Hunters: The Prequel - Chapter 276

“We need to get back,” Frowning Tiger said after a while.

The Giant Black Mamba had been burned to a crisp. Normally the body of a Magical Beast with great armor-like skin, or in this case scales, like the Giant Black Mamba would have been treated like a treasure. It could have been used to create many tools and weapons. And its offal could have been sold to the nearby towns for an expensive sum. But such a treasure had been burnt alive, simply because it incurred the wrath of a few Tigers.

“Yeah,” Rash Tiger, the only one of similar status who could speak freely with Frowning Tiger agreed with his words. His arms were wrapped around Joe’s shoulder and there was a jovial look about him.

“Come Joe. You need to tell the Elders what you found out.” Rash Tiger stated and took the lead.

“Yes Uncle,” Joe responded from underneath his uncle’s arm. Since Rash Tiger was so big, Joe looked like a helpless animal caught underneath his arm. Anyone looking at them would have thought that Rash Tiger was trying to strangle Joe. And they would have thought Joe insane because he had a happy smile on his face as he was being ‘strangled’.

“We should leave as well,” A few seconds after Rash Tiger and Joe left, Frowning Tiger made a move as well. He spoke to the only other person here – Samoa.

“Yes Sir,” Samoa nodded his head. He cast the tree stamp one last glance. He engraved the image of the Giant Mamba’s burnt corpse into his mind and followed Frowning Tiger.

Frowning Tiger took a subtle glance at Samoa. Samoa looked lost. Unlike Joe who left with a gladdened expression, Samoa didn’t look pleased. It seemed that today had been a bad day for him. Although in the end everything worked out well and he didn’t die to the Giant Black Mamba, it didn’t change the fact that his other colleagues did. It would probably take a while before he got over it.

Frowning Tiger had heard a lot about this boy from the Village Head. This boy was talented, but he wasn’t at the level that would draw the attention of the Village Head. After all, the Village Head’s son, Frowning Tiger’s disciple, was more talented than Samoa. So why was the Village Head so impressed with the boy? Because of his intelligence.

It was true that the son of the Village Head, Arthur, was the most talented young man of the village. To be fair, Samoa was only second to that boy. But Samoa had something Arthur didn’t have. Arthur wasn’t as bright as Samoa. Because he was the son of the Village Head and was so talented that the village couldn’t afford to lose him, he grew up sheltered. For fear of losing him before he bloomed, Arthur was trapped in the village like a piece of jewelry. He knew nothing of the world and was very naïve. He was different from Samoa who was an orphan. Because Samoa had no parents to rely on, he had to fend for himself. He knew how harsh the world was, and he knew what to do to survive in it. He was young, but rich in wisdom. This was why the Village Head cherished him so.

The two men walked in silence, each lost in his own thoughts. They soon saw the village ahead of them. A few feet ahead of them were Rash Tiger and Joe who possessed a vastly different atmosphere from Frowning Tiger and Samoa. The two were conversing loudly and shared an occasional laugh as they walked.

“We are here already,” Rash Tiger grumbled when the entrance of the village appeared before the team of four.

“Yeah,” Joe too had a regretful expression on his face when as they approached the village’s entrance. This was the first time he felt that the village was way too close to the Enchanted Forest. It seemed that he really enjoyed spending time with Rash Tiger.

“Yo Samoa boy,” Rash Tiger suddenly turned back and called out to Samoa. The way he addressed Samoa was so familiar that Samoa, who was used to strictly following the rules of hierarchy, was very uncomfortable.

“Yes Rash Tiger Sir,” although he was uncomfortable, Samoa didn’t show any disrespect. Unlike the free spirited Rash Tiger, Samoa didn’t dare call Rash Tiger by his name alone. He respected Rash Tiger’s prior request by mentioning his name, but he still called him sir.

“He is just like Frowning Tiger. Such a stickler for the rules,” Rash Tiger suddenly bent down and whispered into Joe’s ears. Joe subconsciously let out a laugh, but he stifled it soon after. He looked at Frowning Tiger and noticed that his expression was still the same. It was only then that he dared breathe a sigh of relief.

Although Rash Tiger whispered his opinion, the four of them were pretty close together. It wasn’t difficult for any of them to hear what he said. They didn’t even have to strain their ears. So it was obvious that Samoa and Frowning Tiger heard what Rash Tiger said. Joe was having a good time with Rash Tiger. But he could only let loose because Rash Tiger had officially acknowledged him as his nephew. Frowning Tiger was known for his staunch personality and strict adherence to the rules. Joe was a bit scared that he would be offended by his laughter. And he didn’t want to offend Frowning Tiger.

Of course the person himself didn’t care that much about Rash Tiger’s comments, and he wasn’t offended by Joe’s laughter either. If he was, he wouldn’t be worthy of his title. Besides, he didn’t think that Rash Tiger said anything wrong. It was true that Samoa was similar to him. He just met the boy, but the boy reminded him of himself.

“I was wondering if it would be a problem for you to report to the Elders alone,” Rash Tiger didn’t care about what was going through everyone’s minds. Or maybe he didn’t think that his words had any kind of effect. He just went straight to the heart of things.

“I want to take this boy with me and relax for a bit,” Rash Tiger ruffled Joe’s hair with warm eyes and said. He had taken a liking to this nephew of his in this short time. Since he was always busy and didn’t know when he would be available, he wanted to spend the free time he had with this nephew he had snubbed since the boy’s birth. As for Joe, his eyes lit up like a lantern. He was eager to follow Rash Tiger around.

“That is no problem, Rash Tiger Sir. You can count on me” Samoa had no issue with the request. After all, it was pretty easy to accomplish.

“Are you sure there would be no problem,” Frowning Tiger asked?

“Actually Sir, Samoa is the one who usually gives the report. Because he sees things better and from all angles, he is the one who understands what we find best. So reporting is usually left to him” Joe quickly chimed in.

“I see. It’s alright then” Frowning Tiger nodded and proceeded to walk into the village. Samoa followed him closely, but not before he waved goodbye to Joe. He knew how much his friend idolized his absentee uncle and was happy for the boy.

The duo walked in silence until they reached the centre of the village. They stopped before the grandest house in the village – the home of the Village Head. It was a place that wasn’t accessible to just anyone.

“Let’s go”

But of course, Frowning Tiger wasn’t just anyone. And Samoa was able to freely enter the Village Head’s house because it was this man that had taken him in. This was also his home.

“They are already waiting for us” Frowning Tiger stated as he pushed the doors to the house open and walked into the hall. Seated in the hall were thirteen people. Six people sat on the left, six sat on the right. These seats were occupied by the 12 Elders of the village. The middle seat was the largest seat in the hall. It looked more comfortable than the rest, and was occupied by the most important person in the village. The one who sat in it was not only the most important person in the village, but the strongest warrior the village had to offer – Village Head Fan.

“You’re finally here,” a younger version of Old Fan spoke. It wasn’t accurate to call him Old Fan since he was a handsome middle aged man, not a hunched back elderly man. Old Fan had a broad smile on his face when he saw Samoa who was standing right behind Frowning Tiger.

“We are, Village Head Fan,” in front of Village Head Fan, Frowning Tiger didn’t dare show any disrespect. He bowed his head slightly and responded. Samoa didn’t need to bow his head before Village Head Fan due to their relationship, but whenever they were in official settings like they were in now, he did bow his head.

“Where is Joe,” an Elder who bore a striking resemblance to Joe asked? This elder was Joe’s father. He had an anxious look when he saw only the two come in.

“He’s with Rash Tiger,” Frowning Tiger answered, and the anxiety on the Elder’s face lessened by a lot.

“What about the others,” another Elder enquired? His question caused Samoa’s expression to turn ugly, and everyone easily inferred what that meant.

“They are dead, Elder” Samoa withstood the pain that threatened to rip his heart apart and replied.

“It seems that something extraordinary has occurred,” Village Head Fan furrowed his brows and said.

“Tell us. What did you find? And the others, how did they die?” another Elder asked.

“Yes, Elder,” Samoa replied respectfully.

“An Overflow, Elder. There is going to be an Overflow”