My Last Hunt

Treasures and Snatchers: Level Three (part 3) 

He was going to steal the hunt right from their hands as the temptation of experience points already surpassed most of the dangers out there. With experience points the hunters got strength and power so Qiao could face his enemies with the increasing power, right. He was trying to persuade himself this way before the action. 

"Is the team leader dumb? Can't he see us? Is he trying to challenge our spot for this hunt?" one of the team members of the superior team saw the other team coming out from their hiding position. 

The last question was pointing towards a fact that was known as the spot challenge among the teams. If more than one team happened to lay claim for a monster hunt, they were free to challenge the other team for the spot. It was legal and whoever lost it would be the one giving up his right to hunt that monster. 

But spot challenge was not a rule that was widely known among low level guilds. Hearing his teammate speak like that, the team leader turned and sure enough Qiao was bringing his men toward them. 

Until now they had not made any move on the monster and the beast was under the lake currently. 

"Hey you! Did you forget the way out of this place?" the team leader pointed his sharp sword toward Qiao and asked. He could only find sich a pathetic excuse for this beggar team. And to him they were indeed a beggar team as from their clothing to their appearance they seemed no better.

Being from the rich families, his team was wearing the most suitable armor clothing for this hunt with better looking weapons. The team leader, young hunter Zura was the son of one of the richest traders of the Middletown market. The trader wanted to train his son into the rare type hunter of monster hunting because it could increase their wealth and the connections with the other powerful hunters. 

So Zura had received training and guidance in this field for a good time and was haughty and arrogant.

"I have come here for the hunt, you on the other hand, do tell me what you are here for?" Qiao plainly spoke as if they were not here for stealing their hunt but on a picnic and bothering him. 

"You! You not only act shrewd but you have the guts to make me furious. Do you understand the consequences your words can bring about for yourself?" Zura warned. 

"I never decide anything blindly." Qiao shrugged, but inside his head he was thinking to just run away if things turned out against them in the end. 

"Does it mean that you are challenging our spot for this hunt?" Zura stamped his feet on the ground. Qiao heard him say this and looked toward Quipu who shook his head indicating that he also don't know about this spot challenge.

"Sure then, if you are willing to die at my hands then I will make sure to let you die instantly." Zura brought up his weapon and walked forward. 

The spot challenge was fought between team leaders and whoever lost would leave with his team and give up on the hunt. Now it was a question of the guts whether Zura deserved to lead the sharp team under his orders in the future. 

Qiao also stepped ahead to face him. If it was about to fight between team leaders then he could try it out. "You are the only one until now who dared to challenge my spot for the hunt and you will regret it. I will spread your posters in the Middletown claiming that you are a loser. I am going to win but the grudge would never end between us, keep it in mind." Zura pointed his finger toward him as if wanted to win a threat war. 

Qiao was shocked to hear him say this out aloud. 'Who is this child to keep a long-term grudge despite having confidence that he could win?'

It meant that he was going to keep the enmity no matter what result came out. If so, then there was no reason for Qiao to go easy on him. Facing such a petty person, it was best to crush them hard.

Both were now facing each other and the team members were standing away awaiting the outcome of the fight. 

Zura saw the weird looking weapon in the hands of the man and couldn't held with his brows twitching. If he was not mistaken, this weapon was an ancient piece placed in one of the shops under his Family Traders and it was not offered as a weapon for sale. 

Both brought up their weapons and the bladed sword shined with the water rippling in the lake.

They rushed forward as their weapons met.

Qiao had the shapeless weapon as his mark so he could stop the sword in the middle by bringing in his weapon with using the edges wavy crisscross. Zura was boiling with the fact that he had to face a beggar. Should he rather be killing instead of defeating? He asked to himself and there was a sharp light flickering in his eyes.

If he killed this beggar, no one was going to ask anything. 

"Where did you get this armor? I also wanted to buy one." Qiao saw the team leader silently gritting his teeth and using his strength to bend down his weapon and asked. He would like to have an armor as well when he got prosperous with the treasures. It would look nice on him and would be an extra cover against the monsters. 

"Huh, you better not dream of something you could not get." Zura laughed and put a little more strength to avail a chance to throw Qiao on the ground. But Qiao himself bent in a way that was little unpredictable for few moments because Zura was not expecting the beggar to be experienced.