My Bugged System Made Me Too OP!-Chapter 45: This feels so stupid

The first two beasts he encountered after leaving the wolf territory had been far less troublesome.

They were simply mutated grade beasts.

The first had been a long-limbed forest lizard that tried ambushing him from the side of a tree trunk.

Its body had blended with the bark almost perfectly, and it had lunged at him the moment he stepped within range.

Unfortunately for it, Noah’s senses had already grown sharper from repeated battles that day.

The moment the creature moved, he had reacted instantly.

A single Lightning Ball had shot forward.

The crackling sphere struck the creature mid-lunge and exploded.

The blast had thrown the mutated lizard violently against a tree trunk, killing it instantly.

The second beast had attempted a similar ambush a few minutes later.

This time it had been a large mutated wild rabbit with unnaturally long claws.

The creature had burst out from a patch of bushes, trying to slash at Noah’s legs.

But compared to the wolves he had just fought, its speed was laughable.

Noah had simply stepped aside and driven a glacial spear straight through its body.

Both creatures had died almost immediately.

Yet neither of them had produced a beast core.

Which honestly wasn’t surprising.

Mutated grade beasts rarely formed beast cores.

Their bodies simply didn’t possess enough concentrated mana to condense such crystals after death.

But the large black rat in front of him was different.

This creature had been an advanced grade mana beast.

When Noah first encountered it, the rat had been feeding on the carcass of another animal near a hollow tree.

The moment it sensed his presence, the beast had hissed violently and lunged at him with terrifying speed.

But the fight hadn’t lasted long.

Unlike the two mutated beasts earlier, this advanced grade rat had indeed produced a beast core.

Without wasting time, Noah opened his bag again.

He carefully placed the red beast core inside with the others before closing the bag securely.

The soft clink of crystal against crystal could be heard briefly before the bag settled back against his side.

Then Noah rose to his feet.

As he straightened his body, his eyes suddenly narrowed.

His head slowly turned to the side.

His gaze fixed on a direction deeper within the forest.

His expression gradually became more serious.

A faint crease formed between his brows as he focused his senses.

’The mana there... is denser...’ he thought.

His senses had been picking up on it for a while, which was why he came towards this direction in the first place.

The mana flowing through that part of the forest felt... thicker, richer and more concentrated.

The rest of the forest contained mana as well.

After all, this entire region was known for having a higher mana concentration than normal wilderness.

But the area ahead felt completely different.

The quality of mana there was far greater.

So much so that it felt almost unnatural.

Noah frowned slightly.

It was almost as if the mana itself was gathering there intentionally.

His gaze remained locked in that direction for a few more seconds.

Then, slowly, Noah began walking toward it.

’I need to be careful...’ he thought.

The thought formed naturally in his mind.

Areas with dense mana concentration were never ordinary places.

Such environments often attracted powerful mana beasts.

Stronger creatures preferred living in places where mana was abundant.

Which meant the deeper he went in that direction...

The more dangerous the beasts he might encounter.

Noah understood that very well.

What he was doing right now was essentially a risk.

Walking deliberately toward a place that might be inhabited by stronger mana beasts was not something a cautious hunter would normally do.

Yet despite knowing the risks...

He kept moving.

Because a part of him felt strangely drawn toward that place.

It wasn’t just curiosity.

There was also a practical reason.

Noah could already feel the mana in that direction growing richer with every step he took.

If he could reach the source of that concentration, he might be able to absorb some of it.

And if he managed to absorb high-quality mana like that...

It would help increase the amount of mana within his body even further.

That alone made the risk somewhat worthwhile.

But deep down...

He knew that wasn’t the real reason he was moving forward.

As Noah walked deeper into the forest, his expression slowly grew more thoughtful.

Because the truth was...

There was another reason he couldn’t ignore.

Something he didn’t fully understand.

From the moment he first sensed the dense mana in that direction...

He had also felt something else.

A faint pull.

A strange sensation deep within his spirit.

It felt almost as if something was calling out to him.

Like an unseen force gently tugging at his soul.

Noah’s footsteps slowed slightly as the feeling grew stronger.

His eyes remained fixed ahead as he moved carefully between the trees.

The further he walked, the more noticeable the change in the surrounding mana became.

At first, it had only been a faint difference.

But gradually, the density of mana in the air grew thicker and more concentrated.

It was almost as if the invisible energy flowing through the forest was slowly gathering toward a single point.

Noah could feel it brushing against his senses.

The sensation was unmistakable, as each breath he took seemed heavier with mana.

Each step forward also made the strange pull on his spirit slightly stronger.

After a short while, he finally arrived at the area where the mana concentration was the strongest.

Noah slowed his pace as his gaze swept across the surroundings.

One thing he immediately noticed was that this part of the forest looked different from the rest.

The forest here was noticeably sparser.

Earlier, the trees had stood tightly packed together, their branches and leaves forming a thick canopy that blocked much of the sunlight.

But here, the trees were more spaced out, with more room and open ground between them.

The difference wasn’t drastic, but it was noticeable enough to make Noah’s eyes narrow slightly.

He continued walking deeper into the area.

As he did, he made sure to keep his senses spread outward.

However, the forest remained quiet. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

After a few more steps, Noah stopped in front of one particular tree.

It wasn’t very large.

Its trunk was thick but ordinary, its bark rough and dark brown.

The branches stretched upward, spreading out into a cluster of green leaves that swayed gently with the faint breeze.

Noah stepped closer.

Slowly, he raised his hand and placed his palm against the trunk.

The rough bark pressed against his skin.

He closed his eyes briefly.

’This is it...’ he mumbled inwardly. ’The connection feels stronger here.’

The strange tug on his spirit had grown clearer the moment he stepped near this tree.

It wasn’t overwhelming.

But it was definitely stronger than anywhere else in the surrounding area.

Yet as Noah stood there with his hand against the trunk, his brows slowly pulled together into a frown.

’What the hell am I doing...’

He opened his eyes and stared at the tree in front of him.

’Could a tree really have been calling unto me... somehow?’

The idea sounded ridiculous even in his own mind.

’This feels so stupid.’ he thought, letting out a low exhale.