Rebirth: Supreme Soul Master

Although the sound was faint, the cautious William still noticed it. He had been walking deep in the forest for half a day. He had encountered many bronze-level monsters, and very few silver-level ones, which made him constantly on guard.

But he didn't try to kill any monsters. He wanted to find the one he needed first. Even if he couldn't kill it, he would assess its strength and abilities, then retreat quickly before being killed himself.

Everything about him was bad. Several times he had to run for his life, and he had almost had to use his weapon on several occasions.

He dared not make a move, fearing that the sounds of battle and the smell of blood would attract more monsters. He didn't want monsters to overwhelm his path, otherwise, no matter how hard he tried, he would eventually die.

Moreover, he doesn't know the terrain here. So, if something goes wrong, he won't have time to escape. He might even encounter more monsters during his escape.

In short, he decided to avoid all monsters until he encountered something he was forced to fight, or until he found his target.

When he heard that subtle sound, he crouched down, using the tall weeds around him for protection, just as he always did when he encountered monsters. Darkness had enveloped the world, but that did not stop William.

He used his ears to pinpoint the monster's location and gather more information about it. "Judging from its movements, it must be an agile monster," he assessed based on the location of the sounds it made.

The monster seemed to have noticed William, as it circled him closely. "Trying to catch me when I wasn't ready? What a cunning monster."

Bronze-level monsters also possess a certain level of intelligence. This is enough for them to assess their own objectives. Due to their high level of vigilance and ability to evaluate the strength of their enemies, they may not be so easily killed.

But this monster gave off a different feeling. It displayed the intelligence of a silver-level monster. If it weren't for the edge of the forest, William might have mistaken it for a higher-level monster.

"Could this be the person I'm looking for?" The thought filled him with excitement. William had encountered silver monsters before, but none of them suited him. And he had been disappointed many times.

As he waited, the voice grew closer. 'Getting impatient? For a silver-level monster like you, this is perfectly normal.' He sneered inwardly, gripping his bow tighter.

The bow was fully curved, made of mahogany, and supported by several thin plates of lightweight mineral. William closed his eyes, listening intently to the monster's movements.

He would never underestimate a bronze-level monster, let alone a silver-level one like this. If he couldn't escape in time, he would use arrows to buy himself some time before looking for a way out.

He was very worried about the monster's agility. A monster with increased speed was incredibly difficult to get rid of; he was lucky he hadn't encountered anything like this before.

As the monster drew closer, he figured out its movement pattern. It would leap from one place to another ten meters away, always jumping in a curve rather than a straight line.

The monster appeared to have feathers and made subtle sounds when it moved. William recognized many such monsters, so he needed to examine the target first before deciding on the species.

Needless to say, he knew that this time he couldn't run away without a fight. Judging from the speed the monster was displaying, William knew that if he tried to escape on foot, he would definitely be caught.

The monster was so fast it seemed intent on surrounding him. If a fight broke out, the monster's speed would increase even further.

William began preparing for the battle. He was thankful he had dodged the fighting for half a day. But now, his luck seemed to be dwindling.

He hoped this was one of the two monsters he was looking for. Even if he ultimately killed it and it wasn't a good fit, he would still absorb its core to enhance his soul power.

As for the smell of blood, he needed to get away quickly and pray that the battle here wouldn't attract too many monsters. (Panda - :)????)m

"Got you!" When the monster was within fifty meters, William didn't wait any longer. His bow could shoot at least a hundred meters. So, he had a buffer zone to hit the monster before he fled.

Just as he released the arrow, he stood up, his eyes wide, and in the next instant, he hurled a candle flame. The arrow was incredibly fast, seemingly startling the monster, which hadn't expected its prey to retaliate.

This time, it was a unique, thunderous roar. William didn't even need the green light of the candle to determine the monster's species.

“Night Thunder Fox… Damn it! You old fox, I’ve actually run into a relative like you.” William wasn’t panicked, but laughed out of sheer excitement.

This time his prayers were answered, because the fox just happened to meet his needs.

This monster originated from the fox clan, but it is a mutation of a fox and a thunderbird. Therefore, it is normal for it to have feathers; it is a hybrid of a dark elf and a thunder elf.

Unlike the smaller size of a fox, this creature was more like a cheetah. William watched the enemy, while his arrow flew swiftly toward it.

But with that roar, a strange light emanated from its mouth, dazzling and pure milky white. In an instant, it struck the arrow, shattering it into pieces.

"You won't fall down so easily, will you?" Although this surprised William, he reacted immediately. The fox spirit's attack wasn't just to block his arrow; it also covered the remaining distance and struck him.

This monster, however, exhibited another kind of mutation. That attack seemed to contain elements of lightning and light, turning the fox demon into a hybrid monster. Hybrid monsters are powerful and ferocious, which is why it could display such intelligence despite only being a silver-level monster.

This time, William demonstrated his extensive combat experience. The monster with the fastest reflexes wasn't just that monster; William was one too.

As soon as the light attack appeared, William instantly jumped to the side to dodge it. At the same time, he took out two arrows and fired them in quick succession, one at the monster and the other at its left side.

Another light attack landed, destroying the arrow aimed directly at the monster.

As for the other arrow, the monster ignored it. The monster seemed to mistake William's actions for an attempt to close off any escape routes above. Or perhaps it was simply William's preemptive move, reading its next move and aiming at where it would jump next.

But it underestimated William!

William used the faint mental connection with the arrow to change its trajectory at the last moment. The arrow arched strangely in mid-air and slammed heavily into the unsuspecting monster.

Then a huge explosion occurred.

William's efforts paid off. Judging from the size of the exploding fireball alone, William knew that the monster would be severely injured if it wasn't killed.