After giving his subjects their commands, Ethan did not stay idle. He had lots of work to do.

The desert surrounding his territory had been somewhat conquered—at least the 1.5 kilometer radius around his position. Every scorpion nest within that range had been mapped, harvested, or neutralized. Further expansion in that direction would yield diminishing returns while consuming precious time.

‘Time to explore new opportunities.’

His gaze turned toward the jungle boundary that marked enemy territory. Deep within those verdant depths, hundreds of kilometers from his current position, lay the predator organization that threatened his survival. But the jungle’s edge remained unexplored—a potential source of new monsters, resources, and advancement opportunities.

‘I’m not worried about most of their forces. Anyone except the Lord himself, or maybe a High-Gold general.’

Ethan’s confidence wasn’t misplaced. His combination of Gold-rank power and multiple talents made him effectively unstoppable against most gold-rank opposition. Even High-Gold opponents would struggle against his speed and versatility.

‘Time to see what the jungle has to offer.’

He approached his subjects, who were organizing themselves around the garden construction project. Jacoub stood at the center of activity, directing material placement while his crews prepared for the most important build of their careers.

“I’m going to scout the jungle perimeter,” Ethan announced. “Look for additional resource opportunities and potential threats.”

Marcus looked up from weapon maintenance, concern flickering across his features. “My Lord, is it wise to venture alone? The enemy territory—”

“Is hundreds of kilometers deep,” Ethan cut him off. “I’m not planning to knock on their front door. Just exploring the outer regions for new monsters and materials.”

‘Confidence through superior power.’

Jack nodded understanding. “How long will you be gone?”

“Two hours maximum. If I’m not back by then, assume something went wrong and focus on defensive preparations.”

‘Realistic timeline for reconnaissance without leaving them leaderless.’

Elena stepped forward. “Should we continue the spawn point harvesting in your absence?”

“Absolutely. Maintain all current operations—construction, resource gathering, perimeter security. Nothing changes.”

‘Routine operations continue regardless of my presence.’

Ethan activated his Enhanced Speed talent, feeling the familiar surge of power that transformed the world into manageable slow motion. The jungle boundary lay a kilometre away, and he could cross that distance in seconds.

‘Time to see what lies beyond the desert.’

The transition from sand to vegetation was as abrupt as Ethan remembered it. One moment Ethan moved across barren dunes, the next he stood beneath a canopy so thick it blocked the desert sun entirely.

The jungle felt different from any natural forest he’d experienced.

‘This entire region has a strange energy to it.’

The air itself carried different qualities—humidity that seemed amplified beyond normal jungle standards.

Ethan’s senses swept the surrounding vegetation, searching for movement or hostile intent. Nothing immediately threatening presented itself, but the sensation of being watched persisted.

‘Natural territorial instincts? Or something else?’

He pressed deeper into the jungle, following what appeared to be an animal trail worn into the soft earth. The path wound between massive tree trunks, each one clearly ancient and naturally formed over centuries.

‘These trees have been here for ages. Natural growth, but impressive.’

Fifteen minutes of careful movement brought him to a small clearing where dappled sunlight filtered through the canopy. The space felt oddly peaceful despite the underlying tension of enemy territory.

‘No monsters yet. Maybe this area is naturally sparse.’

The thought had barely formed when rustling vegetation announced approaching company. Ethan’s enhanced hearing identified multiple sets of footsteps moving with predatory coordination.

‘Finally. Something interesting.’

Three creatures emerged from the underbrush—humanoid in basic shape but clearly monstrous in nature. Their skin showed the mottled green-brown coloration of natural camouflage, while their elongated limbs suggested adaptation for jungle mobility.

<Ferocious Beast: Forest Stalker>

<Rank: Low-Silver>

<Stealth Talent: D- Grade>

‘Pack hunters. Silver rank.’

The stalkers moved with fluid grace, their Stealth talents making them difficult to track visually. But Ethan’s Gold-rank senses penetrated their concealment easily, revealing their positioning and attack patterns.

‘Flanking maneuver. Standard pack tactics.’

The lead stalker attacked first, its claws extending like natural weapons as it lunged toward Ethan’s throat. The creature’s speed was impressive for Silver rank.

‘Unfortunately for you, I’m not your usual opponent.’

Ethan sidestepped the attack with casual ease, his Enhanced Speed making the creature’s movements appear sluggish. His counterattack removed the stalker’s head with surgical precision.

‘One down.’

The remaining two stalkers adapted quickly, their pack intelligence recognizing the threat level they faced. They attacked simultaneously from opposite directions, trying to overwhelm his defenses through coordination.

‘Clever. But insufficient.’

Wind blades materialized around Ethan, compressed air sharpened to cutting edges that sliced through the attacking creatures before they could reach striking distance. Both stalkers collapsed in pieces, their coordination useless against overwhelming power disparity.

‘Three down. That was almost disappointing.’

The stalkers’ deaths triggered familiar resource notifications:

Resources gained: 25 Wood, 15 Stone, 20 Sand.

‘Not bad.’

Ethan stored the corpses in his spatial ring for later examination. Silver-rank creatures might possess talents worth devouring, though their E+ Grade Stealth abilities weren’t immediately appealing.

Ethan did not need to wait or return back to let the construction start. A good thing was that the resources were directly sent to the resource storage of the city, and he had already told Jacoub to start construction once the resources were ready.

‘Jacoub should start building soon. I need to keep moving. More prey awaits.’

The jungle trail continued deeper into the wilderness, winding between increasingly massive trees. The canopy thickened overhead, reducing visibility while providing countless hiding spots for potential threats.

‘Perfect hunting ground for ambush predators.’

Movement in his peripheral vision announced new company. Four creatures this time—similar to the stalkers but larger, with additional appendages that suggested natural evolutionary adaptation.

<Ferocious Beast: Jungle Ambusher>

<Rank: Low-Silver>

<Poison Talent: E Grade>

‘Poison specialists. Interesting variation.’

The ambushers moved with different tactics than their stalker cousins. Instead of direct assault, they positioned themselves for envenomed strikes, their natural weapons dripping with toxic secretions.

‘Hit and run tactics. Smart against equal-rank opponents.’

But Ethan’s Gold-rank constitution rendered their poison ineffective before it could take hold. He waded through their attacks like walking through rain, immune to their primary advantage.

His fists shattered carapaces with each strike while wind blades eliminated targets beyond immediate reach. The ambushers’ coordination crumbled under his quick elimination.

‘Four more down.’

Resources gained: 35 wood, 20 stone, 25 sand

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep