Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: When Trust Breaks
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Rumble...
Thunder echoed across the clear sky, but Hwan-in's group paid it no mind and continued on their way.
They had heard so much thunder while skirting the yellow bald mountain.
The path around the mountain wasn't difficult. There were no hills or slopes, the road was flat, and the forest was as quiet and refreshing as those on Earth.
The trees hadn't thinned out particularly, but the towering bald mountain right beside them served as a perfect landmark, preventing them from getting lost.
The only thing that bothered them was the occasional loud peals of thunder.
They had first heard the thunder when they descended the broken ridge and entered the forest.
Kaboom...! Rumble...
=Huh?! Lightning?=
=No lightning struck.=
=But wasn't that thunder?=
=No rain, no clouds... where could lightning come from...=
As the women startled and looked around at the thunder shaking the forest, Hwan-in quietly heightened his vigilance.
He had already seen a beast shoot lightning bolts from its bare body.
Drawing his spear and activating Spirit Possession, he scanned all directions warily.
The recent thunder had echoed due to reflections off the trees, making its origin impossible to pinpoint. He had no choice but to stay alert.
Seeing Hwan-in's actions, Huini and Ennel tensed up as well, focusing on sounds and scents.
After thirty minutes with no changes, Hwan-in sent Emergency Ration flying to check for monsters. Upon its report of no monsters or even beasts nearby, he finally eased his tension slightly and resumed moving slowly.
But that wasn't the end of it.
Three hours later, thunder struck again, followed by periodic rumbles large and small overwhelming Hwan-in's group.
They discovered the source when they emerged into an open clearing between forests.
Groooom! Rumble...
=The thunder's coming from the bald mountain!=
=Still no beast scents around.=
At the sisters' words, Hwan-in turned his gaze to the yellow bald mountain.
A mountain over 20,000 meters high, its peak covered not in eternal snow but some mysterious yellow substance, and now roaring with thunder.
Hwan-in couldn't comprehend what kind of mountain it was.
Or rather, he had given up trying to understand.
A monster tiger with blue flames.
A colossal horned scale whale that created tsunamis with its mere size.
A boar that shot lightning.
A turtle carrying a mountain on its back.
Beings that modern knowledge couldn't explain. And having encountered them one after another, his threshold for surprise had risen to its limit.
He probably wouldn't be startled by much from now on. Thinking that as he descended a low hill...
Quawk! Quaaack!!
With Emergency Ration's warning, five beasts appeared at the forest's edge ahead.
They were three-eyed dogs.
It wasn't a chance encounter. All fifteen eyes of the five three-eyed dogs had been fixed on them since they emerged from the forest.
Sensing something ominous in their behavior, Hwan-in immediately told the women to fall back.
"Fall back. It's best to keep your distance."
=Yes.=
He checked both sides of the downhill path, but saw no signs of encirclement. This only puzzled Hwan-in more.
Why reveal themselves from such a distance when ambushing from the nearby forest would have been easier? At least 100 meters away...
"...!"
Ting! Tick!
The moment chills ran down his skin, he summoned a triple-layered soul shield and thrust it forward. Something immediately pinged off it.
'A needle?'
Confirming the falling object's identity, Hwan-in reflexively charged. He clicked his tongue softly.
It hadn't penetrated the soul shield, so no piercing power, but the tip of the needle—similar in color to bleached bone—was coated in a transparent liquid.
'Poison, probably.'
If he'd deployed the shield even a second later, the attack would have landed.
As he closed in, he realized these three-eyed dogs differed from the ones he knew.
The ones he'd seen before were just brown or gray dogs with an extra eye in the forehead. These were uniformly reddish-brown, with tentacle-like tails blooming into flower buds at the ends.
`It shot the needle from there.`
Tingting! Tick! Tick!
When he'd closed to a quarter of the distance, needles as thin as pine needles flew again, pinging off the soul shield.
Seeing the needles ineffective, the three-eyed dogs hurriedly tried to flee into the forest.
Boomboomboom!!
Yelp! Yelp!
Screeech!
Hwan-in detonated the soul orbs he'd prepositioned, then plunged into the tumbling three-eyed dogs, swinging his spear freely to sever their necks.
They were even less durable than the three-eyed dogs he knew. They cleaved bone-deep without much force, pierced easily.
After slicing all five in seconds, Hwan-in examined the corpses and concluded.
'Just watch out for the needles, and they're nothing.'
They posed a ranged attack risk, but their physical durability was pathetically low. A lowest-grade soul explosion shattered their bones.
In a forest, straight-flying spits were practically useless.
That was probably why the three-eyed dogs had emerged from such a distance.
=Roxie?=
Ephnis approached, and she immediately explained.
=Ah. They have incredibly good central vision, spotting prey from enormous distances. They're considered the most dangerous beasts in plains or grasslands because they gather friends nearby to attack. They suddenly lead packs of monsters or beasts to overwhelm you.=
"Heard that from merchants?"
=Yes...=
"Those merchants must be trustworthy folk."
The info matched what Hwan-in had gathered firsthand. Not deceiving him as a villager spoke to their integrity.
The thorn three-eyed dogs' souls were low-grade like others, granting the same vision enhancement via soul orb.
With his vision turning like high-powered binoculars, Hwan-in naturally looked toward the yellow bald mountain.
"...Crystals?"
He realized the peak was densely covered in yellow clumps like gems.
Some resembled cubic zirconias, others crystals.
Sizes varied; some large enough to discern easily, others mere yellow specks.
'Is that yellow stuff causing the thunder? Or a result of it?'
Or perhaps a creature summoning lightning existed.
Even if eyes struck by bolts had crystallized yellow, Hwan-in wouldn't be surprised.
"... "
Curiosity grew about what lived atop that peak.
How strong would he need to be to climb it? Strong enough to hunt blueflame tigers? Or slay mountain turtles easily?
Smirking at the thought of such a day, Hwan-in continued.
The return path around the bald mountain proceeded smoothly without incident.
Having exited the labyrinth, beast encounters plummeted after the thorn three-eyed dogs, replaced by skittish herbivores and birds.
Animals fled at human presence; aggressive ones panicked at Hwan-in's death aura, soiling themselves in flight.
The fields brimmed with expensive herbs and plants that widened the women's eyes.
=Sis, sis! Here! Osrit grass!=
=Sunflower weed too!=
=Ah, spiky fruit!=
=Whoa... Isn't this a healing herb grove?=
With Hwan-in's permission, the women eagerly gathered roadside herbs and plants.
"Emergency Ration. Don't relax. Keep watch for beasts."
Quawk. Quack.
Stroking Emergency Ration's head—its green crest feathers rising like a crown under warm sunlight filtering through the peaceful forest—Hwan-in reminded it.
Hwan-in's group pressed on without rest.
=River wide!=
=Current's not too fast.=
=Still can't swim across. Smoked meat would get soaked...=
"We'll make a raft. Plenty of trees around. Let's start. Huini, Ennel."
=Yep!=
=Yes.=
They encountered a massive river about 90 meters wide mid-journey, building a log raft to cross.
=All green.=
=Benefactor~! Weird statue here~!=
"Ruins. Traces of a temple... Looks weathered for centuries."
They traversed a green ruin later revealed as the fallen labyrinth's site, an ancient temple.
=Haa~. Mountain after mountain!=
=Ryuhi sis. Ephnis sis. You okay?=
=Haa, haa. F-fine. Hoo.=
=Me too. Still... manageable.=
=If it's too hard, say so. I'll carry your stuff.=
=Yeah. Thanks... Sis, breathe in through nose, out through mouth. Panting like that... makes it worse.=
=Ugh, okay. Hiiiu, huuuu...=
They crossed rugged mountains of peaks big and small.
They walked all day across a vast white sand beach like the Great Lake's sands gathered, then followed natural paths between emerging 500-meter-plus mountains for days.
After nearly a fortnight...
=Wow! Yellow bald mountain's gone now!=
=Almost home...=
"Follow the lakeshore, and we'll spot your village soon."
=Yes, benefactor.=
Perhaps homesickness: the women's faces glowed brighter than bright, voices brimming with excitement.
The Great Lake wasn't far. Climbing a 400-meter nearby mountain revealed a vast horizon.
Surrounded by mountains, with low ranges along the shore, their village wasn't visible yet.
But the women's hearts were light.
Nearly two weeks without proper beasts.
They gathered lucrative herbs, mushrooms, fruits in forests and fields, filling pouches and baskets with dried valuables.
Ryuhi joyfully said selling to village merchants would yield near-yearly income.
Of course, all proceeds to Hwan-in, but spirits soared.
Their hearts were already home.
They might've run straight there if possible.
Day two along the lakeshore.
Night fell; grilling gathered shellfish and scant smoked bear meat over campfire, smiles never left their faces.
Hwan-in watched them eat Ryuhi's clam soup, grilled smoked bear, large clams, laughing and chatting.
'Need companions.'
A day over a fortnight ago, he'd embraced Ryuhi and Ennel to absorb warmth.
Their warmth recovered from yesterday; Ephnis and Huini's, recovering since 16 days ago, reached 1/8 initial size—from pinky nail to 500-won coin.
'3-5 months to full recovery.'
Half-year max. Only in dire emergencies—not unacceptable.
Watching the four women feed Emergency Ration beamingly, Hwan-in shook his head faintly.
Living in this world gave them courage against fear and some grit, but...
'Unfit as companions.'
Hwan-in sought simple comrades.
Someone reliable at his back. Weak now, but with talent to grow strong through training.
But the women's combat sense was dismal.
Judgment poor; Ryuhi and Ephnis physically dismal.
Fitter than Earth women, but not monster-fighting level.
He'd trained them monthly when possible—no notable growth.
Huini and Ennel improved to beat two wolves—that was it.
Even all four Spirit Possessed couldn't last a minute against unpossessed Hwan-in...
"... "
Thrilling combat requires survival.
To relive the ecstasy against wolfmen, he needed one or two comrades.
He briefly thought human fights might thrill too, but dismissed it recalling his parents.
Coo. Quet.
Sated on women's food, Emergency Ration nestled between Hwan-in's legs.
Petting its head and back, it closed eyes, tucked neck—like a content cat.
Gazing at the Milky Way-strewn night sky, Hwan-in murmured inwardly.
'Companions can wait. Look slowly.'
With soul powers, he could handle 1.5-2 man worth alone. Wander solo, seek worthy ones leisurely—Hwan-in thought.
Three days later.
=V-village! Ennel, sisters! Our village!=
=Sob...=
=We're alive, we survived...!=
Ascending a peak in the 400-meter range, they spotted a small, neat village with white smoke like cumulus clouds rising.
Nearly three months since falling into this strange world.
Hwan-in finally contacted this world's civilization.