The trees along the outskirts of the Great Forest were not too densely packed, allowing beams of sunlight to pierce through the canopy, because of this, Ling Ye and Bai Da could see reasonably well as they moved deeper into the forest.
Still, there were many corners where thick shadows gathered, and those were the places they watched most carefully, but the dark shadows on the ground were not their only concern. The space above them was just as dangerous. The branches of the tall trees intertwined high overhead, making it difficult to see what might be hiding among them.
These dangers, however, were things both Ling Ye and Bai Da had already expected.
After all, they were not the first humans to wander through the Great Forest. Many travelers before them had passed along its outskirts and recorded their experiences in books. Ling Ye had read many of those accounts back in the village, including several that described the dangers of the Great Forest.
Because of this, the two of them were not completely ignorant of what might be lurking around them. They remained cautious, but they were not overly afraid of the shadows on the ground or the unseen threats above.
What Ling Ye and Bai Da were truly wary of were the dangers that could be seen openly.
The beasts that moved through the forest without hiding. There was a simple reason for that. A creature that walked openly through the forest without concealing itself was usually one of two things.
Either it was weak prey, already marked and watched by hidden predators or it was so powerful that it had no need to hide at all.
A predator.
Knowing this, Ling Ye and Bai Da were always prepared to flee if one of these predators appeared and attacked them. Fighting such a beast would be their last option, because of that, spotting one of these predators was not entirely surprising for the two of them.
Soon enough, Ling Ye noticed a lone wolf walking nearby, only about ten meters away. This gave him a brief moment to observe it carefully.
The wolf had thick grey fur, and from his viewpoint Ling Ye estimated that it was about one meter long. Its tail swayed slowly from side to side, almost as if it were excited. However, Ling Ye couldn't say for certain. First, he didn't know much about wolves beyond the basics, and second, he could only see the wolf's back as it walked to his left, giving him a poor angle to study it.
After watching the wolf for a moment, Ling Ye began recalling everything he knew about grey furred wolves.
Unfortunately, what he remembered made his expression turn sour.
According to the books he had read, the outskirts of the Great Forest were home to three different kinds of grey wolves.
The first was the Four Clawed Grey Predator, the second the Three Clawed Grey Wolf, and the third the Grey Dire Wolf.
The first two were usually part of the same pack structure. The Four Clawed Grey Predators were the males, while the Three Clawed Grey Wolves were the females. Even so, the Four Clawed Grey Predator was far more dangerous.
It was said that if one encountered a Four Clawed Grey Predator, there were usually three or four Three Clawed Grey Wolves nearby and if the pack contained more than three Four Clawed Grey Predators…then the only wise choice was to flee without looking back.
With that thought in mind, Ling Ye tried to look at the wolf's paws. Unfortunately, he couldn't get a clear view of them. Aside from the claws, there were no obvious differences between the Four Clawed and Three Clawed grey wolves, so identifying them from a distance was difficult.
Because of this, Ling Ye tried to determine whether it might be a Grey Dire Wolf instead. According to the books he had read, the only way to distinguish a Grey Dire Wolf was by its larger build and the shape of its mouth.
But as he recalled that information, Ling Ye paused and gave a bitter smile.
He realized he didn't even know how large a normal Grey Dire Wolf was supposed to be.
Since he couldn't be certain, he chose to assume the worst and treated the wolf as if it were a Four Clawed Grey Predator.
By now, Bai Da had also spotted the grey furred wolf. Silently, he drew his sword, ready to leap forward and fight if necessary.
But Ling Ye quickly reached out and grabbed Bai Da's arm, shaking his head.
Without looking at him or speaking, Ling Ye simply pointed forward. The message was clear, they would move on quietly without provoking the wolf.
Bai Da understood immediately and nodded.
The two of them slowly continued forward, putting more and more distance between themselves and the grey wolf. Even after they had moved far away, they remained tense and cautious. If the wolf was not alone and belonged to a pack, they could easily be ambushed.
As they went deeper into the forest, Bai Da fought off more than a dozen bloodthirsty beasts that attacked them along the way. Each one lunged at them without hesitation, but fortunately none of them posed a real threat.
They never encountered another wolf.
Still, the constant fighting began to wear them down. Even Bai Da, who had handled every battle, was beginning to sweat slightly from the strain.
Seeing Bai Da's condition, Ling Ye began searching for a good place where they could rest for a while. Both of them had been tense the entire time, fighting beasts, staying alert, and carefully watching their surroundings to avoid falling into traps set by predators.
Aside from that, Ling Ye also needed to check the compass again. They were only a few hours away from reaching the inner region of the Great Forest, an area he absolutely did not want to enter.
With that in mind, Ling Ye began to examine the surroundings more carefully, hoping to find a hidden place where they could rest safely.
Soon enough, he found one, a small, empty valley.
The valley was surrounded by thick trees on all sides, leaving only one narrow entrance. Even that passage was barely large enough for a person to squeeze through. Both Ling Ye and Bai Da would have to crouch for a few meters to enter the area.
Inside the valley lay a large stone about one meter long and one meter thick.
When Ling Ye noticed the stone, he immediately grew suspicious. It could easily be the resting place of some animal, so he carefully examined it for any markings that might suggest something lived there.
However, the only marks visible on the stone were old and worn, impossible to identify clearly.
Ling Ye couldn't draw any real conclusions. After all, he wasn't a hunter and had little experience with such things. Most of his knowledge came from books he had read back in the village, and in situations like this, that knowledge was limited.
Standing there and staring at the stone, Ling Ye hesitated, unsure whether this place was truly safe.
Just as he was about to ask Bai Da for his opinion, he turned his head and saw that Bai Da had already made the decision.
Bai Da was sitting on the ground, his sword resting beside him. In his hands he held a water pouch and a small portion of their rations, clearly preparing to rest.
Seeing this, Ling Ye could only sigh quietly to himself.
"Sigh…" Ling Ye let out a quiet sigh but didn't say anything against it. Like Bai Da, he sat down, slowly eating and drinking while enjoying a brief moment of peace in the small valley.
As Ling Ye gazed toward the deeper parts of the forest, Bai Da suddenly spoke.
"Village Head Ye, may I take a short nap? This place reminds me of a small valley back home."
Ling Ye was stunned by the question. For a moment, he almost replied sharply out of reflex, but he stopped himself and simply shook his head helplessly.
"Fine," he said. "But don't expect a long rest. I'll wake you in ten minutes."
Hearing Ling Ye's reply, Bai Da chuckled. He leaned back against the stone, hugging his sheathed sword and using it as a makeshift pillow.
"Ridiculous…" Ling Ye muttered under his breath, letting out another tired sigh. Still, he said nothing more and finished the rest of his rations.
After about ten minutes had passed, Ling Ye stood up from the stone and carefully woke Bai Da.
With a light tap on Bai Da's shoulder, the man immediately woke up. His eyes were sharp, and in an instant his lazy sleeping posture shifted into a ready fighting stance.
Seeing this, Ling Ye nodded in satisfaction at the choice he had made. After all, Bai Da had spent several years wandering on his own and had experienced more than a few dangerous situations while sleeping. His ability to wake up instantly and shift into a fighting stance was proof of that experience.
Now fully awake, Bai Da stretched his body and took another gulp from his water pouch.
With nothing else left to do in the valley, Ling Ye took one final look at the compass. His eyes followed the direction of the blood red needle, silently hoping it wouldn't point toward the inner regions of the Great Forest.
Fortunately, it didn't.
The needle pointed toward the left.
Relieved, Ling Ye smiled slightly and began walking toward the narrow entrance of the valley. They had rested long enough, and Bai Da quickly followed behind him, but as they approached the small passage, they suddenly saw something entering the valley from the other side.
Something that they are somewhat familiar with, it's the grey furred wolf.