My Last Hunt

Chapter 216: Journey (17)

Journey (17)

The new hostages will help forming the clan

The underground space was vast enough and it could host minimum five hundred lost ventures without giving signs of overcrowded. Currently the lost ventures were only in three hundred total counts. All the carved paths were formed to divide the lost ventures according to their capabilities and the age group. The lost ventures which were from the first breeding or those who were the initial founders of this race were called bosses. There were currently ten over bosses and other lost ventures were the result of breeding. Every boss was holding few newer lost ventures under them and taught how they should follow the orders of the bosses. 

The bosses had been surviving in the Vaga Hillocks from minimum two hundred years and later came up with the idea of increasing their race. Since they have faced much in the open grounds and developed weird appearances as well as traits so it did not cost them much for choosing a Reaper among them. They might have perished with the time however their initial human instinct forced them for struggle to live on. Various monsters gave them fatal injuries and those injuries resulted diverse reactions in their bodies. 

With the time and affects the reactions became altered changes improved some of their weaknesses. Later they learned how their bodies can sustain the harshness and decided to never return to their hometowns. They were no more normal humans and the normal humans might not accept them among their population. They were not hunters either so there was no choice other than to make the Vaga Hillocks as their permanent place of stay. Slowly few more joined in and they formed in teams. With the evolution they lost few of the normal traits and can no more face the day or venture in the day thus they named themselves Lost Ventures and started to loot or hunt in the night at early years. The incidents were so rare or unnoticeable for anyone to give it a concern until the previous three years when the Lost Ventures formed some concrete plan for their permanent existence and presence. It was the first step to let the world know their existence. This caused the reports give the impression that some vile hunters were trying to create trouble for the hunters of the Hightown during journey toward the Hightown. 

However it was a false impression. The reports were not clearly indicating the obvious threat. And this year the target of the lost ventures was to held hostages as many as they could for the Reaper. According to the plan after reaching minimum five hundred count of their race; they would form a permanent clan and defend if anyone wanted to destroy them. With this they will be able to evolve openly and then set the Middletown or the weakest town population as the first target. Every new target would help them increase their strength as well as strong position as a separate race. 

Qiao was being brought inside one of the paths. The lost venture did not bother to worry whether the hunter would get the understanding of the paths. It was because the underground place was dipping in the darkness and the hunters cannot make much after getting inside the dark paths. This said truth; the dim light was only available where they fell first on the ground. It was complete dark for anyone to see through only the lost venture walked as if treading in the light. Qiao finally understood the reason behind their secretive attack. 

He has few stones with him however the illumination stone fell when they were trapped. His eyes started hurting after some time. The darkness was strangely bothersome for his eyes that he intentionally closed his eyes in order to avoid the stinging sensation. The lost venture forced him toward a hostage space and then locked the door made from the bones of the monsters. The footsteps were heard by the two of the hunters held hostage in the other hostage space. The lost venture created whizzing sound before leaving. The broken words were similar a warning for them to not make useless struggle. 

Qiao was standing and trying to listen anything specific in the surrounding; after some time he could finally hear the breathing hunters. They were not speaking anything yet their worry was storming their heartbeat. Qiao pulled the cloth which he used for killing his enemies and wrapped it around his eyes. It was better instead of forcing his sight otherwise. He moved around to examine what type of space it was and how he could escape. The hard walls felt like the rock was crafted to make this space. The combination of frozen ice outside the space and the hard walls for the hostage space was enough mislead the hunters. 

Qiao walked further and his hands touched the door made of bones. The bones were emitting the disgusting smell that Qiao wanted to puke his guts out. He immediately stepped back and breathed heavily. So it explained that the stinging in his eyes and the numbness of his senses was due to smell constantly lingering in the surrounding. The lost ventures after hunting a monster never threw their innards away instead they piles up for future concerns. They learned the humans or normal hunters rarely temper their sense of smell and it can be used as their biggest weakness. 

The hunters with the numbness were equal a normal human vulnerable and weak. They sense gets assaulted with the disgusting smell which was specially ordered by the Reaper to care for. There were few toxic odors which directly attack the senses of humans and leave them washed up. Qiao picked the extra cloth and covered his head along with nose and mouth. Now it was more than necessary to leave this place as soon as possible. After covering his head; Qiao moved forward calculating his steps and kicked the bones door. It trembled and made some creaking noise however remained intact. This noise was enough to let the other two hunters know that the new hostage was struggling to leave this means his senses were still working perfectly. 

Without moving from their space; they called out "There is no use; the door seemed breakable however it is not easy. We have tried it several times." The hunter spoke from the dark. Qiao nodded hearing this. At least their words proved that they were alive and serene; this means he was not alone here with the longing of freedom.