The Arena (1)
A new morning dawned. The weather was clear and sunny.
There was no swarm of insects blotting out the sky, no sudden downpour, no bizarre, mind-bending phenomena unfolding before my eyes. After everything that had happened lately, just having an ordinary, peaceful morning felt strangely comforting.
Then again, what's the point?
The sky was bright and cheerful, but my heart was not. After all, this was the Forest of the Four Seasons. Good weather didn't mean a damn thing.
I gazed up at the clear expanse of blue and let out a long sigh. Who knew when that sky would stab me in the back with a vengeance? Right now, I was only planning on training inside the perimeter, so it didn't matter too much, but I couldn't shake the anxiety.
Isn't there some reliable way to forecast the weather around here?
I didn't even dare hope for something that could predict blizzards or Pollen Storms. I wanted just one thing: a way to predict when it was going to rain. People might say there are plenty of traditional ways to forecast rain, but whether those folk tricks actually worked in the bizarre ecosystem of the Four Seasons Forest was another question entirely.
Well, at least there aren't any dark clouds today.
The most reliable sign of rain was a bank of storm clouds. For now, the sky was spotless, but there was no telling when ominous gray clouds might come creeping over the horizon.
Let's stick to the plan for now.
Morning was for training; afternoon was for outdoor reconnaissance.
I threw myself into my daily regimen. Fine-tuning my cold energy control through the Mind Cultivation Method, practicing swordsmanship drills, and doing physical conditioning exercises to build up muscle and stamina. In between sets, I pulled up the Gallery interface to catch up on current events.
The Gallery was in full swing, buzzing with fresh drama topics.
Between the sightings of the Sky Whale, rumors of a floating Magic Tower, the imperial succession ceremony, and protests erupting in El Dorado, threads were moving at breakneck speed. Because beings from every corner of the world—and perhaps beyond—were dumped into a single shared forum, the feed was thoroughly chaotic. Then again, there was no way to segregate boards by geographic region, so it couldn't be helped. The Juddak was merely a community moderator, not a developer who controlled the platform's backend code.
Come to think of it... beneath the mods, isn't there an actual system operator who built and maintains this whole platform?
Having grown so accustomed to using it daily, I often overlooked the obvious. Who in the world was the true administrator governing this dimensional forum? To this day, no one seemed to know the origin of the Gallery. Neither its creator nor the era of its founding was clear, leaving scholars completely in the dark.
At the very least, it must have appeared after the invention of written language. They said illiterate people can hardly access or use the interface.
Brushing aside these pointless musings, I set about preparing lunch. Today's meal was wild boar meat from the beast I had slain earlier, preserved inside the ice box.
"Here. Eat up."
"Ooh-ooh! Thanks!"
"Look at you, learning manners."
Having finally served his disciplinary timeout, Ggobongi expressed genuine gratitude when I handed him a hearty slab of cooked boar meat. His command of the language was progressing by leaps and bounds. He had possessed the basic faculty for speech from the beginning, but his innate aptitude was astonishing. Even without formal lessons, he was rapidly picking up the meaning behind my words and context.
"Can you guys talk yet?" I asked, turning toward the other two.
"......"
"Kkyu?"
Fast Tree Sloth simply stared back with a serene, unblinking expression, while Wonmo tilted his feathery head in bewilderment. That gorilla was just an anomaly; these two were acting completely normal for beasts. At least, that was what I told myself.
With lunch finished and our bellies full, I made preparations for our afternoon expedition.
I'd better leave the ambergris stored right here.
The golden Sky Whale Ambergris had originally been tucked away inside my sub-dimensional backpack. In an ideal world, I would have kept it on my person at all times, but an unforeseen complication had cropped up earlier.
"Owooooooah!"
"Wait, whoa! What the hell?! Where are you going?!"
Ggobongi had nearly floated straight into the stratosphere. If it was tethered like a balloon, there was no issue, but the moment the ambergris was strapped around someone's waist or hoisted onto their back, the levitation effect kicked in and lifted them off the ground. I had no idea how the physics worked, but if someone floated too high and the tether snapped, it would result in a fatal free-fall. In the end, I decided to store the ambergris inside an ordinary pack left at the shelter.
Apply a generous coat of monster repellent, seal off the fireplace so the scent doesn't waft out... that should do it.
Lastly, I secured a thick cloth over the cave entrance. If the entire cave somehow gained buoyancy and floated into the sky... well, that would just be an act of God.
"Let's move out."
"Kkyu!"
"......"
Flanked by my dependable beast companions, I set out on our scouting mission. Ggobongi adjusted his spectacles, made sure they were sitting straight on his snout, and trotted briskly after us. Normally, Wonmo took the vanguard, but since we were heading back toward territory we had already scouted, the marching order was different today.
Our destination was the old Owlbear Cave where an enormous troop of mutated kangaroos seemed to have gathered.
It was Wonmo's birthplace.
What on earth are those kangaroos doing in there that keeps them so quiet?
Unlike the forest gorillas, who actively divided labor and patrolled their perimeter, the kangaroos hadn't shown so much as a whisker since our first encounter. Did their species have an intensely reclusive, sedentary nature, or was there some other reason? Perhaps, because a large gorilla clan lived right next door, they were holding their ground to check their rivals. The fact that the gorillas hadn't dared trespass near my shelter ever since the clash with the Chief Gorilla lent credence to that theory.
Peace is nice and all, but...
There was an old saying: If you want peace, prepare for war. Since there was no telling when, where, who, or how someone might invade my territory, regular reconnaissance was an absolute necessity. At least the gorillas were somewhat predictable now that their leader had shown an amicable side, but the kangaroos remained an unknown variable. Moreover, remembering how that kangaroo had instantly put Wonmo in a headlock the second it laid eyes on him, they clearly weren't docile creatures. Even knowing Wonmo was just a baby, it hadn't shown an ounce of mercy.
We should be getting close.
It had been a while since I visited this area, but the route was etched into my memory. Every biome had its distinct landmarks; in the case of the Kangaroo Cave, it was a sudden ecological border. The cavern sat right on the boundary line where dense woodland transitioned abruptly into humid jungle, making it impossible to miss.
As I rounded the tree line and spotted the familiar cavern mouth, I immediately dropped into a crouch and pulled back into the brush.
"Shh."
"Kkyu?"
"......"
Wonmo tilted his head curiously as I reached back to signal him, but he understood the gesture and quietly retreated into the undergrowth. Ggobongi quickly took the cue as well, ducking down behind me.
Are there only two kangaroos guarding the entrance?
Two muscular marsupials stood sentry at the mouth of the cave. Calling wild beasts 'guards' might sound absurd, but almost every creature inhabiting this forest possessed freakish intelligence. The gorillas could speak and strategize like human soldiers, so there was no reason to assume the kangaroos were any different.
Look at the sheer mass on those things...
Just watching the sentries inspired an involuntary sense of intimidation. Their upper bodies were absurdly developed, packed with slabs of bulging, vascular muscle that stood out even from a distance. While they couldn't match Ggobongi's raw frame, considering the natural weight class differences between species, their conditioning was jaw-dropping. What in the world were they guarding inside that kept them stationed outside without moving an inch?
Wait, wasn't there a skylight opening in the ceiling of that cave?
Just as I was wondering if we could climb up and peer through the ceiling crevice, soft rustling reached our ears.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Another kangaroo came hopping lightly down the jungle trail, heading straight for the entrance. It stopped before the two sentries, standing obediently in place.
The guard kangaroos immediately stepped forward and began inspecting the newcomer from head to toe, as if frisking a suspect for contraband. The absolute highlight of the routine was when one of the guards reached right into the kangaroo's defining feature—its abdominal pouch—and thoroughly patted it down inside and out.
"Phoo-ung."
"Phoo-oo-ung."
Once the inspection was complete, the sentries stepped aside and allowed the traveler inside. I stared at the scene, utterly flabbergasted. It looked like bouncers frisking patrons at the door of an exclusive nightclub. What on earth was happening inside that required them to search members of their own kind?
Climbing to the roof to look through the skylight would still be the safest bet, but...
Where would be the best point of ascent? While I was weighing our options—
Tap, tap.
A heavy finger tapped my shoulder. I turned my head back. Ggobongi was pointing at his own chest with a resolute expression. His posture practically screamed: Leave this to me.
"...You want to handle this?"
Nod.
When I asked in a dubious whisper, Ggobongi gave a firm, confident nod. Perhaps because he had pulled such a massive blunder with the Flame Horse earlier, I couldn't bring myself to trust him easily.
If he screws up again... I'm kicking him out of the shelter for good.
Deciding to give him one last chance, I stepped aside and gave him room to maneuver. Ggobongi crept forward through the brush, then deliberately revealed his presence just as he broke into the open clearing.
"Phoo-ung?!"
"Phoo-oo-ung!"
The sentry kangaroos instantly snapped into combat stances, their hackles raised. For a second, it looked like one of them was about to dash inside to sound the alarm. But Ggobongi held his ground, met their gazes steadily, and slowly raised both hands in the air—a universal gesture indicating he intended no harm.
"......"
"......"
At that sight, the tension in the kangaroos' posture softened slightly. I couldn't believe such a simple gesture was enough to ease their suspicion.
"Phoo-ung."
"Ooh-ooh. Ooh."
"Phoo-oo-ung. Phoo-ung."
"Ooh-ooh."
Did wild beasts share a common tongue across different species? The kangaroo and Ggobongi began exchanging guttural grunts and clicks in what looked like an actual conversation. I couldn't understand a single syllable of it, but whatever Ggobongi was saying seemed to work. Before long, he turned back toward my hiding spot.
Wave, wave.
He flapped his massive hand, signaling that the coast was clear and I could come out. Swallowing hard, I crept cautiously out of the bushes. The kangaroos' sharp eyes immediately locked onto me.
"Give that," Ggobongi grunted, turning to me.
"Give what?"
"Tasty food. Give. Proof."
If he meant tasty food, he had to be talking about Inedia Pills. I always kept a pouch of them on hand for emergencies. I had no idea what kind of 'proof' an Inedia Pill was supposed to provide, but I decided to play along with Ggobongi's lead for now. A terrifying, murderous glare bored into the back of my neck from Ppareumbo, but I did my best to ignore it as I produced a pill.
"Phoo-ung...?"
Taking the Inedia Pill, the lead kangaroo eyed me suspiciously, glancing back and forth between my face and the dark pellet in its claw. It snapped the pill in half and tossed a piece to its partner. The second sentry sniffed it carefully, inspecting its surface from every angle.
Chomp.
Munch, munch.
Finally, both kangaroos popped the pieces into their mouths. Would it suit their palate? Carnivorous monsters tended to ignore Inedia Pills, but almost every herbivore or omnivore in the wild treated them like the finest gourmet delicacy.
"Phoo-oh?! Phoo-oh-oh-oh?!"
"Phoo-oo-oo-oo!"
And kangaroos were no exception. Their eyes went wide as saucers, their faces lighting up with wild, ecstatic excitement.
"Phoo-oo! Phoo!"
"Phoo!"
The power of the bribe was truly magnificent. The sentries practically bowed, waving their arms enthusiastically to usher us inside. Apparently, we didn't even need to surrender our weapons. Nursing a swirl of deeply conflicted emotions, I stepped across the threshold into the Kangaroo Cave. And then...
"Wooooooah!"
"Phoo-oh-oh! Phoo-oh-oh-oh!"
A wall of deafening, feverish heat slammed into us—an atmosphere of raw entertainment that rivaled any arena in modern civilization.
In the center of the cavern, two massive kangaroos were brawling inside a cleared ring, surrounded by a dense crowd of cheering beasts. Every time a heavy fist landed against flesh, the roar of the spectators swelled.
As I stood there frozen in sheer disbelief—
...Wait a second. Are those bears?!
The spectators weren't just kangaroos. There was a whole family of giant bears sitting on stone outcroppings, a few vaguely familiar wild stags, and even a cluster of smaller woodland critters resembling raccoons perched on boulders. There weren't any gorillas in the mix yet, but trying to process the scene before me made my head spin.
"WOOOOOOOOAH!!!"
Right then, the roar reached a fever pitch. I snapped my head back toward the center of the cave, only to witness a spectacle that knocked the wind right out of me.
One of the kangaroos scooped its battered opponent straight off the ground, ducking its head directly between the rival's thighs. The hoisted kangaroo wore a look of pure panic, realizing its predicament as it flailed upside down.
Thwack! Smack! Bash!
Sensing mortal peril, the lifted kangaroo rained desperate hammer fists onto the opponent's skull. Under normal circumstances, the lifter might have buckled, but once a pro-wrestling hold was locked in with proper leverage, it was nearly impossible to break. With a terrifying roar, the lifting kangaroo snapped its hips and slammed its opponent down onto the stone floor with explosive, spine-shattering force.
SLAM!
A picture-perfect Powerbomb—a maneuver straight out of televised pro wrestling—detonated across the cavern. In professional wrestling, the canvas had springs and padding to absorb the shock, but here, the ring was made of solid, unforgiving bedrock. Having absorbed the full, unmitigated impact, the slammed kangaroo sprawled limp, its tongue lolling out of its mouth as its eyes rolled back in unconsciousness.
The victor was undeniably clear.
"PHOO-OO-OO-OO-OH!!!"
The victorious kangaroo threw both arms toward the cavern ceiling and let loose an earth-shaking victory roar. As if answering the call, the surrounding crowd of beasts raised their paws and forelegs, roaring back in wild unison.
Pumping its chest, the champion strode purposefully through the parted sea of spectators. Waiting beyond the crowd was a separate enclosure where a group of noticeably smaller kangaroos had gathered. They appeared to be the troop's females. Without hesitation, the champion reached out and grabbed the female standing at the very front of the pack.
"Phoo-oh-oh!"
Marching back into the center of the ring with the female by his side, the champion roared proudly, effectively declaring: This mate is mine! The other kangaroos answered with thunderous stomps and guttural cheers of acknowledgment.
Watching the entire sequence play out from start to finish, I could only stare in numb, bewildered awe.
...Is this really how wild kangaroos behave?
I felt as though I had just witnessed the missing link between primeval wilderness and organized civilization.