131 Side-B.
Shi Lang and Zysha, the tiger, arrived at the shore and the boy got his fell of water. The reason he was so keen on getting water located was to save himself from dehydration. One of the secrets about the strength of a Terran lay inside the thickness of the blood. Less amount of water consumption can lead to blood thickening over time and that will lead to clots.
Although a higher lever Terran can manipulate the veins and the vessels to remove the clots and squeeze them out, that would consume energy. So, he would rather explore this place then to dry up.
While Shi lang was busy chugging down the water from the lake, ZYsha was keeping an eye out at the shore. The things in the woods were not always as calm as they seemed to be. In the shades lurked beasts and death from a lot of other means.
The tiger said, “You should find something to contain the water and we shall leave this place. Although we Sapientias are rare but we are not welcomed by the normal species as well. We have to stay hidden.”
Shi Lang nodded and took off the sack that has been hanging over his shoulder. This sack contained an internal organ of the deer he had killed earlier. The stomach was not only good for storing food but also water. Earlier Shi Lang had cleaned it thoroughly and now it could be used. After Shi Lang made the stomach into a water bag, using the antler knife from the deer, he put it back on his shoulder again and the two creatures left the place.
Shi Lang made sure to erase his footsteps. Because this place did not only harbor the animals but also the natives on this planet. The natives of this planet were no better than the cavemen, however, they were just like animals, they would attack any live thing, and consume it before anything.
Zysha said, “The scavengers are a nasty bunch, if you are born weak in their tribe, they will consume you before the sun could rise. if you are about to die from a wound they will consume you.” her voice was leered with disgust and the youngster said, “Can you please not make me feel sick?”
The tiger nodded and said, “I just thought that you should know, who or what you are dealing with. That is why the beasts of these woods, evade their existence like a plague.”
Shi Lang nodded and said, “I cannot see why not. After all, hunting and eating things outside the clan is fine, but the consumption of a weak infant or a dying elder is more in line with cannibalism. I cannot handle that much gore, even though I can be quite ruthless.”
Zysha nodded and with a telepathic sigh she said, “I agree…”
Suddenly, the beast stopped in her tracks and said, “Boy, we will have to run now. I can sense a patrol of the scavengers. They must be out to hunt tonight.”
Shi Lang did not need her to say again and they both ran in the opposite direction. The speed was not slow, and neither did they leave any traces. After they came to a distance that seemed to be safe, Shi Lang used his mask to record the thermal signature of the ingenious species here. The data had this detail about the thermal signature, but he wanted to see, how big was the difference between the two things.
After he recorded the signature, he used the high definition camera and spotted a group of ten men all wearing animal skin and carrying long weapons, Shi Lang could not tell what the material was but it made him uneasy. He asked, “Zysha, do you know what are those weapons made of?”
The tiger replied with indifference, “Umm, I have seen them ground the bones of their clan members after they pass away, and they mix it with coat it over the stones and rocks they use to create the weapons. As for why they would do something like this? I have no idea.”
Shi Lang almost wanted to puke and said, “This must be something like, their clansmen leaving them with the power they had bullshit. Let’s go, I do not wish to see these creatures. Do you have a place to hide out?”
Zysha nodded and the two began to move through the woods again. The speed was fast, usually, when any threatening element was spotted, Zysha would stop and they would detour. However, suddenly, Shi Lang stopped. Zysha asked, “What is it?”
The youngster let out a sigh and raised the hand with the communicator as he said, “I have to deal with something. Would you like to follow me?”
Zysha thought about it a bit and said, “After killing that deer. I have no other Sapientia to worry about for a while in this place, does no harm to me. However, if you are going to do something like getting close to the tribe of these ingenious people, then I will abandon you in a blink. I do not wish to die yet.”
Shi Lang nodded and said, “That is not a problem, I also do not want to die so early. Let’s go.”
That said, the two moved again, Shi Lang has received a new directive from the communicator. It stated that during the seven days. They all were needed to sneak up on each other and without being found they had to tag them. The tagging will need them to hold their target in sight for two minutes and not be found.
The more people you will tag, the more your points. Now, at this point, the satellite feeds have stopped giving them location information. So, Shi Lang got relaxed on someone moving upon him. On top of that, Zysha was beside him so the boy could rest easily. However, he was not foolish enough to place his trust in a beast he had just come across.
That said, the two people moved through the woods at a fast speed. Shi Lang said, “Zysha, how far can you sense people or animals approaching over?”
Zysha replied, “Two hundred meters radius. Why?”
Shi Lang said, “I can sense your movements within a hundred-meter radius of my position, so how about you take the lead and help me, scout. if you find any signs of human movement, then you tell me. Can you do that please?”
The tiger nodded and moved forward to do the reckoning. Shi Lang moved forward in tandem with her, they were like a unit and the sync was not something that Zysha expected. She thought this boy would stay behind and hinder her movement. However, Shi lang followed her too closely. The movements were swift, calm, and patient.
Zysha could not help but ask, “How can you follow my movement pattern?” she asked telepathically.
The youngster did not say much and the beast understood that his voice will break the silence used for stealth. She said, “You can think of your response and I can read your thoughts.”
The youngster thought, “I have been studying your movements.”
Zysha was shocked to see this young man being able to study her movements and learn her pace through the forest. She did not know what to say. You see, beasts did not move in a straight line as humans would. They would stick to the shadows, they will move according to a pattern that is being dictated by their instincts.
Thus, Shi Lang being able to learn to move like her was not something less than a genius. What the boy did was increase his skills. He was not out here on a vacation. He was aware that someone must be monitoring them from the satellite and he was correct.
…
Back inside the base, X sat in front of a monitor that was displaying the clippings from all the members outside. Behind him stood a female silhouette. She asked, “Sir, why are you so curious about this new recruit?”
X replied, “Him being able to communicate with the beast, somehow winning its favor, this is the reason enough. However, what surprises me is that he is not reacting to the knowledge about the forest inside his mind. It is as if everything is irrelevant.”
The lady nodded and said, “Quinn is also similar to him, her movements are agile and she blends inside the forest perfectly.”
X said, “The reason this girl could do this is that of how she is allowed to go out in the forest and venture. Ace is out for the first time. The levels are clear but as a person from the third general’s side, you might be biased toward your young miss. Remember, this is the Card Class. Your status is irrelevant here. Only your skills get you what you get. Understood.”
His voice radiated a chill that shook the lady. He made it clear that her thinking was not of any use in this place. The girl could only lower her head as she heard this.