"Tch, what the hell are these two-legged reptiles?" Hal clicked his tongue, watching the movements of a bigger variant of the chicken-lizard beast Loki took down an hour ago through the eyes of his invisible [Spirit Wolf].

Of course, the differences between the species and elements were clear as day. It was just that Hal didn't know what these things were.

They were massive, causing mini-earthquakes for simply walking.

Some had horns; others had bright-colored combs and crests, and a few even had feathers as if they were really chickens.

But there were also a few things they had in common: their height of more than three meters, walking on two legs, and horrifying rows of sharp teeth.

One of the species was even hunting in small packs of four to five, which, to a human like Hal, was rather horrifying.

'Damn it…'

He was starting to regret his decision to send Loki away, instructing him to try and find the entrance.

While he did emphasize that safety was the priority, he still couldn't help but worry, especially since this was the first time he was allowing the pup to venture on his own.

Plus, how much could a beast really understand?

But what could he do except trust his wolf companion?

He had an area assigned to himself, and if he kept on thinking about Loki, the pup might return to a dead master.

'Focus…focus…'

And he did, slowly advancing while avoiding the strange reptile beasts.

Locating the Temple of Chaos' entrance was the top priority.

At least it was…until Hal stumbled upon some faintly glowing plants.

They were emitting mana particles of varying colors that floated skywards for up to a few centimeters before dissipating.

He already obtained two Adept Arcanist Tomes of Knowledge, and yet, he still didn't know what these plants were.

It could only mean one thing: they were high-tier.

Hal, like a thirsty man that just found water, began harvesting them.

He had already scouted out the area he was in. There were none of the strange, elemental reptile beasts here.

Hal first approached a blue flower with faintly pulsing azure leaves, and since he didn't know which part was useful, he took the entire thing.

He then did the same to the white, sparky bulb resting on a floor of ivy leaves, though it was much difficult harvesting this one.

With his knowledge as an arcanist, he was able to gather every plant properly.

Hal couldn't help himself, fascinated by the unknown flora.

Unfortunately, even he wouldn't be able to deny that his focus and wariness were hijacked by the damned plants, and now, a beast was standing right behind him with an utterly furious gaze.

A horrifying high-pitched bellow reverberated behind him, causing Hal to literally jump up in startlement.

He quickly turned and faced the creature.

He thought he would have to fight the bipedaled chicken-lizards, but to his surprise, the beast in front of him was more like a tri-horned cow with a plate-shaped head.

Its entire body was covered in earthen armor that seemed difficult to penetrate.

'This thing couldn't be too fast, right?' Hal mused, locking eyes with the furious beast, who was hoofing at the ground, seemingly preparing to charge.

He was ready. He knew how to take care of such simple beasts.

Hal left a [Chrono Trap] beside him, waiting for the tri-horned creature to rush him.

Only, he didn't expect that even with Advanced Aethersight, he was almost charged by whatever the tri-horned plate bull was.

The tank-like bastard zoomed in as though it used a spatial spell instead!

Luckily, Hal was able to [Blink] out of the way just in time, and his plan ended up working.

The furious beast skidded to a halt after making contact with the [Chrono Trap], slamming face-first into a tree and knocking it down.

Hal naturally didn't let such an opening go to waste.

He tied the creature down with a level 200 [Conjure Chains] and a level 45 [Dark Grip], ensuring it at least wouldn't be able to escape his next attack.

Then, almost simultaneously, he summoned a [Gravity Ball] right on top of the tri-horned bull beast and a golden magic circle that charged light energy, erupting into a decimating blast that engulfed both his other spell and the beast.

Hal froze.

Only now did he realize how scary he had become.

In the past, he would have had to use such spells sparingly, but now, he could use such terrifying attacks with only their cooldowns stopping him from spamming them.

The furious beast was mighty, perhaps on par with mid to apex A-ranked beasts.

But it fell to him in less than a minute.

'I'm…already as strong as an S-ranked wizard?' he couldn't help but wonder, staring at the decimated remains of the tri-horned, plate-headed bull beast.

Its flesh was mangled and ripped by the [Gravity Ball] and then scorched by the decimating blast of light.

The best was certainly dead now, for sure…

Hal would naturally butcher and harvest the hide, the horns, and perhaps even a bit of meat from his kill.

But in the middle of doing so, the distant bushes to his right rustled.

He stabbed his knife into the corpse and sprang into a combat-ready state.

In the next moment, however, his stance eased, and he was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

What came out of the shrubbery was a huge, black-furred, cross-eyed wolf, rushing at him without any violent intent.

Loki has returned.

"Woof! Woof!"

The wolf companion was barking a lot and didn't seem interested in the meat of the dead beast, sparing it only a glance before shifting his attention back to his master, barking and howling, as if to tell Hal something.

Naturally, Hal understood that Loki had found something, giving his companion a few head rubs.

He had already harvested a majority of the hide and the three horns. He could leave the other parts for the other beasts.

Perhaps the scent of the dead tri-horned, plate-headed bull would give them an opening to approach whatever the wolf found with far fewer problems.