Captain Liu had been stationed at the hunting grounds for many years, and he was well aware of the strength of the Mutated Beasts.
If a Superior Exotic Beast had indeed set its sights on them.
Given their habits, they would inevitably launch a sneak attack at night.
If the night watchmen were Martial Practitioners or Martial Apprentice-level guards, they might not even have the chance to cry for help before being killed.
Even if Commanders Tang Wen and Zhou Bing could wake up in time and rush over, it would still take some time.
That brief period would be enough for an agile Superior Exotic Beast to slaughter their entire team.
His brows furrowed, and unease settled in his heart.
"No need to be nervous," Tang Wen casually reassured him.
Then he stretched his limbs and began practicing the Eight Section Brocade at a leisurely pace.
His demeanor was calm, and every movement carried an indescribable grace.
Captain Liu gradually felt influenced by it.
"Then tonight, we'll have to trouble the two commanders. It's getting dark, so I'll gather the team and bring them back."
Captain Liu didn't dare to doubt.
A person's reputation is like the shadow of a tree.
Who was Tang Wen? He was the Awakened who had faced the "Misfortune" of Black Mountain Camp, suppressed the opponent's abilities, and killed them!
People privately speculated that Commander Tang also had an ability, one that made him immune to misfortune.
Otherwise, how could he be so close to Zhou Bing, who was known as the "Husband Killer"?
Captain Liu prepared himself with utmost caution.
After dinner.
Tang Wen continued to ponder the Hidden Weapon Visualization Method.
In his mind, he sketched out scenes of various firearms in action.
However, handguns were out of the question.
The muzzle velocity of a handgun bullet was slower than the speed at which he could throw a Flying Stone.
Visualizing a handgun was pointless.
Based on his experiments that afternoon, he was mainly thinking about the scenes of heavy artillery like the "Italian Cannon," "Howitzer," and "Self-Propelled Artillery" firing.
Before coming to this world, he had been something of a pseudo-military enthusiast.
The kind who could put on a show in front of people who knew nothing about the military, but would immediately be exposed when faced with someone slightly knowledgeable.
Thanks to his improved mental attributes, he could recall his previous knowledge and the videos he had watched with crystal clarity.
Among them, the famous scene from the Battle of Ping'an Gele was particularly vivid in his memory.
The moment the Italian Cannon fired, blasting the city gate tower, was etched in his mind.
But Tang Wen wasn't aiming for explosions.
The Flying Stones in his hands were, after all, just pebbles. They couldn't explode; at most, they would shatter into pieces.
What he wanted was initial velocity!
An initial velocity that could exceed several times the speed of sound.
However, the energy conversion for initial velocity was still beyond Tang Wen's grasp.
He was deep in thought when he was suddenly interrupted.
"Commander Tang Wen, Commander Zhou Bing, everyone has been brought back. Tonight, I'll arrange for everyone to stay in the nearby courtyards. What do you think?"
Although being interrupted while tackling a difficult problem was uncomfortable, the task at hand still needed to be addressed. He nodded and dismissed Captain Liu with a few words.
He then returned to his contemplation of visualizing firearms.
Just as he was getting back into the groove, a series of footsteps approached from behind.
The people who had been lying in ambush outside had returned.
Tang Wen felt annoyed. He really wanted to retreat into the mountains for some peace and quiet to properly think through the Visualization Method.
Unfortunately, he couldn't leave. Doing so would be irresponsible to the guards.
Freedom doesn't come with duty, and duty doesn't come with freedom.
The camp was bustling with activity—people cooking, roasting meat, simmering soup, chatting, and laughing—it was lively.
Tang Wen shook his head helplessly, feeling a sudden nostalgia for the days when he wandered alone in the wilderness, diligently honing his skills.
He wondered if he could ever return to those times.
Unable to focus any longer, he walked back into the house, took out some dried meat and minced meat, and began interacting with the Blood Raven in its cage.
"Gah gah gah, gah gah," the Blood Raven let out rhythmic calls.
Tang Wen poured a cup of warm, fresh Sand Wolf Blood for it.
Catching the distinct metallic scent of the Mutated Beast's blood, the Blood Raven excitedly called out a few times and immediately began slurping it up.
[Beast Taming Art, Beginner (101→152/1000)]
Huh, just a bit of Mutated Beast blood and you're already won over?
Tang Wen smiled and extended his finger, gently pressing it against the Blood Raven's head.
But the Blood Raven was too engrossed in drinking to play with its master, its small head pushing against his finger as it drank its fill.
After spending some time bonding,
Tang Wen sat on the bed, observing the Blood Raven's every move, carefully sketching its image in his mind.
Black feathers, red eyes, a long tail, short legs...
This was a special technique, a secret method privately taught by Old Crow.
It allowed the Beast Tamer to grow closer to the Blood Raven.
"Knock knock knock!"
Just as he was about to finish the first sketch, the sound of knocking interrupted him.
"Commander Tang Wen, dinner is ready."
"Hmm."
He looked at the Blood Raven flapping its wings.
Suddenly, he realized that since becoming a Commander, he hadn't had a moment of peace.
There was always something or other interrupting his daily training.
Dinner was a table full of wild game.
Since they had harvested a Three-headed Wolf today, everyone was particularly cheerful.
It almost made them forget they were in the wilderness.
"Alert!" Just as everyone was enjoying the meal, Tang Wen shouted, leaping up and landing on the roof of the stone house.
Below, there was a flurry of commotion.
"It's a wild boar, a huge one."
Tang Wen frowned. His instincts told him this boar was dangerous, but not overly so.
It didn't seem like it could pose a threat to him.
"Sister Bing, why don't you handle it?"
"Alright."
Zhou Bing felt a bit puzzled but didn't ask why.
Captain Liu also climbed onto the roof at this point. From a distance, his expression changed: "A Stone Tooth Boar! These things are hard to kill. Commander Zhou, don't take it lightly!"
Turning to Tang Wen, he added, "Commander Tang Wen, aren't you going to step in?"
Tang Wen glanced at him, and Captain Liu quickly explained, "This Stone Tooth Boar isn't your average Mid-level Exotic Beast. It's larger than a typical wild ox, with a hide so tough its defense rivals that of a Superior Exotic Beast."
"Even a several-hundred-pound strongbow can't pierce it. Last time we encountered one, not only did we fail to kill it, but it also destroyed parts of our stone house and walls, injuring several of our men."
As he spoke, Zhou Bing approached the Stone Tooth Boar.
She swung her spear horizontally, slamming it into the boar's front leg.
The immense force rebounded, surprising her.
The Stone Tooth Boar roared at her, completely unfazed by her attack, and continued charging toward the hunting squad's camp without slowing down.
"Commander Tang Wen?" Captain Liu looked at him anxiously.
If they didn't act soon, it would be too late once the Stone Tooth Boar reached the camp.
Tang Wen asked calmly, "Is it a Superior Exotic Beast?"
"No, but the threat it poses to our camp is no less than that of a Superior Exotic Beast!"
"Go help out."
"What? You're still not going to step in?"
"Go help out," Tang Wen repeated, his tone still calm.
At that moment, Zhou Bing turned and thrust her spear, piercing the Stone Tooth Boar's hind leg and slowing it down.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade Tang Wen, Captain Liu had no choice but to take his men to assist Zhou Bing.
He couldn't help but grumble inwardly: Could it be that Tang Wen had overexerted himself during the day and hadn't recovered yet?
Tch! And he dares to boast about his monstrous stamina.
"Men, follow me to support Commander Zhou."
Seven or eight people leaped down from the stone wall.
Tang Wen slowed his breathing, trying to calm his mind and sense everything around him.
A few minutes later, the Stone Tooth Boar arrived within a hundred meters of the camp's stone wall.
It was about to charge into the living quarters.
Wu Tian and the others also descended to help.
Only Tang Wen remained motionless.
Not only did he not move, but he also completely held his breath, minimizing his presence.
"Commander Tang Wen, please come to our aid quickly."
The Stone Tooth Boar was clearly attracted by the scent of blood at the camp and didn't bother to engage with Zhou Bing and the others.
Relying on its thick hide, it charged forward relentlessly.
Zhou Bing had left dozens of wounds on its body, nearly tearing its left hind leg completely.
Yet the Stone Tooth Boar seemed to feel no pain, running madly.
Despite the plea for help, Tang Wen still didn't move, watching as the
Stone Tooth Boar drew closer.
Suddenly, the ground trembled.
His eyes lit up: It's here!
"Everyone, evacuate the camp immediately. A High-Level Mutated Beast has entered from underground!"
As if to confirm his words, with a deafening roar, the tallest stone building in the hunting squad's camp collapsed!
(End of Chapter)