Chapter 13: Hunting the Mutant Panther (1)

"Third Brother, don't!" The eldest's face changed dramatically. He wanted to shout, yet feared alerting Le Kai. Truthfully, he had coveted Le Kai's dwelling for a long time, but because Le Kai's father had once saved the lives of the three brothers, he could never quite bring himself to act. It wasn't genuine sentiment binding him so much as a deep-seated fear of Le Kai's father. He knew that, while the elder Le was a good man, he was never a gentle one—toward enemies, his methods were nothing short of bloody and ruthless.

Having witnessed Le Kai's father's handiwork, the eldest dared not lightly make a decision he would regret for life. Even when surrounded by a pack of ferocious wolves, the old Le had managed to escape alive, vanishing for a few years—who could say for certain he was dead? If he were to return and find his lair occupied by the three brothers, even a hundred heads wouldn't save them from the axe.

But the third brother, entirely absorbed in the joy of soon living in a grand residence, turned a deaf ear to the eldest's warnings and continued to creep forward.

An automatic rifle could reach targets fifteen hundred meters away, but its true accuracy was around six hundred meters—and only well-trained special ops or mercenaries could hope for that. Given the third brother's rookie skills, he couldn't guarantee a shot at even two hundred meters. So, though tense, he kept closing the distance, determined to make his first shot count. Otherwise, he feared the foe's bow was deadlier than his gun.

Closer—finally, close enough. This was the range he trusted most. All right, kid, this is your end!

The third brother, trembling with excitement, raised his gun and took aim, finger slowly tightening on the trigger.

But the moment he pulled it, Le Kai, who had been standing motionless like a statue, suddenly vanished.

Bang!

The third brother's control was nothing compared to Le Kai's, so the gun fired involuntarily. The next second, he staggered back, collapsing onto the ground, his eyes wide with bewilderment and terror, muttering, "Impossible! How could a man turn into a leopard? Am I seeing ghosts in broad daylight?"

The bullet, meant for Le Kai, whistled through the air and struck a mutated leopard that had leapt from above. The beast was now more than twice its original size, its appearance utterly terrifying—especially those blood-red eyes, which seemed to sear into one's soul even from hundreds of meters away.

This leopard had not come for the bullet; its target was Le Kai. Yet it could not fathom how, having locked onto its prey and picked its moment, it could be struck by a sniper's bullet. The shot wasn't fatal, but the dignity of a king permitted no insult. Instantly enraged, it let out a furious roar and, without pause—even before the dust had settled—its massive body sprang forward, covering more than a dozen meters in a bound, dust swirling behind. In another leap, it was like lightning, its speed astonishing.

Confronted with a killing intent that blotted out the sky, the third brother's legs turned to jelly. His mind was still reeling—how could Le Kai have become a leopard? Was he dreaming? But there was no time for answers; the terrifying threat was approaching at a terrifying speed. The primal instinct of a wastelander for danger kicked in, and he scrambled to his feet, fleeing for his life.

Seeing this, the eldest's face turned ghostly pale. He gritted his teeth and, instead of turning to run, raised his gun and fired at the mutated leopard. But his marksmanship, untrained as it was, left much to be desired. The gunfire cracked like beans in a pan, but failed to so much as slow the beast—if anything, it only enraged it further. Clearly, these two humans who dared strike it were far more threatening, and detestable, than the small figure it had seen before. The leopard abandoned the nearby scent and instead pursued the eldest and third brother.

Le Kai stared at the unfolding chaos, momentarily dumbfounded. The professor, too, could hardly believe his eyes—this was all too dramatic.

Just now, Le Kai had used the "Unity" footwork to dodge aside, avoiding the leopard's pounce. He had prepared himself for a protracted chase with the beast. Who could have predicted it would abandon him, its "feast," so easily? What was this?

Le Kai felt his pride deeply wounded. Ignored by a leopard? Was he really less worthy than those two fools?

Infuriated, he stamped his foot and took off after the beast at full speed.

He had intended to race the leopard to hone his technique, but now everything had turned upside down—he was chasing the leopard for sport. Without the pressure of death, he wasn't even sure if he could push himself to the professor's standard. The "Unity" step was ideal for dodging a leopard's attack—shifting, unpredictable—but not for pursuit, since the leopard ran straight while the "Unity" step was endlessly intricate, constantly changing direction.

"Big Brother, save me! Save me!" the third brother screamed as he ran, not daring to look back, yet the tremor of the earth and the beast's furious roars behind told him the mutated leopard was closing in. Its terror was legend—stories said these things, their size and speed doubled, had claws sharp enough to rend steel in a single swipe. If he took a hit, his guts would be torn to shreds—there would be nothing left.

In that moment, the third brother was sick with regret. His jealousy and hatred for Le Kai had now become sheer terror. That crazy kid was truly mad, daring to face a mutated leopard alone. And he, the third brother, had even thought to go against him—wasn't that just asking to die?

The eldest, too, was desperate. He emptied his magazine, watching as not a single bullet so much as grazed the beast's fur, and his heart sank to the depths. It was clear there was no escape now. He cast a deep look at the fleeing third brother, gritted his teeth, and shouted, "Third Brother, go! I'll hold it off!"

"Big Brother, you..."

The third brother, tumbling and crawling, reached the eldest's side. Hearing this, his heart filled with bitterness. Everyone knew that staying behind now meant certain death—like tossing a meat bun to a dog, never to be seen again.

"Remember, live well. If you survive, never go after Little Kai again!"

The eldest let out a fierce cry, shoved the third brother away, and charged forward himself. The mutated leopard was now less than fifty meters away—any second it would be upon him. He could already smell the stench of its bloody maw. For his brother, the eldest had forgotten all fear of death.

"Fools," Le Kai thought, "Instead of splitting up, they run straight toward it. Even if they hold it off for a few seconds, what good will it do? Once a leopard has marked its enemies, it won't rest until they're all dead."

Le Kai's speed was no match for the leopard, but trailing dozens of meters behind, he could see everything. The third brother's treachery infuriated him, but the eldest's foolish self-sacrifice touched him a little. With a soft sigh, he found he could not simply watch the man be torn apart. After all, they had been neighbors for years. Le Kai had no family or friends, and though these three brothers were unreliable, they were still familiar faces, and sometimes, someone to talk with. Le Kai did not like being alone.

So, as he ran, he finally drew the alloy arrow from his back.

With almost instinctive motion, hardly needing to aim, the arrow spun and whistled through the air—its target: the mutated leopard's most vulnerable spot.

This was not perversion, merely an unconscious strike at the enemy's greatest weakness.