Chapter 52: Chapter 48 — The Forest Test

John remained hidden in the canopy.

By midday the forest had warmed, sunlight filtering through layers of leaves in long golden beams that painted shifting patterns across the ground. The air carried the smell of damp earth and moss, mixed with the faint scent of sap from the tall trees surrounding the elven village.

From above, the settlement looked calm—almost peaceful.

But John had already learned something important during the months he had lived in this forest.

Peace rarely lasted long.

It usually meant something dangerous simply hadn’t appeared yet.

Below him, the elves continued their daily routines.

Villagers moved between wooden structures built around massive trees, carrying baskets, tools, and bundles of gathered plants. Smoke rose slowly from one of the cooking huts near the center of the clearing. Several children ran across the open space, laughing while an older elf called after them with clear frustration in her voice.

John watched quietly.

The scene almost felt ordinary.

If he ignored the fact that he was a dragon hiding in the branches above them.

His attention stayed focused.

Even while things looked calm, he continued measuring them in his mind.

Children.

Tier one or two.

Adults.

Tier three or four.

Warriors and hunters.

Tier five.

Leader.

Tier six.

And somewhere among them—

The silver-haired mage.

Also tier six.

Maybe stronger.

His tail shifted slightly along the branch as he adjusted his position.

The forest wind moved softly through the leaves.

Then suddenly—

A sharp whistle cut through the clearing.

The sound was quick and precise.

Every elf reacted immediately.

Several warriors turned toward the sound while villagers instinctively stepped aside to clear space in the center of the settlement.

John lifted his head slightly.

A group of warriors began gathering near the middle of the clearing.

Among them stood the bulky elf leader.

John watched carefully.

The leader spoke calmly, gesturing toward the forest beyond the village. His voice carried a quiet authority that made the others listen without interruption.

Several warriors nodded.

They began checking their equipment.

Bows.

Arrows.

Blades.

This was a hunting party.

But something about it felt different from yesterday.

More warriors were involved this time.

Six.

No.

Seven.

And the leader himself joined them.

John narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Not ordinary prey,” he murmured.

Leaders didn’t leave settlements unless the task required serious strength.

Which meant whatever they were hunting today wasn’t a normal forest creature.

The group moved quickly toward the western forest.

Their steps were quiet, controlled.

No wasted movement.

John waited until they disappeared beyond the outer trees.

Then he moved.

Carefully.

Silently.

He climbed through the canopy branch by branch, following the hunters from above.

The leaves provided good cover. Even a dragon could remain hidden here if he moved slowly enough.

Below him, the elves traveled with practiced discipline.

No talking.

No loud footsteps.

Only occasional hand signals passed between them as they moved through the forest.

They had done this many times before.

After several minutes, the leader raised one hand.

The entire group stopped instantly.

John crouched low on a thick branch above them.

His eyes scanned the area ahead.

Then he smelled it.

Blood.

Fresh.

His gaze shifted toward a patch of disturbed earth not far away.

Broken branches.

Scratched tree bark.

Claw marks carved deep into the soil.

Something had fought here recently.

One of the warriors knelt beside the tracks, studying them carefully.

The leader stepped closer.

They exchanged a few quiet words.

John focused on the scent again.

Monster.

Large one.

Strong.

Tier five at least.

Maybe stronger.

The hunters moved again, following the trail deeper into the forest.

John stayed above them, gliding silently between branches whenever the canopy opened enough.

The trail didn’t last long.

Soon the forest thinned slightly.

A narrow clearing appeared ahead.

And in the center of it—

The monster.

John’s eyes narrowed.

It was large.

Much larger than the boar monster the elves had hunted yesterday.

Its body resembled a cross between a wolf and a bear. Thick black fur covered its massive frame, bristling along its spine like jagged blades. Its claws dug deep into the soil with every step.

The creature sniffed the air slowly.

Then its head snapped toward the approaching elves.

A low growl rolled through the clearing.

John felt the tension immediately.

The hunting party spread out.

Six warriors formed a wide arc around the monster while the leader stepped forward slightly.

Arrows were drawn.

The monster roared.

Then it charged.

Fast.

Much faster than something that large should move.

The first arrows flew instantly.

Three arrows struck the beast’s shoulder and upper neck.

The creature staggered but kept moving.

It slammed toward one of the warriors with terrifying force.

The elf barely avoided the attack, rolling across the ground as the monster’s claws ripped through the dirt where he had been standing.

John leaned forward slightly.

The elves reacted quickly.

Two warriors fired again from the sides.

Their arrows struck the monster’s hind leg and shoulder.

The creature snarled in pain.

It spun violently, smashing its massive body against a nearby tree.

The impact cracked the bark.

Then it lunged again.

This time two elves attacked from opposite directions.

Another arrow struck the creature’s flank.

The monster roared louder, swinging wildly.

The forest echoed with the sound of claws tearing through wood.

But the hunters didn’t panic.

They moved with clear coordination.

Every arrow forced the monster to turn.

To move.

To shift its weight.

John slowly understood what they were doing.

They were guiding it.

Herding it.

Right toward the leader.

Then the leader moved.

Fast.

Faster than the others.

His body blurred slightly as he stepped forward with surprising speed.

In one hand he held a short blade.

In the other—

A bow.

He pulled the string back smoothly.

The monster lunged toward him.

The arrow flew.

Straight into the creature’s eye.

The beast screamed.

The leader closed the distance instantly.

His blade flashed once.

A deep cut opened across the monster’s neck.

The creature stumbled backward.

The blade flashed again.

This time deeper.

Blood sprayed across the ground.

The monster staggered heavily before collapsing with a violent crash.

The clearing fell silent.

The battle had lasted less than a minute.

John blinked slowly.

“Efficient,” he murmured.

The warriors lowered their bows cautiously while watching the monster’s body.

One elf approached carefully and stabbed the corpse once more to be certain.

No movement.

Dead.

John studied the hunters closely.

They didn’t celebrate loudly.

Just quiet nods and small smiles.

Professional.

Experienced.

The leader wiped his blade clean against the monster’s fur before sheathing it.

Tier six indeed.

But what impressed John most wasn’t the leader.

It was the teamwork.

Every warrior had played a role.

No arrows wasted.

No unnecessary risks.

Their attacks had controlled the battlefield.

A single elf might struggle against a tier five monster.

But six working together?

That changed everything.

One warrior stepped forward and cut open the monster’s chest with a short knife.

John immediately felt the shift of mana.

The elf reached inside and pulled something glowing from the body.

A beast core.

Small.

But bright.

Tier five.

The hunters exchanged satisfied looks.

One of them carefully placed the core inside a small pouch.

John tilted his head slightly.

“So they collect cores too.”

That explained their organized hunts.

Beast cores meant power.

Mana.

Resources.

Just like monsters and dragons used.

The warriors began preparing the corpse for transport.

They tied its limbs to a simple wooden frame using rope.

Several elves lifted the frame together.

The body was heavy, but they handled it with ease.

The group began the slow walk back toward the village.

John followed again from the canopy.

His thoughts were quiet while he watched.

These elves were stronger than he first expected.

Not strong enough to threaten him directly.

But strong enough to dominate a large portion of the forest if they expanded.

Tier five warriors.

Tier six leader.

Tier six mage.

Maybe more hidden strength.

By the time they returned to the village, the sun had begun lowering toward the horizon.

The return whistle echoed through the clearing.

Villagers gathered quickly.

Children pointed excitedly at the massive monster while the hunters carried it toward the center of the settlement.

John watched from the trees.

The bulky leader approached the silver-haired mage near the central platform.

They spoke briefly.

Even from this distance John could feel the mage’s mana clearly.

Yes.

Definitely tier six.

Possibly even higher when using magic.

His tail shifted slowly along the branch.

“Interesting balance,” he murmured.

A warrior leader and a mage leader.

Strength and magic guiding the settlement together.

Smart.

Very smart.

The sky above the forest slowly turned orange.

Evening approached.

John climbed higher through the canopy until the village disappeared beneath the leaves.

Then he spread his wings.

With one powerful motion he rose silently into the air.

The wind rushed past his scales as he climbed higher above the forest.

Below him the trees stretched endlessly across the horizon.

The elven village vanished beneath the canopy.

Hidden.

Just as it had been before he found it.

John turned north and began gliding back toward his territory.

The forest moved quietly below him.

Animals ran through the undergrowth.

Birds circled the sky.

And deep in the southern woods, an elven village celebrated another successful hunt.

None of them knew a dragon had watched the entire battle.

But John had learned something important today.

The elves were not weak.

And that made the forest far more interesting than before.

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