With my mana tank fully charged, I resumed my journey, albeit with a bit of wariness toward my stealth ability. It was disconcerting that my stealth had been compromised twice already.

First, there was the straightforward "nose knows" situation – the first stealth reveal, brought to you by the sense of smell of a disgusting ape. How it smelled past its own stink was beyond me.

The second time, Zach hadn't spotted me, yet Elena had somehow pinpointed my location. Perhaps she had a skill too. The mechanics behind her skill remained a mystery, something beyond the vision-focused [Umbral Concealment].

The sudden attacks, sans any courtesy announcements, was perhaps a part of the forest's unspoken code of "stab-first, ask-questions-later."

It's a dangerous place, fair enough, but maybe a polite "Reveal yourself!" or a discreet clearing of the throat would be more civilized than trying to turn me into a makeshift pincushion!

With frustration and a hint of irritation I retraced my steps through the lush greenery. Bah! The encounter might have had left me nursing an arrow wound, but in the grand scheme of things, it could have been worse – no one else got injured(except me), and there were no near-fratricides on the menu (though it almost went down that route).

With a resigned sigh, I glanced around at the forest. Rerouting with [Keen Perception], I successfully located the stream again. Utilizing that as my compass, I headed in the opposite direction of the camp. It was almost midnight by then.

Tomorrow marked the last day of my own expedition, so making the most of the remaining time was on the agenda. And what better way to cap it off than some good old monster hunting? I still craved that thrill.

But it wasn’t just the monsters, the magical beasts lurking in the forest promised variety too.

From a cow the size of a small building nibbling on tree tops to a feathered flying crocodile (fat flying fella that one, kind of chill too). There were even some small fungi-like critters thrown into the mix.

Exercising caution, I opted to either hide or skilfully avoid these creatures.

Despite that, the variety of monsters seemed to settle into a predictable routine. Little goblins indulged in their rotten feasts around the carcass of some unfortunate creature, and the repulsive apes continued their less-than-appetizing antics.

I wisely avoided the ape groups, knowing my skillset set wasn't tailored for a face-to-face confrontation with groups. Instead, my role involved singling out stragglers who ventured too far from the safety of their pack. I had successfully hunted one so far, luring it away and swiftly dispatching it once it lost its composure.

It was becoming a sort of twisted routine for me.

My enlightenment rate was at 32% now.

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Motivated more than ever, I realized the rarity of such opportunity in the future. Hence, I resolved to make the most of the present. Night melted into day as I continued my monster hunting spree, taking breaks between each hunt to recharge my mana and avoid underestimating any potential threat.

As the afternoon sun approached, I had successfully hunted three more apes, honing my skills with each encounter. However, it was at this point that I stumbled upon something out of the ordinary – or rather, somethings.

Seeking a strategic advantage, I quickly scaled a nearby tree and activated [Visionary Mastery.] Perched high on a tall tree overlooking the forest, my eyes widened at the sight below.

The once dense, green, and imposing forest had transformed. Darkened trees and shrubs dominated the landscape, but what caught my attention was the literal pulsating life within it. The entire area was teeming with monsters, each inch of the landscape occupied by these otherworldly creatures.

The creature density was staggering. Close to me, they stood and sat at a density of one every pace in any direction, creating a living carpet of creatures. As my gaze extended into the distance, the landscape squirmed with goblins, apes, giant spiders, contorted wolves, and literal abominations of flesh. They huddled close like literal maggots, standing in a trance, unmoving.

My eyes followed the opposite end where the greenery resumed. It revealed a massive clearing, filled to the brim with monsters.

"How is this even possible?"

Surveying the scene, I estimated there were over five hundred of these monsters scattered around, frozen in an eerie trance. And why on earth weren't they moving? A quick obervation revealed that each creature had its gaze fixated in one direction – right towards the center of the clearing.

Keen eyes activated once again, attempting to discern what the fuck lurked at the heart of this bizarre congregation. From this distance, it looked like a squirming blob of who-knows-what. Yet the sheer intensity of anger that surged within me at the sight of this abomination hinted at it undoubtedly being the high-ranking monster. Perhaps the one pulling the puppet strings of its minions.

As tempting as it was to dream of plunging my daggers repeatedly into its loathsome flesh, a dose of reality slapped me back to my senses. This creature was way, way above my current pay grade.

Nope, not even worth thinking about it. I gracefully descended the tree, making a mental 180-degree turn.

My contentment lay in hunting the outcasts – the rogue goblins, the solo apes, the monsters too cool for this weird center-of-attention gathering. Perhaps, in a future blessed with an upgraded blessing, I'd entertain the idea of taking on the big boss.

But for now, this little tour served as a stark reminder of my current weakness and the boundaries that hemmed me in.

The sheer destructive potential carried by powerful mages. I couldn't help but imagine a high-ranked fire mage turning this entire area into a hellish landscape with searing flames. Meanwhile, my approach felt... well, let's go with "inefficient" for lack of a better word.

Turning on my heels, I sprinted in the direction of the county. Today marked the last day of my grace period – essentially tomorrow, but entering the county under the cover of night was the plan regardless.

Glancing at my tattered, blood-stained clothes and grimy hairs stained with monster innards, I couldn't ignore the undeniable fact that I WAS LITERALLY STINKING! The alluring call of the forest, beckoning me towards endless hunts, failed to override my current privileged life. Right now, all I craved was a thorough wash and the comforting embrace of my fluffy sheets. Also a bucket full of sundrop sitrus juice. Goddess, I loved civilization!

Even though [Adaptation] could heal my physical fatigue, mental fatigue was finally setting in, and there was no magical remedy for that.

As I made my way back to the county, I encountered two more stray apes, away from their groups. Naturally, they met their end. Their fault, really.

By the time night embraced the land, the distant walls of the county seemed to wink at me in welcome.