Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Weight of Silence
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The supernatural ability he'd gained in the jungle. Up until he'd acquired the soul orbs, Hwan-in's impression of his power to manipulate souls had been nothing special.
Just something along the lines of, 'My chances of surviving in this jungle just got a lot better.'
Even as it became clear that the power was steadily growing, he'd focused more on escaping the jungle than on training or cultivation. That mindset had played a part.
From the start, every day had been a nonstop struggle just to stay alive, so there hadn't been much time for proper training anyway.
But now, Hwan-in keenly felt how misguided that thinking had been.
He'd only just realized how much peace of mind a final bastion—a hidden trump card—could provide.
As he pushed forward along the artificial path he'd carved out in a short time, Hwan-in hoped a possessor of a usable soul would appear, but that wish went unfulfilled.
Once, thanks to Emergency Ration's warning, he'd spotted a snake with vivid green and red patterns. Its triangular head marked it as a venomous viper.
Hwan-in swiftly stomped its head and cleaved its neck with the stone axe, killing it, but he couldn't secure a soul orb.
A faint, misty haze had seeped from the snake's corpse, but compared to the Green Monster or Beast-Head Monster, the soul was minuscule and dim. Even gripping his staff and trying to draw it in with a soul orb, it ignored his command and simply dissipated.
Birds half the size of Emergency Ration and beetles with reddish-green carapaces the size of a child's fist (which Emergency Ration had refused to eat) met the same fate—he killed them but couldn't harvest their souls.
'Need a body at least as big as Emergency Ration. Intelligence on the level of a monkey, maybe.'
Sighing as he walked, Hwan-in quenched his hunger and thirst with blackberry-like fruits he found along the path. Suddenly, he noticed the underbrush thinning out.
About 40 minutes later, he confirmed the density increasing again. He paused to ponder, then spotted a blackberry bush, picked some fruits, and mulled it over while eating.
Should he keep heading straight for the Great Lake, or push through where the underbrush was thinning?
"......"
Squawk?
Hwan-in froze mid-pick, hand hovering. Emergency Ration let out a casual squawk.
Feeding it a blackberry, Hwan-in stood and turned his steps.
His food situation wasn't bad. He gathered anything edible on sight, so he had plenty for several days.
Monster gulls might still be circling near the Great Lake, and he knew its location and direction anyway. For now, better check out the thinning underbrush.
If his hunch was right, he'd escape this stifling, bug-infested, exhausting jungle.
Weighing worst-case against second-worst, Hwan-in decided on the thinning underbrush.
Traversing untouched mountains or forests is brutally tough.
Lush foliage and tangled roots hinder every step, while thick bushes suck stamina like dry sponges absorbing water.
For someone like Hwan-in, burdened with a staff, spear, and gear, it was even worse.
The spear and staff constantly snagged on low branches and vines. A moment's inattention, and roots or bushes nearly tripped him.
Irritation built up like dot damage, but he endured. The underbrush thinned ahead, ground becoming visible, trees spacing out.
Squawk!
Halting at Emergency Ration's alert, Hwan-in activated Soul Vision to scan around.
He could sustain Soul Vision without expending Warm Ki or Cold Ki, but the riot of colors in the double-dyed forest burdened his eyes and brain.
So he cycled an hour on, 20 minutes off. When Emergency Ration squawked from its perch on the staff's antler—even during breaks—he'd scan anyway.
But he couldn't spot what had triggered it.
"Emergency Ration, what'd you see?"
Shaking the staff lightly, Hwan-in spoke. Emergency Ration flapped up, landed on a branch, and stared at the undergrowth below.
Something hiding down there?
Following its cue, Hwan-in drew his spear, tensed moderately, and prodded the bushes cautiously. With a rustle—shhrrrrk!—they shook violently, and something bolted the opposite way, caught in his sight.
A small gray furball vanished amid vines dangling from branches.
'What was that.'
It had been a four-legged beast slightly larger than Emergency Ration, yellowish-toned. Skittish enough to flee at light contact—not aggressive.
Rummaging the spot, he found a sizable nest woven from grass and twigs.
The underbrush was thinning steadily. Perfect hideout for small animals avoiding big predators.
Pressing on, Hwan-in felt bushes nearly vanish. Soon, he entered a quaint forest carpeted in brown dry leaves.
Glancing back, the menacing thicket loomed not far off.
Looking ahead, he saw grass and small plants peeking through leaves, trees growing slimmer and sparser. He shoved one slender trunk hard.
It tilted, ground trembling.
Partly due to his improved stats, but the tree—barely 50cm thick—had shallow roots.
No cover behind it, no obstacle value. Swinging weapons risked snagging on neighbors.
He stowed the stone axe, drew the spear again, and addressed Emergency Ration flying alongside.
"Emergency Ration. Keep a good 'watch' out."
Squawk.
Trees spaced only 2-3m apart, but so slender blue sky peeked through without looking up.
Flying overhead, Emergency Ration could spot far.
Having trained it into vigilance mode, Hwan-in tasked it with high-ground scouting. Memorizing tree positions for tactical high ground, he advanced.
Where small game lived, big predators lurked too.
In combat, he'd seize advantageous spots.
And soon enough...
Squawk!
"Hup!"
Thuk—yelp!!
Squawk!!
"Hah!!"
Thud, thwack!
Yeeel—!
Amid Emergency Ration's warnings from all sides, Hwan-in fiercely battled a pack of retriever-like gray four-legged beasts.
After an hour escaping the thicket sea, Emergency Ration had suddenly screeched wildly. Tensing, he'd been swarmed by over fifty dogs out of nowhere.
Using slender trees as barricades to prevent mass charges, he relentlessly thrust his spear.
Dodging a leaping, jaws-wide beast, he slashed its flank. Sidestepped a rear attacker, then speared its hind leg.
"Hup!"
Yelp! Yeeelp!!
Grrrrr—!
Feeling his spear-arm tremble from fatigue, Hwan-in experienced an uncanny sensation.
A premonition of where the canine beasts would strike. Their movements crystal-clear, predictable.
Still, he was exhausted.
Pacing his stamina, after slaying about thirty, his breath ragged, shouts slipping into thrusts.
The third Spirit Possession had ended long ago—over 20 minutes since combat began.
Odd he wasn't more drained.
"Hah!"
Resolved not to show weakness, he lightning-thrust into a charging beast's maw, then smashed another's face with the spear-butt.
Yip!
YEEEELP!!!
One rolled thrashing, spear-deep in throat; the other rampaged blindly, eye pulped.
As packmates hesitated at the pair's frenzy, Hwan-in kicked up his discarded deer-antler staff, grabbing it.
Grrrrr!
Grrowl—!
They retreated 10m en masse, growling. Recalling the soul explosion that flung five at once during first possession.
But Hwan-in aimed for fourth possession.
Swiftly summoning a faint beast soul to possess him, he felt heart racing, body heating. Deep breath—hhhhuuup—he targeted the bulkiest ones.
"Go!!"
Shieeeew—
All nearby souls yanked in, launched at once.
As if on signal, beasts scattered. But five soul orbs homed faster.
Yip yip! Guh...
BOOM!!
YEEEELP!!
Yeelp—!
Not one targeted escaped the blasts.
"Hrraaah!!"
Ignoring wounded bloody ones, he charged intact beasts frozen mid-crouch, mercilessly spearing bared fangs.
YEEELP!
GROOOWL!!
Yeelp!!
Fewer attacks now, but each struck true—deep leg or torso wounds crippling fighters.
Four more downed, pack's momentum visibly crumbled.
Hwan-in felt Cold Ki from five soul explosions.
'Leader was among the fallen.'
Assessing swiftly, he drew the black club from his waist, smashed a nearby tree—bang bang!—and bellowed.
"Get lost, you mutts! Scram!!"
Ferocious roar sent survivors fleeing tails tucked.
"......Huuu."
Still under possession, his body weighed tons.
Exhaling long, Hwan-in eyed the dozen escapers, then surveyed.
Whine, grr.
Yeelp.
Over forty sprawled blood-soaked, dying.
Silently, he pierced chests—breathing or limp—for mercy kills.
Absorbing souls lacking extra traits into orbs.
"......Eight?"
Eight faint orbs clung glowing to the staff's antler.
Grown from four possessions and blasts?
Nodding, Hwan-in lifted his tattered beast-skin pack. Crushed, mashed, saliva-ruined food slopped out gaps. He stared.
"......"
Dropping the trash, he booted a nearby corpse—thunk!
Possession-empowered kick sent 20kg body soaring like a ball.
Sacrificed pack for wounds, but irked all reserves wasted.
Intact: preserved bundle and golden bell flowers in coat's inner pocket.
Anyway.
'Now what.'
Briefly considered fang talismans to repel beasts, discarded idea.
Fang scent might lure worse than wolves—tigers.
These pack-hunters relied on numbers, not strength. Could attract giant rabbits or monsters.
Wooden shield tempting, but...
Blood reek here screamed danger. Plus, shield'd hinder staff use.
Decided to leave. Called Emergency Ration from branch.
Whiiistle—.
Squawk!
It swooped eagerly. Fed insect from coat, pondered direction.
Escaped thicket hell: success.
Next...
Follow pack, or opposite?
Simple: giant rabbit > dogs; weaker beasts outer forest. Chase correct.
But fifty-plus pack, wheeling encirclement—high food chain?
Hwan-in eyed opposite: Great Lake. Giant rabbit direction, monster gulls, thickets...
"......"
Decided: follow pack.
He wouldn't let attackers live. Tracking remnants days through jungle, learned it split two types.
Exasperating thicket sea—fire-worthy irritation. Insects, plants, tiny birds only.
Gentle forest: dense grass, slim trees, soft leaf-mulch sunlit ground. Gray dog packs, beasts formed food webs with plants.
Some predator-worthy, mostly solo hunters. They fled Hwan-in's monster-blood stench first.
He didn't pursue; no fights.
Target: day-one attackers.
Dogs tenacious. Wouldn't risk night bites. Planned total wipe of forest packs.
But they'd lost most first clash, evaded since. He pursued.
En route, blue panther-like predators lunged instinctively, but soul explosions forced openings; spear crippled tendons. Lone assailants, easy.
"......"
Hwan-in felt conflicted hunting leopard-like apex solo—had he grown this strong?
Anyway. Day three, tracking grays into sparse-tree grassland, distant mountains silenced him.
Soul Vision revealed pale-to-vivid green plants, white fruit trees dotting slopes.
Forest/mountain orchards normal—but blatantly visible?
Fruits aid reproduction via birds/beasts. Evolves against easy pickings/profit.
Blatant growth? Only cultivated orchards on Earth.
"Pack vanished into those mountains..."
Trap obvious.
Not reason—instinct screamed chill down spine.
Squawk!
Hearing mutter, Emergency Ration flitted toward ordinary-looking hills.
Hwan-in yelled.
"Emergency Ration! Back!"
Squawk?
Halting, it perched on arm, head tilt. Stroking it, he shook head.
"Beauty hides poison."
Normal sight: multicolored fruits blanketed vibrant as autumn hills.
Pack lair or evasion spot? Irrelevant—no intent to enter.
No food shortage; no need risk.
"Skirt around."
Multiple ranges beyond snake-mountain.
Escaped jungle. Time seek people.
Low hilltop'd reveal terrain.
Luck: spot village.