The Imperial Hunter Chapter 71 - The Hunters (6)

The Dutton helicopter that avoided the collision by descending was hovering at about 20 meters. While the pilot wiped cold sweat off his chest, the so-called captain was wasting time and fuel with ignorant blame games. In times like this, not engaging at all would be the wisest course. However, having nearly lost the helicopter, comrades, and two customers he had a duty to protect even if unsatisfactory all at once, Neilson had finally snapped this time.

While both groups of hunters were passing the time like this, the beast turned its body and moved further into the forest, taking about a hundred steps. At that point, the pig turned its body again and began to draw magical power. Its soul began to glow brighter and brighter with each passing moment. This was a sign of the power it was accumulating and condensing, with the intent to unleash it in a single explosive moment. It was a different use of magical power than what was needed during constant evasion. I watched with great interest as the beast prepared for its challenge.

A warning?

Why should I show such kindness?

Luckily, the forest in front of me was not like the Trembling Giant or a park with the “President.” The circuit-pierced trees were distributed quite well, and the line of sight was not greatly reduced. Within the anticipation given to me like a gift, I unconsciously anticipated the upcoming leap.

‘Vertical field of view… roughly 65 degrees?’

One degree is about 17.78 mils. The Dutton side helicopter was flying at an altitude of about 20 meters, so the minimum distance at which the pig could visually track its target was 23 meters. At least that much distance had to be maintained before the leap.

A moment later, the long-awaited sprint began.

The acceleration of the massive body immediately resulted in visible vibrations. With a mass exceeding a thousand pounds striking the ground with destructive force, all the branches piled with snow in the surroundings trembled and released the snow. This was a phenomenon that could be observed with the naked eye from the outside of the forest. The white-frosted spruce trees drew straight lines as they sought their original color, and it was only natural that they would catch one’s eye. While avoiding obstacles, the pig maintained the straightest trajectory possible and accelerated its speed.

「What… is that?」

The startled voice of the pilot. Neilson, who had been involved in a heated argument, turned his head. At that moment, a 3-meter beast leaped like a projectile, using a steep rock as a foothold. I involuntarily leaned forward. Would it succeed or fail? A reflexive turn and ascent on the Dutton side, decreasing distance, and flashes of gunfire. Three bullets failed to pierce the pig’s reinforced skull.

A curse was uttered by the pilot on this side, who had been watching.

「Oh, shit!」 
  
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    TLN: In English.
  

The deafening noise of shattering glass and crumpling metal pierced through the headset. Now, I could see the pig beginning to fall in an arc, and the helicopter spinning like a top, throwing the passengers out. Three hunters were thrown by the centrifugal force, with two of them avoiding an immediate fall thanks to their safety harnesses. The remaining one was not so lucky. Captivated by gravity, he collided with the steep terrain, bouncing off it several times, much like a water vole splashing blood with each bounce. The blood sprayed on the white snow was a vivid shade of red.

But he wasn’t particularly unlucky.

「Wow, damn it, we’re crashing!」

Jack’s cry, as if overwhelmed by the sight. The Dutton Light Cavalry’s helicopter had already lost its piloting capability. The pilot was killed instantly, and the helicopter, with its control shaft fixed in place, was descending. The two secured by safety harnesses were flying along the rotating helicopter body like a regular amusement park swing. At one point, one barely clung to the landing skid, while the other was roughly torn apart as if peeled by a spruce tree.

And once again, the sounds of crushing and breaking metal reverberated with force. Startled birds flew noisily from mountains and forests. The damaged engine emitted white smoke as it rose into the air, while aviation fuel spilled from the shattered hull, drenching the snow and ground. The fuel had not yet ignited, providing quite a spectacle.

Ah, it was indeed a fantastic sight.

「But where’s the pig?!」

Neilson, the brigade commander, was distracted by the crash but noticed the footprints left by the creature a moment too late. The prints with four wide hooves indicated that the furious beast had entered the forest once more.

「Number 2 and Number 3 helicopters, do you see anything? The pig’s location or the situation at the crash site, anything will do!」

Helicopters 2 and 3 had raised their altitude to observe the crash site. Now, I adjusted my audio again and eavesdropped on the response to Neilson.

「This is Chopper 2! We haven’t found the pig yet, and there are signs of survivors at the crash site. We estimate two individuals, both appear to be injured from this distance. One can be seen near the co-pilot seat, but it’s unclear if they’re alive. We can’t verify inside the cabin. Over!」

「This is Chopper 3. Same information here! Over!」

Of course, to me, the pig’s movements were vividly clear. It was narrowing the distance around the crash site, moving like a predator seeking an opportunity. Its breath was the spreading hue of hot air. To anyone watching, it was the movement of a beast driven by hatred.

Now that I think about it, among the pigs I killed earlier, there were children and females mixed in…

Fascinating. Truly fascinating.

To me, who had been troubled by the encounter with Grace earlier, this newfound enjoyment was quite extraordinary.

「Chopper 2, can you prepare to lower rescue ropes? We can at least pull up the two non-critical if given lines.」

While lightweight helicopter output wasn’t great, it still had the capacity to lift a few dead boars in addition to a full passenger load. This meant pulling up two people wouldn’t be an issue. But the real problem lay elsewhere, as Neilson pointed out.

「No, too dangerous! Consider the ropes’ length!」

「Oh, right.」

「Even just getting attacked while dangling could cause an accident!」

A valid judgment. As they hesitated, the boar wary of the two hovering helicopters finally commenced a follow-up attack. It accelerated, changing direction to evade obstacles.

「Boar spotted!」

A late warning from Chopper 2. As the two herder pilots reacted by gaining altitude, the fiercely charging hybrid boar viciously rammed one of the Dutton survivors. The survivor’s waist snapped as new blood sprayed out in all directions. The breeding hybrid had tusks resembling a wild boar’s. Running with the person speared on its tusk when the boar lowered its head and then strained its neck muscles to the limit, the body flew high into the air. Warm innards burst out from the torn area like cheap fireworks.

「Holy shit…」

A groan escaped the militia member near me.

The remaining Dutton survivor, likely screaming, crawled into the mangled helicopter wreckage. Right after the 180-degree about-face, the charging boar rammed the debris. An intense collision sound like when it had first gone down. Bam, bam, crash! Each time the boar battered with its whole body, the remaining wreckage was dismantled in real time. The tail boom bent, the fuselage rolled like a ball, and the rotor blade warped like a giant paper clip under the hooves.

「Open fire! Fire!」

The Pioneer Hunters’ team unleashed aimed shots at the boar. Though reluctant, I also went through the motions of shooting. I silently shook my head at Kyung-tae’s questioning glance. The cautious volleys, careful to avoid hitting a person, still posed enough threat to make the boar evade.

Confirming the boar was gone, Neilson immediately instructed,

「Chopper 3 maintains hover! Block any further boar attacks! Choppers 1 and 2 land outside the forest!」

「Land, you say?!」

「Yes! From Chopper 1 me and Jack, from Chopper 2 Aaron and Connor will disembark and approach the crash site on foot! The rest liftoff again to provide air cover!”

「Are you insane? After seeing that carnage you’ll go in on foot?!」

「I won’t hear dissent!」

「Don’t order us, Neilson! We’re not soldiers!」

「That’s right! We’re militia and hunters! Hunters who volunteered to undertake ‘high-risk hunting’! If you didn’t know this would be dangerous, get out of the brigade this instant! Don’t whine like a kid!」

After some more yelling back and forth, in the end, the three helicopters decided to follow Neilson’s intent. All except one deserter. I was curious about what percentage of a sense of mission and desire for honor lay behind this decision.

While the helicopters landed on gentle slopes outside the forest, Neilson apologized to me and Kyung-tae.

「Once again, I’m very sorry. Further normal tours seem impossible, so I’ll refund the fees in full」

Kyung-tae looked at me, and I shook my head.

「No need for that. Instead, allow me to join in too.」

「What?!」

「I only wish to lend a hand in rescuing people. One more in-the-ground approach team is better, no? I’ll go alone. Just me.」

Eyes wide at the notion of being left behind, Kyung-tae pointed at himself but I shook my head again. Even just me going was a huge burden to Neilson.

Despite making a suitable excuse, Neilson was extremely hesitant. He tried to dissuade me citing various reasons, but upon emphasizing this was the condition for not getting a refund, he wavered, glancing between me and Kyung-tae before giving up persuasion with a gloomy expression. There wasn’t much time to stall, and as the head of the team, the $5,336 we paid was money he wanted to keep if at all possible. It was difficult to strongly oppose me.

Neilson requested that I carry a stretcher when disembarking the helicopter.

“Please transport the stretcher!”

“Understood!”

We had to yell to be heard over the rough wind and engine noise. The helicopter immediately took off again after unloading people and rescue gear, turning its nose toward the crash site. With the folded stretcher over my shoulder, I held a rifle in one hand.

A rescue team of 7 including me entered the edge of the forest at a careful – for me, aggravatingly slow speed. Due to the magical fields of the scattered awakening trees interfering with awakeners’ senses, the forest was a high-risk hunting ground by default.

‘Might try saving it if possible.’

My reason for joining wasn’t the people, but the boar’s life. Although its code wasn’t outstanding, it had exerted itself without signs of tumors spreading or internal injury. Meaning, in luck or talent it was a decently born creature.

Therefore, preserving it intact if possible was slightly more advantageous. Who knows? We may encounter it again someday bearing more evolved codes. As long as it lived that itself served as quality assurance, and if it died then that was the end of it.

Ratatatatat!

“Damn!”

A graze steaming past my nose tip. The militia member who pulled the trigger bit his lip. What he shot at was the silhouette of the boar briefly flashing by dozens of meters away. The nearby bushes swayed only a moment. The spruce tree grove soon returned to a quiet winter forest. With all other animals having fled at once, the weight of the settling silence felt heavier.

Ratatat! This time the gunshot echoing was my three-round burst. The three heavy rounds I aimed and fired from the hip grazingly struck the boar’s forehead as it was about to charge, ricocheting off. I intentionally angled them high. Abandoning the assault, the boar moved position.

The third volley came from the sky. The crossfire from Choppers 2 and 3 made the boar, having tasted human blood, retreat once more.

The fourth deterrent was unnecessary. Because the crash site wasn’t too deep in. I put down the stretcher and suddenly burst out in the direction the boar was slowly but surely closing in from.

“What are you doing?!”

Neilson panicked. But I needed to get away from the rescue squad even for a moment. Just a moment would do. Having run forward and secured minimum separation from the rescue squad, I fully expanded my magical field broadcasting the presence of a great mage. At the same time, feigning threat fire in a kneel-shoot posture.

“Kwiiiik!”

Along with just loud gunshot echoes, the boar’s shriek came through. Sensing my magical field, the startled boar yelped and tumbled before hastily turning its head and burrowing into good hiding bushes. Yet its gaze was still fixed this way even when in hiding. It seethed with enmity toward me that couldn’t be neutralized even by my presence.

Well, it shouldn’t recklessly charge again to this degree.

It would have looked to Neilson’s group like I scared off the boar by firing. With the boar’s scream audible too there was no room for doubt.

“Sorry about that.”

Neilson nervously accepted my apology for returning to position.

• 1. TLN: In English.