A few meters above him to the left was a massive nest the size of a king-size bed. Already dreading the owner of the nest, Aurel shifted to the other side of the tree and gradually made his way to the very top.

  Whether it was occupied by the creature or held eggs in it did not concern him. The worst attitude in the world was seeking trouble when trouble did nothing but mind its own business.

  For now, he would keep his distance. Soon, he got to the very top of the massive tree, the leaves parting to reveal a clear sky. Thick white clouds floated about, silently drifting along guided paths.

  "What rotten luck I have…"

  Aurel cursed under his breath. He had not been expecting much. But at the very least, he had hoped to see the edge of the forest or a small city. Even a town would have sufficed.

  Unfortunately for him, every direction looked almost the same — towering trees and vegetation, mountain ranges and a river flowing from the mountains across the dense forest. The cry of creatures echoed from time to time, a testament to its thriving ecosystem.

  "I must have gone far off course."

  Aurel grumbled softly and then sighed. Aligning himself with the sun's position would not work either. He was, without a doubt, lost. Things were really taking a bad turn for him.

  "Now what?"

  Perched on the branch he stood on, Aurel's mind raced with possibilities. He could not stay here for too long. First, the tree was home to whatever bird monster made the nest. Second, he was losing daylight. The craziest stuff happened in the dead of night, and Aurel had no intention of getting caught with his pants down.

  After thinking for a while, Aurel focused on the river. Water bodies were essential for all living things. Where there was water, there was usually a settlement. Perhaps, following the river might lead him out of the mad forest.

  Having made up his mind, Aurel stood up and turned around, ready to descend. To his horror, however, he had a guest waiting for him just a couple of meters away. His heart skipped a sudden beat as he froze in place, his pulse racing.

  'What's with these streaks of rotten luck?!'

  Silently cursing his rotten luck, Aurel's eyes darted around for a way out. Right before him was the very creature he thought he avoided. A massive bird monster that looked eerily similar to a vulture held his gaze with interest. It tilted its head to the side, taking a good look at him.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  But what really caused him to pause was the size of the bird monster. He had been right. The owner of that nest was massive, easily rivalling the size of that alpha wolf he dealt with earlier.

  The creature had black features covering most of its body, with greyish-white features lining the edges of its wings. Its head was also covered in the same greyish-white features. But that was not the troubling part.

  With a slightly curved beak viciously pointed at the end, the vulture-like monster let out a squeal, seemingly curious about Aurel's bold action of perching on its tree. Around the pointed peak and the feathers that lined around it were bits and pieces of what Aurel realised was devoured prey.

  The way the vulture-like bird monster looked at him like he was doomed prey really unsettled him. Suddenly, Aurel felt a rush of anger at the way the monster stared at him. Did these filthy creatures think he was that easy to mess with?!

  Unconcerned with his thoughts, the monster lunged at him with incredible speed, its wide wingspan casting a foreboding shadow over him. Aurel's eyes widened as he abruptly jerked to the right, narrowly avoiding the approaching beak.

  "You stupid beast! Do you think I'm some typical prey you can have at will!"

  Angered by the waves of attacks he had suffered since leaving the ruins, Aurel thought to teach the creature some manners. He was a sovereign for crying out loud! With agility far superior to the boorish creature, Aurel went low, the monster's wings sweeping over his head.

  He then leapt and spun midair, appearing above the bird monster. He shot his left hand forward, grabbing a fistful of the monster's tough features. With his right hand, he delivered a devastating blow to the creature's back.

  A muffled crack and a high-pitched screech rippled out, the monster taking a sudden dive. Injured and in agony, the bird monster violently shuddered and almost lost balance. It tried to shake Aurel off, but his grip was tight. With the momentum from the previous lunge, the monster took Aurel off the tree's crown.

  Furious at the monster's earlier disrespect, Aurel barely blinked at the loss of foothold. Exchanging a motionless foothold for a flying one could be considered a win. The sudden thought brought a daring thought, almost lighting his face with a smile.

  Tightly gripping the back of the savagely flying monster, Aurel slowly climbed towards its head. The winds howled in his ears and whipped him in the face, his hair wildly flaring about. Unperturbed, he reached out for the features on the bird monster's head.

  "Hyah!"

  With a knowing smirk, he brutally pulled back, eliciting a loud screech from the monster. The monster, guided by Aurel's pull, changed course and climbed. The bird monster climbed and climbed until it flew past the white, puffy clouds.

  Aurel and the monster reached astonishing heights together, the creature struggling to shake Aurel off its back every inch of the way. Through his rippling hair and howling winds in his ears, Aurel turned to get a bird's eye view of his bearings.

  'Finally!'

  Feeling a rush of excitement, Aurel tightened his grip and forcefully turned the bird monster around. With a loud and bitter screech from the creature, it turned around and dived.

  His luck had finally turned around, putting a grin on his face. But he had celebrated too soon, as moments after the thought crossed his mind, another screech tore through the howling winds.

  Straining against the whipping winds, Aurel squinted and looked around, his heart sinking. He silently cursed as he saw the approaching uninvited guests.

  Yes… guests.