Chapter 614: The Returning Hunter
Chapter 614: The Returning Hunter
"Cough, cough, cough—"
As he ventured into the mountainous region to the southeast, Dune felt his nerves calming down.
"We're almost there," the Wilderness Hunter sighed.
Earlier, he had been sent to the south of the world, as close as possible to the controlled area of the Green Swamp, to gather information.
Dune indeed fulfilled his mission and ventured into that very swamp.
However, the outcome left this Wilderness Hunter feeling helpless.
He had spent two whole months in the area controlled by the Green Swamp, and while he encountered some dangers, he managed to get through it unscathed, relying on his Tier Three Awakened Techniques.
But when it came to gathering information, his efforts yielded little results.
Aside from confirming that the Awakened ones in the Aro Camp were being used as slaves, the current Green Swamp had no plans targeting the Banyan Forest, and they were completely unaware of this emerging force.
Nevertheless, this was the reality.
He could only bring this news back to the Banyan Forest.
"But no news is good news, I suppose."
"With Lord Lindsey's power, the more time we have, the stronger we'll become."
"As long as we continue, even if the Green Swamp wants to stop us, it'll be too late."
Dune took a moment to catch his breath.
He gazed into the distance, and at this time, the sun was already setting, dragging its lingering glow slowly beneath the horizon.
"It's not safe to travel in the mountains after dark."
"Let's find a place to rest."
Between the peaks, Dune found a sheltered depression on a hill.
He spread his cloak on the ground and hung a tattered cloth over a rock outside the depression, thus setting up his simple campsite.
To prevent any accidents, the hunter didn't even light a fire.
Following his usual habit, he sketched a simple map of the route he had taken that day. Only then did he take out a piece of jerky and began his dinner, washing it down with alcohol from his water flask.
"Sigh..."
"Life in the Banyan Forest was so much better."
"Abundant, fresh food and clear, clean well water."
"Where else in the Wildlands could you find a place like that?"
Although he didn't consciously define it, Dune felt a sense of homesickness.
Just as he finished dinner and was about to rest, the hunter suddenly became alert and quickly stood up from the ground.
"Hmm? What's that sound?"
Dune immediately got ready.
He adjusted the short knife at his waist, prepared his bow and arrow, and then activated his technique, scanning the surroundings from within the depression of his campsite.
"Claw marks, left by a scaled animal, more than three days old."
"The nearby ground shows no signs of other animal activity."
After confirming that there was nothing unusual on the surface, Dune took two steps forward and looked up at the sky.
This sight completely banished his sleepiness.
High in the sky, a massive vulture was circling.
Vultures are creatures that feed on the corpses of large animals and occasionally attack smaller ones.
But this was the Wildlands!
Such a desolate environment had long altered the habits of most creatures.
And with Dune's keen hunter's eye, he could tell that this vulture was no ordinary bird but a mutated beast fused with primal essence!
"A Tier Three or Four beast?"
Dune wanted to accurately assess the strength of this giant bird.
But just as he began his observation, the circling figure in the sky suddenly changed direction and started diving straight towards the ground!
Dune immediately realized the reality:
"This guy's target—is me!"
The Tier Three hunter broke out in a cold sweat.
Not to mention the difficulty of hunting beasts.
Even ordinary hunters knew the difference between hunting flying and ground creatures.
He was well aware that in the Wildlands, one couldn't rely on mercy or luck.
So, as the vulture dove towards him, Dune also drew his bow.
Bang—
The arrow flew, heading straight for the giant vulture in the air.
Arrows shot by a Tier Three hunter were renowned for their accuracy, never missing their target.
However, just as the arrow was about to hit the vulture's eye, a whirlwind suddenly enveloped the beast, tearing the arrow into pieces!
"Damn it!"
"It can control the wind too!"
Sand Dune quickly abandoned his attack.
He grabbed his cloak and slid down the mountain slope:
"Flight? And control air currents!"
"Even at just Tier Three, this thing is too tough to handle. I need to use the terrain to my advantage..."
Sand Dune rapidly descended, his figure soon hidden on the side of the mountain.
The good news was that some plants grew sporadically in the rugged mountain area, providing him with natural cover. He began to engage in a standoff with the vulture in the air.
"Fight or flee?"
While shooting arrows to disrupt the vulture's movements, Sand Dune pondered his next move.
Although he had been away from the Banyan Forest for a long time, he vaguely remembered that Lord Lindsey had established a cooperation agreement with the Insectoid Tribe in the mountain area before he left.
Normally, he could have lured the airborne beast in that direction.
But now...
If his actions caused problems in their negotiations, it would be a huge trouble!
Sand Dune gritted his teeth and deliberately created a weak spot under the tree canopy.
The vulture, seeing the prey, immediately dived down without hesitation.
At that moment, Sand Dune drew the dagger from his waist.
He kicked the tree trunk with all his strength, leaping into the air to confront the diving vulture head-on.
Bang!
A dull sound echoed as the beast's blood splattered high into the air.
The vulture and Sand Dune were thrown in opposite directions.
The beast roared and soared upward, then dived again, this time aiming straight for Sand Dune's head.
On Sand Dune's side,
He had managed to sever the vulture's left claw with a single slash, but it didn't truly affect the beast's flight.
He was hit hard by the vulture, causing severe chest pain.
"..."
Sand Dune made his judgment—
He had at least a few broken ribs. As an Awakened, this injury wasn't fatal, but he lacked the strength to resist for the moment.
Their previous clash seemed like a draw, but in reality, he had lost.
This vulture, besides its ability to control air currents, had a layer of gaseous armor on its feathers.
"Tier Four..."
Sand Dune laughed bitterly in despair, then took out his notebook and map, tossing them aside.
He had finally reached the south and infiltrated the Green Swamp.
But just as he was about to return to the camp, he encountered this situation.
Sand Dune found it both laughable and absurd.
He even thought that his failure to bring back useful information had led to this sudden ambush.
"Anyway, I hope the Lord can find my remains."
"This stinky bird will eat my body but won't bother with useless scraps of paper."
At that moment, Sand Dune's senses as a hunter kicked in.
He heard something approaching rapidly from the nearby forest, moving at a speed almost identical to the vulture's dive, which would reach him almost simultaneously!
"Ah?"
Sand Dune turned his head.
Swish—
A large, mantis-like insect suddenly burst out.
In the brief moment before the vulturetheTheA flash of light from the insect's carapace sliced through the vulture's wings, turning them into fragments.
Then, Sand Dune saw a familiar but grown-up figure approach.
—It was Vivian.
She was riding a bulky insect, accompanied by a terrifying Insectoid Army, advancing in a grand procession from the mountains.
The young girl looked at the hunter, her voice urgent:
"Mr. Sand Dune, are you alright?"
"Mr. Lindsey said you would be back in a couple of days, so I came to meet you!"
(End of Chapter)
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