My Last Hunt

Level Four (19)

Clearing snow:

The encampment was bustling with the teams clearing snow from their assigned areas. Different areas were handed a different teams as their responsibility everyday so all teams would work collectively and achieve results much faster. The duties were distributed this way. 

Their tents were not cleaned daily by the organisation as it was not their responsibility, but instead that of the team itself. So they had to clean it every day too. Since Shiguan and his team left early today, when they returned it was time for them to clean the tent and today was also their turn to clear the snow from the surrounding field. 

The chaser who was kicked by the monster was asked to rest by the team leader and the four of them got ready to first clean the tent then the snow. 

"I will change the floor sheets." one of the chasers took the work and started on it. The floor of the tent was bare so they spread sheets to stay safe from cold. 

They were not worried about their spoils being stolen by someone because they could handover them to the Guild bank set up by the Guild in one of the organizers shops. So they were able to fearlessly sleep in the temporary tent. 

There was not much to do in the tent, Qiao and one other chaser came out to see how they were going to clear the snow from the surrounding. In just one day, the snow had accumulated one and a half feet and only few pathways can be seen clearly where the teams tread the snow under their feet while walking around. 

Despite the fact that every day a team would clear the snow, it still heaped up like it was never cleared. It was good that the organizers handed this headache to the teams. 

"What kind of tool would help to clear it?" Qiao asked. 

To wake up early, he usually went to sleep earlier while other chasers walked in the encampment and had conversations with others. 

"Yesterday the team who was responsible to clear it up used an iron shovel and accumulated in a strange type of big open cloth which they then threw it out of the encampment." The chaser told how the snow was cleared yesterday. 

Qiao shook his head as this reminded him about those people who used to use the same kind of tools to clear snow from their rooftops. He just had to collect it like garbage and throw it out. 

"Alright then let's get to work." Qiao made a punch in the air and the chaser got confused upon that action. 

"Haha, I'm now trying to hit you. When two buddies are supposed to do something with collaboration, they shake hands as a good sign and a resolve to do it better." Qiao explained why he gestured with a punch and only then the chaser heaved a sigh. He also gestured the same and they went to collect the tools for clearing snow from the organizers. 

An hour was left before the evening and Qiao was busy in using the shovel and throwing the snow in the cloth while the chaser was moving around the cloth whenever a place was cleared. After the cloth heaped up with the snow. Qiao left the shovel there and they dragged the cloth out of encampment. 

They emptied the cloth and folded to return back and keep working. 

"Hey young chaser, stop there." Someone voiced but Qiao and the chaser did not bother to look back. 

They could hear it was that familiar voice for them. 

"I am saying to you, can't you hear?" The hunter again voiced and Qiao stopped. The hunter reached near and scrutinized him from head to toe. "Don't you think you are too young to possess such expensive things." He stepped ahead and whispered in his ears. 

He himself knew the other teams would immediately stop to listen to what he just said. "Whatever I possess is earned by me, it is none of your business." Qiao replied in the same way without budging an inch from his position. 

The hunter smirked, "Your confidence might bring trouble for you, if you kept this attitude." 

"My confidence is also earned and I am the one who would be a trouble so never try to bother me again if you have some serenity." Qiao gnashed his teeth. He was not sure what this hunter was referring as expensive thing, as the only possession on him that could garner this attention was the booklet. But he has not told anyone about the booklet other than Shiguan. 

As far as the sword was concerned, he never used it or brought in front of this hunter. Talking about spoils, almost all the teams who hunt in the Snow Island were sure to get good amounts of spoils as well as better stones too. 

"You will regret it soon, keep it in mind." The hunter glared in his eyes and entered the encampment. Qiao also went to do his work which was to clear snow from the field of eleventh part of the encampment. 

But when they reached where they left the tools, they were no more there. 

"Ah we left the shovel here and the shovel is not considered a treasure either. Yet there are foolish people who would steal it." The chaser slapped his forehead after struggling to search it. He could not believe that those teams who were hunting in the Snow Island and getting spoils have still lust for stealing a mere shovel. 

"Perhaps I know who is behind it." Qiao pointed toward the feet sign engraved on the snow. 

"Does it mean that some jerk wanted us to stop clearing snow or is it intentional?" The team who was responsible to clear should clear at any cost else the organizers would get angry. 

If the snow kept heaping up in the encampment then it would no more look like a proper place to walk around without the trouble of sinking in fresh snow. Probably those giant humans would be first to complain about it.