dumped the stones on it and started to pull it closer to the wall, but exhaustion overtook me, and in the end, I decided to spend the night in the forest for the very first time. I just needed to be a bit closet to the wall. After another hour of walking, I stopped.

This way of hunting was actually not that terrible. I found more stones than I thought I would. The problem was with repetition. There was no way to do this every day. Even with my superhuman stamina I barely made it. I couldn't use this tactic like that. I had to change it, or come up with something else, but now... there was only sleep on my mind. So after filling my stomach, I crawled under the cart.

Day ended with 22 685 points on my account and 65 wolf crystals on the cart.