Chapter 104 - 100: Operation Boar Hunt

"Du Yu, if we want to hunt some big game in this forest and stock up on meat, what animal do you think would be our best bet?"

Du Yu mulled it over for a long moment before giving a decisive answer. "Wild boars."

"Why wild boars?"

Du Yu explained, "Because boars are reckless. Other predators like tigers and leopards are cautious, agile, and extremely wary. Bears might look dopey, but they’re actually cunning. Only boars are impulsive. If you can provoke one and then lead it to a trap, it’ll walk right into it."

Qin Ziwen joked, "And here I thought you were going to say it’s because wild boar is the tastiest."

Du Yu let out a hearty laugh. "Well, wild boar meat does taste pretty damn good."

Qin Ziwen thought of the giant boar he’d seen before. "Good. I actually know where to find a big one. But it’s huge—about as tall as a man."

Du Yu’s brow tightened. "A boar that big... it must weigh over a thousand pounds. Head-on, not even a tiger would dare challenge it. We’ll have to use a trap."

"We have this." Qin Ziwen took out the heavy-duty Beast Trap he’d made earlier.

Du Yu had never seen a Beast Trap this big. He cautiously took the closed contraption, examining it and giving the three thick central springs a tentative tug.

"This thing..."

Qin Ziwen said, "We’ve tested it. It can snap a pig’s leg bone clean in half."

Hearing this, Du Yu nodded slowly. "What a wicked device. With this, I think we might actually stand a chance against a thousand-pound boar. But we’ll need to modify it first. We should add two more ropes to the sides of the Beast Trap. Once its leg is caught, we can use the chains and ropes to tie it to a tree and let it wear itself out. We’ll only move in once it’s exhausted."

So, Qin Ziwen found some rope and added two thick lines to the side of the Beast Trap. Including the original chain, it now had three tethers.

Qin Ziwu wanted to go with them, but Qin Ziwen stopped him.

Qin Ziwen pointed toward the Salt Well. "I need them to keep refining coarse salt. Besides, hunting this boar isn’t a quick trip. We have to scout its regular paths and then set the trap. If you come with us, there’ll be no one to watch over things at home."

’Even though he’d recruited these four drifters, they were just temporary hands. And unlike the patrons at the tavern, they weren’t bound to the location.’

’These four could leave whenever they wanted. While they were magically prevented from harming their Recruiter, they could definitely slack off, fool around, or even steal food from the house. Someone needed to keep an eye on them.’

"If Du Yu and I manage to kill the giant boar, I’ll have the Beaked Eagle fly back with the news. When it does, you bring Li Tieshan and the four drifters. Also, bring the three wheelbarrows from the quarry. We’ll need them to haul the carcass."

"Got it, big brother." Qin Ziwu nodded.

After gearing up, Qin Ziwen and Du Yu set off ahead of everyone.

After leaving the Gated Community and walking east for a while, they came to a fork in the path. Qin Ziwen felt a twinge of indecision. ’Should I go up the mountain for the Card first, or set the trap?’

He looked over at his Beaked Eagle. Its injuries from the last time had almost completely healed.

He attached his phone to its chest and adjusted the angle. "Fly up to the cave on the mountain for a look," Qin Ziwen instructed. "We’ll wait here. Don’t go inside. Just stand at the entrance, stand up tall, and try to get a clear shot of the Card’s color."

Not knowing if the Beaked Eagle had understood, Qin Ziwen gave its back a gentle pat.

The Beaked Eagle shot into the sky like a feathered arrow.

Qin Ziwen and Du Yu found an exposed slope in the nearby woods and hunkered down to wait for the Beaked Eagle’s return.

He had already made up his mind. ’If the phone shows the Card is red, blue, or green, I’ll go get it first. If it’s white or gray, I’ll wait until after the trap is set.’

Before long, the Beaked Eagle returned, its feathers slightly ruffled. But it looked immensely proud, head held high like a victorious general.

He took the warm phone and reviewed the footage.

Scrubbing through the video, Qin Ziwen saw that just after the Beaked Eagle took flight, two Black Falcons had shot out of the woods.

This time, the Beaked Eagle didn’t back down. It charged right at them. The camera shook violently, and moments later, the two Black Falcons were seen fleeing in disarray.

The Beaked Eagle didn’t give chase, instead letting out a sharp, triumphant cry.

Having spent so much time with it, Qin Ziwen could read the Beaked Eagle’s emotions. The little guy was clearly thrilled.

He scrubbed further into the video. After driving off the Black Falcons, the Beaked Eagle landed at the cave entrance and started hopping around, causing the camera angle to shift constantly.

Du Yu looked at the Beaked Eagle in amazement. "It looks like it’s trying to adjust the angle. It’s that smart?"

The Beaked Eagle let out a shrill cry, as if offended. ’Who are you looking down on?’

Qin Ziwen focused on the video. In a frame that flashed by, he caught a glint of light.

Qin Ziwen hit pause. It was a flash of metallic gray. "Looks like it’s just an Ordinary Building Card," he said. "No need to rush, then."

’If we can kill that giant boar, it’s guaranteed to drop a Card.’

’Besides, I’m really curious about something,’ Qin Ziwen mused. ’If you don’t take a Card after it spawns, does it refresh into a new one the next day, or does it stay the same? And if it does refresh, does the "quality" of the new Card on the altar improve over time?’

Giving the Beaked Eagle a gentle stroke, Qin Ziwen and Du Yu checked their gear one last time and stepped into the forest east of the Gated Community.

It had to be said that after twenty days of countless Hunting Teams passing through, several winding trails had been worn into the once pathless forest.