Turning the creature onto its back, Calista discovered the source of the blood. The deer had been injured, but the wound wasn''t deep. It was a crossbow injury.


    In this area, many of the less fortunate crafted their own crossbows. The weapons were fairly effective mainly because the materials were easy to find. They were sufficient for hunting small animals. "Rupert, what do your dad use for hunting?" Calista smiled at the boy.


    Rupert quickly exined in detail, "Dad uses a crossbow he made himself. Most of the men here use the same. They also set traps. But Dad said, to avoid disputes, he purposely made his arrowheads cross-shaped, not triangr."


    "Such a good boy," Calista murmured, looking down at the cross-shaped wound on the deer. How lucky that I stumbled upon this evidence just when I needed it. This deer is proof that the boy''s father has been here. And since they''re just ordinary people, to have been able to hit such a nimble deer, it must have been distracted. Perhaps it was eating or drinking...


    Following the shot, the boy''s father realized that his crossbow had done little damage to the deer. It could also have been due to his exhaustion at the time, leaving him with insufficient strength and resulting in a shallow wound.


    If he was tired, it must have beente in the day. He would likely have chosen to descend the mountain, given that his wife and child were waiting for him. However, on his way back, he might have fallen into some kind of trap or stumbled upon something...This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    In this region, there are norge beasts, yet he has been missing for three days. As a seasoned hunter, he should be well-acquainted with things like traps. The only usible exnation is that he stumbled upon a mysterious location and, unluckily, got trapped there, or perhaps even died there.


    After carefully analyzing the situation and feeling confident that nothing had been overlooked, Calista asked, "Rupert, is there any water source nearby?"


    Rupert pondered for a moment. "Yes, there is a smallke."


    Calista''s eyes lit up. "Take us there. There might be some clues."


    Rupert nodded, and the group, carrying the deer, headed toward theke.


    The elongatedke was quite clean, with beautiful aquatic nts flourishing beneath its surface. Judging from various footprints along the shore, it seemed like amon watering hole for both humans and animals. Rupert''s father had likelye here to quench his thirst and happened upon a deer. "Search around this area and see if there are any clues. Be thorough in your search."


    "Got it." Everyone she brought with her knew what she was looking for. They began to search meticulously around every inch of the area.


    Rupert pouted, tugging at Calista''s sleeve.


    ""My dad''s going to be all right, isn''t he?"


    His father had been missing for three to four days. To say he wasn''t scared would be a lie, but deep down, he was always clinging to a sliver of hope, praying that nothing unfortunate had happened.


    Calista didn''t want to deceive him. Based on her judgment, if someone disappeared without a trace for three to four days, especially under these circumstances, the likelihood of them being dead was quite high.


    Rupert seemed to have guessed her


    thoughts. He lowered his head, his eyes suddenly brimming with


    unshed tears. When they were


    searching for his father earlier, bet


    had been the most anxious. He had endured an eight to nine-hour journey without uttering a single word, all with the hope of seeing his father alive.


    "When Dad left, he told me to take good care of Mom and promised he would bring back meat. But... I don''t want meat. I want Dad toe back..."


    He cried silently, not daring to let his voice grow louder, as if he feared others would be annoyed and he would lose his worth.


    Calista listened to his sobs, sighing deeply after a long while. She drew him into her embrace, seemingly ufortable with others'' proximity, yet she refrained from pushing him away. "Don''t cry... If something happens to your dad, I''ll take you with me."


    Calista feared that Rupert''s mother might not make it through and he would be left behind.


    "No... I''m not leaving." Rupert suddenly pushed Calista, his face filled with fear. "I need to protect my mom..."


    Calista didn''t me him. At that moment, a message came from Derek.


    "Ms. Calista, we''ve found something."


    Calista swept aside her mncholy emotions and put on a straight face again. She led Rupert and the others as they moved toward the location where Derek had been.


    This was a dense forest, where a


    thickyer of leaves had


    umted on the ground. The rotting leaves underneath added a slight musty smell to the air. With no shrubbery around, the area was devoid of small animals, making it even more secluded than other ces. On the ground, there was a subtle depression. When Calista arrived, Derek used a stick to clear the area, revealing a cave that sloped downward.


    "Ms. Calista, there are signs of someone having slipped here. They must have fallen."


    "Dad?" Rupert was startled, wanting to move closer, but Levi held him back.


    "Two of you stay here. The rest of youe down with me. Keep a close eye on the child."


    Although Rupert was anxious, he knew that his interference at this moment would only cause chaos. As he watched Calista and the others fully equipped and ready to depart, he suddenly spoke to Calista with urgency. "Dad''s bald. If you happen to see him..."


    "If he''s there, I will bring him out."


    After she finished speaking, she followed Levi down.


    The slope was incredibly steep. Given the leak of the K Virus, they each meticulously checked their protective suits hidden beneath their clothing before descending, their gas masks firmly in ce.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!