Arriving at Alkmaar's residence, Luke inquired of the servants and learned that Alkmaar had just woken up from his afternoon nap and was enjoying desserts and fine wine. He walked upstairs and entered the luxurious private dining room, removed his hat and bowed in salute.
"Sir, I don't understand. We have many trustworthy people at our disposal, even people from the Public Security Bureau. Why choose him?" Luke raised his question.
Alkmaar sipped his wine. "Luke, when a clever beast faces its prey, it will be vigilant. It's their habit. If you keep giving them benefits, they will be suspicious. You have to let them deal with some difficult problems so that they will feel at ease when they slowly approach their prey."
He imitated Fonte and Donning's tone. "Look, this is the result of my efforts."
"They will surely think like this. Things that are easily obtained always make them feel uneasy. It must be a trap. And their prey is me. If they want to get closer to me slowly, in their opinion, they have to go through some hardships. We have to give them some hardships."
Luke thought this game was too complicated and beyond his comprehension. However, he thought Alkmaar was very confident. "Alright, sir. I don't understand, but I believe in you."
"Luke, when Fonte brings back the information, let Mace give it to that young man named Donning to solve." Alkmaar's attention returned to his precious wine.
Fonte hadn't left Brot City. When he opened the envelope, he already knew what was going on. His father had also taken action. This plan was made by his father. When Fonte infiltrated an important position within the Alkmaar family and planned to deprive Alkmaar of his title, his father began to target Alkmaar's business.
In this way, Fonte used his clever mind to deal with Alkmaar's title, and his father cut off Alkmaar's source of wealth. What a perfect plan.
Just as night fell, he could have time to do his own thing - dig out White Bryant's bones and find out the truth.
In the forest after the snow, night comes earlier, and it is also the time when wild beasts are most active. Many wild beasts choose to come out to look for food at this time. If someone has to spend the night in such a dense forest, a fire to drive away wild beasts is essential.
Donning sat in front of the blazing bonfire, with a sinister smile on his face. A faint green light flickered in his palm. His body no longer maintained a sitting position but gradually became strange. He slowly crouched on the ground. Fluffy ears protruded from under his thick coat, and his eyes showed strong murderous intent.
There were rustling sounds in the dense bushes around. Something knocked the snow layers off the trees. The footsteps were light and almost inaudible. In those dark places, countless pairs of shining dots emerged, the size of mung beans, accompanied by low growls.
Since a long time ago, there have been possessors of supernatural powers hidden in the forest. They are the oldest possessors of supernatural powers, having mastered the laws of nature, blessed by the Moon Goddess, and obtained the power of nature. They are the Druids, who can easily listen to any information in nature and summon the most primitive wild beasts, and they themselves can also transform into wild beasts.
Unlike other possessors of supernatural powers, Druids are inseparable from nature. They live in the forest, the place closest to nature, generation after generation, always guarding the dense forest and the lives in it. They love peace and hate war, but there are always some exceptions.
Magis in Katherta was such an exceptional Druid. Although he was far away from the forest and nature, his power of nature was not affected. Uncle Magis taught Donning the laws of nature and the secrets of mastering natural power without reservation, making Donning an outstanding Druid.
Donning crouched on the ground, in the form of a wild beast, sent a friendly greeting to the wild beasts summoned by the power of nature, and gave orders. The wild beasts hidden in the darkness growled low in their throats in response. Then Donning, in the form of a wild beast, let out a roar towards the sky.
Soon his body returned to human form. He sat in front of the fire, stirred the large bonfire with a dry branch to make it burn more vigorously, picked up the sword placed beside him and slung it around his waist, adjusted his quiver, slung the longbow across his neck, and stared at the flames.
Footsteps were heard. Someone had heard the roar and came to search. Donning carefully listened to the sound of footsteps stepping in the snow in the darkness, with a sneer on his lips.
"Look, there's someone." Several hunters who entered the range of the firelight were holding bows and arrows, looking warily at the figure beside the bonfire. Obviously, these people were the hunters who came to hunt together.
"It's that weakling. He actually lit a bonfire." Those people didn't put down their bows and arrows but aimed at Donning beside the bonfire, laughing mockingly.
"Damn weakling. How did he gain Lucas's trust? He was even brought into the hunting party." Someone cursed angrily and was very dissatisfied.
"Never mind. This is a good opportunity." Someone made an evil suggestion. "I've disliked him for a long time. There's one more competitor among us. This is not good news. And maybe that beauty likes this kind of guy."
These people gathered around Lucas, aiming to gain the favor of Mace, who was in charge of big business, through Lucas, win the beauty's heart, and also have a large sum of wealth. They regarded Donning as a competitor.
"Good idea. I agree." They changed their target from wild beasts to Donning. "If he dies here, no one will know. As long as we make it look like he was carried away by wild beasts afterwards, no one will suspect."
Donning listened to their discussion, still sneering. He stood up, brushed the snow off his body, and there was no trace of fear on his face. "Someone has the same idea as me. Then let's see who is the prey." He had already had such a plan. He put his finger to his lips and blew a whistle.
"This kid has gone crazy. No one in the forest will hear your distress signal." Someone mocked as they pulled the bowstring, and the taut string made a slight sound.
Suddenly, a wild beast rushed out from the distant woods. It was a grizzly bear, an adult grizzly bear that was difficult for seven or eight people to deal with, with a huge body.
"Damn it, get out of here quickly." Those hunters could deal with deer and cows, but a grizzly bear was beyond their hunting ability. They quickly mounted the horses they were leading. "It's better to let this kid be torn apart by wild beasts, so we don't have to do it ourselves."
Donning took the longbow off his neck, took out a feathered arrow, placed it on the bowstring, pulled it hard, aimed at the leg of one of the hunters' horses, and let go of his finger. The arrow flew out and hit the horse's leg. The horse that was about to run wildly neighed, raised its two hooves, and threw a hunter to the ground.
More wild beasts emerged from the darkness. Tigers rushed out like arrows towards those hunters who had abandoned their fallen companion and were urging their horses to run wildly.
The monkeys on the branches jumped while grasping the branches, like elves in the bushes, becoming the eyes of the wild beasts on the ground, constantly making sounds to remind the hunters of their direction.
Like a tide, bears, wolves, tigers, the fiercest wild beasts seemed to have made an agreement. They all awakened this night. The silence was broken. They rushed past Donning towards those hunters.
Donning slung the bow across his neck again, stroked his panicked horse beside him, stepped on the snow, jumped onto the horse, and held the reins.
"The hunt has begun, partners. Enjoy it to the fullest."
The hunter thrown off his horse by the horse cursed and tried to get up, but soon he was bitten on the arm by a tiger in the front. The pain made him swing his arm crazily, but it was useless in front of the wild beasts. His throat was bitten by the tiger, and he gradually lost his breath.
Donning glanced at him, waved his horsewhip, splashing the snow, and chased after the wild beast tide.
"Damn it, what happened? Have these beasts gone crazy?" Those hunters were running away frantically, looking at the annoying monkeys above their heads that they couldn't get rid of.
"It must be that kid's doing. We've fallen into his trap. Get out of this damn place quickly." The clever one had some clues, but he didn't understand how a person could drive these wild beasts. Since the supernatural power was restricted by the Holy See, they had already forgotten about it.
"Help me, damn beasts, get away." Someone's horse's leg was bitten by a wild beast, and he struggled with a crying voice, but in the face of the wild beast tide, it was of no avail. Those guys, who were both companions and competitors, of course hoped that there would be fewer competitors, which could also buy them time to escape from here.
The vast Elven Forest was like a ghost in the night, constantly devouring the lives of its prey. They were already deep in the forest, and their chances of escape were slim, but their instinctive desire to survive still urged them to run madly.
As an experienced hunter, Lucas thought he had rich experience. If someone followed him, they would share his harvest, so he chose to act alone and avoided the other hunters. When he heard the cries of wild beasts in the forest, he became excited. There were wild beasts. He had to be quick, or others would get there first.
He urged his horse and rushed towards the direction where the wild beasts were crying. The deep snow made it impossible for the horse to run fast, so he simply jumped off the horse to reduce the horse's burden, which would make his progress a little faster. Leading the horse, Lucas's heart beat faster.
However, doubts arose in his heart. The sounds in the forest became denser. It was not a single wild beast but like a herd of wild beasts. Could it be the sound of a wolf pack?
It was not easy to deal with a wolf pack alone. Lucas was a little worried, but he didn't want to miss this good opportunity. What if it was just a misjudgment? The prey would fall into other people's hands. "Go up and have a look. It'll be okay." Lucas's adventurous spirit overcame his reason, and he led the horse and continued to move forward.
The sound became clearer and more chaotic. It was not the sound of a wolf pack. A wolf pack stepping on the snow would not make such a heavy sound. It seemed like the sound of horse hooves. Could it be that they had encountered some prey and were chasing it?
"Now it should be in time to go up. Take the prey from others first. At most, those hunters will just complain a little." Lucas calculated. Prey that had not been successfully killed did not belong to them. It could only be said that their luck was not as good as his.
He turned around and tied his horse to a tree, stroked the horse's nose. "Baby, it's not convenient to take you with me. Wait patiently for my triumphant return."