Chapter 471
Chapter 471
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 471
>Chapter Title: Beasts of the Wasteland Unite
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There is no law or order in the wasteland.
Such things had long since crumbled.
It was decided the moment the rulers of this place toppled and occupied the kingdom.
“…They’re here.”
“Huh? What is?”
Fatty, who had been tearing into meat, asked Clever.
Rumble-!
The crimson clouds headed for Tantu Inu now surged toward the ogres of Triem as well.
“Uwoooo! Rain cooooming!”
“Hate rain! Hate getting wet!”
“My smell’s fading! Hate rain!”
Those close to primitives in the past bowed toward the tree struck by lightning. The sky was something they could not comprehend. Something they could not defy.
As the ogres scattered clumsily through Triem to avoid the rain, one figure suddenly stepped forward and spread its arms wide.
The sole intellect born from the ogres’ long history. Or perhaps, the starting point of changes yet to come.
It was Clever.
Whoosh…
The clouds poured down rain.
Clever made a point of entering the river to wash its body for cleanliness, but even so, its natural body odor was strong.
“I really like the rain. It doesn’t reject me, even if I’m a stinky creature.”
“What’re you talking about?”
Thud…
Fatty tossed the leftover meat onto the ground and asked.
“King, you can’t understand my words.”
“Yeah! Clever talks too hard.”
“…….”
Clever was an irregular.
A lion covered in white fur might seem attractive to humans, but it felt loneliness amid the pack.
Clever was such a being.
Together, yet alone.
Kaboom-!
“Uwoooo!”
“Uwoooo!”
Everyone feared the lightning.
Even though it was nothing at all.
Even though they’d be fine even if struck by it. They feared it simply because they didn’t know.
Unlearned, teachings were useless.
Clever suffered alone in understanding this. It was the anguish of one paving the way ahead of its time.
Karrumble-!
Karrumblerumble-!
The information from the clouds that Tantu Inu had seen seeped into Clever’s mind.
“Aah…”
Whoosh…
Worries and anguish washed away in the rain. Emotions surged up alongside the influx of information.
“This… must be trust.”
Kang Seol had sent word even to the ogres of Triem not just because the situation was urgent, but because of Clever’s existence.
Had Clever not been there, he wouldn’t have drawn in the ogres. No, he couldn’t have.
Clever saw through that fact. That someone trusted it.
That someone was willing to believe in it.
“How beautiful… The world is this beautiful.”
The irregular had learned of humans from human books. And it had always pondered what set it apart from them.
“We’re not different.”
That was its conclusion.
“I… am not different.”
By nature, exceptional beings commit great deeds.
“King, we head north now.”
“North? Where’s north?”
“That way.”
“Aha! But everyone hates us. Gotta kill a ton.”
“No, smear beast blood on your bodies. The red kind.”
Worried about possibly mistaking allies for enemies in battle, Kang Seol had imposed one restriction.
That was the red mark.
Those with the red mark were allies.
The rain stopped, and the ogres smeared beast blood over their bodies. The reason was simple.
Clever had ordered it.
Fatty did the same.
“Clever, where we going?”
“Dunno.”
“Even Clever doesn’t know stuff.”
“King, you’ve devoured so much until now.”
“I know! Still wanna eat more. Hungry! We going to eat?”
Clever smiled.
“Dragon. Let’s eat.”
“Sweet! Sounds tasty!”
[Powerful Ally ‘Triem’s Ruler Fatty’ appears in this adventure.]
[Powerful Ally ‘Triem’s Ruler Fatty’ joins this adventure as your ally.]
[Gray Ally ‘Advisor Clever’ appears in this adventure.]
[Gray Ally ‘Advisor Clever’ joins this adventure as your ally.]
[Faction: Triem’s Ogres join this adventure as your ally.]
……
The trust Kang Seol had extended just in case blossomed at the perfect moment.
The clouds scattered further, heading to the great tribes of the rainless zones.
At the foot of Mount Jorun: Baldu.
At Spoon Volcano: Kessyi.
At Mount Horus: Dekki.
They reacted sensitively and swiftly to the approaching threat.
They raised the red symbol and grasped their roles.
Now, the three giants came.
[Faction: Baldu joins this adventure as your ally.]
[Faction: Kessyi joins this adventure as your ally.]
[Faction: Dekki joins this adventure as your ally.]
And before them rose a red wave to block the path.
* * *
Half a day in Horus.
Though it was still midday outside, to those gathered beneath Horus’s great tree Dekki, it felt like night.
- Kupa, it’s the spirit trial.
“…Finally.”
- Yes. Have you heard the tale of the blue-flamed bird burning in the north?
“I don’t know human stories.”
- That one was a spirit too. Or rather, had been.
“So it really existed.”
- He was just a beast, like us all. But he accepted nature and came to understand the world. In that moment, the path of the soul opened.
Kupa felt it understood what deer spirit Javatu meant.
- You will walk that path too.
Kupa asked.
“Did that flaming bird have something in common with me?”
“Something in common….”
Javatu and the other spirits tilted their heads, unsure. Later, they’d even wonder if there really was anything similar.
- Uh… maybe not?
- Kupa’s a bit odd, after all.
- Yeah, kinda….
Spirit.
The dream of all beasts.
The realm of erasing lowly births and being reborn as new existences.
Spirits were revered as noble by others.
But.
- Kupa doesn’t seem that interested in becoming a spirit.
- Right, feels like he’s just doing the ritual because it’s time.
Kupa muttered.
“No way. I really, really want to become a spirit.”
- Liar.
- Total lie, you punk.
Cairo said.
- Kupa, spirits are sacred in themselves. No matter what you were born as or how you lived, becoming one makes it all meaningless.
Kupa answered quietly.
“Cairo, is that… really a good thing?”
- …What?
Javatu’s face grew serious.
“Forgetting myself, erasing the path I’ve walked—is that really so cool and wonderful?”
- Isn’t forgetting the mud-rolling, the constant turf wars leaving your body a mess, the scorn as a mere beast—a good thing?
Kupa shook its head.
“I don’t know. I… liked that too.”
Only then did all the spirits realize these weren’t Kupa’s jokes.
“At some point, words came easily. Mount Spirit came to mind, and I came here as if drawn. Now I must become a spirit. I… still lack conviction.”
- Kupa.
“Even as a spirit, can I keep my name? Can I avoid forgetting I’m Kupa?”
- Spirits discard past names. All receive new ones.
“That’s… truly sad and awful. Forgetting Kiri. Forgetting Kang Seol.”
- …And that’s wrong? It was long ago.
“Kiri, poor soul. Didn’t walk with me long. If he had, he’d have ridden my back and watched the sunset.”
- …….
“Too early a death. If he saw me now, he’d be thrilled. Would’ve doted on me loads, called me great.”
Kupa looked confused.
As the spirits floundered, the clouds arrived.
Rumble…
Whoosh…
Kaboom-!
Karrumble-!
High Sky Wings’ great sorcery.
Gathering the scattered pieces.
The spirits spoke in unison.
- Time for Dekki to move.
Kupa added.
“We too….”
- No, only Dekki moves.
“…Why?”
- That’s what spirits are. Nature holds no intent.
“…….”
- Kupa, head to the spirit tree Dekki. Become a spirit, and you’ll know all.
With sad eyes, Kupa sadly headed to Dekki.
The process of becoming a spirit was simple yet profound. Connecting soul to spirit tree Dekki and departing for the soul world.
There, one witnesses the soul’s potential, sheds all filth, and is reborn anew.
Whoosh…
Kupa thrust its head into Dekki.
Swooo…
The massive bird’s form vanished in an instant.
“This place… the soul world?”
A transparent, blue-tinged world. Vast beyond measure. A world broader than Pandea unfolded.
A world moved by will alone.
Where thought alone propelled one at the speed of thought.
Souls of various shapes existed there. But they were tiny.
Like Kupa? No, mere soul dregs, unworthy of spirit-hood.
Spirits seemed the final destination for beasts already complete.
Whoooong…
A massive light source.
A yellow orb wrapped in blue bands rose.
Kupa instantly judged it the core substance of the soul world.
Touch it, and ascend to the next stage: spirit.
Instinctively, as if enchanted, it spread its wings.
Swoosh…
No wind needed; Kupa’s soul was sucked toward the orb, as if by fate.
Yes, it’s done.
This is it.
Something whispered in Kupa’s heart.
“…No! No!”
Suddenly, Kupa cried out and halted its wings.
The clouds from before lingered in its mind. Kang Seol needed Kupa.
“Great things… still so many left. Still… not yet….”
“Right, it’s too soon for you.”
Kupa startled at the nearby voice and looked toward it.
“…Who are you?”
“Such a polite raptor?”
“…Who’re you?”
“…Never mind.”
No face visible, just a wretched form of dregs like those before.
Human-shaped, yet its essence defied description.
“Right, a human.”
“…….”
“Scared? Of becoming a spirit.”
Kupa felt drawn to this unknown. Its soul captivated like the orb.
“Scared. I’d lose my daily life.”
“No more rolling in mud and grinning like an idiot.”
“No more perching atop giant trees, breathing free.”
“No flying at will, even with wings.”
Kupa nodded vigorously.
Really vigorously.
“Kupa.”
“You know my name? Who are you?”
“Soul Wanderer! Or think of me as moss doing nothing right now.”
“Wanderer….”
“How’s… Javatu?”
“…….”
“Hahaha! Just curious after ages.”
The soul said.
“Someday I’ll find them again. Hope they’re all well…. Oh right! Not about me! It’s you that matters!”
Kupa blinked wide-eyed, mimicking surprise.
“Kupa, speak your true heart. Don’t ruin your life opposing your soul.”
“I… I….”
For some reason, Kupa wept before the man as it answered.
“Want to… stay a beast.”
“…….”
“Foolish, stupid acts—that’s me. Don’t wanna discard the name Kiri gave. Wanna visit Kang Seol often.”
“Mud baths too?”
“Those are the best! Being me is the best… I….”
Kupa felt the pressing darkness lift. Its chest emptied, then filled with something new.
“Kupa, you’re a big beast.”
“…….”
“That’s me.”
Swooo…
The soul touched Kupa’s forehead.
[Pure Soul Mark forms.]
[Body can accept the soul.]
[Body undergoes explosive growth.]
……
“Begone. Never set foot here again.”
Whoooong…
Kupa sensed itself drifting from the soul world.
Kuuuung…
Bang-!
Kupa erupted with force that shook Dekki.
“…….”
“…….”
All of Horus’s spirits fell silent.
Kupa’s size was incomparable to before.
Truly gigantic, now overlooking the spirits.
“…Kupa.”
“That mark on its head….”
Deer spirit Javatu asked.
“…He doing well?”
Kupa nodded.
The spirits touched the mark on Kupa’s head with their foreheads.
Ziiing…
Spirit patterns engraved on the mark and vanished within.
“Begone, Kupa. You’re unworthy of spirit-hood.”
Kupa answered.
“Kururuk….”
The massive bird with a red feather in its crest spread its wings.
Whoooong…
[Powerful Ally ‘Kupa’ appears in this adventure.]
……