Chapter 19 - Persecution

The two hunters started first to cut the rhino's head. The group didn't have any tool to chop the horns, so they would have to take the head with them too. The two teammates had a job to skin the rhino. As for others, they were standing in a defensive position in order to repel the increasing predators around them and give their companions more time for work. The rhino had many wounds, but there were some unharmed places on its body, so it would be possible to make animal skin clothes for winter to keep them self warm. It could be also used in hunting to defend from potential injuries. The hunter had bone knives with them for this job.

Ulf's mission was to stand guard over the territory. There were the hyenas, and they were a little bigger than the ones Ulf had seen after he killed two vagrants. Oili said that they were long-fur hyenas. They had longer and thicker hairs than others from the same species. They were just 7-8 in number but looked more threatening than two times more evil-eyed hyenas. The wolfs were quite big and many too, but none of them wanted to put themself at risk against the humans yet. However, the quantity of them was also still growing bit by bit.

The group was working hard, experienced warriors were trying to finish work quickly. Everything has been almost finished after little more than one hour of hard work. They took the intact and left damaged parts of the skin. The head was also fully removed and would need at least two or three hunters to move it effectively and not to slow down the group too much.

At that time Ulf felt a reaction from the spiritual energy. Ulf wasn't feeling the danger, something entirely different. The spiritual energy was pointing him at the corpse of the rhino, more correctly what Ursa had been trying to take out from its stomach. He was searching for something inside for some time and when he found it, was very happy.

'What is it?' Ulf was very interested. He wanted to leave his spot and get closer but couldn't do it.

Soon Ursa took a very small object in his hand and showed it to everyone.

"It's 'the blessed heart'!! The mountain rhino had ' the blessed heart'!" He was very excited.

Some of them were stunned, and others had expressions like they didn't understand what the group leader meant.

"Leader, are you serious? That mythical object?" Broderick was amazed too.

"What?... Really? Ursa you aren't joking, right?" Even Oili was dumbfounded and didn't care anymore about the formality.

"Haha, if you don't believe it, you can check it out later, when we get out of the forest. Now let's take things and go back fast."

When Ulf was watching a strange little object from afar, he finally got that, it was what had been giving him a weird feeling, but didn't know why. Maybe he would be able to find out after they leave the forest, so decided to stay calm.

At that time Ulf got the warning from the spiritual energy again, but it wasn't the same unfamiliar one, but well known to him. Ulf instantly used enhancement on his eyes, took his glance from the object and looked into the forest. He acted so fast that couldn't even bother about his past carefulness of using innate qi. He saw a fast-approaching very big wolf, no less than two times bigger than the other wolfs around them. It was the same kind as the rest here, but more massive and very strong too. Ulf had to use enhanced eyes because this creature was coming right toward them.

It was very fast and he had only two or three seconds to do something.

"Guys, something is approaching from my side!" Ulf yelled to others as the wolf appeared in the others' field of view.

Everyone snapped out of daydream and looked into the southern side. Ursa was the fastest who acted. He kept the object in the small bag, and threw it at Wayde, next to him. As for himself, he took the spear and ran in front of the group.

"Everyone! Be ready to retreat as fast as possible. It's a beast stage wolf and newly evolved like the mountain rhino."

'Like the mountain rhino?' Everyone thought that they were ultimately doomed. After fighting for such a long time against the one beast, the whole group was almost out of power. If another one like it would emerge now, none of them would escape.

Ursa's spear and the wolf's claw met each other just in the second.

BAMM...

The sound of the clash resonated across the forest. The savage beast became a bit hesitant, because of surprise about the power of leader rank warrior Ursa, although it wasn't going to stop. When the big wolf attacked, it turned out to be a sign for the other creatures around them and they ran toward the other hunters too.

"Take everything that is needed and let's go back now. Maybe only then they will stop attacking us." Ursa commanded others.

After his order, four guys lifted the head and horns together, the other two hoisted the parts of the skin and went hurriedly to the north. When the group got away from the corpse of the rhino, Ursa started to run back too. As they expected the hyenas left them alone right away.

However, not everything went as they wished. Despite their move, the big wolf advanced in their direction and the pack of wolfs followed it. It seemed the beast was the alpha male wolf in them.

Ursa still had to hold the beast and not let it rush inside the group, as they were running too. The rest of wolfs started to get near from the sides. Ulf and the other seven warriors had a duty to defend the ones who were caring for the trophies.

"Grrr" One wolf came close to Ulf.

Ulf was trying to fend it off with the spear. Even so, the animal was very clever and could avoid the fatal hit and was trying to create an appropriate moment in order to bite the target's weak part.

There was almost the same amount of the wolfs as the hunters with the weapons spread around in a circle, but more of them were coming too. The whole pack has moved against them.

"Leader, how long can we endure their increasing attacks like that? Would it not be better to go up in the trees again?" Alva asked.

"No, taking the trophies on the trees will make us lose more time... Even if we take them up there... moving on the branches won't be possible." Ursa had a hard time explaining, as he was fighting against the beast wolf.

"We have reached this point... and throwing them away now is out of the question... We can't return just with empty hands."

Ulf could handle one wolf with just his newly advanced warrior power, without using the inner qi. He could comfortably kill it with his full power but was trying to be a bit watchful. Even the peak warrior needed some time to kill one of them.

It was also a bit challenging for Ulf, but also a perfect chance to polish his control over the external qi and spearmanship. After running and fighting for a couple of minutes Ulf saw another upcoming wolf toward him. That was why he decided to bait the wolf in front of him on purpose as if he was too tired and had a problem running accurately. After seeing Ulf's action, the animal couldn't suppress its thirst for blood any longer and jumped on him. At that time Ulf acted swiftly and pierced the spear into the attacker's throat, however, the wolf was very close to biting him in the throat too. Ulf tossed the dead wolf aside and proceeded with fighting another opponent.

The entire group has been fighting in this condition for more than an hour. They were still not close to the end of the forest and wolfs weren't going to give up too. Ulf had to use inner qi for a brief moment to kill the wolf, in order to help the teammate ahead of him, who had been against the two wolfs. Every casualty would add more pressure on him and others.

After the pursuit of more than three hours, the warriors couldn't take it much longer. Ursa was not in good shape either. He had escaped from serious injuries several times but got overtired. Nonetheless, the beast wolf wasn't in a perfect state with a few wounds as well. The pack lost quite a few members, in view of the fact that every hunter was still standing. So it also started to hesitate about carrying on assault.

Finally, when the big wolf couldn't find the solution, howled loudly. It was a signal for the rest to go back.