Almost the moment the torch ignited, the movements underground ceased abruptly, and the Teng Jiao pursuing from behind had its pupils suddenly contract as its body halted sharply.
"It's working, run quickly!"
Once again, Bruce couldn't help but marvel at the immense attraction that a torch had on Cold Beasts.
The Rodents had chased them from the northern slope of the mountain two kilometers to this place, and even after encountering the Teng Jiao, they were unwilling to retreat, showing their intense intent to kill them.
Similarly, the Teng Jiao, after being wounded, would certainly harbor strong enmity towards him.
And yet, both sides, upon seeing the torch, immediately stopped, making it their sole target.
Bruce didn't dare look back anymore.
Even if a fight broke out between the Teng Jiao and the Rodent group, he didn't have the courage to return to take advantage.
Surviving the night would already be a miracle.
Turning back now would be courting death, a joke risking their lives.
"Take the two Rodent carcasses and hurry back to camp!"
The three frantically ran, carrying the two Rodent carcasses from earlier, and finally reached the camp just before dawn.
The newly built wooden house was nearing completion, with only the interior work left.
During the day, with the light source blocked, they could continue working, so besides those resting on rotation, a few were still working inside the wooden house.
However, most people were still hiding in the temporary shelters.
The disheveled appearance of Bruce and the other two upon returning stirred panic among those in the camp, and everyone gathered around with worried expressions.
Bang…
Upon entering the wooden house, Charlie and Aaron immediately set down the two Rodent carcasses, called for people to handle them quickly, and followed Bruce to the Iron Refining Furnace.
Several women from the camp immediately came up with the Golden Sore Powder and Shredded Soft Skin to treat the three's wounds.
Aaron had blood at the corner of his mouth, four or five claw marks on his left arm and chest.
They had already been treated with Golden Sore Powder and were healing, though still bloody, and his back was bruised badly, with several collapsed bones visible, making his injuries the most serious;
Charlie had a sunken back, blood at the corner of his mouth, and several scratches on his arm, making his injuries the lightest in comparison;
The worst was Bruce.
Although his injuries weren't as severe as Aaron's, with three deep claw marks on his waist and several dangling pieces of flesh, they had been treated with Golden Sore Powder and were already healing.
The main problem was his face, with a three to four-inch long scar with the flesh turned outward, looking alarmingly sinister.
The three not only had severe injuries but their faces were also noticeably reddish, and their pupils somewhat dilated, showing signs of poisoning.
While the others might not know, those from the former Rogel Camp, like Michael, immediately recognized it as the toxin from the Cloud Mist Teng Jiao.
Furthermore, seeing the big swords they brought back, not only with nicks but also large areas of worn edges, one could imagine the perilous situation the three had encountered in the past hour.
Let alone the women treating their wounds, who were all wiping away tears, even the other onlookers had faces filled with worry and fear.
Some of the younger ones even burst into tears, but the adults, worried about disturbing Bruce and the others' rest, covered their mouths to prevent them from making noise.
"Chuan, what's the situation?"
"What happened to the leader?"
"Is the leader going to be okay?"
---
The first to regain consciousness among the three was Charlie.
Seeing Bruce and Aaron still resting with their eyes closed, the others immediately gathered around, asking what had happened.
"Don't make noise yet, wait for the leader to wake up and speak."
Charlie shook his head, motioning for the others to be quiet.
Half an hour later, Bruce's distracted pupils gradually returned to normal, the reddish color on his face faded, and he fully recovered consciousness.
"Are the two Rodents taken care of? Quickly bring them over for me to see!"
The first thing Bruce did upon waking was to ask about the two Rodents.
Charlie immediately ordered them to bring over the handled Rodents.
"Leader, there isn't much meat on the Rodent, only 287 kilos. The internal bones weigh 120 kilos. The two gnawing teeth alone weigh 20 kilos and are very hard. The remaining 100 kilos of internal bones are like the previous Cold Beasts, and can only be ground into powder. Additionally, its fur is very soft, providing much more warmth than other Cold Beasts."
The value of Cold Beasts isn't just in their meat.
The fur can be used to make writing scrolls, clothing, and various leather products.
Some internal bones can be powdered for medicine, and certain key parts can be used for other tools, among other things…
Earlier, to maximize the use of hunted prey, Bruce had already assigned the task of handling Cold Beast prey to the Craftsmen Workshop.
After handling the Rodents, the results were reported by the workshop master Edward.
Upon hearing Edward's report, Bruce touched the silver Rodent skin.
Although his eyes brightened, the light quickly faded.
However, upon seeing the azure Rodent meat and the two thirty to forty centimeters gnawing teeth, Bruce's eyes regained their brightness, and his face was filled with delight.
"Leader, did some strong enemy appear?"
"How did you get hurt like this, was it a powerful Cold Beast?"
"Leader, let us go with you tonight, and fight that Cold Beast. With so many of us from Harper going, we won't be afraid of it!"
"That's right, fight the Cold Beast. Even if I have to use my teeth, I'll bite a piece of meat off of it."
---
The people around suddenly started speaking one after another.
Bruce was taken aback when he noticed their expressions transition from panic and worry to indignant, shouting to fight the Cold Beast.
He immediately felt a wave of warmth in his heart.
He, Charlie, and Aaron were basically the strongest in Harper right now.
Even if the three of them were like this, these people in the camp understood that even if they went to fight, it would still be a dead end.
Yet even so, seeing him injured like this, they set aside their initial fear and worries, instead showing a fierce determination.
If not for their high recognition of him as their leader, this group of hundreds wouldn't react like this.
"A bunch appeared on the northern slope…"
Bruce didn't hide anything and directly spoke about the Rodent group.
Since the people in the camp were trustworthy, he decided to tell them, and his upcoming plans also involved using the people from the camp.
When Bruce finished explaining the Rodent situation, everyone in the camp fell silent, worry spreading over their faces.
Bruce felt it too.
He pondered slightly, then raised his head to look straight at everyone:
"The northern slope is only two kilometers from the valley here. If discovered by that group of Rodents, everyone in our Harper Camp will surely meet a dead end, so we must quickly come up with a plan—either drive them away or guide them away. And we must act immediately. The longer we delay, the worse our situation becomes…"
Bruce's serious tone made it easy for everyone to catch the undertone in his words.
Within moments, one person stepped forward.
"Leader, just tell us what to do. I'll follow your lead."
The first to step forward wasn't initially from Harper, but a member of the Rogel Camp, now part of the Hunting Team, Nathan.
As Nathan finished speaking, Tony, Sam, Ben, and other members of the Hunting Team, as well as the Logging and Collection Teams, all stepped forward, expressing their readiness to Bruce.
"With the rodent swarm coming, none of us will survive.
Just let me know what needs to be done, and I'll do my part without hesitation."
"Exactly, it's always the leader taking us out to fight, while we've been of no use. Now that we finally have a chance to make a difference, I've been waiting for this day, so please, speak your mind, Leader!"
"Just give the command, and I'll be the first to charge forward!"
–--
Bruce sat in his chair, listening to the unwavering declarations, and seeing the determination and fearlessness on their faces, he couldn't help but feel moved.
Those who stood up weren't just members of the Hunting Team, but nearly everyone from the Logging and Collection Teams, even the reserve and ordinary people standing at the back, were part of it.
From relocation to camp merger, nearly seven months had passed, and now, Bruce realized that everyone in the Harper Camp was united, with no barriers.
Faced with disaster, they had bonded together like a tight rope, and each had the resolve to die for Harper.
The hard work and dedication of nearly seven months had cultivated numerous abilities in the Logging and Earthripper Realms;
But at this moment, Bruce felt that the courage and responsibility shown in the face of disaster were the greatest rewards he could receive.
"Excellent, in our Harper, there isn't a single coward!"
Bruce stood up directly from his chair, visibly enthusiastic.
After looking around at everyone, he said solemnly, "With our current strength, facing that rodent swarm head-on isn't realistic, and forcing them away is out of the question. So we must find a way to guide them away from here…"
The strength of a single rodent isn't considered strong.
Bruce believed that one-on-one, hunting them wouldn't be a big issue.
However, the rodent swarm beyond the clifftop was overwhelmingly large.
Combined with their silent digging ability and elusive speed, the current Harper was no match, and once the camp's location was discovered, it would be a disaster.
Guidance is the only way, especially since Harper just happened to have torches, the perfect tool for luring Cold Beasts.
Even guiding the rodent swarm away carries tremendous risk.
Firstly, where to lead them?