章節 50: Hunting the Undead
During the investigation of "Ghost Elle" before, Tyler learned about the "Ghost|Undead" from Granny Kana.
[Quotes from Chapter 35:Mystery Wrapped in an Enigma]
When he discovered that corpses could turn into demons, Tyler had planned to return to the underground caves of Ira Forest and burn the bandits' bodies.
However, due to the urgency of Avril's situation at that time, Tyler temporarily put this plan on hold.
Unexpectedly, within just six days, the body of Wolf, the leader of the Crimson Cloud Bandits, underwent demonic transformation and had already become active.
(Silly Nissen: Oh... now there really are ghosts involved-o.)
The stupid loli was actually, surprisingly, not afraid when the "undead" appeared.
One reason for her fearlessness was that it was broad daylight, and the other reason was that Tyler and herself already knew a lot about Wolf as a person.
Tyler first inspected the footprints at the entrance of the underground cave, confirming that only Wolf had come out of the cave, while the other three bandits had not undergone any demonic transformation.
So, Tyler gathered dry firewood and leaves, set fire to the bandits' bodies, and then began tracking the footsteps of the "Undead Wolf."
Compared to the term "ghost" used by Daed and Beeken, Tyler felt that "undead" was more appropriate to define the current Wolf.
In Tyler's understanding, "ghosts" should be ethereal beings, while "undead" had a closer resemblance to zombies and could be killed by physical means.
Based on the hunting skills he had learned from the village chief, Tyler deduced that Wolf's footprints were still fresh, indicating that he had likely left the underground caves just last night.
Considering that the undead possessed the memories and intelligence of their former selves, Tyler speculated that Wolf's "resurrected" goals might be twofold:
One was to seek revenge on Banning (Tyler) and Igor;
The other was to return to the bandit's hideout and regroup for a comeback.
Tyler followed Wolf's footprints, gradually realizing that Wolf's current direction was towards Ira Village rather than the bandit's hideout.
(...It seems this guy still has a good head on his shoulders even after death.)
The underground caves were closer to the bandit's hideout and farther from Ira Village, but Wolf deliberately chose a more distant path, indicating that his actions were carefully thought out.
Wolf's line of thinking was not difficult to infer. Since Igor had already betrayed him and Fuchs, the only one who could stand against Igor, had died, returning to the bandit's hideout would only be delivering himself to Igor's hands. On the other hand, going to Ira Village might present an opportunity.
At the thought of the potential danger in Ira Village, Tyler quickened his pace.
(Silly Nissen: I say, Tyler, aren't-o you supposed-o to prioritize efficiency? Protecting Ira Village doesn't benefit you in any way, right-o?)
(Silly Nissen: You're not still secretly yearning for Avril, are you~?)
(Tyler: It's a rare chance to hunt demons. It has nothing to do with Ira Village or Avril.)
The silly loli's wisdom, as always, was not applied to the matter at hand, and Tyler remained stubborn as ever.
After half an hour of tracking, based on the freshness of the footprints, Tyler concluded that he was very close to Wolf. He checked the direction of the wind to ensure that he was downwind from Wolf, then slowly approached until he spotted Wolf's figure.
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The undead, Wolf, Male, Age 0.
Undead - Level 9
Skill Slot: 1/1
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At this moment, Wolf was sitting on the ground, devouring a prairie rat with such voracity that he no longer resembled a human being.
Tyler remembered that Wolf's original combat occupation was a "Bandit - Level 9." Unexpectedly, even after becoming undead, he retained his level, which made Tyler more cautious.
Lacking experience, Tyler was unsure whether it was possible to directly compare the levels of demons with human combat occupation levels. Furthermore, Wolf possessed a skill that Tyler couldn't currently discern, adding a significant risk factor.
To successfully kill Wolf without sacrificing his own life, Tyler refrained from rash action.
A steady victory comes from careful calculation, which requires comprehensive knowledge of oneself, the enemy, and the timing and location.
Tyler's own condition was still acceptable. The only expenditure of his magic energy was 15 points during the morning hunt of grassland fox-rabbits, utilizing the "Heart of Focus" for 3 seconds.
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Tyler
Life Energy 26/30
Endurance 16/24
Magic Energy 65/80
Basic Information:
Male, 18 years old
Villager of Ira Village
Production Occupation: Hunter - Lv1
Manufacturing Occupation -
Combat Occupation: Junior Assassin - Lv3
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However, at Tyler's current level of the Divine Eye of Transcendence, he could not yet see Wolf's status information. Numerical values, if they cannot be compared, lose their significance.
In terms of equipment, Tyler carried a dagger, a hunting bow with 15 arrows, and some small tools for trap-making. On the other hand, Wolf carried a bandit's large cleaver.
(Are the undead vulnerable in the same way as humans?)
(Will they die if their head or heart is critically damaged?)
(Or perhaps, like zombies, do they possess tenacious vitality?)
Tyler continued pondering.
However, there was one thing Tyler could be certain of: Wolf, who inherited his memories and intelligence from before, would undoubtedly surpass Tyler by a dimensional level in a one-on-one frontal combat situation.
Therefore, under no circumstances could Tyler engage him head-on.
Considering the conditions of both sides, the terrain of Ira Forest, and the distribution of wildlife, Tyler swiftly formulated a strategy.
While Wolf was still feeding, Tyler preemptively positioned himself on the path that Wolf would take to reach Ira Village.
Deliberately leaving messy footprints on the ground, Tyler extended them toward a certain spot within the forest. In addition, he tore the edges of his clothes and scattered them on the path, creating a scene that resembled a human fleeing from a wild animal attack.
But that wasn't all.
Tyler then proceeded to shatter the wooden gem box and randomly scatter the fragments near the footprints. Afterward, he mixed a large amount of mandrake seed powder into the chunks of grassland fox-rabbit meat he had hunted that morning and sprinkled it around the footprints.
Finally, Tyler completed his preparations and began to lie in wait.
Over ten minutes later, Wolf arrived at the scene. As expected, he fell into the trap. After staring at the footprints on the ground for a while, he disdainfully kicked aside the meat chunks. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly noticed the fragments of the box on the ground and immediately began picking up the pieces, one by one.
When Wolf picked up the last piece of the box on the path, he had already fallen into Tyler's trap.
Summer, the month of May, is the time when wild boars proliferate in the Ira Forest.
[Quotes from Chapter 20: "Insidious Wolf"]
Moreover, the wild boars give birth to piglets from March to June every year, and they are extremely aggressive—these were the lessons taught to Tyler by the village chief.
Wolf had mistakenly entered the territory where the wild boars were giving birth. Although he held a large cleaver, he was no match for the tough and resilient boars.
After being bumped several times in a row, Wolf barely escaped from the encirclement. Using both his hands and feet, he managed to climb up a tree, narrowly avoiding a fate of being trampled to death by the boars.
However, the boars that surrounded the tree prevented Wolf from coming down in a short period of time, turning him into an easy target.
Tyler, hiding in the treetop at a distance, had already set his sights on Wolf.
-"Production Occupation skill 'Heart of Focus - Lv1' has been activated and remains in effect..."
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