Chapter 23: The First Hunt (Part One)

Chapter 23: The First Hunt (Part One)

Eleven people entered the outer edge of the Savage Beast Forest in an orderly line. Rotting leaves crackled under their feet, while the sounds of insects and birds echoed through the woods, punctuated by the occasional distant beastly roar.

Here, the underbrush was dense, and towering trees were everywhere—each trunk so thick it would take two or three people to encircle one completely. Weeds sprouted waist-high from the crevices of roots, and vines twined around the trees, some even flowering, lending a strange beauty to the wild scene.

Li Hongshen and the others were highly alert in this perilous place. The limited visibility and the cacophony of forest sounds dulled their hearing. Countless hiding spots meant a wild beast could attack at any moment.

The eleven split into three teams, exploring the forest’s edge with less than a hundred meters between them, close enough for rapid support in case of danger. As they advanced, they marked the trees to avoid getting lost, ensuring they could find their way out by following the signs. They also kept a careful watch on one another, brushing off any insects that landed on a teammate to prevent casualties from poisonous bugs.

All these actions were performed as quietly as possible. Communication between team members was through hand signals, for making noise might not only startle potential prey but also attract predators.

In this vast wilderness, humans were but a part of nature—nothing more than two-legged beasts who used tools. To some fierce beasts, humans were lean and bony, difficult to kill and not worth the effort unless absolutely necessary.

“There are wild boars ahead. Should we go for them?”

As the hunting party moved forward, Li Zhong spotted two large wild boars and a group of piglets not far ahead. He signaled Li Hongshen and pointed out the direction. Li Zhong was the tribe’s sharpshooter—famed for hitting a willow leaf at a hundred paces, with eyes as sharp as a hawk’s.

Because they were hunting in the forest, Li Hongshen’s team had not brought the sea eagle; they had to rely on their archers’ keen vision.

“Name: Haosen Pig
Rank: Zero
Information: A medium-sized mammal highly adaptable to all environments in the Endless Wilderness. Thick-skinned, strong, and fairly swift, with bristly manes that provide excellent defense against claws and fangs. Its sharp canine teeth protrude like tusks, allowing it to sometimes kill predators that underestimate it.”

Li Hongshen glanced at the boars, then shook his head—they were not worth the trouble. These were not fierce beasts and thus would yield no blood crystals. Their thick hides, loud squeals, and surprising speed made them a risky target; even a glancing blow from a charging boar could crack bones.

If the tribe were short on meat, this family of pigs would be a boon, suitable for raising as livestock. But with the tribe’s meat supplies now well-established, they had no need for such prey. Most importantly, Li Hongshen personally didn’t eat pork, so any catch would only serve as food for their battle pets.

Their objective was clear: to find a lone fierce beast and surround it for the kill. They had moved quickly to get here, knowing that in a few weeks, other newcomer lords would bring their tribes to hunt these outer forests. For now, the land was untouched, and they had the first opportunity.

By dusk, they withdrew from the woods. The first day brought no gains; much of their time had been wasted on the journey, leaving them little opportunity to venture deeper. Li Hongshen did not dare risk an overnight stay in the forest and instead led the group back to the giant tree they had marked before.

This massive tree stood over thirty meters tall, its trunk so broad it took all the hunters, arm in arm, to encircle it. It grew tenaciously among the rocks, and faint marks on its bark hinted at visitors from a century past.

Here, they re-marked the tree with their tribal signs and built a simple platform in the branches. The space was ample for ten men to lie side by side without feeling crowded. They ate dried sweet potatoes and jerky, washed down with cool water. After assigning night watch shifts, they settled into a light sleep.

At dawn the next day, as the sun rose, they climbed down and plunged into the forest again, determined to venture deeper this time.

If the outer forest had a few towering trees, the further they went, the more colossal and numerous the trees became. Some were as immense as the giant by the stony shore, and their dense canopies merged, blocking out the sky.

The ground grew ever more difficult to traverse—a tangled mess of roots left the terrain uneven, with some so massive they stood taller than a man, requiring teamwork to climb over. The deeper they went, the smaller and more insignificant they felt, marveling at the wonders of the Endless Wilderness. And this was only the outermost edge—the ancient trees deeper within soared over a hundred meters high.

Suddenly, two deep roars echoed from afar, sending flocks of birds screaming into the sky and small creatures fleeing in panic.

“That sounded like a tiger—there are other sounds too. Let’s go check it out.”

Li Hongshen led the way, stalking toward the source of the tiger’s roar. He was no reckless fool; he knew that at most there would be two fierce beasts, and with the weapons in hand, his group of ten could handle them.

Soon, they reached a clearing beneath a giant tree. At the mouth of a hollow, a huge bear-like creature was roaring furiously. Opposite it was a tiger over five meters long and nearly four meters tall at the shoulder, its jaws gaping wide as it bellowed back. Droplets of saliva flew through the air, meeting and falling to the earth—a grotesque testament to their ferocity.

“Name: Jungle Bear
Rank: One
Information: Possesses remarkable strength and defense. Its speed on all fours is not to be underestimated. You would not want to play slapping games with it.”

“Name: Black Mountain Tiger
Rank: One
Information: Exceptional strength, sturdy bones, powerful muscles, outstanding speed, and a formidable bite—enough to make it the unrivaled sovereign of its woodland domain.”

The Black Mountain Tiger paced in a semicircle, rumbling in its throat, inching closer to the Jungle Bear. The bear crouched on all fours, blocking the hollow with its rump, ready to spring while roaring incessant warnings at the tiger.

As the tiger crept ever closer to the den’s entrance, the Jungle Bear could no longer contain itself. It lunged from the hollow, surged forward a few steps, reared up, and brought a massive paw crashing down on the tiger’s head.

(End of chapter)