Twilight Deer

Duke continued deeper into the forest, carefully observing his surroundings as he went.

During this process, his Hunting skill proficiency slowly increased. As long as he did something related to hunting, he gained proficiency.

Duke held a simple map in his hand. It marked parts of the outer region of Moonlight Forest, including the terrain and several important locations, such as water sources.

These had all been compiled from the experience of those who came before. There was nothing beyond that, because few people ventured into the depths of Moonlight Forest.

Duke had no intention of going deep either. He would only search the outer areas for traces of the Twilight Deer.

Finding a Twilight Deer would naturally be ideal, but if he could not find one, he could hunt other prey and make some money as well.

Duke mainly headed toward several important water sources, hoping to find clues around them.

Twilight Deer had high demands when it came to water sources, and their activity range was generally near water.

Duke spent the entire morning exploring three water sources, yet found nothing.

He planned to explore the remaining two water sources that afternoon. If he still found nothing, he could only give up.

Duke would not spend the night in Moonlight Forest. It was far too dangerous after dark.

After simply eating some dried rations and drinking a little fresh water, he continued onward.

Duke arrived beneath a waterfall cascading down from a towering mountain, like a river from the heavens pouring down.

Below the waterfall lay a pool of crystal-clear water, where many black carp could be seen swimming beneath the surface.

Duke crouched in the grass by the pool and carefully observed the area.

Water sources usually attracted many wild beasts seeking a drink, and were often somewhat dangerous.

After watching for a while, Duke only spotted two elk and no predators, so he began searching the surrounding area.

He soon found some droppings and identified them by their shape as having been left by a Twilight Deer.

Duke immediately perked up. The droppings were still fairly fresh, meaning they had been left not long ago. The Twilight Deer should be nearby.

He looked around and found several hoofprints. They were indeed the tracks of a Twilight Deer.

Following the tracks, Duke eventually discovered the Twilight Deer grazing beneath a tree ahead.

He did not act rashly. Instead, he began adjusting his breathing, slowing it as much as possible until he seemed to blend into the surrounding environment.

The Twilight Deer was a mid-tier magical beast. It was not skilled in attack or defense, but it was incredibly fast.

It was highly vigilant. Once startled, it would immediately flee, and at Duke's current speed, catching up was nearly impossible.

Humans were already hindered by the forest, making them no match for these beasts in such terrain.

Duke kept his body low. Every step he took had been considered in advance, and his feet made almost no sound as they touched the ground.

Even his breathing followed the wind around him, concealing every breath within it.

Duke's concealment was flawless, to the point that even a magical beast with such keen senses as the Twilight Deer failed to notice his presence.

The entire process lasted about half an hour before Duke slowly crept into range. Throughout that time, the Twilight Deer had leisurely continued grazing.

Duke crouched where he was and waited. He was already within range; now, he only needed to wait for a mountain breeze.

When the wind rose, he would draw his bow and nock an arrow, concealing every movement within the sound of the wind.

Duke was very patient. He knew he did not have many chances.

He could not rush his shot. Once the Twilight Deer was startled and became wary, it would not be easy to approach again.

A mountain wind swept past, and the entire forest rippled like a green ocean.

Feeling the breeze, the Twilight Deer slightly raised its head and narrowed its eyes, enjoying the tranquil moment.

In the distance, Duke had already drawn his bow and nocked an arrow, its tip gleaming with a cold glint.

He had completely merged with his surroundings. Without looking carefully, one could not sense his presence at all.

The bowstring in Duke's hand was taut. He did not fire in haste, still waiting for the wind so he could hide the arrow within its direction and loose the perfect shot.

About ten minutes later, Duke finally released the bowstring.

The arrow shot forth, flying toward the Twilight Deer with the wind. Everything was silent, hidden within the breeze.

The arrow grazed the Twilight Deer's back, leaving a wound as blood seeped out.

The Twilight Deer immediately gave a soft cry, then lightly leaped more than ten meters away and vanished from sight.

Duke had not missed with that shot. He had done it deliberately.

The arrow had already been coated in poison, enough to paralyze a giant bear in an extremely short time.

Since the mission required capturing it alive, Duke could not simply shoot the Twilight Deer dead. He could only use this method.

He put away his longbow and followed after it.

The Twilight Deer was incredibly fast, and Duke could not keep up with it in the short term. Even among mid-tier magical beasts, such speed was considered exceptional.

However, because the Twilight Deer was injured, Duke easily tracked it by following the clues it left behind.

After tracking it for a while, he found that the traces it left were becoming increasingly dense. It had most likely begun to grow numb, which was why it was slowing down.

Half an hour later, the Twilight Deer could no longer move at all. It lay on the ground, struggling to rise.

It watched Duke draw closer in terror, scraping desperately at the ground with its hooves, yet it could not stand.

Duke did not rush closer. After all, it was a mid-tier magical beast. If it suddenly gathered its strength and kicked him, that would not feel good.

He simply waited where he was. Only after the Twilight Deer had completely lost consciousness did he walk over, lift it up, and sling it over his shoulder.

"Job done. Time to go home." Duke was in high spirits. This deer was worth a hundred gold coins—a massive haul.

The moment he carried the Twilight Deer away, he sensed something unusual behind him. With a light leap, he landed several meters away, and an arrow stood embedded in the spot where he had just been.

Duke turned back and saw two people wearing leather armor watching him with ill intent.

A man with a scar across his face spoke. "Friend, we found this injured Twilight Deer first and tracked it for a long time. It would not be appropriate for you to simply take it, would it?"

Duke nearly laughed at that. "Why don't you think about why this deer is injured in the first place? If we're talking about who came first, you're the ones who arrived later."

Scarface grinned viciously. "You Nightingale people really are overbearing. This is Moonlight Forest. Even if we kill you here, no one will know. If you know what's good for you, leave the deer and get lost. We can spare your life."

"You know I'm with Nightingale and still dare say that. It seems there is no peaceful way to settle this today." Duke sighed.

Naturally, he could not do as they said. They had recognized the Nightingale leather armor he wore and still threatened him, which meant they had never intended to let Duke live. Whether he left the Twilight Deer behind or not made no difference.