My Last Hunt

Level Four (18)

Scum monster:

'Who says playing virtual games is useless, when I return back I will play those games to no end' Qiao murmured to himself and poured more strength in his attack. 

Shiguan saw what was going on and it gave him some courage and they all simultaneously attacked without giving delay any further. The monster struggling with the stabbed sword in its jaws and could no longer stop their attacks. 

Finally, the resonance attack had stopped and the monster gave in. It was still alive but unable to kill the chasers or even attack with much strength. Shiguan spoke to the other chaser, "Don't get caught under the heavy body of the monster." 

Still the chasers remained there and kept attacking. 

"I said save yourself from the giant body." he yelled toward the chaser and he finally looked toward team leader, 

"What happened?" He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head to see that his team leader was acting nasty like this at the time of crisis. 

"Can't you hear what I am saying?" he shouted to see that the body of the monster was about to fall on ground. Qiao saw this and shook his head, they were wearing safety covers and no matter what and how much this team leader blast his throat to tell them, still others won't hear. He brought out his sword and walked toward the leader and gestured his ears. 

Shiguan turned speechless and Qiao furiously gestured to the chaser to run away and make some distance. 

It was not easy to wade through the thick mud. He then moved toward where he felt a few gazes on him, and spotted a team who was looking at him with wide eyes. He waved his sword toward them and showed that he was about to run toward them and kill. They saw this bloody young chaser and ran as fast as they could. They don't want to die just like the monster. 

The hunt was finally over.

Two of the chasers were completely covered with the mud at the end of the hunt, while Qiao and the team leader waded through the mud to search for the spoils. With this hunt, Qiao had reached half way through to the level five and he was contented. Without getting a lot of damage in return like yesterday, the hunt was worth it. Only one of the team members was unconscious and they had to check his condition. 

The team leader was unable to look towards Qiao because he was guilty. "You are responsible to answer the whole team." Qiao spoke solemnly and walked to reach the chaser who had fallen unconscious. He knew the team leader will collect the spoils so till then he could see if the chaser was alive or fine. 

Shiguan collected spoils and they walked to gather at one place away from the dead monster. 

"It was my fault and if others want to, I am ready to give away my position in the team. This way I will not bring another trouble for the team." The way Qiao was furious at him earlier was a threat for him that he might leave the team because no chaser liked to trust his life to an irresponsible team leader. 

This was a rule among teams and every team member was obliged to follow the instructions of the team leader in any situation. If a team member doesn't follow, the team leader can kick him out of the team. Same way, members can also choose to leave the team if the team leader was irresponsible and they only had to inform his Guild why he was leaving his present team. If the chaser relayed the circumstances of the event, then the reputation of the team leader would fall further into the gutters after three complaints. 

"I am not asking to take away your position, I just want you to care for your team first and express your concerns about the monster and ask their opinion too. This way we can collaborate better and save each other from extra damage." Qiao spoke seriously. The other chasers heard him and praised in their hearts. 

"Though you are the youngest among us, but I agree with your words." a chaser spoke up seeing condition of the unconscious chaser. "We work hard and collaborate together; so the leader should also care for our lives." He added. 

Shiguan nodded and distributed the spoils keeping the lowest amount with him. For compensation he healed the chaser and gave him from his share for the hunt. He cannot think to scatter such a perfect team because of his brewing ego. Instead, he had to accept his mistake and keep the words of the young chaser in mind. 

"We will be a better team from now on and if all of you want to reach level five with me, I will not leave till then and get the badges from the Guild at once for us." he spoke in a determined manner. 

They knew they had to separate eventually after level five for traveling to reach Hightown as the journey had to be completed alone, but till then they could remain as a team and learn as much as they could.

"We agree to this, team leader." 

They let go of the bad incident of today and resolved anew to improve together. 

When they reached near the encampment, they were looking like forest monsters who had been sinking in mud for so long. Their fleeces were still wet and the snowflakes which fell on them decorated it with white flakes on the mud. They looked sillier than any other team who were returning from hunt. 

But those who had more information and knowledge could understand that in fact they should praise this team who could hunt a strong monster which lived and hibernated to become stronger in the Snow Island. Only one of them was gritting teeth. 

None of the seven teams of Starglow Guild was yet kicked out from the encampment.