Chimaera's Conquest: The Legend Of The Devourer
Chapter 58: [Weekly Bonus - 4/6] Incompetent Fools (2)

Chapter 58: [Weekly Bonus Chapter 4/6] Incompetent Fools (2)

The stars slowly graced the sky with their presence, but the Banur tribe was as active as ever. Everyone was busy preparing for the hunt.

Some were gathering weapons crafted from the bones and hides of their previous preys, while the others carried proper weapons, mainly looted from the ones they had enslaved. The others were managing resources and the direwolves who would serve as their rides for the hunt.

At first, Adrian found it weird for them to go on a hunt in the dead of the night. It was when the predators were most active, which made it dangerous to venture out into the forest, even if the tribals were in groups.

However, that was precisely the reason for the nocturnal hunts. The thrill of the hunt took precedence over the need for food. With abundant plantations to feed themselves within the settlement, the hunt at night was merely a sport in the name of survival.

"I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not that," Akila mumbled, appearing behind Adrian as he saw everyone prepare for the hunt. "While it could be considered a sport, it’s more like paying homage to our predecessors. Call it a cultural thing, if you will."

"Ah... I see," Adrian replied. "Then I guess I shouldn’t be participating then?"

Just then, someone smacked him on the head. Adrian sighed and turned around to see A’Mila standing behind.

"If you want to earn the tribe’s respect, then you’d have to do more, ’Pet’," she smirked, crossing her hands over her chest. "You have heard the rumours, haven’t you?"

"Sure have," Adrian shrugged. "It’s a shame none of them send their women my way to witness my skills up close. I’d enjoy proving who’s fertile and who’s not."

A’Mila didn’t know whether to laugh or be disappointed with his words. Instead, she chose the third option to encourage Adrian to participate in the hunt.

She explained to him that the hunt wasn’t just about fun; it was a fierce competition within the tribe. The one who captured the most or the largest animals gained acknowledgement and a reward of their choosing.

Adrian’s ears perked up as soon as he heard about a reward. While he wasn’t interested in the competition, he couldn’t ignore the chance of winning an award and getting ’there’—a place where only the Metriarch of the tribe was allowed to go.

’I know it’s a long shot, but hey, I have an opportunity, so I might as well make the best of it!’ Adrian thought and began warming up.

However, there was a problem. As the tribespeople collaborated in groups, Adrian found himself excluded.

If the hunt had been organised before the rumours about him had spread, Adrian would have had no problem finding a group. But now, no one seemed interested in teaming up with him.

Some even suspected that Adrian’s clash with Bakira might have been a staged spectacle orchestrated by the Matriarch to garner favour for him within the tribe.

While it wasn’t true, the rumour gained traction as no one wanted to believe an outsider could be that strong.

Besides, the rumour seemed plausible, given how quickly Bakira was defeated and the unusual warmth the Matriarch showed toward an outsider.

A’Mila was aware of these rumours, and one of the reasons she pushed Adrian to participate in the hunt was to prove them wrong.

In the meantime, Akila and A’Mila were busy finding the culprit fuelling these rumours. While it seemed the rumours were targeted at Adrian, the reality was different.

A’Mila had been the perfect Matriarch for the tribe since her coronation, giving no reason for the tribe to be dissatisfied with her.

However, after Adrian’s arrival, things got a bit tense, and it was clear that someone was spreading those rumours to undermine A’Mila’s position as the Matriarch at Adrian’s expense.

’We need to find who is responsible and end this mess before things get worse,’ A’Mila’s thoughts were interrupted by Adrian, who couldn’t find anyone willing to help him.

He even went close to one of the wolves but was pushed away by one of the teens he had encountered earlier. Since A’Mila had instructed him not to instigate a fight, Adrian didn’t do anything and just looked back at A’Mila as if asking what he was supposed to do.

A’Mila, as the chieftain, had the power to instruct others to aid Adrian, but she chose not to interfere as it could be seen as her pampering him and could lead to more rumours being spread. Given the situation, she couldn’t take that chance.

"You’re on your own for this one," A’Mila yelled.

Adrian shrugged but otherwise didn’t say a thing. But his expression didn’t go along with the situation. As the time for the hunt approached, the settlement emptied as tribespeople ventured into the forest, leaving Adrian alone.

Yet, Adrian stood confidently, a smirk playing on his lips. The tribal siblings were confused by his lack of concern, and A’Mila was about to say something when Adrian let out a whistle.

Everyone looked around, wondering why he was whistling all of a sudden. But then they heard something... it was a howl of a direwolf.

The direwolf that Adrian had attempted to pet earlier sprinted toward him out of the woods. The teenager riding the wolf tried to stop the direwolf from running away but couldn’t manage it. The creature tossed him off its back and sat before Adrian, waiting for his command.

"What the... Are you seeing this?" Akila mumbled, his eyes fixed on the edge of the forest. "Could he be a beastmaster?"

"Will you relax?" A’Mila scolded her little brother before smiling as she got an idea to fight the rumours. "Though, we could start a rumour of our own that confirms your guess."

To the tribe, it appeared like Adrian had the skills of a beastmaster, much like A’Mila. However, the reality was simpler – Adrian employed [Illusionary Eyes] and commanded the direwolf to return when he whistled.

"What kind of warrior are you if you can’t even control your pet?" Adrian softly whispered to the teen before riding off into the forest.

Adrian’s actions against the guy might seem like bullying, but in the tribal setting, nobody would raise an eyebrow.

The Banur had a simple logic when it came to survival. If one could snatch something from the other, it was on them for not preventing it.

It might be twisted logic, but that’s what Adrian had figured out about the tribe during his strolls and was applied in the situation. However, he did it to teach the kids a valuable lesson for the future.

’Alright, one down, three more to go!’

Unbeknownst to Adrian, the tribals weren’t the only ones hunting in the forest that night. A familiar face was also hiding in the shadows, waiting to strike him down.