Our Family Has Fallen

”If we startle them, they’ll get away just like they did the last few times. We finally found them; we can’t let them slip through our fingers again.”

The minor leader directly rejected the other members’ suggestions.

One reason was indeed that the Hawks circling overhead were too conspicuous. Once they were on their guard and spotted the Hawks, they would leave.

The second reason was that he needed an opportunity to prove himself.

”We’ll sneak up and confirm their location.”

Upon hearing this, the other members of the Eagle Flock appeared somewhat hesitant. Without those Knights, they weren’t confident they could handle those fellows.

Their life of ease had indeed had a great impact on them; the once-feared Eagle Claw hunters had become like this.

Seeing this, the minor leader also became somewhat irritable, his rolling eyes shifting to look at the other members.

”Hmph! Haven’t you seen who’s leading this team? If he doesn’t achieve merits, we’ll be the ones to suffer. Think about it: do you want to go back to be rewarded or to be punished?”

This indeed made the members realize something. The previously somewhat loose atmosphere began to grow serious, and everyone looked solemn.

”Keep a close watch on your birds,” the minor leader finally felt a bit more satisfied. Without further ado, he gestured towards the direction of the tracks and began moving stealthily forward…

As expected, they had to delve at least a thousand yards, nearly a kilometer, to spy on the camp hidden deep within the wilderness forest.

The minor leader, fearing he might alert those people, climbed up to the highest canopy nearby and scrutinized the camp from a considerable distance.

A regular human would certainly be unable to see anything from such a distance, but it was clear that members of the Eagle Flock had inherited some kind of secret technique from the tribe’s legacy.

It couldn’t even really be called a camp. There was nothing there but Barbarian Tribe warriors lying around resting haphazardly. The white wolves were also lying on the ground; some were asleep, while others looked listless.

Discovering this elated the minor leader. Once their targets were in the sight of the Eagle Flock, there was absolutely no way to let them escape again.

And I can finally end this cursed task and go back to the city to relax properly, he thought.

”SCREECH!”

Suddenly, a slightly hoarse shriek pierced the air, startling the minor leader. He didn’t wait to figure out what was happening but immediately burst out scolding.

”Damn it! Didn’t I tell you all…”

But before he could finish, he realized the call had come from his own great bird.

While he was stunned, a long wolf howl sounded from the nearby dense forest. The Barbarian Tribe warriors and white wolves who had been lying flat on the campsite instantly got up and rushed toward them.

At the same time, intense commotion erupted from the surrounding dense forest.

Ever the elite of the former tribe, the minor leader reacted instantly.

”It’s a trap!”

But just as he shouted, the Hawks beside the other members had already become alert. They began calling out and flying around until a Spear, appearing from nowhere, pierced one and brought it down to the ground.

The enemy seemed to have been prepared for a long time. They specifically targeted the Hawks, and without even showing themselves, they had already caused the loss of three Hawks.

A giant white Warwolf darted out of the dense forest first, followed by Barbarian Tribe warriors burning with fervent rage.

Having been pursued for so long, their accumulated anger was finally finding an outlet.

”Spread out! Run for it!” The minor leader couldn’t care less now. He jumped down from the tree, quickly nocked an arrow to his bow, and shot at the Wolf King.

Although it was a hasty shot, when the arrow hit the Wolf King, it unexpectedly slid off its thick fur, doing no damage at all.

Seeing this, the minor leader had no intention of resisting and instead turned tail to run.

Knowing it was a trap, they had lost the initiative the moment they fell into it. Now, it was every man for himself.

Finally, the members of the Eagle Flock reacted. They scattered, seizing the chance to break through the incomplete encirclement individually.

A member of the Eagle Flock whose great bird had been speared, feeling unwilling to give up, drew his bow and shot an arrow. These men were all expert archers from a young age, and at this distance, it was almost impossible to miss.

However, the Wolf King had already pounced. With a single swipe, it knocked the bow and arrow aside. Its massive weight bore down, pinning the man who couldn’t escape in time. It then opened its bloodthirsty maw and bit through his neck in one go, instantly soaking the white fur around its mouth with fresh blood.

Ignoring the contorted, struggling body on the ground, it immediately charged towards the next unlucky soul.

The minor leader reacted the fastest. He didn’t run in the opposite direction of the camp but headed towards it.

Since it’s a trap, our escape route must have been cut off when they attacked, he reasoned. Conversely, the path towards the camp is likely the opening. If I can break through, I’m confident I can shake off those dogs.

Besides, the main force is on its way. Even if I can’t escape, I just need to stall for time.

To accelerate, he activated the feathered accessory on his body. Magical Supernatural Power enveloped him, making his body lighter and dramatically increasing his speed.

But as he hurried away, he never imagined he had already been targeted.

Suddenly, a piercing bird cry sounded. The minor leader, intimately familiar with his own great bird’s call, instantly realized what it meant and leaped aside.

In that same instant, a long-handled giant axe swept out from beside him. The axe, aimed at his waist, whistled past just below his feet. If he had reacted a moment slower, he would have been cleaved in two.

As soon as the minor leader landed, he snatched up his bow, loosed a hasty arrow without checking if it hit, and fled without looking back.

But his pursuer was the Warwolf. He effortlessly swatted the feeble arrow away with his giant axe and immediately charged.

The Warwolf stood over two meters tall. His robust stature might have made him seem cumbersome, but that would be a fatal misconception.

When he charged, his explosive speed was like a thundering locomotive, his power and velocity both impeccable.

Hearing the commotion behind him, the minor leader didn’t dare hesitate. He leaped sharply to the side, narrowly avoiding the force of the charge.

But before he could feel relieved at his evasion, the long-handled giant axe swung down again, forcing the minor leader to dodge once more.

The Supernatural Power still surged within him. His lithe body narrowly evaded the blow, but the nearby tree was not so lucky.

The giant axe cleaved into the tree!

Its blade buried deep with a dull THUD. The tree trunk, as thick as a water bucket, was hacked a palm’s breadth deep. The entire tree trembled as if in agony.

Seeing this, the minor leader couldn’t afford any other thoughts. He knew he wasn’t as sturdy as the tree trunk; if he were hit, death was certain.

Moreover, the others were closing in. Once they surrounded him, he would have no chance of escaping.

I’ll have to sacrifice something, he knew.

”SCREECH!” A shrill, inhuman cry, like a Hawk’s shriek, erupted from his mouth as he flung something into the air.

The great bird that had been by his side for many years heard the call, vigorously flapped its wings, and emitted a similar sound in response.

The Warwolf paused at the sight, his eyes following the object tossed into the air. Before he could get a clear look, the great bird swept through the sky, snatched the thrown object, and perched on a nearby tree.

He thought something important had been taken away, but then an even stranger scene unfolded.

The normally proportioned great bird swallowed the unknown object and immediately began to transform. Its body rapidly swelled. Its feathers stretched and became sparse, revealing the skin beneath writhing as if covered with countless unsightly tumors.

But there was no doubt that under the influence of the secret technique, it had become even more terrifying.

Suddenly, the bird opened its Eagle Eyes and leaped off the tree with a flap of its wings. It then swiftly tucked them in, extended its talons, and lunged, targeting the Warwolf.

”Hmph.” The Warwolf was no stranger to fear. He had started hunting at eight and killing men by ten—what hadn’t he seen?

He had encountered beasts far more horrifying than this; he couldn’t and wouldn’t be intimidated by an ugly, transformed bird.

He immediately swung his axe towards the monstrous bird…