Chapter 402 Chapter400-The Gap in Strength
At this juncture, Ethan had come to realize that if he allowed the Specter Forest Wolf to continue its rampant rampage, it wouldn't be long before the tree he was concealed in would succumb to its brute force.
This would inevitably expose his hiding spot.
Rather than waiting for the inevitable, Ethan decided that it was better to take the initiative and launch a preemptive strike while the Specter Forest Wolf was still oblivious to his presence.
Taking control of the situation seemed like the most advantageous move.
With this thought in mind, Ethan no longer hesitated. He leaped down from the tree, launching an assault towards the direction of the Specter Forest Wolf.
In that moment, the wolf was completely engulfed in rage, utterly unaware of Ethan's stealthy approach.
Ethan's fist landed squarely on the back of the Specter Forest Wolf.
He had deliberately held back his full strength in this attack.
After all, Ethan found a certain charm in the wolf's simple-minded fury and wanted to prolong the encounter for his amusement.
A quick and decisive kill would have been far too mundane for his liking.
Consequently, Ethan's strike did not incapacitate the wolf but merely wounded it.
This, however, only served to fuel the Specter Forest Wolf's rage even more.
Previously engulfed in a state of fury, the wolf was now bordering on insanity, especially after Ethan's sneak attack.
In a frenzy, it lunged towards Ethan with an onslaught of vicious attacks.
Ethan watched the Specter Forest Wolf's ferocious assault with a sense of amusement.
He had engaged in skirmishes with numerous wild beasts, but it had been quite some time since he had encountered one with such formidable strength.
This encounter was a welcome opportunity for him to relish a challenging battle.
Although the Specter Forest Wolf's strength was hardly a match for Ethan, it at least surpassed the abilities of the other creatures he had encountered in the Shadow Forest.
This made the confrontation more intriguing than his usual encounters with lesser beasts.
As the Specter Forest Wolf launched its attack, Ethan remained unfazed.
He did not attempt to block or parry; instead, he calmly waited until the wolf was almost upon him before nimbly sidestepping at the last possible moment.
The wolf, having committed to its pounce, found itself crashing heavily into a tree, unable to halt its momentum.
The impact was so severe that the tree itself shuddered violently, clearly indicating the force of the collision.
This mishap only intensified the Specter Forest Wolf's fury.
Barely recovering from the pain of its collision, it lunged at Ethan once again with renewed vigor.
There was a reason why the Specter Forest Wolf was considered among the most formidable creatures in the Shadow Forest.
Its reputation was not unearned. In its current state of rage, its attacks were exceptionally fierce.
The wolf charged at Ethan like a meteor, its speed astonishingly fast.
To anyone of lesser ability, such terrifying velocity would have been impossible to evade.
But for Ethan, even this blistering speed seemed sluggish.
He effortlessly dodged the wolf's onslaught once more, smoothly stepping aside with impeccable timing, evading the attack with grace and ease.
This time, the Specter Forest Wolf displayed an astonishing burst of speed.
Enraged, it had tapped into the latent potential of its physique, achieving a velocity that it had never demonstrated before.
Such speed, when harnessed for an attack, carried devastating destructive power.
But the very momentum that made the wolf's charge so formidable also made it impossible for the creature to stop in time once it missed its target.
As anticipated, the wolf, having missed Ethan once again, crashed into another tree with such force that the tree splintered and toppled over.
The collision was not just disastrous for the tree; the Specter Forest Wolf itself was visibly shaken by the impact.
The laws of physics dictated that the force exerted was reciprocated, leaving the wolf dizzy and nearly unconscious from the blow.
In that moment, the Specter Forest Wolf lay incapacitated, unable to continue its assault.
It remained motionless on the ground, presenting a stark contrast to its previously menacing demeanor.
The sight of the once formidable predator reduced to such a state of disarray was, to Ethan, an amusing turn of events.
The wolf, which had boldly considered Ethan as its prey and had taken the initiative to hunt him, had clearly learned a harsh lesson.
It took a considerable amount of time for the Specter Forest Wolf to recover from its dazed state.
When it finally regained its senses, there was a noticeable change in its behavior.
It seemed that the severe impact of the collision had imparted a dose of much-needed wisdom to the creature.
At this point, the Specter Forest Wolf was still seething with anger, yet it no longer attacked in the reckless, all-out manner it had previously.
There was a noticeable change in its demeanor; it seemed to have calmed down significantly, suppressing the fiery rage within.
With its mouth full of menacing fangs bared, the wolf glared at Ethan, its eyes burning with fury.
Ethan's earlier actions had clearly infuriated it.
Such behavior would incense any creature, and the Specter Forest Wolf was no exception.
However, it had apparently realized that blindly launching attacks, as it had done before, was futile.
Such tactics would not only fail to harm Ethan but would also likely result in further injury to itself.
Hence, the wolf had evidently learned to temper its approach.
Despite this newfound restraint, the Specter Forest Wolf didn't seem to have any intention of backing down.
Instead, it appeared to be biding its time, waiting for the right moment to strike.
This demonstrated that the Specter Forest Wolf, a top predator in the Shadow Forest, possessed not just physical strength but a significant degree of intelligence as well.
Its ability to adapt and strategize in the face of adversity was a testament to its high level of animal cunning.
Ethan had encountered numerous wild beasts before, but most would have been completely overtaken by rage in such a situation.
The Specter Forest Wolf's ability to regain composure after its initial fury and start looking for vulnerabilities in its opponent, rather than mindlessly attacking, was a rarity among wild animals.
This observation made Ethan realize that the Specter Forest Wolf was even more formidable than he had initially thought.
This revelation only added to his interest in the encounter.
The Specter Forest Wolf and Ethan had been locked in a standoff for an extended period when suddenly, the wolf lunged at Ethan with astonishing speed.
This abrupt attack seemed like an attempt at a surprise assault, aiming to catch Ethan off-guard.
However, Ethan's focus was unwavering; he had anticipated the wolf's intent.
Unfazed by the Specter Forest Wolf's tactic, Ethan was well aware that such tricks were ineffective against his superior strength.
The disparity in power between Ethan and the Specter Forest Wolf was not just marginal but significant.
In the face of such a gap, surprise attacks and cunning strategies held little value.
The wolf seemed to recognize this disparity, resorting to the element of surprise in a desperate bid to gain the upper hand.
Yet, the difference in their capabilities was not something that could be bridged merely by a sudden assault.
As the Specter Forest Wolf charged again, Ethan chose not to dodge as he had previously.
Instead, he confronted the wolf head-on, throwing a punch directly at the oncoming predator.
The wolf, having learned from its previous headlong rushes that resulted in crashing into trees, was noticeably more cautious this time.
It seemed to have adjusted its approach, controlling its speed rather than charging mindlessly.
Seeing Ethan's fist coming its way, the Specter Forest Wolf quickly tried to sidestep, attempting to dodge the strike.
However, Ethan's punch was incredibly swift, making it difficult for the wolf to evade successfully.
Although the Specter Forest Wolf saw Ethan's punch coming, the sheer speed of it made dodging mid-air a challenging feat.
The wolf managed only to twist its body to the side, narrowly avoiding the direct hit.
However, this maneuver caused it to lose its balance completely, sending it tumbling down like a sack thrown through the air.
Ethan had anticipated this outcome.
With calm precision, he withdrew his fist.
It turned out that his punch was merely a feint, not intended to strike but to deceive the wolf into making a wrong move.
As the Specter Forest Wolf was still in mid-descent, Ethan didn't waste a moment.
He launched a powerful kick, striking the wolf with tremendous force.
The impact of Ethan's kick sent the wolf hurtling through the air, accompanied by a pained howl.
Unlike its previous charges, this time the wolf's flight was entirely at Ethan's behest.
It crashed into a tree with such force that not only did it break the tree but the wolf itself lay motionless, clearly severely injured.
The Specter Forest Wolf lay on the ground, letting out pained cries, blood oozing from its mouth.
It remained motionless for a long time, evidently suffering from the heavy blow.
It took a considerable while before the wolf began to show signs of recovery.
When it finally managed to gather some strength, its eyes were bloodshot, filled with intense hatred as it glared fiercely at Ethan.
The fury and desperation in its gaze were palpable; it seemed as if it wanted nothing more than to tear Ethan apart.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺