Shi Lang alerted Amelia slowly as he sensed a gaze focused on his back. The youngster did not panic, he was aware that this would happen. Earlier when he faced off with the beast, there was a moment when the beast froze as Shi Lang entered the battlefield.
It may seem that the beast was afraid of something, but Shi Lang would never forget the look a beast had when they are given their favorite food. The blue bird was a temptation the beast could not avoid. Shi Lang had caught this minute detail and he understood how the natives caught lured this beast to them.
Amelia was a trained soldier and she was ready to act at a moment’s notice. She acted quickly and used her ability to turn invisible. Shi Lang on the other hand slowly stood up. He did this to prevent his movements from triggering the assault from the beast. Quick movements can attract a reflex action from the beast.
He stood up and turned to look in the direction of the beast. He said in a hushed tone, “Wazir, use your handgun to shoot it with tranquilizers. One after every five minutes.”
“Roger that,” said Amelia. She did not say anything more than that. Shi Lang took out his drill knife slowly and then he charged at the beast with no hesitation in his mind. Flaming leopard, a beast known for its quick reactions and flame pattern fur.
The strength of the beast can give even an average five-star Terran, run for his money. Shi Lang was not a five-star Terran but he was not average either. He understood that aiming at the weakness of the beast was the best way to put it down.
The beast sensed the annoying creature, who injured him again, rushing towards itself. It reacted, brandishing its claws at the incoming meat. Shi Lang’s knife failed in comparison to the claws of the beast. The claws had a gleam like a diamond, reflecting the moonlight. The youngster was aware that if the attack landed on his body, it will be shredded.
He moved forward, and suddenly ducked down to let the claw pass over his head, as the beast was standing on its hind legs, making it taller than Shi Lang by one meter. The masked youngster held his knife in a reverse grip and stabbed it at the forelimb joint of the beast. He wanted to immobilize the weapons of the beast.
As the knife dug inside the fire and flesh, Amelia shot the Leopard with a tranquilizer dart, the place she decided to target was just below the stab wound. The pain from the knife stab had numbed that spot a bit and provided cover for the tranquilizer dart. Shi Lang retreated after attacking the beast. Now, he needed to make the beast come after him, the tranquilizers will work better when the drug is circulated through the body.
Circulation improved when the movement was higher. Shi Lang wanted to take down this beast alive. It was not because he had any adventurous wishes in this matter, but because he was unable to kill the beast. The reason lay inside the body of the beast. It had a stone-like fur, even a cruise missile might not be able to put up a wound on the skin. The tranquilizers were blunt-ended bullets, they would scatter some powder over the target’s wound. The powder was actually a low dose of sedative, which will enter the blood stream and constantly slow down the body from the inside.
The stab wound worked because Shi Lang executed it with his precision skills. Shi Lang could tell the weak spots of this stone-fur armor. The fur was just like the hair on a human head, they had gaps between. Otherwise, he would have failed miserably and ended up as minced meat. The beast let out a roar from the pain channeling through its body. This was why Shi Lang was not ordinary, and this was his knowledge from facing spirit beasts in his past life.
Spirit beasts and this flaming leopard were incomparable. Shi Lang could pinpoint the openings revealed by the attacks made by the beasts and he also had a grasp of how fragile can a muscle be. This was all his knowledge. He moved around the place, with the cage placed behind him all the time and the beast kept charging at him, with an injured leg. The speed and reactions were obviously affected a lot.
Amelia waited for five minutes, and she fired another shot at the same point. The beast noticed the sound emitted by the handgun and dodged to the side, however, the tranquilizer dart still found its way to nail the target. Amelia said, “Sir, the aim missed by two millimeters.
Shi Lang replied, “Do not worry it is alright. Keep up the tranquilizers.”
That said, he approached the beast again and kicked it from the side, the impact of the kick was high enough that it flung the leopard over to a distance, crashing in a tree at the side. The leopard roared from the injuries and stood up wobbly. Shi Lang said, “This is the last assault.”
Amelia nodded and decisively shot the leopard right in the middle of the brows. Shi Lang did not put down his guard just yet. He was not sure that the beast was done for good. He watched the beast roaring at them and slumping on the ground. The bitterness and unwillingness, inside the beast’s eyes, were too obvious.
The youngster waited patiently till the beast closed its eyes and its breathing turned even and calm. Shi Lang used his communicator and after the call was established, he heard Carlos speak, “The chopper is inbound. It will reach your position in five minutes. Also, a pack of natives is moving in your direction, they will arrive in three minutes. What do you plan on doing?”
Shi Lang said, “I will think of something.”
The battle with the beast was small, yet the hunter Shamantis seemed to have caught a trace of themselves. Shi Lang said, “The base suggests that we have some company. I suggest that we that the initiative to greet them early. What do you say?”
Amelia nodded with a calm face and said, “Tag-team?”
Shi Lang nodded and said, “Yeah. Let us go.”
Tag-team was a tactic implied, when two people faced against a group. One of them will stay behind, while the other attacks. When the first has generated all the agro, the second will come in and begin silent assassinations from the back of the pack.
It was risky, but the group will focus on the one they had seen earlier and believed to be dealt with sooner. This was psychological fishing. Amelia came up with this tactic because she could basically waltz in and out of this place. Shi Lang had no objection because, with his ability, he will be able to pinpoint where Amelia was, and then they would be able to kill the natives quickly.
They only needed to intimidate the natives till their chopper arrives. After that everything will lose its meaning and they will be able to get out of the place. Shi Lang and Amelia moved through the forest to intercept the incoming natives. Amelia had enabled her ability and split up from Shi Lang.
The black-clothed Shi Lang was moving through the patches of moonlight and was cautious enough to not step inside the shadows. His handgun was loaded and ready to shoot. After running for one minute, he spotted the enemies rushing in his direction, he mumbled in his communicator, “Enemy spotted. Engaging in combat.”
Amelia reverted back, “I have you in my sight. Ready to move.”
Shi Lang raised his hand and swiftly aimed the barrel at the person in front and tapped the trigger. A phaser beam shot forth, the Shamanti warrior, was alert as well and dodged the attack, however, the beam grazed his shoulder and left him with a hissing pain.
Shi Lang did not waste time and charged forward. Shamantis flung their projectile weapons at him, mainly darts and small knives. The speed was akin to a bullet. Shi Lang could dodge bullets easily, and that was what he did, but purposefully took one of the knives in his shoulder. The group of natives had five people and one of them was already injured.
Amelia waited for the two parties to get closer and acted. She took out the injured Shamanti with a phaser beam through the back of his skull. The other Shamanti warriors noticed this. While two people charged at Shi Lang, the two slightly behind were distracted and turned their heads to check out the situation.
Shi Lang dodged the attacks and delivered a quick stab at the nape of one of the assailants. Amelia shot the other guy in his guts and moved away from her position. The two proficient warriors, whom Shi Lang bypassed earlier roared in their obscure voices. Shi Lang did not stop. He moved around the place facing the attack of the two Shamantis.
Amelia could not find a chance to get close to them as one of the assailants was paying attention to the surroundings. Both the parties were now using tag team tactics. Shi Lang was in a bind as the assailants wobbled around him.