Darkstone Code

The view from the cart was excellent, allowing one to observe everything happening within a certain area from a relatively high position. In Lynch's eyes, tufts of grass were shaking continuously in every direction, as if something was hidden within them, moving swiftly.

These were predators of the grasslands, currently the main predatory species within Nagariel's borders—leopard-lions.

The leopard-lion is neither a leopard nor a lion; it is a separate feline species. It has patterns similar to those of a leopard and a ring of golden hair around its neck (not to be included).

Because of its appearance, people called it a leopard-lion.

In the past, there were lions and leopards on this grassland, but as the leopard-lion population grew, both leopards and lions were driven further into the depths or even to other places. The main carnivorous predators here are now leopard-lions and striped wolves.

Striped wolves have strong territorial instincts. They have their own territories, and because they can endure hunger better than leopard-lions, and their environmental needs aren't as high, they do not migrate with herbivorous animals.

Moreover, striped wolves are very intelligent. They know that humans are dangerous, so aside from occasionally attacking villages when food is scarce, they mostly stay within their own territories.

Only leopard-lions need ample food to ensure their fighting strength and to rear young leopard-lions, so they have to migrate with their food sources.

A few minutes later, the tumult of the grassland subsided completely, but this quietness gave people an oppressive feeling.

The hunters on the small cart disembarked, holding ropes and nets in their hands, and began to slowly approach the herd.

Only then did Lynch notice that the knights were continually corralling the Hammervore oxen within a specific area, which was also to facilitate better hunting of the predators in the next step.

As time passed bit by bit, a Hammervore ox whose backbone was twitching suddenly lifted its head in alarm, looking around, as if sensing some danger.

But its reaction was too slow. At this moment, under the sunlight, a golden figure shot out of the grass like a flash of lightning, leaping onto the back of the Hammervore ox in an instant.

An already mature and robust leopard-lion, its fur glistening seductively in the sunlight, especially the ring of golden hair around its neck, would surely make the ladies of Bupen desire such a scarf.

The claws of the leopard-lion were three to four inches long and extremely sharp, instantly embedding into the flesh of the Hammervore ox. It bit at the wound on the ox's back, its golden fur stained with blood, adding a unique beauty to it.

A second leopard-lion leaped out of the grass, then a third, and more followed.

The entire herd was in chaos in an instant. These already frightened and wounded Hammervore oxen could no longer unite as they did previously when faced with danger to form a relatively strong force to resist predators.

The wounds on their bodies made them believe they had already been mounted by predators, and this fear allowed their instincts to take over their already underdeveloped brains, making it impossible for them to gather together.

The knights gradually withdrew, and then, the hunters equipped with gear began to move.

It seemed a little ridiculous, yet there was also an indescribable heaviness about it.

"We could have used guns and knives, but intact pelts fetch a higher price, and so do live ones, so we aim to obtain some alive, some with intact pelts. I've instructed them not to use weapons!" Hassana's eyes gleamed with greed and bloodthirst as he picked up a pair of old binoculars to enjoy the hunt.

Behind the lenses, the hunters on foot were already near the hunting circle, their first target an already resigned Hammervore ox.

Surrounding this fallen, helpless ox were seven or eight leopard-lions. Some had seized the ox's throat, some its testicles, while others were tearing at its abdomen, the softest area.

Blood, entrails, a strong stench of blood; the Hammervore ox wasn't dead yet, only able to watch helplessly as its belly was sliced open, its entrails spilling onto the ground, awaiting the arrival of death.

As the hunters approached, the feeding leopard-lions emitted low growls full of warning from their throats.

This was their prey!

The two feeding leopard-lions began to crouch, their hind legs storing energy, ready to spring at any moment. If these bipedal creatures in front of them didn't leave, they would inevitably attack to protect their prey.

But they misunderstood something—these humans weren't here to steal their prey; they were here for them!

Tempting beef posed a life-threatening danger to the Hammervore oxen, and those beautiful pelts posed a great danger to the leopard-lions!

The humans did not retreat, and this transcendence of species lines instantly made the leopard-lions realize that they couldn't reach an understanding with the humans before them.

As the first leopard-lion sprang forth, the target and several others around simultaneously raised the nets in their hands.

The net was sturdy enough and accurately ensnared the leopard-lion, but the leopard-lion still collided into a person.

One person, one leopard-lion, simultaneously rolling far away.

The person who was sent flying by it had just climbed up and taken a few steps when his face suddenly changed, and he fell back to the ground.

Blood started flowing from his nostrils. He tried to wipe it away with his hand, but it couldn't be cleaned up. No matter how much he wiped away, fresh blood kept flowing. He might be injured, but no one knew if his condition was serious, and no one cared about him.

When he coughed up a mouthful of bloody foam, people stopped looking at him.

In a place like this, sustaining such an injury meant there was no need for treatment, because it was untreatable!

The leopard-lion exploded with speed exceeding hundreds of kilometers per hour and crashed fiercely into a person. In reality, this was akin to a car accident.

The cowhide and iron pieces on him reduced some of the impact, but his ribs were still broken. Not only broken, but they also pierced into his lung lobe.

Blood quickly filled and submerged his lung lobe, making it difficult for oxygen to be transported into the blood through the alveoli. Within just tens of seconds, his brain lost the ability to keep balance due to oxygen deficiency.

He was finished; his vacant eyes gazed at the blazing sun in the sky. Yet for some reason, even though it was the brightest time of the day, his world was growing darker?

The departure of a person meant nothing to the animals on the grasslands or to Nagariel's society.

Others continued desperately, while the leopard-lion trapped in the net struggled to break free from the restraints on its body. It lacked nimble fingers and a smart brain; using brute force only made it sink deeper into the trap.

People rushed up to restrain it and began tying ropes around it.

At that moment, the other leopard-lions, despite lacking intelligence, realized these were not ordinary opponents and immediately abandoned the dying hammerhead cows to deal with these humans.

As one of the leopard-lions let out a noise similar to a "huff," more leopard-lions began converging towards this area.

Sitting on the carriage, Hassana's lips curled with a trace of a smile. He loved watching this, loved seeing human tenacity against nature; it set his blood aflame!

But the people facing immense crises didn't think that way. If it weren't for money, if it weren't for the one-in-thousand chance to change their family's status, no one would willingly come to throw their lives away!

To them, this was coming to die.

Humans and leopard-lions were engaged in combat, with two or three, three or four people tackling a single leopard-lion. Due to Hassana's demands, they weren't allowed to use weapons that would damage the leopard-lion pelts; they could only use ropes or nets.

They didn't have tranquilizer guns, nor anesthetics, and even Hassana wasn't willing to deal with poisons—just as some countries strictly monitor arms and certain sensitive goods, in Nagariel, the rulers have strict control over any toxic substances.

Moreover, some natural toxins could ruin the pelts' luster, so ultimately, it became a savage, terrifying, yet stimulating melee.

A melee between humans and the apex predators of the food chain!

Lynch watched for a while and said, "It's too slow; maybe you could allow them to use weapons."

Hassana turned back with a half-smiling look at Lynch, "Is damaged pelts the same price as intact pelts?"

Lynch shook his head and dropped the subject. They weren't really discussing this matter, yet, indirectly, they were.

The slaughter went on for over ten minutes before it gradually ended. Some leopard-lions abandoned their prey and quickly slipped into the grass, disappearing. Those that remained were either strangled or trapped in the nets, unable to escape.

Hassana looked at these hunted animals with great satisfaction, paying no mind to the wounded all over the field. He paid money, the people completed the commission, and they should even be grateful for his generosity.

Next came the cleanup of the battlefield. The Knights returned from afar and first divided the hammerhead cows, packaging the leopard-lions in cowhide to ensure these exquisite pelts wouldn't get damaged during transport.

Then, they started distributing simple supplies to the wounded, like strips of cloth, some ash, and other things.

Lynch watched these people and let out a silent sigh. Most of them probably wouldn't survive, not because their injuries would take their lives.

The bites looked terrifying, but if handled correctly wouldn't actually threaten life. What truly made survival difficult was the bacteria in the wounds.

The teeth and claws of these leopard-lions harbored a large amount of bacterial viruses. These pose no issues on their bodies, but once they enter the human body, they are deadly.

More than half an hour later, Hassana's nephew appeared before Lynch and Hassana, bursting with joy as he reported the good news, "Fourteen leopard-lions in total, three alive, the rest dead. The pelts are all in excellent condition; I've never seen such high-quality pelts!"

Actually, five were initially alive, but during the struggle, two broke their legs. Lynch probably wouldn't want these handicapped leopard-lions, and no one would want to visit a zoo or any place filled with cripples.

But their pelts were preserved very well, so Hassana directly strangled them.