Escape Is Not Possible
Once a mistake was committed, it would be like a never ending regret that haunts your whole life.
The cave was small and they could not escape with the monster attacking from behind. As they ran around to save themselves, with a sudden jolt, a chaser was thrown against the wall of the cave and probably he could not sustain the direct attack.
The mass of the monster was increasing with the anger and it got more ferocious with its attack as the time went.
"You are stinking, when did you last wash your face?" Qiao Tai shouted as the chaser fell on him.
"Buddy, don't bother whether I washed my face or not, just think about your small life," the chaser gave in and spoke without any hint of retort.
That was true, they should care about their lives at this moment.
Qiao Tai did not notice but others soon did that the attacks of the monster were slowly all directed toward Qiao Tai, as he was jumping around to dodge.
They could not feel any aura from him but the monster could clearly feel it so it was bent to kill the youth first.
"Will all of you still won't join hands to kill this monster instead?" Qiao Tai shouted as he looked at their pale faces.
If they worked together, they could hunt the monster down. But they were showing crooked attitudes and acted with some hidden purpose.
In truth they also wanted to attack and defeat the monster but they were waiting for this monster to get rid this youth first. It was a risky plan, but they were willing to take risk just because of one reason.
To collect the spoils of the hunt alone…
It was all for the spoils of the hunt which persuade people for hunt.
Their greed dictated their actions of sacrificing the youth so they profit even more.
Of course, experience points also count as spoils but the relic and remnants after a monster was killed have much more significant worth.
"Why join efforts and moreover with you? Do you even have any skill to defeat this monster?" the one who was leading asked, he was no more leading instead gesturing silently to let the youth die first.
Qiao Tai understood what he was implying, but he had been hoping that they would combine effort in a moment to struggle for survival atleast.
But he had already seen that they were sacrificing him for their own limited safety. They only wanted him to die first and then take care of the monster. He was alone, facing the monster.
So it means he was left to die first?
What a hellish idea…
He was newbie but not an idiot. He had already seen through their nature when they cleared out a path for the monster and left him to fend it off alone. Now it only made clear that they had no regards for his life. At this moment instead of panicking he calmed down.
At this scary moment when death was almost staring him in his eyes, he felt relaxed as he decided what to do. Since he was here and cannot return back, he would struggle his utmost till the death really claimed him, after all it was what he did all these years until now.
But…
He could not forget these chasers. He had to get back at them. If he left this cave alive in future that is.
The monster was still angry. And its attack were increasing in violence.
Qiao Tai had thought that he had to divert its attention first. And who else better than these chasers to take the brunt. He would attract the monster chasing him towards these hunter and force them to act.
Qiao hurriedly dodged another attack that came towards his head by ducking below and rushed to another chaser that was treading towards the right of the monster. He was at the edge of attack range of the monster, having it easy as the monster focused on Qiao.
When he saw the boy rushing at him he panicked to move away, but the monster had arrived and struck towards both of them at once.
Qiao had no weapons or knowledge about hunting monsters, but he had learned martial arts and was quiet agile. He was able to survive by dodging the monster until now even though scrapes and cuts kept appearing on his body. He had not sustained a fatal blow yet.
The other chasers got worried to see the mad moves of the youth, if this went on, the monster would end up hitting them too. But they could do nothing to control his movement as he jumped from one place to another like a monkey, making the place a lot chaotic.
The slim looking rock parts started to shower around and the chasers finally got terrified for the first time. One of them was surprised by the attack and could not maintain his composure. He could not dodge at the right time and the rocks hit his cheeks, making him bleed and cry with utmost pain. The rock was strange too ripping the skin as soon as it touched and delivering a stinging fiery pain.
The chaser had to drag himself from the range of the monster to save his life, while his skin was burning and bleeding.
And due to the mad rush initiated by Qiao, the monster was irritated even more and the lave element which his body contained started to appear in his attacks.
This was also hidden secret why these chasers were here for the hunt. If they had successfully hunted this monster, they might have gotten the lava spoils which were small dots of burning red crystals. They were sold at an exorbitant price in the market and this way these chasers could buy whatever they needed for living. Moreover they would need not to save a pile of money if they wanted to buy weapons of better quality.
But at this moment, all they could care for was their life first.
Qiao Tai thought that if the monster kept attacking while he kept dodging then he might meet his dead end sooner or later. So what should be done to get rid of the monster or force these chasers to hunt the monster?
"I am leaving the cave first," he announced and started to retreat. This alarmed the as they forgot for a moment that leaving was not as easy as he said. But the way he was jumping like a monkey, he sure could leave the cave they thought.
"How can you do this? We will report your behavior to the guild," the man who was leading them before shouted. He was now frustrated to see for long that the youth was still alive. At every attack, he thought that the youth would die and yet he defied the odds. Slowly this frustration was numbing his rationality.
The state of mind should necessarily be focused and undisturbed during hunt else the hunter might become the hunted in the quick moment.
Their initial policy collapsed and now they were thinking to attack the monster if they were not to die at any moment.
There was no choice either.
The lime color of the body of the monster was changing slowly, it was turning in to burning lava and the chasers were sweating because it indicated that soon the monster would step on to level three.