Chapter 23
Bandit Camp
-POV Bandit leader Go Long-
I've had a bad feeling since a couple of days ago. As if I was being stalked by a Beast. But that shouldn't even be possible, this is a low-Level forest. I should be the highest Tier in here.
That's what I thought anyway.
One of our hunting parties was late in returning. So I sent out my third, Lo Shun with another party to check it out. He's the only one who came back. He didn't see what killed the others, but he did have rags that were identified as from the missing party.
From now on, I'll only be able to send out a hunting party if one of my 3 lead it.
And we'll need to pack up and leave as soon as we can.
-morning, 2 days later-
We've finished packing up, but needed provisions so I sent out 2 hunting parties. One led by my second, Jo Jo. My fourth, Mu Cao leading another. Jo's party was attacked, again he's the only one who came back. Says there's a Metallic Tiger out there. I've had intel on this forest for years. The strongest Beast is a Steel Tiger, but he's almost 2000 kilometers away.
Dammit! If that tiger came, I might not beat it in a 1-on-1 fight.
I've also lost another 16 men in 3 days. It'll keep picking off the rest until I don't have any back-up.
What I don't understand is why it let my 2 strongest escape when they were alone.
Nevermind. We're dead if we stay. And worse if the sect finds us. We'll have to leave the area, and go to a different part of the forest.
The next morning we break camp. Since we have everything else packed away already, we head out just a half-hour after daybreak. I hope we can march at least 100 kilometers each day, or we'd just be waiting for death. I have Jo Jo and Lo Shun scouting the path ahead, and my fourth, Mu Cao as the rearguard.
I wonder if whatever Beasts are hunting my boys know what we got in our last haul. They're too stupid to know what's going on most of the time. But if they don't, then their aggression makes no sense. Hell, most of my boys don't know either, just me and my top 3.
-evening, another 3 days later-
We've gone almost 400 kilometers now. The forest is rough terrain, without any paths, so that should be considered fast for a troop of mostly Tier 1's. There haven't been any more attacks so we'll look for a new campsite.
That evening we found a defensible position. There's a small island in the middle of a river. It's barely more than a city block, large enough for a campsite for the 46 of us, with room for cookfires and a barricade around. If any man or Beast wants to attack, their only choice is through the river, and that'll make it easy to spot them as well as pick them off first.
Unfortunately the forced march drained my men's stamina. Only me and the 3 Tier 2's are still rested enough to pull night watch. But that's fine just for tonight, any noise we make by fighting will wake the rest anyway. I arrange a perch for myself in a tree overlooking the waters upstream and to the right, with Mu Cao facing the left. And the other 2 watching downstream. Once the rest of the boys have rested, we'll all take turns starting tomorrow night. Maybe then I can get some shut-eye.
. . .
An hour before midnight, I was attacked. Ambushed despite being hidden in a tree.
By a FLYING FUCKING TIGER!
How can a tiger without wings fly? No time for that, I CALL OUT FOR HELP!
There's no way I can overpower this damn Beast, he's above me by 2 Levels. But that's close enough that my skills can bridge the gap. Especially if I get support from my 3 Tier 2's.
I delay until they can arrive by using my 'gale step' movement technique1high speeds, quick and erratic turns, and with mastery allows one to use the wind itself as a foothold. requires wind affinity-common, mastery requires 400+ wind affinity to maintain distance while I pelt it with arrows. However these are Tier 2 arrows, barely enough to pierce the hide of a Tier 3 Beast, unless it hits a soft spot.
So every shot I aim for its eyes or neck. Unfortunately, it's almost as nimble as I am, even with my gale step. Obviously this isn't a normal Steel Tiger. It might have evolved to a Silver Tiger. If that's the case, I'm fucked without any backup.
Suddenly, the arrows fly off at high speed to the treeline.
The ones stuck in the ground, the 2 in mid-flight, the one in my hand, all of them. Along with the rest in my quiver.
They converge in front of Jo Jo, and he stows them in a bag. Then hands it to Mu Cao.
No, not to Cao. To the fox that Cao is holding.
The fox waves one of its tails at the bag, and it vanishes.
Does it have space affinity!?(rare)
I'm loving these punny names.
Reminds me of that time a plane crashed in San Francisco and the names of the flight crew were mistakenly reported as Sum Ting Wong, Wi Tu Lo, Ho Lee Fuk and Bang Ding Ow.
A news channel actually reported it! I'm not making it up. It was hilarious.
It was probably a korean flight. japanese names are usually 2-4 syllables. and most chinese only have 2 names, though some are 2 or even 3 syllables. or at least that's how it used to be, in the era they're imitating in writings their novels.
any other countries in the region, i don't half a clue
@foxinabox A bit (read "way") late to the party, but those are all Chinese names. Specifically, Cantonese with the spelling and actual pronunciations. 2-3 character names are extremely common, but there are a few people with 4-5 character names (not really syllables) because some of the surnames in chinese are 2 or 3 characters while the rest would be equivalent to the western first and middle names.
Can someone explain the ending? Who is Jo Jo? Who is Mu Cao?
Also, ye, flying tigers!
Jo Jo is the guy having a bizarre adventure. Name re-used without persimmon. And we are having Mu Cao over for dinner. Who likes steak?
Seriously though, they are lieutenants in the bandit group. So is their friend Lo Shun. As for the ending, it's called a cliffhanger.
I like the style of writing very much
Yes More Development YES Xd
Thanks for the chapter