435 A Morning Hunt, A Peek to Their Abilities (1/2)

Day 77 - 8:42 AM - Mount Malabito, General Nakar, Quezon

”I hear something. Everyone stays here. Nicole and I will go check.”

Huey said in a low voice just enough for everyone around him to hear. Together with Nicole, they ran stealthily through the forest, going towards a specific direction.

As for the remaining eight people together with the two, they found a place to rest while being wary of their surroundings.

This group was currently on duty to hunt for animals to be processed into food. No matter how much food would not be enough for a base, in the long run. As such, they organized a group that would hunt for animals every now and then.

Six people were fixed within that group while anyone could volunteer anytime that they wanted to help.

The leader of this group was Huey and Joleen, who were Mark's left and right hands in managing the base. Together with the two, there was Nicole, and Ed, who were among the earliest people in under Mark. As for the last two, they were there were the sisters, Audrey and Tullia.

In this group, Huey and Nicole served as scouts for finding animals and evading danger. Huey would focus on the noises that he could hear around them. At the same time, Nicole would use her agile movements to observed the environment.

Joleen and Ed were the main fighters. Being trained in fighting and with her evolver ability, to avoid fatal attacks from hitting her, she was extremely efficient for fighting. As for Ed, the physical strength he received from evolving made him a strong melee fighter. The existence of the two in hunting was surely necessary as many mutated animals had hard skin or armor. If bullets or the crossbows were not able to penetrate the animal's defenses, the two would step in.

Ed also served as the group's baggage carrier using the cart he was pulling.

Lastly, the sisters Tullia and Audrey, who were both in charge of the backline and preventing the prey from fleeing.

Tullia was one of the first slaves Mark managed to gather from Death Valley Settlement together with Naomi and Aaron. Audrey, on the other hand, was Tullia's sister, who was caught as a Spy in the Port of Real Settlement before.

After the two were reunited, they lived peacefully in the base and fulfilled their duties happily. When the hunting group was formed, the two volunteered to become one of the central members.

In the first place, Audrey was a Mutator capable of flight. That was why her decision to volunteer for the hunting group was a great help. If the prey they found or animals they encountered were capable of flight, it was her duty to face it. On the other hand, the younger sister, Tullia, was not just a regular person either. Being on a survivor team before being caught by the people of Death Valley, she had her share of fighting experience. The best thing about her was that she was also an Evolver.

Tullia could deduce the distance, trajectory, and speed of a target in a blink of an eye. If the prey was something penetrable with the crossbow she had, there were a lot of times that she alone could take it down. Unfortunately, she was not that good, strength-wise. If she had no chance to shoot her weapon, she could be quickly taken down by fast-moving animals.

And that was why the other members were here to prevent that from happening.

This time, two other people joined the hunting group. They were Edzel and Pearl.

Edzel and Pearl joined today's hunting because of Mark's suggestion. The two needed to gain more experience. They had to learn things that would benefit them in the long run. Furthermore, it would let them find ways to use their newly awakened abilities as Evolvers.

”You okay, Pearl?”

Edzel asked as he helped Pearl sit down on a fallen log nearby.

”I'm fine. Just not used to this.”

Pearl replied.

What she said was true. This was the first time she had gone out of the base after arriving. And in her whole life, her first time going up the mountainous terrain of the forest. She was having a hard time keeping up with everyone.

”I told Boss that I can help alone, but he insisted on making you come with us.”

”I tell you, I'm fine. I can do at least this much.”

Pearl smiled.

Compared to her appearance when Pearl and Edzel reunited, she looked way better than before. Her complexion looked better, and she also gained weight. Although she had not recovered her weight from when they parted ways, she was improving.

The most important thing, Mark's suggestion about using the empty [Physical Crystal] and the [Regeneration Medicine] together showed effectiveness to some extent. Pearl's unhealed wounds and the smaller scars on her body had healed. It was quite unfortunate that that was the extent of the effect as many of her deeper and larger scars remained. Nonetheless, even those scars looked better than before.

Still, Edzel felt bad every time he would see the scar that went across Pearl's face.

While the two talked, Tullia and Audrey were watching them.

”Edzel, don't worry too much. It's pretty normal to get tired after hiking this much. Even my sister is like that the first time we went hunting. The distance was not even half of what we traveled now.”

Audrey spoke. What she said, however, annoyed the silent Tullia.

”Sister...”

Tullia said with an annoyed tone and expression.

”Alright, I'll stop.”

Audrey said as she hugged Tullia.

Tullia looked uncomfortable as she was being hugged by Audrey. Nevertheless, she did not push her sister away.

Jolleen and Ed, on the other hand, were keeping watch of the surroundings. Well, it was not like both Tullia and Audrey were just fooling around. In fact, compared to Joleen and Ed, the sisters were more sensitive to their surroundings compared to the others within this group.

CRUNCH!

A faint sound was heard which made Tullia and Audrey ready their weapons immediately as they were the first to react. Seeing the sisters, the others also did the same. They then formed a circle with their backs facing each other.

”What do you guys think that is?”

Ed voiced in a whisper.

”It sounds like some dried leaves being stepped on,” Tullia replied. ”It is hard to pinpoint where it came from, though.”

Everyone agreed with Tullia. The sound was too faint that it was hard to know where it came from. The only thing that they could do was to wait for another sound.

But then...

CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

Sounds of leaves being crushed were heard several times. The sounds were getting closer each time it was heard. There was no doubt that something was approaching them.

However, they could not see anything.