Chapter 45 – 044 the Jade Lake
Hwanin, who had retreated far from the jade lake, saw women gasping for breath while exhaling white breath.
‘The temperature…… ?’
Is it because this is a labyrinth?
I took a deep breath and tried exposing the skin on my forearm, but I didn’t notice much of a difference in temperature. Just cool weather that’s good for activities?
‘Come to think of it, I didn’t realize that it was hot even near the Twin Mountains at some point.’
The women sweated enough to wash their bodies in the morning and evening by the river.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Hwanin looked back. A green ape can be seen watching them from a distance.
‘I’ll be watching.’
I told the women waiting for orders what to do now.
“Let’s take it easy. And Epnis, do you call that ape a predator of the forest?”
= Yes……. When peddlers or merchants pass through the forest, the number one priority to be wary of is the looters of the forest. It climbs trees very well and is very strong, so it is said that it can easily lift and run away with a horse or Que. It is called a plunderer because it plunders the luggage of the top with that power.=
Food good.
He sat on his arm with emergency food from the sky and asked Epnis while feeding him the insects he had collected in advance.
“Do those apes like to see blood? How much intelligence is territorial consciousness or group size? How about your appetite?”
= I’m sorry. Until then, I……. I think I eat everything regardless of meat or grass.=
“…….”
While looking at the ape who was still watching, he gently scratched the beak of the emergency ration and said.
“Emergency food. Where is the ‘river’? It’s a ‘river’, ‘river’”
Kkuh?
“This is the ‘river’ here. That place is here, ‘Lake’.”
After drawing a rough shape of a jade lake on the ground and the river they are currently in, they asked the question over and over again.
After a while, the emergency rations came back down and hopped around on the picture of the Jade Lake, then crossed out something similar to a line with their feet.
Couw!
“Hmm. There’s another river out of our sight. The destination is…… ?”
=Wow, do you know how to draw pictures of emergency food?!=
=The straw-colored Kuodo tends to understand people well, but it’s not comparable to emergency food.=
=Emergency food is amazing.=
“…… Great.”
Turning the attention of the women who were focused on emergency food, Hwanin spoke again.
“There seems to be another river on one side of the Jade Lake out of sight. For now, I will make it my goal to move there.”
=Yes.=
=Yes.=
“Let’s step back for a moment.”
It’s questionable whether what I’m thinking of now will work, but considering the fact that I didn’t attack for an opening here, it might be worth trying.
Their back was hidden by the forest, and the river they were following was covered in flood damage.
In the foreground are mountain ranges, jade-colored lakes, and habitats of apes.
There is no choice.
As expected by Hwanin, the river drawn by emergency food was on the other side of the lake covered by mountains.
The approximate circumference of the lake is 42 km. There may be errors, but if it is longer than 42 km, it will be long, but not short. Even half of that is over 20km.
Now that the other river is located, there is an option to go into the sea and go around the mountain there, but it is too far.
‘Speciality of labyrinth. In addition, it is a place where you do not know what kind of beast or monster is inhabiting. I don’t want to go into the woods on my own, carrying what I need to protect.’
It is a bonus that it will be difficult to see the mountain, which is a milestone, because it is flooded.
In the end, it means that in order to get to the other side, you have to penetrate the realm of the apes.
‘If I push in blindly, a fight will surely break out.’
It doesn’t matter if you’re alone, but among the women, there will surely be someone who dies.
To be honest, Hwanin thought it didn’t matter if all the women died.
Things have changed a lot. Ryuhi’s peculiarity of knowing the way disappeared and he learned how his psychic powers were accepted by the people of this world.
Rather, moving alone might be able to reach the village earlier.
“…….”
However, after exchanging various things with the women, Hwanin intended to do everything he could until his life was in danger.
After wandering around for a long time with emergency food, Hwanin hunted three animals and two animals, took three of them on his back, entrusted two to Huini and Ennel, and went back to Jade Lake.
‘It feels like I’m gradually getting away from being human.’
Hehe.=
=Whoahhaha.=
Huini and Ennel gasped to death after walking several kilometers uphill, carrying carcasses that resembled a wolf and a small bear, each weighing between 100 and 120 kg.
It contrasts with the three of them, who have moved more than 300 kg, but are only slightly out of breath.
Hwanin looked ahead.
Nine apes were standing on the shore of the lake, as if the ape who followed them from afar had reported it.
Two more than before.
‘I’d better not think that it’s all about apes.’
Approaching the apes in moderation, Hwanin placed the carcasses of three moose in front of them with a thud, thump, thump.
The corpses carried by Huini and Ennel are also lined up next to each other and gestured to the apes.
This is yours
We go there
…… After!
Heh!
Their gestures seem to be working, but the two of them are beating their chests with one hand or punching the ground with their fists, as if expressing dissatisfaction.
‘I don’t think those two were there before…… Then.’
Hwanin silently grabbed the 130kg moose with both hands and tossed it upward with all his might.
“Suck!”
Although the forearm swelled slightly and the waist and legs were slightly loaded, the 130kg moose carcass soared about 5m into the sky.
And he hit the falling moose carcass with his spear.
Chow-!
The moose is cut into pieces at once by the blade sharpened by Huini, and the cooling blood and intestines burst out, staining the whole area red.
Stupid.
…… Hoo-wook.
The two of them, who expressed their refusal, pricked themselves and then slowly retreated back.
The white light flashed, and the bigger beast than them was cut in half.
For the two of them, it felt like their necks had run away.
…….
Right.
Whoa.
Whoa.
The nine looked at each other and murmured, and then, as if they had reached an agreement, one with a slightly pale fur came forward.
When Heoyeon ape pointed to the animal carcass, five of the apes approached Hwanin.
=Uh, uh.=
Huini showed little concern, but seeing Hwanin standing there silently covered her mouth with both hands.
The apes looked at Hwanin and took all the animal carcasses. Even the intestines that had fallen on the ground were neatly collected. Then, as if taking turns, a slightly white ape started approaching like a gorilla.
Green apes, motionless except for one.
As if discolored with age, the white gorilla walks leisurely along the shore of the lake, glancing at Hwanin as he passes by.
Hwanin said to the women who opened her eyes wide in surprise.
“The negotiations seem to have gone well. Let’s go.”
Heoyeon ape should be seen as a watchdog rather than a guide.
At Hwanin’s words, the women glanced at the looters in the forest who were silently staring at them, and hurriedly chased after them.
=I was surprised.=
=…… Me too.=
= How did the benefactor come up with the idea of negotiating with the looters of the forest…….=
The women followed Hwanin and whispered in very low voices.
= This is… It’s really great, sister.=
=That, so?=
=Why did you get the name plunderer? It’s because I don’t talk to people at all. You got what you wanted from these looters. I still don’t understand that the marauders accepted the deal.=
= F sister. Maybe it’s because he’s afraid of you? Even that big deer cut his back in one shot.=
= A beast is a beast for nothing? You’re a beast because you don’t have the brain to think of such things.=
= Uh…… I thought maybe he was intimidated by a strong man because he’s a beast.
=… It could be.=
The logic of power is an absolute proposition that works for most animals and beasts.
Although the predators of the forest act like humans, they are still beasts. It was Epnis who felt that Huini’s words about succumbing to power weren’t wrong.
And the truth was similar.
The apes were extremely wary of intruders who used powers and tools sufficient to dismember them, and powers similar to those of the pack’s spiritual leader.
It was obvious that this side would suffer great damage if they fought, but there was a reason the apes couldn’t back down either.
The forest of Jade Lake is home to apes. A short walk into the forest leads to nests for females and young apes.
A situation in which a battle would have occurred immediately if one side exerted its strength.
But the fight didn’t happen. The intruders were conscious of this side and quickly withdrew.
And after a while, the apes focused on appealing that the intruders had caught the same number of beasts as they had and were just passing by.
The second person of the group accepted it with a kind of sincerity. It’s like a toll tax.
If the intruder had not used the power of the mysterious ancestors, the apes would never have accepted the bargain, but the women including Hwanin did not know.
“I didn’t see any particular negotiations going to work. The expected success rate was less than 40%.”
However, when the apes’ reactions determined that it was worth a try and that it actually worked out, envy flashed in the women’s eyes.
“From now on, let’s quietly follow behind me. There is no need to provoke the apes.”
=Yes.=
=Yes.=
Instead of answering, Epnis looked at the back of the Hwanin with a complicated mind with various thoughts.
‘Really…… The more I look at you, the more amazing you are…….’
Epnis thought that even if all the men in the village were combined, they would not be able to reach the benefactor in front of her.
Foolish peers who think everything is as long as they are strong. Unlike the cowardly village elders who only seek safety, he does not boast of his strength, has bold action, and has more diverse knowledge than the village chief, who is said to be the smartest in the village.
The language and manner of speaking are gentle, yet overflowing with intelligence.
They calmed themselves in confusion at once, calmly led them, and had leadership skills that made even animals follow them. There’s even a job called a soul master.
‘The powerful family will become people like Benin-nim…….’
Epnis dismissed the village chief’s habit of saying that people should meet similar people as nonsense, but after meeting Hwanin, he came to think that the village chief was right.
It was so sad. No matter how much he thought about it, he didn’t like an ordinary village girl like himself.
Moreover, he was even defiled by the monster…….
Epnis didn’t ask for much. He just wished he could be with him one more day.
It was when I walked for about an hour along a lake so beautiful that the white clouds reflected.
… Quong……. Pheasant…….
“…… ?”
Hwanin realized that he could faintly hear a familiar cry and looked around him.
Pheasant Pheasant……. Quong…… !
The sound gets louder. Undoubtedly. It is the cry of the land seal.
There is nothing strange about the land seals nesting here. They were moving along the river, so it wouldn’t be strange if this lake connected by the river was their destination.
The problem was the old ape.
Cool. Whoa!
As the call of the ground seal grows louder and closer, the old ape’s demeanor becomes ferocious.
The old ape, who had been looking around him while turning his head around, finally began to glare at the Hwanin group. It’s an expression of thinking that he was betrayed, like ‘I didn’t expect it, but you bastard!’.
“…….”
Hwanin was absurd.
No, things were going well, but what kind of cat is playing with a ball of thread?
Chow-!
Quong! Quoong!! Quong!
Pheasant Pheasant! Wooooong!!
The spray is sprayed violently, and five land seals emerge from the lake and shoot water arrows at the old ape at random.
Sharp and pointed water arrows rained down on him, and the old ape freaked out and ran into the forest.
Hwanin, who witnessed this, frowned and threw a stone axe, splitting the head of the old ape.
The women scream briefly as they see the old ape collapsing while spraying brain water.
Pheasant Pheasant.
Quong!
When the ape died, land seals came ashore and expressed their joy to Hwanin. The women blinked in embarrassment at the apparent favor.
= It’s a sea coater…….=
= Uh, silver man? What is this?=
“…… Before meeting you, I accidentally helped. You seem to remember that.”
= Oops. Then…….=
“Yes. It seems that they mistakenly believed that we were being taken by apes and helped them.”
The eyes of the women turn to the dead ape, then look at Hwanin with a worried face.
Hwan-in, who threw the dead ape’s body to the land seals, said to the women who finally understood the situation while looking at the distant forest where the apes came from.
“The apes will be attacking from now on, so it would be better to reduce the number even by one.”
= Ah…….=
“Let’s go. No rest today. I will get as far away from the forest as possible.”
Fortunately, only one of the five disappeared into the lake with the body of the dead ape in its mouth, and the other four planned to follow the Hwanin.
Hwanin, who had no intention of making the problem more complicated when the situation went wrong, patted the heads of the land seals full of goodwill and trust once and started running along the lakeside.
