Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: The Hunt Remembers
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“Hoo, haa...”
After sprinting for ten minutes to put some distance between himself and the river stream, Hwan-in finally came to a stop and wiped the sweat from his brow.
He'd figured lizardmen wouldn't care if one of their own got killed, so frogmen probably wouldn't either. But who would've thought they'd come charging after him with a whole pack of their kin in tow?
He could turn back and target the lizardmen again, but the direction he'd taken while scanning for a way up the cliff—jumping nonstop the whole time—happened to be upstream.
If he'd climbed up the cliff, he might run right into them on the way back.
“...”
The frogmen didn't walk on two legs in that awkward figure-eight waddle. Instead, they hopped forward in massive leaps.
The problem was their speed rivaled that of a grown man running full tilt.
Their arms and legs were thicker than Hwan-in's own, and with no visible neck, their backs were built like brick walls, to put it crudely.
If eight of those things came barreling toward him at once, there was no way he could handle them alone. While he landed one hit, they'd be raining down eight.
“No choice but to...”
He'd have to give up hunting lizardmen or frogmen for now.
Instead, he'd gather extra golden bell flowers today to stockpile in case he got hurt. While he was at it, he could look for green monsters or beast-head monsters too.
Flutter flutter.
Squawk!
Hwan-in caught his emergency ration on his shoulder as it landed after pursuing him in flight during his escape. He let out a heavy sigh and stepped deeper into the jungle.
He'd gotten a bit turned around, but he safely found the sunlit flower field. Frowning, he noticed the green monster he'd killed yesterday was gone, leaving only bloodstains behind.
Possibility one: green monsters took the body to eat their own.
Possibility two: a beast-head monster dragged it off.
Possibility three: some other predator or monster claimed it.
As he pondered these options and carefully examined the bloodstains, Hwan-in spotted several distinctive green monster footprints and drag marks from something heavy. He nodded to himself.
The blood was dark and sticky, making it impossible to tell how long ago it had spilled, but the footprints were still damp.
In stark contrast to the completely dry soil of the prints from yesterday.
'They couldn't have gone far.'
After gathering enough golden bell flowers for five uses and carefully wrapping them in reed-like leaves, Hwan-in set off following the fresh footprints and drag marks.
The trail was a bit messy at first, but it soon straightened out, giving him a rough count of their numbers.
Six green monsters.
Two were dragging two bodies each, one had a single body, and the remaining three had wandered off in crooked paths.
And once again, he was reminded just how cumbersome the deer-antler staff could be.
Its length wasn't a huge issue. Even the unidentified skull at its head didn't bother him much.
The problem was the antlers branching out like tree limbs from either side of the skull's crown.
Slung diagonally across his back, the tips poked his shoulders or head.
Laid horizontally, the antlers snagged on bushes, vines, or trees, making annoying clunks. And it was just plain uncomfortable to move in.
Usually, he carried his spear in his right hand and the staff in his left while walking. But now, with combat looming, he was starting to worry about how to handle the suddenly vital staff.
Losing it would mean he couldn't issue commands to souls or create soul orbs.
If it shattered in battle, or if he hid it nearby out of fear and it got stolen...
“...”
Trailing the tracks in utter silence, Hwan-in reluctantly concluded he'd have to hide or toss it during fights.
'Maybe I won't even need the staff to command souls or make soul orbs someday.'
Grasping the staff had unlocked the ability to see souls without it, and accumulating warm ki and cold ki worked without it too.
Before that, he'd only seen colors—nothing more.
In other words, the staff's power had sparked growth in his abilities, and those were the type that could be nurtured over time.
Losing or breaking it would hurt for a while, so he'd treasure it—but not at the cost of death.
Kwigik. Kkishishi.
Kyarrurur.
Kiii?
How far had he followed the trail?
Catching a faint whiff of blood and the green monsters' chittering murmurs, Hwan-in quickly ducked behind a tree.
“...”
Peeking out cautiously toward the sound, he spotted them in the distance—green monsters excitedly jabbering amid thick-trunked trees.
Thanks to soul vision.
Normally, they'd be beyond his eyesight, but amid the reds, yellows, purples, and grays tinting the surroundings, their vivid deep green stood out sharp and clear.
But the distance was... pretty far. At least 300 meters.
“...?”
Hwan-in's vision was average—1.0 in both eyes. Distinguishing monsters at 300 meters with that was basically impossible.
Soul vision's doing?
'No, soul vision isn't tied to eyesight.'
Come to think of it, he'd felt off all morning. Something unnatural in his movements.
When he'd hurled stones at the frogman, they'd flown at speeds pushing 140 kph.
140 kph with control, power, and game sense? Pro-level pitcher territory.
And after sprinting flat-out for ten minutes in escape, he was only mildly winded.
Even now, fatigue barely registered. After pulling an near-all-nighter and breakfasting on mere roots, his condition shouldn't be this good.
'Something's wrong.'
Forcing sparse meals for nearly two weeks should've left him drained, so why the sudden stamina boost?
Was he experiencing some last burst of strength like in wuxia novels?
'If so, that's creepy.'
Chuffing a quiet laugh to himself, Hwan-in crouched lower and checked the time.
Thirty minutes into the pursuit, the sun hung high overhead.
Focusing intently on the green monsters sharpened them into focus, revealing their actions.
'Cannibalizing their own?'
They seemed to be tearing into something—likely the bodies they'd dragged along.
Hwan-in dropped lower and slipped silently from tree to tree, closing in on the green monsters.
When he was a suitable distance away, he stashed his beast hide, deer-antler staff, black club, and dagger in nearby bushes.
Spear in hand. Stone axe on his belt.
Armed, he crept into a blind spot screened by trees until he was less than 20 meters away...
Flutter!
The emergency ration perched quietly on his right shoulder suddenly flared its wings and took flight.
Ki-aek? Keu-uu.
Kirrr.
Kya—
The flapping drew every green monster's gaze to the opposite direction from Hwan-in's advance.
Startled by the sudden takeoff but seizing the moment as their attention turned—revealing their unguarded backs—Hwan-in charged without a sound.
Keruk...?
Guk...!
Kiyaaaak!!
Lightning-fast thrusts pierced the necks, backs, and waists of three that had plopped down with backs exposed.
The skewered green monsters shrieked and tumbled over the half-eaten corpses of their kin. The commotion yanked the eyes of the remaining three—who'd been tracking the ration—back to Hwan-in.
Shick!
In thrusts so swift and precise they surprised even him, he ripped into the bellies and chests of two just starting to rise.
Kak!
Keuk? Keheuk.
The chest-stabbed one toppled lifelessly. The gutted one screamed, clutching at spilling entrails.
The last survivor merely gawked up at Hwan-in from its crouch, mid-bite on a kin's forearm.
Kwajik!
Hwan-in smashed its skull with the stone axe, then methodically hacked the necks of the still-living ones without hesitation.
Peok!
Kuk.
Tukwak.
Kek...
'My strength's up.'
Green monsters had bony, tough-skinned necks despite their slenderness.
Just days ago, a full swing barely severed half. Now, one chop per head sent them flying.
Kwajak!
Kik.
Stomping through the neck of the one writhing clutching its waist finished them all off—now merely "things that had been alive." Hwan-in gazed down at his leaner hands.
Blisters and calluses from wielding spear, axe, and club dotted his palms.
He clenched and unclenched his fists a few times. Just stinging blisters—no other changes.
“No idea.”
One or two mysteries would be fine. This was getting ridiculous.
Shrugging it off, he retrieved his hidden gear and returned to the fresh corpses. Gripping his staff, he eyed the hazy mist-souls drifting out.
Flap flap.
As if waiting, the emergency ration landed on the staff's antlers.
Squawk.
“...”
He fixed the ration with a stare for startling him earlier. It met his gaze chin-up, as if to say, "What?"
“Did you do that on purpose to draw their attention?”
Kwak!
Wings spread wide in a cry that seemed to confirm it.
“...Good job.”
A pat on the back sent its wings fluttering proudly, beak tilted high.
Good job was good job, though.
“Move.”
Squawk?!
Facing the six fully visible souls, Hwan-in shook the staff to shoo the ration away and commanded the souls...
Flutter!
“...”
...only to whack the ration off his head as it landed there. He refocused to issue the command again, but.
Squawk!
The ration battered fiercely toward his face with wild flaps.
“Stay still, would you.”
Pushing it back with the staff only made it screech kkwa-gok, kkwa-ak! and peck at him with wingbeats, dodging the staff.
Roughly chicken-sized, but wingspan hit 90 cm with long, stiff feathers.
The whipping thwacks to his face and head amid the flapping racket were maddening.
“Enough.”
Strong words and an outstretched hand halted its momentum.
It landed on his forearm, huffing angrily through its nostrils—psshh, fssh.
Was it mad he'd shoved it away?
Watching quietly, Hwan-in saw it lower its head, wings half-spread, tailfeathers swaying side to side in a glare.
'Looks like it.'
With a small sigh, he stroked its head. The flared tailfeathers smoothed down. Threat wings folded neatly as it nuzzled his palm.
Did it see him as a peer? Got upset at rough handling from a comrade?
Odd thing to get mad about.
Deciding to examine the ration properly later, Hwan-in extended the staff toward the six souls before it got any later.
“Come.”
────...
The six smoky, misty souls wafted toward the staff with a wind-like whoosh, transforming one by one into faintly glowing orbs that clung near the antlers.
'Huh.'
Whatever their form, he'd wondered how many it could hold. Never guessed all six.
To test the limit, he'd need more monsters.
Mulling it over briefly, Hwan-in turned and resumed heading upstream.
Three hours since leaving the riverbank. Three more to get back, so the aggro-pulling frogmen should've dispersed by now.
En route upstream, he gathered any edible plants, mushrooms, bugs he spotted.
Despite plentiful other foods, he collected distasteful insects and earthworms for the emergency ration.
People have likes and dislikes based on taste or constitution.
The ration ate most things fine but preferred bite-sized morsels, loved bugs—especially silvery (green-tinted) earthworms unearthed from damp soil.
He'd learned that by chance.
Scraping frosty ground with his spear tip unearthed one; the ration went wild, flapping in excitement.
Fed some gathered bugs and earthworms on the way, it bought his goodwill massively—anger forgotten as it rubbed its head against his temple, cooing kuu-uu.
Afterward, he tested talking and gesturing commands.
“Behave.”
Squawk?
Tilting its head at him, he offered a raised fist.
“...Stay put.”
Squawk.
Head cocked bird-like at the fist, it hopped to his open palm when he unfurled it.
After some handling practice, Hwan-in moved it to his right shoulder and pointed at a corona berry bush.
“Emergency Ration. Fetch the fruit from that bush.”
Squawk??
“That one. The ones that look like this. Bring them here.”
“...Squawk!”
Flutter!
Two demos—pointing at the bush with a sample on his palm, then placing picked berries there—and the ration, who'd been S-bobbing its head and neck, zipped off to pluck a few corona berries.
Testing commands like “Come,” “Wait,” “Go,” “Fetch,” “Stop,” Hwan-in stroked its head, pondering.
'Doesn't understand words. But scary smart. Body language recognition near human-level.'
Conclusion: smarter than the smartest crow or magpie, turning common birds to shame.
Guide a few actions with words and gestures, and it'd memorize both instantly. Repeat later, flawless execution.
“Emergency Ration. Fetch the 'fruit' from 'up there.'”
Kwak!
Straight up to a tall tree's crown—yellow fruits dangling amid tangled branches. It swooped in and plucked them effortlessly.
“Good job.”
Head pat and a pocketed beetle rewarded it with a swift gobble and contented kurruk.
'Fruits within easy reach now.'
The jungle brimmed with unnaturally straight trees topped with clustered fruits of every color.
But like palms, branches and fruits bunched only at tips—pie in the sky for Hwan-in, poor climber.
Not anymore.
Kkikii~
Kkigik!
Small monkey-like critters, fled when the ration approached, now peeked from branches protesting.
'No worries there.'
Similar size to the ration, using legs like fingers—but all it proved was weakness.
Frail hide, spindly limbs, tiny frame.
Fleeing at mere approach? No threat to the ration.
Biting into a lumpy yellow peach-like fruit (pale green hue) fetched by the ration burst banana-like flavor across his tongue.
Tearing off a piece for the ration, it eyed it dubiously before turning away.
Same color family—why refuse? Bad taste maybe.
Then something dropped from above. Hwan-in gripped his spear tight, looking up to see a limp monkey-thing plummeting.