Chapter 551: The Village Farthest from Death
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 551: The Village Farthest from Death
In the wild, there are no borders, no signposts. Standing in that land, where nature itself grew untamed, I was struck by how different a domain was from a territory.
As you walk, the scent hanging in the air changes. Though everything looks the same on the surface, the feeling that this land is not the one you knew seeps into you like a gentle drizzle. By the time that sense of unease rises to your nose, the domain has already shifted.
A domain is not land, but power. The moment we realized it, we were already inside the domain of the Undying.
Totems carved from raw wood appeared here and there. They were shaped like the faces of old men with bulging eyes and mouths, their expressions fearsome as if to threaten intruders. A massive, sprawling tree was draped with ornaments made of animal bones.
It was a clear marking of their territory. Seeing it, Rasch nodded his head emphatically.
“Mm! The totems mean we’re here! Follow me!”
Rasch began to walk, navigating the path with familiarity.
Usually, the outskirts of a domain are filled with all sorts of measures to guard against and repel invaders—scouts, watchtowers, traps. But in the domain of the Undying, there was nothing but signs of life. It was as if they weren't trying to hide their presence, but rather to display it.
After walking a little further, a village came into view. It was a village with a rather striking architectural style. Crudely shaped houses were built haphazardly, spaced at random intervals. People with tanned, brown skin were lazing about under shades woven from leaves.
A roof, walls, and pillars are the components of a house, but simply adding them together doesn't make a house. Yet the homes of the Undying seemed to be a lesson in how the sum of the components could be so different from the whole that is a house.
They certainly had pillars, walls, and roofs. But the homes of the Undying were not houses. Everything was clearly there, so what was missing?
Ah, that was it.
They lacked any intent of becoming houses. It was like watching a sport where every player was playing their own separate game.
“Right Arm. You’ve returned.”
A man with a powerful build approached Rasch, who had been walking nonchalantly. He had sun-scorched bronze skin and a muscular body, as if he represented this harsh, wild land. With a short beard, he strode toward Rasch, a welcoming look on his face.
Then he kicked Rasch squarely in the shin.
Crack. Rasch’s shin twisted.
Even with his sturdy body and mastery of Qi Arts, Rasch was helpless against the sudden kick. His body rolled twice before slamming into the ground.
“Woof?!”
“What? An attack?”
Just as a startled Azzy barked and the Regressor frowned, Rasch held up a hand and spoke first.
“Ah, don’t be alarmed. This is our tribe’s greeting.”
Despite the sudden attack, Rasch calmly got to his feet as if he had expected it. His shin, which had looked broken, had already regenerated.
“Left Leg. Did anything happen while I was away?”
“You could say something did, and you could say nothing did. The blessed rain falls and wets the ground, which is a daily occurrence, but is it not a joyous thing?”
“So nothing special happened. That’s a relief.”
As Rasch dusted himself off, ‘Left Leg’ spoke with a dubious expression.
“More importantly, you…”
“Ah, my apologies.”
Then, Rasch too threw a punch with tremendous force.
Thwack. ‘Left Leg’s’ ribs caved in. The impact was like an explosion, and ‘Left Leg’ was sent flying backward, carving a long trail in the dirt.
It was raw, unrestrained violence. And yet, ‘Left Leg’ spoke with an air of disappointment.
“You’ve gotten weaker, Right Arm.”
The Undying do not die. Even if injured, they regenerate in an instant as long as they are touching the ground. Instead of worrying about his own broken body, Left Leg was concerned for Rasch’s fist.
“Your momentum was lacking at the end. Did that witch suck your blood or something?”
“No. The Bloodfiends do not covet our blood. However, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Piu lately. I’ve grown accustomed to holding back.”
“Aha. The Piu.”
‘Left Leg’ glanced at me and the Regressor. Compared to their massive, muscular frames, we looked small and frail.
Looking at us, ‘Left Leg’ spoke with a face full of sympathy, an expression of infinite gentleness.
“You must have it rough. Of course, it must be much harder for the Piu, who are plagued by the fear of death.”
“Piu? Fear of death?”
The Regressor, taking it as a provocation, bristled. Rasch, who had gotten a sense of her personality back in the Abyss, waved his hand before she could respond to the taunt.
“Ah, ‘Piu’ is what we call those who are not of the Undying race. It means a friend whom we, the Undying, must help. Outsiders call us barbarians, but that’s only because we don’t die. We are kind to the Piu.”
“That’s right. Don’t you worry, Piu. We’re not so indiscriminate as to use our strength on a Piu…”
In that instant, the Regressor clenched her fist and unleashed a gust of wind from her punch. In a brief moment, dozens of blows struck ‘Left Leg’s’ body. The approaching man was once again sent flying into the distance.
“Don’t look down on me. From your perspective, I’m the Undying one. You couldn’t even hurt me at your level.”
To use her fists simply because she felt slighted. A civilized person would have clicked their tongue at such an atrocity. But this was the land of savages, where savage behavior was a virtue.
‘Left Leg,’ who had been sent flying, grinned and shouted.
“Hahahat! You’re a warrior!”
Thump. He immediately charged forward and swung his log-like leg at the Regressor. The leg, which looked much thicker than anyone else’s, descended upon her.
In that moment, the Regressor drew up her Qi and struck his shin. Compared to the leg that was like a log, her fist was infinitely small and shabby.
But the fist, swirling with Qi-compressed air, held a power far greater and more intense than it appeared.
Heavenly Counter Domain: Qi Strike.
A fist-shaped imprint appeared on ‘Left Leg’s’ body. The wind swirled like an awl, gouging his body. The punch, which had achieved a complete victory in the clash of power against power, sent ‘Left Leg’ flying once more.
“To break my Sacrificial Vessel…!”
She had attacked him without warning and even harmed his body. But this village was the domain of the Undying. No matter how much they were hurt, they regenerated perfectly, so they had no fear of wounds or injuries. Naturally, they didn't much care if someone hurt them.
No, if anything, they welcomed it.
“Amazing! It’s been a long time since a warrior like you has visited!”
‘Left Leg’ grabbed his own crushed left leg and squeezed it like a tube. The leg, which had been crumpled by the wind of her fist, inflated back to its original shape like a balloon. After nonchalantly and bizarrely restoring his body, ‘Left Leg’ spread his arms wide and exclaimed.
“Welcome! We will treat you not as a Piu, but as a warrior!”
“I don’t care either way.”
‘With barbarians like these, it’s easier to show them your strength than to bother with words. This is the right way.’
Whether she was smart or just had good instincts, the Regressor’s judgment was surprisingly sharp. Despite her rampage upon entering the village, the way the others looked at her had changed considerably.
The Undying, who had been glancing at us with indifference or pity, now seemed… a little envious and proud.
In any case, ‘Left Leg,’ having acknowledged the Regressor, now turned to me with a face full of expectation.
“Well! If she is, then you too?”
“No. I’ll just be a Piu.”
Nope. I’m going to live my life being cared for as a weakling.
Having finished his ‘greetings,’ Rasch led us away, saying.
“Well, this is pretty much how it is. We might seem a bit lacking to the people of the Military State, but we’re not that barbaric, are we?”
“You’re right. You call us Piu, but you don’t particularly look down on us, and you don’t just throw punches without sizing people up.”
“They say that long ago, we too were as violent as beasts. But after becoming citizens of Manguo, we learned how to live together. We learned of the great fear and suffering that the Piu, those who die so easily, live with. Since then, we have developed a tradition of protecting and helping the Piu.”
The village of the Undying was not inhabited solely by their kind. Here and there, I saw humans who were clearly dressed differently from the Undying. Each of them wore a large, red armband signifying that they were Piu.
I was no different. As I walked with the red armband on, I could feel the gazes of the Undying. They were treating me with the same caution one would use for a fragile toy.
“If you are acknowledged as a warrior, things like what just happened can occur. We who do not die do not hesitate to test our strength. With the boy’s power it shouldn’t be a problem, but still, be careful. You might get hit if you let your guard down.”
The Regressor, who wasn’t wearing an armband, snorted in response.
“That’s a useless worry. I can react to an attack even in my sleep…”
‘…But then why couldn’t I notice myself slipping in my sleep, which is how we ended up sleeping together?!’
The Regressor slapped her own cheeks hard with both hands. Rasch looked at her, puzzled by her sudden self-harm.
“Do Piu also fix themselves by hitting their own bodies? Well, anyway. Teacher, since you are a Piu, you must go to the Piu Village. Besides, that’s the only place with an inn for outsiders.”
The Piu Village. What a straightforward name. It made sense, since the native undying would have their own homes…
Ah, by the way. He said he was going to marry Callis, but I haven’t seen a trace of her.
“What about Miss Callis?”
At my question, Rasch’s expression darkened slightly.
“It’s the same. She is also a Piu, so she is in the Piu Village.”