My Last Hunt

Quests: Making A Team (part 16)

War between teams;

After waiting and asking around in the Guild Hall and at the entrance, the teams were sure that the newbies would never return now. 

They could be worry free now and didn't have to fear the demotion. The one who got the most damage, the first leader was not happy. He wanted to crush that guy with his own hands, only then would his boiling blood be at ease, but alas the guy met his fate in the forest. 

….

Finally, after an excruciating wait it was morning. To the tri it felt like an endless night.

The Trio could hear that the monsters moved back to their habitat slowly. They were no more openly wandering. Qiao came down first and surveyed his surrounding and when he was sure that no more monster was around, he guided the others. 

As soon as Linwin got down, he suspiciously looked around and almost whispered, "Brother, we are still alive." He acted much secretive as if some monster might hear him. 

Qiao twitched his brows and smiled, "Though we have stayed up all night, we cannot return to Guild without hunting today. It would be impossible to go first, rest and then come back for hunt. It would bring another trouble of spending another night in the forest if we do so." He saw both his team members and knew that they needed rest first. Yesterday they were tired with hunting and then running for life. But this had to be done to ensure their survival. 

"Brother are you saying…" Linwin almost choked.

"Indeed, today is the last day and we must hunt if we want to remain in the Guild," Qiao reminded. 

Quipu had already deliberated and knew that it was important. "If we are going to hunt first then we have to make sure it is level one. I just hope the Guild won't care about it," he readied his aching muscles for a hunt first. 

They set off to look for a level one to hunt.

Every day all the teams were responsible to stand in front of the reception desk and record down their present experience and again record it when coming back from hunt. It was the only safe way suggested to calculate whether a chaser lost his experience, earned any or did not get any. Not getting a big leap was not a concern but losing it would give them minus points by the Guild.

This rule was only for this specific month when the teams were given new slots according to their performance. It would save them from the clashes between other teams and let the Guild decide about their levels and proficiency peacefully. 

Many of the rules were considered unbiased and this was the sole reason that this Guild had earned a reputation among other Guilds. Many reputed families considered to send their kin into this Guild for early training as chasers. 

This would help them build a strong foundation and develop leading skills too. There were not many branches of the big Guilds in the Middletown and not all of them were open for registration during the whole year. 

….…

The team consisted of three chasers was slowly moving around and looking for hunt. They were not looking energetic or very enthusiastic today. It was just a task but sounded like burden when they considered how tired they were.

"Just a little bit of effort and we will return back." Linwin made himself believe again and again. They will soon be able to go back to the Guild and rest to their hearts content. 

....

When the half day had passed, the Guild issued a notice that all teams should gather at the first Guild hall for the final decision. 

Nearly hundred teams reached the Guild hall and waited patiently for those who were returning after today's quests. 

There were all types of chats going on while the reception man was looking through his rustic papers. Every now and then he would look up, sweep his glance over them and then return to do what he was supposed to.

Most of the people here were telling others how their performance in the whole month was going and that they might get demote this year. 

"Previously my team was placed at the twenty six slot and this year I am surely going to lose and fall below fifty," a team leader who was level two and leading a team spoke with disappointment. 

Usually those who had managed to reach any level as a chaser would return to their hometowns once a year. They would spend some time there solving problems of their families. 

So, it was a slow process to level up for many of them and for many it turned out unlucky when they get fatal injuries and no one can mend these loses.

Qiao was lucky until now and a little smart. He used every opportunity and chance no matter if it involved a risk because with risk comes perks. 

"For a lower level to lose a little experience does not affect him much, but for me. Can't you see I lost my level? It is simply a shame for me and my team, can you imagine the scolding from the reception man?" the man almost cried. 

Most of the teams faced drawback this year. The monsters were getting stronger and the chasers were not ready to learn new tactics for hunt. It wasn't really that the reception man would scold those teams who lost. But the way he looked indifferently was enough to make them feel guilty. 

The other team leader turned silent, what could he speak further. 

The most downcast were those first five placed teams who were ruling the entire year and getting benefits but lost their one or two team members during hunts. They became arrogant after getting privileges from the Guild and ran over to powerful monsters and ended up losing more, barely managing to escape. 

This was something they should not have done in their arrogance but what can be done now. 

The newbie team did not appear among these teams yet. Those top three teams who had pestered them and tried their best to kill the newbie team were looking around as if they have nothing to do with this. They cannot openly claim that they had forced them to perish in the forest nor could they could say others to not wait for them. 

Almost all the teams were present now except the newbies team who joined the Guild at the last week.