The pack moves through the forest, and this time, Tara is with them. Not just observing or freeloading—actually hunting.

  He's in his wolf form, moving alongside the pack through Pack Coordination. They're tracking something.

  The pack slows, spreading out, encircling. Tara can see them now—two deer, grazing in a clearing. But these aren't normal deer. Their antlers glow faintly, pulsing with energy. Their hooves leave trails of light.

  **APPRAISAL:**

  **Windstride Deer (Level 22)**

  - **Skills:**

  - **Wind Runner (Uncommon)** - Can move at incredible speeds, leaving afterimages

  - **Phantom Step (Rare)** - Short-range teleportation, can phase through attacks

  - **Swift Dodge (Common)** - Enhanced reflexes, can dodge attacks with ease

  - **Wind Blade (Uncommon)** - Can create cutting winds with antlers

  **Windstride Deer (Level 25)**

  - **Skills:**

  - **Wind Runner (Uncommon)** - Can move at incredible speeds, leaving afterimages

  - **Phantom Step (Rare)** - Short-range teleportation, can phase through attacks

  - **Swift Dodge (Common)** - Enhanced reflexes, can dodge attacks with ease

  - **Wind Blade (Uncommon)** - Can create cutting winds with antlers

  - **Gale Force (Rare)** - Can create powerful wind blasts to knock back enemies

  "Windstride Deer," Tara thinks, reading the skills. "Wind Runner, Phantom Step. These are going to be hard to catch. They can move super fast."

  The pack is ready. Big Daddy gives a signal—silent, through Pack Coordination. The hunt begins.

  The deer sense them. Both look up, alert, their antlers glowing brighter. Panic sets in—they're prey, and they know it. The level 25 deer—the leader—stomps, and a gust of wind explodes outward, knocking back the wolves closest to it, creating space to escape.

  The pack spreads wider, creating a net. No escape routes.

  Tara moves in, coordinating with the pack. He targets the level 22 deer. But as he approaches, the deer vanishes. Phantom Step. It reappears twenty meters away, already running, Wind Runner activated. It's a blur, leaving afterimages, heading for the forest edge.

  "Okay, that's annoying," Tara thinks, adjusting. "Teleportation and super speed. It's trying to escape."

  Notail and two other wolves cut off the deer's escape route, forcing it to use Phantom Step again. The deer reappears, panicked, looking for another way out. It uses Wind Runner, trying to outrun the pack, but wolves are already blocking that path.

  Tara watches as Notail positions himself perfectly, his Shadow Stalker skill making him almost invisible. But the deer's heightened senses detect him anyway. The deer's antlers glow brighter, and suddenly a blade of wind slices through the air—Wind Blade. Notail barely dodges, the cutting wind grazing his side. He retreats, and the deer tries to bolt through the opening.

  "These things are dangerous," Tara thinks, watching the deer create another Wind Blade, cutting through the pack's formation. The deer sees the gap and tries to run, but the pack closes ranks.

  The deer uses Wind Runner again, becoming a blur. It's fast, too fast. The pack struggles to keep up. Tara tries to strike, but his claws just glance off—the deer's Swift Dodge makes it nearly impossible to land a solid hit as it constantly moves, searching for an exit.

  "This isn't working," Tara thinks, frustrated. "I need to be faster. I have Dash, but can I use it in wolf form?"

  He focuses, trying to activate Dash. He's used it in his artifact form, but in wolf form? He's not sure. He channels energy, trying to trigger the ability. Nothing happens at first. Then he feels it—a surge of energy, a familiar sensation. He pushes forward, and suddenly he's there, right next to the deer, having covered 20 meters in an instant.

  "Dash works!" Tara thinks, surprised. "I can use Dash in wolf form!"

  The deer is caught off guard. Before it can react, Tara's claws cut deep into its side. The deer staggers, bleeding. It uses Wind Blade, but Tara barely dodges.

  The deer is wounded but still trying to escape. It uses Wind Blade again, forcing the pack back, then tries to run. Tara uses Dash to intercept it, then lunges forward, sinking his canines deep into the deer's neck. The deer bleeds heavily, stumbling. It tries to use Phantom Step again, desperate, but it's still on cooldown.

  The pack moves in, coordinated and efficient, pinning it down.

  Big Daddy delivers the final blow with a crushing bite to the deer's neck.

  **CREATURE DEFEATED:**

  - **Windstride Deer (Level 22)**

  - **Essence:** 3,000,000

  Tara feels the essence flow into him, but something's different. He's not just getting Freeloader's 10%. He's getting more. A lot more.

  **EXP GAINED:**

  - **Freeloader (10%):** 9,375 EXP

  - **Highest Damage Bonus (10%):** 9,375 EXP

  - **Party EXP Share (5%):** 4,688 EXP

  - **Tara's Total:** 23,438 EXP

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  "Wait, what?" Tara thinks, surprised. "I got way more than just freeloading—over 23,000 EXP!"

  But there is no time to process the breakdown. The pack turns toward the other deer—the level 25 leader. It's already using Gale Force, creating powerful wind blasts that knock wolves back. Two wolves are sent flying, tumbling through the air before crashing to the ground. They get up, shaken but not out. The deer sees the opening and tries to run, but the pack closes ranks, cutting it off.

  Tara coordinates with the pack, using Dash to intercept the deer when it tries to escape, striking when it's forced to turn back. The deer combines Wind Blade with Gale Force, clearing paths through the pack's formation. Wolves get cut and thrown back, but the pack keeps closing ranks.

  "This is bad," Tara thinks, watching wolves get injured. "The level 25 is way stronger than the others. It's just trying to escape, and it's still dangerous."

  The deer uses Phantom Step, reappearing behind Big Momma, trying to slip past her. Before she can react, it strikes with Wind Blade, cutting deep into her side. She yelps, falling back, bleeding heavily. Big Daddy roars, charging forward, but the deer uses Gale Force again, sending him flying.

  "Enough!" Tara thinks, anger flaring. He opens his mouth, charging Energy Blast. 20M-energy-blast. He remembers that 10M-energy-blast vaporized those wolves completely—but those were low-level wolves, and his control was terrible back then. Now, after all his training, he has much better control. He can focus the blast, target precisely. The energy builds up, concentrating into a focused beam instead of a wide destructive wave. The deer sees him, turning, but it's too late. The Energy Blast erupts from his jaws—a concentrated beam that hits the deer square in the chest. The deer staggers, stunned, its antlers flickering. No collateral damage, no wide destruction—just precise, controlled power.

  The pack seizes the opportunity, swarming the stunned deer. But the deer recovers quickly, using Gale Force again, sending wolves flying in all directions.

  The deer looks tired now—maybe it has used too much mana or stamina for these skills.

  Tara uses Dash to get behind it, his claws cutting deep into the deer's hind leg, severing a tendon. The deer stumbles, its speed compromised. It tries to use Phantom Step, but it's on cooldown. It tries to run, limping and desperate, but the pack cuts it off.

  Tara charges another 20M-energy-blast, opening his mouth wide, aiming precisely for the deer's head. The blast erupts, but the deer blocks with its antlers. They crack, energy flickering. The deer is weakened now, bleeding heavily, its abilities failing.

  The pack presses the advantage. The deer collapses, and Tara delivers the final blow, his crushing bite severing the deer's spine. The deer falls, essence flowing.

  **CREATURE DEFEATED:**

  - **Windstride Deer (Level 25)**

  - **Essence:** 25,000,000

  **EXP GAINED:**

  - **Freeloader (10%):** 78,125 EXP

  - **Last Hit Bonus (10%):** 78,125 EXP

  - **Highest Damage Bonus (10%):** 78,125 EXP

  - **Party EXP Share (5%):** 39,063 EXP

  - **Tara's Total:** 273,438 EXP

  "Last hit bonus as well!" Tara thinks, surprised. "And all the members share the rest of the EXP after the bonuses—that's my Party EXP Share. That's over 273,000 EXP from this one kill. Great!"

  He checks his total from this hunt: **296,876 EXP** from both deer.

  Tara checks his progress toward the next level. Level 28. He needs **133,891,018 EXP** remaining.

  "133 million EXP?" Tara thinks, processing the number. "That's... that's massive. These deer gave me 296,876 EXP, and I still need over 133 million more? I need the EXP but I can't risk the pack with larger, more powerful prey. Maybe I should alternate between solo and pack hunting. While solo hunting, I can target more powerful foes. I wonder what my limit is."

  The pack finishes feeding, and Tara looks at them. Through Pack Coordination, he can feel their satisfaction. The hunt was successful. A couple of wolves level up, their injuries healing instantly. They greet each other and the pack, stronger now.

  Tara looks at Big Momma, who's still bleeding from the deep gash in her side. He had brought healing potions with him, just in case. He moves to her side, pulling out a potion from the small pouch he'd secured to his wolf form. He pours it onto her wound, watching as the gash closes and the bleeding stops. The wound heals, but she's still weakened.

  "I have limited healing potions," Tara thinks, worried. "I can't keep using them like this. We need to choose our prey carefully."

  Through Pack Coordination, he communicates the need to be more careful. Big Momma and the pack show affirmation.

  The pack moves, heading back toward the cave.

  "Active participation pays off," Tara thinks, following them and looking at the levelled up wolves. "Who knew doing work would be more rewarding than freeloading?"

  ********* Chapter end *********