Chapter 13

Encountering a large beast is undoubtedly a thrilling experience, after all, the rewards from killing a larger and fiercer animal, such as a bear or a boa, far outweigh those from hunting a dozen black muntjacs.

"From the footprints, it seems to be a fruit-eating brown bear. But this one is huge, much larger than any I've seen before!" Lu Qi arrived at the spot where the tracks were found. Worried that Lu Qi lacked experience, Lu Kang explained beside him, "It must weigh over a thousand pounds..."

Dafeng, who was standing nearby, still felt the lingering fear: "A bear this big is hard to kill; it could easily cost lives. During the spring hunt at the beginning of the year, a seven-hundred-pound bear killed three people!"

Dashun, still wearing his mark of shame and eager to earn merit, pursed his lips: "Great wealth comes with great risk. It's rare to encounter such a large beast. We haven't even used the bait we prepared, and if we don't use it now, it will go to waste!"

The bait Dashun mentioned was Dagǔ's body. After a simple treatment, it was infused with a potent drug made from the pollen of the lavender flower, a key tactic used by the Northwest House to hunt large beasts.

"Have you determined the range of this large beast's activity?" Lu Qi looked at Dashun, who was leading the search in this dense forest.

Dashun nodded vigorously: "Yes, there's a slightly higher area ahead where there are signs of it sleeping in the bushes. We can't stay here too long; the bear's sense of smell is very keen, and it could discover us at any moment!"

"Then place the bait, and leave ten people with spears and ropes to wait in the trees with me. Don't get too close to the bait!" Lu Qi nodded decisively. "The rest of you stay further away..."

"Ten people... is that enough?" Lu Kang was quite worried. A thousand-pound bear was terrifying to think about.

Lu Qi replied, "If the bait doesn't work, more people won't help. On the contrary, too many people might alarm it!"

Dashun nodded: "That time, the big one was disturbed by people before the drug took effect, and it killed a few people when it got angry. I'll be part of the team, led by Tiger Head!"

With someone agreeing, the other slaves eagerly volunteered. After all, the Northwest House had a clear rule: those who contributed more in hunting large beasts would receive more rations when they returned to the village.

Besides Dafeng, Dashun, and Dalin, the four squad leaders, Lu Qi selected five more experienced and strong men for this dangerous hunt. Lu Kang was also skilled, but since his rations had already been increased, there was no need for him to take unnecessary risks, so Lu Qi had him manage the remaining slaves.

To better attract the fruit-eating brown bear, Dashun even smeared a layer of honey, laced with the drug, on Dagǔ's already foul-smelling body. Then he ran a few dozen meters away and, with his agile movements, climbed a palm tree over ten meters high, carrying a spear and a rope.

Soon, a massive brown bear, nearly ten feet long and five feet tall at the shoulder, with long fur reaching the ground, emerged from the dense bushes. Its black nose twitched as it lowered its head and walked toward Dagǔ's body, pausing occasionally as if sensing any danger.

The slaves hiding in the palm trees, including Lu Qi, dared not make a sound. This bear was so large that it probably weighed over two thousand pounds, and the ground seemed to tremble with each step.

Lu Qi's eyes lit up. In his previous life, he had seen many bears, especially Asian black bears, but none as terrifyingly large as this one. Even polar bears and the largest brown bears would seem small in comparison.

A bear of this size would have a striking force of over a thousand pounds, and a tree as thick as a thigh would not withstand its few strikes. Every slave prayed that the big bear would quickly eat the bait, providing some sense of security. No one would risk their life; if the bear was alarmed, the first target it locked onto would likely not survive, even if An Ze were still alive.

Finally, the bear reached Dagǔ's body and gently pushed it with its paw. Due to the small trap Dashun had set, Dagǔ's body bounced slightly, as if a sleeping person had been startled awake.

In past hunting experiences, such movements often stimulated the prey, and this time was no exception. The bear seemed startled and suddenly lunged forward, striking with its paw.

"Crack!" Dagǔ's large head burst like a watermelon, the white and red contents splattering everywhere, causing the slaves who witnessed this to shudder.

Lu Qi's eyes grew even brighter. The bear's strike perfectly demonstrated the principle of using brute force with finesse. Its body's functions were perfectly synchronized, and the strike was undoubtedly a powerful blow, capable of shattering a human head with a thousand pounds of force.

Seemingly satisfied with its kill, the bear relaxed, shook its head, and then pounced on Dagǔ's body, tearing and biting into it. It ate quickly, devouring half of the body, including the bones, which it crushed into pieces, clearly very hungry.

Originally, they planned to wait for the bear to finish the bait and then attack it when it fell unconscious, ensuring a safe and successful hunt. However, an unexpected incident occurred.

The usually experienced Dafeng, for some reason, did not hold his spear steady and let it fall from the tree, making a light "ah" sound in his anxiety.

Unfortunately, Dafeng had chosen a palm tree closer to the bait due to his excellent hunting skills, and this undoubtedly alarmed the bear.

"Grumble..." The bear was very alert. It spat out the sticky innards in its mouth, looked toward Dafeng's palm tree, and suddenly charged.

Lu Qi's pupils contracted. The bear's speed was incredible, and it covered the distance in just a few bounds. Then, using its momentum, it leaped and struck the tree trunk with a force that seemed to have the weight of a thousand pounds.

"Crack!" The tree trunk split, and the leaves rustled as Dafeng was forced to fall from the tree. The bear's massive paw, with its bloody claws, was ready to strike.

Dafeng, not only surviving the fall from over ten meters, quickly dodged and ran toward the tree where Lu Qi was, shouting, "Tiger Head, save me!"

Lu Qi, perched in the palm tree, focused his gaze. He was not angry that Dafeng had alarmed the bear; instead, he needed to solve the problem. He watched the bear closely through the leaves, trying to predict its path.

Predicting the bear's movements was difficult because they would adjust based on Dafeng's escape. Lu Qi had to anticipate Dafeng's actions as well.

In times of danger, human potential often surges. Dafeng, feeling the bear's breath close behind him, climbed the palm tree where Lu Qi was with the fastest speed he had ever achieved.

The bear then struck the palm tree again. At that moment, Lu Qi leaped down, gripping his decapitation knife and slashing at the bear's raised snout.

The blade flashed like a streak of lightning, but to Lu Qi's surprise, the bear deftly turned its head to the left, avoiding the fatal blow. However, its right ear and a large patch of fur were sliced off by the sharp knife.

Exhausted from the effort, Lu Qi stepped on the bear's broad back, using it to flip and roll several meters away.

Losing an ear and a chunk of flesh would enrage anyone, let alone a dominant bear in the forest. With an angry roar, the bear abandoned Dafeng and turned to chase Lu Qi, its mortal enemy.

"Do not move rashly, Dashun, give me the spear!" Lu Qi shouted, running swiftly to one side. He had no intention of facing the bear head-on; that would be suicidal. After all, he was not the same as his former self, who had cultivated hidden strength, and this bear was far more formidable than the five-hundred-pound black bear he had encountered in his past life.

As Lu Qi spoke, he had already reached the base of the palm tree where Dashun was. Dashun, moved by Lu Qi's courage and selflessness, quickly threw the spear to Lu Qi.

A longer weapon is stronger. Although the spear was not as sharp as the decapitation knife, it was more effective in certain situations. If Lu Qi were to turn and attack the bear with the knife, he could injure it, but with the bear's speed and strength, the chances of Lu Qi surviving were less than thirty percent.

"Good!" Dashun, a skilled archer, threw the spear perfectly, and Lu Qi caught it with ease, unable to resist exclaiming.

As the saying goes, it's not the god-like opponent you fear, but the pig-like teammate. Having a capable teammate can often provide the right opportunity at a critical moment!