My Last Hunt

Headstrong Level One Chaser (part 18)

The five members divided their spoils while Qiao got to have the spoils of one whole monster. This meant he should be more careful. 

He was simply riches despite being only level one. 

"I think I should provide cover in case someone really comes bothering," Qiao suggested to the leader. It would be wise if one of them who could be remain alert and attack sharp could give cover at time.

Although if the enemy happened to surround them then it would be almost a waste, they might be helpless to run away and save themselves. 

"Your suggestion is feasible but who has such talent to give cover?" he looked at his men. They were barely half way through level one, much less to have skills to give cover.

Most chasers took learning skills as useless because they give more value to the experience. Because they think that with the experience and level increase, the body would gain strength and with strength they could do whatever they want. 

Actual use of skills was used for the varied abilities of the body and only those who wanted to remain one step ahead would be willing to get fazed by the inconvenience of learning and practicing a skill. 

For most of chasers, it was equal to toil for uselessness. They could defeat their enemy if they gained levels and gained strength and it was all what was needed, right? 

Everyone only wanted to walk a paved and smooth path that was made by others and probably mock those who were trying to carve their own path. 

"I will take this responsibility and I only have a small request. Can you spare some time and go with us to the market for buying weapons? I have less experience in regards to the worth of the spoils," Qiao offered his help and requested a favor in return. 

The team leader thought for a while and then nodded, "Sure," 

Qiao thanked and leapt toward the bigger boughs of the tree. The team would walk on ground and he would jump from one tree to another after making sure that no one was closely eyeing their team. 

Back at the Guild, until now they had asked few of the teams whether they had encountered the B team and none of them had seen them from past one day. The Guild was now suspicious because these ranked teams never showed such careless behavior. If they were on a difficult mission and continued to stat in the open, they would inform the Guild through some method.

....

One of the two teams who happened to know about the mission details was following this team from the beginning, maintaining a distance. But when they saw two monsters facing the team, they gave up all hope because in such cases rarely did a team survive. 

But because they were also stubborn and thought to wait till could probably steal the hunt, they were able to see the huge amount of spoils that they obtained. They now planned to rob them off all the spoils 

When they again started following, they were a little suspicious about the disappearance of the rumored headstrong youth. But after some time of waiting, they started following again. 

Slowly they decreased the distance and fixed their targets and were ready now. At this moment, through a small gesture given by Qiao the team got the signal that a team was following them. He informed by gestures the direction from where they were coming and what to expect.

They became alert immediately. 

One of the strongest members from the robbers targeted the team leader. In his eyes as soon as he rendered the leader helpless, the others would throw their spoils and run away, after all life was more important. 

The man reached his fastest possible speed and attacked the leader, but to his surprise the others were not baffled. They were already prepared for this attack and thus quickly countered the man with numbers on their side.

He thought that his attack would be a surprise for them, but it turned out they already knew. 

Another strong man of his team leapt out to settle everything and at this time, Qiao jumped down from above with force, forcing the man down. After letting the man lick the dust and he looked at the others who were following at some distance. When they saw the angry looks of the rumored headstrong youth and his moves, they got frightened and ran back. 

The leader wanted to applaud for this junior. He was truly wise among them to suggest this. But Qiao on the other hand remained alert.

.....

The Guild finally sent out a level five hunter to find out about the disappearance. 

The level five was considered a threshold. At this level, all the ordinary traits of a chaser vanish and a person becomes a strong hunter. Most of the people who reach this level were given extra privileges by the Guild. 

They were given special tasks and missions.

The level five hunter was strong in every sense compared to the low-level chasers. He could rush and search the whole lower part of the forest in just half an hour and others would only think as if a strong gust of wind passed by. 

Because of the privilege and the danger most of the hunters hesitate to travel toward Hightown, the place of more senior and stronger hunters. 

Hightown can provide chances to these level five hunters to further level up and competition but at the same time stronger monsters and greater danger await in the thick forests of Hightown and its surrounding. Reaching Hightown was like starting all over again for many level five hunters. Which is why they choose to not go higher.

Over all, hunting was always thrilling and fascinating but the dangers and tricks of the humans were also part of the journey as well. 

....

When the team reached the Guild, Qiao asked the withdrawal of his spoils immediately. He did not want to wait any longer now. When the reception senior asked to pay the monthly sum for the Guild services, he excused that he would submit it in the coming week definitely. 

He then took Linwin and the leader to buy a weapon. He felt in his next hunt, he would break through to level two and the value of the level three shapeless weapon would even less. 

For others, it would not be the same as a weapon of greater rank would always be useful. But Qiao was aware that his risk-taking style of hunting demanded him to keep a better weapon than others. The damage on his current weapon was already accumulating and he did not know when it might shatter.

And to take a risk without prior preparation was a foolish act in the eyes of learned. 

Linwin was the happiest for now, he not only reached level one but his brother was also bringing him to buy a level two weapon. If he was with some other team, he might still have been begging for a chance to collect experience points. 

Meanwhile, the level five hunter reached the Guild soon and told what he saw and gave a rough direction, pointing where the team was slaughtered. 

The reception senior immediately stood up from his seat when he heard this. 

Who was this daring to mess with the B team? Was it someone the other Guild? It was necessary to know who did this. Normally why would people of the same Guild commit such crime, don't they know the rules? 

He then sent level five hunters to some of the rival Guilds to inquire about the incident and the reason why their people killed the team.