Chương 71: The Hunt

More than an hour after leaving Antler Camp. Talia looked back for the third time. Bren was still trailing behind the rest of the group. Every so often, he would stop and lower his head to inspect footprints on the ground or blades of grass that had been crushed and snapped.

"The guide is falling behind again," Talia said. Kane walked beside her.

"Is it possible that we're the ones walking too fast?"

"Velesa is still ahead of us."

"She's the deputy captain."

"So?"

"So on your first trip into the forest, you probably shouldn't use the deputy captain as your standard." Talia ignored him. She slowed down slightly, though she refused to admit that she had been walking too fast. Up ahead, Velesa stopped beside a patch of damp, broken earth. Bren soon caught up. Talia moved closer as well. Several separated hoofprints had been left in the ground. They were narrow along the sides. The front ends curved inward.

"The Spiral-Crowned War Antelope?" Talia asked. Bren crouched and pressed a finger against the edge of one of the prints.

"Yes." Talia's expression immediately became serious.

"From yesterday?"

"Earlier."

"The edges haven't collapsed yet."

"This spot is shaded." Bren brushed aside the fallen leaves beside the hoofprint. A layer of fine stone dust had been pressed into the soil underneath. It had already darkened.

"The afternoon before yesterday."

"There was dew last night."

"In a fresh print, the stone dust would stick to the edges instead of sinking entirely to the bottom." Talia crouched as well. She reached out and touched the stone dust. Kane stood beside her.

"Understand it?"

"Shut up."

"So you didn't." Talia raised her head and glared at him. Bren had already stood and continued following the direction of the tracks.

"This isn't the target's most recent route."

"It probably only passed through here the day before yesterday." Velesa asked:"Which way now?" Bren looked southeast.

"Scree Slope."

"The traces we confirmed yesterday haven't changed." The group resumed their journey. The closer they came to Scree Slope, the less soil covered the ground. Exposed gray stone gradually became more common. The forest was also less dense than the area around Antler Camp. Tree roots pushed out from cracks in the rock and wrapped tightly around the sloping ground. In the afternoon. Bren led the group around a dried-up shallow gully. Several enormous boulders appeared ahead, leaning against one another.

The boulders enclosed a clearing that wasn't particularly spacious. There was a gap on either side. At the widest points, two people could pass through shoulder to shoulder. At the narrowest, a person would have to turn sideways and squeeze through. Bren stopped.

"Remember this place." Talia looked at him.

"Why?"

"Retreat point."

"The target is only Tier 1 Single-Phase."

"It also didn't have an injured left leg before entering the forest." Bren said:"Intelligence is from yesterday."

"Terrain stays useful much longer." Velesa walked around the outside of the stone ring and inspected both entrances. Then she looked up at the boulders pressed together overhead.

"It can stop a charge."

"Not for long," Bren said.

"But long enough for us to catch our breath." Kane held up one finger toward Talia.

"Lesson two."

"What was lesson one?"

"Stay close to the guide." Talia slapped his finger away.... That evening. The subjugation party did not attack. They found the Spiral-Crowned War Antelope on the western side of Scree Slope. It stood among a patch of low shrubs. Its body was larger than Talia had expected. Its limbs were long and slender. Spiraling horns extended backward from the top of its head. A ring of pale gray bone plates spread from either side of the horn bases, resembling a damaged crown from a distance.

Its left hind leg was indeed injured. Whenever it moved, it never placed its full weight on that leg. Even when it occasionally lowered its head to feed on the shrubs, its body would sway slightly from the unstable center of gravity. Bren lay behind a rock and watched for a long time.

"Still alone."

"No change in its mana either." Velesa didn't give the order immediately. She pinched up a small amount of broken soil. Mana flashed between her fingers. An extremely thin stream of wind picked up the dust and spread outward along the ground. The airflow swept past stalks of grass, cracks in the rocks, and the undersides of the shrubs before converging back into her hand from several directions. Velesa examined the bits of fur and several grains of still-damp soil mixed into the dust.

"Other mana-beasts have passed through the area."

"The traces aren't fresh. They're probably no longer nearby." Talia lowered her voice.

"It's already injured."

"Injured creatures can sometimes be more dangerous," Velesa said.

"We're not attacking tonight." Talia stared at the Spiral-Crowned War Antelope in the distance. Eventually, she slowly relaxed the finger resting beside the Tendon-Cord Crossbow's trigger. The group withdrew some distance. Two caravan guards took turns keeping watch through the night. Talia wrapped herself in a blanket and leaned against a stone wall. A long time passed, but she still couldn't fall asleep. Kane lay not far away.

"Nervous?"

"No."

"Then how many times have you counted your bone bolts?" Talia glanced at the quiver beside her.

"Six."

"Seven."

"You were spying on me?"

"You press down on the opening of the quiver every time you finish." Talia was silent for a moment.

"Is everyone like this the first time?" Kane looked up at the night sky, fragmented by the branches overhead.

"On my first time, I didn't sleep all night."

"Really?"

"No." A small stone flew toward him. Kane raised a hand and caught it.

"Not nervous anymore?" Talia wrapped the blanket more tightly around herself. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Still a little."

"That's normal." Kane tossed the stone aside.

"People who genuinely aren't nervous usually don't survive long enough for a second time." That same afternoon. Rowan put away the tools at his workstation. He placed a package inside his backpack. It contained mana-beast meat that had been processed in advance. There wasn't much. But it was enough for Rad to eat several times. Rowan didn't leave directly along the old hunting trail outside Antler Camp's main gate. He first traveled west for a while. Then changed direction twice.

Only after confirming that no one was following him did he enter a hollow concealed by dense shrubs. A deep blue light flashed across his wrist. The forest, the chirping insects, and the distant roars of beasts all warped together. The next instant. Sheet-metal walls appeared in front of Rowan. A corner of the neon billboard outside the window had broken off. Several ordinary engineers were repairing it. Rowan inspected the room first. There was nothing unusual. He changed his clothes.

Then cleaned the soles of his shoes and the cuffs of his sleeves. Afterward, he sent Rad a message. Half an hour later. A heavy knock sounded against the door.

"Open up." Rowan pulled open the metal door. Rad stood outside.

"You'd better have a real reason for calling me here."

"I do." Rowan handed him the food container. Rad accepted it and tested its weight in his hands.

"What is it?"

"Meat."

"I can tell it's meat without opening the box." Rad lifted one corner of the lid. A rich meaty aroma surged out. It had been suppressed slightly by simple spices, but remained extremely strong. The meat was dark in color. A faint mana sheen still lingered between its fibers. Rad's expression slowly changed.

"Mana-beast meat?"

"Yeah."

"Where did you get it?"

"Payment for a job." Rad lowered his head and smelled it again.

"What kind of jobs have you been taking lately?" Rowan didn't answer. He pointed at the food container.

"It's already been processed."

"If you develop a fever, headache, or a stinging sensation in your skin, stop eating immediately." Rad looked at him.

"Are you bringing me food, or using me for a drug trial?" Rowan held out his hand.

"Give it back if you don't want it." Rad immediately hugged the container against his other side.

"You can't take back something you've already given away."

"I can."

"No, you can't." Rad closed the container again.

"How much is this stuff worth?"

"I'll give you a discount. Ten thousand TC."

"Go to hell." Rad carried the food container toward the door. Just before leaving, he stopped again.

"You're really planning to sign the military exam's risk agreement?"

"Yeah."

"All right. Wait a few days. I'll bring you something exciting." Rad didn't try to persuade him again. He raised the food container slightly.

"Once I finish eating it without dying, I'll tell you how it tastes." The metal door closed again. Rowan checked the time. Then sat down beside the workbench. He wasn't in a hurry to leave Terra this time. The next day. He visited a Public Mana Supply Pod. After completing his cultivation, he continued advancing the Mind-Splitting Art. Only the final stage remained before the auxiliary core became completely stable. The closer it came to completion, the less he could afford to force the process.

It wasn't until the morning of the third day. That Rowan returned to the rented room. He finished checking the items he carried. Then raised his right hand.... The air of the high-mana environment filled his lungs once again. Rowan opened his eyes. The blue light around his wrist gradually faded. The Möbius Ring dimmed once more. Twenty-four hours. Rowan didn't remain where he was. After confirming that there was no danger nearby, he returned to Antler Camp.

The last two wagons that had fallen behind had arrived the previous night. The caravan had not left yet. Drivers were replacing worn ropes around the outer ring, while several guards stood around a dismantled cargo crate and calculated the losses. Oswin was absent. The dwarf woman responsible for registering the medicinal herbs was speaking with Taun.

"The nearby patch only had young roots."

"The captain headed farther south before dawn."

"He should be able to gather enough this time." Rowan passed by without stopping. He returned to his workstation. Then picked up the unfinished armament pattern once more.... On the morning of the third day. The Spiral-Crowned War Antelope emerged from the shrubs where it had been hiding. It had finally changed locations. The group followed quietly from behind as it slowly approached a pool of water at the foot of the slope. It lowered its head to drink. Its left hind leg remained slightly raised.

Bren lay at a higher position and extended two fingers. Target distance. Direction. After reading the signals, Velesa gestured toward both sides. One caravan guard took the second Tendon-Cord Crossbow and circled around to the right. Bren moved toward the direction in which the target was most likely to escape, carrying his prototype crossbow. Kane remained beside Talia. Less than three steps away. Velesa looked at Talia one last time.

"Remember the conditions?"

"No pursuit."

"Retreat if the intelligence is wrong."

"Follow orders." Velesa nodded.

"The first shot is yours." Talia slowly exhaled. Wooden targets on a training ground didn't breathe. They didn't raise their heads. And they didn't suddenly turn to look in her direction when a bolt scraped faintly against the channel. The Spiral-Crowned War Antelope raised its head. It seemed to have heard something. Talia pressed the trigger. Whoosh! The gray-white bone bolt shot from the crossbow channel. The Spiral-Crowned War Antelope abruptly twisted aside. The bolt missed the chest where Talia had aimed.

Instead, it buried itself in the front shoulder. Mana erupted along the wound. The Spiral-Crowned War Antelope released a piercing shriek. Pale yellow mana surged out from within its spiral crown. The loose stones surrounding the pool began trembling at the same time. They climbed along its limbs, shoulders, and neck. In the blink of an eye. A layer of rough stone armor covered its head, shoulders, and the outer sides of its front legs. The Spiral-Crowned War Antelope lowered its head.

The ground beneath its hooves suddenly compressed. The next instant. Its speed increased explosively. Its spiraling horns aimed directly at the rock where Talia was hiding.

"Back!" Kane grabbed the leather satchel on Talia's back and dragged her to the side. Bang! The rock shattered under the frontal impact. A cloud of stone fragments exploded outward. Kane shielded Talia as they retreated several steps. Velesa had already released her bowstring. As the arrow flew, she cast a spell. A rotating stream of air wrapped around the shaft. The arrow abruptly changed direction in midair.

It struck the inside of the Spiral-Crowned War Antelope's right front leg, where the stone armor did not reach. The creature staggered. The guard lying in ambush on the right immediately pulled the trigger. The second bone bolt struck its flank. A section of the stone armor cracked, but did not completely shatter. The Spiral-Crowned War Antelope abruptly turned toward the guard. Talia had already finished reloading. She aimed at the side of its neck. And pulled the trigger.

The bone bolt struck the stone armor beneath the spiral crown. Crack! Several fractures spread rapidly. But the bone bolt was deflected to the side. The Spiral-Crowned War Antelope had already begun charging again. This time, toward the caravan guard on the right. Talia raised her hand. Her mana circulation was still somewhat unfamiliar. But a moment later, the ground in front of the target suddenly rose. A stone ridge half a meter high burst from the earth. Unfortunately, it appeared too early.

The Spiral-Crowned War Antelope forcibly changed direction in the middle of its charge. Its shoulder scraped across the stone ridge. Then smashed through it with a thunderous impact.

"Too early!" Kane shouted.

"Don't put it directly in front of the target."

"Wait until it shifts its weight onto the injured leg!" After smashing through the stone ridge, the Spiral-Crowned War Antelope also slowed down. Bren had yet to fire his crossbow. He waited until it adjusted its balance and placed its injured left hind leg on the ground again. Whoosh! The prototype Tendon-Cord Crossbow released a heavy thrum. The gray-white bone bolt skimmed across the ground and struck the existing wound on its left hind leg. The Spiral-Crowned War Antelope released a cry of pain.

Its rear half visibly sank. The other guard took the opportunity to fire. The bone bolt struck the heavily fractured stone armor along the side of its neck. The fractures expanded again. Several broken stone fragments fell away. But the Spiral-Crowned War Antelope still did not collapse. Pale yellow mana surged toward its limbs once more. The loose stones beneath its hooves began trembling one by one. It was preparing for a second empowered charge.

"Talia." Velesa's voice came from the side.

"Watch its left leg." Talia didn't answer. She stared at the Spiral-Crowned War Antelope's raised left hind hoof. Mana surged from her crystal core once again. This time, she didn't alter the ground directly ahead of the target. The Spiral-Crowned War Antelope began charging. One step. Two steps. Its injured left hind leg came down again. Talia clenched her hand. The crack beneath the Spiral-Crowned War Antelope's hoof snapped shut. The rocks on either side squeezed inward at the same time.

Its left hind hoof was trapped tightly between them. The front half of its body still carried the momentum of the charge. But its rear leg remained fixed in place. The Spiral-Crowned War Antelope lost its balance and crashed heavily onto its side. Boom! Loose stones scattered in every direction. It struggled to raise its head. Mana began glowing within its spiral crown again. Velesa had already raised her left hand.

A compressed stream of air descended from above and slammed down on the Spiral-Crowned War Antelope's head and neck. Its head, which had only just risen, was smashed back against the ground.

"Now!" Bren pulled the trigger. The bone bolt struck the shattered stone armor along the side of its neck. The final fragments of rock broke apart completely. Talia finished loading for the third time. She moved two steps closer. Aimed the crossbow at the exposed side of its neck. And pulled the trigger. The bone bolt buried itself deep in the flesh. The Spiral-Crowned War Antelope began struggling violently. The crack trapping its hind hoof began splitting apart.

Talia dropped the Tendon-Cord Crossbow and drew the hand axe from her waist.

"Come back!" Kane had already stepped forward.

"It's not dead yet!"

"I know!" Talia gripped the axe handle with both hands. Earth-yellow mana rapidly gathered along the blade. Velesa maintained the airflow overhead, pinning down the Spiral-Crowned War Antelope's head and neck. Talia rushed to its side. Her first strike landed beside the wound created by the bone bolt. Blood sprayed outward. The Spiral-Crowned War Antelope abruptly raised one front leg. Kane slammed into it from the side, knocking the limb away from Talia.

"Second strike!" Talia pulled the hand axe free. Then brought it down again. The mana coating the axe blade completely cut through the side of its neck. The Spiral-Crowned War Antelope's struggles gradually weakened. Finally, it stopped moving. Talia continued gripping the hand axe. Her chest rose and fell violently. No one approached immediately. Velesa maintained the spell. An extremely thin stream of air circled past the creature's mouth, nose, and wounded neck. A moment later. She dispersed the spell.

Bren approached from the side and touched the target's eye with a long pole. The pupil did not contract.

"Dead." Only then did Talia slowly lower the hand axe. She looked down at her hands. Her fingers felt slightly stiff. Kane walked to her side.

"How does it feel?" Talia stared at the Spiral-Crowned War Antelope lying among the loose stones.

"More troublesome than a wooden target."

"An accurate assessment."

"I landed two shots."

"Two out of three."

"The second one clearly hit its stone armor."

"Commission records generally don't count damage to armor as an injury." Talia turned toward him.

"Did you have to say that?"

"Standard recordkeeping." Kane paused.

"That spell near the end was good." The corners of Talia's mouth rose.

"Why didn't you say that earlier?"

"I was afraid you'd immediately start getting smug." She approached the Spiral-Crowned War Antelope. This time, no one stopped her. The commission plaque still hung from her waist. And before her lay prey from a hunt she had genuinely helped complete. Velesa finished inspecting the corpse.

"Remove the spiral crown first."

"We don't have time to process all the other materials." Talia immediately removed her tool bag. She knelt beside the Spiral-Crowned War Antelope's head. Following Velesa's instructions, she inserted a thin blade into the joint between the crown and the skull. The internal structure of the spiral crown was more complicated than an ordinary beast horn. Several pale golden lines were buried deep within the gray-white bone. As the tool slowly cut deeper, the lines became increasingly distinct.

The final layer of connective tissue separated. Crack. The spiral crown was removed intact. Talia was just about to lift it. An invisible vibration suddenly spread outward from inside the crown. Hummm— The loose stones around them all jumped slightly. Pale golden light illuminated the spiraling patterns along the horns. Then spread outward in an instant. It was as though an invisible ripple had passed through the air. Talia's fingers went numb. Velesa immediately reached out and pressed down on the spiral crown.

After several breaths. The light gradually disappeared. The surroundings became quiet again. Kane frowned.

"Is that normal too?" Bren shook his head.

"Never seen it before." Velesa inspected the spiral crown. The mana inside had not dispersed. Instead, it was even more concentrated than when the creature had been alive. She was silent for a moment. Then she took out a piece of mana-isolating cloth and wrapped the spiral crown completely.

"We return to camp first."

"What about the corpse?" one of the guards asked.

"Leave a marker."

"We'll come back to process it later." Talia secured the wrapped spiral crown to the outside of her backpack. The group was just preparing to leave. When an entire flock of birds suddenly rose from the distant forest. Not one or two. The entire canopy seemed to explode at once. Dense black silhouettes flooded into the sky. North of Scree Slope. A low impact sounded. Then a second. A third. The sounds of falling trees drew closer and closer. Bren's expression changed. He looked north.

"That's Faultwood." Kane asked:"What's in there?" Bren didn't answer immediately. The ground began to tremble faintly. Velesa had already turned around. Mana rapidly rose from her body. The distant shrubs were forced apart from the middle. A massive gray-black beast emerged from the forest. Even on all fours, its shoulders stood nearly two meters high. Layers of rock-like armor plates covered its back and the outer sides of its front limbs. Tiny crystals were embedded between the gaps in the plates.

With every step. The stone plates rubbed together, producing a deep, grinding rustle. A Rock-Marrow Dire Bear. It didn't look at the group first. Instead, it walked directly toward the corpse of the Spiral-Crowned War Antelope. It lowered its head and sniffed several times. Then raised one front paw. And tore open the corpse's head with a single strike. It didn't find the spiral crown. The Rock-Marrow Dire Bear slowly raised its head. Its gaze crossed Scree Slope.

And settled on the package attached to Talia's back. For the first time, Velesa's voice became urgent.

"Tier 1 Three-Phase."

"Everyone retreat!"

"Don't use the original route." Bren had already turned around.

"To the stone ring!" Everyone immediately ran back in the direction they had come from. Behind them. The Rock-Marrow Dire Bear released a low growl. Its front paw slammed down. Boom! The ground abruptly jumped upward. Loose stones rolled down from the top of the slope. Talia's footing slipped. Kane caught her arm and pulled her upright again. They didn't look back. The familiar leaning boulders had already appeared ahead. Bren was the first to enter the stone ring. The two guards followed closely behind.

Velesa remained at the rear. The Rock-Marrow Dire Bear charged out of the trees. It was far faster than its enormous body suggested. The distance between them was shrinking rapidly. Kane pushed Talia into the stone ring. Then removed the Linked Resonance Ring from his little finger.

"Outside the records."

"Tier 1 Three-Phase." Kane injected mana into the ring. The two overlapping armament patterns lit up simultaneously. The next instant. The metal ring split down the middle.... Antler Camp. Sera was standing outside the central tent, checking a newly delivered cargo record. The ring on her hand suddenly became hot. A short chime came from its surface. Both armament patterns lit up. Pointing southeast. Sera lowered her head. A clear fracture had appeared across the center of the ring. The next second.

She abruptly raised her head.

"Elaine!"