Headstrong Level One Chaser (part 9)
His attack was successful.
Qiao's shapeless weapon dug deep into the monster's neck, but as he tried to retreat and dodge the oncoming assault from the monster, he found he could not. The monster was using its weight to push him down the side after getting injured gravely.
The other chasers got frightened to when they saw this, they saw the youth falling toward the valley.
Meantime, the monster also had lost its force, almost falling over the edge, near dead.
The leader quickly ran towards the edge to help Qiao by pulling the rope.
Qiao was able to avoid the attack from the monster and its acidic onslaught. He had thought he would be able to quickly move away from its path, but his weapon lodged into it made him slower than he calculated. Now hanging on the rope, he managed to get a hold of a hanging bush. He looked down the side with dread. If he wasn't fast enough to avoid the complete attack from the monster, the rope around his waist might have snapped.
The weapon was already free and he used it to find a holding into the tough rock side. He had survived this ordeal with his ability.
....
Below, the chaser who had been hanging down there for so long yelled for his help. At that moment, his hands finally gave up and his strength which totally dried up made him let go of the bush.
Qiao saw this happen and immediately took action. Using his weapon to balance himself with support, he jumped to the distance below in time. He was able to grab the guy's wrist in time. If he had allowed this person to die before him like this in a hopeless situation, it would definitely affect him. He would not be able to continue with himself if he did not take action.
The Team leader who was about to pull the rope up, was almost swept off his feet when the load at the other end suddenly increased. He tightened his grip and struggled to get a footing near a small rock. Heaving a sigh, he gestured at other to help him.
The chasers ran to help the leader hurriedly.
"From his looks that youth seemed to be quite light weight then how it is so hard to pull the rope," the team leader gasped for breath, he was truly scared that the rope might loosen from his hand.
Qiao fortunately get hold on the chaser who was falling down. It was barely within the reach of the rope and his outreach. If he had not reacted swiftly as he did, the person would have died surely.
The chaser looked up, he could not believe that the one who saved him would be this guy, whom he was thinking to kill earlier.
"Hold my hand tightly, we are going up," Qiao reminded him.
The team above was pulling at the rope and soon both of them reached the edge, hauling themselves above. It was now that the team understood why it was like they were pulling a rock, actually two people were hanging with the rope, so it was to be expected.
The chaser fell on the ground and gasped for breath as he laid. He barely escaped death today because someone was willing to save. It was an experience that would not leave him for a long time.
The team leader patted Qiao and then after making sure he was all right, they rushed to complete their task. They still had to harvest the spoils from the monster which they had killed after such a long struggle.
They abdomen part of the monster was cut open and few of them who were not ready for it started to puke at the sight.
There was something that appeared after the abdomen was slashed open that they could not make sense of. It looked like a bundle of something that was twitching slightly. Its appearance made all of them creeped out.
They thought that since the Guild was after this monster and its spoils, it must be something exceptional but what was this.
No one dared to touch it.
The team leader has no choice but to pick it up. They had thought that the treasure must be something big and eye-catching, so they might have had to face another team that might want to snatch from them. But now he felt as if no one was going to try that.
He did not want to directly touch it either, the pack was moving and it looked really creepy. So he spread a cloth and picked it.
They left the body of the monster there. Mostly other monsters would eat up the hunted monster that were left after gaining the spoils. But in the case of this monster, Qiao was sure that no other monster would be willing to consume the acidic body.
When the leader was ready to go back, Qiao spoke up, "I will be staying behind for a while." He was thinking to roam around the area and gather some information regarding this region and the paths and geography around here to better understand it. He did not have a guide so it would be better to learn this himself.
The leader looked at Linwin, gesturing him slightly. He wanted to know whether he would also stay behind.
"If brother is staying behind, I will be following him," he understood the leader and spoke up.
"Sure, then whatever we get in return of this spoil from the Guild, we will share it in the evening," the leader spoke and walked away.
He had now managed to reach the peak of second level and his excitement was high. It was all he could think about for now and he was happy this hunt was done by their team. This would also elevate their reputation in the Guild. While most of the points were taken by Qiao, it was best to have such a chaser in the team who was willing to take the risk some time.
They had only spent around three or four to find the monster and the actual hunt only took them a lot less time so the sun was still in the sky. They returned to the Guild.
…..
The chaser who was saved just now was now baffled. He thought that Qiao had stayed behind because he wanted to throw some blows to vent his anger on him first.
"It would be dangerous without team here so you should have also gone back," Qiao spoke to Linwin.
"Brother have you never heard the phrase, one alone is only considered one while two together are considered eleven," Linwin waved his hand as he chuckled.
"Fine then, we will be walking around the lower part of this forest," Qiao had completely ignored the other chaser and then walked with Linwin.
After all he definitely had not saved him just to beat up again, did he?