Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Quiet After Violence
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After traveling along the river for several days, Hwan-in's group noticed the river, which had narrowed, widening once more.
The height of the jungle on either side had dropped dramatically, revealing the ridges beyond, and the thick underbrush that had seemed to bar their path had vanished, gradually giving way to proper forest.
=This is such a weird forest. It turns into jungle, then forest, then back to jungle...
=Uncle Hegel said there's a labyrinth where lightning strikes every day. Isn't this pretty normal?
=Maybe... Anyway, isn't it amazing how many animals live here? You hardly ever see any outside the village.
=The forest is dense, there are plenty of mountains, and water's abundant. Around our village, it's just yellowish plains. The other side is nothing but water.
=Right, right. So when we get back to the village, we should tell Grandpa Village Chief and the uncles to come hunt here...
Huini, chattering excitedly, let out a strange squeal at Ennel's smack on her back and twisted her body.
=Are you trying to get everyone killed? Forgot what we've been through here already?
=Ugh... That hit my bone, my bone...
=Then flesh it is this time.
Smack!
=Kieek! That hurts! Stop hitting me!
=Wasn't that what you were begging for with your nonsense?
Smack!!
=Kwaaang!
Ryuhi let out a long sigh at the sight of Huini desperately hunching to avoid more hits and Ennel grabbing her arm to smack her back again.
=Those kids... I'm so sorry, Benefactor.
"It's fine. The noise is rather pleasant."
Hwan-in let the sisters' bickering flow in one ear and out the other as he turned his gaze to the reddish ridge emerging above the jungle.
'When heavy rain falls around here, rainwater from those mountains must flood in and overflow the river.'
The terrain was steadily rising. And the river wasn't just a single stream.
Like capillaries branching from a vein, short, narrow tributaries extended from both sides of the main river before merging back, with traces of flooding visible in several spots.
That afternoon, as the group pressed on, the river suddenly widened several times over.
The river spanned at least 100 meters across—not even at its mouth, yet the delta formed was vast enough to build a couple of sports fields, thick with trees and bushes.
When they finally spotted Lizardmen basking in the sun, huddled here and there across the delta, Hwan-in was certain.
"Oljrot's lake must be just beyond there."
=How did you know?
"I've seen a river connected to a lake in the labyrinth's jungle. Frogmen and Lizardmen swarmed the river's entrance there."
No such creatures appeared on any other river. Their congregation here meant this was the entrance to a river linked to the lake.
And food was plentiful here, too.
Unlike that other place where they survived by devouring the occasional Beast-Head Monster or Green Monster, this spot overflowed with sustenance at a glance.
Far across the river, a herd of antelope-like cattle drank from the clear water. On the opposite bank, cheetahs or leopards—too distant to tell—lapped at the river while warily scanning their surroundings.
Activating Soul Vision, he peered into the water and spotted fish as thick as his forearm swimming lazily in the gentle currents everywhere.
Not just that—the riverbanks teemed with unidentified blue, purple, and silver fruits, and the ground was carpeted in pale green grass roots.
That explained why beasts and monsters gathered in such numbers.
As he watched several vanish and reappear in quick succession, absorbing the geography and scenery, Hwan-in turned his eyes to a narrow tributary branching rightward beyond the river, toward a low hill, and spoke.
"First, we need to find a narrower spot to cross the river."
The main channel's flow was slow despite forming the delta, but it was too wide and deep.
If those Lizardmen attacked mid-crossing, they'd be sitting ducks—they couldn't swim across.
As he led the women about 2km downstream along the tributary, Hwan-in encountered countless animals.
Four-armed bear-like beasts. Red-headed condors. Massive brown elephant-like creatures down to gray hedgehogs. Prairie dog-like animals. Reptiles resembling okapis and land tortoises, even sand crocodiles.
Most moved in groups large and small, so Hwan-in tensed each time they crossed paths.
He could handle a couple without issue, but the visible numbers—regardless of type—totaled 40 to 50.
If they attacked and all charged...
"......"
Fortunately—or surprisingly—carnivores and herbivores alike ignored each other like roadside pebbles, drank their fill, and slipped into the forest. New arrivals did the same.
Some, like the four-armed bears, growled threats toward Hwan-in's group, but when he drew his spear and glared, they turned away as if nothing happened.
At their blatant avoidance of conflict, Hwan-in furrowed his brow.
This mirrored Africa's dry season waterholes. Animals gathered for scarce water acted under a tacit peace treaty, finishing up and leaving.
There was good reason.
Water was vital for survival.
Carnivores didn't always dominate herbivores.
Lions and crocs died to enraged buffalo, hippos, or elephants; leopards fled from furious zebras.
Even carnivores risked attacks from dozens or hundreds of angry herbivores if they turned a water source into a hunting ground, or clashes with rival predators over dominance.
Plus, escalation could destroy the waterhole itself, so fights and hunts were tacitly avoided nearby.
But this place differed.
Clean water abounded, food littered the forest. No life-threatening dangers—yet this peace persisted. Why?
'...A threat to life.'
Feeling an ominous premonition, Hwan-in led the women across a shallow section and headed for the hill he'd scouted.
The moment they reached the 80-meter hill's summit.
=Eek.
=...!
=Ahh...
Their eyes met a tortoise carrying a small mountain on its back beyond the hill.
Its appearance seemed gentle, no hostility felt, but its sheer size made the women's legs give out as they collapsed with short gasps.
Even Hwan-in's heart raced.
An aircraft carrier-sized tortoise. What power did such a monster—no, behemoth beyond the term "monster"—possess?
Defying physics, it had to be terrifyingly strong.
The wrinkle-faced mountain tortoise eyed them briefly before slowly turning away.
Rumble...
Astonishingly, that minor motion produced a tree-felling roar.
"That creature must be why there's no fighting around here."
=G-Goodness. We've never seen anything like that...
"You've seen Oljrot."
=But only from afar, smaller than a finger joint.
As the tortoise's gaze shifted, the women regained their composure, standing and gasping in awe, unable to look away.
=Is that a holy beast too?
=Mages kill humans on sight. So it must be holy. Looks gentle, too.
'...Then the Blue Flame Tiger is holy kin too.'
Examining the mountain-like shell, Hwan-in suddenly noticed no transparent aura.
"Ephnis. That mountain tortoise shows no aura. Holy beasts don't awaken?"
=Huh? Oh, traveling merchants said awakening is only for humans, human-like beasts, or monsters.
'The blade boar's soul was shrouded in aura...'
Village girls might lack precise knowledge. Dismissing it, Hwan-in looked around.
Then he spotted a distinctive landmark opposite the tortoise.
"Ryuhi. Look behind the mountain tortoise."
=Yes? Hmm~.
"Isn't that the yellow bald mountain?"
=Ah, wait. Can't see from here.
Moving beside Hwan-in, Ryuhi's eyes widened at the spot.
=Yes! That's the mountain! That's the one I saw!
=Really!? Whoa!
The women's attention snapped from the tortoise to the yellow bald mountain, excitement surging.
They hugged, jumped, wiped tears.
It was natural. They'd thought they'd die trapped in the forest; now the path home was in sight. No wonder the thrill.
"But the mountain tortoise blocks the way. We'll have to go around, taking more time."
The tortoise sat smack in the forest path to the bald mountain, flanked by layered hills like this one.
Like a 25-ton truck jamming a narrow alley.
Detouring would multiply travel time, but passing such a behemoth was unwise.
Holy or not, beasts might instinctively crush small passersby.
Moreover.
"Its followers might lurk nearby, so we'll circle wide."
The path might double or triple, he warned, but the women didn't mind.
They just trusted him as always, eyes sparkling at Hwan-in.
"......"
Meeting their gazes, Hwan-in looked skyward and whistled.
Squawk!
Emergency Ration, now at least twice as heavy as when they met, landed on his arm.
Feeling the solid weight, he asked,
"Emergency Ration. Any birds of prey around?"
Squawk!
"What about land beasts?"
Squawk squawk squawk squawk squawk!!
"Good. Well done."
Petting its head, Hwan-in fed it a ladybug-like insect from his pouch and launched it skyward again.
"No birds, but plenty of land beasts, it says. Stick to ridges and move carefully."
The undulating ridges, like a reclining woman's body, showed few animal traces—meaning they hid in the forests flanking or between hills.
Sticking to ridges would minimize encounters.
Emergency Ration hadn't exaggerated about land beasts.
Crossing the 100-400m-wide forest strips between ridges meant battling 3-4 to over 10 beasts each time.
Especially against over 20 wild dogs, Hwan-in feared casualties among the women.
=Sis, hurry up!
=Ow...!
=Just grab the branch! Hup!
=Kyaa!
Huini's quick thinking saved them.
She'd hurled Ryuhi and Ephnis into the tree, then she and Ennel scrambled up to fend off jumps.
Hwan-in wove silver threads left and right to check the wolf-like dogs, then, women's safety secured, spawned two triple Soul Shields behind and charged.
Since glimpsing spirits, he'd stopped skimping Soul Orbs.
Dogs lunging for his mouth got double Soul Explosions shattering skulls; throat attacks met spear splits or flat strikes sending them flying.
When outnumbered and rear-attacked, shields cracking, he recast instantly, replenishing orbs as needed.
Soul Shields shone in multi-foe fights.
Moving by his will, reading muscle twitches to counter—like two extra arms.
Triples barely blocked one hit, but enough to split flailing beasts' heads with his stone axe post-block.
Thus, he disabled over ten without strain.
Grrr.
Grrrr.
"......"
Half the pack downed writhing or groaning, the dogs growled short cries and fled.
Alone, he'd pursue to eliminate threats, but Huini and Ennel's sharp ears and noses covered rears.
Stab—thunk—
Yelp! Kyaek!
Finishing survivors, Hwan-in eyed his translucent gray panel with satisfaction.
'Perfect for guarding the rear.'
Stays within 1m, low durability—but willful control offset flaws.
One layer barely paper-thin; triples blocked once reliably—ideal for back.
"Come down. We'll move fast."
Sensing beasts drawn by blood, he hurried the women away.
After, ambushes saw women tree-perch; Hwan-in unleashed all skills, massacring foes.
Warm Ki consumption spiked; post-forest, it'd drop to 30%, forcing rest-march balance.
Not all grueling labor.
Combats netted two extra Soul Orbs—14 total. Focused meditation absorbed more Warm and Cold Ki from his palm.
'Warm Ki and Cold Ki stores rising steadily.'
Initially, 12 Soul Explosions left him freezing; now 26 fine.
Lowest-grade orbs assumed; higher grades reduced uses further.
Changes hit Emergency Ration too.
On hill sentry, five owl-bear-sized attackers struck silently—but Huini alerted, no casualties.
Then Emergency Ration glowed faintly, doubling size.
Kwak!
=Ah, Emergency Ration grew?
Squawk? Squawk squawk!
=Growing this much at once... Green Kku really isn't ordinary.
"......"
Watching hen-sized Emergency Ration balloon to goose in moments shocked Hwan-in.
Souls he'd accepted via gossip; this defied physics—volume, mass multiplying instantly.
Absurd. Doubled in breaths.
Kwak.
Its voice cracked like puberty; Hwan-in compromised: volume up, mass same.
'Like crustaceans bulking then molting.'
He convinced himself it was growth akin to ecdysis.