"Besides, that's the rule."
The old hunter pointed to the bear's head in the truck bed.
"It was once the king of this place. If you kill the king, you must let everyone see it. To secretly dismember and sell it is the greatest insult to this beast."
"Go and let those people hiding in heated rooms smell this stench of blood."
Black opened the car door and went straight to the back seat.
"Get on the bus. Let everyone on this island know that a new professional hunter has arrived."
Su Wei was taken aback.
He looked at Black's expressionless face, then glanced at Aruk beside him, who was beaming with excitement.
The logic here is completely different from his previous philosophy of survival.
But he quickly realized what was happening.
This is about creating a persona.
In this industry, fame equals premium.
If this car drives into town today, the whole island will know tomorrow that a young Asian man named Su Wei killed a beast weighing over 600 kilograms.
Whether it's selling prey, taking on high-level guild commissions, or dealing with those arrogant equipment dealers, this will be invaluable capital.
Su Wei took a deep breath of the cold air.
The lungs were filled with coldness, which then transformed into a burst of heat.
He took the key that Aruk handed him.
"Get on the bus."
A black steel beast is speeding along the highway leading to Kodiak Town.
This modified Raptor F-150 was already significantly taller than a regular pickup truck, and now, with a mountain of prey piled up behind it, the sense of oppression was amplified many times over.
Su Wei's hands were very steady on the steering wheel.
The afterglow of the Hunting Module had not yet completely dissipated, and his senses remained subtly sharp.
He could feel every vibration as the wheels rolled over the asphalt road, and he could hear the rubbing of the bear bones in the back of the truck as it bounced around.
After Su Wei and his men settled their hunting dogs, they drove from the wilderness to the town.
It was already afternoon.
On the mountain, they dissected the giant beast, made their way, and settled the hunting dogs.
All of this took too much time.
The sky was getting dark.
The streetlights along the road began to turn on.
The number of vehicles gradually increased.
At first, there were only cars traveling in opposite directions.
As the two vehicles passed each other, Su Wei could clearly see through his rearview mirror that the other vehicle's brake lights suddenly lit up.
They were frightened.
Anyone who is on a highway at dusk and suddenly sees a black pickup truck covered in mud with a ferocious bear head on its back whizzing by would instinctively slam on the brakes.
"Hahaha. Look at that guy. He almost drove his car into the ditch just now."
Aruk lowered the car window.
The cold wind blew in, making his hair a mess, but he didn't care.
He leaned half his body out of the window, waving to the shaken drivers, looking like a general on a tour.
Su Wei did not stop it.
Since we've decided to be high-profile, let's go all the way.
He stepped on the gas.
The engine roared deep and powerfully, its sound echoing across the empty highway.
Ahead lies the main street of Kodiak Town.
This is the most bustling area on the entire island.
Bars, fishing tackle shops, supermarkets, and souvenir shops catering to tourists are all clustered along both sides of this not-so-wide street.
It was lunchtime, and the streets were bustling with people.
As the Raptor, reeking of blood, turned the corner and entered the main street, the noisy street instantly fell silent.
Everyone on the street stopped what they were doing.
Dockworkers unloading cargo, tourists holding coffee, housewives preparing to cross the street—everyone's attention was drawn to them.
The visual impact is too strong.
The black body resembles a mobile fortress, and the low-hanging suspension speaks volumes about the terrifying weight of the load.
The moose antlers are the highest point and most conspicuous, their wide horns spreading out to the sides, blocking the light from the streetlights behind them.
And beneath the antlers.
The enormous, blood-stained brown bear head trembled slightly with the vibrations of the vehicle.
Its mouth was slightly open, revealing a broken fang, as if it were still Silent Roar at this civilized world.
"My God..."
On the roadside, a fat man holding a hot dog stared wide-eyed, oblivious to the sausage slipping from his hand and falling to the ground.
"That's... a bear? How big is it?"
"Look at those claws. My God, that's terrifying! Those claws were hanging off the side of the car, wider than the spare tire."
The deathly silence was broken.
Instead, there was an explosive uproar.
The crowd began to stir.
Some people took out their phones and started snapping photos like crazy, while others pointed and gestured to their companions.
A few bolder young men even whistled and gave Su Wei a thumbs-up inside the car.
Su Wei stared straight ahead.
He didn't look at the crowds on either side; he simply rested one hand on the steering wheel, his expression eerily calm.
But his inner world was not as calm as it appeared.
Although the system did not display any specific numerical prompts, he could sense that something invisible was gathering.
That was reverence.
That's the aura of the apex predator.
Under this gaze, Su Wei no longer felt like a poor boy worrying about a debt of 30,000 US dollars.
He is the master of this wilderness.
This feeling is great.
It was so cool!
It's even more satisfying than shooting ten bullseyes at the shooting range.
This is true romance for men.
Violence, bloodshed, conquest.
Black in the back row was still smoking a cigar, but in the shadows, the old hunter nodded slightly.
That kid's got guts.
They were neither carried away by the cheers nor intimidated by the crowd.
That kind of composure can't be faked.
That's the confidence that comes from having life on your hands.
Aruk was completely ecstatic.
The guy leaned half his body out of the window, his face, reddened by the cold wind, was filled with fervor.
"That's right. It's this big guy."
He waved at several burly men who also looked like hunters by the roadside, pointing his thumb behind him with extreme arrogance.
"Over 600 kilograms. And on an empty stomach."
"He was just taken down at Eagle Beak Cliff on the north slope."
One shot, and it was to the heart.