《Hvisland: A VR Colony Sim Game》 Chapter 1 - 1 – Main Menu I only saw the darkness studded with stars. Not only above me, but also all around me, even below me. Yes, I feel like I''m floating in space, but at the same time, it feels like my feet are on something. In that quiet darkness, I heard a voice. It wasn''t music, nor was it the sounds of animals or human chatter, but rather soothing ambient sounds. Simr to the sound of the wind but softer and sweeter. Then, a giant transparent white text appeared in front of me, hovering in the sky. HVISLAND: A VR COLONY SIM GAME. Initializing¡­ Minimalist design, unlike titles from VR action games or MMORPGs that I usually y. I felt the scenery around me start to move. The stars be long stripes. The ambient sound I heard grew faster. Ah, I feel like I''m in a warp to move between gxies at the speed of light. It''s a feature I''m used to seeing in sci-fi movies. Well, even though in the year 2146, humans haven''t been able to find such technology. By the way, this is an exciting loading sequence. It took a few seconds, and I had ''arrived'' at my destination. Now, I''m in front of a vast. The is very simr to the earth, dominated by blue. However, I did not recognize the green, cream, and even whitends there. The shape of all that is different from thends on earth. Is this Hvind, the world''s first artificial? A realm created by that Fringe Softworkpany? They did say it was just a quarter of the actual earth, but I was still amazed to see it. Other texts appeared under the title of the game that was still floating in front of me; New Game, Load Game, Options, Credits, and Exit. Nothing special, just like the games in general. I pointed to the New Game section, which glows right away. When I moved my finger forward a little, the game title and the texts changed. I was now given two choices. GAME MODES: [All character backgrounds, stats, and trait visible] [The real Hvind Experience. You will only find the background of each character as you y this game. In addition, some character traits and stats will be hidden. You can unlock these traits and stats at certain events. However, some stats can only be seen by your observations.] Well, of course, I chose the second one, if that''s what the game developers wanted us to y. GAME MODES: [Permadeath Mode] [Non-Permadeath Mode] Huh? Does this mean that if my character dies or there is an unpleasant event in permadeath mode, I can''t load to the point in time before those things happen? Hmmm ¡­. I''m used to loading my game when my character dies in a game, primarily offline games. Permadeath mode might be too much for me. But, maybe in this management simtion game, it would be more interesting if I chose something different? This game is about managing multiple characters, after all. The death of one character or several doesn''t matter. Even if my colonists all die, they say another character wille to start all over again. Alright, I chose permadeath mode. Then, the words ''GAME MODES'' were changed. THE COLONISTS Beneath that texts, there wererge cards disying photos, names, and status bars. The photos and names keep changing while the status bars fluctuate up and down. It all happened so fast that my eyes couldn''t keep up. I pressed the stop button under the cards. The alternation seen in the cards slowed down until I finally got my three characters. First, a young man with brown skin, long wavy hair, and eyes that are also brown. He also has a thick beard on his face. [Manu, 26 years old (Exiled Tribe Member)] STATS: Ranged Attack: 10/100 Melee Attack: 40/100 Construction: 53/100 Crafting: 35/100 * Cook: 5/100 nts: 23/100 Mining: 8/100 Animals: 2/100 Medic: 6/100 TRAITS: - INCAPABLE OF: - HEALTH ISSUES: A scar on the left leg (Walking speed -19%). Below the cards, an additional piece of information appears. [The * sign indicates that your colonist has an interest in skills rted to a status. With one * their learning speed for a skill will increase by 15%, and with two * their learning speed will increase by 30%] Hey, Manu. Turns out you really like making things, huh? Why were you exiled? With your passion, you can learn to create valuable items for your tribe, right? Well, if you weren''t exiled, you wouldn''t be my colonist, anyway. I shifted to check on the second colonist. This time it was a woman with white skin, amber eyes, and long ck hair. I must admit she is so gorgeous with unique facial features. Maybe I''ll take her out on a date if she''s a real girl. [Katherine ''Kat'' Takahashi, 19 years old (Crasnded)] STATS: Ranged Attack: 48/100 * Melee Attack: 7/100 Construction: 8/100 Crafting: 2/100 Cook: 12/100 nt: 3/100 Mining: 6/100 Animals: 36/100 Medic: 22/100 TRAITS: t Affect ¨C Kat is less able to express her emotions like other people. INCAPABLE OF: - HEALTH ISSUES: Swelling on her left leg and a little head wound. (Will heal over time without any treatment, walking speed -5%) t Affect, huh? Is that what makes your face look expressionless, Kat? I then looked at thest colonist card. He is a white man with short blond hair and blue eyes. Perhaps this third colonist is the most interesting, even beating the physical attractiveness of Kat. [Sebastian ''Seb'' Buttman, 30 years old (Naked Victim)] STATS: Ranged Attack: - Melee Attack: - Construction: 26/100 Crafting: 12/100 Cook: 39/100** nt: 60/100 Mining: 5/100 Animals: 1/100 Medic: 30/100 TRAITS: - INCAPABLE OF: Violence ¨C Seb can''t do anything rted to violence, such as shooting, hitting people or animals, and so on. HEALTH ISSUES: Myopia - Seb''s eyes are nearsighted (-10% vision for long-distance). Bruises on his face, body, right hand, and left leg (Will heal over time without any treatment, work speed -10%, walking speed -11%) I''mughing. What kind of surname is Buttman? Did his family origins in the past have anything to do with the ass? And what does that mean by the naked victim? Would he appearpletely naked? Why is he naked in the first ce? Ah, naked, which means he''s not carrying anything. So, maybe he will not bring any resources, unlike the other two colonists. I''m guessing that Kat and Manu will bring in the initial resources to build the colony. Should I rece Seb? I saw the randomize button under Seb''s information card. It''s also under the other colonist information cards. I thought for a moment. Ah, maybe Seb will bring something interesting with his nakedness. Although he is peace-loving because he can''t attack, at least two of his would-be friends can do that for him. He is also very passionate about cooking. People say good food is nutrition for the heart. I''ve read quite a bit about this game. The developers paid more attention to aspects of human emotion for the characters. Therefore, I chose the continue button and passed the randomize all button at the very bottom. Let''s go. I can''t wait to meet my colonists! I was so impatient that I chose the colony''s location, the starting weather, and a few other things at random. The texts in front of me disappeared. Then, the in front of me spun a little, and a small red dot appeared on one of itsndmasses. The blue approaches me fast.. No, it was my body descending towards it. Chapter 2 - 2 – The Exiled Tribe Member After passing through the blue sky, my descent speed decreased drastically. The view of grass with sparse trees and bushes seemed to be approaching me. I can say I was really amazed by the impression I got from this world. I can smell the fresh nature, also feel the cool breeze and the warm morning sun. This sensation is so natural, beating other games I''ve yed before. [You can turn off the temperature and weather impression in the menu] I read the transparent texts floating in front of me, right next to the menu icon in the right corner of my vision. Well, maybe I''ll turn off this impression in the winter. I don''t want to y games while shivering. I looked around for a moment and finally found one of my colonists, namely Manu. The man seemed to be picking something from one of the bushes and eating it. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I walked over to my prospective colonist, who was barefoot and wearing caveman-like clothes made of tanned leather. He also appears to be carrying arge leather pouch and an ax on his back. The ax he was carrying looked primitive because it was made of sticks and stones tied together. He waspletely unaware of my existence. Of course, I''m just an observer and yer. Manu was still searching the bush, then a transparent text reappeared in front of me. [You can also taste the food in this world. But remember, not too much, because that is for your colonists to survive.] So, it turned out to be true. They were able to duplicate the taste sensation on the tongue from the real world. I''ll prove how authentic it is. Finally, after a while of searching, Manu found a small cluster of purplish berries. He smiled and had reached out his hand to take the fruit. Sorry, Manu. But, I really want to try one of the features of this game. I plucked the marble-sized fruits and immediately put them in my mouth. Manu frowned, looking confused. Maybe in his eyes, the berries just disappeared. Damn. I shook my head as I started to chew the fruit. This is probably the best berry I''ve ever eaten. The fresh, sweet, and sour sensations in my mouth were absolutely perfect. They''ve nailed it. After searching for a while in the bush and not finding any more berries, Manu sighed, then walked to another bush. Looks like he''s starving, so he''s disappointed I took the berry. Again, sorry, Manu. Just as Manu walked a few steps, I heard a rumbling from above. We looked up at the sky, saw an object like a fireball that plunged like a meteor towards the ground. No. It''s not a meteor. It''s like a small, tubr spaceship... Ah, maybe it''s some kind of escape pod or rescue capsule from a bigger spaceship. Manu''s body started shaking, and his eyes widened. He was clearly scared. When the escape podnded and made a loud thud, Manu fell backward due to the vibrations on the ground. A strong wind blew against his body and the grass. Come on, Manu. Don''t be so scared and save Kat from that capsule. "Aah.... Aah.... Arggghhh!!!" Instead, he got up and ran in the opposite direction of the escape pod. Really? And that''s when it all stopped. Manu was still in a running stance, but his body didn''t move. His mouth also opened wide as if he was screaming but made no sound. And I noticed the grass also stopped swaying in the the wind. Ah, it''s an automatic pause. For the umpteenth time, transparent texts appeared in front of me. [Try whispering amand into your colonist''s ear. However, themand will not affect your character''s mental state directly. For example, you cannotmand a character to be happy when he is sad, or be calm when they are angry] Ah, I finally started ying. Honestly, I forgot that I was ying a game because I felt a great impression of this ce. Yes, this game does not have magnificent cities, fantastic animals, or magical wonders like other VR games. However, again, the Fringe Softworkpany does an outstanding job. No wonderst year they snatched the best gamepany award. As instructed, I put my mouth to Manu''s ear and whispered, "Hey, you better check where it fell. Aren''t you curious? Maybe someone needs help there?" I then pressed the y button under my view. Manu runs a few steps and then stops. With a confused face, he turned his head back, staring at the escape pod''s drop point in the distance, which was emitting thick smoke. "F*ck it!" Finally, Manu runs to the ce. Good. The propulsion part of the 6x4 meter escape pod is already on fire when Manu finally arrived at the scene. He was confused about what to do, so I gave him an order. "Turn the lever on the door!" He grabbed the big lever, and I realized something. "Hey, watch out. It might be hot!" I screamed in panic as Manu turned the lever. Fortunately, the material of the lever seemed to be made of heat-resistant material. Manu had no problem holding it, but he had a hard time turning it. The bearded man tried so hard he winced and growled. I was startled by a small explosion that appeared behind the escape pod. The st made the fire bigger. Seeing Manu, who also flinched in surprise and had let go of the lever, I hastily whispered into his ear again. "Just a little longer, you can definitely open that door!" Gulped, Manu again tried to turn the lever. "Arrrgggghhh!!!" Why is that lever made to be difficult to move!? Finally, the lever turned ny degrees, and Manu was able to open the escape pod door. "Oh, damn...." Manu cringed hard when he saw the two men covered in blood from the debris on their body parts. I turned my gaze to the sight of the gore. It was clear the two were no longer alive. Only one person whose body is still intact. A woman with long ck hair, wearing long pants and a light blue shirt. Yes, it''s Kat. She fell unconscious with blood on her forehead and sat down on the chair closest to the door. The seat belt seemed to be fastened on her body. "Sh*t!" Manu stuttered because he couldn''t get the seatbelt off Kat''s body. And a second small explosion sounded again, make the fire more enormous, sending the hot wind to my body. "See that button in the middle of the belt!? Just push it and release her!" I whispered in frustration. Manu is indeed a member of the tribe who may be unfamiliar with all that. But still, he irritates me with his ignorance. After sessfully releasing the seat belt, it doesn''t mean the problem is over. Manu had a hard time getting Kat out because one of the girl''s legs got caught in something. "Damnit, Manu!" Chapter 3 - 3 – The Crashlanded "Just take her shoes off those feet!" This time I didn''t whisper but shouted in Manu''s ear. Manu still looked confused and was tugging at Kat''s leg, even though the fire had started to spread over the other two bodies. "You don''t know shoes!?" My screams got louder. "Take her feet off the thing she''s wearing!" Finally, Manu removed Kat''s left foot from the shoe, then the bearded man lifted her up. However, when Manu turned around, the bag he was carrying got stuck in the door. Some of the items fell, including a change of clothes, dry food, and a kind of water bag made of leather. "What the hell, Manu!?" I was getting frustrated, especially when I saw the bag started to burn. "Let it go!" I knew those items might be valuable for starting a colony, but saving them all was very risky. Manu gets away from the bag, then ran, carrying Kat''s body in both hands. Bamm!!! There was an enormous explosion. Manu is pushed away by the Force from the explosion and falls down, knocking Kat out of his hands. "Come on, wake up, bastard!" I cursed at the man because I saw the fire starting to spread in the grass. Manu gets up, holding his left leg. I just realized there is a long scar on that leg. With a limp, he carried Kat further away from the ce. I ran behind them while keeping watch. Since I''m just an observer and yer, my physical condition isn''t simted. I don''t feel tired and out of breath. Several times I turned my head back, seeing the fire getting bigger and the smoke rising higher. Besides being able to smell the smoke, my nose can also catch the smell of burning meat. Shit. The immersion of this game is fantastic, but if it makes you feel this ufortable... I don''t know what to feel. Well. At least, from the beginning of the game, I can feel an action sequence that is quite adrenaline-pumping. Drops of water began to fall from the sky. It was just a little at first, but then it became heavy. I suspect this is the developer''s way of making things less messy early in the game. If a massive fire devoured everything, the resources would be lost, and I would have a hard time managing my colony. I lined Manu and said in his ear. "You''d better take shelter and rest." It''s really still early in the game. I shouldn''t let them catch a cold. I heard the developer of this game also pays attention to the simtion of the condition of the human body, so if they get rained on, chances are they will get sick. Manu climbed a small hill, then stopped at arge tree with thick leaves. He put the still unconscious Kat to the ground, then sat back against the tree. The man''s breath was so ragged. I looked into the area of ??the still-burning escape pods in the distance. We''ve run quite a distance. No wonder Manu was so exhausted. Manu checks Kat''s head wound. He then wiped the wound with his clothes because there really wasn''t anything else that could be used. Luckily the wound wasn''t too deep. The man with long hair then took the ax he was carrying with a rope on his back, looked at it for a moment, then took a deep breath. It was the only thing he had now, apart from the clothes attached to his body. [You must carefully observe the expressions and movements of your colony to predict their mood and condition.] It was clear that Manu was confused right now and was probably afraid of what would happen next as his resources were on fire. I looked at the drops of water from the sky that were falling harder and harder. Looks like I can''t build a colony right away. The torrential downpour showed no sign of ending, Manu was still exhausted, and Kat was still unconscious. A button next to the pause button below the corner of my vision lit up. The button is in the form of two arrows pointing to the right. [You can use the fast forward button to speed up the time. You can press it several times until you get the speed you want. Fast forward will stop, and the scene will pause itself if there is an important moment.] Then, another button lights up precisely the same shape as the previous button but facing the other way. [This button is to reduce the fast forward speed, it can also slow down time.] Ah, I was so immersed in all of this that I forgot that there should be such a function. I pressed that fast-forward button several times. Everything around me moved faster, from raindrops falling, the grass and leaves swaying in the wind, to the movements of Manu, who was just sitting and shivering. And suddenly, everything went back to normal speed. Manu turned to Kat, who was starting to whimper and writhe. Finally, the girl opened her eyes. "Hi, how are you feeling?" Manu asked in a slightly loud voice to fight the roar of the heavy rain. His mouth held a faint smile. Kat straightened up, looking around with her eyes half-closed. She clearly didn''t know what was really going on. When she saw her escape pod in the distance, she widened her eyes. "Ah, that''s the thing that brought you here. We call it the ''ship from the sky.'' So far, I''ve only heard the story and didn''t know it actually existed..." The girl got up and was about to run there. I hastily pressed the pause button and whispered into Manu''s ear, "Hold her, there''s no point in going there. It''s better to stay here, than run in the rain." After I pressed the y button, Manu caught Kat''s hand and said, "We''ll go there when the rain stops. You''ll get sick if you''re in a heavy rain." I then gave an order into Kat''s ear for the girl to stay there. Manu rubbed his face. "Look, I know your two friends are there...." "I don''t know them. I joined a random escape pod which happened to have an empty spot." Kat cut off the conversation. "I just wanted to check what''s in there." Manu raises his eyebrows. What? Why are you talking like that, Kat? Does this mean you don''t care about those two people? I looked at Kat''s face, whose expression barely shows any emotion. Damn, it seems like it will be difficult to guess the girl''s thoughts, even though one of the methods of ying this game is to observe the expressions of the colonists. Have I chosen the wrong colonist candidate? The girl then looked at her left foot, which was not wearing shoes. The leg looked red from swelling. "Hey, did you see that?" Manu points the other way. Me and Kat turned in the direction Manu was referring to. From a distance, someone is running in the rain. He was a man who was stark naked and covered his genitals with his hands. Ah, our star has arrived. Chapter 4 - 4 – The Naked Victim "The first rule in this ce, you must prepare for the worst when dealing with strangers." Manu takes his ax from the ground and gets ready. "But, you seem casual to me and unwary." Kat asked with her arms crossed over her chest. Manu was silent for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Well, I feelpelled to help you, and at the same time it makes me less suspicious of you¡­. Ah, I have a hard time exining it." Apparently, my whisper to help Kat left Manupletely confused. "So you are a native of this ce?" Kat asked again. "Why do you speak English?" "English? Ah, you mean thenguage we speak now?" Manu was still focused on the naked man in the distance, who had just slipped and fallen. "Well, I don''t know myself. What is clear, from the stories I have heard, humans whoe from the ''ship from the sky'' do have the samenguage as us." Hey, Kat. Why are you even asking like that and not thanking Manu? The naked man drew closer. "Please don''t attack me! I was just robbed by a group of cruel tribesmen and stripped naked! I managed to escape from them with the help of my friends, but they all got killed!" Kat looked away as the naked man raised his hands while I burst outughing. That guy''s private part is just too humongous and makes it hrious to watch. "Errrr, you better cover it up again." Grimacing, Manu pointed at the naked man''s genitals with his ax. "My name is Sebastian, just call me Seb." The man covered his genitals again and spoke with a shivering body. "You are obviously a member of a tribe, but you are together with a member of a space expedition like me. That means you won''t kill me, right?" I whispered to Manu not to do anything to Seb. After all, Seb was the colonist I chose. They are three characters who will spearhead my colonist. "My name is Manu." Manu lowers his ax. "Earlier you said about space expeditions? I do not know what you mean." "So we came from a called Earth and went on an expedition. We use arge spacecraft to explore space, and will eventually arrive on this¡­. Ah, do you know abouts?" Manu shrugs. "The point is that you''re from somewhere else in space, right? And you came together¡­." The man turned to Kat. "Hey, I don''t know your name yet." "Katherine or Kat." The girl was still looking the other way. "I might be on an expedition with him, but I don''t know for sure. The ship I''m on is carrying thousands of people and this guy doesn''t wear the clothes of a spaceship resident like me." "I told you, I was robbed by an evil tribe. They beat me¡­." Seb shivered even more. "Hey, do you guys have spare clothes? I''m so cold. Please. Even a piece of cloth is okay." "Ah." Manu scratches his hair, then checks his own clothes. "Maybe I can share my clothes with you." Without thinking, I pressed the pause button, bringing the scene in front of me to a halt. This is not fair. Manu''s clothes were only inches below his buttocks and barely covered his chest. Meanwhile, Kat is still fully clothed and only missing one shoe. In a survival situation like this, everything had to be as fair as possible. Though actually, I had other thoughts in my mind. "Hey, give some of your clothes to Seb. Poor Manu, the clothes he''s wearing are going to be a little less." I said in Kat''s ear but stopped immediately. I wondered whether it was better to give Kat''s shirt to Seb or the girl''s pants. Ah, but if Seb only wore the shirt, his sausage would dangle wildly. It''s actually funny, but I feel sorry for him. "Give him your pants." "You can use mine." Kat said after I pressed the y button. And without waiting for a response from the others, she pulled down her pants. The two men who were nearby immediately widened their eyes in shock. Nice thighs. Smooth, long, and looks thick. I could tell that Kat''s bust was above average because it stood out a bit against her shirt. However, I didn''t expect Kat''s legs to be this beautiful because the pants she was wearing were a bit loose. Kat held out her light blue pants. The corners of Seb''s lips twitched. "Are you sure?" "Of course." Kat pressed the pants against Seb''s chest. "Thank you." The blond man nodded and put it on immediately while Kat walked a few steps with her back to the two men. Seb''s gaze was fixed on Kat''s plump ass, which was only protected by ck panties. The man swallowed hard as if he was looking at tantalizing food. Hmmm, we have someone naughty here. "What did you see?" Manu stood blocking Seb''s view. Seb grinned and adjusted the pants he was now wearing. It turned out to be enough for him to wear, even though it was a little short. "It''s okay, my friend." I watched Kat, whose barely shows any expression, but her face was starting to turn red. She also tried to cover her panties with the shirt she was wearing. A wasted effort because the shirt wasn''t long enough. "Hey, Kat." Seb called out to the girl. "You came here with an escape pod, right? Where''s your escape pod and your friends? Inside that escape pod is a resource and I''m not going to force you to give it away. However, my situation is so desperate, I beg you to share those resources. I will do whatever I can for you." "There. That thing caught fire earlier." Manu points at the carcass of the escape pod in the distance. "Kat''s friend was dead when itnded." Seb squinted his eyes at the now unburned object. It was raining harder and harder, and visibility was pretty bad. "Oh, damn. May their spirits rest in peace. And hopefully the resources there will still be left¡­." Seb looked at Kat again. The girl was still silent. "Listen, Kat. Looks like Manu also doesn''t have any resources we can use, other than his axe. You better not be alone in this ce. We will help you as best we can. As long as you give some of your resources." Seb patted Manu''s shoulder. "You agree with me right, brother?" "Err¡­. Well, the truth is I really don''t have anything left." Manu shrugs again. Since Kat didn''t answer, I whispered into her ear again. "Just give some of your share to them. Basically the resources on your ship are for three, right? Also, Manu has helped you. You must return the favor." You''re really nd, Kat. "Okay." Kat finally spoke up. She is still trying to cover her panties using the shirt she''s wearing. The scene is actually cute but also a bit sexy. I love it when she moves her thighs slightly against each other, a sign that she''s ufortable. "Alright, then." Seb chimed in with an excited tone. "Let''s just wait for the rain to stop first." Manu chimed in. "But, is there a chance that someone else will steal it?" Manu shook his head. "I doubt it. If anyone wanted to steal, they would have done it a long time ago. This means that there are no other humans around here. Nor would they possibly havee from far away. With rain like this, anyone will take shelter¡­." The man sighed. "What I fear is not that. We didn''t have time to make a bonfire to warm ourselves. The tree branches are already wet, we won''t be able to start a fire with it." Seb grimaced as he looked at Manu and Kat in turn.. "I heard, skinship can warm your body." Chapter 5 - 5 – The Basis For Being Human I was pretty fascinated by what was happening in front of me. Well, I did ask my colonists to follow Seb''s suggestion, which was to sleep with each other''s skin on. However, I didn''t expect it to turn out like this. Still, with her nk expression, Katy on the grass with her eyes open. She only wore her ck bra and panties because she had taken off her shirt to show her skin. Since Seb was shirtless, he didn''t need to do much more. Meanwhile, Manu lowered his clothes until it only covered his genitals and buttocks. Manu and Seb hugged Kat tightly from left and right. They both seemed to be fast asleep, with their heads pressed against Kat''s chest, which was so plump. The girl certainly looked ufortable. Her face was flushed, and she squirmed a few times, although the girl still didn''t show any meaningful expression. Gradually, Kat gave up. She no longer squirmed and chose to close her eyes. I looked away from my three colonists to look at the night sky. The rain has stopped. The stars and moon did provide some light, but that wasn''t enough for my character. They can''t just rummage through the wreckage of the escape pod. For them, the situation is still very dark, in contrast to me, who can see everything clearly. A piece of information about it just appeared before me as night fell. I''m sure they''ll still be in danger even if I give them a hint to search the escape pod debris. Perhaps, my colonists will be scratched with sharp pieces from the ne. The game doesn''t say that it''s possible, but I don''t want to take the risk. This is still the first day. I don''t want their progress to be disrupted at the beginning. And of course, they must be tired. This is strange indeed. I haven''t had much time with them. Heck, they''re actually just a collection of data to simte humans. They are not actual humans. But I''m worried about their future. I want them to thrive as a colony. What other challenges will they face? As soon as I turned to the three colonists again, I found Kat''s mouth had opened slightly. It seemed that the girl had fallen asleep too. I chose to press the fast-forward button because there was nothing else I could pay attention to. I pressed the button a few times until it all went by at breakneck speed. The moon set in no time, and suddenly the sky was turning orange and blue, a sign that the sun had risen. Well, they also nailed the sunrise. I haven''t seen such a sight in a long time. Speed ??returned to normal, Kat shoved both of herrades'' heads to get them away from her. However, Seb and Manu, who were still sleeping, tried to hug Kat again. The girl, still with her nk expression, restrained the two and hurriedly inched away. I chuckled when I saw Manu and Seb hugging each other. ncing at the two men for a moment, Kat took her shirt from a tree branch and put it on. Her body shiver. I could even see the fine hairs on her hands and legs straightening up. It''s her own fault, really. She rejected the warmth of her two new friends. I chuckled again. The girl gave up trying to cover her panties with her shirt and pressed both hands on her chest instead. She started walking towards her escape pod. Because she was having a little difficulty, she took off her shoe, which was only on her right foot. Hey, you don''t want to wait for these two friends of yours? Can you ¡­. Hmmm, maybe this time I''ll let things happen naturally. I followed her and kept looking at her booty that¡­. Well, I''m having a hard time putting it into words¡­. Moving beautifully, maybe? "Argggghhhh!!!" Manu and Seb''s hysterical voices could be heard from a distance, but Kat didn''t care and kept walking. It seemed as if the two men were shocked from hugging each other and didn''t feel Kat''s warmth anymore. It must have been a hrious incident. But now, I was engrossed in watching Kat''s movements. I''ll see the moments of the two menter in the rey feature. Once in the escape pod area, Kat looked around for a while, then opened up arge piece of debris there. She found boxes of emergency food that were tightly sealed. Some of the white boxes caught fire, and their contents were scattered. However, some are still intact, or only partially burned, not to the point of destroying what is inside. Kat took one of the food boxes, knelt down, and opened it like a madman. She then devouring the rice and side dishes in the food box like a hungry lion. Well, she hasn''t eaten since yesterday, and maybe when she entered the escape pod, she didn''t eat anything either. I stared at the escape pod door, not daring to check it. The memory of those two bloody human corpses still haunts my mind. You don''t have the initiative to at least check them out first, huh, Kat? Even when Seb and Manu came, Kat was still busy with her food. I whispered in her ear. "Share your food with them. They are friends who will help you." Kat finally stopped eating, looked at her food, then looked at the pile of emergency food boxes that were still scattered. With that expressionless face, I really couldn''t guess the way this girl was thinking. Was she unwilling to share her food? Could it be that she didn''t have that intention from the start? You are a mystery, Kat. "Guys, here is food." Kat said to the two men. However, Manu and Seb didn''t respond to the girl. The two men immediately checked the open escape pod door. "Ah, their condition is worse than yesterday." Manu gulped as he looked into the escape pod. "We must bury them immediately." Seb grimaced, then looked at the scattered debris.His expression showed extreme fear. A few seconds of silence, he spoke again with a trembling lips. "It seems the rumors are true that they corrupted the funds for the spaceship and theponents in it. Supposedly, this escape pod can withstand any kind of impact and there will be no failure like this." Perhaps this sort of thing was dreaded by the nonviolent Seb. I have to pay more attention. Manu picks up one of the debris, which is quite big. Then, he slightly knocks on it. "Maybe we can use this rubble to dig hole for them. This thing is quite light, but sturdy." "Why?" Kat asked. With a frown, Manu looked at the girl. "What?" "I mean, their bodies must have been burned, right? They will not rot, will not smell and will not be a source of disease. Why bury them? Isn''t that troublesome?" Seb and Manu were speechless. They just stared at the girl with their mouths agape. I patted my forehead, starting to worry about Kat''s mental state. How could she not understand the basics of humanity? Seeing the confused expressions on the two men, Kat finally opened her mouth again, of course with an expressionless face. "Ah, forget about what I just said.. They should be buried." Chapter 6 - 6 – Their Daily Life Begins Finally, the weekend is here, and I can y my favorite game again. My bodynded on the expanse of grass, near Kat who was sifting through the remaining supplies. The girl froze, as did her tworades, who were eating. Manu and Seb had just buried the two bodies that had been in the pod, a bit far from there. I plucked the cutlet from the curry in Seb''s lunchbox, then pressed the y button. It''s too nd for my taste buds. Well, you can''t expect much from emergency food. Just like watching Manu before, I was amused to see Seb confused that his food was missing. On the other hand, Kat put down thest box of food. Besides the food boxes, there is a first aid box measuring about 30 cm square, a small knife, and a drink bottle with the lid off. You could say they were lucky. The first aid kit wasn''t destroyed. But for the boxes of food... One, two, three... It''s only fifteen. If, for example, each colonist eats two parts in one day, this resource will not evenst for three days. If they were forced to eat one serving a day, I don''t think they would have enough energy. They still have a lot to do to build this colony. I have to think of a way so they can provide food for themselves. But what? Hunt? Fishing? Picking fruits? This game does not always provide information when needed. Maybe this is a challenge from the developer. Okay, I''ll ept it. Kat crouched down and began to treat the wound on her forehead with antiseptic and bandages. Damn, she didn''t wince in pain as she cleaned the wound. She is a beast. It turns out my colonists weren''t always dumb and had to be ordered, huh? But why don''t you ask someone else for help, Kat? To treat herself, the girl prefers to look in the mirror behind the lid of the first aid box. [Maybe you should pay attention to Manu and Seb''s chat now. One of them will provide a piece of information. To get to know the world and your colonists better, you need to pay attention to their conversations. Who knows, they might keep important information.] I turned away from Kat and went over to the two men who were still eating. "So basically we came to an earth-like to establish amunity. Earth''s poption is already overcrowded. However, our huge spaceship had a terrible ident. Whether it hit something or maybe it was attacked by extraterrestrials, I don''t know. Anyway, the ship was badly damaged and we had to use escape pods." Seb stuffed his spaghetti into his mouth with a stic fork. "These escape pods are designed tond close together so we can help each other. But maybe for some reason, those things got separated. The other escape pod I just saw was just Kat''s." Manu nodded. "By the way. This food is very delicious. It turns out that the legend is true. Humans from ships from the sky have ''food from heaven." The former member of the tribe was indeed cramming his share of bread down that the crumbs fell. "You said it was delicious? Really?" Seb chuckled. "I can''t imagine what it would be like if you ate real food." "Real food? What do you mean? Are there fake foods?" "Ah, it might be a little difficult to exin." Seb smiled. I crouched down and whispered to Seb. "Tell me everything you know about the spaceship you were on." Instead of answering, Seb just looked around like a lost person. [Keep in mind, you can''t just order them to give out information. You can do that, but not for all information. Except for information that has been told by one of the colonists. You can have them say about it again] Ah, they asked the yers to let the information appear naturally¡ªno problem for me. If too much information is crammed into my brain, I''ll be super confused. I better get it little by little. "Hey, where are you going, Kat?" Seb asked Kat, who had already walked away from the two men. Kat stopped and lifted the green water bottle she was holding. "I''m going to get some water over there." The girl pointed to a small river in the distance. "Oh, okay." Seb answered. "Be careful, stay aware of your surroundings." Manu added. "Sometimes there are beasts or snakes." Without another word, Kat continued on her way. Manu stared at Kat until she was quite a distance away, then leaned a bit toward Seb. "Hey, aren''t you worried about that girl''s behavior? She''s so weird and.... To be honest, I''m a little scared of her." Seb was silent for a moment. "I know. She seems a bit different from ordinary people.... However, she hasn''t done us any harm. And remember, she gave us this foods. Is it appropriate for us to confront her about such a thing? She is our savior." "So we just let her go?" Manu puts his empty food box on the ground. "You''re fine with that?" Seb shook his head. "That''s not what I meant. We still have to be vignt, but it''s better not to do anything if she hasn''t done anything bad to us. Under these circumstances, I want to avoid conflict. Well, I know we''re new, but to be able to To survive, we must unite." Manu looked at Kat again, who was crouching by the river. "Well, I don''t want anything bad to happen either. I''ll keep an eye on her." I didn''t know that the seeds of conflict like this would make things interesting or ruin my colony. Seb burped, then plopped down onto the grass. "Ah, so full. I want to sleep again." Meanwhile, Manu yawned while stroking his stomach. Hey, why are you guyszing around like this? Ah, I forgot that sometimes they are too dumb, so they must be ordered to do something. Well, if they''re too independent, I won''t be ying the game but just watching their daily life. Chapter 7 - 7 – The Plan Kat handed Seb her bottle of water, of course, after I gave her the order. "Looks like we''ll have to find another source of food, Kat''s escape pod supplies are very limited." Seb spoke after drinking the water. I also have to tell this man to bring the conversation up. "I agree." Manu nodded. Seb then looked at Kat, who was still standing. "Hey, Kat? Did you see the fish in the river?" Kat just shook her head. Manu took the water bottle from hisrade and replied. "There''s not much fruit in this area either. I could make bows and arrows from tree branches. However, for bowstring, we have to look for a special nt. We call them ''milk twigs.'' If the twigs of the nt are sliced ??lengthwise thin enough, then we spun the slices, we will get a fairly strong string. Unfortunately, since yesterday I haven''t seen that nt around here." "Kat and I don''t know what it looks like either, so we''ll have a hard time finding it. Even if you exin what the nt looks like." Seb sighed. "But we have to keep looking, or we''ll starve to death." Just then, I saw something in Kat that could be used. I spoke something into Seb''s ear. Instead of following my orders, the blond man fell silent while looking at Kat. With her signature nk expression, Kat asked. "What?" "Perhaps, your hair can be used for bowstring?" Seb grimaced. It''s a pity indeed. Kat''s hair is gorgeous, and I''m starting to like it, but this method is quicker than looking for an obscure nt. Kat fell silent, tugged some of her long ck hair, and stared at it. "Well, that could work." Manues to check her hair which is also long. "And I can use my hair too." Oh, that''s right. Manu''s hair wasn''t as long as Kat''s, but splicing it in would be enough. So, no need to cut Kat''s hair. I breathed a sigh of relief. "Then, what about the shelter?" Seb asked after I whispered to him again. "We need it, right? We can''t stay under trees all the time. Trees can''t protect us fully from rain. Not to mention the risk of being struck by lightning." "Ah, we can make it from a few pieces of wood." Manu shrugged. "But we still need things to tie everything together and my hair isn''t enough." Damn. I had to put my mouth close to Kat''s ear. "Just cut your hair with your knife. Then, leave it to Manu. But not all of it, just up to your neck." Kat blinked for a moment, then pulled out a small knife that she tucked into the back of her panties. Without speaking at all, she cut her hair ording to my instructions. Seb grimaced at that, exactly as I did. It''s a shame that such beautiful hair had to be sacrificed. However, this all had to be done so that they could quickly build shelter and hunting tools. "Wow, I''ve never seen such a sharp cutting object." Manu looked at the small knife in amazement. When she finished, Kat handed the hair to Manu. I could see a slight movement in the girl''s eyebrows. Could she be upset? Take it easy, Kat. After looking closely at you, I think this new hairstyle of yours suits you. *** I ordered Manu and Seb to make strings because their crafting skills were higher than Kat. Meanwhile, I ordered Kat to cut down the trees. The girl was already holding the ax, but she just stood still, observing the chopper in her hand. "Don''t cut down too big a tree, Kat." Manu, whose hair was almost bald, said as he sat down. His hands were already busy stringing the hair into a rope-like shape but with a much smaller size. "The important thing is to be able to make a shelter frame." But Kat still stood still. Ugh. They are really dumb sometimes. "Hey, look to your right. There aren''t very big trees over there." I gave the order to the girl. Kat turned in the direction I was pointing and started walking towards it. I then moved on to check on the work of my two male colonists. Manu seems to be teaching Seb while working on his own. There''s a word above their heads. It said ''Crafting'' with a + sign shing. Guess that''s a sign they''re training their stats. When I turned to Kat, I saw the words ''Melee Attacks'', also with a + sign above the girl''s head. It doesn''t make sense. Cutting down trees will only increase your strength, not teach you offensive moves included in the melee attack stat. Well, I''m just nitpicking. It''s just a game. Since it seemed like Kat was having difficulty swinging the ax, I decided to speed up the game. Not long after, the pause is automatically triggered. Kat had already cut down a tree. [Seems like your colonists have started gathering materials to build a shelter. Open the blueprint icon on the left, and you can choose the type of shelter you want to use.] I pressed one of the glowing icons in the left corner of my eye. Then, a transparent interface window appeared in front of me. The window disys pictures of various types of buildings. Everything is still simple. Maybe other buildings are still locked. [Select a building. After you order them, the colonists will collect the necessary materials until there is enough. After that, you can order one or more colonists to build the building.] Well, in the end, I had to keep whispering to them. I''m already going to choose one of the simplest buildings, the shape of a triangr prism. You know, like a tent frame in general. However, something was strange. It only said ''small shelter frame for three people.'' What is shown in the picture is also just the frame. [You have to use your creativity to finish this shelter, to make the roof.] This time the instructions weren''t straightforward, huh? After selecting the frame, I exited the menu. A blueprint in the form of a transparent structure appeared in front of me, and I could move it with my hand. I walked for a while to choose a sloped location. After finding it, I made a grasping gesture to put the blueprint there. I started thinking again. The first thing that urred to me to finish this shelter was using other wood pieces as the roof. However, maybe that would take a long time. Even if, for example, I ordered Manu to cut down the trees. Manu does have the highest melee attack stat, but I''m not sure he can cut down that many quickly. Not to mention, the progress of string creation also slows down if Manu was not participating. If only there were objects that were wide enough. It can be leaned on both side of this frame. Hmmm... Maybe there is. I turned to the wreckage of Kat''s escape pod. When Manu took the initiative - something rare - to bury the corpses, he said that the escape pod pieces were not too heavy but seemed strong. And after I noticed, some of the pieces are prettyrge. Hey, did you give me a clue that time, Manu? Chapter 8 - 8 – The Hunting It waste afternoon when they finally finished the frame. Manu and Seb move debrisrge enough to attach to the would-be shelter. Meanwhile, Kat is practicing aiming with her bow without using arrows, without pulling the string. The bow was made of a long tree branch and only attached with strings. Manu peeled the outer bark of the twig, but the result was far from neat. I''m not sure that it willst long. Manu and Seb leaned thest piece of therge escape pod against the wooden frame. Unlike Kat''s bow, the ties on the shelter frame look decent. This seems to happen due to Manu''s higher construction stat than crafting. "Are you sure this is enough? Will all this not befall uster?" Seb asked with his hands on his hips, looking at the parts that weren''t covered in debris. Ugh, was my decision wrong in choosing the rubble as the roof? "Don''t worry, I guarantee this structure is strong. And this debris is light, but it won''t be carried away by the wind." Manu shrugged. "Well, it''s temporary." I started to change my mind. Maybe I need to order Manu to cut down more trees to make a more proper shelter. Manu turned to look at Kat. "Hey, can you really use that?" "You gave this thing to me, right?" Kat still aiming with the bow. "That''s true, but..." Manu couldn''t continue his words and just scratched his head. Well, I did give Manu the order to hand over the bow to Kat. You''re worried that she''ll shoot you, Manu? Unfortunately, I can''t guarantee that won''t happen. "I have participated in activities rted to aiming." Kat exined. [Kat was a pitcher for her school''s softball team. Therefore, her ranged attack stat is the highest among the other stats] Hmmm¡­ So, if the characters don''t talk too much, they won''t exin in detail about their life history. A notification like this will appear instead. Kat picked up three arrows from the ground, which looked unconvincing as well. The shape is not perfectly straight. The back end is also tied with a kind of grass instead of feathers like arrows in general. "Any strings left?" Kat approached the tworades. "This, but very short." Seb held out a string that was only an index finger long. "You need it? What for ¡­." Kat took the string and used it to tie her hair. "I''m going hunting now." This initiative must have arisen because Kat has a passion for ranged attacks. "Hey, it''s almost evening." Manu walked closer. "Besides, aren''t you tired? You just did the heavy lifting today by chopping down some trees." I looked around. There''s still enough light. I think Kat still has time to hunt. If the night fell, I will guide her back here. The girl stretched out her hand. "Give me the knife. You''re done using it, right?" Oh, Kat. Even to ask nicely, you can''t do it, can you? You all are tired. I''m sure their emotions can be easily ignited, even if the problem is minor. Manu was silent, narrowed his eyes at the girl. Kat looked back, of course, with her expressionless face. Seb interceded between the two with a broad smile. "Kat needs it to kill her prey, doesn''t she? After all, the knife belongs to her, right?" "Alright, just give me the knife, Manu." I chose to intervene before the tension rose. "You''re right, Seb." Manu sneered, turned around, picked up the knife lying near the shelter, and then ced it in the girl''s palm. "Please, princess." Without a word, Kat walked away from the two men. I gave instructions for Seb to cover the remaining holes in the shelter using smaller pieces of debris, and then I asked Manu to make a fire. No matter how much I saw the sight of Kat being hugged by two men like a reverse harem, I felt that it was not enough to warm their bodies. I followed Kat across the grass. Once a while, she stopped, looked to the right or left to check the situation. I also did the same thing so that my prettiest colonist could get prey with ease. Suddenly, Kat slid down and hid behind a boulder the size of a cow. [Hidden Stats Unlocked.] An interface disying Kat''s parameters appeared in front of me. Below the girl''s standard stats appeared a new line. Stealth: 59/100 [While still in the all-girls dorm, Kat and her friends often sneaked up on escaping. Kat didn''t mean to do it. She just got carried away by her friends. They usually settle down to go to the boys'' dorm or y around somewhere.] Iughed a little. Interesting background to get Stealth ability. However, there was one that caught my attention more. It turns out, people like Kat can have friends too. Kat began to peek through the rock. I cringed when I saw the animal Kat was after. Shit! It was two gray rabbits in the distance! They were eating grass in peace! Rabbits are one of my favorite animals! That animal with long ears is so cute! I won''t let you turn them into food, Kat! [You found the first animal in Hvind. Your colonists can hunt them for food or tame them as pets.] The girl put two of her arrows on the ground, then put the remaining one onto the string in her bow. My mouth was so close to Kat''s ear, but I stopped myself. Apart from she and her tworades need to eat, since yesterday I haven''t found any other animals. Perhaps this was a rare opportunity to practice Kat''s shooting skills. Now is not the time to let the animal go or tame it. The word ''Ranged Attack'' appeared above Kat''s head, of course with a plus sign. The girl began to aim at the animals that were now jumping around. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see their suffering. Zap! I ventured to see what happened. None of the arrows managed to hit any of the animals. They were still there, looking around, maybe because they had just heard the sound of arrows but didn''t know where it wasing from. Oh, Kat missed. Unfortunately, I can''t breathe a sigh of relief. The girl aimed with her second arrow. This time, I forced myself to open my eyes. I want to be a witness to the many precious moments of my colonists. Yes, this is an important moment¡ªthe moment where Kat begins to fight for her colonists. Zap! The arrow flew fast and hit the hamstring of one of the rabbits. Flinched, the other rabbit jumped away. Kat took the remaining arrows and came out of hiding. The rabbit that was hit by Kat''s arrow was still able to jump up and down, although his agility was significantly reduced. Maybe the arrow didn''t prate too deep. The rabbit keeps jumping towards higher grass. Kat would have a hard time finding the animal, plus it was getting darker. She aimed for the third time. Chapter 9 - 9 – From The Distance Zap! Kat shot herst arrow, which hit the rabbit in the back. Ouch. I cringed to see the rabbit rolled over with two arrows in its body. Before the rabbit ran away again, Kat quickly pressed the tiny animal to the ground. I felt ufortable seeing the blood flowing from the rabbit, as well as his breath that seemed to be running out, not to mention his pleading eyes. "Quick, kill him to end his suffering!" I shouted into Kat''s ear. "Slit his throat! Now!" The girl pulled out her knife from the back of her panties, pulled the sheath with her mouth, then shed at the poor animal''s neck. I couldn''t help but stare at Kat''s face. Damn, why aren''t you affected at all? You just killed a cute animal! Why is your face still like that? As soon as the rabbit stopped breathing, Kat drew two arrows from the animal''s body. She then turned the rabbit upside down. The blood from my colonists'' would-be food gushed down. As she did so, Kat looked around again, probably to be aware of her surroundings. She immediately lowered her body when she saw three people walking in the distance, far away. I pressed the zoom icon in the shape of a magnifying ss with a plus sign, and I was surprised by what I saw. The group consisted of two men and one woman with wavy red hair. The white skinned woman''s hands were tied. Her legs were also tied, but not joined together, so she could still walk, despite the difficulty. And what''s worse, her neck is tied with a leash-shaped rope. She was being pulled around like a dog by one of the men. However, what saddened me the most was that there were many red marks ofshes and blue bruises on her dirty body. I could see all of that because she waspletely naked, unlike the two men who carried her. They are fully clothed. very? The woman fell, apparently because of therge sack hanging in her back. Mercilessly, the ck-haired man tugged at the leash while the other man -- having a bald head -- lifted the whip he was holding. Ugh. I held my breath as I watched the woman get whipped several times. It took a while for the woman to get back up. But, before that, the leash holder kicks her thigh a few times. Assholes. I disabled the zoom feature and said to Kat. "Run now and tell your friends... Tell the two men that vers areing! And don''t let the vers find out about you! Kat left the ce in a swift motion. I followed her, who kept sneaking around. She moved from boulders or trees to hide her body. I hope the vers don''t notice Kat''s existence... Ah, shit! I saw smoke rising from my colony location. I shouldn''t have asked them to make a fire! Kat kept running toward her tworades. Manu was crouching and arranging the wood in the fire with a smile while Seb raised his hands in joy. "Why are you running like that, Kat?" Seb''s gaze fell on the rabbit in the girl''s hand. "Hey, your hunt was sessful." "There are vers there." Bending down and catching her breath, Kat pointed at the three strangers. Seb''s eyes opened. "What? vers?" Manu gets up from his seat and observes the uninvited guests. "vers won''t always attack us. Maybe they just want to sell their ves to us. But, they will definitelye here to ask to join us to warm up with this bonfire. However, we must remain vignt." I think more than that. I will save that ve! "Seb, you hide now! You can''t use violence! Kat, you hide too! Prepare to use your bow! Then Manu, you stand guard with your ax and meet them!" I gave consecutive orders to my colonists. Kat and Seb hid behind a thick bush. Meanwhile, Manu picks up his ax and gets ready. Manu doesn''t necessarily have stealth abilities. And if he had to run from hiding to attack, he was at a disadvantage. He can''t run fast because of the scar on his leg. The former member of the Tribe gripped his ax even tighter. His face was firm, and his eyes stared intently at the ve and his two masters. The three of them got closer. The leash holder raised a hand. His mouth smiled widely. Behind him, the female ve looked exhausted, her eyes drooping and her movements sluggish. She immediately knelt as her two masters stopped walking just a few meters from Manu. The other ver, who was bald, stepped on one of the ve''s hands and chuckled. The ve gave him a fierce look. "Why are you looking at me like that, huh!?" The bald man was about to p the ve, but the ck-haired man caught his hand. "Hey, don''t destroy our merchandise in front of potential buyers." I snorted. Merchandise!? Seriously! This woman is human! Despicable! The ck-haired man looked at Manu again, still smiling. "My name is Tosa and my partner is Reha. As you can see, I''m a ver. Well, even though we''re not really vers. Our main job isn''t selling ves." "What do you mean?" Manu asked in a cold tone. "Actually, I am an ordinary tribe member. He is also a tribe member, but he made a big mistake. Our tribe leader was furious. Instead of exile her, our leader decided to sell this woman. Maybe we can exchange her for money or other resources." Tosa exined in a friendly tone. "So would you like to buy her, sir?" Manu nced at the female ve, who looked back at him. I saw Manu''s expression slightly changed. Hmmm... Could it be that his heart was moved because the ve was also thrown away like him? "Here''s a good thing! Just look at her, her body is still plump, her face is beautiful, and of course the most important thing is that her hole can satisfy your lust!" The ver named Rehaughed loudly. I want to punch them. "And she has great mining skills too." Tosa added. I pressed the pause button and approached the ve. Indeed, this woman''s face was beautiful, though red and swollen, perhaps from the ps. The freckles on her face and her striking red hair made her even more attractive. However, she looks muscr rather than plump like Reha said, with a lean six-pack on her stomach. I don''t hate that kind of thing at all. That''s another kind of sexy. This woman will be a great addition to my colony. Her face is not inferior to Kat, although her chest and buttocks are smaller. But not too small either. Chapter 10 - 10 – The Way I made a double-press gesture towards the ve girl, triggering an Interface disying her parameters to appear. [Leva, 23 years old (ve)] STATS: Ranged Attack: 7/100 Melee Attack: 73/100** Construction: 28/100 Crafting: - Cook: 6/100 nt: 12/100 Mining: 55/100* Animal: 20/100 Medic: 11/100 TRAITS: Brawler ¨C Leva likes closebat and hates using ranged weapons. Her melee attack uracy is outstanding. INCAPABLE OF: Crafting. HEALTH ISSUES: Bruises on her entire body. (Will heal over time without any treatment) Apart from mining, you''re a fighter, aren''t you? This fact makes me even more convinced to get you. Unfortunately, I don''t know if our resources are enough to be exchanged for this woman. Even if it were enough, I''m not sure I''d trade my colonists'' knives and foodstuffs. Is violence the only way? I brought up the interface parameters of the two vers. Only two stats appeared on each of them. [Tosa, 36 years old. (Wandering merchant, ver, tribe member)] Ranged Attack: 72/100 Melee attack: 26/100 [Reha, 32 years old. (Wandering merchant, ver, tribe member)] Ranged Attack: 20/100 Melee attack: 71/100 Shit. The abilities of my colonists are far behind. I looked the two bastards up and down. Their clothes are still made of animal skin, but they are simr to the shirts, pants, and shoes that modern humans usually wear. All stitched, although far from neat. The machete tucked into Reha''s pants also looks convincing, with metallic materials and sleeker craftsmanship. Not only that, the bow, quiver, and arrows on Tosa''s back also looked very refined. They seem toe from a more advanced tribe. [Attacking or killing a character thates peacefully will increase the tension of that character''s home colony. Those who survive the attack will report to their colony. If they died, their Colony would be suspicious of why they didn''te home. Other members of the colony may trace their path. Then once they arrive at your colony, they will conduct an investigation. The tension that is too high from other colonies will make them hostile to your colony.] Those texts made me even more frustrated. I looked into the beautiful bright blue eyes of the female ve. Is there really no way to save you, my dear? After pondering for a while, I decided to press the y button. There''s no point in pausing too long. The game must go on. "Look, if you don''t want to buy this ve, fine. You can take a look at the other things we brought. Maybe there''s something that interests you." Tosa continued his speech. Getting no answer from Manu, Tosa said again. "Even if you don''t want to buy from us, that''s fine too. We just want to warm up in your bonfires. Don''t worry, we''ll reward you." "Well, even though it looks like this, we don''t really like violence." Reha shrugged with a sneer. "As long as you don''t attack first." Bullshit. Tosa nced at his partner and snorted in annoyance. "Just shut up." When he was about to look at Manu again, Tosa''s attention was drawn to near the shelter. Kat''s shoey there. "Is that the thing that humans have from the ship that came from the sky!?" Tosa widened her eyes and approached the footwear. However, Manu blocks him. Tosa raised her hand and smiled again. "Rx, I have no intention of stealing, really. You know that human belongings from the sky ship are very valuable? The material is very soft,fortable to wear, and can''t be replicated. Even one shoe is very expensive." It turns out there is another way! "I know, so what?" Manu replied in a cold tone. "Could it be that some of your group members are from that sky ship? If they still have a few other pieces of clothing, that might be enough to buy this ve." As soon as I heard that, I ordered Seb and Kat toe out of hiding. "Ah, there you are!" Tosa looks happy. He pointed to Seb''s pants and Kat''s shirt. "I''ll trade this ve for everything you two are wearing." Including Kat''s underwear? Ugh. Even for me, that''s too much. If I see naked women in the shower or make love, I''m okay with that. It happened at the right time and ce. However, seeing them naked everywhere, I feel very sorry for them. I prefer them to wear sexy clothes, without showing nipples and pussy. Yeah, just like now, I''m notfortable looking at this naked ve. "Including everything this girl is wearing?" Seb asked with a big smile. He walked over to Tosa. "Wouldn''t those shoes and my pants suffice?" "Hey, if you give away all the pieces of clothing, including the woman''s underwear, you will not only get this ve, but also some of the things we brought with us." Tosa spread her hands. [Communication is essential in making transactions. It can make your character bargain well. After observing the interactions of your colonists, you should choose who you think is mostpetent in trading with merchants.] [If the transaction goes well, it will increase the impression on your colony that is felt from the merchant''s home colony.] Realizing Seb has excellentmunication skills, I whisper in his ear, giving orders for him to negotiate. Seb chuckled. "Well, she''ll bepletely naked then. We don''t have any more clothes in stock. Although I love seeing a woman''s body, I feel sorry for her when she''s naked. It''s very ufortable, I''ve experienced it." Tosa sighed and put his hands on his hips. He looked again at the shoe, Seb''s pants, and Kat''s shirt. "I cannot ept your offer, sir." "Hey, hey, listen to me, my friend. You said these things were very valuable, didn''t you? Just imagine if you managed to get them. Your tribe leader must be happy and you''ll be loved even more." With a broader smile, Seb stopped quite close to the ver. "You want that to happen, don''t you? Come on." From Tosa''s mouth that is moving a little, I can tell that he''s starting to falter.. Good job, Seb. Chapter 11 - 11 – The Bargain Some round things wrapped in dry leaves, various clothes simr to the ones the vers wore, some bricks, two sleeping bags made of leather, spearheads, and a sack of tiny potatoes. The vers'' belongings were alreadyid out in front of Seb, who was sitting cross-legged. All of that is a lot and must be very heavy. I can''t imagine how painful it must have been for Leva to carry that thing for days. "Come on, my friend. My pants, the shoes, and our four boxes of emergency food, in exchange for the woman, two shirts for thedies, these potato seeds, and a night''s stay with us. that." Seb bargaining for the umpteenth time. During the negotiations, I gave a few directions on what to buy and what not to buy. "Well, you know what? I guarantee you''ll love the food. It tastes like it came from heaven." Negotiations went on for a long time, and now the sky was dark. Manu and Kat had shifted to sit by the fire. I nced at Leva, who was now shivering with cold. Poor her. I have to solve this problem. Fast. "Sorry, I can''t, Seb. Shirt, pants, emergency food and shoes. I''ll take all of that for thisdy, potato seeds, and a night''s stay by your bonfire. ept or decline. That''s the only choice." Tosa chuckled. "You know, right? We are selling living thing and this is not just any living thing. This is a human with decent abilities and no major injuries." The ver pointed at the red-haired woman. "Look at her. You don''t want such a beautiful woman to join your colony? I''ve put a very low price on her, you know." Seb scratched his hair. It looks like this is his limit. He couldn''t get any more words out to negotiate. "Well, just ept the offer." I whispered. The blonde man looked at Kat. "Hey, are you willing to give me your shirt, Kat? No need for the underwear, just the shirt." And of course, Kat just froze. I have to order her to take off her shirt. Well, at least I can see that plump cleavage again. Now, wearing only her ck bra and panties, Kat handed over the shirt. Her face turned red, and she tried to cover her chest with her hands. What a cute gesture. "Well, looks like I''ll have to get naked again." Seb sighed. "Just a minute, I''ll do it behind the bushes." "You don''t have to bepletely naked, Seb." Manu stands up and sits down. "I can split my clothes in half." Instead of answering right away, Seb looked at Leva, who was now hugging her knees while looking the other way. "Just give it to her." Seb said. "I don''t need it!" Leva snapped. "I don''t have to be pitied by you guys! I''m fine with being naked! You''d better wear that thing!" Wow, you are fierce, Leva. "I told you, don''t scream like that!" Reha raised his whip. "This is one of the reasons you were sold into very!" Leva had snuggled up to embrace the whip, but Seb protected her with his body instead. As a result, Seb''s back was decorated with a long red mark. The man writhed on the ground, groaning in pain. "Hey, are you insane, Reha!?" Tosa pushed his partner. "She is practically theirs, you have no right to hurt her anymore!" "Sorry, it''s be a habit." Reha snorted. "In our tribe, I really hate this bitch, and it''s only been thest few days that I have been able to vent my frustration." With a worried face, Tosa turned to Kat and Manu, who had their weapons ready. My two colonists took the initiative to do it themselves. "Listen to me." Tosa said in a cautious tone. "I guarantee you, you will lose to us. The way you hold your weapons still looks stiff, while we are quite trained. We are not lying when we say we don''t want any conflict to ur. Our tribe leader has warned us not to disturb any group, be it small orrge. He believed there would be vengeance from the gods. We''ll be in trouble ourselves if we get caught killing other people on our way." Rehaughed wryly. "That''s why our leader hates this bitch. She likes to cause trouble and spark conflict. Conflicts can develop into bloodshed. The old man doesn''t want anyone to die among the members. It will only make our peaceful tribe cursed." I clenched my hands tightly. Can their words be trusted? [If the tension is too high, then your colonists can take the initiative to attack themselves.] Maybe I need to get Seb to reduce the tension. "Ah, but we can''t just leave right away. We still need your bonfire. We could ask for your fire, grab it with a twig, then go from here and camp somewhere else. But, it''s getting too dark, we''ll have a hard time finding firewood." Tosa chimed in. "And, of course, you don''t want to share your firewood, do you? Your bonfires will be small." Seb faced Tosa again, but this time he was silent. It seemed that this was also beyond his negotiating abilities. "Oh, I''ll give you guys a bonus for thismotion." Tosa continued, smiling again. "But sorry, we can''t give you big stuff...." The ver stopped when he noticed the carcass of a rabbit near the bonfire. "Ah, or I can teach one of you to preserve food, while you have meat." "Really?" Seb''s face lit up a little. That''s something valuable. Food preservation is required in certain situations. For example, if my colony gets big animals from hunting. They won''t be able to finish it right away, even though there''s no refrigerator here. And, of course, it would be a waste if they threw the rest of the meat. However, I don''t want my colonists to be with these bastards for too long. "You seem to like the idea, huh?" Reha said to Seb. "Well, you guys do need that kind of skill. However, I have a condition. I don''t want this bitch to be released before we really leave. She must be very resentful of us and will annoy us. Just look at her eyes." The bald man pointed at Leva, who was ring at him again, then pointed at a tree a few meters away from the bonfire. "We''ll tie her there. Don''t worry, she won''t freeze to death." Seriously!? To what extent are you willing to torture this woman!? Chapter 12 - 12 – The Slave "Remember, cut the meat ording to the grain and as thin as possible." Tosa watched Seb chop the skinned rabbit meat on a t piece of wood. The ver also just taught Seb to butcher the little animal. I could have fast-forwarded the scenes because all that mattered was that Seb got the ability to make jerky. yers don''t need to know the process. However, I''m pretty fascinated by what happened. Seb looks like he''s really learning how to do that from Tosa. It all looks like real human interaction¡ªsome great details. Well, except for the word ''Cook'' with the plus sign above Seb''s head. Such a thing would not appear in the real world. "If only there were broadleaf nts and fruit like berries, I could teach you to make pemmicans too." Tosa said. Seb, still allowed to wear his blue pants, continued to cut the actual meat that was only a little. "Pemmicans?" "It''s a mixture of meat, animal fat, and fruit. In addition to not rotting quickly, it''s also nutritious because it''s not just meat like jerky." "Wow, I didn''t expect you guys to know about nutrition...." Seb grimaced. "Ah, I didn''t mean to offend your tribe." Tosa chuckled. "We have a tribe member whoes from one of those sky ships. He was the one who told about the importance of nutrition. You could say she is a godsend for us. That woman taught us a lot." "Wow, she''s different from the clueless me." Seb smiled widely. "If I may ask, what is the name of your tribe and how is life there?" "Our tribe''s name is Redtooth." Tosa sneered and shrugged. "You could say, our Tribe is peaceful, but that''s because our tribe leader is strict. If someone makes a mistake, the lightest punishment is doing some work, and the heaviest punishment is being tied to a tree." The man looked at Leva. The woman who was stillpletely naked and tied to the tree lowered her head, making her hair cover her face. "And Leva..... Ah, what about the jerky?" "Just a little more." Hey, why does your story stop there, asshole? I want to know more. Tosa smiled. "After this, I''ll teach you to make pemmican, even if you can''t practice it directly." "Well, you''re a good person, Tosa. This jerky lesson is more than enough, really." Tosa''s smile widened. "You wonder why a ver like me who trades humans can be good, right? Well, we really don''t want to do this. Leva is still a member of our Tribe. You could just say she''s gone too far." Huh, then how about that kicks andshes? How about leaving a womanpletely naked like that? You two don''t consider Leva part of your group anymore! "Oh, it''s done." Seb breathed a sigh of relief after cutting off thest piece of meat. "Then what about the innards? Are we throwing them away for wild animals to eat?" "You can grill it in the fire, then eat it forter or tomorrow." Tosa chuckled again when he saw Seb''s mouth gaping open. "You must be shocked at my words. You''re not used to eating innards, are you? You''re just like that woman in our Tribe." "Ugh, but in a state of survival like this, we have to make the most of what we have." Seb scratched his hair. [Communication is also crucial for diplomacy. Chats like this can increase the impression of other colonies. Characters who chat well with your colonists will tell stories with those in their colonists.] I''m starting to get frustrated. As much as possible, I do not want the bloodshed to ur. There is a risk of death for my colonists, and I also hope that my colony''s rtions with other Settlements will be good. But that means I have to let go of these two bastards. Not only that. My colonists must be kind to them. *** The pieces of meat had been hung on a rack made of tree branches, then ced by the fire so that they could be exposed to the smoke. The other characters have eaten and are now sleeping. Manu and Katy in the shelter while Tosa and Reha used their sleeping bags. Only Seb was still awake. He walked over to Leva, carrying one of the emergency food boxes and Kat''s water bottle. "Hey, your name is Leva, right?" Seb asked the woman. "Here, eat it." Leva lifted her head, then squinted at the food box whose contents had only been partially eaten. "Huh, you didn''t eat it all the way through?" "I''ve eaten the rabbit innards." Seb grinned. "Well, I can''t say the intestines, liver and other organs are delicious, but at least I''m full now." You are the best, Seb. I tried those innards and immediately wanted to throw up. "Hey, how about you let go of me now, big forehead?" Leva hissed. "If I let you go, you''ll kill them in their sleep, right? Sorry, Miss. It could trigger conflict with their tribe. The tribe will wonder why they didn''te home. They will search and eventually will check on us. " Seb shrugged and started scooping rice from the food box. "And my name is Seb, not big forehead." "Okay, Seb. I''ll do anything for you, as long as...." Leva stopped her words as Seb put the food in her mouth. "No." Seb smiled again. Leva raised an eyebrow. "This food is so delicious...." "Is that so? My friend Manu said so too." "So can you let me go....." "Tomorrow I will let you go, after the two of them are far away." Seb fed the girl again. "Forget about them. You''re already a part of us. I guarantee you, we won''t treat you like a ve." Leva snorted, then looked the other way. "If that''s what you meant to buy me, then I thank you. And thanks for the food too." Ah, at the very least, despite her violent temper, Leva was grateful, unlike someone in my colony. "You''re wee." Seb wore a big smile, still feeding the naked woman. I remembered something. They say I can''t always ask the colonists directly for information. How about I ask it through another colonist? I''m curious about Leva''s origins. I whispered something into Seb''s ear. Seb was silent for a moment. "So, what made you sold into very, Leva? Well, you don''t have to answer my question if you feel ufortable." "It''s okay." Leva looked at Tosa and Reha, who were still asleep.. "But I''m not sure the story will be interesting." Chapter 13 - 13 – The Slave (2) "It''s alright." Seb shrugged. "I''ll listen to it." Leva sighed again and chuckled. "Is there anyone where youe from who likes to forbid this and that?" "Well, there are people who are simr." Seb continued to feed Leva. "My Tribe Leader is too obsessed with order and peace. Maybe almost every week, he makes new rules." The woman continued her speech while chewing. "Most of our members will obey because they don''t want to be punished. The lightest punishment is not being given food and water, while the worst is flogging. That also applies to small children." As expected, those two bastards are liars. Seb frowned. "Tosa tells a different story...." "Don''t believe them." Levaughed. "They just want your impression of our tribe to be good. Our Tribe Leader once said, it''s possible for a small group like you to be big and have a strong influence on thisnd. If you guys be like that, then we who have a rtionship with you will benefit¡­. Ah, I''m toozy to go into detail. You can figure it out yourself, right?" Seb nodded. "Yes. Being allies with an influential group has a good impact." "Back to the rules in our tribe.... I really don''t like it. We have to be in our respective houses at night, except for those on patrol. We can''t walk too far from the tribe, except for those who I already got permission from the tribe''s top brass. I used to be a miner by profession and was transferred to a cooking group, just because that old man made a rule that women shouldn''t work hard.... Ah, there are many other stupid rules." Leva closed her eyes for a moment. "But unlike the others, I don''t want to stay silent. I always go against the rules. The higher-ups get restless. I get punished a lot, but I don''t care." "So that''s why you were exiled?" "And finally the higher-ups of the tribe feel that enough is enough. They can''t take it anymore." The red-haired woman gritted her teeth. "And as you can see, I was banished. Our tribe leader said this is forgiveness because I''m still alive. What nonsense." Seb couldn''t answer and just gulp hard. Leva looked savagely at Reha and Tosa again. "Then, Reha and Tosa volunteered to take on the task of selling me. I know, they actually had other motives. In my tribe, sex is forbidden if not between husband and wife, while those two bastards don''t have a partner...." The girl choked hard, then looked down again. Her chest heaved wildly, a sign that her breathing was out of control. Even in the real world, I''ve never felt this angry. What kind of man would take advantage of such a situation to satisfy their desires? However, I''m sure you''ll find time to get your revenge on those bastards, Leva! "I''m sorry to hear that." Seb said with trembling lips. "Now can you leave me?" Leva said in a low voice. Seb looked at the food box in his hands, which only left a little rice. "Okay, maybe you really need to be alone after telling stories like that." "No." Leva rolled her eyes. "I want to pee. You''re not going to let me go, are you? I have to pee here and I don''t want you to see it." Shit. Should I let Leva go at the risk of the Redtooth tribe bing my enemy? This woman would definitely kill those two bastards. My colonists wouldn''t be able to hold her back because she had a higher fighting stat than them. Not to mention the risk of Leva being killed. Should Leva can pee in a more appropriate way, even if it would lead to bloodshed? "Oh, damn." Grimacing, Seb looked at Leva''s thighs that were already pressed against each other and shaking. Leva red at the blonde-haired man. "Hey, what are you looking at!?" "No! I didn''t see anything!" Seb looked up. "Hey, why are you still here!? Go away! Now!" As soon as Seb and I turned around, I could hear the sound of running liquid. I''m so sorry, Leva. After this, I guarantee you will get much more decent treatment. *** Seb let out a big yawn and entered the shelter, theny down beside Manu. The warm air from the bonfire filled that ce. "May I have a word with you, Seb?" Manu asks. "What''s the matter, Manu?" Seb opened his eyes again. "I don''t mind you selling clothes. I have no business if you want to be naked again." Manu straightened up and looked at his partner. "But when ites to exchanging food, I don''t think so. From the start, we''ve run out of supplies, Seb." "But we also got potato seeds for farming. If we manage to harvest that nt, we will get a lot of food." "You can buy those seeds without getting the ve. Hell, you can even buy other supplies with your pants and Kat''s shirt." Manu''s tone began to sharpen. "Adding one more member is adding more mouths to feed. Don''t you think about that thing?" "I''m sure she will be able to make a contribution to our group." Seb sighed. "Don''t you feel sorry for her, Manu? She is made a ve. If not with us, i''m afraid she gets a cruel master." "I know, I myself was thrown away like her, but...." Manu couldn''t continue his speech. "Besides, why are you only protesting now, after the transaction has been agreed upon?" Manu was silent for some time. "I don''t know, Seb. I''m having a hard time exining it.... I didn''t do that because.... Well, I didn''t want to." "Well, it''s all happened anyway. We can''t cancel the transaction, or we could be attacked by them." Seb closed his eyes again. "We''d better get some sleep now. And I''m sorry if you didn''t like what I did." Manu doesn''t answer and lies down again. I was about to order Seb to ask about Manu''s history. However, they seemed too tired. They will be even more tired if Manu''s story is also long like Leva''s. Meanwhile, on the other side of the shelter, Kat kept her eyes open.. She had her back to her two colleagues, so they didn''t know she was awake. Chapter 14 - 14 – New Morning The sun had just risen. Leva fell asleep, still standing and tied to the tree. "Sincest night, I smell urine! Turns out it came from here!" Reha''s scream echoed. "You want to be like one of those animals, huh!? The kind that attracts the opposite sex with the smell of their urine!?" Leva gasped and lifted her face. The naked woman saw Reha and Tosa approaching. The two men were apanied by Seb, who was no longer wearing light blue pants, but a skirt made of leather, like a caveman. "Good morning, beautiful." Tosa smiled at the woman whose body was still full of bruises and marks from the whip. "We''ll be out of here in a moment. I thought we''d better say hello to you onest time." The veins in Leva''s neck began to bulge. He spat at the man, but Tosa dodged easily andughed. Reha raised his hand, about to p the woman. Leva had closed her eyes and turned her face to the side. However, Reha just chuckled and poked the sensitive part in the woman''s crotch. Leva flinched, red at the bald man, and tried to kick him, but Reha was also able to dodge. Ugh. Hurry up! You two get out of here! "Hey, how many times have I told you, she''s not ours anymore." Tosa chuckled and waved his hand. "See youter, rebel girl." "Hope you enjoy your new job as a slut here." Rehaughed. Tosa said goodbye to Seb and finally left the ce with Reha. "They''re gone. Now, let me go." Leva asked with a wild breath. Seb shook his head slowly. "Too bad, I can''t do it now. I had to wait until they were out of sight. I really don''t want you to kill them." "Huh, you''re an angel with a noble heart who forgives those bastards, huh!?" I hastily whispered my excuse to Seb. Maybe this is different from Seb''s real reason as a peace-loving person. I was worried that Leva might not like Seb because of his naivety. I did my best to keep the colonists from hating each other. It can cause conflict. "It is not like that ¡­." Seb scratched his hair. "You''re already part of our group, if your old tribe finds out they were both killed by you, chaos could ensue. They can take revenge on us. We''re still so small, we don''t have the ability to fight back." "Argggghhhh!!! I will do it without them knowing!!!" Leva started screaming hysterically. "Let go of me now!!! I''ve been waiting all night in the cold!!!" Themotion caught the attention of Manu, who was unraveling the sack that had been the container of potatoes bought from Tosast night. Meanwhile, Kat, who was practicing with her bow, only nced at the scene briefly. "Alright, just let her be." I whispered in Seb''s ear. "Today you are going to nt those potato seeds, right?" Seb grimaced. "Sorry, I really can''t let you go now." Leva continued to struggle to break free while screaming. She was getting more hysterical when Seb left her. "Hey, where are you going!!?? Let me go first, you bastard!!! I have to kill those two assholes!!!" *** Using the strings untied from the sack, Manu tied the grass on the back ends of the arrows he had just made. He then looked at Leva, who was now looking down in silence. "Finally she stopped fussing, huh?" Manu sneered. "In my tribe there is also someone like her, but a child. Is she a child trapped in an adult''s body." Seb stopped digging small holes, stood up clutching his waist, then wiped his sweat. "Well, I''ve never seen an adult tantrum like that either. Hopefully, things like this don''t happen often. It''s impossible, right, if we have to tie her up again when she screams like that." "Hopefully so." Manu makes a knot on thest arrow. "Give these arrows to Kat and then you make a quiver for her." I gave orders to Manu. Manu got up and walked with the arrows. "Here, Kat." Kat stopped her practice and turned to the bearded man. I whispered in the girl''s ear. "Say thanks, then you carve a target on a tree and use it for practice." "Thank you, Man." Kat said in a very stiff tone. "Huh? This is unusual." Manu raised an eyebrow and ced the arrows near Kat''s feet. "You''d better not hunt yet, I''ll make a quiver out of tree bark so you don''t have trouble carrying these arrows." "Argh!" Seb threw the small part of the escape pod out of his hand, theny on the ground. Hey, you''ve only been working for a while, Seb! You don''t have many holes yet. [Hidden trait unlocked] [Procrastinator ¨C Seb likes to procrastinate in doing his job. This trait will be randomly triggered.] What? Why do you have such useless traits, Seb? Wouldn''t this hinder the development of my colony? "Hey, why are you sleeping like that?" Manu, who was carrying his ax, asked. "Those seeds won''t grow on their own, you know." Seb sighed. "Just a moment. Let me rest first. Using this thing to dig was very troublesome. Don''t worry, things like this won''t have much effect on the harvest." I spoke into the blond man''s ear. "Hey, get up your ass and get on with your work!" As expected, Seb stayed where he was. My orders won''t be able to counter that trait. "Hey, are they out of sight yet!?" Leva snapped again. "How long are you going to tie me up like this." Instead of immediately getting up and untying Leva, Seb just straightened himself and looked around. Ugh. Do I have to order you to release Leva? Seriously? Finally, after I spoke into his ear again, Seb began to untie Leva. Not wanting Leva to bepletely naked still, I gave Seb an idea. However, the guy said, "I still have a bunny skin you can use to cover your body, Leva. But it takes several days to process the leather before you can use it. And I have other ns for that thing. I want to use it as a bag to store food if one of us goes a bit far." "You don''t have to give it to me if it''s needed for someone else! That skin is also very small, right!? It can''t be called clothes!" Leva stared at Seb as the knots in her body finally loosened. The woman had opened her mouth and was looking fiercely at Seb. However, Instead of snapping, the woman bit her lip, closed her eyes tightly, and started walking away. Do you want to be a better human, huh, Leva? "You can sleep in the shelter." Seb said. "You must be tired from standing all night." "I don''t need that. I''ve had enough sleep." Leva quickened her pace, not bothering to cover her private parts and breasts at all. Seb started following the naked woman. "Then where are you going?" "I want to clean myself in the river and take a shit." Leva growled, seemingly trying to keep herself from yelling. "You still want to follow me? Are you excited to see a pooping woman?" Seb stopped walking without saying anything. Chapter 15 - 15 – Casual Chat Leva hid behind arge rock by the river. I didn''t follow the girl and chose to press the fast-forward button. I''m not going to watch that woman do her own thing. I''m not a freak. I fast-forward for a while, and I see that Leva has shifted a few meters from where she was, washing her body in the river. Well, if it''s like this, I like it. Nothing beats the sight of a woman wet in the open, under the morning sun. Welp, that sentence feels wrong. The girl winced in pain as she rubbed her body. So, since yesterday she put on a tough face and didn''t moan in pain. While I was still enjoying the view, Kat came in with her water bottle. The two women''s eyes met, but Kat said nothing. I thought the ck-haired girl would just fill her bottle and leave. However, she took off her bra instead, making her plump assets even more visible to my eyes. I held my breath when I saw that peerless beauty. Especially when Kat started to pull down her panties. In the real world, maybe I already need a respirator. The developer of this game knows how to create beauty. Kat entered the river, started cleaning herself with her back to Leva. Leva narrowed her eyes at her new friend. Apparently, the former ve was surprised by Kat''s cold behavior. Leva scratched her hair, then sat down on the t rock in the middle of the river. With her whole body gleaming with water droplets on her skin and hair that looked thin from being wet, she lifted one of her legs up to the rock. That way of sitting is not at all graceful, but I won''tin. All women have their own style, and they are all beautiful in my eyes. "Hey, what about those two friends of yours? Have they done anything indecent to you, Humongous Breasts?" Leva asked. Iughed, even though it was vulgar. "My name is Kat." Of course, Kat looked at Leva without changing her nk expression. "So far, they haven''t done anything, they just stared at my body." "Even if it''s just a poke?" Leva raised an eyebrow. Kat shook her head, then turned her back to the red-haired girl again, continuing her cleaning. Leva sneered. "Well, I''m worried that they might be too eager to put their dick in my hole. After all, they--especially that guy named Seb--were really excited to buy me yesterday when they could have gotten more useful stuff with those clothes. You guys are still a small group. Buying food is more important than adding mouth to feed." A question popped into my head. I dove into the river and came over to Kat. Weird. I could feel the water flow, including the cold sensation. However, I didn''t feel wet at all. "Are those clothes really that valuable?" Kat asked, of course, after I gave the order. "Of course!" Levaughed as she spread her arms. "The proof is that those things are enough to trade for a human like me! And the only bonus is potato seeds!" Kat didn''t respond and instead turned her back to the red-haired woman again. Apparently, she didn''t care about the answer to my question. Leva was already gritting her teeth and clenching her fists. Her eyes narrowed at Kat. The woman was clearly about to shriek in anger, but she chose to sigh and jump off the rock instead. "Well, if you guys are really good people, I''d like to have a role. Unfortunately, you guys don''t have pickaxes to mine." Leva mumbled. Ah, you can do something before my colony gets a pickaxe, Leva. I gave some instructions to the woman. Only she can do this. The other three colonists already had their respective duties. Leva rose to the ground, flicking her hair, hands, and body to drop the water droplets. Extraordinary. She seemed to be doing an interesting dance with her beautiful naked body. But I''m worried. I hope you don''t catch a cold with a wet body like that. No towels or substitutes to dry yourself off. "I''ll look for milk twigs and broad leaves. You guys seem to need those things, don''t you?" Leva spoke in a t tone. "Please tell your two friends." Kat just nodded, then went back to her own business. Leva had opened her mouth, perhaps toment on Kat''s attitude, but in the end, she shrugged and chose to walk away. Once she was so far away from Kat, Leva stroked her body and shuddered. "Huh, what kind of tribe doesn''t have clothes for its new members?" I see. Leva wasn''tfortable beingpletely naked like that, but she just didn''t want to show it to the others. And even so, she refused Seb''s clothes because that man would be naked if she epted. You are so selfless, Leva. Covering her chest with her hands, Leva continued to walk along the immense expanse of meadow, asionally taking a nce between the hills, boulders, and trees. Several times I did fast forward. However, she has not yet found what she was looking for. She only met wild animals such as squirrels, running deer, monitor lizards the size of a human arm, and several types of insects. Hmmm... It looks like this spot is suitable for hunting. I don''t want Kat to kill the bunny again. I stared at my colony, and I couldn''t see them anymore. Maybe we''ve gone too far. Should we just go back? If there were fierce beasts, Leva would be in trouble. She couldn''t ask for help, and she needed to run a long distance to her colony. She could be attacked first before getting there. I was about to whisper my order into Leva''s ear. However, noticing that the girl''s expression had be slightly overjoyed, I backed off. She approached a nt with many small gray branches. The nt was only as tall as an adult''s chest. Texts appear above that small leafy tree. [milk twig] Ah, that''s the nt that Manu mentioned back then. He said this could be processed into ropes. Great. This will help my ns to build a better shelter. Leva began to pluck the branches of the nt. Perhaps, because her nt stat wasn''t high, the girl was a little troubled. He had to twist the branch several times until it broke. Sometimes she cursed in annoyance. I fast-forwarded the scene until finally, Leva had plucked enough branches. I whispered. "I think that''s enough. If you take too much, this nt can die. We still need it. Now, you go back to..." I stopped what I was saying when I noticed the girl''s brow furrowed. She then looked at a spot a few meters away from her. [Hidden trait unlocked] Chapter 16 - 16 – One Of The Best Feature [Mineral detector - Leva has the ability to detect minerals around her.] Awesome. This is definitely much better than useless hidden traits like Seb''s. So, what did you find, my dear Leva? Leva walked over to arge rock the size of a car. She looked behind the rock and picked up something: a much smaller rock, half the size of a human hand, and dark brown in color. [Fire Stone] That''s all the information? So, should I or rather my colonists find a use for this stone? Hmmm... Maybe former tribe members like Manu and Leva already know its use. It''s better to just take the stones to the colony. A few meters away, Leva picked up the same rock. This time it''s smaller. The woman looked at the two objects, in turn, smiling. We just hit the jackpot, huh? [Minerals can''t only be obtained by being found like this. Your colonists will have to dig up the cliffs to find other minerals.] I looked up at the dark gray cliff in the distance. Maybe next time, I''ll ask Leva to check the ce out if she already has a pickaxe. After I ordered her, Leva walked out carrying the branches and stones. However, her steps stopped when she discovered something else. Since I was focused on the rocks and cliffs, I didn''t notice a grove of trees with broad and long leaves located some distance from Leva. The trunk of that tree is light green and definitely not wood. Wild bananas, as tropical fruit, are in the samend with berries that are not. This game developer likes to mix things up, huh? If they were asked about this, I''m sure they would say because it''s all just a game, or this isn''t real Earth, so they have some freedom about the setting. Well, I''m not someone who would object to something like that, anyway. Most importantly, my colonists have a new food source. Maybe I can move some shoots from this tree near my colony so that Seb can take care of themter? My colonists could have another source of food. Maybeter. Now there is something more urgent. "Bring some banana from the trees and some ot the leaves to your colony. Bring as much as you can." I gave an instruction. "Ah, use those leaves as your clothes too." Leva half ran up to the clump of trees, put down the branches and stones she was carrying, then did as I ordered. Like before, she had a hard time picking the fruit and leaves from the tree. I stared at the word ''nt'' with a plus sign shing above her head. Well, consider this an exercise so thatter you can help Seb grow crops, Leva. Unfortunately, the bananas looked unripe. They were still very green. However, if Kat didn''t bring any results from today''s hunting, it meant thatter and tomorrow, my colonists would be short of food. I just wish one of them knew how to cook raw bananas. I used the fast forward button again. Leva looked so irritated but managed to collect the leaves and fruit in the end. "Errrrr....." Leva flipped through one of the leaves and scratched her head. I immediately smacked my forehead at the absurd scene. I forgot, Leva can''t craft. That means she can''t make makeshift clothes out of the leaves. So, the woman was forced to go home still naked, showing her vagina and nipples. Damnit. I really want to treat her properly. A woman as beautiful as her shouldn''t be walking around naked like someone out of their mind. I canceled my intention to order Leva to go home because the woman''s gesture changed again. She seemed to be swallowing saliva while holding a bunch of bananas. Her eyes also opened a little bit more, and her hand stroked her stomach. I forgot that she hadn''t eaten yet. It was past noon. This woman''s stomach must be rumbling. And the trip to the colony still took a long time. I grimaced at my female colonist. Should I let her starve until she arrives at the colony? Or will eating raw bananas make her more tormented? Maybe she had already guessed that the taste of the fruit would not be good, so she didn''t take the initiative to eat it. So, she awaits my decision? "Yeah, you just eat it." I hissed. With a stutter like someone who hasn''t eaten in days, Leva peeled the one banana, then put a lot of it in her mouth. Furthermore, what I saw was one of the most powerful features of this game. Leva''s eyes narrowed almost shut. The skin around her eyes shriveled up violently, and her mouth protruded like that of a duck''s. Iughed. It was one of the funniest shit I''ve ever seen. Kudos to the developers who can make the characters of this game very expressive. Despite what happened, Leva still ate the banana. Iughed louder. Maybe in real life, I would have a stomach ache. With a face like that, the signs of her beauty are invisible. *** Kat returned to her colony with no results at all. Manu, resting after cutting down many trees, sighed when he saw the girl approaching. "Great. Tomorrow, we will starve." The man snorted, apparently more to himself. There was no one nearby. I just arrived to check on the condition of my other colonists and immediately wanted to beat up the bearded man. You really don''t like Leva joining your group, do you? Some distance away, Seb stopped his farming activities to see Leva''s arrival in the distance. The woman seemed to have trouble carrying the branches, broad leaves, and bananas. "Help them, you idiots!" I was agitated to see my three colonists just standing there dumbfounded. "This...." Manu looked amazed when he finally helped Leva, of course after I gave him orders. "Milk twigs! This is what we really need to make a better shelter!" "Are these bananas ripe yet?" Seb looked at some of the bananas in his arms. "No, it doesn''t taste good either. However, if we grill it.... Well, at least it doesn''t taste too offensive." Manu answered, then crouched down next to Leva, who was now sitting. "Forgive me for doubting you." "No problem. The first impression I gave you guys was really bad." Leva sneered and held out the two brown stones she was holding. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot about this." A smile grew on Manu''s lips. "Ah, with this we won''t have any trouble making a fire. Thank you, Leva." "I also thank you." Seb smiled too. Leva looked the other way and said in azy tone. "I didn''t do much." Meanwhile, Kat was already sitting some distance away from the three of them.. The girl was observing the bark quiver that Manu had just made. Chapter 17 - 17 – Stories Leva checked the clothes she was wearing. Manu had just made an outfit consisting of only a breast cover and a short skirt. Well, I don''t know if the bottom is a skirt or not. That thing just barely covered Leva''s pussy. The same thing happens to anything that covers that woman''s breasts. With a slight gust of wind, Leva''s nipples will be visible. Manu checks his work. "Are you sure you want to stick with that one tiniest leaf with that many tears? We still have a lot of leaves, you know." Leva snorted. "I told you so many times¡­." However, the woman immediately caught her breath and said in a more subtle tone. "I''m very sure about that. Better to use the leaves for your bedding. Tomorrow I can still pick up a bigger leaf." "Well, I wish Kat could get an animal with a broad skin, so I could make a more decent dress for you. Clothes made of leaves like that will onlyst a short time." Well, I just ordered the leaves to be made into bedding and the rest for Leva''s clothes. However, once again, Leva showed a selfless act. "I hope so." Leva shrugged. "And thank you very much." Without waiting for Manu''s response, Leva just walked over to Seb. The man was arranging bananas stabbed with thin twigs around the fire. "Well, I can''t wait to eat this grilled banana." Leva said in an unenthusiastic tone, clearly being sarcastic. "Must be very tasty." It looks like she''s still traumatized by the unripe banana. "Ah, you won''t eat this, Leva." Seb handed the woman a box of emergency food. Leva epted the box with a frown. "This ¡­." "That''s your share this morning. You left without having breakfast first." Seb gave a big smile. "I thought you guys were really good¡­. Oh, thank you." Leva smiled back, but I got the impression that it was forced. The sky grew darker, the four colonies sat around the campfire to warm up, waiting for the food to cook, and I gave instructions for them to chat with each other. I did that so I could get a lot of information about them. I''ve seen Leva gulp many times. Maybe she really wants to enjoy her meal. Even though she had been given the opportunity to eat first by Seb and Manu, the girl kept refusing, to the point until I saw the lines of annoyance on her face. Do you keep trying to be epted by them, huh, Leva? "Wow, you have the ability to detect minerals on earth? It''s a very rare ability. I''ve never met anyone like that before." Manu asked while continuing to chew the rabbit jerky. He had chewed the food long enough but had not swallowed it. I''ve tasted it, the Jerky was unbelievably tough, and the taste was very nd. "That''s how it is." Leva said with a mouth full of spaghetti. She just recounted the story of her tribe and the reason she was banished. Seb stuffed the sliced ??grilled banana into his mouth. The corners of his lips immediately dropped. Undoubtedly, the food wasn''t good at all. "Is that kind of power only limited to detecting minerals?" "There are actually various kinds, from seeing in the dark, super strength, seeing ghosts, and many more." Manu replies. "On my home, there is some kind of gic engineering¡­." Seb shrugged. "Essentially, there are rumors about research into modifying humans to be able to use superpowers. However, that was just a rumor and I couldn''t find any proof. I didn''t expect such powers to appear naturally on this." This looks like important information that will point to something bigger. "I already told you about my origins." Leva burped and rubbed her stomach. The contents of the food box are empty, even though the others are still eating. "Now it''s your turn, guys." "My life is not special. My tribe is peaceful, although sometimes there are small fights. There are rules there, but not as strict as your tribe, Leva." Manu answered the red-haired woman''s question. "And the reason I was exiled was, I impregnated the wife of my tribe leader''s son. Luckily because my father was close friends with the tribe leader, I wasn''t sentenced to death." Everyone there was silent, looking at Manu, who started eating again. I waited, but Manu did not continue his speech. What the fuck. Is that all you want to say? "Why are you so calm?" Leva asked in a slightly cynical tone. "You havemitted a grave sin, you know." "Of course, I regret it very much." Manu took a deep breath. "Ah, I don''t want to talk about it any further. Now it''s your turn, Seb. Seb shrugged. "Well, my life before this was peaceful. I worked as a farmer and was lucky to be chosen to board that huge spaceship. At that time, I was very happy. I was finally able to have a new and exciting experience, not just living a boring life, just taking care of the soil and nts. My wife and two children are also happy. They can''t wait to see this new world." "Where are your wife and children?" Manu asks again. Seb was silent, staring at the fire for a moment. "I don''t know. Each escape pod can amodate a maximum of three people, while my family has four. I had to join one of the other escape pods." "Hey, are there several of those big spaceships? Sky ship¡­. Those escape podsnded on this ground at different times." Manu took a gulp of water from the wooden ss he made at mymand. "No, there is only one spaceship, and there are many escape pods. Well, maybe after the ident there were some escape pods that got stuck in outer space, and are only able tond now. I can only specte on that. From Tosa''s story yesterday, I got the impression that the woman from the big spaceship in the Tosa tribe hadnded a long time ago. She seems to have be friendly with the Tosa Tribe members, to the point of imparting knowledge to them." Seb shrugged again. "I don''t know, maybe my Pod got stuck a few months in space. While boarding the Pod, we were put into hibernation¡­ We were put to sleep." Manu and Leva immediately exchanged nces. "In fact ¡­." Leva cleared his throat. "Stories about sky ships or you call them escape pods have been around since the time of our ancestors. I even heard it for the first time from my great-grandmother." Huh? Did I hear wrong? Kat stopped eating while Seb lowered his chin in shock. Zap! Just then, an arrow flew towards them and pierced the ground near the bonfire. Chapter 18 - 18 – An Unpleasant Surprise I paused everything, then gave instructions to each of my colonists. As soon as I got things up and running again, they scattered. Seb hides with Leva in a bush. The red-haired girl snorted when she saw Seb just curled up with a trembling body. Well, it''s your job to protect Seb, Leva. Your attack stat is the highest among the others. I ordered Kat to go around with her stealth abilities, looking for the archer andter attacking them if possible with arrows. Andstly, Manu hid behind a big tree, already alert with his ax. I''m not standing still either. My eyes looked in all directions for the attacker. However, I haven''t found anyone yet. The only sound that could be heard was the crickets. This quiet atmosphere gives off an eerie sensation that makes me ufortable. If in the real world, my heart would have been beating fast, and my cold sweat was flowing. "Manu, watch out! Behind you!" Suddenly Leva shouted. Manu looked back and immediately blocked a wooden club swing with his ax. The assant, a man in primitive attire like Manu''s, swung his club again. This time Manu couldn''t block the attack. The assant managed to hit him in the face, knocking him down. Shit, I should have paused this game to find enemies! I gave orders to Leva to help Manu, who was now only curled up on the ground. The man was unable to do anything as the assant continued to beat his body with the club. As Leva came out of the bush, an arrow pierced her thigh, forcing her to fall. The woman screamed in pain. "Come on, Leva! You can still stand up, right!?" Actually, I didn''t want to say that, but Manu was really helpless. With a grimace in pain and a savage look in her eyes, the woman struggled to her feet, then limped over to the attacker holding the club. "Argghhh!" I flinched at that sound from far away. Is that Kat? I had to press the pause button, looking at Leva, who was about to tackle the attacker. [???? (Tribe member, Raider)] STATS Ranged attack: 31/100 Melee attack: 64/100 Leva, you can handle that assant, right? I chose to go to the source of the voice. Maybe it was Kat''s scream. Perhaps it wasn''t. The uncertainty made me even more nervous. Instead of finding Kat, I ran into the bow-wielding assant ducking behind a boulder the size of half an adult. Since the man''s body was small and thin, he could hide in such a ce. I breathed a sigh of relief. An arrow pierced the man''s shoulder. That means what I heard earlier wasn''t Kat''s scream of pain. [???? (Tribe member, Raider)] STATS Ranged attack: 21/100 Melee attack: 1/100 Huh? With only that much ranged attack stat, he can still shoot Leva from afar? Or maybe it was just luck? I looked around and found several arrows scattered around the attacker. They were all Manu''s arrows. It seemed the archery battle was fierce. It was easy enough for me to find Kat. In addition to my eyes that can see more clearly in the dark, I also just need to find another spot where there are many arrows. It turned out that Kat wasn''t hiding behind rocks or trees or bushes. The girl was crawling on the grass. The girl was aiming at the rock where the arrow attacker was hiding. Looks like she''s ying the long game. She waited for her enemy to appear, then she would shoot him. However, we can''t wait long, Kat. I have to recheck my colony. The melee fight there is still going on. Therefore, I gave the girl a n. As soon as I pressed the start button, Kat began to creep out of her spot. With Kat only wearing her bra and panties, I could see the girl''s contortion on the ground. Kat''s butt and hips rose and fell and moved left and right, which should trigger my male instincts. However, now I focused on saving my colony and didn''t think much of it. Kat continued to creep, taking a detour to approach her foe. The dart assant peeked out for a moment to check the situation while wincing in pain. Perhaps surprised that no arrows were fired at him, the assant peeked out again, this time with a longer duration. And finally, he came out of hiding, staying alert with his bow. Little did he know, Kat was already behind the man, ready to shoot his arrow at the man''s head. [Characters who raid your colony can be caught and persuaded to join. Command the colonists with the bestmunication skills to convince the prisoners. With poor treatment, he will be more difficult to persuade. And vice versa. The level of difficulty in recruiting them also depends on each individual] Ah, apparently, there is also another way to recruit the colonists. "Just shoot him so he can''t attack and run." I whispered to Kat. "Then take him to the colony. Tell the others that he will be recruited." Kat turned to aim at the bow-wielding attacker''s left hand. Zap! "Argggghhh!!!" The assant screamed in pain and dropped his bow as Kat''s arrow pierced his arm. Kat fired another arrow, this time into the enemy''s right thigh. The assant immediately knelt down, screaming in pain again. The girl then wrapped her arms around the attacker''s neck, then pointed the sharp part of one arrow at her enemy''s face. "Don''t fight back, or I''ll stab your eye with this arrow." Kat hissed into the man''s ear. Even in that condition, Kat''s expression was still nk. The enemy raised his hand with a trembling body. "Please, don''t kill me. I was only ordered to attack your tribe to steal supplies." Without responding to that word, Kat began pulling the man. I pressed the pause button for the umpteenth time, then went to my colony, hoping that Leva had already defeated the assant. Oh, shit. Arriving there, I saw Leva, who was holding the ax up high. The woman''s face looked so fierce. Near Leva''s feet, there was someone''s body lying down. I could only see his feet because his body was covered in trees. I froze for a moment before finally looking behind the tree. Chapter 19 - 19 – The Prisoner I pulled my head and rubbed my face. Shit. His face had been shattered, obviously from the shes of the ax. The blood spread so much to the point that I could smell the rancid smell. Maybe I should turn on gore censorship in this game, as people have suggested on the forums. What I saw was so real. I calmed myself first, then whispered to Leva to stop shing. As soon as I pressed the y button, the red-haired woman restrained herself from swinging the ax. With a wild breath, she took a few steps back. Manu struggled to straighten himself up to see what had happened. Seeing the assant''s corpse, he grimaced stiffly. "Damn." The man and Leva looked at each other but spoke no words. Not long after that, Kat came with the prisoner. The girl flinched as soon as she realized the assant''s corpse, but her expression remained unchanged. The breath of the man who was being held by Kat started to get out of control. His tears began to fall. His mouth had opened to scream, and he was about to fight back to break free. However, Kat stuck her arrow in the attacker''s face. "Don''t move." The girl hissed. "Why did you bring him here, Kat?" With a wild expression like a beast aiming for prey, Leva came to the prisoner. "Why don''t you just kill him?" The skinny prisoner flinched violently. "Please, don''t.... I''m just being ordered by my tribe leader..... I don''t want to do this..." "Shut up!" Leva pointed her ax at the skinny man. "I didn''t ask you!" "I think he could be a member of our group." Kat answered ording to my orders. Leva stopped quite close to the two people. The corner of her left eye twitched, and her mouth gaped open. "Are you crazy!? This guy has attacked our Tribe! He deserves to be punished! He shot at me! Look at this!" Leva showed her thigh, which was still pierced by an arrow. "I''m sure, he intends to aim for my vitals! That''s what a raider would do! He intends to kill me! If he became part of us, he might end up killing one of us, or even all of us!" I tried to order Leva not to get angry, but it was no use. I''m afraid he killed this assant. Yes, he is guilty. However, his confession did not seem far-fetched. He really didn''t want to do this. "One more thing, if he joins, it means we have to feed more people." Manu approached the three with a limp and staggered step. Bruises and wounds covered the face and body. Miraculously none of the blows knocked Manu unconscious. "Who are you, where are you from, and state your abilities." Kat said to her prisoner, after I gave the instructions, of course. "M-my name is Pif." Hissed the man with the thin body, buck teeth, and fluffy ck hair. "I''m from the Hardfeather Tribe.... Hey, please, let me go, I won''t bother you anymore after this. And sorry, I can''t join your Tribe, I don''t want my Tribe to be angry because they consider me a traitor." [Pif, 18 years old (Tribe Member, Raider)] STATS: Ranged attack: 21/100 Melee attack: 1/100 Construction: - Crafting: 6/100 Cook: 3/100 nts: - Mining: 1/100 Animals: 2/100 Medic: 55/100 TRAITS: Diligent ¨C Pif is a hard worker and gets the job done quickly (Work speed +15%). Weak body ¨C Pif feels tired very quickly and gets sick easily. INCAPABLE OF: Construction nt HEALTH ISSUES: Stab wounds to his left hand, left shoulder, and right thigh (working speed -40%, walking speed -23%). Ah, he''s still very young, even though his face doesn''t show that. His stats weren''t too high either, and there was one trait that could hinder him. However, his higher medic stat and this diligent trait might bring benefits to my colony. "Hardfeather Tribe?" Manu asked in a drunken-like voice. "You really are from the Tribe who love to steal from the others? They''re known for being muscr, why is there someone as skinny as you?" "I''m the exception...." The boy started to sob again. "Please, I''d rather go back and be beaten, than be a traitor and be killed.... They will surely torture me even more cruelly before killing me." Mercilessly, Leva pped the boy. "I hate whiny men!" Looks like I need Seb''s ability to get this guy to join. As I turned to approach Seb, I saw the man already standing beside the assant''s corpse. His eyes opened extremely wide as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. His body was also shaking violently. Seeing the look of horror on his face, I knew this wasn''t going to be good. The blonde-haired man squeezed his head, knelt down, and opened his mouth wide. "Argggggghhhh!!!" Shit. As a non-violent individual, it seemed Seb wasn''t used to seeing gore like that. This is a dire situation. He''s the one with the highest medical trait because Pif hasn''t joined yet. I don''t want Leva and Manu''s wounds to leave scars that diminish their workability. The higher the stat of the treating person, the higher the chance that such a thing would not happen. [Mental breakdown debuff ¨C Seb is under severe psychological stress, so he cannot properly perform his function as a human.] Pausing gamey again, I stared at the other three colonists. It was impossible to ask Kat for help to persuade Seb. The woman''smunication skills were almost zero. The only choices are Manu and Leva. After considering for a while, I chose Manu. But a text appeared in front of me after whispering to him. [Manu''s concentration is temporarily reduced due to the injury to his head. He became less able to focus, so hismunication skills were reduced. He could not convey what was on his mind properly. Are you sure you''re still going to use him to carry out your orders?] I scratched my hair. Feeling that choosing Manu would make things less than optimal, I finally asked Leva for help, even though I wasn''t really sure either. Leva''s nature was too harsh to calm someone down. I gave orders to Kat and Manu to tie Pif to the tree. Leva walked over to Seb, who was still screaming hysterically like crazy. Leva knelt before Seb, blocking Seb''s view of the ghastly corpse. The girl shook Seb''s body, making the man stop screaming, but his expression of horror was still evident. "Look into my eyes, Seb." Surprisingly, Leva said in a soft and low tone. Chapter 20 - 20 – A Question "I know, this is a frightening and shocking experience for you." Leva continued her speech, still using a calming tone. "But look at the silver lining. The crisis is over and we''re safe. That guy won''t attack us again." Seb did look at Leva, but the man didn''t respond. She still looked scared, and his tears were still flowing. Leva closed her eyes, exhaling slightly. "Don''t let this affect your mind, Seb. I''ll help you through this. You''re not alone." Seb still didn''t respond. Leva averted her gaze, her teeth clenched, and the veins in her neck began to bulge. Looks like this won''t work. I was about to ask Leva to stop, but the girl suddenly mmed her head against Seb''s forehead. The man immediately fell, holding his forehead while looking confused at Leva. The woman stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Hey, I''ve been speaking softly to you, but you didn''t even hear me!!!" Seb flinched at the thunderous snap. "You have to go through all this now, bastard! We are still few in number! You can''t bury the corpse because you can''t stand the sight of it, right!? That means, you have to treat me and Manu!" Leva then showed an arrow stuck in his thigh. "Look at this, the arrow is still stuck in my fucking leg! You have the medicine box from the sky ship, right!? I don''t know shit about how to use that thing! So only you can treat this wound using that! This hurts, damnit! !! You want my wound to rot and be eaten by maggots!?" Seb still didn''t respond. Leva was about to yell again, but finally, Seb wiped his face, then took a deep breath. "That''s right, in this survival situation, we have to endure such a thing." Seb said in a low voice. He got up and turned his back to Leva. "Just a minute, I''ll get the first aid kit." A text appeared above Seb''s head. [Soul-stirring words buff - This buff allows Seb to be active again, despite experiencing a mental breakdown.] Wow, apparently, there is a feature like this. I salute you, Leva. You can make Sebe back to his senses. But... I looked at Seb''s back which was getting further away. I''m not sure what just happened won''t give Seb''s mental long term. *** By the bonfire, Leva kept her tough face on as Seb treated the wound on her left thigh. The change in expression that appeared on her face was only the asional flickering of her eyebrows. Manu lies in the shelter. The bearded man''s body had already been bandaged by Seb first. Meanwhile, Kat is burying the battered-faced attacker. I arranged everything to finish as soon as possible. "It''s finished." Seb smiled after making the final knot in the bandage wrapped around Leva''s thigh. I hope the wound doesn''t leave a scar that could ruin the beauty of your thigh, Leva. Seb''s bandage looked a little untidy, so I was a little worried. "I''ve always been amazed by the healing methods of the humans who woke up from those sky ships." Leva rubbed her bandaged body part. Seb didn''t answer and started tidying things up in the medicine box. Seeing the man''s gloomy expression, Leva sighed. "Look, I know this is really bothering you¡­." "How did the girl from the escape pod in your tribe react when she found out that the story about the sky ships existed long ago?" Seb cut off the conversation, not looking at Leva at all. It seemed he wanted to change the subject and didn''t want to talk about that horrible incident again. Leva was silent for a moment. "Honestly, I don''t know. I''m not close to that woman." "I see." Seb closed the box, then stood up and smiled again. "I will check our prisoner. He also needs help." Seb just left and didn''t wait for Leva to answer. Shit. Even I also feel ufortable with this situation. Leva continued to sit by the fire, watching Seb in the distance. I crouched beside her, then said in her ear. "I know you''re tired, but it''s a good idea to help Kat bury the body." The woman got up, adjusting her banana leaf mini skirt, which was now damaged, probably from the fight. However, the fastening part of the skirt broke instead. Leva snorted and threw it into the fire. So she had no choice but walked away bottomless, her ass and pussy clearly visible. Over time I got used to the nudity that this game shows. Instead of following Leva, I chose to go to Seb, who was now sewing the wound from the arrow on Pif''s body. The prisoner kept wincing in pain, and Seb did his job with a gloomy face. Maybe this isn''t the right time for Seb to ask Pif to join my colony. However, I want this recruitment to bepleted quickly. So, I gave orders for Seb to have a chat with the prisoner. "You''ve seen that red-haired woman, right?" Seb started to say with a friendly smile. "She is the ve we bought. You can see the marks of theshes on her body, right?" "A ve?" Pif was dumbfounded. "Damn, you guys must have paid a fortune to get such a beautiful and sexy ve." Seb chuckled. "Do you feel she is being treated as a ve by us?" Pif was silent for a moment with a frown. "Until now I haven''t seen her¡­ She attacked you and got angry at you. However, none of you punished her." "See, right? She was already a part of us, not a ve anymore. Here we treat humans well." Seb widened her smile. "Well, even though our group is still very small." "You still want to recruit me, right?" Pif winced in pain again as Seb moved to clean the wound on his hand. "Again, I can''t. I don''t want to be branded a traitor and targeted by my tribe. So, after this I beg you to let me go." "Well, that''s up to you." Seb shrugged, still smiling. "I still have one question and you don''t need to answer it. So, how do your tribe people treat you? Why did they send you to raid our ce when you said you didn''t want to." "That''s¡­." Pif was at a loss for words. You do have excellentmunication skills, Seb. Chapter 21 - 21 – Second Hunt That morning, Leva crossed her arms in front of Pif, who was still tied to the tree. The woman looked at the prisoner''s clothes, made of light brown leather, which almost covered the entire body except for the arms and below the knees. Of course, it was far more proper than anything that was left of Leva''s breasts. You want to snatch his clothes, Leva? Well, at least leave it to cover his genitals. I''m notfortable seeing you walking around naked, but my eyes can be damaged if you see the ''sausage'' dangling all the time. However, it''s better not to do something like that now. If Pif''s clothes were taken, his impression of my colony might drop, and that would make him even more difficult to recruit. Pif slowly opened his eyes. His gaze fell on Leva''s crotch, and the first thing that came out of his mouth was, "Too hairy!" I think so too, Pif. But is it appropriate to say something like that in front of the owner directly? Leva just snorted and left the ce while Seb delivered grilled bananas for Pif. Hopefully, this time you can persuade Pif to join us, Seb. "It''s done, Leva." Manu, sitting near the shelter, called out while brandishing a makeshift pickaxe made of a wooden branch tied with a crescent-shaped debris from the escape pod. What a coincidence, I stumbled upon such a shaped piece of debris when Leva and I were deliberately looking for it. Well, I think the developer did it on purpose to make this game more manageable in the early stages. Leva received the mining device, observed it for a moment, then nodded. "This seems to be enough, though.... Ah, thanks, Manu." "No problem." Manu''s voice still sounded drunk. [Apparently, the morale of your colonists is quite low, you should do something to cheer them up.] I studied the faces of my colonies one by one. Ah, the corners of their lips were down, and their faces weren''t showing their usual energy. Maybest night''s events still had an impact on them. Except for Kat, of course, I still can''t figure out how the hell she feels. What I already know is, they need entertainment. The problem is, what the fuck do they get entertainment in a ce like this? Should I make them sing and dance? After thinking for a while, I decided to whisper to Manu. "I know you''re still seriously injured and your work speed is dropping drastically, but I''m asking you to help make the simplest game that your tribe has in the past." Manu gets up, wincing in pain, and holds his waist. "Where are you going?" Leva asked. "I''d like to get some milk twigs to make something. And a regr twig too." "Let me do it." Leva walked over to the resources that were still lying some distance from the shelter. I forgot to ask my colonists to arrange it better. That''s because of a series of events that urred. "Thank you very much, Leva." Fix. You are my favorite colonist, Leva. After Leva brought Manu what he needed, the bearded man got to work. He uses a makeshift knife made of small sharp escape pod pieces strung with rabbit skin as a handle. The other knife will be used by Kat for hunting. Even though her leg was still limping, I ordered Leva to mine on the cliff that we found yesterday. Meanwhile, I asked Kat to hunt not far from the red-haired woman. They still have to collect as many resources as possible and can''t stay still. But I''m a little worried about leaving those two men. They''re practically defenseless. Manu clearly couldn''t fight under such conditions. However, I guess afterst night''s incident, there won''t be another incident today. One incident can''t be too close to another. Well, I hope my assumption is correct. On the way to my designated location, the two women didn''t speak to each other. Leva also did not open the conversation and only asionally nced at the girl, then snorted. So you don''t really like Kat, Leva? Are youzy to talk to her? I can''t allow this. You two need to get to know each other to minimize conflict. "So how''s your history, Kat?" Finally, Leva asked after I ordered her. "You didn''t get to talk about itst night because we were suddenly attacked." "I used to study at an all-girls school." Kat answered. Well, I already knew that. Leva frowned. "School?" "That''s where humans learn." "Then?" "I graduated a year ago." I saw that the veins in Leva''s neck had started to bulge. Leva got annoyed instead. I better end this weird chat. Maybe I can try again another time. The two of them separated after arriving near the bunch of banana trees that Leva had found yesterday. Kat started sneaking around to hunt. Ugh. Why, when I intend to hunt, the animals don''t appear like yesterday? At first, I followed Leva out of curiosity about what she would do. However, after fumbling around the cliff for a while, Leva only digs with her pickaxe. Nothing more. There''s nothing interesting to look at, except for her sexy and muscr body gestures when she does heavy work. Unfortunately, once again, the movement was only repeated by her. Again and again. In the end, I chose to go to Kat, who was now in a rtively dense area of ??wooded trees. The amber-eyed girl was crouched behind the biggest tree there, stalking a four-legged animal with dark brown fur, two small tusks, and about a meter long. There''s no mistaking it. It''s a wild boar. If Kat can subdue this beast, my colony will have food in stock for a few days. Kat took aim at the wild boar that was strolling in the distance. Zap! The first arrow strayed far and only hit another tree. Fortunately, the boar didn''t notice and was still busy with his own business. "Maybe you need to get closer to him, Kat." I gave the girl a suggestion. With her stealth abilities, Kat approached the beast from tree to tree. Once she was only a few meters away from her prey, she took aim again. Zap! As soon as Kat''s arrow pierced its hind legs, the beast let out a loud groan and limped, unable to run. Zap! This time Kat''s arrow pierced the boar''s head. "Good! Again, Kat!" I screamed with joy. I never thought I''d be happy to see something like this. The third arrow pierced the wild boar''s body. The beast finally copsed. Kat walked over to the boar''s corpse and pulled a small knife from the back of her panties. "Eek! Eek! Eek!!!" Kat instantly froze when she heard the sounds of the animals around her. Chapter 22 - 22 – Little Beasts Kat looked around. Red-haired monkeys were perching on the tree branches around the girl. There were about thirty in number, and all of them kept screaming with savage looks. Oh, shit... Kat aimed her bow, but the monkeys jumped at her, and somended on her body. The girl had a hard time repelling the monkeys that bit and scratched her. He also desperately defended the bras and panties that the beasts tugged at. However, she was helpless. The beasts managed to tear Kat''s clothes off in no time, making her chest and private parts visible. Seriously!? My naked colonist increased by one more!? If, in the end, Kat doesn''t have any clothes, I''d better sell her bras and panties to those vers! "Run!" I shouted at her. Kat finally ran, still trying to get away from the monkeys. She was forced to leave her hunting tools and knife behind. I pressed the pause button and rushed to Leva. I told the woman to leave her mining job and help Kat, even though she had managed to dig until she found chunks of silver. Unfortunately, because she was far from Kat and her legs were limping, Leva couldn''t help her colony mate immediately. More panicked, I paused the gamey again. Kat now looks like doing a running pose while covering her private parts. This woman''s body condition wasn''t too bad. The monkeys'' ws only left red marks, and their bites weren''t very deep. It seems this girl will not die by them. So I ordered Kat to keep running, then returned to the colony to ask Manu to make another bonfire. I gambled that the fire would drive the monkeys away. Andstly, for Leva, I ordered her to take Kat''s knife and hunting tools, drag the boar''s corpse to the colony, as well as pick up the chunks of silver that were near her feet. Apparently, it was the result of her mining. After taking a deep breath--which is strange since I''m in a virtual world and it doesn''t matter--I pressed the y button. Kat continued to run while Leva picked up the chunks of silver and then went to the forest where Kat was hunting earlier. Damn, even under these circumstances, you''re not showing any meaningful expression, Kat? The longer she ran and kept trying to ward off the animals, the more Kat was gasping for air and sweating profusely. I went ahead of Kat to recheck my colony. There, Manu was still busy rubbing fire stones near the pile of firewood. What the hell!? Why can''t you start a fire yet, Manu!? Seb walked over to his partner, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you making another fire? We already cooked and the weather isn''t too cold." "I don''t know myself, but I feel I have to do it anyway." His confused and drunken tone made Manu''s voice barely audible. "Damn, these stones are too wet, so they can''t be used right away. Maybe during the chaosst night, someone kicked the drinking pot and the water soaked the stones." Seb''s gaze was fixed into the distance. He took a few steps forward and narrowed his eyes. Well, this scene is quite familiar. A stark naked people ran over, but this time it was Kat instead of Seb. And now, plus hordes of angry monkeys. Seb gasped badly. His eyes widen. He immediately shook Manu''s body and shouted. "That''s Kat being chased by lots of little beasts!!!" "Little beast?" Manu lifts his face and gets shocked too. The man then rubbed his fire stones more intensely. "Those are the monkeys, dumbass!!!" "We have to do something, Manu!" Seb grew hysterical. "What do you think I''m doing, huh!? Cleaning your ass!? I''m making fire to repel the beasts!" Manu kept rubbing the two stones. Seb could only move in his ce, crouching, jumping up and down, holding his head, all with his eyes bulging with fear. "Can''t you do it yet, Manu!? Where''s the fire!?" So panicked, Seb''s voice started to squeak. Kat was only twenty yards from them. A friction from the stones ignited sparks that directly hit the dry leaves on the pile of firewood. Seb curled up on the ground while Manu tried to make the fire bigger. "Help!" Kat shouted. Finally, I noticed a slight change in the expression on the girl''s face. Just a little, and just a glimpse. I still can''t tell if it''s an expression of fear, panic or whatever. Several monkeys started running towards Manu, but the bearded man quickly picked up a stick with a fiery tip, then waved it at them. The monkeys immediately backed away while still grinning, showing their sharp teeth. "Take that wood and swing it too, Kat!" I squealed. Kat grabbed one of the fiery logs and shook it off as well. The monkeys avoided it, but there were a few that remained perched on her body. "You two help Kat release the monkeys, idiots!" I was very annoyed with my two male colonists. Only Manu helps Kat release the monkeys. Seb runs away because he is being chased by a monkey. "Help!!! There''s a beast chasing me!!!" Seb''s voice grew shrill, making him sound like a girl. One! Only one monkey and the blond man had already run away from the colony! What a coward you are, Seb! You just hit it, and you''ll be free! "Help, there''s a monkey in my shirt!!!" Pif, who was still tied on the tree, also screamed hysterically. "Hey, hey, don''t touch my dick!!! Arrrrgggghhh!!! Noooo!!!" I winced and grimaced at the screams of agony, imagining if my stuff was wed or bitten by a monkey. It must be excruciating. The monkeys were still trying to get close to my colonists, though they always backed off when they saw the fire approaching them. On the other hand, Manu and Kat were clearly losing energy. Their movements have begun to be disorganized. Especially Manu, who was clearly still far from recovering. This is terrible.. I don''t want my colony to be destroyed just because of a bunch of crazy monkeys. Chapter 23 - 23 – Little Beasts (2) All stopped again. Kat and Manu looked as if they were in attacking poses with fiery sticks while savage-looking monkeys circled around them. I thought hard for a while, moving in different directions to observe from various angles. The monkeys continued to attack, even though they were frightened by the fire. Does this mean they actually feel less threatened? What if I just burn one of them, not just scare them? Will the others get really scared and run away? I just need to get Kat to focus on one monkey. I feel guilty because their faces are simr to ours, sometimes they behave funny too, and they are not animals hunted for food. However, if this continues, what will happen to my colony? Huh? Why should I feel guilty? Aren''t the monkeys also just a collection of digital data? They don''t really live, do they? It''s natural that I''m worried about my colonists because they are the core of my gamey. But, what about the others? Ah, looks like I''ve gone too deep into the impression of this game. Finally, I gave an instruction to Kat, who had a higher ranged attack stat than Manu. Just as I was about to press the y button, I identally saw the face of the closest monkey that was going to be Kat''s target. The monkey didn''t have a ready-to-attack expression but looked terrified at the fire in Kat''s hand. No. He actually looked like he was begging. Ugh. However, I had no choice. "I''m sorry, little beast." My finger met the y button. Kat immediately threw the log in her hand. The fire in the trunk hit the body of one of the monkeys. "Eek!!! Eek!!!! Eek!!!" The monkey ran with the fire on its body getting bigger, making its friends scatter in various directions in fear. In just a short time, the monkeys left the colony. Manu sat on the ground and took a deep breath. "Ah, thank god, if you do exist. You inspired me to make a fire." The bearded man sighed. Can I be called a god to them? Kat watched the monkeys walk away, then looked down. Her face was as red as a ripe tomato. "Oops." Manu winces at the girl''s naked body. Kat crouched down with her arms crossed over her chest. Once again, I could see a change in the girl''s expression, but only a little and a glimpse. I didn''t know what it meant. "My diiiickkk!!!" Pif, who was still tied to the tree, was crying. "Please look at my dick! Do I still have dick!? Pleeeassseee!!!" *** I followed Seb, who was still being chased by the monkey. The man was already very exhausted, and maybe soon he would copse. Unable tomand him to fight the monkey or return to the colonists, I direct him to the path that Leva should have taken. And finally, we got to see the woman struggling to pull out the carcass of the wild boar that Kat had killed. The red-haired woman also brought a quiver, bow, and pickaxe. "Levaa, help me!!! This little beast keeps chasing after me!!!" Seb ran towards Leva with tears already starting to flow. Seeing that, Leva let go of her grip on the boar''s leg, also dropping things from her hands. As soon as Seb got close enough to him, Leva let out a deafening roar. "Roaaarrrr!!!" The monkey chasing Seb jumped in surprise, then turned around to run away. Seb also flinched violently, then saw the monkey running really fast, away from him. "You saved me, Leva!" Seb was about to hug Leva. However, Leva kicked the man''s dick. Seb immediately grabbed his genitals. His cheeks puffed up, and his body copsed. "Idiots." Leva snorted. *** "What the fuck? What happened?" Leva cringed hard when she found Kat pulling up Pif''s clothes, right at the crotch With Kat is entirely naked, this scene is... Inappropriate? "I''m treating him." Still blushing, Kat cleaned Pif''s dick with a piece of bandage. Pif groaned, and his legs wobbled, making it difficult for Kat to do her job. I''m sorry I gave you this challenging task, Kat. I couldn''t bear it if Pif had to wait to be treated by Seb. Pif must have suffered a lot. "Hey, be a man!!! Just endure the pain!!! Stop whining!!!" Leva shouted in a booming voice. Pif immediately fell silent, and his legs stopped moving. The young man nced at Leva for a moment before finally looking down. "Let me treat him." Seb grimaced stiffly. Either because his dick is still in pain, or he is sad to see what Kat does. No, Seb. Your job is butchering the boar. You have to do it immediately so that Manu can quickly start processing the skin. My colony needs clothing materials. *** "In addition to a lot of meat, the skin is also quite wide." Seb said as he butchered the boar. "This can be used for your clothes, Leva, Kat." "But, we still need about four days before we can make it into clothes. Not to mention we have to wringed it using a lot of rope. I have to make the ropes first." Manu, who was checking the quiver, exined. Well, shit. Now two naked women will walk in my colony. "What''s that?" Seb looked amazed when he saw the silver metal chunks that Manu took out from the quiver. "It''s silver. The currency we use for buying and selling, apart from using the barter method." Manu started counting the amount of silver. "Those the size of an adult''s finger count as one. The smaller one counts in half." Very convenient. You just dig up the chunks, and you''ll have money. Well, it''s just a game, after all. Some parts need to be simplified so that yers are not too confused. Leva looked at the scratches and bites on Kat''s body, then gazed off into the distance. "What made the monkeys attack us, huh?" "Maybe because they have a grudge against humans. So, when they see humans, they immediately want to attack them." Manu sighs. "Well I hope they won''te again." "By the way, Leva." Kat walked up to Leva with her body slightly bent forward while covering her chest and pussy. "Didn''t you find my clothes in that forest?" Leva turned to Kat and shook her head. "No. I didn''t." As usual, without saying anything, Kat just walked away. "What are you two looking at, huh!?" Leva snapped at the two men who were caught staring at the back of Kat''s body, which, again, was not covered by anything. Looks like they''re more interested in Kat''s ass than yours, Leva. Chapter 24 - 24 – Jealousy Kat helped Seb thinly slice the boar for making jerky. The girl only had a cooking stat of 12, and she seemed to be struggling, but it was higher than the other colonists. I want all of this to be over quickly so the pork doesn''t go rancid. Seb''s cooking stats weren''t very high either, so he couldn''t do this quickly alone. He still needs help. "Ah, we better get some rest, Kat." Seb plunged his knife into one of thergest chunks of meat. Looks like this guy''s procrastination trait kicked in. Seb shifted slightly to examine the bits of meat stabbed with twigs and stuck around the campfire. "Looks like it''s already cooked." "Yay!" Leva cheered with joy, then took one of the food and immediately took a bite. The woman made a movement like a mumble because of the meat that burned her mouth. "Hot!!! But it''s better than ever, Seb. Your cooking skills have definitely improved." "I agree." Manu added. Seb blew on the piece of meat for a moment, then ate it. After that, he sneered slightly. "Well¡­. If only there was some seasoning, or at least a little salt. It could taste so much better." I slightly chipped Seb''s part and ate it. Totally agree. The taste is still a bit nd, even though it''s tender and juicy. "Well, we can find a salt cave. If we find that, we''ll be rich. Everyone loves salty food, and it will make our foodst longer. Tanning the skin will also be easier with it." Manu exins while chewing. "Unfortunately, the cave is very rare and there is something dangerous in it." Kat approached the fire, crouching down to cover her sensitive spots. The attention of the men immediately fell on the girl, to the point they did not continue their conversation. Kat''s face was still bright red, a sign that the girl was still ashamed of her nakedness. Sorry, Kat. I could have asked one of the colonists to give you their clothes, but then again, I can''t stand the sight of the sausage hanging. Seeing Seb''s just once was enough for me. "Hey, Kat! Just rx! Look at me who doesn''t care that I''m naked anymore!" Leva burst outughing with her legs crossed. She doesn''t look graceful at all. Of course, Kat didn''t respond and just kept eating. Why don''t I ask Manu to make clothes from the leaves that are the base for the shelter? Well, I don''t think leaves are good material for clothes. Look at Leva now. Her breast cover is missing somewhere. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about this." Manu smiles. "I made a game to cheer us up a bit." "What? Game? What game, Manu?" Seb asked in an excited tone. Manu shrugged. "It''s still a secret. I want to make a surprise. But well, don''t expect much. It''s just a simple game." "Ugh." Leva snorted. "I can already guess what game it is." "Why do you speak like that?" Manu chuckled. "You sucks ying that?" "None of your business!" "Errrr¡­. Can I speak to one of you?" Pif called. I could see the change in expression on the prisoner''s face. Is he like ¡­. Feeling jealous of my colony? "A moment." Seb took a skewer of meat and brought it to the prisoner. "Are you hungry?" "Not that ¡­." Pif gulped, then grimaced. "To be honest, I admire you guys." "Admire us?" Seb raised an eyebrow. Pif was silent for a moment, staring at the dancing bonfire. "In my tribe, strength is everything. Without fighting ability, you are considered inferior, even though you have other abilities. You will continue to be insulted and bullied. But, here¡­. I see you don''t fight at all, Seb. However, others feel there is no problem at all." "Hey, he''s the one who cooks and treats our wounds." Leva chimed in with her mouth full. "There''s no way we can ignore him, right?" Well said, Leva. The skinny young man took a deep breath. "Because I don''t want to be always looked down upon, I learned to fight, despite my weak body. Even so, I continued to be considered inadequate in their eyes. That''s why, I was sent on a raid mission here. They said it was a way to show my worthiness." Seb shed a big smile. "Hey, what exactly are you good at, Pif?" "I can treat wounds and illnesses, although I can''t say I''m an expert. Well, at first I thought practicing medicine would change their view of me. However, the reality is different." "Well, we need someone like you." Seb tapped the boy on the shoulder. "I really suck at treating someone." "I''m sure, Kat''s treatment on your dick is also not optimal!" Levaughed loudly again. "If any of us has a genital wound like yours, we need someone like you!" Manu, Seb, and even Pifughed along, but Kat kept eating, even though she was the one being teased. "So do you want to join us, Pif?" Seb widened his smile. "We really need you." Pif closed his eyes and nodded. "I want to. After all, I will only be bullied if I return to my tribe. I just hope they don''te looking for me." "They won''t be looking for you." Leva stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. "You¡­" She cleared her throat. "Sorry if I put it this way, but from your tribe''s description, they won''t care about people like you. So they won''t be looking for you." Ouch. Pif shrugged. "Ah, that would actually benefit me." [New Colonists Obtained] Wee to my colony, Pif. Seb untied Pif, then put his arm around the young man and led him to the fire. "Forgive me for killing yourrade, Pif." Leva said while sticking out her hand. "At that time, the situation was very chaotic. The choice is kill or be killed." "Ah, actually I''m not that close to him¡­. He''s also the one who bullied me a lot. They purposely paired me with him." With a stiff motion, Pif shook the woman''s hand. "I''m also sorry for shooting you." Leva shrugged. "It''s just a small wound." I whispered something into Pif''s ear. This is to add a good impression of my colony to him. "Ah, if you want, you can use some of my clothes to make other clothes." Pif said in an awkward tone. Finally, Kat responded. However, even then, the girl just stared at Pif, of course still expressionless. "Yeah, yeah, I don''t need clothes, after all. I''m used to being naked." Despite saying that, Leva didn''t sound serious. "You''re the one wearing that outfit, Kat." Manu got up and walked over to Pif, then slightly smelled the boy''s clothes. The bearded man''s face immediately cringed.. "Hell, we have to wash it first." Chapter 25 - 25 – The Routine It''s been a few in-game days since Pif joined my colony. Honestly, he wasn''t much of a use. He could not cut down trees or mine because of his weak body. His crafting is also very slow, to the point Manu can finish faster if Pif doesn''t help him. When cooking, he made mistakes too often. It seemed he could only be devoted to being a nurse. "Arrrgggghhh!!!" Leva, still naked because she didn''t want to wear a leaf suit, screamed in frustration. She and Pif were ying with hoop stone, a ring the size of a baby''s head made of milk twigs stuck into the ground. To y it, you just throw a rock into the ring. This was the umpteenth time that Leva had failed to throw a stone into the hole. Now it''s Pif''s turn. The skinny man threw a rock, which hit the rim of the ring, but managed to get in anyway. "Hey, why are you so gloomy." Leva raised an eyebrow. "Usually you''re overjoyed to beat me." Pif makes one more line on the ground to calcte his score. He had only put in four stones from twenty throws. Well, Pif''s ranged attack stat was still very low, but it was still better than Leva, who hadn''t put rocks in at all. "Do you think I''m useless, Leva?" Pif sighed. Leva snorted. "You areining about that again!?" "Well, since joining this tribe, I haven''t done anything meaningful." "Hmmm ¡­." Leva looked at the skinny man''s body up and down. "How about you just satisfy my lust?" Pif''s eyes widened. "What did you say? You''re serious? I ¡­." "Of course I''m not serious, idiot!!!" Levaughed like crazy. "You have to fatten up your body and your dick still hurts, right!? You might even break your dick if you do it with me now! And you''re still a kid right!?" Pif snorted in annoyance. I could see a hint of happiness on his face earlier. Well, what a shame, Pif. I don''t want to say you''re ugly, but your level with Leva is way off. "Your clothes are ready, Leva." Manu came, handed two pieces of clothes. The bearded man''s body condition was much better, although the slight bruises were still visible. The way he talks is also no longer slurred. "Great! I can finally wear clothes again!" Leva immediately received the garments. "My nipples don''t need to be hard all the time." Manu looked at Leva wearing the clothes. "You really want your clothes to be just like that?" Of course, Manu was surprised. Just like what Kat was wearing now, Leva''s new outfit consisted of just a bra that barely covered her breasts and a piece of cloth that barely covered her crotch. And the outfit for the bottom is even more like panties but with the bottom part not connected. "This is so that my clothes are the same as Kat¡­. And I feel more free to move when my body isn''t too restricted by clothes¡­." Leva repeated the reason I gave her with a bit of a stutter and confusion. The outfit happened because the materials for making Kat''s clothes from Pif''s clothes were super minimal. And I really like it. "Ah, Kat said so too." Manu shrugged. "Well, if that''s what both of you want, I have no problem with it." That''s right. I made the two women wear clothes like that. It''s a shame if the sexiness of their bodies is not disyed properly. Still, at the same time, I feel sorry if their nipples and vaginas are open for the world to see. I heard a slight disappointed snort from Pif. You disagree with me, Pif? Do you still want to continue to see Leva''s private parts? Ugh, you''re kind of despicable, aren''t you? Leva checked her clothes with an annoyed face. Maybe she actually wants to wear more proper garments. Don''t worry, Leva. If you can be casual being naked, you''ll be OK with those skimpy clothes. "It''s time for me to mine." Leva looked at the shadow of a tree. "See ya all of you, I''ll be back this afternoon." Kat had also begun to prepare with her bow and arrows. I got these tips from a forum member. You can make your colonists run the routine ording to the schedule. So, I ordered all of my colonists to do what they wanted to do in the morning. After that, they would do the job that I had arranged. They do that every day, but they are entirely free to do whatever they want on the sixth day. This is for their stress management. "I also have to start cutting down trees again to make a bigger shelter." Manu chimed in. "May Ie with you, Leva?" Pif asked the woman in a pleading tone. "No. You ¡­." Leva stopped her words. Maybe she didn''t want Pif to feel ignored like in the previous tribe. "You can help the others here, Pif." Pif shrugged with a sneer. "Well, I hope a job magically appears for me." Now it was Seb who came over to Leva. He carried two simple leather sling bags. "Manu made this for you and Kat so you two can carry things around easily. I''ve put a pemmican, a little jerky, and a water bag in this bag." "Thank you. This can also be a ce for my silvers." Leva epted the object while smiling broadly until all her teeth were visible. *** Arriving at the cliff, I didn''t let Leva do her mining activities as usual. Instead, I ordered her to use her mineral detecting ability around the cliff. She continued to walk while groping the enormous cliff. Every now and then, she would stop and frown, but she continued on her way again in the end. It has repeatedly excited me for a possible discovery, but I was immediately disappointed within seconds. And time had passed for quite a while, but Leva had yet to find anything. "You better go back to where you usually mine, then¡­." I stopped my speech as Leva''s expression turned more serious for the umpteenth time. I thought she was going to let me down again, but then she quickened her pace. We arrived at a crack that was about two meters in size. At first, I thought the crevice was a dead end, but it turned out that the road in the crack was turning after I looked at it carefully. I paused the gamey and walked over to check what was behind the crack. However, a big red X appeared in front of me, and I couldn''t advance any further. [Restricted.. Your colonists muste to this ce first before you can enter it.] Chapter 26 - 26 – A Crack On The Cliff I chose to ask Kat toe to that ce. If it''s restricted, it means something is up, and maybe it''s dangerous. It was better to use two people to inspect the area than Leva to enter it alone. "Usually, what is behind a ce like this?" Kat asked as per my instructions. Leva swallowed. "Could be anything." The two girls walked into the crack with careful steps. I didn''t have time to pay attention to their sexy movements because I was too focused on what would happen. It''s been a few days in the game world, and nothing excites me yet. Everything is running perfectly normal. And finally, now there''s something I''m curious about. After passing through the winding crack for a while, they came to arge field surrounded by cliffs. I immediately shook my head at the beauty in my eyes. Many colorful flowers were very pleasing to my eye, all of them very simr to tulips but a little bigger. And in that ce, there are also lots of colorful butterflies. Even the expressionless Kat opened her mouth slightly, a sign that she was amazed by sight before her. However, Leva''s gaze was fixed on the other side of the ce, which was to a cave about twice as high and wide as an adult human. "That¡­" Kat approached Leva. "It''s a salt cave." Leva gulped. "Just as Manu told you." Wow! We hit the jackpot! This means my colony will¡­. Why is your body starting to shake, Leva? "Should we still go to that ce?" Leva sighed. Ugh. You still have to enter it because it can make you rich. If there really is something dangerous in there, then you better not go too deep. Just check the front. What''s more, I''m already very curious about what''s in there. As soon as they received my instructions, the two of them began to step forward with their respective weapons on alert. Kat with her bow and arrow, while Leva uses her pickaxe. They walked very slowly, with Leva leading the way. As much as I wanted to see what happened, I couldn''t force them to go any faster. The fast forward button also doesn''t work, a sign that something big is about to happen. Once we finally entered the cave, we found many stctites (a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of the cave) and stgmites (a formation that rises from the cave floor due to the umtion of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings). Everything is white, the same as the cave walls. I poked at one of the stgmites, then stuck my finger to my tongue. Salty. It''s all really salt! "Ugh, I really don''t feelfortable being here." Leva said with trembling lips and a pale face. "Coming to this ce alone is a bad idea." You''re really terrified to be here, Leva? "Alright, take as much as you two can, then get out of here." I was forced to give orders like that, although I was still curious about what was in there. Sighing, Leva used her ax to mine one of the stgmites. It only took a few seconds for her to produce a lump as big as twice a human palm. Kat took the lump and put it in her bag. For the second time, Leva sighed, this time closing her eyes. She raised her ax, preparing to mine again, but suddenly the sound of something crawling echoed in the ce. Leva immediately retreated and prepared to attack. Meanwhile, Kat took an arrow from the quiver. A creature with a dull brown color and the size of an adult human head emerged from the darkness. It looks like a scorpion, but without a stinging tail and only six legs. None of Kat''s arrows hit the target because the beast was crawling very fast. In just an instant, it had gotten so close to my two female colonists. Leva hit the beast in the head with her pickaxe, sending white liquid sttering instead of blood. The beast twitched for a moment before finally stopping altogether. Leva wasted no time. She stepped on the beast so she could pull her pickaxe more easily. After that, she pulled Kat to run away from the ce. "That is the Stump Scorpion. They usually do live in salt caves." Leva hissed as she ran. "We were lucky to only meet one. There must be lots of them in there and some bigger ones. They are all very aggressive." Damn. Turns out I was too reckless this time. I almost lost my two most beautiful colonists. *** Leva ced the lump of salt in front of the three men in my colony. "What is this?" Seb crouched down and studied the object. "It''s salt." Manu wipes his face. Seb immediately tasted a little of it. "Right, it''s salt! We can make even better food with this!" "Are you two okay?" Pif asked worriedly. "We''re fine, really." Leva let out a long sigh. "We were lucky to only meet one of them and were able to kill it." Manu approached Leva with tense facial veins. "Are you crazy!? You should already know that entering that salt cave is something very dangerous!? What if you both die!? What if you identally lure those Stump Scorpions out to chase you!? We will all be in danger!" "I know ¡­." Leva gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. She was clearly holding back her anger. "But I don''t know why I did that myself." I asked Seb''s help to resolve this before the conflict escted. "Come on, the important thing is that they are safe." Smiling, Seb intervened between the two. Manu snorted. "But, her reckless actions are already threatening us! And we don''t know whether she will do it again or not!" "You go away, Leva. But apologize and say you won''t do it again first." I gave the red-haired girl a suggestion. It''s my fault. I got too excited and made my colonists do dangerous things. "I''m sorry, okay. I won''t do that stupid thing again." Leva said in a firm tone, then just left the ce. "Where are you going, hey!?" Manu was about to approach Leva again, but Seb quickly restrained the bearded man''s body. Chapter 27 - 27 – Strange Behaviour Pif is practicing bandaging using a doll made of wood. I just thought of such a thing not too long ago. The skinny young man was able to increase his medical stats and didn''t have to stand still. However, the young man was still frowning. Perhaps he felt such a thing was useless. Take it easy, Pif. The text ''Medic+'' appears above your head. Meaning, your healing ability is really in the process of improving. "Argh!" Not far from where Pif was, Seby down on the grass near some banana trees. Yesterday he moved the trees from where Leva found them to this colony. "I''ll do thister!" Hey, you just nted two Aloe Vera out of five. Those nts with thick green leaves and white specks are also essential, you know? "Come, on. You just have to nt it a little longer." Leva, who was dragging the felled logs, chuckled at Seb. I deliberately shifted the woman''s work from mining to cutting trees. This is so that the work of building a new shelter will be faster. I can''t bear Seb and Leva sleeping outside the shelter. Even if it was of their own volition. "Soon I''ll do it." Seb sighed. "This nt isn''t very important anyway." "How dare you say this nt is not really important." Leva grumbled, but she didn''t sound serious. "You don''t want to see my and Kat''s hair getting smoother and more beautiful?" Yes, after Leva found the nt, I purposely asked Seb to move it here. The nt extract can be used by my girls for their hair. I want them to be even more beautiful. "Ah, he did it again." Leva looked at Manu, who was now carrying a handful of dry leaves. Seb straightened up. "He answered vaguely when I asked him why he did that." Manu put the leaves in another pile of dry leaves near a bush, then ced arge stone on top to reduce the effect of the gusts of wind. Honestly, I''m worried about Manu''s strange behavior. I didn''t order him to do that. It was meaningless, and I couldn''t possibly think of such a thing. The bearded man then did what he was supposed to do: build a bigger shelter. Because of his recent behavior, he often wanders to collect those unimportant leaves, the progress of the building is hampered. He is still at the stage ofying the foundation, even though he has been doing the construction for three days. Well, I just hope it won''t trigger anything that would harm my colonists. *** My feetnded on the grass again. I just logged back into this game after a long day of work. Since all of my colonists were still going about their routines, I did a fast forward. The sun moved so fast before finally setting. After eating and chatting as usual at the bonfire, my colonist went to bed. Nothing special. However, suddenly the fast-forward feature stopped itself, but the automatic pause was not triggered. That means there is no threat. Manues out of the shelter with careful steps. He checked Pif and Kat, who was sleeping in that ce, then looked at Leva and Seb, sleeping outside on the dried and torn banana leaves. What do you want to do, Manu? I was curious, but at the same time, worried about what might happen. The bearded man reached for the leather sack I intended to store various items. The Sack, the size of a toddler, was still empty because Manu had just finished making it today. "What do you mean!?" Manu flinched at the sound of Leva''s scream. He looked back and heaved a sigh of relief. Leva just babbled in her sleep. The woman was still asleep with her arms outstretched and legs spread apart. The good thing is, Manu is a decent man, Seb is a coward, and Pif''s body is weak, so they won''t ''attack you'' in that position, Leva. Manu started putting the dry leaves he had collected into the Sack. I became more and more curious, clueless, and worried. After observing his fellow colonists again for a moment, the bearded man took a piece of wood from the bonfire, then walked away from the ce. He used the fiery wood in his hand like a torch. I followed him and deliberately didn''t wake the others to ask. Manu himself didn''t want the others to know. If the man is found out, there is a possibility that he will back off and keep his mouth shut. So I wouldn''t know what would happen. I just need to call the other colonists if Manu turns out to be doing something dangerous. Manu continued walking while carrying the leather sack filled with leaves. I fast-forwarded, and in no time, we arrived at an area full of dense trees. This is where Kat got the wild boar and is supposed to be the home of the mad monkeys. After that incident, I did not order any of my colonists toe here. I don''t want that incident to happen again. Manu spilled the contents of the Sack he was carrying under a tree. In an instant, everything clicked in my head. "Manu, stop that!" I screamed in the man''s ear. It''s useless. Manu was still burning the leaves with the fiery stick in his hand. [Hidden trait unlocked] [Retaliator - There is a possibility that Manu will retaliate against an incident that upsets him, regardless of the consequences. His vengeance is usually greater than what befell him.] Holy shit! He wanted to repay the monkeys by burning their habitat. I squeezed my head, realizing my own mistake. However, it was toote. The fire started to grow. Manu turns to face me, and I flinch at that. Is he looking at me? Why are his eyes so fixed on me? However, Manu walked and went through my body. As it turned out, he was only looking ahead, but coincidentally his eyes were on me. Looks like I won''t be able to forget Manu''s expression just now. The man looked so calm, but I could see something in his eyes. Something that makes my heart ask; is this man okay? As the sound of Manu''s footsteps continued to drift away, I watched the fire rise higher and higher. Chapter 28 - 28 – The Retaliator Manu slowed his pace as he almost reached his colony. However, it turned out that Leva was already standing there with her arms crossed, staring intently at the man''s face. "Where have you been?" The woman asked in a cold tone. Manu shrugged. "I was just walking around because I couldn''t sleep." Leva''s gaze turned to the sack that Manu was carrying. A dry leaf fell from the sack. "I know that you brought dry leaves with you, right?" Leva drew closer to the bearded man. "What are you burning, Manu?" I had crouched down by Seb to ask the blond man to mediate between the two before the fight broke out. However, I didn''t do it because an idea popped into my head. Maybe with this fight, I can unlock more of Manu''s history. This is rted to his strange trait. I''ll break them up if things get any worse. "That is none of your business." Manu said tly and started to walk away, but Leva pulled his body. "Of course it''s my business!" Leva snapped. "I have to confirm whether you are doing something dangerous or not!" Manu rebuffed Leva''s hand and started walking again. Leva snorted and blocked the man, then punched him so hard he fell. "Hey!" Manu protests while holding his cheeks which are starting to bleed. The other colonists got up to check what was going on. I hastily asked Seb to separate the two people. "Hey, can''t this be discussed properly?" Seb got up with his eyes half-closed from sleepiness. "You two ...." "You shut up, Seb!!!" Leva shouted again, louder this time. "I need to know what he''s doing!" Manu stood up with tense facial veins. "I set fire to the ce where the evil monkeys live so they don''t attack again! They deserve it!" Leva''s eyes widened. "What did you say!? You burned their habitat!? Don''t you think that would harm us!? What if the fire spreads to our ce! You are a hypocrite, Manu! You get angry when I do what you think is dangerous, but You did that too!" "I''m sure the fire won''t spread. There isn''t anything around that ce to spread fire." Manu''s breathing started to get heavy. "And what am I doing to protect all of us! As for you? What were you doing in that salt cave!? Why are you mining salt that isn''t really of much use to us, when it''s obviously dangerous!? You''re going to use that salt to clean your dirty, smelly pussy, right!?" You''re going too far, Manu. Leva choked. She had raised her clenched hand to hit Manu, but Seb was holding her back. "It''s not worth it, Leva." Seb sighed. Leva lowered her hand. The veins on his neck were already protruding. With a voice like the growl of a beast, the woman said to Manu''s face. "Just watch out if the fire reaches us." Manu chuckled, then left the ce by pushing Leva''s shoulder. The red-haired girl closed her eyes and bit her lip in anger. Should I let Leva beat up Manu? I also really hate this guy''s behavior. However, at the same time, I didn''t want the pace of the man''s building work to slow down. If Manu gets injured from Leva''s attacks, then the man''s movement is hampered. The woman had a melee attack stat higher than Manu''s. And one more thing, I''m not sure Leva could be stopped if she did beat Manu. I looked at the smoke that was starting to rise in the distance. I can only hope that Manu''s guess is correct that the fire won''t hit my colony. I pressed the fast-forward button several times. And my hopes were dashed. At first, I saw orange mes in the distance. The fire grew in no time. Until finally, when the sun rose, I could see a wall of fire as high as a human''s knee that continued to devour the grass. Without me needing to do anything, the fast forward stopped by itself. The colonists woke up and looked in the same direction as me. Even though the fire was still far away, I could already smell the burning scent. My vision is also a little while because it started to be covered in smoke. "No.... No...." Manu squeezed his head. "I don''t want this to happen. I just want to protect this tribe." Leva suddenly strangles Manu''s neck with her hand. The woman''s gaze was already fierce, like that of an animal angry at its territory being disturbed. Manu can''t fight... No. He resigned himself to what would happen to him. The bearded man closed his eyes. I was about to ask Seb to stop Leva, but the woman took the initiative to lower her hand instead. "There''s no point in doing anything to you now. It won''t change things." Leva said with trembling lips. The woman turned to go to Seb. Manu knelt on the ground with a face full of regret. Use this as a lesson, Manu. "What should we do now?" Seb asked in a worried tone. Leva shook his head with teary eyes. "I don''t know." "I remember. When I was little, our tribe had to move because there was a fire like this." Pif joined the conversation. Seb shook his head. "But, we''ve made a lot of progress. Manu has started building a bigger shelter. I''ve also nted potatoes and bananas. It would all be meaningless. Isn''t there any other way to survive this fire?" "If any of you know any methods of surviving the fire, say so. Otherwise, you''ll have to get out of here." I had to say that, even though my heart didn''t want to. Kat stays in position, still silent and expressionless. Pif looked away with a gloomy face. Manu just looked down. And finally, Leva took a deep breath with her eyes closed. Seb rubbed his face when he saw the woman''s expression. "Sorry, but it looks like we really have to go. I know you''ve worked hard for us, but there''s nothing we can do about it." Leva massaged the spot between her forehead and nose. "However, this is not the end of everything. We can start over again." A faint smile formed on Seb''s lips.. "Well, if this has to happen, we have to ept it." Chapter 29 - 29 – A Letter Suddenly the scenery around me became blurry. The movement of my colonists also stopped, and the user interface that was in my view disappeared. An error? "It seems you are in trouble, my child." I looked back in the direction the deep voice came from. A human-shaped figure with apletely transparent orange body wasing towards me. I feel a bit ufortable because hecks facial features, such as eyes, nose, or mouth. "Who are you? Howe you can interact with me?" I asked the figure. "Well, as usual, my kids will forget about me." The figure shrugged. "I can be said to be a god on thisnd. Not a god with a capital G, who created the universe. I only take care of the people who are here, and delegate my duties to you, my creation.... Ah, just call me H." I see. This is part of the Hvind lore. "So, what is your purpose ining to me, H?" "Huh? You''re a bit weird. Usually my kids react more than you show now." "Really? Maybe I''m a little special." "Maybe ... Back on topic. Before I answer your question, I want to tell you a little something." H sits with his legs crossed. "You know the humans here are pretty dumb sometimes, right?" "So you created us to guide them?" I decided to do this roleying as a child of H because I believe this is how the game should be yed. "Well, at first I took care of them myself. But, after their numbers started to grow..... It''s not that I can''t take care of that many people anyway. I just gotzy and chose to create you guys. However, my abilities are limited, I can''t able to make all of you remember me. I have toe one by one to you to introduce myself, and I''m toozy to do that. So, in the end I just let it go." "So, why can these humans be dumb and have to be guided like that?" I asked again. "Ooh, that''s a question for another day, my children." H chuckled, then stood up. "The thing is, you''ve seen their traits that you can''t control, right? Well, I hope you don''t give up on them. Some of that traits are just nasty." "Don''t worry, H. I guarantee you, I''ll still take care of them." I answered in a firm tone. There''s no way I''ll stop halfway. You could say this game is my second life. H pped his hands once. "Well, now is the time for me to tell you the main purpose of meeting you." "Okay." "I didn''te here just to introduce myself and give some advice, you know." H looked at my colonists. "Well, that''s a shame, isn''t it? They had an incident like this early on in their rtionship. They haven''t built a real house yet." H was silent, and it went on for quite a while. I''m starting to get a little annoyed. "Like I said, I''m the god of this ce. I''m also in control of everything that happens here, not just guiding humans through you." H turned his face to me again, just as I was about to ask again. "Blow up mountains, make earthquakes, bring storms.... You name it." "Ah, you can do something about this fire? Like heavy rain to put it out?" The orange figure nodded. "But there are consequences." "What''s that?" I felt more and more ufortable. "I can''t tell you. And I won''t tell you why I won''t tell you." H chuckled again. Ugh. I hate this god even more. "I just wanted to say. I can assure you that this area is the safest for your colonists. Indeed, there are more nts and food sources out there. However, a lot of food means a lot of animals. A lot of animals means a lot of beasts as their predators." H walked over to me. "Humans like your colonists could also be their prey. Yes, they might survive. However, with their current numbers and abilities, the chances of them getting injured are very high. And it could be severe. And remember, there is one more possibility that is far more horrible than injuries. Death." I looked at my colonists, who were in a running stance to save their belongings. "Well, maybe far away there is a safe ce too, but they still have to walk where it''s not safe first." H continued his speech. "You''re up to something, right?" I snorted, looking at H again. "The consequences you said were definitely something bad, right?" The ''god''ughed and spread his arms. "Hey, nothing is free in this world! You have to pay for something if you want to get something!" "Well, you are very wise as a god, H." I said sarcastically. "Thank you for thepliment." H backed away with his arms still outstretched. "Now, I''m waiting for your decision. Don''t rush. I''ll wait for you until you''re ready to answer, however long it takes." Shit. *** After H disappeared, everything moved and looked normal again. My colonists started packing their stuff. Gray clouds rapidly covered the sky. And then drops of water began to fall, like when the first three members of my colony gathered. "What? It was still very sunny just now." Seb, who was stuffing some jerky into a leather pouch, looked up at the sky, which was already starting to let out roars of thunder. Kat stretched out her hands to feel the raindrops pouring in. And finally, heavy rain fell on my colony. "All of you, gather to the shelter. This rain will extinguish the fire." I gave orders en masse, which didn''t need to be whispered into their ears one by one. "Let''s take shelter first!" Shouting against the sound of the loud rain, Leva ran into that simple building. "We''ll see if this rain can put out the fire or not first!" "I''m not sure that can happen! The fire is too big!" Pif replied while trailing Leva. "Go ahead, Pif. If you want to evacuate yourself in this heavy rain!" "I agree! Let''s just wait first!" Seb joined in. Finally, they all gathered into the shelter. After collecting the things they had, of course. The rain was getting heavier. I could feel the coldness of the water droplets that went through my body. I could see the fire was still burning in the distance and showed no sign of going out. I hope this rain really eliminates this disaster, as H said. And also, I beg you, H.. Don''t let the consequences be too heavy for my colony. Chapter 30 - 30 – A Despicable Man Leva continued to hold backughter at what was happening in front of her. Kat was sitting with the asional little squirm, clearly ufortable. Though her face was still expressionless. Seb and Manu slept using the girl''s shoulders as headrests. Even worse, Pif fell asleep using Kat''sp as a pillow, giggling and drooling. I kept whispering to Kat not to wake the three of them. Pity them. I swear that I saw them do that by ident. The men just fell because of sleepiness. If they were bastards, the three men''s hands should have touched where they shouldn''t have been. However, they did not do that. I find this sight very amusing. And to be honest, I wanted to join them. Oh, I saw another slight change in Kat''s face. The corners of her lips began to twitch. "Errrrmmmm...." Kat''s face was getting redder as she pushed the heads of the three people one by one, then wiped off Pif''s drool on her thighs using a torn dried banana leaf. Pif, Seb, and Manu exchanged nces with barely open eyes and gaping mouths. This made Levaugh out loud. "Ah, the rain has stopped." In a drunken like voice, Pif spoke while looking outside. As soon as I went out with them, the smell of water mixed with earth hit my senses even more. The afternoon sun also gives warmth to my body. "I can hardly believe it was raining so hard earlier." Seb put his hands on his hips while taking a lot of fresh air. "My tribe elder said, things like this happen because of the wishes of the spirits that guard a group of people." Pif chimed in as he stared at the white smoke in the distance. "Maybe, this group did something so good that it didn''t deserve an incident." Guardian spirits, huh? Is that me? Leva sneered. "Sigh, if that spirit exists and wants to protect us, it should help us during raids and when our tribe is attacked by those cursed monkeys." Ugh. Sorry, Leva. It''s beyond my control, and I''ve tried my best. However, I do want the safety of all of you, really. Manu walks forward with a shaking body and shedding tears. Then he fell to his knees and squeezed the mud below. "Thank you, if gods do exist.... But, why am I always like this?" Manu''s voice sounded like someone was moaning in pain. Seb crouched down and patted the man on the shoulder. "Every human being has mistakes. We can learn from those mistakes." "You do not understand." Manu gulped hard. "I made this mistake more than once. And it affected me and the people around me." Leva folded her arms across her chest and red at Manu. Having a bad feeling, I spoke into the bearded man''s ear. "You''ll talk about itter. If what you''re about to tell them is enough to infuriate Leva, things will get messy." Yes, I don''t want the tension in my colony to be higher than it is now. I''m sure Manu''s story is dark, and not everyone can ept it. If, for example, Leva got angry and attacked Manu again, the man could retaliate many times over. Even now, I''m already worried that one day Manu will take revenge on Leva, who hit that guyst night in the face. Manu had opened his mouth to speak but immediately closed it again, shaking his head. "Ah, it''s okay you don''t want to tell me about it." Seb shed a smile. "But remember, I''m always there to listen to you." *** The night hase again. Manu sat alone under a tree some distance from the shelter, only apanied by a fiery log as a torch that was stuck in the ground. Every now and then, he shivers. The fire from the log didn''t seem enough to warm his body. I purposely told him to be there for some reason. Not long after, Seb came with a log of fire too. "Hey, you haven''t slept yet? What brings you here?" "I can not sleep." Manu answered in an almost whispering voice. "And I don''t know why I wanted to go here myself. How about you? What made youe here?" "Same, I don''t know either. Maybe this is a whisper from the spirit that Pif told me about?" Seb chuckled and pointed to the spot beside Manu. "May I sit here?" Manu nodded. Seb then sat down next to the bearded man, sticking out the fiery stick he was holding. I purposely made them meet tonight. I felt that Seb would be the least judgmental of Manu''s story. "So, what do you want to talk about?" Seb started the conversation. "At that time you didn''t say it because there were others, right?" Manu slightly looked up at the stars in the sky. "If you were hit by a friend when you were a child, what would you do? Would you retaliate?" Seb shrugged. "Well, I won''t do anything. I''m a coward." "A long time ago, I nearly went to gouge out the eye of a friend of mine who hit me." Instantly Seb''s eyes went wide. I hastily gave instructions to Manu. "Leave the details and examples of your vengeance." Seb can''t stand violence, after all. "I don''t want to talk too much about what I do." Manu took a deep breath. His lips began to tremble. "The point is, I always repay other people''s actions that upset me with actions that are many times worse. I myself don''t know why I am like that. I... I feel like I was created with that trait." Seb just stayed silent and looked at his fellow colonists. "I''ve done a lot of things that ...." Manu rubbed his face. His eyes were starting to ze over. "It''s true that I haven''t reached the stage of killing fellow humans yet, but my tribesmen have be afraid of me." "Sorry to ask like this, but was that the real reason you were exiled, Manu?" Seb spoke in a cautious tone. "What I told you back then was true. I impregnated the wife of the tribe leader''s son... What I did was not ****. I''m the one who seduces her to do it with me. However, I did it not out of love. The reason is that the son of the tribe leader was caught by me flirting with my lover." Manuughed bitterly. "My lover... She who has faith that I can change. However, I betrayed her instead... I also betrayed my tribe, which only punished me with imprisonment every time I made a mistake, even though what I did was really cruel... Ah, looks like I''ve said enough." Seb sighed. "All that sounds though, my friend." "I probably deserved to be exiled like this. The situation for this group would probably be better if I left." "Don''t talk like that, buddy." I do sympathize with Manu. However, the story also made me think of one thing.. Looks like I should pay extra attention to my first colonist. Chapter 31 - 31 – A Potential New Friend "So?" In the morning, Manu asks Seb who is checking their supply sack. Seb shrugged and sighed. "We only have supplies for today and tomorrow. Just a few jerkys and a few bananas." This is terrible. After getting big results in the form of wild boars that time, Kat only got small animals, such as birds, rabbits, or foxes. They don''t have a lot of meat and usually go straight to five people. "Sorry, because of me, the banana trees also caught fire." Manu took a deep breath. "Don''t me yourself too much." Seb smiled. "Yes, it''s unfortunate. However, you can''t continue to mourn it. You have to move on." "I know." I looked at the shelter, which was shaped like a wooden house measuring 5x5 square meters. The windows and the roof of the building have not been installed. I really want my colonists to finish it. However, it looks like I''ll have to spread out more of my colonists in search of food. I can''t rely on Kat alone to hunt. Is it wise for all my colonists to leave this spot? What if there is a thief? I''d probably be able to tell right away, but would they be able toe back here to save valuables quickly? What if they took their belongings with them while searching? No, it will only be their burden. It seems I can only send a maximum of three people on this mission. Of course, Kat was going off to hunt. Then who else should I send? Maybe Pif couldn''t. He would only be a hindrance because the young man would get tired faster when he walked a long distance. Also, I have to think of at least one person capable of fighting to guard this ce. Damn. Managing the colony gave me a headache. A virtual headache. "Argggghhhh!!!" I heard Leva''s scream, whose source was not far from where I was standing. "I''m tired of this game!" The woman mmed the rock she was holding onto the ground. Meanwhile, Pif was throwing rock in an unbelievably sluggish motion, like one hadn''t eaten in days. The stone he threwnded very far from the target ring. Ugh. I also have to think about the variety of their entertainment. *** So, I sent Seb and Leva to look for anything to eat. Pif stays in settlement with Manu. In addition to having closebat abilities, Manu could also continue working on the new shelter, although his work would be slower because there was no one to help. And as for Kat, I purposely asked her to hunt alone to take full advantage of her stealth abilities. Now, I decided to follow the queen of my colony. I never get tired of seeing her doing all the activities with her extraordinary physique. Ah, if only she would smile a little. It was past noon, and Kat was still walking through the bush. There wasn''t a single animal for us to find, not even an insect. Ugh. If only the area near the cliff wasn''t on fire. Kat doesn''t have to search in a life-scarce area like this. Kat suddenly ducked and hid behind a bush. The girl''s movements were so fast, I reflexively ducked down, even though it was useless. But, the view of Kat''s body in this position was also beautiful. Kat then peeked out from behind the bush, stalking a dark brown dog with big ears. Almost like a wolf, but its body is more petite. A crossbreed or a native animal from thisnd? Kat started aiming for the sniffing dog. Huh? You want to eat him? He''s a dog, Kat. Not pork or anything like that. They are not animals to be hunted for. The dog is also so skinny. There is very little meat you and your friends can eat from it. I whispered an order, and the girl lowered her bow. But should I just leave the dog? It looks like he won''tst long with that body condition. His legs were shaking. He also couldn''t detect Kat''s whereabouts, even though a dog''s sense of smell should be very sharp. There must be a problem with his nose. How could he detect prey in such a condition? He can''t eat then. No wonder his body is thin. And one more thing that bothers me. As far as I know, wild dogs live in a pack. They looked after each other and hunted together. I looked at Kat, who was still crouching and watching. I opened the girl''s stat windows again. Surprisingly, despite her extremely cold nature, she had the highest animal stat among the others. 36. Okay, I''ll make you try to tame this poor animal, Kat. I can''t bear to see these animals be food or just die. Besides liking rabbits, I''m a dog person. Unfortunately, I didn''t know what order to give Kat to tame the dog. After pausing the gamey and thinking for a while, I said in the girl''s ear. "Errrr.... If you have an idea to tame that dog, do it now." Kat came out of hiding. The dog flinched slightly, then lowered his body, showing his sharp teeth. He clearly saw Kat as a threat. [Each animal has a different percentage of sess to tame, depending on their species and conditions. The sess rate is also affected by the stat of the colonist who did it.] Great. They did not tell what percentage and what the conditions were like. A text that said ''Animals'' with a shing plus sign appeared above Kat''s head. She pulled a piece of jerky out of her leather bag and stepped forward slowly. The dog barked wildly, causing Kat to stop and raise a hand as a sign that she wasn''t the enemy. [A friend once gave Kat a cat as a gift. They thought that having Kat take care of an animal would melt her cold heart.] I see. So that''s what gives you that stat animal. And it turns out you are a cat person. Maybe that''s why you didn''t hesitate at all to aim for the dog? Kat put the jerky she was holding five feet away from the dog. Then, the girl backed away. After Kat was far enough away, the dog sniffed the jerky on the ground for a moment, then started eating it. Kat stepped forward a second time, but the dog took a fierce pose, ready to attack again. So, Kat chose to continue her retreat. After that, he just turned around and left. This taming can''t work right away, huh? It seems that there is a process that Kat must go through. Chapter 32 - 32 – They Bored Kat returned to her colony with no results at all. She immediately sat by the bonfire without greeting her two fellow colonists who were there. Havingpleted part of the roof of his colony''s new shelter, Manu was ying hoop stone. Meanwhile, Pif just crouched with his mouth open and looked up at the sky. I looked around but didn''t see Leva and Seb walking closer. It''s toote. What are they doing? If anything untoward happens, it should trigger auto-pause, but time still runs. After opening the profile window of my colonists, I pressed the find button under Leva''s stat card. Arge green arrow pointing downwards appeared in the air, some distance away from my colony. Huh, they''re hiding in the bushes? I use warp, a feature I rarely use even though it''s been around since I started ying. I prefer to follow my colonists doing their activities, rather than using fast-forward and moving where my colonists are going. What I saw immediately changed. I had moved to where Seb and Leva were now, which was behind arge bush. Seeing what those two were doing, I pped my forehead. A Pickaxe, a leather bag, and even the clothes of my two colonists were all scattered around me. Leva sat on Seb with a broad smile that showed all of her teeth. On the other hand, Seb, whose back was against the ground, just smirked. Both of them werepletely naked. Seriously? No auto-pause for events like this? Curious about what triggers something like this, I hit the rey button a few times. Everything moves fast. Seb and Leva seemed to get up and kiss, then dress each other up. Then, they walked backward, and their belongings jumped back at them. I pressed y when they were far enough from the bushes. "Arrrrrgggghhhh!!!" Leva shouted as she lifted her head. "I''m so bored and I''m sick of ying hoopstone! I''m so happy when I get a mission like this! I thought I''d meet an animal and I''d beat it for food! But instead we only found mushrooms! Huh!" Seb chuckled. "You can hunt using melee attacks?" Leva slightly raised her pickaxe. Even though she didn''t use it for mining, the pickaxe could be used as a self-defense weapon. "Of course I can. I don''t even need to use something like this. I once had an epic fight against a wild chicken. It was mad that I wanted to take the egg. I hit the chicken, then grabbed its neck¡­." "Ugh, I guess I don''t want to hear that story any further." Seb cut off the conversation with a grimace. "If you''re really bored, you can ask Manu to make another game." Leva was silent for a moment. "You saw it for yourself, right? My rtionship with Manu has not been very good. It would be weird if I suddenly asked for something like that. And I''m not sure he knows any other game than hoopstone. Only those games and the like are known to most tribes." That is very correct. I''ve asked Manu to make another game, but he''s just confused. "Then, what do you guys do to get rid of boredom other than ying hoopstone?" "Well, the children sing, y chase, hide and seek, climb trees, or y in the water." Leva took a deep breath. "And adults, they do the work they love. If only I could mine minerals, that would be enough. Unfortunately, that is not possible now. Cutting down trees is actually a bit of fun, but it''s different from mining. I enjoy searching, finding the source, getting all kinds of minerals." And every time Leva finished her daily task of helping Manu, she was pretty tired, and it was always toote, so I didn''t send her to mine. "Well, as for me, I enjoy cooking." Seb nodded. "But, since what can be cooked is so limited, I¡­." The man raised an eyebrow when suddenly Leva snuggled close to his body. "How about we just do that?" Leva sighed, her hand moving from Seb''s chest to his lower body. What? Just like that? No romance stories leading up to this? Do they just want to have casual sex? And why are you acting like a hoe, Leva!? However, Seb removed the woman''s hand from him. "No. I already have a wife¡­." "You''re too kind, Seb." Leva''s sigh sounded more and more seductive. "It''s okay to be naughty once in a while. No one knows." "But ¡­. Leva suddenly dropped her pickaxe and kissed the man''s lips. At first, Seb had made gestures to push Leva away, but the man held himself back in the end. He let go of his leather sling bag and pressed his lips more against Leva''s. Then, the two of them undressed each other in a wild motion. Leva pushed Seb hard until the man walked backward. The two of them fell and rolled on the grass. They reached the bushes. Leva, who was on top, straightened her body with a big smile, while Seb, who was on his back, grinned. Soon, the bodies of the two woulde together, but everything stopped again, just like when I first came here. No. I swear I stopped them because I didn''t want one of my girls to do that with another guy. There is something more important than that. I crouched down and said in the red-haired woman''s ear. "Don''t do this, Leva. Remember, your colony is still very small and the resources are not that much. If you get pregnant, things will be very difficult for you and your baby." As soon as I pressed the y button, Leva gasped and quickly got up. She moved from that ce with her back to Seb. "Hey, why are you stopping now?" Seb asked in a disappointed tone. "You were the one who asked me to do this with you, right?" "If I get pregnant, everything will be troublesome." Leva sighed, starting to put on her clothes again. "Sorry, Seb. Even though you''re be very excited." And you already have a family, Seb! Remember your children and wife! Jeez! Chapter 33 - 33 – Dinner Time My five colonists went about their usual routine that night, gathered around the bonfire, waiting for the food to cook. This time it was not meat or bananas that were pierced by twigs and stuck in the ground, but light brown mushrooms. Manu narrowed his eyes when he saw Seb and Leva sitting next to each other. The two friends of his colony kept moving in ce as if they didn''t feelfortable, and neither would they look at each other. "What happened to you two? Why are you so awkward?" Finally, Manu spoke up. Seb flinched, then spoke frantically. "Ah, it''s okay, really. We just.... Well, we...." "We almost had sex." Surprisingly, Leva said so. "But, I backed off, because you know.... Baby." "What''s wrong with the baby!?" Manuughs with his mouth wide open. "Well, apart from being difficult to take care of those little creatures with our circumstances, they''re also noisy." Leva sneered. "Ah, looks like it''s already cooked." Seb grabbed one of the mushrooms and ate it. His mouth immediately moved like someone singing a rap song. The mushroom was still smoking. "But I didn''t really think about that. I just wanted to have fun." Leva picked up the mushroom too and started blowing it. Hmmm... This mushroom is different from what I''m used to eating. It''s a little more savory. "Because you''re tired of ying hoopstone, so you want to have casual sex, right?" Manu chuckled. "Well, I''m tired of that game too." "And there''s no tyrant here forbidding sex outside of marriage. So I don''t have to be as secretive as I used to be." Leva''s gaze was fixed on Pif, who now seemed to continue to adjust to a sitting position. "What''s the matter with you, brat? Do you want to do it with me too?" Hell no. Pif just scratched his hair, with his face started to turn red. Leva giggled, shifted, and hugged the young man tightly. "Come on, you definitely want to do it with me, right!?" The woman took a big bite of her mushroom while still hugging the skinny young man, thenughed. "No, I don''t want that!" Pif snorted and tried to get away. "But, back then, you seemed willing when I asked you to do it!" "Let me go!" Pif tried to free himself more and more, but Leva hugged him tighter. "Back then you were just trying to make fun of me, weren''t you!? Now you''re making fun of me again, aren''t you!?" "Let go of him, Leva." Seb said while chewing his mushroom. "Poor him." "Guys!" Suddenly Kat stood with her head lowered. Huh? This is very different from the Kat I know. Could she reveal something bombastic? All the members'' eyes were on the girl. "What''s the matter, Kat?" Leva raised an eyebrow. Kat took a deep breath. And what happened next was something that was beyond my expectations. Kat took off all her clothes so quickly that the others couldn''t stop her and just stared in confusion. And then, the girl threw her clothes into the bonfire. "Is there something wrong with your brain!?" Leva stood with bulging eyes. "What are you doing, Kat! You were the one whining for clothes!" This time, Kat''s face showed an expression. Her gaze sharpened, and her brow furrowed. She looked like she wanted to hit someone else. "Clothes are useless! Humans are born without clothes! It''s human nature to live without clothes! I don''t want to wear clothes!!! I want to be free!!!" After saying that, Kat did a belly dance. Her whole body swayed intensely like a professional dancer. What the fuck happened!? On another asion, I would love to see a dance like that! However, this is not the cult Kat! I do want Kat''s character to change, but not as drastically as this! Maybe because the incident was so absurd, the other colonists were frozen, still confused about what to do. "Apparently, this is a poisonous mushroom that makes us hallucinate. The shape is indeed simr to the mushrooms we eat." Manu sighed. "Estaaaaaaaa!!!" Shit. Manu suddenly ran and climbed up a tree, then screamed while sobbing. "Estaaaaaa!!! I love you!!! My dick is only for you, even though I once used it for that woman!!! Yours is more fun!!!" I meant to ask Seb to help my two colonistse back to their senses, but he wasn''t any better either. The blonde-haired man stood with his feet together. He raised his hands with his elbows at a 90-degree angle and his eyes bulging to the max. "I am a cactus. Don''te near me. There are many thorns on my body." Seb babbled in a robotic tone. "Guys, get back to your senses!" Pif squeezed her head with a panicked face. "Ssssshhhh." The young man turned his head to the side with an unbelievably stiff movement, immediately finding Leva slithering on the ground like a snake. "Sssssshhhh." Leva hissed and kept sticking out her tongue. "Why!? Why did you be a twig, Esta!!?? We can''t have sex if you are a twig! Do I have to punch a hole in you!?" "I''m a green, chubby cactus." "Sssshhhh.... Sssss...." "Guyssss!!!" Pif looked even more panicked. I tried to order them to end this madness but to no avail. It seems I can only rely on Pif to sort this out. But, what order should I give him? "Aah, so cute...." Shivering, Pif looked to the other side. He choked hard when he found Kat with her stark naked body in full glory. The girl was biting her finger, her face was red, and her eyes were slightly zed. "Come to big sis, cutie...." Kat sighed in a passionate tone, starting to go to Pif. Have you broken your eye, Kat? Pif is not cute at all! Stop it! I don''t want to see you behave like this! Pif was about to run, but the young man tripped over his own feet and fell down. Kat turned Pif over, then buried the skinny young man''s head into her massive boobs. "Ahhhnnn.... I want to feel you, my little brother." Kat started licking her lips. Please, don''t have sex with him, damn it! "You have to break free, Pif!" I shouted in the young man''s ear. But, Pif''s eyes actually rolled back instead, leaving only the white part. Then, blooding from both of his nostrils. Now''s not the time for nosebleeds, you stupid kid! This is not an anime! You have to stay up to unravel this madness! Unfortunately, no matter how many times I yell, Pif still doesn''t respond. He waspletely unconscious because of the tits attack! "Hey.... Don''t sleep yet, my little brother.." Now, Kat sounded like a drunk. Chapter 34 - 34 – Mystery I sat on the ground, squeezing my head. It was morning. My colonists were scattered on the ground, except for Manu, who was caught in a branch of a tree. Fortunately, this mess didn''t escte any bigger. No one sets a big fire, injures oneself, or attacks another. "What the fuck!" Manu''s voice is heard from the tree. He almost fell from up there but luckily was able to hang from a branch. "Why am I even here!?" Seb and Leva straightened up. With their eyes still half-open, they stared at the naked Kat, still asleep while burying Pif''s head into her enormous chest. I''m sure Pif isn''t asleep. He passed out all night. Manues down from the tree and joins in, staring at that strange sight. Instead of asking Kat, the three kept quiet, making the situation seem odd to me. Slowly, Kat opened her eyes, immediately noticing Pif''s head which was still in her arms. She froze for a moment when she saw that no clothes were covering her body, then quickly let go of Pif and inched as far as possible while covering her private parts. And of course, even though her face was red, her expression was still like that. nk Pif woke up, straightened himself and wiped the blood from his nose. "Oh shit." The boy turned to Kat, who immediately flinched. "What happened?" Finally, Leva asked. Pif was silent for a few seconds, then pointed to some of the mushrooms still surrounding the bonfire. "Those shit are the bearers of disaster." *** Kat was forced to use a banana leaf bikini for hunting because there was no other material to make clothes. The existing leather has been used as a sack or sling bag. I find it ineffective to make those things for Kat''s clothes. The recements take a long time to make, and even then, Manu can only make them if Kat manages to bring in animals whose skins can be used, whereas those foods need a ce to store them. [Determination buff ¨C All Kat''s stats and physical abilities increased] You''re so desperate to get another decent outfit, huh? Banana leaves are not a good choice for clothing. Besides being easily torn and dry outter, the material is also not as flexible as leather. It didn''t properly contain Kat''s feminine assets. Especially in a scene like this. Kat was running as fast as she could after a doe that had four arrows on it. Two arrows hit the animal''s left thigh with light brown fur, causing her to limp. Her run is now only as fast as an average human, so she is left behind by her pack. The girl aimed with her bow again. Zap! The arrow hit the back of the doe''s neck. The animal fell and immediately became unconscious. Kat stopped running by the poor animal, bent over clutching her knees, panting and sweating profusely. Her breastte and lower clothes had almoste off, but she didn''t bother fixing them. She was lucky enough. The day after she lost her clothes (again), the girl got a doe whose skin could be used for new clothes. Well, I can only guess. Her expression was still unreadable. When her breathing was much better, Kat crouched down to make sure the doe was dead. I just finished checking the animal''s heartbeat. Kat''s gaze shifted elsewhere. The dog that Kat had met yesterday was standing in the distance, staring at the girl. I looked around. Ah, this is indeed the spot the dog upied yesterday. This time, Kat cut off some of the thigh meat from the doe''s corpse and threw it at the dog. She did that on her initiative, without any orders from me. Seeing that the dog did note to the meat, Kat chose to leave by dragging the corpse of the deer she had hunted. After Kat was far enough away, the brown dog just sniffed and started eating the girl''s gift. Kat paused to observe, then continued on her way. *** As soon as Kat returned to the settlement and put the animal''s corpse in, all the colonists gathered. "Wow, great results." Smiling, Seb crouched down and examined the deer. "You''re amazing, Kat!" "Thanks, Kat." Manu nodded. "I''ll make you a dress with this right away." As usual, Kat only responded in silence. "Huh?" Leva slightly lifted one of the animal''s legs. "Why is this part cut off? It''s not ws or fangs." The others also checked the spot pointed out by Leva, then simultaneously looked at Kat. Well, it''s not a big problem. However, I don''t know if all of my colonists liked the idea of ??taming stray dogs or not. But at least I had to get Kat toe clean, so all the colonists can discuss it now. It was better than Kat suddenly bringing in a new pet and someone protesting. "I ate it." Kat answered before I could give her any instructions. What an answer. Everyone who looked at her was silent. It was apparent they didn''t believe Kat''s words. "You eat raw meat?" Pif asked, scratching his hair. "Isn''t it tough?" Leva stood up and folded her arms across her chest. "You''re trying to tame an animal, right?" Manu''s brow furrowed. "Have you thought about the consequences of having a pet from a wild animal, Kat?" Kat was silent. I was about to ask Seb to prevent a fight, but Leva was quicker to answer. "Well, what animal do you want to tame? Is it a dog? If that''s the case I understand because dogs are the bestpanions for hunters. If you want other animals too, I won''t have any problems, anyway. I think that''s your right." Oh, thank you, Leva. "But what you need to remember is, pets need to be cared for and fed, Kat." Manu joins in. "Don''t let our food rations decrease just because of an animal." "I''ll hunt even harder to get more food." Kat answered. "So there''s no need to worry." Perhaps, it was one of the longest sentences this quiet girl had ever uttered. "I can''t wait to see what animal you''re going to bring here." After I told him to lighten the mood, Seb said that sentence even though the tension wasn''t that high. I don''t want my colonists to have conflicts among themselves. Not responding, as usual, the girl left from there, put her sling bag and hunting equipment into the shelter, then walked towards the river to clean herself up. She did all that with the gazes of all the other colonists following her. "Is she mad?" Pif asked. Seb shrugged. "No one knows. That''s Kat for you.. She''s full of mystery." Chapter 35 - 35 – A Faint Smile "Actually, today you don''t have to go hunting, Kat." Seb, who was watering his potato nt with a wooden bucket, said. Carrying her quiver and bow, Kat nced at Seb, then started walking. "Okay." "She will try to tame the beast again." Walking over to Seb, Leva said as she shouldered her pickaxe, ready to mine. I purposely let Leva not help Manu today. The woman seemed to need some entertainment with mining. "Oh, I see." Seb nodded. "It''s your first time taming, isn''t it, Kat? Remember, taming animals takes time." Leva spoke to the amber-eyed girl. "So be patient. Don''t give up." Kat paused, looked at Leva for a moment, nodded at the red-haired woman, then started walking again. "Good luck!" Seb half-shouted. I looked at Leva and Kat in turn. Hmmm... Who am I going to follow this time, huh? "So, has there been any progress from your mining?" Seb asked the woman. Leva shrugged. "Well, back then I detected a location with a new mineral, but I don''t think it''s silver. Maybe iron. I''m not sure I''ll keep digging that ce or look elsewhere. Nobody can process iron here." "Just mine the iron, Leva." I said into the woman''s ear. "Maybe there will be a new colonist or Manu will learn smithing. It''s better than going home with nothing." "I go first." Leva said goodbye. "Keep up the good work on that venison, Seb." Seb took a deep breath. "Please, don''t remind me again. I do love to cook, but if I''m just making jerky and pemmicans all the time, I''ll get really bored." While Leva said goodbye to the others, I looked at Kat, who was already quite far away. If I follow Leva, I only see her mining. It looks like it will be more interesting to watch Kat''s progress in taming the animal. Finally, I trailed Kat. I pressed the fast-forward button, and within seconds, we were at the spot where Kat found the dog. Kat looked around, and soon the dog came out of a bush. I noticed that the animal''s legs were no longer shaking. The girl took out the innards of the female deer grilled yesterday to so it doesn''t stink, then put it on the ground. This time, she didn''t leave and stayed there waiting. At first, the animal froze for a moment before finallying to the food and sniffing it, then eating it. Kat knelt and reached out to stroke the dog''s head. However, the beast jumped back, bared its teeth, lowered its body, and growled. He was ready to attack. Kat raised her hand and walked backward. Hmmm... It looks like this is going to take quite a while. I turned on the fast-forward feature to the max. Everything went unbelievably fast. The moon and sun alternately move in the sky. I asionally check whether the schedule I made for my colonists is going well. However, since no auto-pause has urred, it means that nothing dangerous has happened yet. I need to pay more attention to Leva. I won''t let that woman invite anyone else to have sex again. On the seventh day of game time, since the moment Kat met the dog, everything went back to normal automatically. [New pet acquired] Kat crouched down and rubbed the head of the dog, who was now eating the piece of meat from the wild chicken that Kat had just gotten that afternoon. "Good boy, good boy." Kat''s mouth formed a smile. Huh? Did Kat smile? I watched the girl''s face intensely. Now, her expression had returned to its original state, as t as a block of wood. "Show me your smile again, Kat!" I begged her. Unfortunately, the girl''s lips didn''t move an inch now. I had to turn on the rey button for thest few seconds. Indeed, she smiled. Even though it was faint, it was a lovely smile. I spent a few minutes enjoying the view. After that, Kat rose to her feet and gestured for the beast to follow her. The dog walked behind Kat, sticking out its tongue, wagging its tail, and staring at its new master with sparkling eyes. Damn. Even this dog is more expressive than you, Kat. *** When Kat returned to her colony, Leva went straight to the dog. "Look, we have a new member!" However, the dog immediately took a fierce pose, ready to attack again. Leva immediately raised her hands, refraining from rubbing the beast''s head. "Rx, boy. I will not hurt you." The dog calmed down as Kat rubbed his body. "Well, he''s still newly tamed, so he''s not very friendly with the others yet." With a slight bow, Leva studied Kat''s new pet. "What''s his name?" "Rox." Kat answered. "Why did you give him such a name, Kat?" "Because I chose that name." Leva snorted at Kat''s answer. "That''s not what I mean ¡­. Argh! Okay, now his name is Rox!" The red-haired woman looked at the dog again. "Hopefully I can be your friend too, Rox!" As Seb and Manu walked up to them, Rox took a ready-to-attack pose to defend himself again. "It''s okay. They are not a threat." Kat crouched down and stroked Rox''s body again. "Hmmm ¡­. Actually, this is a good start. His attacking instincts were still there. If properly trained, he''ll make a greatpanion for this colony, Kat." Manu rubs his beard. "He can keep watch and apany you while hunting." "I''m more of a cat person, but I''m still happy because we have new friends." Seb shed his signature big smile. "But, it seems that someone is not happy that this dog is here." Manu looks towards a tree. Pif seemed to be peeking out from behind the tree. "What are you doing there, brat!? Why are you hiding like that!?" Leva called out in a loud voice. "Come here to meet our new friend!" "Hell no!" Pif sounded like he was about to cry. "And don''t bring that ugly fanged beast near me!" "Hey, why are you talking like that!?" Leva walked up to Pif, but the young man ran away. Chapter 36 - 36 – Not A Usual Day "Sit!" Kat lifted a small piece of jerky over Rox''s head while her other hand pointed down. Rox, whose neck was tied with a rope to a tree, looked at his master for a moment, then sat down. After a few days, you finally got him to do what you ordered, Kat. "Good boy, good boy." Kat crouched down and handed the jerky to Rox, who devoured it immediately. I watched Kat''s face as she stroked the dog''s fur. Damn, even though I want to see her smile again. Several days passed, and nothing significant had happened. The wooden shelter was finally finished, and now I had Manu build a kind of wooden cage for the prisoners they got in case there was another raid. I want Seb to keep persuading captured prisoners to join so my colony gets bigger. Tying them to a tree is inhumane. They cannot move freely. Meanwhile, Seb continues to take care of the crops, andter he will cook. Leva is in charge of mineral mining. And then for Pif... I turned to the skinny man, who was now practicing archery with the target Kat had carved into a tree. Zap! The arrow veered far from the target, not even hitting the tree at all. Well, that doesn''t mean he''s that bad, though. A few arrows hit the target, though none of them were right in the middle. It''s been a long time since there''s been such a significant event, I''m starting to feel anxious. Therefore, I increased the strength of my colony by asking Pif to train. "Woof! Woof!" Pif, who was aiming, flinched violently, making his arrow miss the target again. He then ran away when he saw Kat and Rox walking towards him. Unlike what usually happens when Pif hides in the bushes, Kat and Rox didn''t leave this time but continued toe after the boy. "Why do you hate Rox?" Kat asked. Kat''s behavior was so cold, and I didn''t expect the girl to ask something like that. You''re starting to get worried about how your dog will feel if someone doesn''t ept him, don''t you, Kat? Pif peeked, shuddered, and went back into hiding. "Take him away from me!!!" Hey, this is a cute dog, Pif. "You have not answered my question." Kat looked behind the bushes to find Pif curled up and shaking. "Why do you hate Rox?" Pif raised his head in an unbelievably stiff motion, flinching again when Rox was sitting in front of him only a meter away. The young man looked like he wanted to run, but perhaps because his legs were shaking, he fell to the ground when he was only half standing. "I don''t hate dogs! I''m just afraid of them!" Pif was starting to look like he was going to cry. "People in my tribe often get me chased by dogs! They say it''s to train my physique! I''m lucky to always survive! I''ve seen someone who was actually bitten by a dog and seriously injured!" Shit. The story is too dark. Not wanting to make Pif more ufortable, I decided to speak into Kat''s ear. "Then leave him alone." "Come on, boy." Kat spoke to her dog, then walked away without interacting with Pif again. Rox stared at Pif for a few more moments and only followed Kat when he was called a second time. Pif breathed a sigh of relief, though his body was still shaking. This developer said, all the traits, stats, appearance, personality, and background of every character in this world areputer-generated. So, in every gamey, you will not find the same character. However, these characters are quiteplex. I''m even more amazed by the creators of this game. These characters are not like the NPCs in other games, all of which are made up by the creator. Huh? I noticed that Pif hadn''t moved from his spot in quite a while. When I checked the others, they also stopped their respective activities. Auto pause? Is there a threating? I used the fly feature to be able to check the situation. Moving into the air, I searched for the thing that triggered the auto-pause. It took only a moment for me to found three people sitting near arge rock. It''s very far from my colony. [Raiders of Hardfeather Tribe] I see. They are also from the tribe that Pif used to live in. [These attackers will be resting for a while. They are waiting for the time they think is right to attack.] Hmmm, so they won''t attack right away, huh? I''d better check them out first. So, Inded near them and pressed the y button. "Why should I raid with you guys?" A man with a long ponytail and somewhat muscr build was leaning on arge rock, looking at his twopanions who were kneeling in front of him. "And with absurd reasons too. Taking Pif back!? Seriously! He is weak like you guys! He is useless in our tribe!" I''m sorry, but Pif is already part of my colony, motherfucker. [???? (Raider, Tribe Member)] STATS: Ranged Attack: 5/100 Melee attacks: 82/100 Shit. His melee attack is much higher than Leva, who is the best fighter in my colony. I then started to check the stats of the other two attackers, who could only duck their heads in silence. The first person is a man with a thin body like Pif and has curly hair. [???? (Raider, Tribe Member)] STATS: Ranged Attack: 1/100 Melee attack: 29/100 It seems like it would be easy to beat this guy... Huh? Realizing something, I approached him. There is a bite mark on his left thigh. Is this the person mentioned in Pif''s story earlier? I then looked at the other attacker, a dull blonde woman with tan skin. STATS: [???? (Raider, Tribe Member)] Ranged Attack: 22/100 Melee attack: 3/100 She wasn''t a threat either. Pif already has a ranged attack stat of 24, thanks to ying hoop stone and archery practice. It seems I should pay more attention to the ponytail-haired man.. He is the real threat to my colony. Chapter 37 - 37 – The Hints "Huh, you''re back, Leva?" Seb, who was lyingzily, got up when he saw the red-haired girling. "It''s not like you to came home so soon." Leva put down her pickaxe and sling bag, then shrugged. "Honestly, I don''t know myself. I just feel like I have to go back now." Not long after, Kat also walked back to the colony. "Hey, where''s Rox?" Leva raised an eyebrow. Kat paused, silent for a moment. "I tied it to a tree not far from here." "What?" Seb''s brow furrowed. "Why did you do that?" Rox wasn''t well trained to attack on Kat''s orders. So, I did evacuate him for the time being. If forced to fight, the enemy could kill the dog for attacking carelessly without a strategy. "Don''t tell me you also suddenly feel like you have to do something like that, when you didn''t intend to do it before." Leva chimed in. Kat nodded slightly. "Yes like that." "That is a hint from our guardian spirit." Pif joined the chat. Leva sneered. "Huh, sorry but I don''t believe in such a thing, brat." "Come on." Pif spread his arms and snorted. "Even before being here, you used to feel like this in yourst tribe, right? You suddenly wanted to do something unnned. You should understand that since you are also from this ce, Leva. We''re different from Seb and Kat, who are from another world." "We call him a god." Manu said while walking towards his fellow colonists. "And I think we should follow his lead. While here, as well as in the previous tribe, you must have felt it, right? If we follow his lead, at least we have a chance." The bearded man then looked at Kat. "And when I saw your sky ship that crashed, I was going to run away in fear, Kat. But I suddenly wanted to save you. Whoever it is, he wants you to stay alive. I think he wants us to stay alive too. So, right now there''s no reason to disobey him." Well, interesting chat, but you all have to be prepared. *** It waste afternoon, the three attackers finally came to my colony, already prepared with their weapons. But they found no one there. The only sound that could be heard was Rox''s bark in the distance. "Where are they?" The blonde female assant asked in a nervous tone. "They''re hiding." The leader, the rather muscr man with ponytail, looked around, wielding hisrge machete. "Don''t let your guard down." Meanwhile, the curly-haired man who was following them just gulped and gripped the knife tightly. The three of them continued walking. Zap! An arrow shot at the leader, the therapy missed only a few millimeters from him. "There!" The leader pointed to arge tree and ran towards it. Arrows from the other direction began to shoot at the man. However, because he was running so fast, the arrow from Kat didn''t hit his body either. As well as the next arrows that were shot, Kat waspletely unable to hit the target. Manues out as the leader of the attackers is near. However, the bearded man could not immediately attack and instead had to block the sh of the machete with his ax. The attack almost hit Manu''s head. "Ugh!" Manu tumbled backward as soon as the leader of the attackers kicked him in the stomach. Just halfway up, Manu had to dodge his enemy''s second sh. This time the sh hit Manu''s chest, but luckily it didn''t seem too deep. Leva, who hade out of hiding, ran towards the enemy while raising her pickaxe. However, the attackers'' leader was able to dodge Leva''s attack and retreat while pointing his machete. On the other hand, the archer of the enemy had already started aiming. Looks like she''s just doing that now. Earlier she couldn''t aim properly at Manu, who was fighting at close range with the leader. "Pif, Kat! Attack that archer!" I gave direct orders to my two colonists. Pif, who had been aiming for the attackers'' leader, moved to shoot the enemy archer. Kat had alsoe out of a bush and was taking aim. Zap! Zap! Zap! Zap! The two of them fired consecutive arrows. The shocked enemy didn''t have time to shoot back at them and was helpless when three arrows pierced her body. Two arrows from Kat and one from Pif. The skinny young man had shot twice like Kat, but only one of his arrows had hit the target. "Shit!" The lead attacker cursed when he saw hisrade kneeling with wide eyes. Kat took out one more arrow from the quiver and took aim again. Zap! The arrow from Kat''s bow shot fast and pierced the heart of the enemy archer, who immediately dropped the bow, coughed up blood, then copsed. Pif, who had actually been aiming as well, just froze in ce. His hands were shaking violently, and his mouth was tightly shut. Ah, these assants were also members of the Tribe that Pif used to join. Maybe this skinny guy knows them all. "Hahahahaha!!!" The leader of the attackersughed vulgarly. "You are so cruel, Pif! How could you kill your own friend, who you considered your own older sister!" Pif lowered his bow with teary eyes. Shit. "It turns out that you really have be a traitor, little brat!" The leader of the attackersughed again. "Shut up!" Pif red at that man. "You guys attacked us first, Egam! I didn''t have time to check who she was!" Seeing Pif''s teary eyes but full of determination, it seems that I''ve been misjudging the young man. Maybe Pif''s body is weak, and he is a coward in certain ways. However, that doesn''t mean he''spletely helpless. The proof is, he was able to aim at the leader of the attacker named Egam, even though his heart might be broken because he helped the death of his own friend. "If I were you, I''d rather take that woman hostage than kill her outright." Suddenly, the third member of the raiders appeared. Damn it. I forgot about its existence. Looks like he has stealth abilities like Kat too. With a frightened expression on his face, Seb couldn''t help but let the curly-haired man''s arms wrap around his neck. "Don''t move or your friend is dead.." The third assant stuck his knife to Seb''s neck. Chapter 38 - 38 – Provocation "Theo, can we talk about this first?" Even with trembling lips and a frightened tone, Pif still spoke to his enemy. He lowered his bow and walked slowly towards that man. "I''m sure you''re not a murderer." "Shut up and stay there, you traitor!" The attacker named Theo tightened his hold on Seb''s neck even more. "You tell them to give them their valuables, then you wille with us! Do all that, or this man will die!" "Fine if that''s what you want." Pif raised his hands. "No, Pif." Leva snorted. "I don''t mind having our resources taken by them to save Seb. However, I will not let you return to them. I''ve seen the bite marks on that bastard''s thigh. He''s the person you''re referring to, right? The one who was attacked by your own tribe''s dog, right?" "Leva..." Pif was at a loss for words. I admire you even more, Leva. Eganughed again. "It turns out that you guys have a powerful bond! Great!" "Shut up, bastard!" Manu snaps at the leader of the attackers. "But, why are you so stupid, Theo?" Ignoring Manu, Egan stared at Theo. "Don''t let him go, I want to do something for his friends." Shit. Theo could only gulp and couldn''t answer. Egan looked at his rusty machete, then said, "You know, no one in our tribe can actually make iron objects like this. This is the loot from the tribe we raided. So are the clothes I''m wearing." Indeed, the garment worn by the ponytailed man was not what a cave dweller would typically wear. It was a t-shirt and pants, though still crudely made. Simr to what Tosa and Reha wore when they brought Leva here. "Sigh, you talk a lot, motherfucker." Leva provokes. "Shut your mouth and fight with me." "I won these weapons and clothes from a fighting contest in my tribe. However, I don''t really like it that much." Egan threw his machete far away, then pointed at Leva, Manu, and Pif in turn. "You you and you. Throw your weapons away, or your friend dies. We fight bare-handed to make things more interesting." I don''t know if this will benefit my colonists or not. Despite their apparent reluctance, the three colonists threw their weapons away. Egan grinned widely, starting to massage his fists while looking at Leva. After licking his lips, the man said. "I love it when my fist hits someone, especially a woman. Their screams and cries are so sweet to my ears." Disgusting. I looked at Leva''s face, the veins were so tense, and the eyes were so sharp. Her breathing intervals have also be wild. Please, don''t be provoked and do anything reckless, Leva. That''s what he wanted. "I won''t make the two of you stand by as targets for my attacks. I''ll let you guys attack me first." Egan started walking forward while spreading his arms. However, having just walked a few steps, he stopped and frowned. "Wait. Where''s the other woman?" "Arrgghhhh!!!" Theo screamed in pain and subconsciously loosened his hold on Seb. An arrow suddenly pierced the attacker''s back. Excellent, Kat. You followed my n well. Seb immediately fled from the enemy. Theo was about to give chase, but a second arrow pierced his back, making him scream again. "Don''t kill him, Kat!" I gave an order in the girl''s ear. Yes, I want to save this man named Theo by having him join my colonists. Kat came up to the man and twisted his arm behind his back. The girl had a little trouble holding back Theo, who kept squirming to free himself. On the other hand, Leva and Manu had stepped forward to give Egan abination of kicks and punches. However, Egan was able to dodge almost everything. The attacks from my two colonists did little to hit the ponytailed man. Even if an attack hits him, it doesn''t seem to have any effect. "Take your bow again dumbass!" I snapped at Pif, who was standing still in his ce. The skinny young man ran up and grabbed his bow, aiming straight for Egan. However, he couldn''t shoot clearly. His two fellow colonists were still so close to the enemy. If he tried to shoot, there was a risk that Manu or Leva would be hit by the arrow. "Well, these attacks are pretty decent." Egan chuckled, still dodging and blocking the attacks from my two colonists. "However, you two can''t beat me." Huh? Was he deliberately holding back? Did he want to toy with my colonists? Egan punched Manu in the head so hard he fell down. Then, the lead attacker lifted Leva''s body and mmed her to the ground with the back of her headnding first. The woman was immediately helpless and could only moan in pain. Egan sat on her and started beating her in the face. Manues and tackles the man. The two of them rolled on the grass for a while. Until finally, Egan was on top of Manu''s body. And once again, the ponytailed man beat up my colonist, this time Manu. On the other hand, Leva tried to get up, but the woman couldn''t. Her face was covered in bruises and blood, and her gesture was like that of a drunken person, making her unable to stand up straight. This is terrible. The impact on her head must have had quite a bit of an effect. Pif had actually shot his arrows many times. However, none of them have hit Egan yet. While his ranged attack stat was still low, his hands were shaking as well. "Come on, Pif! You can do it!" I encouraged the young man, though not sure that my voice would reach him. This is not an order, after all. "Dieeeeee!!!" Pif shouted while aiming for the umpteenth time. Zap! "Arrrgggghhh!!!" Egan groaned in pain as the arrow pierced his right arm. The man looked at the arrow in his hand, then looked at Pif, causing the skinny man to flinch. Egan then growled and left the battered Manu. The leader of the attackers pulled the arrow out of his arm as he started walking towards Pif. The skinny man was about to shoot again. However, when he reached for the quiver, he couldn''t hold anything. He checked the arrow carrier and choked. The quiver was empty, even though Egan was getting closer. Chapter 39 - 39 – 3 Vs 1 I turned to Kat and whispered. "Disable this man''s moves, then you help Pif!" Kat pulled two arrows out of the quiver, then stabbed them into Theo''s calves. "Arrrrgggggghhhh!!!" Theo screamed in pain again. The girl got to her feet, but Theo caught her ankle. The enemy shook his head. "We really need to bring Pif to our tribe." Kat took out another arrow, then stuck it into Theo''s hand that was holding her leg. Theo screamed even louder, and Kat was finally able to free herself. Meanwhile, Egan was already strangling Pif''s neck and ring at the skinny man. "I really want to beat you to death right now, but I don''t want the consequences." "Please, I''lle with you, but don''t hurt my friends." Pif pleaded with trembling lips and a frightened face. Egan shook his head andughed. "You know, that''s impossible, right? I will kill the boys and I will torture the two girls until they really choose to die¡­. Arrrggghhhhh!!!" One of Kat''s arrows had pierced the ponytailed man''s back. Kat wasn''t done yet, she shot her second arrow and this time hit the enemy''s mid-chest. "Bastard!!! I will burn your pussyter!!!" The man had already turned and wasing at Kat, but he was pierced by an arrow again. This time on his waist. "Shiiiiitttt!!!" I''ve ordered Kat to shoot arrows at the man''s heart, but Kat''s ranged attack stat isn''t even 60 yet. She can shoot at the target, but not always precisely. Even the next arrow only hit the enemy''s shoulder. With an increasingly fierce face, the lead attacker limped towards Kat. Kat checked her quiver, which was now empty. "Run, Kat! Run!!!" I screamed as loud as I could, then pressed the pause button. I checked my surroundings for a moment, then whispered something to Pif. After that, I went to Manu and Leva, who had started to get up, giving them instructions. And finally, I took a position to watch them, took a breath, then pressed the y button. Egan pulled an arrow from his thigh while groaning ferociously. It seemed he was about to run after Kat, who had run away. However, Pif was already standing close behind him, carrying a stone the size of three human fists. Instead of hitting the stone on Egam''s head, Pif threw it. Yes, Pif''s ranged attack stats are higher than melee attacks. It would be more effective if Pif threw the stone. The stone hit the back of Egam''s head. Not too hard, but enough to make him stagger. Then, came Manu, who ran towards him, tackled his body until he was knocked down. Manu then starts hitting the ponytailed man in the face. "Bastard!!!" Egan pressed Manu''s left eye with his thumb, causing the bearded man to scream in pain. The lead attacker pushed Manu away, then tried to get up. "Heaah!!!" Not yet fully standing, Egan turned his head to the side, which was the source of the scream. Leva was already there, swinging Manu''s ax. Thwack! The ax plunged into Egam''s neck, causing him to freeze instantly. His mouth was oozing fresh blood, and his hands were drooping down. Leva looked into her enemy''s eyes with a heavy breath, which now had no light of life. The woman spat at him, then released her grip from the ax, leaving the chopper stuck in the enemy''s neck. The man''s corpse then fell to the side with his eyes opened. Kat, who had run quite a distance, stopped in an instant as she looked back. Leva, Manu, and Pif threw themselves into the grass, catching their breath. "Nooo!!!" Theo, who was crawling on the ground to escape, screamed hysterically when he saw the incident from a distance. He crawled faster, but Kat stopped him. I did ask the girl to restrain Theo again. "Drag his body and then tie his hands." I gave another order to the girl. Kat then grabbed Theo''s leg and dragged him from there. Theo tried to free himself, but his legs were practically paralyzed. He couldn''t do much but scream and cry. "Stop it, Manu!" Leva''s scream startled me. As soon as I looked at the three people, I found that Manu had already upied Pif''s body. The bearded man had strangled the skinny man. "It''s all because of you!" Manu snapped in Pif''s face. "If you didn''t join us, they wouldn''te here! You should just be killed, so they don''t bothering here! And you deserve to die! You used to raid this ce too, right!?" "Your words make no sense, Manu! If Pif is killed, they''ll get even angrier!" Leva tried to get up, but she stumbled and fell again. "Please, stop it, Manu!" "Shut up!" Manu''s face looked even more violent. "I will avenge us!" I panicked, trying to give orders to Manu to stop this. But it was no use, even though Pif''s mouth was already gasping for air and her face was turning blue. The skinny young man was helpless. No. I don''t want to lose any of my colonists, even though he is weak and can only treat the injured. Just as I was about to hit the pause button and wanted to ask Kat to stop this, Leva finally got up. The red-haired girl ran and punched Manu in the face as hard as possible, even though it also knocked her down. Manu''s choke slipped, but Pif was already unconscious. Fortunately, the young man was still breathing, and there was no in-game warning that his life was in danger. "You can change, Manu!" Still slumped to the ground, Leva screamed in a hoarse, teary voice. "I know, it''s not really you who wants to always seek revenge! Fight the devil within you, Manu! If I can change so as not to harm others, I''m sure you can too!" Manu kneels down and squeezes his head. His tears also started to fall. "God, why would I do something like this again?" "We still have to take care of each other, Manu." Leva''s eyes filled with tears. "So, please." I couldn''t help but stare at the scene. This is really just a game, right? Chapter 40 - 40 – The Raiders’ Story My colonists gathered at their new shelter. I hadn''te up with a method of making a firece or the like that could be used indoors, so one side of the building still wasn''t covered with wooden walls. So, the heat from the bonfire could still get in without the risk of setting the building on fire. Also, smoke will not fill the inside of the shelter. "I''m sorry, Pif." Manu says quietly as the skinny man treats his wound. "Don''t think about it." Pif gave a fleeting smile as he covered the wounds on Manu''s face with a folded bandage. "But, I''d prefer it if you didn''t strangle me like you did earlier." "Again, I am sorry." Manu sighs. "Looks like it''s over." Pif wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, then looked at Leva, who was lying on the dried banana leaves. The woman seemed to have fallen asleep. "I hope she''s okay." Manu also looked at the red-haired woman. "I''m not too worried about the bruises on her face. She certainly could withstand the pain. But, the smack from the guy named Egan was quite nasty. The back of Leva''s head hit the ground hard. I hope someone like that won''t show up at our ce again." Pif was silent for a moment, then said in a slightly trembling voice. "Actually, what you said earlier was true. If I wasn''t around, then they wouldn''t have attacked us." "Hey, before you live here, they already sent people to attack us." Manu patted the skinny man''s shoulder, then smiled faintly. "So don''t me yourself." Pif took a deep breath. "You should rest first. I want to check on our captive." "Okay." Manu nodded. "You should also rest after this." After nodding, Pif got up from the spot and went towards the one-and-a-half-meter-high wooden cage. The 2x2 square meter building is located not far from the bonfire. "He won''t talk to me, Pif." Seb, who was sitting in front of the cage containing the curly-haired man, said. "Maybe he just wants to talk to you. He''s your friend, right?" I gave orders to Pif. The skinny young man then crouched down in front of the prisoner, who just sat looking down in silence. The wounds on his body were bandaged. I did have Seb treat him with Kat watching. The girl would shoot her arrows if Theo attacked. I double-checked Theo''s stats. [Theo, 21 years old (Tribe member, Raider)] STATS: Ranged attack: 1/100 Melee attack: 29/100 Construction: 47/100 Crafting: 9/100 Cook: 18/100 nts: 22/100 Mining: 6/100 Animals: 15/100 Medic: 7/100 TRAITS: - INCAPABLE OF: - HEALTH ISSUES: Bite scars to the left thigh and right shoulder. Stab scars on the right wrist and left hand. (working speed -36%, walking speed -39%). His construction stat is the highest. Even if he has a lot of scars, he will be a valuable addition to my colony. Manu can focus on crafting. And as usual, without speaking at all, Kat left from there to Rox. The dog was tied to one of therge wooden stakes nearby. The pet immediately barked with joy at the arrival of its master. "Your new tribe has hot, sexy-dressed girls." Theoughed bitterly, still looking down. "I envy you. In our ce there is nothing like them." "Ah, he finally wants to talk." Seb stood up and patted Pif on the shoulder. "I''m going to pee first." After Seb was some distance away, Pif spoke. "So join me, Theo. You can see them every day. If you''re lucky, you can get a bonus from them." Bonuses, huh? Like when Leva teased you and put her arm around you? Or when Kat buried your face in her chest until you got a nosebleed and passed out? Theo shook his head. "That''s impossible, right? You should know that. If I join you and get caught by my tribe again, they''ll torture me to death." "I understand that ...." "No. You don''t understand." Theo lifted his face, revealing a desperate expression. "The punishment and training you received was not as severe as ours. For example, when you were chased by a dog. The dog didn''t really chase you. Meanwhile, I was bitten and seriously injured. Twice." Theo showed arge bite scar on his left leg. "You are the son of the leader of the Tribe, Pif." Theo continued his speech. "You''re not really threatened. You know what? Our leader really doesn''t want to send you on a raid. Even though the people in our tribe think it can train you mentally. Once forced by other higher-ups, your father finally had to agree. Even then, at first he would send many tribesmen to escort you...." "Enough." Pif cut off the conversation. "I don''t want you to talk about it." Holy shit. Turns out you have a deep story, Pif. You''re not just a weakling bullied in your tribe. Actually, the primary source of your insecurity is because you can''t live up to your father''s expectations, right? "So, you bettere with me to return to our tribe, Pif." Theo said again. "Do you know how desperate I was to take you? Well, I''m willing to forgive you even though you''ve already killed E, our close friend." Pif choked. His mouth opened, but not a single word came out. Damn. I want Pif to convince Theo. However, it was Pif who was being persuaded instead. "You''d better get out of here, Pif." I asked the skinny man. Pif gulped, then rose to his feet. Instead of entering the shelter again, Pif took a piece of wood from the bonfire and walked away. "Hey, where are you going, Pif!?" Theo called out to the skinny man. "I still need to talk to you! You must return to our tribe!" Pif didn''t care and kept walking. Even when he passed Seb, he didn''t stop at all. "Where are you going, Pif?" Seb asked. "I just want to be alone." Pif''s voice was starting to get a little hoarse. I followed the young man. He walked quite a distance until he finally came to arge rock. The young man''s tears began to fall. He then sat down, stuck the fiery wood in his hand, then curled up there. He sobbed alone, apanied by quietness. Chapter 41 - 41 – Demon Are they really just a collection of data and instructions created by humans? That question has been haunting my mindtely, to the point I can''t sleep because of it. If they''re just data, why do I feel so attached to them? I crouched down, rubbing the young man''s head. Of course, he wouldn''t respond. To him, I don''t exist. "This must be hard for you, especially when you feel like you''ve killed someone close to you." I talked to him, even though I knew it was pointless. "I can''t do much for you, other than to try to make this ce friendly to you and ept you as you are. I''ll try to make sure this ce is really home for you." "Aahhh!!!" Pif looked up, and time stopped. What? Auto pause? At a time like this? Didn''t we just get attacked? This game won''t give attacks from enemies in a row, right? I warp to my colony shelter, and the scene before me turned into something terrifying. Seb sat on the ground with his mouth wide open. He looked like he was about to inched away. Meanwhile, Manu has entered the cage with a rusty machete. His expression was so ferocious, like a hungry beast. He was clearly going to attack Theo. The prisoner had shifted to the corner of the cage with a hysterical face. This can no longer be prevented. The machete was so close to the curly-haired man''s neck. Why, Manu? I held my head, very frustrated by this incident. Besides wanting my colonists to grow, I wanted to save Theo. He was tortured by members of his own tribe. And now Manu will destroy everything, but I can''t do anything. Why did the auto-pause trigger sote? This is unfair. Having no other choice, I turned my back on the cage, froze for a moment, then pressed the y button. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! The sound of a machete piercing through a human''s body was heard. "Nooo! Aaah! Aaaahhhh!!!" And then, Seb ran away. I waited, not wanting to see Theo''s corpse. The curly-haired man was silent. What I heard was something dragged. It seemed Manu was dragging the man''s corpse out. I do not know. I still haven''t dared to look. Not long after, Pif came back with a run, immediately dropping his fiery piece of wood. The fire from the wood started to devour the grass. I immediately pressed the pause button again and woke Kat to bring a wooden bucket filled with water from the corner of the shelter. When Kat came out, the fire had be bigger, and Pif was already inching away. Kat doused the fire, which fortunately was extinguished instantly. "I''m so sorry..." Pif apologized with tears in his eyes. "I identally dropped the wood¡­. I saw Manu had already killed Theo¡­." Kat looked at the young man, of course with an expressionless face. "I avenge our group." Pif, Kat, and I turned in the direction of the voice, at Manu who had just returned. "I saved our group. He deserved to die." Manu continued his speech in a t tone. "What the fuck happened!?" Leva, who just came out of the shelter, cursed when she found a trail of blood that came from the cage and stretched far. The woman looked at Manu, immediately ring at the sight of blood sttered on the clothes and body of the bearded man. "What are you doing, Manu!?" "Theo is my friend!" Pif shouted and got up. "And before this, I killed E! I lost two of my best friends in one day! This shouldn''t have happened! You don''t have to kill Theo! Why are you doing this, Manu!?" Manu didn''t answer and just stared at the skinny man''s face. "Arrgggghhh!!!" Pif hit Manu''s body, but the bearded man didn''t react at all. Pif''s punch looks weak and powerless. The skinny man continued to punch. But still, it had no effect on Manu. And then, Leva punched Manu hard in the stomach. The bearded man copsed, holding his stomach and coughing violently. Leva did not stop there. She kicked Manu''s body, but I saw she wasn''t aiming for the injured part. I just stood there, watching the scene. So did Kat and Pif. They froze in ce. Perhaps, Manu deserved all that, and maybe he thought so too. The bearded man didn''t resist at all. "You''re crazy, Manu." Leva said with a heavy breath. "I told you, you have to fight that demon within you!" "Forgive me ¡­." Manu moans and cries. "Forgive me ¡­. I really don''t want to do this¡­." Pif sobbed again. The young man chose to leave the scene. Maybe Pif wanted to avenge Manu, but he wasn''t that kind of person. I then said something in Leva''s ear. "Sorry, but we have to lock you up. We cannot tolerate this kind of behavior any further." Leva''s eyes were also filled with tears. "You really need to be punished, Manu." I didn''t know that punishing Manu would bring him to his senses. However, if I close my eyes to his actions, I feel something is wrong. Manu stood up with a staggering motion. He looked down and said in a low voice. "How about you just kill me, Leva?" "We still need you." Leva''s voice was muffled. "But remember, if you do something like this one more time, then I won''t hesitate to slit your throat. Theo did take Seb hostage, but he didn''t want to do that. I''m sure he could still change. And you took his opportunity." Manu closed his eyes for a moment, walked a few steps, then entered the cage by himself. Leva put a woodentch on the door of the cage, then tied it in such a way that Manu could not unravel it from the inside. After she finished, Leva had already opened her mouth, perhaps wanting to ask. However, she chose to get up, walking away with a bit of a stagger.. Kat stopped in front of the cage for a moment, watched Manu huddle in silence, then followed Leva back to the shelter. Chapter 42 - 42 – The Meeting Kat threw a stick away. Rox immediately barked, ran, then picked it up with his mouth. "Good boy. Good boy." Kat gave her pet a small piece of jerky when he returned to her. Not far from there, Leva walked over to the wooden cage while shivering slightly. The temperature has started to drop, a sign that autumn will soone. However, I haven''t given them more clothes since I see that Kat and Leva''s temperature tolerance is still within safe limits. Apart from the fact that I like female clothes that show more skin, the materials for making new clothes are also non-existent. Manu, studying the clothes Egan had worn, lifted his face to look at the red-haired girl. I did tell Manu to do that so he couldter make clothes like that. "It''s about time you got out, Manu." Leva said with her hands on her hips. "But I''ve only been here two days." Manu answered while raising an eyebrow. Leva scratched her hair and snorted. "You think I want to get you out now? We have no other choice. We need you, Manu. We have a lot to discuss." Thedy opens the cage and lets Manu out. Then, the two of them entered the shelter. The other three colonists were already sitting there, waiting for the two of them. "So, what do you guys want to talk about that you have to call me from punishment?" Manu immediately asks as he sits down. "We have to prepare ourselves for winter." Seb answered. "It''s still a long time until winter, but I think we should do that now." Leva added. Since I had no idea how they would deal with winter, I ordered my colonists to hold a meeting to find solutions. "First, we need a lot of leather for warm clothes and sleeping bags." Pif said. I finally gave the thin man the task of calcting resources, apart from practicing healing. "That means Kat will have to work hard to hunt." Kat didn''t respond even though all eyes were on her. "Then for the food. I don''t know the climate here, the type of potatoes I grow, and other factors. However, I think I should be able to harvest them in about 40-50 days." Seb gave an exnation. "And then we''ll get a lot of meat from Kat''s hunt. I don''t think food will be a problem. "And now wee to the most important, but also the most difficult." Leva sighed. "How about a firece to warm us up. Can you make one, Manu?" Manu shook his head. "I don''t even know what it looks like. In my tribe, we use a teepee, a kind of tent that has bonfire set up in such a way that the fire doesn''t spread around." "My Tribe uses something like that too." Pif added. "However, our tent is funnel-shaped and the roof is open for smoke to escape, so we don''t suffocate." "And it can''t be used for a building like this." Manu looked around at the inside of his handcrafted building. "I''m confused as to why I don''t just build a tent. Usually, buildings like this are only for storage of goods in our tribe. We can switch to make a tent, but we need a big one for five people. We''re going to have a hard time making leather sheets to wrap around the frame. There aren''t too many animals around here. Not to mention we need to make some warm clothes and sleeping bags." I''m sorry, Manu. I didn''t think much of it when I asked you to make this. "How about one of us learn to make a firece from my tribe?" Leva muttered in an unenthusiastic tone. "But it''s notpletely free, though. You still need money or something of value to get them to teach you." Everyone there fell silent, making the red-haired girl chuckle. "They are not that bad, even if it''s because of the iron-fisted rule of the leader. I can guarantee that. I''m the only one who likes to do trouble, so I ended up being sold. Then, Tosa and Reha only did evil because there was a chance. They were ordered to sell me into very. Other than that, they wouldn''t dare go against our leader." Leva shrugged. "Apart from learning to make bricks for a firece, you can ask to be taught to sew better clothes, smithing... Well, I''m not sure the cksmiths in My tribe want to help you guys. They are incredibly stingy." "Maybe we can also buy various necessities there." Pif nodded. "I''m not sure we can gather enough leather for five people. There are few animals around here." "Ah, we also need a pot to boil snow into water." Seb rubbed his chin, then looked at Leva. "Your tribe sells something like that?" Leva shrugged. "May be." "Back to bricks to make fireces, Leva." Manu speaks again. "Are the ingredients avable here?" "The material is y and I need to find it. I think it can be done using my mineral detection ability. However, that means I can''t go to my tribe." Leva grinned widely. "Looking for that y could take days." Actually, you don''t want to go back to your old tribe, do you, Leva? Now, my colonists have fallen silent. This means that I will have to decide who will go. It was impossible for Leva to leave because she had to look for y. She also didn''t want to meet the members of her former tribe. I have to pay attention to her feelings Seb? He''s really good at bargaining. However, apart from taking care of the nts, he also couldn''t be relied on to defend himself. What if there is a threat on the road? I want at least two people to depart, and they must have fighting skills. And I think Pif is not suitable for this mission. His archery stat was still rtively low. His weak body can also be a hindrance. His walking time wasn''t as long as the others, and he needed more rest after that. It will take longer to arrive in Leva''s former tribe, even though I want all of this to be resolved quickly. So, the only choice is Manu and Kat. Not the most ideal partner indeed, because Kat clearly can''t negotiate, and Manu hasn''t proven hismunication skills yet. However, for now, I have no other choice. At the very least, the two of them could fight to defend themselves. I whispered all my thoughts to Seb, who immediately passed them on to his fellow colonists. Everyone listened, and no one argued. Turning to Kat, who was, of course, expressionless, Manu said. "So, are you ready for this journey, partner?" The amber-eyed girl only nced at Manu briefly. Chapter 43 - 43 – A Quest I''ve used the flight feature to check if I can see any signs of y from above. However, it turned out that the only part I could see was the settlement where my colonists lived and a few kilometers around it. So, Leva went looking for y without any more precise clues. It was evening. Leva continued to walk along the river bank carrying various items. There is arge sack and makeshift shovel made of long wood tied to an escape pod te on her back. In addition, she also carried a wooden box-shaped container on her shoulders. The container willter be used to carry y. The container was about the size of a gallon of water. What the woman will bring is y, not water. I think y will be heavier than water. Will the girl be strong enough to carry that thing to the colony? I hope so. At first, I thought this mission would bepleted in one day. However, even after traversing the river bank on the first and second day in opposite directions, Leva had yet to find any y. Therefore, I ordered her to go alone while bringing enough provisions for up to three days. If Leva doesn''t see those bricks materials for three days, I''ll ask her to return to the colony. Then, I''ll have her follow the riverbank again in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, making a raft is not an option. This river flows quite fast because it is not too deep and there are manyrge rocks. The red-haired girl stopped, put her container and bag of goods on the ground, then knelt on the bank of the river. She scooped up the clear river water, then drank it. The girl did the same thing again, but this time to wash her face. Then, the girl sniffed her own armpit. "Just take a shower, Leva. You haven''t showered in a long time, haven''t you?" I''m giggling in her ear. "It''s not toote. You''ll be itching before going to bed. You''ve been sweating all day, you know." Leva was silent for a moment, looking up at the sky. Then, she got up and took off all her clothes. I certainly enjoyed the sight. Her slim and slightly muscr body has its own allure. However, just as Leva was about to put her foot into the river water, I heard a snarl like that of a beast, and the auto-pause was triggered. Well, of course, you can''t expect everything to go smoothly if you''re traveling alone in the wild. After I gave her orders and pressed the y button, Leva grabbed her shovel and started to look around warily, not bothering to put her clothes on at all. Maybe she didn''t want to waste time because even a second of her carelessness would put her life in danger. This is the wild. But, seeing her ready with her weapon, still with her naked body, I feel like seeing such a beautiful work of art. The beast''s growl sounded again. Leva turned her body back and found a gray furry beast. The beast was simr to a house cat but doubled in size, and the contours of its face looked fiercer, almost like a lion. It didn''t seem to like Leva''s existence or think that she was a threat to its territory. "I don''t want to bother you little cat." Leva hissed. "If you don''t want me here, I''m leaving." However, the wild cat didn''t care and jumped instead. Leva didn''t have time to dodge and couldn''t do anything about it when her left arm was wed. "Ouch!" Leva jumped back and winced in pain. Ugh, it turns out that some of the animals on this are quite aggressive. Starting from that group of monkeys, and now this cat. As far as I know, their counterparts on earth are not like them. "Okay, then." Leva sneered when she saw the blood flowing down her arm. "I had to defend myself. I don''t want to get hurt any more than this." Growling again, the cat jumped a second time. However, this time Leva was much more prepared. She hit the wild cat with her shovel. The cat mmed hard to the ground and staggered to get up, but instead of running away, it was ready to strike again. "Oh,e on." Leva clucked. *** Sitting in front of the bonfire, Leva checked the bandage on her left arm. The bandage was so untidy that it was still dripping blood. "Oh, whatever." The woman snorted, then began to roll back the cat she had skinned over the fire. Let''s hope it doesn''t get infected before you get to your house, Leva. Several times women check if the animal that has been removed from the head is cooked or not. Yes, Leva did have provisions, but if the food she brought could be stored for another day, wouldn''t that be great? After all, it was the cat who attacked first. Leva needs rest. If she ran away, she might get even more tired. I''ve learned not to get too attached to the animals in this world. If needed, they can be food for the survival of my colonists. The woman took the stick used to stab the beast, but she didn''t eat it right away. She removed the cooked meat from the fire and fanned it with arge leaf. I went fast-forward, intending to speed things up until the morning. However, just a moment after I did that, everything went back to normal automatically. An event? "Ugh. Your cooking is much more edible, Seb." Leva scowled after chewing, but she took a bite of the food anyway. And suddenly, I heard a meowing sound. Leva immediately stopped eating. Three little gray kittens came out of the grass. With bodies only the size of a human fist, they walked with a limp. Seeing Leva, they weren''t scared but instead kept meowing, as if asking the red-haired girl something. "Shit." Leva lowered the grilled meat she held, then looked at the three small animals with a sad grimace. "You came out of the nest because your mother didn''te home, did you? Oh, I''m sorry." I pped my forehead and chose to look up, unable to bear to look at the three kittens. Why does this game have any means of breaking your heart? Leva approached the three animals, but they fled and were lost in the grass instead. "That is thew of nature. To maintain one life, we may have to sacrifice another life." It wasn''t Leva''s voice. The woman got up and raised her shovel, staring at the darkness that was the source of the voice. "Who are you?" It wasn''t long before the figure of a human emerged from that darkness. Chapter 44 - 44 – A Figure From The Darkness It turned out that what came to Leva was the figure of a woman with a slightly hunchbacked back and gray hair that was in a ponytail. Between the wrinkles on her face, she smiled. ???? (Lone Wanderer) STATS: Ranged attack: 44/100 Melee attack: 7/100 Even though she had that much of a ranged attack stat, this old Lady didn''t appear to be carrying a ranged weapon. She only brought a leather sack like Leva had, but it was smaller in size. "What''s your name and where are you from?" Per my instruction, Leva asked the woman whose clothes were in tatters, even though it wasn''t really that primitive. The clothes were simr to those worn by Reha and Tosa, Leva''s formerrades in her previous Tribe. "I''m Tia. My Tribe was attacked andpletely destroyed." The old woman sighed. "It was a miracle that I managed to escape, even though many were younger than me and deserved to live more.... Ah, I''m talking about unimportant things. Well, basically I''m wandering alone now. My travelingpanion has also died¡­. Ah, what''s your name, young girl?" Now, the profile of the girl named Tia can be seen entirely by me. [Tia, 68 years old (Lone Wanderer)] STATS: Ranged attack: 44/100 Melee attack: 7/100 Construction: 33/100 Crafting: 70/100 Cook: 75/100 nts: 24/100 Mining: - Animals: 67/100 Medic: 98/100 TRAITS: Productive ¨C Tia can easily stay focused on the task and gets things done much quicker than the average person. (working speed +30%). INCAPABLE OF: Mining. HEALTH ISSUES: Bad Back - Degradation in the spinal column and surrounding muscture. This makes it hard to move and bend smoothly. (working speed -15%, walking speed -35%) Stab scars on the right pinky. (working speed -1%) Damn, you''ve had a lot of experience, old Lady. With such a trait and arge healing stat, you will be a great addition to my colony. I don''t care if you''re old and can''t do the heavy lifting anymore. Let the other colonists take care of you, and you focus on healing them. "Just answer the question, Leva." I gave the order because the red-haired girl just froze. "My name is Leva." Leva answered while still holding up her shovel. "What do you want from me?" Well, in this wild without humanws, it seems that you really have to remain vignt, even though what you are facing is only an old woman. "I just wanted to ask for some food. I think that''s too much to eat alone." While widening her smile, Tia pointed at the stick with the grilled cat stuck in the ground. "In exchange, I will heal your wounds. It seems, your treatment is not good enough." After I spoke to her again, Leva lowered her shovel. "Please." Tia breathed a sigh of relief, then approached Leva closer. "May I see your wound?" Despite raising an eyebrow, Levaplied with the old woman''s request. The red-haired girl raised her left arm, revealing a scratched wound where the bandage had almoste off. With a slight trembling, Tia put her hand on the wound, then closed her eyes. Slowly, Leva''s eyes opened more and more, as if she saw something she shouldn''t have. Huh? I thought she would fix the bandage or something. And momentster, Tia withdrew her hand. Leva immediately checked her arm. "What in the world...." Leva choked. I''m amazed too. All that was on the red-haired woman''s arm were bandages and remnants of blood. The scratch wound had disappeared without a trace. [Hidden trait unlocked] [Miracle Healer - Tia has the mysterious ability to quickly heal wounds and various ailments] I''m not wrong to ask Leva to help you, Tia. The old woman narrowed her eyes to observe Leva''s body. "Looks like you still have a lot of scars. Well, I can remove them all if you want." "Just say yes, Leva...." I stopped whispering into the woman''s ear when I found Tia looking a bit breathless. "After you two eat." "I would and I would really appreciate it...." Leva looked confused, maybe because she didn''t think about doing what I told her to do. "But we''d better eat first, Lady. You must be very hungry." "Thanks very much." Tia looked at Leva with almost teary eyes. "I haven''t eaten in two days. I can''t hunt anymore and just rely on fruit I found on the road." Seeing the grateful expression, Leva smiled. I smiled too. Leva split the cat meat in two, and Tia epted it happily. The old woman seemed to find it a little difficult to bite the slightly too burnt flesh, perhaps because her teeth were not as strong as they used to be. However, she refused when Leva offered her a much softer Jerky. "This alone is enough." The old woman smiled again. *** "So, I haven''t asked this, young girl." Tia asked while treating the thin sh scars on Leva''s back using both hands. "Why did you go alone? You''re not a loner traveler like me, are you?" "Ah, I was looking for y to make a firece in preparation for winter." Leva shrugged. She covered her chest with the clothes she took off. Her back is now fully exposed. "Somehow it''s so hard to find the materials to make those bricks. I''ve been walking all day, but to no avail." "You can find it in about half a day from here." Tia points to the distance. "There''s a lot there." "Is that true?" Leva''s eyes lit up slightly. "Great, I don''t need to look in the opposite direction anymore." "Ah, it sure feels good to be in front of the firece in winter." Tia sighed. "As for me.... I don''t know what my fate will be in winter. I don''t even have any warm clothes." Now is the time to say that, Leva. "How about you join our tribe, Tia?" Finally, Leva spoke those words. "I think they''ll ept you. You can treat us if we get injured. The people there also have scars that you can heal.... Well, maybe someone will protest, but I guess he''ll ept you once you''ve healed him." Yes, finally, I could heal Manu entirely so that his working speed became more normal. That would be another benefit for my colony. "Is that true?" On her tired-looking face, Tia showed a sparkling look. "I would really appreciate it." "So wee, Tia." Leva nodded, smiling again. [New colonist acquired] The old woman looked like she was about to speak again, but she coughed quite violently several times. "Hey, are you okay?" Leva asked in a worried tone. "I am alright." The woman said hoarsely, then got up. "I''m just tired, maybe I need to rest. Your scars are all gone... Ah, you can use my sleeping bag if you want." Leva shook her head. "I don''t need it.. This fire is enough for me." Chapter 45 - 45 – Some Miracle As usual, I use the fast forward feature so that everything can run faster. However, just like before, time suddenly returned to normal. "Yona.... My daughter.... Why did you leave me, my baby?" Leva woke up because of the sleep talk from the old woman. "Why did you do that? I''m still by your side, Yona...." Tia''s tears started to fall. I wonder what kind of incident made this olddy talk in her sleep? [After her tribe is destroyed by another tribe, Tia manages to escape with her only daughter, Yona. However, Yona was traumatized because her closest people were killed, including her husband and three children. So, Yona couldn''t take it anymore and ended her life.] What a tragic story. But why does this appear as a notification? Ah, maybe because Tia wouldn''t tell anyone about it. "Yona!" Tia flinched violently and straightened her body. She looked around wildly, and her breathing was heavy. Leva rushed to the old woman. "Are you all right, Tia?" At first, Tia flinched when she saw Leva. However, it didn''t take long for the old woman toe back to her senses. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, then looked at Leva with teary eyes. "Oh, I just had a bad dream." The old woman sighed. "I''ll sleep by your side so you won''t be scared anymore." Leva said softly. Tia shook her head. "You don''t have to do this, youngdy." Leva''s mouth curled into a faint smile. "It''s okay, I''ll really apany you." Tia was silent for a moment, then nodded stiffly. Once the twoy down, everything went super fast again. In just a few seconds, the sun had already appeared on the horizon. And strangely, when Leva wakes up and stretches her body, the speed of time returns to normal again, even though I haven''t stopped fast-forward. My eyes immediately fell on Tia, whose eyes were half-opened and filled with tears. "Tia?" Leva asked with her eyes widening even more. "Hey, Tia!" While Leva pressed her ear to Tia''s chest, I opened the old woman''s profile window. I choked when I saw what was at the top of the window. [Tia, 68 years (Colonist) - Dead] Very unfortunate. You haven''t even seen your new home and family, Tia. Leva lifted her head from the woman''s chest, took a deep breath, then closed her eyes. It''s still hit different for me. Maybe because Tia really looks like an actual human, from appearance to behavior. Not that I was unfortunate and wanted to mourn the old woman''s death. No. I don''t know her too well yet. This is the feeling you will feel when you see a good person die. There must be something bothering you, right? I crouched down beside Leva and said in the red-haired woman''s ear. "Take all of her belongings, except for her clothes. Then, bury her properly. I know you may find this inappropriate, but in a survival situation like this, we have to make the most of everything we can get..." Ah,tely, I''ve been doing things like that, trying to appease my colonists if I ask them to do questionable things. Yet, they will still obey me if Imand them, no matter how bad what I ask them to do. *** Once again, the fast forward in the game stops, and everything goes back to normal. However, this time it wasn''t something about death, the arrival of another person, or the like. After burying Tia, Leva had been walking for half a day. And she now found what she was looking for. The red-haired woman quickened her pace with a happy face when she saw a light-brown slope in the distance. y. Maybe because she was too excited, Leva didn''t see her step and stepped on a rock that was quite sharp. The woman sat down, wincing in pain, examining the sole of her right foot, which was starting to bleed. Ouch. However, behaving like a champion, the woman was back on her feet and walking as usual. Her face didn''t show that she was actually in pain. Is it okay for her to be like that? Initially, I wanted to ask her to treat the wound first. However, I immediately realized it was pointless. The bandages she put on her hands yesterday didn''t help. What if the bandage was used on the leg that was constantly rubbing against the ground? That''s called wasting resources. Arriving at the y slope, Leva began to hoe the y and put it in the wooden container she was carrying. She didn''t take too long to do that because you could say the container she was carrying wasn''t too big, although I''m sure once filled with y, it would be so heavy. Damn. She had to do things like this for days, going back and forth from her colony to this ce and vice versa. There is no other alternative. Pif was weak, and the others had their jobs. I hope you can survive this, Leva. When she was about to carry the container full of y, the woman was stunned. Then, she checked the sole of her left foot, which should have been injured. What? The soles of the feet showed no wounds at all. There was only dirt there. [New traits acquired] [Fast healing - Leva will heal much faster from any injury or illness] Huh? So Tia passed down this kind of power or what? I even opened the profile window of the red-haired woman to check if the notification was correct. Maybe there''s a bug. Leva, 23 years old (Colonist) STATS: Ranged attack: 8/100 Melee attack: 76/100** Construction: 29/100 Crafting: - Cook: 6/100 nts: 12/100 Mining: 56/100* Animals: 20/100 Medic: 11/100 TRAITS: Brawler ¨C Leva likes closebat and hates using ranged weapons. Her melee attack uracy is outstanding. Mineral detector - Leva has the ability to detect minerals around her. Fast healing - Leva will recover much faster from any injuries or illnesses. INCAPABLE OF: Crafting. HEALTH ISSUES: - This game surprised me again, huh? If I didn''t care about Tia and let the granny starve, Leva wouldn''t get this miraculous power. Leva looked up at the sky and narrowed her eyes.. "Well, I guess I should thank you, Tia." Chapter 46 - 46 – New Clothes Hiding behind arge rock, Kat had just shot a rabbit in the body. However, the long-eared animal was still able to escape to higher grass. Although I really love rabbits, I have to change my mindset that they can be food for my colonists. "Woof! Woof!" Rox came out of hiding and chased the rabbit. Kat came out too but just walked normally. Not long after, Rox returned to his master. With his mouth, he carried the hunted rabbit. "Good, boy." Kat crouched down and rubbed Rox''s head. The pet sticks out his tongue and wags his tail, a sign that he is happy. His body was not that thin now, and it seemed his sense of smell had returned to normal. Kat has really taken good care of this child. And Kat''s mouth suddenly shed a fleeting faint smile. I immediately pressed the rey button to see the rare urrence. I told you, you''re so cute when you smile, Kat. After ughtering the rabbit, Kat froze. Well, this time, I can guess what''s on her mind. There was enough meat for a few days, and they found the berry source, although it was a bit far from the settlement. What is the problem is the leather. They really need a lot of that stuff for sweaters and sleeping bags. The girl stood up and looked around. The sky was starting to turn orange, a sign that the sun was about to set. She couldn''t possibly continue the hunt. I activated the fast-forward feature, and in just a short time, the sky turned dark. Luckily, Kat had made it to her settlement. "Well, you came home prettyte, Kat." Seb, who was sitting by the bonfire, greeted Kat with a smile. As usual, without saying anything, the girl handed over the rabbit''s corpse she was carrying. "Thanks, I''ll process it right away." Although Seb''s smile widened, I could see that the man was worried. Yesterday Kat brought nothing. Now, what came was only a small animal. "Hey, check this out, Kat." Manu came in already wearing a tank top made of leather,bined with knee-length pants made of the same material but in a darker brown color. Because there are no zippers, the pants use a rope that is tied to tighten the part in the belly. Well, I know there''s very little leather stock in my colony. Still, I wanted to make a better impression when my two colonists came to Leva''s former tribe. I read about it on a forum. Some say that a convincing appearance can make a better impression, so the person you are talking to will be more friendly. The point is, they''re not going to think of my colonists as stupid savages. Kat blinked when she saw the other two pieces of clothes Manu had brought, then asked. "Why?" Manu looked at his handiwork, which was much smaller than what he was wearing. The top is also sleeveless and just enough to cover the chest... No. I don''t think that would be enough to cover Kat''s big boobs. It was too short, and there was a clear cleavage in the middle. And for the bottom. Are those pants or panties, Manu? I''m not sure it can cover all of Kat''s butt cheeks. Well, I''m notining, really. I consider it a good job instead. However, I don''t understand why Manu thought of making such sexy clothes. I just told him to make two pairs of clothes like the ones Reha and Tosa wore. "Since you said it would be easier to move around in clothes that showed more of your skin, then I made one like this." Manu shrugged. "And this actually saves quite a bit of our leather supply." "Just put it on, Kat." I whispered. Kat froze for a moment, then grabbed it and went behind the shelter to change. Manu then nced at Pif, who was practicing archery. Pif gave a thumbs up and winked. Manu replies with just a sneer. Did the two of you n this? What a naughty duo. "Fuck this shit!" The newly arrived Leva spilled the y she had brought into the pile beside the shelter,y down on the grass, then whispered to herself. "I must to be strong, this is for the sake of my house.... I must be strong. This is for the sake of my house... I must be strong, this is for the sake of my house...." After I ordered him, Seb crouched down beside the woman. "Today you did a great job too, Leva." Leva straightened up, looking at the frame of the building attached to the shelter. The building will be used as a warehouseter. "I used to be tired of cutting down trees, but I miss it now, it''s better than walking long distances and carrying heavy objects...." The woman cleared her throat. "Ah, sorry I''mining like this. I know, I''m the only one who can do this for now." Seb shook his head. "No problem. Comin if you want toin. We are human, we can''t act tough all the time." I can''t imagine my colony without you, Seb. All of our eyes turned to Kat, who was walking a bit erratically while covering her chest and crotch. Her face was red, but as usual, she didn''t show any significant change in her expression. In winter, I won''t be able to show your beautiful body, Kat. So, forgive me for wanting to do this while I still can. "Oh hell no. Does this mean I''ll also be wearing clothes like that..." Leva stood up and shrugged. "I''m used to skimpy clothes, but still..." The red-haired girl came up to Kat and took a closer look at the almost bikini-like outfit. In addition to the low cleavage window, the top of the outfit also exposed most of Kat''s midriff, as well as prominent underboobs. Then, the strings on the cleavage window were useless. If the girl bent down, everyone could see her plump assets. And as I expected, Kat''s rather tight pants barely covered the bottom. Her entire thigh and a third of her butt check were clearly visible. "Hmm, something''s weird." Leva rubbed her chin while Kat just nced at the red-haired girl. And all of a sudden, Leva crouched down and pulled down Kat''s pants, making the boys wince, including me. "I haven''t seen anything like that in a while!" Pif slipped. "You didn''t tie your pants tight enough, Kat." Still squatting, Leva studied Kat''s face, which was now as red as a ripe tomato. "Damn, even when your pussy is exposed like this, your expression doesn''t change." However, I could see Kat''s lips starting to move. "Kyaaaaaaaa!!!" Chapter 47 - 47 – The Beginning Of A Long Journey "So, you actually met a healer who removed your scars?" Pif asked, scratching his head. "And after that your wound can quickly disappear?" Leva, just getting up and doing her morning stretch, looked at the young man and snorted. "You''ve been asking that question for days, Pif. You''ve seen it for yourself, haven''t you? The scars on my thighs and back are gone. You''re the one who stares at me often..." The woman raised her eyebrows and rubbed her ass. "Why? The bandage on your ass is open?" "No. The wound is gone." "Huh, really?" Pif looked at Leva''s lower body. "The old me will definitely p you, brat." Leva snorted again. "Last night you had enough of looking at my ass while treating me, right?" Just back from the river, Kat came in without greeting them at all. Gulped, Leva came to the amber-eyed girl, who was now packing things into a sack. "Kat, I''m really sorry." Leva said in a somewhat shaky voice, something I''d never heard before. "At that time, I was really tired and frustrated with the situation, so I did a little something that I thought was fun.... Well, I have to admit, I''m back to being who I used to be. I''m back to being asshole." "Just shut up, Leva." Kat stopped what she was doing. Her voice sounded so cold. "Do you want me to shoot your ass again?" I have to admit,st night was horrifying. Kat continued to chase Leva, who just kept on teasing her. Maybe out of frustration--I don''t know because the girl''s feelings were unpredictable-- Kat took a bow and shot Leva. Luckily, Kat was only aiming for the ass where there was a lot of meat. Leva raised her hands, grinning. "I promise I won''t do anything like that again." I don''t believe in you, Leva. You will definitely do it again in the future. "Is everything ready, Kat?" Already carrying a sack on his back, Manu appears with Seb. "Soon." Kat tied her sack so fast, a sign that she was actually still pissed. She then got up and started walking out of the shelter. "Be careful on the way." Leva waved to Kat. "Come on, boy." Instead of replying to Leva''s words, Kat snapped her fingers at Rox, who immediately ran over and barked at its master. Manu waved and started walking after Kat. "See you again in a few days." I speed up the in-game time. I was going to leave it alone until there was an event. However, after a while, I was curious about the interaction between Manu and Kat. So, I used warp to where they were and stopped the fast-forward. And just as I thought, they walked on without a chat. Kat also interacts with her dog more. The girl asionally throws twigs for her dog to pick up or just ys catch up with the pet. It''s painful to watch. As if Manu wasn''t there. The man just stared at Kat while scratching his hair. Will things like this continue for the next five days? Not to mention what will happen when they are in Leva''s former tribe and when they return home. I had put my mouth close to Manu''s ear, intending to ask the man to open the conversation. However, I could already guess that Kat would only give short answers. It won''t change things much. So, how about I ask Kat to speak first? "Try asking Manu something, Kat." I spoke into the amber-eyed girl''s ear. "Use a topic that you find interesting." Kat was silent for a moment, then asked. "Does your tribe have any pets, Manu?" Manu red in shock. It took a while before he could answer. "Well, there''s one member of my tribe who''s very good at taming animals. He''s got lots of dogs, a few horses, and a bear." "A bear?" Kat turned to Manu. "That''s right, a big bear. Complete with sharp fangs and ws. It was a juvenile when it was tamed." Manu continues his speech. "He is a favorite among my tribe members because he is very friendly with them. And when there is an attack, the beast can be relied on to defend our tribe." "Then, what about the food? The portion he eats must be veryrge, right?" "Well, he can hunt on his own. Although sometimes if we get an animal to eat, he gets his share too." Manu shrugged. "I actually wonder why the animal is still loyal to our tribe when it is rarely fed." "Sounds awesome." Kat shrugged. I was surprised to hear those wordse out of Kat''s mouth. This was not something the girl used to say. "Well, I''m sure you can get one like that, Kat. As long as you train your pets carefully and tame lots of other animals. Your skills will continue to improve. The number one tamer in our tribe said, with a lot of experience, you''ll be able to tame all the animals. ." "I guess one is enough." Kat rubbed Rox''s back. The dog jumped up and down, trying to lick Kat''s face. "I''m not sure I can take care of that many animals. Plus, there''s very little food in our area. I can''t always get an animal every day." Turns out you really do have an interest in animals, Kat. Thankfully, that means you''re keeping Rox, not just on my orders... Hey, you can talk that long, Kat? I was about to whisper something more into Kat''s ear because the chatter between the two of them had stopped. However, suddenly Manu ran really fast. And the auto-pause is triggered. A threat? I looked back and saw arge bird with ck feathers, a blue head, and a long red neck. The ostrich-like beast with a height of two meters seemed to be chasing my colonist while spreading its wings. As usual, I ordered my two colonists to defend themselves. Their opponents were only birds that couldn''t fly. This must be easy, right? The beast was also still quite far away. I''m sure my two colonists can win and turn it into food. Kat hopped into the bushes with her dog, stalking and aiming with her bow. Meanwhile, Manu had prepared with his ax. "Why do we stop running and prepare to attack it!? This beast is so aggressive!" Manu began to shriek like an amateur opera singer. "My friend lost his dick while fighting this thing!" Ouch! Chapter 48 - 48 – The Big Bird So, I asked them to run away. My two colonists were able to keep their distance from the big bird. However, they ran out of energy and breath after a while, while the bird was still aggressively pursuing. At that moment, I felt that my choice was wrong. "Hey! Hey! Shoo! Shoo!" Manu tried to chase the bird away, which was now only half a meter away from him. Because the man''s leg has a scar, Manu is left by Kat and Rox, who are already quite far from him. "Help meeee, Kat!!! I don''t want my dick to be lost!!!" "Bwaaak!!!" The giant bird extended its long neck and opened its mouth, aiming for Manu''s buttocks. The man seemed to be trying to run faster but couldn''t take it anymore. The back of his pants was caught by the bird''s peck. Manu tried to free himself, but the bird twitched its long neck wildly. The bearded man fell down, his pants sagged, and his stubby bum was exposed. "My dick! my dick! Save my dick!!!" "Kat! Help him!" I shouted near the girl. Kat immediately stopped running, twisting her body while taking the bow and arrow from her back. When she was facing back, the girl was already aiming. Zap! The big bird jerked back as soon as Kat''s arrow hit its body. Manu is finally free and crawls fast like a madman with a big hole in his pants. "Bwaaakkk!!!" The big bird screeched and turned its gaze to Kat. The girl winced. "Don''t be afraid, Kat!" My screams got louder. "Keep shooting that bastard beast and order Rox to attack it!" "Rox, attack!" Kat gave the order while backing away and aiming again. "Woof! Woof!" Zap! The second arrow only hit the beast''s outstretched left wing. Finally, the big bird ran to get to Kat, but Rox jumped up and pounced on the winged beast''s leg. A fierce struggle ensued. The bird tried to peck at Rox, but the dog remained resilient and maintained its bite, despite being hit several times by the bird''s beak. I move to Manu who has started running again. "Hey, you don''t run away, attack that ugly bird, you goat beard!" Manu stopped, threw his bag of goods on the ground, then raised his ax. "Die, dick-snatching bird!" The bearded man ran. Rox managed to pull the bird''s leg hard, making it fall. Before the ck-feathered bird could get up, Manu jumped up, lifting his ax high. Thwack! The ax hit the bird''s neck, causing it to spasm violently before finally not moving at all. Manu drew his ax, which was now covered in blood. The man then took a tough breath and moved to sit down. "Aaaaaackkkk!!!" Manu jumped as his buttnded on the bird''s sharp hooves. The man was wobbling uncontrobly on the ground, clutching his butt. Ouch. Because Manu''s pants were torn in the buttocks, the bird''s nails pierced his buttocks. I hope the nail doesn''t stick right in the middle. I can''t imagine the pain he was in. "Rox!" Out of breath, Kat walked over to her dog, which was staggering toward her. "Are you ok?" Kat crouched down to examine her pet. And that''s when I saw something that never happened, prompting me to immediately hit the pause button. However, I waste. I had to use the rey feature to go back three seconds. The amber-eyed girl narrowed her eyes and grimaced. It was clearly a worried expression. I immediately saved the expression to my screenshot directory, which only contained three photos. This is a rare moment that must be captured. Kat examined Rox''s three puncture wounds, then hugged the animal and rubbed it gently like a child. "Today you were amazing, Rox. I''m so grateful to have you. Thank you." Rox didn''t bark but let out a groan-like sound. Ah, moments like this are the ones that make me invest my time to y this game. Just as she let go of her hug, Kat''s gaze fell on Manu, who was in a prostrate position. The man''s bare ass was fixed on Kat. Kat''s face reddened. And as usual, with a nk expression, she turned her face away. I was too hopeful. I thought I''d see a cringe expression or something from that girl. Should I ask Manu to stay in that position and have Kat look at him? No. Poor Kat. Her eyes could be damaged if I forced them to do that. *** The sky had darkened, and a bonfire had been lit. Kat had just finished bandaging her pet. I don''t care if Rox''s wound needs that many bandages. He''s a hero today. "Good, boy. Eat a lot, please." Kat stroked her dog, who luckily didn''t lose his appetite. The pet was devouring the big bird''s flesh. "Excuse me, Kat." Manu looked through the nearby bushes, showing a wooden needle and a hole in his pants. "It''s too dark in here to sew. I need the light from the bonfire." Kat took a stick-stabbed roast bird from near the fire, then turned back and began to eat. I also faced the back, not wanting to see a man without pants. "So, why did the bird attack us? Did you provoke him?" Kat asked after I ordered her. "Well, the Biruhud bird is always aggressive. It could mistake our usual moves for a threat." Manu exined. "There is a legend that the bird can never be tamed. And whoever tames it is the god''s chosen one. Their names will be remembered forever." Is it a challenge from this game? Kat stopped eating and fell silent. "Huh?" Manu said in a surprised tone. "You weren''t thinking about trying to tame that beast, were you? If there''s even the slightest thought in your head wanting to do that, forget it. I said that my friend had lost his dick by a Biruhud bird, right? He, as a fellow animal tamer, was envious of the senior tamer who managed to keep a bear as a pet. One day, he decided to do that in order to get recognition from his tribe. If you don''t want to lose a dick like him¡­. Errr¡­. You don''t have a dick, anyway..." "Enough." Kat started eating again.. "I don''t need to hear stories about dicks while eating." Chapter 49 - 49 – Happy Fighting [Katherine ''Kat'' Takahashi, 19 years old (Colonist, Merchant)] STATS: Ranged Attack: 51/100 * Melee Attack: 8/100 Construction: 8/100 Crafting: 3/100 Cook: 12/100 nt: 3/100 Mining: 6/100 Animal: 37/100* Medic: 23/100 Stealth: 61/100 * TRAITS: t Affect ¨C Kat is less able to express her emotions like other people. INCAPABLE OF: - HEALTH ISSUES: - I see. It turns out that a character''s interest in this game can change too. Previously, there was no star sign in her animal''s stat. Let''s hope Kat makes a great tamer in my colony. That might just make things more exciting. I''m currently fast-forwarding my game. Kat and Manu are still on their way. Hmmm... Maybe now is the time to check my colony settlement? I used the warp button and stopped fast forward one morning. The two colonists there were already active, while Leva was still sleeping soundly, perhaps because her tiredness had umted. Yesterday in-game time was the third time the girl brought y to her house. So, it''s been nine days since she did that. "Today you better take a day off. Leva." I whispered softly in his ear, though I wasn''t sure that way of speaking would make anything different. "Arghhh!" I immediately got out of the shelter as soon as I heard the scream. Seby on the grass with an empty bucket at his feet. The potato fields were only half watered. Ugh. His procrastination trait kicked in. "Are you really bored, Seb?" Pif, who was practicing archery, said like a drunk person. His face didn''t look excited at all. "Carrying a bucket from the river to water the nts every day must be tough, huh?" I could have ordered them to make a settlement near the river. However, I thought things could go awry if there was a big rain and the river overflowed. "Yeah, all this routine is boring." Seb took a deep breath. "But what you''re doing is much easier than Leva''s." Seb straightened up. "You''re right." However, Seb still did not do his activities and just sat. Pif shook his head and went back to his archery practice. Pif, you''re frustrated too, right? You''re sick of practicing archery all the time. I really have to think of other entertainment for them. "Cluck.... Cluck.... Cluck...." We all turned towards the faint voice. Huh? That voice from a distance was very familiar. I went to the ce and found a flock of chickens with ckish feathers under a slope. There were about thirty of them and were only in the vicinity of that ce. Most just walk and asionally peck on the ground, but some just sit or even have sex. Where did theye from? I never saw any sign of the appearance of these two-legged animals. Ah, but this is an excellent opportunity to increase the stock of food. I returned to the settlement and immediately whispered to Pif. "Go to the source of that sound with your bow. Hunt some of the chickens that are there." The skinny man blinked his eyes, lowered his bow, then spoke to Seb. "I''m leaving for a bit." The blond-haired man raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going?" "I don''t know" Pif began to collect the arrows stuck in the target and scattered on the ground. "Anyway, I feelpelled to go to that ce with a bow." "What?" "Well, that''s how we usually feel, right? Sometimes our guardian spirit wants to give a hint." Pif shrugged and started walking. Seb was about to catch up with the young man, but I gave him orders to stay where he was. Less than two minutes, Pif had arrived at the ce of the chickens. The skinny man hid behind a bush, then took aim with his bow. Since his archery skills weren''t as excellent as Kat''s, Pif took a few seconds longer to release his arrows. Zap! One chicken immediately fell as soon as Pif''s arrow hit it. The other chickens immediately panicked. They ran in various directions with a loud screech. Pif had to adjust his aim many times because the chickens were running so fast. Ugh. It seemed like it would be difficult to ask him to shoot the chickens again. "Enough, you just take the chicken and go back to the house." I said to the skinny man. Pif lowered his bow and came out of hiding, and immediately I realized something. The chickens sounded more fierce. They were running in one direction. They came to Pif. The boy stopped and widened his eyes. I then shouted at him. "Run, you idiot! Don''t stand still like a fucking liberty statue!" Pif took a few steps back, then spun around and ran as fast as he could. "Help, there are crazy chickens!!!" "Cluck! Cluck! Cluuuck!!!" Seb was walking with a bucket towards the river when he saw the chickens. Instead of helping or doing anything, the man ran away. Shit! Why did one of my colonists have to have such a trait!? You''re really useless at a time like this, Seb! Fortunately, Leva was already out of the shelter, although yawning and rubbing her eyes. As soon as she saw the birds, she didn''t seem frightened at all. The red-haired girl spread her arms andughed. "Ahahaha!!! Come here birds!!! We will have an epic fight!!! You all will be my delicious meal!!!" She entered the shelter, took a rusty machete, then came out again, running towards the chickens while lifting her weapon. The flock of chickens was getting closer. Pif tripped over his own feet and fell. The poor young man was immediately surrounded by birds that pecked him brutally. Meanwhile, Leva shed at the chickens that jumped at her. With a single sh, one bird crashed to the ground covered in blood. "This is so fucking fun!!!" Levaughed again as if she were on a yground and not fighting a beast. The attacks from the chickens also had absolutely no effect on her body. She was still moving nimbly to sh them down. [Happy fighting buff - so frustrated with the situation, Leva used fighting to vent her feelings. Her attack uracy and moving speed increase.] Good! Hurry up and kill them all! I don''t want my colonists to die just because of these beaked beasts! Chapter 50 - 50 – Humiliated By The Chickens Leva devoured the freshly roasted chicken. Meanwhile, Seb was hanging the chickens on a twig rack, next to the fire. "Well, at least this time I smoked something new." Seb shrugged with a sneer. It was the fourth rack he used. "I don''t have to thinly slice meat anymore, it''s a tedious job." "Don''t you still have to pluck their feathers? It''s also quite a time-consuming job, right?" Leva asked with her mouth full. "Well, their feathers are very easy to remove. It''s very much like the gically engineered chickens on our, they make the animals so easy to process, from the meat to the feathers." Seb hung thest chicken and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Anyway, this is really a change of pace from slicing meat." Leva''s gaze turned to Pif. The skinny man just sat looking at the bonfire. His body was still full of bite wounds from the chickens. "Why don''t you eat, kid?" Leva raised an eyebrow. Seb took his share of the roast chicken. "Let''s eat Pif. You must be hungry, right? Finally, we have food other than red meat, berries and bananas." [Mental breakdown debuff ¨C Pif is under severe psychological stress, so he cannot properly perform his function as a human.] Just because of the attack of the chickens, he became like that? No. I think this is the culmination of all Pif''s feelings. Maybe that negative feeling has been piling up since before this young man even joined my colony. "Tsk." Leva clucked and continued eating. This cannot be left alone. If Pif can''t do anything and Leva goes to get y, who will protect this colony and Seb? I whispered something into Leva''s ear. Seb had also experienced a mental breakdown and was sessfully healed by the red-haired girl. So, I think Leva can help Pif now. "Damn it, kid." Leva stuck the stick used to stab the chicken into the ground, then got up to approach the skinny young man. However, Pif looked the other way. Seb got up too. "Leva, you better¡­." "Shut up and sit down, Seb." I cut him off, and the man sat back down. Leva folded her arms across her chest. "Let me guess, you''re feeling useless again, huh? You feel you should join in attacking the chickens. Jeez, Pif. How many times do I have to say, there''s no one ming you for something like that." The young man remained silent. Leva snorted and grabbed Pif''s hand, forcing him to stand up. However, Pif instead looked down, not wanting to look at the woman. "Listen to me carefully!" Leva snapped. "If you continue like this, you will not be able to progress! Look, you believe in that guardian spirit, right? Perhaps you were given instructions to bring the chickens here¡­." "Shut up." Pif hissed, then took his part of the chicken and the piece of fiery wood, then walked away. "Hey, I''m not done talking yet!" Leva grabbed the boy''s shoulder. Pif only nced at Leva with a sharp look. Sensing something from the young man, I whispered into Leva''s ear. "Just let him go." Leva withdrew her hand and snorted. I followed Pif, who started walking again. It didn''t take long until the young man arrived at the area that became my colony''s graveyard. Pif stuck a wooden stick with a me tip in his hand into the ground, then scratched his hair while looking at the five mounds there. Itsted a few seconds, then the young man sighed, split the roast chicken in half, and ced one of them in front of the graves. "I don''t know where your graves are, Theo, E." Pif sat down and started eating his chicken. "See, we can finally eat a chicken that is neither head nor leg." The young man chuckled, then the corners of his lips dropped. "Well, my life has changed drastically now. When I can''t do my job well, I''m no longer tortured or publicly humiliated. I''m only being scolded now, but it''s not because of my ipetence either." The atmosphere became quiet. All that was heard was the slight crackling of the fiery stick. Pif continued to eat in silence. "Maybe, I really have to practice a lot to make myself better, as taught by Egan and his friends. No matter how rough they are, their practice has a point." Pif shook his head. "However,tely I just feel like I have to practice archery, even though there are still many exercises that I can do to increase stamina and so on. I don''t know¡­. Is the guardian spirit of this group giving any clues¡­" Ah, it turns out I made a mistake too. Perhaps my order also added to his frustration. "If it''s my guardian spirit that whispers to me to practice archery only, I hope he hears me." A faint smile formed on the youth''s lips. "I''m not like the others, who already have basic strength. I still need to train my muscles. My activities also don''t have much to do with the physical, so I need special training. I can''t immediately mine or chop down trees because it will drain my stamina quickly." "Do what you think is best, Pif." I whispered into the young man''s ear. I checked the boy''s profile window and couldn''t find the debuff again. I forget. Pif is actually not that weak. Pif threw chicken bones on the ground, then fell silent again. Since the young man didn''t speak for a while, I decided to fast-forward the game. It seemed Pif had nothing to say anymore. I stopped the fast forward in the morning because I saw Pif did something unusual. He put his hands on the ground and started push-ups. Leva came out of the shelter carrying a sack of goods on her back and a wooden container on her shoulders. The girl raised an eyebrow at the young man''s activity. "What are you doing?" The red-haired girl asked as she approached Pif. Pif was lying face down on the ground after ten push-ups. "I want to increase my strength so I can at least pull the bowstring more steadily." Leva nodded. "Good luck with the practice then." "Good luck to you too on the journey." "Bye." Leva waved her hand and started walking. "I will give you a bonus if your training shows results." Pif immediately got up. "Hey, what do you mean?" Leva just waved her hand, not looking at the young man at all. Chapter 51 - 51 – Another Bonfire I elerated the gamey until thest afternoon before Manu and Kat arrived at the Redtooth Tribe the next day. My two colonists are preparing for the night. Not that I purposely stopped fast-forward. The feature stops itself, a sign that another event will ur. Just as Kat pulled a few jerky out of her bag, Rox barked at arge tree some distance from my colonists. Kat stood up. "Who''s there?" Manu, who was trying to burn the branches for the bonfire, turned to where Kat was looking. "Your dog senses someone, Kat?" "I don''t want to make a fuss." Lifting both hands, a man with a headband and spiky hair came out from behind the tree. "I just wanted to join you guys in that bonfire. I brought my own food." The man''s body looks well built, with slightly prominent muscles. He wore pants and a shirt like Manu, but with neater stitches. "Woof! Woof!!!" Rox barked more and more intensely. Kat snapped her fingers, and the pet went straight back to its master. [???? (Exiled Tribe Member)] STATS: Ranged Attack: 7/100 Melee Attack: 77/100 His melee stat is pretty good. Maybe he can be a great addition to my colony. I immediately asked Manu to ask the man a few things. "What''s your name and where are you from?" Manu advances a bit. "My name is Jia, Ie from¡­. You could say Ie from a tribe far away." The man replied with a faint smile. "So, do you guys mind? Just one night, really. Tomorrow we will part away. With more people, things will get better, right? There''s an extra person to take turns on guard." Kat and Manu exchanged nces. "Ah, I will take the middle shift. You can sleep early orte, so that your sleep is not disturbed in the middle." The man named Jia added. [Jia, 32 years old (Exiled Tribe Member)] STATS: Ranged Attack: 7/100 Melee Attack: 77/100 Crafting: 16/100 Cooks: 72/100* nts: 1/100 Mining: 22/100 Animals: 1/100 Medic: 34/100 TRAITS: Brawler ¨C Jia likes closebat and hates using ranged weapons. His melee attack uracy is outstanding. INCAPABLE OF: - HEALTH ISSUES: A scar on the right hand (Working speed -18%). Not bad. He could rece Seb for cooking duty. Seb can focus on his nts, so he doesn''t get too tired. Well, I know Seb''s highest interest is in cooking. However, it would be better if the cook was the one with the highest stats, right? Maybe once in a while, I''ll ask Seb to help him. And so, I gave Manu some more orders. Kat certainly couldn''t be counted on to recruit this person. "Alright, please join us." Manu finally answers. However, the man did not return Jia''s smile. "Thanks very much. Appreciate it." Jia nodded, then looked Kat up and down, and smiled again. But of course, Kat didn''t smile back. Finally, the man sat down in front of my two colonists'' bonfires. Manu made small talk to start this recruitment. Well, hopefully, this guy can do it. There is no Seb here who, in my opinion, has the highestmunication skills. "I feel it''s very unfair." Manu says while chewing his jerky. "You don''t know that meat is contaminated, do you? It''s not your fault because you were only assigned to cook it. You don''t deserve to be exiled." "Well, they I told you that the deer is not edible. The internal organs smell unusually offensive, and the blood looks dark." Jia said as he continued to roast his sweet potato. "However, the hunters at our ce forced me to keep cooking it. And in the end, they med me." "We once ate mushrooms which made us hallucinate and go crazy." Suddenly Kat said. "But, no one is ming anyone." Manu stops eating. Maybe because he was so surprised that Kat suddenly joined in the chat. "That''s amazing. I envy you guys." Jia smiles again. "And it was nice of you to let me warm myself with you. It shows your tribe is really good. The people in my tribe wouldn''t act like this, they''re so selfish." "Now is the time, Manu." I said to my bearded colonist excitedly. "Invite him to join our colony." After Leva met with that old woman, I was able toe to a conclusion. Those who do not have a home must be very desperate to join another settlement. So, this will definitely be very easy. "Then how about you just join us?" Manu finally makes an offer. "You could say, we are short of people. Right now, there are only five of us¡­. Six if that boy named Rox counts." Rox, who was sitting next to Kat, was just staring at Manu. Jia opened his mouth for a moment, then bowed his head in respect. "Thank you very much. Honestly, walking alone in the wilderness was really hard. You don''t have friends to get your back." "We are happy to have a new member." Manu smiles while extending his hand. "Once again, thank you. After arriving at your tribe, I will cook something delicious. Well, it also depends on the ingredients you have, anyway." Jia shakes Manu''s hand. "So, what''s the name of your tribe?" Manu blinked his eyes, then looked at Kat, who was silent. "Well, we haven''t named our settlement yet." Manu shrugged. "Maybe we''re too busy preparing things, so haven''t thought about it yet." To be precise, I haven''t thought about it because I''m too engrossed with this game. Alright, I''ll give our colony a nameter, Manu. [New Colonist Acquired] The conversation resumes between Manu and Jia only, of course. Jia tried to chat with Kat several times. But, as the girl only kept giving short answers, the newest member of my colony finally gave up. With time you will get used to it, Jia. Since their chat wasn''t that important anymore, I activated fast forward again. Manu stands guard first before being reced by Jia. The man with spiky hair seemed to be looking for something around the trees in the forest when Manu was asleep. And in no time, because everything was going so fast, he picked up a big rock near one of the tree roots. What is he doing? Hees to Manu and lifts the stone high. Auto-pause is triggered immediately. Shit. Chapter 52 - 52 – A Lie It was already impossible to prevent Jia from hitting Manu''s head. I can only hope Manu doesn''t die as soon as that happens. The important thing is that I must not panic. Focus is key in a situation like this. "Get up quickly and provoke that bastard Jia." I said to Kat, who was still asleep. "Then take your bow and fight him!" With a bluff, there was a chance that Jia would stop hitting Manu, or at least just hit once. If Kat was prepared to aim first, it would take some time. Jia can hit at least two or three times. After convincing myself of my decision, I pressed the y button. Thud! The rocknded hard on Manu''s head. The bearded man jerked, suddenly unconscious with a bloody head. Jia lifts the stone again. Just then, Kat opened her eyes. "Hey, what are you doing!?" The girl screamed. Jia flinched and looked back while Kat got up and grabbed her bow and quiver. Before Kat could aim, Jia threw the stone at the girl. Luckily Kat managed to dodge, but Jia was already running towards her. A fairly loud thud was heard as soon as Katnded after Jia tackled her. Jia then sat on the girl''s stomach and tore her clothes at the chest. Kat''s breasts were instantly exposed. Bastard! Kat was about to fight back, but Jia was holding her hands up. The man chuckled in a creepy tone. And his expression. I wanted to throw up when I saw that disgusting expression. He licked his lips while scanning the girl''s breasts with bulging eyes. His face showed as if he was looking at tasty food. "Earlier, I was asking that friend of yours in a whisper so you wouldn''t hear. He said he hasn''t touched you at all." Jia giggles. "Too bad, even though your body is extraordinary. Your hips are big, meaning your cunt is tight. It''s a shame if people don''t use it." I squeezed my head in panic. Isn''t there anything I can do!? Kat gave Jia a sharp look. The veins on her neck and face began to bulge. Her lips also started to tremble. This is the moment where Kat shows the most vivid expression. Jia pped the girl''s cheek so hard it made a red mark. "Don''t look at me like that. Just enjoy what''sing. You''re already wearing this slutty outfit, meaning you want to invite a guy to do it to you, right?" I pressed the pause button. "You don''t deserve to be my colonist, you bastard!!!" I screamed with all my might. "Let her go!!!" [You said a line that sounded like you were going to expel one of your colonists. Do you really want to do that? Click one of the options below] [Yes] [No] It''s useless. Whether I expel him as a colony or not, Jia will still do that damned thing. I sat on the grass and rubbed my face. This is all my fault. Just because my colonist met a prospective member once, I immediately epted Jia, hoping that he would be my colonist. I didn''t suspect him at all. And now two of my colonists are doomed. Two? When they left, they were more than that, right? I looked around and found Rox already about to jump. His face looked fierce. Oh, I remember. When Imanded Kat, I didn''t ask her to shoot but to fight. This means she is free to not only use her bow and arrow. She canmand his dog also. Please, save your master, Rox. I pressed the No button. Jia''s profile window immediately appeared with a slight change. [Jia, 32 years old (Escaped Tribe member)] So, it turns out that the story about your exile was a lie, motherfucker? I bet you abused your tribe''s female members. Maybe you do it continuously, from day to day. It''s also possible that you do it to more than one woman. You threaten your victims not to talk to others. Then, after your victims reveal everything, you are punished. Maybe you will be executed but managed to escape. "Fight him until he dies, Kat." I hissed in the girl''s ear. And finally, I hit the y button again. "Rox, attack!" Kat shouted. "Woof! Woof!" The dog ran fast, jumped, and pounced on Jia. At first, the dog looked like it was going to bite the enemy''s neck, but on reflex, Jia raised his hand. "Arrrrrgggghhhh!!!" Jia screamed hard as the dog''s fangs pierced his right forearm. Kat quickly inched backward because Jia''s grip on her hand had slipped. The man struggled while beating Rox, but the dog wouldn''t let go of its bite at all. "Let go of me, you damn ugly dog!" "Rox!" Hearing its master''s voice, Rox released its bite and ran behind a tree. "Fucking hell! You will suffer the consequences of hurting me!" Jia got up, holding his bloody forearm. "I''m gonna fucking you till your pussy is burning, bitch!" The man looked around but couldn''t find Kat anywhere. Of course, the girl was hiding somewhere while snooping around. Behind a tree, the girl checked her quiver, which now contained only three arrows. Then, she looked at the area where she was tackled earlier. There were a lot of arrows scattered there. Kat had only three chances to take a fatal shot at the bastard. "Hey,e out you bitch!" Jia screamed again, still wincing in pain. "You don''t want your friend''s injuries to get worse, do you!?" Zap! "kkkk!" Jia screams in pain again. Damn it. Kat''s arrow didn''t hit the man''s heart but his left shoulder. The ce is quite dark, and the only lightes from the bonfire. Kat must have had a hard time aiming. The girl ran down with her dog, moving behind another tree. Jia checks where Kat had been hiding earlier, snorts when he doesn''t find the girl there. "Hey, it''s useless for you to hide!" Jia looked more and more frustrated. "Come out and give your body to me!" Kat took aim again. I could see that her breathing was a bit heavy, and her hands were a little unstable. She''s nervous. Perhaps she was distressed by what would happen if she failed. "Come on, you can do it, Kat." I cheered the girl on, though I wasn''t sure my words would make much of a difference. Kat gulped hard. Zap! The arrow missed and only hit a tree. Chapter 53 - 53 – A Sinful One Kat immediately ducked into another tree, and I paused the gamey. I think it''s useless to rely on Kat''s arrows alone. The girl was too nervous, and there was minimal lighting, so it was very likely that the girl wouldn''t hit the mark. Luckily, Jia hasn''t done anything to Manu yet. For example, using my colonist as a hostage. Or maybe he''s just too stupid? Maybe yes, maybe no. It seems Jia''s hands were almost unusable because one had been bitten by Rox while the other had been pierced by an arrow in the shoulder. Maybe Kat''s arrow hit the nerve that made the man''s hand partially paralyzed. So, he can''t do anything to Manu with his hands. Well, I guess he was stupid, or maybe he was too panicked to think straight. Why hadn''t he stepped on Manu or kicked my colonist to lure Kat out? You panic because it turns out that a woman like Kat can make you helpless, huh? And maybe because he was too panicked, he wanted to focus on finding Kat and the dog. He was afraid that if he strayed a bit by taking care of Manu, he would be hit by an arrow. Well, there are many possibilities. And whatever it was, Kat was now at an advantage. However, that doesn''t mean Kat can just appear and shoot Jia at close range. Jia''s legs still work. He can still kick, run and hit the girl with his shoulder, and so on. After thinking for a while, I whispered a strategy into Kat''s ear. Then, with a deep sigh, I pressed the y button. Once she got to another tree, Kat didn''t attack immediately. She waited until Jia arrived at the right position. "Where are you bitch!" Jia shouts again. His breathing began to get heavy, and the blood from his forearm kept pouring out more and more. Kat gestured to Rox, then took aim again. Taking a breath, she pulled on her bowstring. Zap! The arrow hit the tree again, but this time Kat did it on purpose. Reflexively Jia stared at the arrow. "Rox, attack!" Kat shouted. "Woof! Woof!!!" The dog advanced fast. Jia flinched and was about to back away, but he just realized that the bonfire was behind him. And Rox bit the man''s calf. "Aaakkkkk!!!" Jia screamed in pain for the umpteenth time. Rox pulled the man''s leg, forcing him to fall backward. "Hot! Hot! Heeeelp!!!" Jia squirmed as his body started to burn with mes from the bonfire. "Rox, let it go!" Kat ran while giving orders. The dog let go of the bite and returned to her. While continuing to scream, get up and move wildly with his body more engulfed in mes. Kat shot him with the arrows scattered on the ground. More and more, Jia kept away from the girl along with the arrows that kept hitting his body. Perhaps because he couldn''t see, in the end, he disappeared among the trees. However, Kat couldn''t breathe a sigh of relief. The mes from Jia''s body hit the trees and had started to grow. And of course, there is still Manu who needs help. As per my orders, Kat came to Manu, who was unconscious and his head covered in blood. The girl checked her partner''s heartbeat, then started to treat him. Even though her clothes were still torn at the chest, she don''t care. The girl bandaged Manu''s head as fast as she could. Having done so, Kat turned to look at one of the trees. That nt began to crackle with the fire spreading. She rushed to throw the less essential things out of the sacks, slinging one of them in the front of her body, tying the other one to Rox''s body, then carrying Manu on her back. The girl let out a loud moan as she got up on her two feet. He carried an enormous weight on his body. I knew this would all be easier if the girl just left it all behind. However, I don''t want them both to go home empty-handed. They should still be able to barter their goods with at least the knowledge of making fireces. This is not only a matter of their survival in the short term but also in the long term. Kat began to walk step by step, leaving that ce. No time to rest. An expert had to deal with Manu immediately. Maybe in the Redtooth tribe, there are people like that. *** I did use the fast forward feature, but I stopped it many times to check on Kat''s condition. And every time I do it, I get more worried. It was alreadyte afternoon, but the signs of settlement from the Redtooth tribe had yet to be seen. Kat was drenched in sweat, and her legs were wobbling even more. Am I wrong not to let her rest? However, I don''t think we can dy this trip anymore. Manu really needs urgent help. Am I wrong for not bringing water and food, so now her body is dehydrated andcks energy? Am I wrong to prefer to carry assets that canter be used for transactions? It seems that, in the end, everything will be useless if your colonists can''t survive. I beg you, Kat. Endure this just for a moment. Kat''s eyes were half-closed. She paused for a moment but forced herself to keep going. Just three steps, she fell. "Woof! Woof!!!" Rox barked at its master. I knelt next to Kat and tried to shake the girl. A pointless act. My hands just go through her body. Since Kat didn''t respond at all, Rox chose to crouch beside its master. The pet''s mouth made a sound like a low moan, and its eyes showed sadness, like when it was scolded by its master for doing something that it shouldn''t. I sat up and covered my face, unable to hold back my tears anymore. Even though they were virtual tears, I could still feel them, warm and running down my face. I''m not ready to lose them now. However, I don''t know what to do. Isn''t there anything I can ask for help with? After a few moments of wailing, I lifted my face. There is. I can ask someone for help. "H!" I called out the name of the being who imed to be a god. "I know you can hear me, H! Come out! I beg you!" Chapter 54 - 54 – Desperation I kept calling H, but he still didn''t answer. A long time had passed, and Kat''s breathing slowed even more. Manu also doesn''t move at all. In the end, I gave up and just knelt on the ground, crying again. Is this what they call a game? Why would a game torture my feelings like this? "What are you doing there, sir!?" The woman''s voice made me lift my face. I could immediately see a boy with ck braided hair standing in the distance. He may not be fourteen years old. However, it wasn''t him that caught my attention, but the transparent figure that apanied him. "H!" I got up and ran to the figure. "Finally, you answered my call, H! Thank goodness.... Hey, you look different from what I saw before." "H? Who is H?" The figure asked. "You...." Apart from her color, which is not orange but red, her appearance is more like an adult woman. Her voice is also different. "Ah, you haven''t met H, a figure like you who ims to have created us, huh?" "I don''t even know my own origins." The figure spoke again. "And I also rarely see anything simr to me." She then turned to the kid who was apanying her. "I can only meet them when the psychic power of this child awakens. But that is very rare. Those figures usually apany merchants or attackers. But still, I can''t interact with them at will. Not when this kid''s power is not active. " Ah, a hidden trait, it seems. "So, we canmunicate with each other because this kid activates her special power?" I asked the red-colored figure. "I can''t control my power yet. The elders in my tribe say that if I practice it, I''ll be able to see more of what others can''t see, and can activate it as I wish." The boy joined in. "Ah, my name is Sena. Are you also nameless like this guardian spirit of our tribe?" Maybe, in their eyes, I also look transparent andck facial features. "Yes, I don''t have a name." I said ording to the boy''s words. "Look, I enjoyed chatting with you guys, but I''m in serious trouble. My colonists are dying and they need help. You are guarding the colony.... You are also looking after a tribe, right? Can you ask them to..." I hadn''t finished speaking when the red transparent figure disappeared. Sena looked around, maybe because he couldn''t see me anymore. His gaze then fixed for a moment on Manu and Kat, who were still slumped on the grass. After that, the boy turned and ran away from the ce. Hey, you''re going to ask the people in your tribe to help my colonists, right? I tried to follow the boy, but I was blocked by a restricted sign after walking a few steps. So, I can only see the petite boy keep moving away. Please. *** I don''t use fast-forward at all, so I can keep an eye on my two colonists. Manu''s condition seemed a bit better, although blood was still dripping from his head. Kat''s face was now very pale. I almost jumped when I heard the footsteps of several people in the distance. It turns out that Sena is back. He was apanied by four men who carried two stretchers that looked made of wood and leather. The men immediately ran as soon as they saw Kat and Manu. Once there, two of them removed Manu''s body from above Kat. Then, one more person began to examine my two colonists. "We have to hurry. They can still be saved." Said the man with the thin mustache. They put my two colonists on stretchers, then started taking them away from there. I breathed a sigh of relief. They don''t seem like people who would do bad things to my colonists. Feeling the situation was safe, I pressed the fast-forward button. Just a moment, the feature to speed up the game stopped by itself. Now I was in front of an area surrounded by a tight wooden fence, which is almost twice the height of adult human. The four men and Sena came to therge gate of the ce. [Redtooth Tribe] So, this is Leva''s former tribe. The gate opened, and as soon as we entered, my eyes were greeted by a collection of simple houses made up of brick walls coated with dry y and wooden roofs with chimneys. I felt that the ce was more like a mini town than a primitive tribe. My estimate is that all the houses are about 7x7 square meters in size and three meters apart. I should have been amazed. All the houses were so identical and neatly lined up, making theplex look very organized. However, I actually felt that something was wrong in that ce, even though the people passing by looked normal. They wear clothes simr to those of Tosa and Reha,plete with shoes. Really, what''s with this uneasy feeling? Most of the people stopped what they were doing to see my two colonists who were still being carried with stretchers. "Kat? Manu?" Someone I know went up to the stretchers carriers and checked on two of my colonists. I really want to beat that guy up. He was the one who treated Leva inappropriately before that red-haired woman joined my colony. "You know them, Tosa?" asked one of the stretcher carriers. "They are from the tribe that bought Leva." The man with thin ck hair answered. "Hey, looks like they brought a lot of valuables. Shall we just take the contents?" One man carrying a stretcher in the back, also carrying Kat''s sack on his back, chuckled. "Then, we can have some fun with this girl." "Sorry, I don''t do anything like that anymore." Tosa sneered. "I don''t want to be punished." The man carrying Kat''s sack chuckled. "And you also have to maintain your reputation in front of the leader, right? Aah, I envy you, Tosa. Just by bringing clothes and shoes, your mistakes can be forgiven just like that." "Don''t start this debate." Tosa answered in a light tone. "I''m not in the mood to fight." Once inside arger building than the others, Kat and Manu were lowered and ced on a kind of rug made of animal skin. "Be careful putting the guy down. Maybe he''s got a brain injury." An old woman with gray hair in a bun gave the order. She had prepared the treatment with simple tools and materials. Thedy narrows her eyes while checking the bandage on Manu''s head. "Hey, these are the materials that Jane used to bandage wounds in the past. Are they from those sky ships?" "Only the girl." Tosa, who also entered the room, answered. "I met her once when I was selling Leva." "Call Jane." The old woman gave the order again. "She would definitely be interested in something like this." "Very well, madam.." After saying that, Tosa came out of the building with Sena and the four men carrying the stretcher. Chapter 55 - 55 – In Another Place Kat snapped out of her slumber, immediately looking around with a ragged breath. "It''s okay." A dark-skinned and thick-lipped young woman said to the girl in a gentle tone. "You are safe now." "We''ve arrived at our destination, Kat." Manu, who was lying beside Kat, spoke. The man slightly groped his forehead, which was no longer wrapped in an ordinary bandage, but rather a kind of cloth made of nt fiber. "She''s one of the people who help us." And fortunately, there was a young man who had healing abilities like Tia, the granny that Leva had met while taking y. However, the young man''s power was not perfect. He cannot heal the whole wound on Manu''s head. Manu is also lucky. The young man''s ability is often inactive when needed. If it weren''t for him, maybe Manu would still be unconscious. "You''re Kat, right? Manu over there has told me a little about you." The woman with slightly curly ck hair spoke again. "My name is Jane. I was going to change your clothes, but Tosa said maybe the rules at your ce require you to dress like this. He saw Leva also wear skimpy clothes." The woman named Jane studied Kat''s clothes with a grimace. Well, basically, it''s like that. I make the rules. "They asked for it." Manu smirked. "Really? Well then.... Though I wonder if she doesn''t feel cold wearing it." Jane raised an eyebrow. Her clothes are indeed more modest, consisting of a shirt without cleavage and not showing any midriff at all,bined with long pants. Everything is also made of leather. Kat was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath. As usual, she does it without expression. However, a few secondster, her eyes widened. "Where''s my dog?" Kat asked. That''s my concern too. Because I was too focused on calling H and worried about my two colonists, I forgot about Rox. I only remembered about it when Manu and Kat were already being treated here. "I''m sure he''ll be back, Kat." Manu sighed. "Maybe because you''ve been out for a long time, Rox left you. He has a habit like that when you don''t call him or do anything with him, right? I''m sure he''ll look for you and find you. A pet dog must know its master''s smell very well, right?" "Well, that would be very troublesome." Jane grimaced again. Kat could only look down, silent again. I immediately whispered into his ear. "I know you''re very worried, but you better refrain from looking for your dog. You''re still very weak." The girl closed her eyes. "Ah, now it''s time for breakfast." Jane smiled and rose to her feet. "Just a minute, I''ll get some food." "Breakfast? Is it already morning now?" Kat raised her head. Jane, who had been walking, stopped and smiled at Kat again. "That''s right, you''ve been unconscious since yesterday afternoon. Luckily, you''re just dehydrated and tired. With some rest, you''ll be fine." As soon as the dark-skinned woman came out of the building, Manu whispered. "Kat, go check our stuff. Isn''t there anything missing?" Manu pointed to the two sacks of items in the corner of the room. Kat went over to the sacks and started checking their contents. "I noticed the contents of our sacks didn''t seem as much as I remembered," Manu whispers again. "But I can''t use them directly. Not if we''re in their ce. "I deliberately reduced the contents so that my burden is not too heavy." In just a short time, Kat had finished checking the sacks. She then returned to where she was. "Everything''s still there." "Really? Ah, thank goodness then." Manu heaved a sigh of relief. "That is, they can be trusted." "Wee to the Redtooth tribe, guest of .... What is your tribe''s name, again?" It was not Jane who spoke, but Tosa. The man had just entered the building carrying two y bowls. "You¡­." Manu raised his eyebrows when he saw that man. "Hey, take it easy. I won''t treat you guys like Leva. The Redtooth Tribe has great respect for its guests." Tosa smiled widely. Jane, who had also just entered, carrying two sses also made of y, narrowed her eyes at that man. "Really, what exactly did you guys do to Leva? Is...." "So, I really don''t know your Tribe''s name yet. Can any of you guys tell me?" Tosa cut off the conversation, then put the bowl in his hand on the floor near Manu. Ugh. I still can''t stand the sight of this bastard''s face. Why does he have to be in a tribe that is not our enemy? "Errr.... We don''t have a name yet." Manu replies. "We only started after I met Kat and one other person." "Please, eat." Jane knelt by Manu and took the bowl. She was about to feed the bearded man, but Manu hastily straightened up. "I can eat by myself." Manu takes the bowl, smiling. "Thanks very much." Kat also took her bowl, examined its contents, rice porridge with chopped greens and mushrooms, then began to eat it with a wooden spoon. Poor her, since yesterday she hasn''t eaten because of my negligence. "So...." Tosa sat across from Kat, clearing his throat. "How is Leva doing?" Huh? Now you care about her, motherfucker? "She''s fine." Kat keeps eating. Tosa was silent as if waiting for Kat to continue. "Don''t take it seriously." Manu said while chewing. "She''s that kind of person, only talks a little.... But, Leva is indeed fine." "What bad thing has he done to your settlement?" Jane asked with a stiff grimace. "It must be hard to have her in your house." Manu looked at Kat, who looked back at him. Moving his lips for a moment, Manu finally said. "Well, she only did few mischiefs, but not to the point of causing major damage. It''s all still within reasonable limits." Kat stopped eating when Manu said ''reasonable limits.'' "She''s actually a good member." Manu continued his speech. "She has a big role in our Tribe...." Manu stopped his speech when he saw Jane and Tosa looking at him with gaping mouths. Was Leva that naughty when she was in this Tribe? "Aah, she can change too, huh?" Tosa scratched his head. I was about to order Manu to ask about Leva, but Jane asked first. "So, Kat. You''re also a member of that big expedition, right?" I gave up my intention to dig up more about Leva. That can be done another time. What Jane will discuss is more important. Kat put down her empty bowl and nodded. Jane took a breath. "Since when have younded?" Kat was silent for a moment, probably thinking. "About two months ago, I think." "I see." Jane nodded. "I was also on that big expedition and Inded two years ago." Holy shit. Will this conversation prove that Manu, Pif, and Leva''s story about the sky ship is true? "Two friends who are in the same pod with me don''t believe the legend that the escape podsnded far away from each other and at different times." Jane gulped. "So, they decided to look for other escape pods, even though the members of the Tribe who helped us tried to prevent it... I didn''t agree with them and chose to stay here. We don''t know what danger there is on this, so traveling is something dangerous..." The woman gasped. "And neither of them came back again." Jane closed her eyes, perhaps to calm herself. "So." Jane smiled again. "I know this question of mine may be pointless. Since our goal right now is survival. However, this still haunts my mind.... This might be the key to getting the expedition members together again. Maybe with that we can build a structure to send an SOS signal to earth...." "I don''t know." Kat interrupted the woman''s words. "I don''t know why the podsnded at different times and at different distances." Jane gasped and looked down. "Oh, I see." The door to the room opened. Jane and Tosa immediately got to their feet when someone entered. "Leader.." The two of them said at the same time as they bowed their heads. Chapter 56 - 56 – The Redtooth Tribe Leader Unlike the people in his tribe, who were all lean, the ck-haired leader was obese. The shirt he was wearing barely contained his bulging stomach. Ah, that guy''s shirt and pants looked like they were made of several crasnded clothes stitched together. I wonder if some parts of the garments are also made from Kat''s old clothes? The man with the wrinkled face raised his right hand with a big smile, making the various metal bracelets he wore jingle. In addition to the bracelets, he also wears nes made of multiple materials. I saw that some were strung together using seeds, bones, and fangs. Jane and Tosa then moved behind the leader. "Aah, you guys just sit down. You are guests here." The leader of the Redtooth tribe said as Manu and Kat were about to stand up. "You just need to follow the rules here, there''s no need to do the rituals my people usually do." Kat and Manu exchanged nces, then sat back down. "As you already know, I am the leader of this tribe." The leader snapped his fingers. Two tribe men entered carrying chairs made of wood tied to each other. As soon as the leader sat down in the chair, Tosa and Jane kneeled on the floor with their eyes straight ahead. "My name is Suja." The old man said again. "I''m Manu and this is Kat, your honor." Manu gave the introduction in a gentle and polite tone. It seemed he had been taught such things in his old tribe. "We are from the Tribe.... We haven''t named our tribe yet because there are only a few members." "I heard, you tribe bought Leva, right? The one from the east?" Suja asks, still smiling. "That''s right, your honor." Suja nods. "Then what is the purpose of youing here?" "I want to ask to be taught to make various kinds of things, Your Honor." Manu gulped. I understand his feelings. He must not go home empty-handed, or his colony screwed. Therefore, he must try not to offend the tribe leader. "Especially the brick firece, your honor. I see all the houses here are made of bricks. It means that the people here are very skilled at making it. We have to go through winter. So, we ask Your Majesty to grant our request." Manu bends slightly. At first, Kat just froze, but she did the same when she saw Manu. "Hmmm...." Suja clucked. "I don''t really have a problem with that. Unfortunately, I can''t say it''s free either." "We brought some nugget of silver..." "No, no, no." Suja shook his head, smiling again. "I don''t need anything like that. We''ve got a lot of wealth." Manu was silent for a moment. "Then what do you want, your honor?" "Shoe." My two colonists and I looked straight at the tribe leader''s feet. He was wearing shoes like the ones Kat had when she had just arrived on the ins. However, what the tribe leader was wearing looked worn and dirty. "The shoe that my tribe members bought from you guys are still nice and fit on my feet. Previously, the shoes of the two men who apanied Jane when shended here were too big." Sujaughed a little. "Now I''m wearing Jane''s." Manu''s eyes start to widen. "But we couldn''t find the other shoe..." "If you want to study in our tribe, you better find that one half of the shoe and bring it here." Suja interrupts the bearded man''s words. "Otherwise, I won''t allow you to learn what you want. However, you may stay here for a while until you both recover. You are also free to buy goods from our merchants." Shit. The shoe was clearly on fire in Kat''s escape pods at that time. Manu''s mouth had opened again, but not a single word came out. He couldn''t talk anymore. Same with me, who didn''t know what order to give Manu to make this deal happen without having to search for the damned half of the shoe. "Well, then." Suja smiles for the umpteenth time and gets up from his chair. "After this, you may stay at Jane''s house for a while until you both recover. All food and other basic necessities will be provided free of charge. We, the Redtooth tribe, have great respect for guests." Manu gets up too and hastily talks. "But ...." "That shoe or no lesson." Suja then just walked out of the room. Two tribesmen came in to take the seat of the Tribe leader. When the footsteps of Suja''s group disappeared, Jane grimaced at my two colonists. "Sorry, I can''t help you guys. If the leader of our tribe wants something, he has to get it. It''spletely non-negotiable." "Ah, my legs are so sore. I hate to have to sit in that position when the old manes." Tosa stretched his legs out, looking at my two colonists. "Well, that''s how it is, you guys have to be able to find the half of that shoe in order to face the winter...." The man chuckled. "Huh, that sounds absurd." Manu holds his forehead. I know how he feels now too. I could have sent someone from my colony to deliver the shoe. However, do the shoe still exist? "If it''s not possible to bring that thing here, you must give our leader something bigger." Tosa spoke again. Manu lifts his face. "Something bigger? Like what?" "I can''t figure it out myself." I haven''t given up yet. There is still another way. I paused the gamey and exited the building, then looked around. In this ce, there are about 80-100 houses. I started looking at them one by one. Unfortunately, I can''t check all of them because there are many parts that my colonists haven''t gone through. I could only check a few yards from the road where Manu and Kat were carried on a stretcher. However, even though I''ve been to all the ces I can go, I still can''t find what I''m looking for. Maybe he''s outside? I used the hover feature to jump over the fence. This time, in just a short time, I saw a young boy walking with a grown man. The grown man was walking with a bow and quiver filled with arrows. Of course, I don''t care about the guy. What I need is Sena, who is walking beside him.. That boy might be the key to my colony''s safety. Chapter 57 - 57 – The Red Guardian Spirit "When can I use my own bow, Dad?" The boy with braided hair asked while walking on the grass The boy''s father, a man with a gaunt face, snorted. He carried the corpse of a small boar on his shoulders. "How many times have you asked that, Sena?" Sena scowled. "Today I only asked once!" "I''ll train you in archery when I think you''re ready. For the time being, you just need toe with me and watch me so you can sharpen your hunting sense." "But I''m tired of that, Dad!" Sena''s tone began to rise. "I want to immediately use my own bow." The father quickened his pace. "Dad...." Sena tried to catch up with his father, but he stopped doing that and turned to me, who had been walking beside them. "Oh, good afternoon, sir." Finally, after I used the fast forward feature for a while, the boy greeted me. "Tsk." Sena''s father sneered. "And my son started talking to himself again. Why did the old man forbid me to interrupt when my son was like this?" "Good afternoon, Sena." I greeted the boy back. "I don''t want to bother you. I just want to talk to the guardian spirits of this tribe." "Ah, I''ll call him in a second." The boy stopped walking, then closed his eyes. The father who saw that snorted again and approached his son. "Hey, don''t just stand there. I''m tired and want to rest." Fortunately, when the father grabbed Sena''s hand, a red transparent figure had appeared beside the boy. "He wants to talk to you." As his father continued to pull him, the boy spoke to the guardian spirit while pointing at me. The red figure looked at me. "What is it?" "Please, ask your tribe leader to let Manu learn how to build a firece here. Make your tribe leader not want shoe anymore." I sighed. "My colony really needs that firece for the winter." "Even though I wanted to do that, things weren''t easy." She started talking and walked away from me. "What do you mean?" I walked beside her. "Suja has a unique trait. He has to get what he wants." The figure shrugged. "I made him a leader because he used to be a person who has high charisma, but now .... Well, he is very different now. His traits are getting worse. The older he gets, the more things he wants." "You really don''t need a leader for your tribe, do you? Beings like us will lead them, we are their true leaders." The red figure chuckled. "I don''t like giving orders to them one by one. Therefore, I chose a leader as my representative. Well, even though in the end I kept whisper to them when they did something bad. Even if it''s only asionally, I asked them not to repeat the bad thing, but some would not listen." "One of those people is Leva?" "She''s the worst. I''ve worked so hard to build a tribe with all the rules so that everything is always peaceful. "The figure slightly looked up to look up at the sky. "However, she almost broke that order time and time again. That bitch often invites the others to destroy the ''tyrannical'' leadership of Suja." Now, I want to beat this figure. It turned out that she was the leading cause of Leva''s suffering. "That''s not a reason for you to dump Leva as a ve, right?" I snorted. "Seems like you care about her, huh? You defended her." The figure was silent for a moment. "Leva kept trying, but people ignored her invitation. So, she did a lot of mischief to attract the attention of the higher-ups." "Come on. She wouldn''t do something that would destroy your tribe, would she?" Even though I knew this was pointless, I couldn''t contain my desire to debate. "Nothing she did deserves to be punished like that." "You don''t know what she can do." The red figureughed bitterly. "Once, she burned the tail of the chickens and released all of it into the settlement. The people panicked because of that. Another day, she buried some children and let their heads show up... There are many other incidents. Too many. Not to mention she is easily offended, loves to prank people, and likes to yell. She is like a walking nightmare. My whisper to ask her to stop is entirely useless. I stopped my steps. Was she really talking about Leva? Yes, Leva''s nature is wild, but I didn''t expect her to do such crazy things. She did pull Kat''s pants down in front of the guys, but I thought that was the limit of Leva''s behavior. She couldn''t have done more than that. "Like I said earlier, she did those mischiefs to get the higher-ups'' attention." The guardian spirit of the Redtooth tribe also stopped, then looked at me. "A severe mischief is the only way she can meet the higher-ups. So, she can convey her aspirations to them." "Do you hate her?" "I''m fed up with her. I don''t want my tribe to be destroyed because of that bitch. No punishment can deter her." The guardian spirit''s voice began to sound like a growl. "Honestly, I felt relieved and happy when I made her a ve. She''s not considered human anymore. It''s a well-deserved reward for almost destroying my tribe so many times. And I don''t care what Reha and Tosa does to her anymore." I clenched my hands tightly. I wanted to scream at her, wanted to curse her as an evil one. However, just like when I met Tosa and Reha for the first time, I restrained myself. I have to focus on my current mission. Even if doing so is very painful. "Hey, can''t you persuade the person in charge of brick making to teach Manu instead?" I said in a muffled voice. The figure turned around and started walking again. "That will only create conflict. Suja will get angry because that means he won''t get the shoe. You know that, right? If someone in our care is overly emotional, we can''t stop them. Who knows what he''ll do because of that. I''m not sure I can stop him." I can feel my tears will flow again. Just because Manu can''t make bricks for the firece, my colonists will freeze to death? "Then you take care of all my colonists. Make them a member of your tribe" Finally, I came up with the idea. An idea that hurts me too. "I''m willing to hand them over to you, as long as they''re safe." Even though I really don''t want to. They have be a part of my life. The red figure stopped walking again. "If you let them go. Will they immediately want to join me? How about the tension from the members of my tribe? With them joining, it means more mouths that need to be fed, right?" "Then let them stay here and join one of your houses." I said that out of desperation. "I will make them provide for their own needs." "I''ve had enough of having them help your two members." The figureughed again. "However, that doesn''t mean I trust you or those people of yours. What if they do something that might damage my tribe? Maybe you told them to stay here for a long time to sabotage us." "Damn it!" I''m getting more frustrated. "Can''t you see, I''m begging you...." I didn''t continue my words because the guardian spirit had suddenly disappeared. It seems the duration of Sena''s power is over. And I can only squeeze my head in desperation. Chapter 58 - 58 – The Walk Manu squatted in front of a stall that held various kinds of goods. The man was examining a dull light brown furry boot. The footwear still looked simple, sewn like the clothes of the tribesmen he was in now. Meanwhile, Kat stood hunched over next to him. I could see the seller, a man of medium build and green eyes, constantly ncing at the girl. You''ve never seen a girl this attractive, sir? "I''ll take this and that, sir." Manu said, then pointed to a parka still ced on a mat of woven long leaves. The warm clothes also looked dull in color. "And I''d also like to buy an iron pot if you have one. How about 40 silvers?" The seller flinched slightly and looked at the two garments. "Are you sure you want to buy that one, sir? There are many in better condition." "What matters is the function." Manu smiles. "How is it? Do you agree with that price?" Well, we did have to save money. And my colony is not in the mood to impress other people with nice clothes. "35 silver is enough!" The sellerughed. "Think of it as a discount because you guys made my day!" Manu and Kat exchanged nces. "Okay, then. Thank you very much, sir." Manu took out several pieces of silver and handed them to the seller. "Are you guys done?" Jane came to them carrying a medium-sized sack. "Just a moment." Manu wrapped the things he bought into his own sack, then got up. "Okay, let''s go." "You bought those clothes to learn how to make them, right?" Jane asked as she and my two colonists had started to walk away. "Well, at least I didn''t go home empty-handed." Manu shrugged. We stopped because a small child was running fast past us. Other children were also seen running in various directions while a boy closed his eyes with both hands facing the wall of a house. Ah, hide and seek, eh? And then, I saw a man walking by, tapping two small wooden blocks against each other. The sound of that thing made all the children stop ying. "ytime is over!" The man shouted. Huh, isn''t it toote yet? Probably still around 4 o''clock. The childrenined in a disappointed tone, but no one fought back at all. "If anyone is stubborn and still ying, you will be locked up!" The man carrying the wooden block raised his voice. Kat and Manu watched the annoyed-looking children return to their homes. Jane smiled at the man. Instead, the man looked closely at Kat''s body and whistled. Kat didn''t respond, but the girl''s face was a bit red, her body was bent slightly, and her left hand stroked her right arm. She clearly felt ufortable being watched like that. Ugh. I looked at the seller in the distance, who was already collecting his wares. Need me to buy some more modest clothes tomorrow for Kat, even though our money is limited? "Don''t mind him." Jane sighed. "The men here hardly ever see a woman''s exposed body. They are forbidden to have sex outside of marriage. On the other hand, many young women have been taken away by our tribe leader. The chances of marriage are very slim. So when they see your body in clothes like that, they look like they''re looking at gold.... Ah, it''s not like I insulted your clothes. I''m sorry." No wonder the man seemed unable to hide his libido. "Hey, how about tonight we run away from the house to y?" One of the boys who had been ying whispered to his friend. "I still want to y longer than this." His friend snorted. "Then we''ll be locked up in cages. I don''t want to be locked up. They say it''s not good." Manu''s brow immediately furrowed. He walked over to Jane. "Is what he said true? Small children are also locked up? Isn''t that the parents'' business, it''s up to them to scold or give punishment?" A bitter smile formed on Jane''s face. "That''s the rules of our tribe. They are all equal, whether it''s a child, an adult, or even a very old person. If you break the rules, you will be brought before the higher ups to be judged, then punished." I could see the look of disbelief on Manu''s face. Even though Manues from a tribe that might be considered primitive, they still respect children''s rights, huh? "Well, if you don''t mind, could you take us to the confinement ce?" Manu grimaced. It was not his own request, but Imanded it. "I''m just courious.... It''s okay if you don''t want to or the rules here forbid it." "It''s okay. The cages are in a ce where it''s easy to see so others are afraid to make a mistake." Jane shrugged. "And our tribe leader also seems not to be hiding it from outsiders. Maybe he also wants to give them a message. If they break the rules too, they will still be locked up even if they are guests." We turned at an intersection. "Brace yourself. It''ll smell greatter." Jane sighed again. Although Jane said the cage was in a visible ce, we still walked some distance from the settlement, albeit still within the high fence surrounding the tribe. What''s with this feeling? Is it because I''m now in an uninhabited meadow that everything seems eerie? This ce has a very different atmosphere from the lively residential area. After a few minutes of walking, Jane, Kat, and Manu covered their noses. I could also smell dirt mixed with urine in the distance, so I chose to turn off the smelling feature. Gradually, I saw two structures that were only slightly taller than a seated adult. "Oh my god!" Manu hissed when he finally saw the iron cage. In addition to its short size, the space is also only about 4x4 meters. Even so, the cells were crowded with people. I even saw an old woman in a woman''s cage and a small child crouched in a man''s cage. The cages were so full they couldn''t stretch their legs out. Those people could only sit with bent legs, dirty bodies, and gloomy faces. "In the past, this ce was once fuller than now." Jane stopped her steps and gulped. "Well, well, well. It was you, Jane." A man with his mouth and nose covered in a nt fiber cloth came up to Jane. "Hmmm? Are they guests? Want to show them something, huh?" "We were just taking a walk, Sam." Jane answered while still covering her nose. Shit. I saw traces of human excreta, dry and wet, and pools of urine in the two cages. "Hey, is that you, breast girl!?" A bald-headed man held the iron bars with both hands. Kat shuddered slightly at his creepy grin. "Don''t be rude to our guests, Reha." Jane warned. Yes, he was also the one who brought Leva to my colony. Reha then looked at Jane. "Jane, did you bring any food? I''m sick of those rotten leftovers!" "Even if they bring food, you are not allowed to eat it." The guard named Sam chuckled. "You should know that. This isn''t your first rodeo here." Reha just snorted. The leader of this tribe is insane. Chapter 59 - 59 – Dinner In A House "The sun is almost setting! All residents must go to their respective homes! No one shoulde out, except those assigned to patrol!" I, who was in a house, could hear that knocking wooden blocks followed by a man''s shout. Jane carrying y tes of boiled sweet potatoes and grilled meat and ced it in front of Kat and Manu, who were sitting near the firece. Then, the dark-skinned woman took two more from the small table in the corner of the room. "Thank you very much, Jane." Manu said with a smile as Jane put the third and fourth tes onto the mat. Jane pursed her lips and shrugged. "Well, no need to thank me. I didn''t cook any of this. This tribe had a huge kitchen and every day we had to take our share of it. This is one of the best rules out of all the other rules. I can''t cook at all." "But, we are very grateful for being able to stay in this ce." The woman sat opposite my colonists. "Well, this is a new home for us newlyweds. So, there are still some spots to sleep. We don''t have children yet." The door to the house burst open, and Tosa came in breathless. He closed the door and put his bow and quiver into the corner of the room. Manu raised an eyebrow. Maybe he was also a little surprised by that like I was. Yes, I couldn''t have guessed that they were husband and wife. At the healing house earlier, they didn''t show it. "You arete." Jane said tly. "I''m not reallyte." Tosa sighed, then walked towards the corner of the room. There, he took out a kind of y jug with a wooden lid. "Just barely." "And you brought no results again?" The wife sneered. "At this rate, you will really be punished." "Shut up." Manu''s brow furrowed. "You can be punished if you don''t bring the results from hunting?" Tosa joined the three of them, then opened the jug. "If we don''t bring anything in five days, we will be sentenced to three days in prison. You might think it''s easy, but if you look at our tribe''s cage, you definitely won''t want to be there." "They''ve seen it." Jane replied. "Damn." Tosa took a sip of his wine, then handed the jug to Manu and Kat, who immediately shook their heads. "Don''t drink too much. If you get caught drunk, I''ll be the one who gets punished for keeping the drink in the house." Jane snorted as Tosa took another sip of the drink. "Ah, I should just throw the wine away." "You two havee to a conclusion, right? Living in this tribe sucks." Tosa chuckled at my two colonists and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "A liquor ban like this is absurd. The reason Suja did this was because if we were drunk the chances of us fighting would be greater. Bullshit! He just wants to keep the wine for himself!" "Don''t be too loud Tosa, someone will hear." Jane shook her head, then smiled at the two guests again. "Oh, we''re sorry. You guys are hungry, right? Let''s eat." I purposely didn''t fast-forward the gamey because I was so desperate. Maybe, in their chatter, I could find a clue so that Manu could still learn to make bricks for the firece. However, since the four of them were eating in silence, I gave Manu an order. "By the way, do you guys have any ideas on what items can rece the shoe from the sky ship?" Manu sighed softly. He asked ording to my orders. "We really can''t find it anymore." "A woman." Tosa chuckled with his mouth full. "I''m sure he''ll immediately grant your wish if you bring someone hot." The man with short ck hair was about to eat the remaining meat and sweet potatoes, but he was confused because his te was now empty. I was so annoyed with this bastard, I took his food and ate it myself. The taste is decent. The meat is juicy, and the sweet potato is slightly sweet. "Our tribe leader''s favorites are nice and veryfortable clothes, liquor, beautiful women, and food." Jane counted on her fingers. "If you can find a super valuable item from those four categories, I''m sure he''ll be willing to grant your wish." Food? An idea popped into my head, and I passed it on to Manu. "What about the location of a salt cave? Will your tribe leader like it? He must like saltier food, right? It can also be a preservative in some variety of foods." Manu said with trembling lips "May be." Jane shrugged. "During my stay here, I felt that food other than fruit was too nd. It would be nice if it was given a little salt. Usually, we buy from travelling merchants. However, it''s always used by our tribe leader himself for his food. He don''t want to share it, at all." My male colonist gulped. "So, that information can actually be used?" Tosa grimaced stiffly. "Unfortunately, even if you knew about the location of the salt cave, you would have a hard time convincing our tribe leader. You must have solid evidence." "The proof is by seeing it for yourself." Manu wipes his face. "That means we have to take some people there. Then, after mining, they will return here. I''m pessimistic that they let me study here while they travel. At least ten days wasted on me not being able to learn to make bricks." "Is that salt cave near your tribe?" Tosa rubbed his chin. "If many find out, the tribes will definitely fight for it. It would be more terrifying than the attacks of the stump scorpions in there." "And now that I think about it, telling them the location of the cave is a bad idea." Manu sighed. "The risk is very high if you send people there. There will definitely be death." Jane rose from mat and tidied up the empty tes and sses. I asked Kat to help her. "Really, the salt cave is that terrible?" Jane asked as she carried the cutlery to the corner of the room. "Well, I did only hear stories about the creatures that inhabit it from my parents and some folks here. However, that alone made me shudder." Tosa rubbed the back of his neck. "If you want to hear more stories, ask Yogi. He imed to have been to one of the salt caves very far from here, requiring months of travel. Instead of getting enlightened, I got even more frustrated. Should I sacrifice other people for my colonists? Chapter 60 - 60 – The Harem I stopped the fast-forward feature as Jane and Tosa rose from their sleeping bags. The couple moved to the corner of the room, looking at my two colonists to make sure they were still asleep. "Why did you wake me up at this time of night, Jane?" Tosa whispered and sat at that ce "This is our chance, Tosa." Jane replied. "We can take advantage of the existence of that salt cave. If Suja sends people to go there, at least someone will die, right?" Tosa was silent for a moment. "Yes, if we refer to the stories I''ve heard, there will definitely be casualties." "Well, the dead man will be our martyr, Tosa. Actually, the people of this vige are fed up with Suja''s leadership. However, they are scared. They need more motivation. If anyone dies on a mission to satisfy Suja, their anger will only get bigger." Jane snapped her fingers. "You just have to provoke them to fight. Those who are already very angry wille with you to revolt." Holy shit. Tosa''s eyes widened. "What? What the...." "Only you can persuade them, Tosa." Jane cut her husband off. "I''ve only been here two years. They won''t listen to me." "That''s not the case, Jane." Tosa slightly massaged his forehead. "We''re dealing with human lives, damn it. I''m not...." "You once treated a woman as your toy, right?" Jane said through gritted teeth. "I know what you did to Leva. Luckily, I was only pretending to marry you so we could strategize every night. Otherwise, I would have killed you as your wife." They don''t want their crimes to be heard by others during the day, do they? Tosa''s brow furrowed. "Why are you mentioning that in this talk? It''s up to me to do anything to her! She''s a ve! Before anyone buys her, I''m free to do anything to her because I''m in control of her!" Once again, I was reminded that he was an asshole. "She is still human, Tosa." Jane smiled wryly, pressing her index finger to her fake husband''s chest. "If you can treat Leva so cruelly without thinking, I think letting humans die would be easy for you too. You already have something very dark in your heart, Tosa." Tosa shook his head, staring at the burning firece. "But, they are people of my tribe...." "Oh,e on." Jane interrupted again. "You''ve had enough of all this, haven''t you? Remember your goal, if you can overthrow Suja''s leadership, you''ll be a leader. You''ll get everything you want, booze, women, a morefortable ce to live, and so on. Don''t think about other people, think about yourself. I also think about myself. If Suja didn''t tell me, I wouldn''t have epted these two burdens. I''mzy to take care of them. Be like me, Tosa. Why take care of other people if they are not necessarily in your favor?" What a bitch. Tosa took a deep breath. "Even if I agree with you, it would be very difficult to convince the old man that the salt cave exists, Jane. Hell, even I don''t believe it myself." "We still have to try that." After Jane said that, Tosa walked back to his sleeping bag. All of this puts me in even more dilemma. If Suja sends people to the salt cave, then one or more will die. It might also trigger a bloody uprising. However, on the other hand, if Suja didn''t send people there, it would be my colonists who would freeze to death. In addition, the people of this tribe will continue to be under the dictatorship of Suja. Shit. Why has this game be soplicated? *** Manu and Kat, who had just woken up that morning, were just sitting at Jane''s house. Manu studied the boot he bought yesterday while Kat remained silent. "Do you have any ideas for getting them to teach me how to make bricks, Kat?" Manu sighs. "Besides telling them about the salt cave of course." Kat just shook her head. "Shit. It''s useless for us to walk so far and only get results like this." Manu ms the boot in his hand. I, who had just logged back into the game, was about to press the fast-forward button when the house door snapped open and Jane entered. "There''s a brown dog trying to get into this tribe." The dark-skinned woman said breathlessly. "That seems so pushy to enter the tribe. Maybe it was your dog that smelled your scent?" Widening her eyes, Kat got up and ran outside. Manu and Jane followed her. As soon as she reached the open gate of the tribe, the girl elerated her run, but Jane stopped instead. Manu also stops and looks at the woman. Jane shrugged. "Women are very precious, so we can''t leave the tribe environment." "Rox!" Kat ran to her dog, who was being held and tied up by several men. The men immediately stood up and let Kat hug that animal. "Thank goodness you found your boy again, Kat." Manu smiled as he approached his friend. "Unfortunately, she couldn''t bring the animal inside." Tosa, who turned out to be in the group of men, spoke. "The rules here don''t allow it. All pets, apart from livestock and mounts, are prohibited." Kat just looked at the man and stroked her dog, which was wagging its tail. Of course, the woman showed no expression. "Well, you will have to leave this tribe then." Another man joined in. "If you don''t, your dog will be killed." "Don''t be so cruel to our guests." Sujaes to them sitting on a chair pnquin, carried by 4 muscr men. The leader smiled broadly. The people there immediately bowed to the person, then knelt down with their eyes forward. Instead of looking at the old man, I looked at the women following him. They look more attractive than any woman I''ve met in this tribe. Maybe only Jane is their equal. However, they are not as pretty as Kat and even Leva, who used to be in this tribe. The four bodyguards put the pnquin on the ground, and Suja began to speak. "We''re worried about attacks from pets, especially those with fangs like dogs. After all, we don''t know the characteristics of the beast." I whisper something to Manu. It was impossible to ask Kat, who had littlemunication skills, to talk to Suja. Kat might even offend the tribe leader. Manu kneels down. He also bowed his body and said, "We beg your honor. We still want to be here for some time. However, this dog is an inseparable part of us. I beg your honor''s wisdom to let it live." Suja didn''t answer right away.. The old man rubbed his chin, looking at Kat, Manu, and Rox in turn. Chapter 61 - 61 – Kindness Using long wooden sticks, Manu was building a structure for a tent. He will be staying with Kat in that tent outside the tribe area. Unlike my colonists'' first shelter, the structure is shaped like a cone, this time instead of a triangr prism. Not far away, Kat is trying out her new bow that Manu just bought at the merchant. I could have asked Manu to make it himself. However, it will take time. He had to find materials, also make the bowstring and a quiver. Even though that night they had to be ready if there was an attack. "Woof! Woof!" Rox, whose neck was tied to a tree, barked. Kat stopped what she was doing and crouched down in front of the dog. While rubbing her pet''s back, the girl said, "Sorry, Boy. They don''t allow you to be released. When you get home, we''ll y again." Rox looked sadly at its master, then crouched down while letting out a groan-like sound. Kat couldn''t help but sigh. I totally understand her feelings. She felt sorry for that animal after being separated from her for a long time. "How is it going?" Tosa came carrying a leather sheet made of many pieces of leather patched together to make it bigger and two sleeping bags. Meanwhile, Jane carried a sack behind the man. "We brought tent covers, sleeping bags and food." "Just a little more I''ll be done. Thank you very much." Manu smiled at Tosa, who put the things on the ground, then looked at Jane. "Aren''t women not allowed to leave the tribe area, Jane?" Jane ced the sack she was carrying near the tent structure, then sighed. "I only have half a day outside. Since I was appointed to take care of you, I have that privilege." "Ridicoulus, right? Our leader is too paranoid. He''s worried about the women getting hurt on the outside because they are the ones who will bear offspring." Tosaughed. "He thought we were only there for the means of making children." Jane crouched down in front of Rox, who sat down immediately, but showed no aggression at all. Even as the woman rubbed its head, the dog did not fight back or dodge. "Ah, I want to see my pets again." "You have pets?" Surprisingly, Kat asked. "Do you mean livestock and the ones for transportation? "We used to be free to keep any animal. However, an incident a few months ago changed everything. A young, inexperienced tamer brought a stray dog ??into the tribe. The dog was very aggressive and difficult to control¡­. It hasn''t hurt anyone yet, really. However, our leader was frightened and decided to make a rule to ban any pet." As time went on, Jane''s voice sounded like a growl, and veins began to bulge in her neck. "My three dogs, my two cats, and my eagle, all butchered." Nobody spoke anymore. I got goosebumps hearing that. How would it feel if the animals you care for every day were simply killed? Seriously, this tribe is really fucked up. Should I help Tosa to make a rebellion against Suja''s leadership? The old man was really cruel to his own people with his rules. Wait, maybe it was the guardian spirit tribe that made the rules, not Suja? "If your tribe bes like this, what do you do?" Tosa asked while helping Manu attach therge sheet of leather to the tent structure. "You don''t need to help me. You have to hunt to meet the quota, right?" Manu replies. Tosa chuckled a little. "I got the day off to help you guys. That''s why I''m very grateful to you two." "I see." Instead of answering Tosa''s question, Manu stayed silent. He chose to continue his work. "You can''t answer my question, huh?" Tosa chuckled again. "Honestly, I don''t know." Manu sighs. I know why Manu chose silence. He knew he might do something terrible if his leader made his life miserable. He is the retaliator, after all. "Kat, did you know that the traits of the animals here are sometimes different from their counterparts on earth?" Jane eased her pats over Rox''s body as the dog drifted off to sleep. "The chickens here are way too aggressive. If they''re bothered even a little bit, the pack will chase us to the grave." "When hunting, taking their eggs or taming them, look for the white ones, not the dark ones." Tosa chuckled a third time. Ok. Noted. "Maybe that''s what our tribe needs to have." Jane got up, looked at Manu and Kat. "They need aggression to fight like those chickens." "And to stir up that aggression, we need a means." Tosa added. "I guess, your salt cave is suitable...." "You want to make martyrs, don''t you?" Manu smiles broadly at Tosa. "I already figured it out. I''m so sorry, I can''t do it. I won''t tell your leader the location of the cave. It''s a matter of life. I don''t want to take part in people''s deaths." Tosa stopped his activity then approached Manu. The bearded man also stopped working. And then, the two of them stared at each other with such a close distance, only about thirty centimeters. "Hey, I can arrange for you to learn to make bricks and fireces without anyone knowing." Tosa hissed. Manu shook his head. "At the risk of being thrown into that stinky prison? No, thanks." "Hey...." "No." Manu says with a firm tone. Tosa snorted. "That''s it. I''ll stop pretending to be a good person." The man kicked one part of my colonist''s tent structure until it broke, then walked away without saying goodbye. What a dick. "Meet us if you change your mind." Jane smiled widely, then followed Tosa away from there. Even though I was annoyed with Tosa''s behavior, I whispered to Manu not to do anything. The bearded man just sighed and started to remove the broken part of the structure. Hopefully, the retaliator trait doesn''t get triggered while we''re here. I was about to press the fast-forward button, but I saw someone in the distance that caught my attention. Sena seemed to be waving at me. So, Ie to the braid-haired boy. "What do you want, kid?" "I want to show you something, somewhere." The little boy spoke while giggling. "Showing something? Somewhere?" I tilted my head. "What is it? Where?" "We''re going to my tribe''s grave." Chapter 62 - 62 – Souls Well, I saw a slightly different scene. Yes, that cemetery only contains about forty mounds of soil with wooden tombstones like in my colony. However, I saw figures resembling H or the guardian spirit of the Redtooth tribe. They were all translucent white and also had no features on their faces. However, they have clothes and hair, though that was the same color as their bodies, pure white and somewhat translucent. Ah, the spirits of the dead, huh? I kept looking at those figures who seemed to be busy with their respective activities. Some are running, just sitting, practicing martial arts, and so on. One of the figures, looking like a grown woman, came to Sena and made a gesture to stroke the boy''s head. Sena closed his eyes, even though the hand didn''t really caress him. I could see that the hand was actually going through slightly to the boy''s head. "Last night I met a figure in orange, sir." Sena started to speak. "He asked me to tell you about my family." Another transparent female figure, with her hair also braided, came to Sena''s back and put her hands on the boy''s shoulders. "So?" I asked back, wondering what H would do with this kid. "They are both my mother and older sister." Sena opened his eyes again. "They died in the winter." I''m just silent. My stomach felt like it was being squeezed out. "I don''t really remember much of that time. I was too young." The boy continued his speech. "My father used to tell the stories. We left our old tribe because there was a deadly gue there. Our goal is to find a new tribe that will ept us." The spirits of Sena''s mother and sister moved away. They waved to the boy, who smiled faintly and waved back. The mother and daughter held hands, then walked around the cemetery. Sena took a deep breath. "However, no matter how far we walked, we couldn''t find any other tribes. We were getting more and more anxious, because winter wasing. And finally, we saw a small snowke falling." Smiling faintly, the boy looked at me while blinking his eyes that were starting to tear up. "You know that in winter the nts don''t bear fruit and animals hibernate? We don''t have enough food, not to mention the air is getting colder... My mother was the first to fall...." Sena looked at her mother and older sister, who were still walking around. "And my older sister fell right at the gate of this tribe. She was treated for a while, but couldn''t be helped. She died from cold. Her clothes were really thick, but it wasn''t enough." I''m still speechless. This kid has been through something really hard. However, he was still able to smile. "Even so, I''m grateful to have this kind of power, sir." The boy''s smile grew wider. "I can see them again, although I can''t talk to them and I can''t see them all the time." "I see." I sighed. "You are a strong child, Sena." I began to imagine that my colonists had the same fate as the Sena family. Food probably won''t be a problem. However, what about warmth? They couldn''t make a bonfire outside because it might be blown away by the storm. Making a fire in a log house is also a foolish act. The house might catch fire. From a distance, Suja''s group approached the cemetery. The boy bowed and was about to kneel down, but the tribe leader raised his hand. "You don''t have to do that, boy. You are my special resident." Sujaughed, then ordered his four bodyguards to lower the pnquin he was sitting on. The four bodyguards and the women who apanied Suja all took the usual kneeling positions of their tribe. Meanwhile, the tribe leader walked up to Sena. "Just finished looking around, Your Majesty?" Sena asked the fat man. "I haven''t been out in a long time." Suja chuckled, stopped a few meters from the boy. "And I haven''t visited the graves of my wife and children in a long time. It''s a good thing you happened to be here. Your powers are active, right? Can you see them now?" "Unfortunately no, your honor. I haven''t been able to see them." Suja took a deep breath. "When was thest time you saw them? Three years ago?" "That''s right, your honor." Sena answered. "The first time my power became active." "But you can see your family, right?" Suja asked and got a soft nod from the boy. "You haven''t seen them in a long time either. Why? Why haven''t you seen themtely?" Instead of answering, Sena lowered his head. Suja''s brows furrowed because of that. "What''s wrong, Sena?" The tribe leader asked again. "My friends hate me because I''m free to go in and out of the tribe, while they are only allowed to leave when they are taught something by their parents like hunting, mining and others." Sena said in a timid tone. "So, can your highness let them out too? I don''t want them to hate me all the time." Suja gently stroked the child''s head. "They are the future of our tribe. We as adults have to take care of them, hence I forbid them toe out except when necessary. Outside the fence there are many threats." "But, why is it that only I can go out at will?" "You are special, Son." Suja smiles. "You need to see the wide world in order to practice your special powers, without intervention from others. That''s why I also let you go unguarded." Bullshit. From the moment I met Sena today, I noticed the presence of someone from far away peeking out from behind the tree. They are definitely not an ordinary people whose stealth is only a maximum of 20 and isn''t shown in the profile window. Maybe they are like Kat, who has a rather high stealth ability. "Seeing the wide world to train my special power?" Sena raised an eyebrow. "What does it mean?" "When you grow up, you''ll understand." "It turns out that the leader of your tribe really admires psychic power, huh?" I asked, not really expecting an answer. However, Sena looked at me. "Not only psychic power, but everything rted to it, sir. He is also very interested in spirits like you. He always awaits the word of our guardian spirit." "Are you talking to our guardian spirit?" Suja''s eyes widen, and I can immediately see the enthusiasm on his face. "No, Your Majesty. I''m talking to the guardian spirits of our guests. He just talked to me." Suja held his breath, and an idea popped into my head. If Suja admires spirit so much, will he listen to what I have to say? "Give my regards to him." Suja said in an excited tone. I rubbed my face. This is a great opportunity that may note again. However, is it appropriate for me to use it regardless of the risks involved? While I was lost in confusion, Suja asked again. "How was that? Did he return my greeting?" Sena looked at me for a moment, then shook his head at Suja. Chapter 63 - 63 – Decision Suja''s four bodyguards rushed to bring their master''s pnquin. The women who were following them were also half running. Manu and Kat, who were resting in their tent, immediately came out to see the leader of the tribe. Before the guards hadpletely lowered the pnquin, Suja had already gotten up from his chair. He lost his bnce and almost fell. The guards tried to help him, but the tribe leader pped their hands away. "Hey, there''s a salt cave at your ce, right?" Suja tugs Manu''s cor. The bearded man frowned. "What? How did you...." "I know from the guardian spirit that followed the two of you!" Suja''s tone is getting louder. "The guardian spirit is a divine being! He can''t lie!" Huh, that''s how he thinks of us? I lined up Manu, preparing to give instructions in the negotiations that were about to take ce. "Tell me where the salt cave is, now!" Suja sounded more and more impatient. "You know why we came here, Your honor." Manu gulped. He started speaking ording to my instructions. "We certainly can''t...." "I''ll have my tribe members teach you all the things you want!" Suja snorted. "As long as you show me the ce!" "I can''t go, because I have to study here. If I go on a trip to that ce before training here, it will only be a waste of time, your honor." The tribe leader pointed at Kat, who lookedpletely unfazed. "Then she''ll take us there, while you stay here!" "I won''t let this girl friend of mine go with a bunch of guys who...." "I''ll also send some girls!" Suja''s face starts to turn red. "And I will guarantee that the women I send will protect this friend of yours from the men!" The risk will still be there. Kat is still in a group with a lot of men. Unfortunately, I couldn''t do more for her. I just hope those libido-filled men don''t do anything to this colonist of mine. "Okay." Manu nodded. "Then, apart from the training, we need some other items." "What is it!? Say it quickly!" "A few ready-made bricks, aplete set of warm clothes for five people, the same number of sleeping bags, food supplies...." Suddenly Suja strangles Manu with his hand. Kat was about to raise her bow, but I told her to hold back. "Don''t try your luck too far, young man." The tribe leader said with trembling lips and bulging eyes. "We also have to prepare for winter. I can only give you 50 bricks, two parkas and two sleeping bags. Sounds good, right?" Seeing Suja''s face, which looked increasingly fierce, I whispered to Manu to ept the offer. More than this, Manu could be killed by this old man. Yes, I assume that Suja can do something like that. He might have been under the influence of his guardian spirit''s whisper right now, so he wouldn''t do such a thing. Manu nods without being able to breathe. Suja removes his hand from Manu''s neck. The bearded man coughed violently. "You go inside to learn whatever you want." Suja hissed, then looked at Rox, who was ready to attack with a disgusted expression. "But don''t take the damn dog." "Just follow his wish, Manu. Leave Kat and Rox here." I sighed into the man''s ear. Although worried about leaving Kat outside alone, I had no choice. I couldn''t wait any longer for Manu to learn how to make a firece. Besides, if Kates in and Rox is left outside with his neck tied, who knows what bad things will happen to the dog. Kat will be worried to death too. "Okay, I''ll do it, your honor." Manu answered by rubbing his neck, then bowed. *** Night had fallen, and Kat was sitting in her tent. She looked at the bonfire surrounded by piles of boulders in the center of that ce. The smoke from the bonfire came out through a hole in the roof. So, Kat can breathe freely without being disturbed by smoke. Hearing footsteps, Kat grabbed her bow and quiver and looked out. The girl found Tosa, who was walking towards her tent. "Good evening, our esteemed guest. I was ordered to look after you. Ah, I''m sorry I did something impudent earlier." Tosa smiled widely. Getting no response from Kat, Tosa said again. "I''m still near the tribe area, so I can''t possibly do anything to you because it''ll be discovered right away. You can rx." Even though this man''s words were logical, I still couldn''t believe it. Kat still didn''t speak. She just looked at Tosa, expressionless, of course. "If you''re notfortable with me around, I''ll just sleep outside." Tosa smiled. "But may I take the sleeping bag that was going to be used for Manu?" Kat stared at the sleeping bag in question for a moment, then grabbed it and slid it out. After that, he sat back down in front of the bonfire. The man shrugged and sat on the sleeping bag. "Well, I guess I have to thank you, guys. Whatever you do, I don''t care. What''s important now is that our leader will send an expedition to go to the salt cave. Tosa nced slightly at Kat, who was still there. Maybe he thought that the girl would fall asleep. That''s because Kat has been silent all this time. "Honestly, it''s actually not worth it." Tosa sighed. "A Salt cave can be said to be a treasure that cannot be valued, so many people seek it. However, it is only exchanged for training in making bricks...." The man stopped talking when he heard the sound of Kat''s body slipping into the sleeping bag, a sign that the girl didn''t want to listen to what the bastard had to say. Tosa just sneered and entered his sleeping bag. Not long after, the guardian spirit of this tribe appeared before me. Surely Sena power is active again. This is what I''ve been waiting for since leaving the cemetery. With a hissing-like voice, the red figure asked. "What are you doing? Now that Suja can''t be stopped anymore, he will order his people to fall into doom." Without thinking, I knelt before the red figure, then took a deep breath. The guardian spirit startled and took a step back. "What are you doing?" "Perhaps the members of your tribe will think what will happenter is because of my people''s fault. It was my people who told me the location of the salt cave." I lowered my head, pausing for a moment to find the right words. "That''s why I''m begging you. Give orders to your tribe members so that they don''t take their revenge on my people. You are peace-loving, right? The proof is, you really control your people so there won''t be chaos?" Seconds passed, the red figure did not answer. I lifted my face and didn''t see her anywhere. I can only hope she has heard enough of my request. Chapter 64 - 64 – The Ritual "Yes, bricks can be made using mud, but they won''t be as strong as y bricks, especially in the wind and rain. Besides, the mud bricks won''t protect you very much from the cold either." An old man with a big nose and long white beard exined in an open hut. "For strength, you want bricks made of y like this." "I see." Manu looked at the pile of light brown y that the man was pointing at. "Alright, let''s take the first step." Manu did the old man''s orders step by step. He started by cing a pile of y into a hole several inches deep in the ground, mixing it with water, trampling it, then separating the small stones in that material. A man with messy hair came as Manu started molding the bricks with a wooden rectangr mold. "The expedition group formation meeting is over?" The old man with the long beard asked. The man who had just arrived nodded. "Yes, father. "This is my son, his name is Xe." Turning to Manu, the long-bearded old man pointed at the man. "He also works as a craftsman like me." Manu and Xe introduced themselves. "They asked us to prepare 50 bricks, Dad." The man named Xe said. "They will send it to a tribe in the east." The old man with the long beard stopped his work on the bricks, then pointed to the pile of finished bricks not far away. "Tell them to take it themselves. I don''t want to be asked to send it." "Oh, thank you." Manu smiles faintly. "And sorry that we asked for these very valuable materials." "Don''t think about it, young man." The long-bearded old man shrugged his shoulders. "You need it more than us. We are now making bricks for stock only. We don''t need to build a new house yet. If I could, I''d send 100 bricks, but that''s pretty much impossible because it''d be too heavy." Xe looked at the few men walking on the street in whispers. "Now I am grateful to be a craftsman in this tribe. So I won''t be sent for that salt mining expedition. I was in the meeting just for formality." "Who used to whine asking to be a hunter or a gatekeeper?" The long-bearded old man chuckled. "Well, our existence is very important. We are two of the most skilled craftsmen in the tribe. There''s no way we''d be sent on such a dangerous mission." "I can''t understand why our leader is willing to send people on dangerous missions just for the sake of salt..." Xe stopped his speech when he found Mau had stopped his work. "Ah, sorry I didn''t mean to offend you." "I''ve heard what really happened." The old man with the long beard sighed. "If only our leader would ept your silver fee to study with me, you wouldn''t need to tell him about the salt cave. You did that for the survival of your tribe, I won''t me you." Seeing Manu''s expression, I guessed that the man felt guilty, even though what would happen was not the result of his actions. I''m the one who makes the decisions. I hope Manu doesn''t think about it to the point of breaking his mind. The old man frowned at his son. "Hey, Xe! Why are you just standing there!? Help us!" "You were asked to attend a meeting with the other higher-ups, Dad." The old man snorted and slightly mmed the wooden mold he was holding. "How many times do I have to tell Suja? I don''t care about the duties of a high ranking tribe! Just let me work as a craftsman!" "They''ll never listen to you, Dad." Xe shrugged. Even so, the old man still got up and said to Manu. "You just continue molding the bricks, young man." "Alright, sir." Manu looks at the boy and father pair walking away. When they were out of sight, he stopped his work. Grinning in pain, the man slightly rubbed his head which was still wrapped in bandage. "Hey, god." Manu spoke, even though there was no one there but himself. "Can you hear me?" Yes, I can hear you, Manu. However, you who can''t hear and see me. "Are you satisfied with all this?" My colonistughed bitterly. "I really didn''t mean to agree to tell them that fucking salt cave. In fact, I was ready to be tortured and intended to ask Kat to run away while we were outside." The man closed his eyes. I looked at him closely. His lips trembled, and I couldn''t tell what expression he had on his face. Angry? Sad? Worried? Or other? "I''d rather die than be responsible for the deaths of many people..." The manughed again. "And now I speak for myself. Maybe I''m crazy." Taking a deep breath, the man continued to mold the y into blocks. I left the hut, then moved to one of the houses. There, I saw Sena sitting on the terrace with a gloomy face, looking at his friends ying around. I intend to wait for this child''s power to activate so I can leave a message for Manu. "You don''t want to y with them, eh?" Sena''s father, the thin-faced man, came out of the house and slightly ruffled his son''s hair. "I''ve told you many times they don''t want to y with me, Dad." Sena looked up at his parents. The father shrugged. "You just don''t have the courage to ask to join them. You used to y with them, right? They will definitely ept you again if you will exin." Ah, of course it''s not that easy, father. Sena looked forward again with his mouth still pursed. "I have to take part in the ritual before our departure tomorrow." The father is on his knees. "I''ll be home at night. So, today you take your food and eat it yourself, okay?" Hearing that, it felt as if something hard hit my chest. Something terrible might happen, and I don''t want to imagine it. "He''sing with us." A man, whom I recognized as someone banging logs and going around, came up to the father and son. "This is a request from the leader. He is considered the one who canmunicate with our guardian spirit tribe. So, he is an important part of this ritual." Sena jumped up.. "Well, I hope the ritual isn''t boring." Chapter 65 - 65 – The Roars The sun has set. Men and several women sat cross-legged facing a towering bonfire. One of them was Kat, who was now wearing clothes that weren''t as revealing as before. Yeah, I have to reduce the risk of something terrible happening to her. "...That''s why we carry out this noble mission for our tribe. Everyone wants salt, other tribes will always buy it from us, so that it will prosper our tribe even more..." Suja, who was sitting on a chair against the backdrop of the bonfire, had not yet stopped talking. I''m sure the tribe members are very bored. Maybe some are already sleepy. However, they kept their eyes open and tried not to yawn. They don''t want to be punished. Except for one. Sena. His head nearly fell several times. His father sitting next to him had to elbow him several times to wake him up. "And now, we have reached the climax of this sacred ritual!!!" Suja raised his voice, making Sena flinched in surprise. "Stand up all of you!!!" Suja''s five concubines, who had been standing to the right and left of the tribe leader, moved to circle a y bowl that had been ced on the ground. They got down on their knees and what they did next waspletely beyond my wildest imagination. The women started shing each other''s left forearm with a knife. Then, grimacing in pain, they let their blood pour into the bowl in front of them. What the fuck. Is this actually a tribe, or is this a cult? "It is a ritual of the founder of this tribe, who long ago separated himself from his former tribe." I could hear the voice of the guardian spirit of the Redtooth tribe who had suddenly appeared beside me. "And don''t get me wrong, it wasn''t me who made this crazy ritual. I really wanted to get rid of it. I didn''t want it nor needed it. But it seems it''s been firmly entrenched in their minds, even for generations." "So every time there''s a big expedition, they''re going to do a ritual like this?" "Not only expeditions. This ritual can be done if there are raiders camped near this tribe and we are about to attack them for example. Or maybe there are beasts that need to be exterminated." The figure sighed. "The number of those who sacrificed their blood varied ording to the size of the mission. They could be virgins over the age of 18, or the wives of the tribe leader." The five women stopped what they were doing, then one of them took the bowl, stood up, and handed it to the tribe leader with a bow. Damn. The woman''s hands trembled while doing that straightforward thing. It must be painful. Suja gets up and lifts the bowl up high. "This holy blood will be the intermediary so that this guardian spirit tribe will always protect you and give you strength!!!" The tribe members stood up. Kat was a littlete in doing so because she certainly didn''t know anything about the ritual. "Hell no." The guardian spirit shook his head. "You don''t have to offer up such a ritual in order for me to protect you. You idiot. Since appearing in this world, that''s my job and I''ll do it without you asking." "Booo! Haaa! Booo! Haaa!" The tribe members started screaming and stamping their feet. Sena, standing with his eyes almost closed, had to be elbowed by his father again to wake him up and follow the other movements. "Your daughter doesn''t have to do that move." The red figure said when I saw Kat just standing there looking around. "She''s not a member of this tribe. Don''t worry, she won''t be punished or anything." As soon as the concubines left, Suja gave a hand signal to the members of his tribe. One of them ran forward while the others kept moving and screaming. Suja dipped his index finger in the blood in the bowl, then scribbled a pattern on the man''s face. It continues. The members of the tribe advanced in the order they were seated. The patterns that Suja etched onto their faces looked different. "Come on." The father slightly pushed Sena forward when the boy had a turn. The boy continued to stare at his father, looking confused. He ended up running when his father said ''run'' silently. "Are you currently able tomunicate with our guardian spirit?" Suja asked while etching a wave-like pattern on Sena''s forehead. "I can see him here, but I didn''t speak to him. He seems to be standing with the guardian spirits of our guests." "Good then." Suja gives a big smile. "That means, she has already given us a blessing." The ritual continues. However, they pass on Kat, who is not a member of their tribe. After thest person returned to the group, they stopped dancing and roared. Most of them were gasping for air and sweating. "Now, you guys go home and rest! Tomorrow morning, we gather outside the gate!" Suja shouts again. "Remember not to let those marks on your face go away for a day." Once they disbanded, I used the fast forward feature. In just an instant, the night passed, and I moved outside the gate. People seemed to walk very fast to gather there. Some were carrying bricks and piled them there. Some were herding horses that carryingrge bags. There were about twenty-five of them. The fast forward stopped when Kat joined the group apanied by Rox. She already had a bow, quiver, and sack on her back. Tosa stepped in front of the group, immediately pped his hands together, making themotion stop for a moment. "I am Tosa, the one appointed to lead this holy expedition!" the man shouted. "I don''t want to waste time talking at length. The important thing is that we stick together, always get each other''s backs when traveling, or when fighting. Do you have any questions?" Why was this bastard chosen as the leader? Was it because he was credited with opening the link between the Redtooth tribe and my colony? Indeed, without that link, Manu would not havee here, and Suja would not have known the existence of the salt cave. But that doesn''t mean he deserves that position. A bastard is still a bastard. Tosa looked around at the silent expedition members. "If you don''t have any questions, let''s go now. Take the two bricks each. Don''t lose them, they are for our friends in the east." The people cheered. Some raised their weapons up. After that, the men and women took turns taking the bricks and starting their journey. Only one is still in ce. The thin-faced man was squatting in front of his son, Sena. "Dad''s definitelying back home, right?" Sena asked in a low voice. The father stroked his son''s hair and smiled. "Of course. I''ve done missions like this many times and alwayse back, right?" I looked away, unable to see the scene. I can only hope that Sena doesn''t lose herst family. No. I expected more.. I don''t want anyone to die on this expedition. Chapter 66 - 66 – The Journey Begins I canceled my intention to press the fast-forward button when a very muscr woman put her arms around Kat''s neck. My colonist just looked at that nted-eyed woman. Without saying anything, of course. "Thank you very much, because of you and that friend of yours, I was finally able to go out again." That woman with curly ck hair chuckled. "My name is Lin. You''re Kat, right?" Kat was just nodding when a pair of hands grabbed her breasts from behind. The girl gasped with a flushed face. Then, as the two hands began to squeeze her assets, the girl couldn''t help but sigh. "Ahnnn...." All the attention of the men who were walking turned to the girl. Rox barked, surely thinking his master was being threatened. I immediately asked Kat to signal the dog not to attack. Lin pulled the culprit who did the indecent thing, namely a woman with blonde hair and a mole under her lips. "Stop it, Lara. You''re making our guest ufortable." Kat folded her arms across her chest and bowed slightly. Her face was getting redder, maybe because of the attention she was getting. However, her face still showed no meaningful expression. "That''s because yours is really interesting, and I want to experience it firsthand." The woman named Lara winked at Kat. "And actually, I was expecting you to wear your old clothes. I think that''s how we should dress. We have to show the beauty of our bodies to the world. Why would we hide it, right? I also want to wear clothes like that. Well, even though my chest and hips aren''t as plump as yours...." Lara''s words stopped as soon as Lin covered her mouth. "Don''t mind what she says." The muscr woman sighed. Worried that the women would misunderstand because Kat was silent, I whispered to my colonist. "Say something, Kat." "It''s okay." Kat finally spoke, albeit in a t tone. "Huh, it turns out you can talk too, I thought you were mute." Another woman, small like a child and with long red hair, smiled sinisterly. "You better talk more, or you''ll be called a bitch dollter." This woman caught my attention. Apart from her red hair, her facial features are familiar to me, especially her freckles and bright blue eye color. "Don''t stir up a fight, Anne," Linined. Anne, 18 years old. (Tribe members) Ranged Attack: 2/100 Melee attack: 2/100 Huh? Who let people with low stats like this join? Lara sneered at the woman named Anne. "Are you angry that as a healer you were sent out? You prefer to stay inside and deal with our residents?" "No." Anne shrugged. "Like you guys, I''m also happy to be able to walk in the wild after being confined inside for so long." "Sorry." Kat spoke at mymand again. "If I may ask, are you rted by blood to Leva?" "Oh, I''ve been waiting for that question regarding my older sister." Anne red at my female colonist. "Yes, you heard me well. I''m the little sister of the ve you bought, which you must have tortured because she is a ve and cannot be considered a human anymore! You have made my older sister suffer!" What!? I immediately whispered a few things into Kat''s ear. "Aren''t you jumping to conclusions too soon, miss?" Kat asked. "You buying a ve already shows that you guys are immoral!" Anne widened her eyes. Her breath also started to run wild. "If you buy ves, there''s no way you will treat them well! You must have forced them to work really hard! Ah, the male members of your tribe must also use them like toys, right!?" What a bitch! Kat was about to argue again, but Tosa shifted between the two women. "Enough. We have to stick together. No fighting." "Tsk!" Anne spat, then quickened her pace to leave Kat. "Well, like her older sister, she has a nasty mouth sometimes." Tosa smiled. "Don''t mind her." After saying that, Tosa walked back to the front to lead the group. Reha, who was following Tosa, waved to my female colonist while smiling broadly. "Hi again, breast girl. I''m also grateful to you and your friend. Thanks to you, I was released early from prison to be able to join this expedition." "Ugh! I hate that smile!" Lara snorted when Reha was far away. "Why would hee, when what he''s doing is creepy! He''s peeking at the women bathing!" I don''t know if I should feel more annoyed orugh at what Lara said. "Even though he''s like that, we can''t deny that Reha can be relied on in fighting." Lin sighed. "I''m so grateful he''s with us." "Huh, you still like him, Lin?" The muscr woman didn''t respond and chose to divert the conversation by speaking to Kat. "So, how is Leva doing? It must be hard to have someone like her in your tribe." Kat shook her head. "Not really. She was actually fine.... Until she slid my pants down in front of the guys." I still vividly remember that incident. Lin and Lara grimaced and looked at Kat sympathetically. Suddenly I saw everything came to aplete stop. Everyone is no longer walking. Auto pause has just been triggered. I immediately used the hover feature to check if there was any danger in the vicinity. But, instead, I saw an arrow in the distance pointing downwards. Huh? Isn''t that the direction to the river that is Leva''s path? I immediately used warp to get to my red-haired colonist. Arriving at the river bank, I only found Leva alone, no sign of any enemies. However, the woman was sitting down, and the container she was carrying fell to the ground. Fortunately, the container was not damaged, and only the contents spilled almost half. She winced in pain, looking down at her right ankle, which was starting to turn red. I could see a hole in the ground near his feet. It was unusual for Leva to be this careless... Ah.... Maybe because she wanted to get home quickly, she walked too fast and didn''t notice the hole. Chapter 67 - 67 – A Petite Girl I crouched down and brought my mouth to the woman''s ear. "It''s up to you whether you want to continue your journey now or rest until your feet heal. However, if you don''t leave now, there''s a chance you won''t get to meet your sister. Maybe she already left on her mission to the salt cave before you got home." Leva closed her eyes and sighed, then lowered her sack leather, tore it apart with a knife made of an escape pod, then used the tear to wrap around her dislocated leg. She will recover quickly, so I''m not worried she''ll get hurt more if her legs are forced to walk. But it''s certainly not as easy as it sounds. Therefore, I gave her a choice. The red-haired woman grimaced as she made the final knot in her unkempt bandage. She then collected the spilled y, then got up and carried the container again. She wiped her tears and sobbed, but it onlysted a few seconds. The woman walked again, looking straight ahead, though while limping and wincing in pain. Turns out, people as strong as you can cry too, Leva. I used the fast forward feature and warp to the Redtooth tribe group. At first, I intended to speed up the time until they reached my colony. However, I noticed something a bit odd. I slowed down the pace of gamey when I found Anne getting up from her sleeping bag and picking up a stick of fiery wood. I wouldn''t care if that girl woke up alone. Maybe she wants to pee. What makes me feel ufortable is, Reha has alsoe out of his sleeping bag. And they walked together, leaving the area where the group was staying. After getting quite far from the others, Reha said with a chuckle. "We do it here." While gulped, Anne stuck her fiery log into the ground. Seeing her shaking hands, I felt more and more ufortable. "You''re really going to save my big sister after we do this, right?" Anne said with trembling lips and teary eyes. Gone is the arrogant behavior that she showed this morning. Oh, no. Please, don''t do this. Reha is lying to you, Anne. Reha grabbed some of Anne''s hair and sniffed it. "Of course I will. I will immediately do it when we arrive at the tribe in the east." Anne''s tears were already at the corners of her eyes. "Hey, why are you scared like this?" Reha grinned widely. "We''ve done it before, haven''t we?" That expression... I really hate the expression on that bald man''s face. He looked down on Anne as if the girl was just a toy. Anne averted her gaze. "Can you be gentler this time?" Reha grabbed Anne''s chin, turning the girl''s face towards him again. "I will try." The situation is getting worse, and I can''t do anything. They won''t listen to my orders because they''re not my colonists. But I can''t just let all this happen. Should I wake Kat up to stop this? If there was a fight, wouldn''t that just throw things into chaos? Kat could be used of assaulting Reha, and surely almost all the tribe members would side with this bastard. "Take off your clothes." Reha took a step back. With tears already dripping, Anne started to take off her shirt. Reha snorted because the girl was doing it too slowly. The man pulled the shirt roughly, making Anne now topless. The girl covered her exposed chest and desperately tried not to sob. Red! Where are you now!? You have to stop this! "We don''t have much time, bitch!" Reha was about to take off the girl''s pants, and I thought fuck it. I''ll think about the riskster. I was about to use the warp feature to Kat''s ce, but I heard another man''s voice. "Stop it, Reha." Tosa was already nearby, hissing and aiming with his bow. "Get your hands off her or this arrow will pierce your head." Did Tosa take the initiative to do this? I doubt it. Red must have whispered this order. Since Reha''s lust is overflowing, and Anne''s desire to save her sister is too high, Red can''t stop the two of them. Therefore, Red asks Tosa to stop this. Reha, who had almost exposed Anne''s lower body, looked directly at Tosa with a savage gaze. "What are you saying, Tosa? Have you forgotten, you used to do something like this to Leva too?" Reha growled. "Now you forbid me to do it with this bitch? Why are you being a hypocrite, Tosa?" "I don''t care you''re fucking with anyone." Tosa took a step forward. "However, something like this runs the risk of being discovered by others. The worst thing is that our group will split into two. One group wants to join you for fucking this girl, the other one vehemently refuses. Chaos will happen. I must take responsibility as the leader. " "Just let us do it, Tosa." Anne hissed in a hoarse voice and lowered her head. She still covered her bare chest. "I did this with Reha without any coercion at all." "If you really wanted to fucking Reha, you wouldn''t be shaking and looking scared, Anne." Tosaughed wryly. "I know Reha was put in jail for having sex with you. After that, no one told you that Reha just lying will help you, Anne? He won''t bother saving Leva. He doesn''t care about your sister." Anne raised her face with wide eyes. "But he promised...." "Are you blind!?" Tosa snapped. "He just wants to take advantage of you! How could you be tricked by him!? Why are you so naive!? This is Reha, not the best person in our tribe!" Anne gasped. "But, Reha once helped me...." "I heard it myself from this bastard! When he saw you were about to drown in the river, he had no intention of helping you!" The intonation of Tosa''s speech was getting higher, "But he suddenly has the intention to do it! Yes, as we often feel! That''s what our leader calls the whisper of the guardian spirit! He felt it before helping you that time!" Because of Red''s orders, for sure. "Why are you exposing me like that, Tosa?" Reha snorted while Anne looked at him with more and more tears. "Get out of here, Reha." Tosa gave an order while continuing to aim, then nced at Anne. "And hurry up and get dressed, Anne. You need to get back to where you are before anyone gets suspicious." "Oh, what a shame." Reha then gave an air kiss to the petite girl, who immediately flinched. "By the way, thanks for giving me your virginity, Anne. I''ve never had it before and it''s amazing. Your pussy is so tight and I really enjoy it. I did get caught for it, but it''s so worth it." Reha left with augh while Tosa took Anne''s shirt from the ground and handed it to the owner. However, Anne fell to her knees and started sobbing instead. Tosa put his hands on his waist. "Come on, Anne. We have to go back now." I can only freeze in my ce. My mind is nk.. I felt as if something was stabbed deep in my chest. Chapter 68 - 68 – Another Blood Spilled "Are you serious? You really beat that Biruhud bird?" While continuing to walk with the members of the Redtooth tribe, Lara looked at Kat''s face. "That fucking bird is the most aggressive beaked animal in human history!" Since Kat was spoken to, I purposely didn''t use the fast-forward feature. I had to keep an eye on Kat and give her orders to talk at the right time. So, other people are not offended because the girl is silent or gives short answers. "I''m serious." Kat, walking beside the blonde girl, answered. Expressionless, of course. "But I didn''t do it alone. There was a friend of mine who carried out thest execution, and the one who yed the most part was this boy. He was the first to knock the bird down by biting its leg." Rox barked as if he knew he was being praised. Kat smiled and stroked her pet''s head. I paused the gamey and used the screenshot feature. The moment Kat smiled should always be immortalized. "Hey, it turns out you can smile!" Lara shouted in an overexcited tone. "Come on, I want to see you smile again." Kat just kept quiet and looked at Lara''s face. Meanwhile, Lara continued to wait. They are like ying a sight-seeing game while walking. And it went on for a while. Linughed at that. "It''s useless, Lara. Kat is like that. And it''s not wrong. We are all different." Lara sighed. "But you''re really pretty when you smile, Kat." I agree. "Let''s rest here!" Tosa gave orders from the front line of the group. Everyone stopped walking immediately. Most were sitting, but some were stretching, tying horses to trees, or lying down. Kat, Lin, and Lara sat close together. They began to take out their respective provisions that had been distributed. "What''s the matter, Anne?" Lin, just taking out the leaf-wrapped pemmican from her sack, asked the little girl who had juste to the three women. Instead of directly answering, Anne looked down in silence. "Hey, what''s with your face?" Lara frowned when she noticed that Anne''s eyes looked so puffy. "Did you just cry?" Still not responding, the red-haired girl approached Kat and sat down on her knees. Kat, who had just shared a bit of her pemmican to Rox, froze. "I''m sorry if what I said yesterday offended you." Anne said in a hoarse voice. "Wow, did I hear right? Anne wants to apologize?" Laraughed sarcastically. "What did you eatst night?" Anne just nced at the blonde-haired girl. Lin motioned for Lara to be quiet. Lara just shrugged and started eating. "I have a request." Anne took a deep breath, paused for a moment, then continued her words. "Can you persuade your friends to let my sister go?" Lin and Lara exchanged nces while Kat acted, as usual, expressionless. Honestly, I feel sorry for Anne, even though the way she spoke yesterday was offensive. However, I can''t just let Leva go. Apart from being a very crucial colonist in my colony, there are several other reasons that cannot be ignored. I even paused the gamey to express my reasons to Kat. "Even if Leva leaves our tribe, where will she go?" Kat asked. Anne flinched a little. "Ah, that''s going to be tricky." Lara spoke with her mouth full of pemmican. "Almost the entire poption of our Tribe will not like it. She will be expelled as soon as she steps into the tribe area." "Lara!" Lin gave Lara a stern look, but the girl only gave an innocent expression. "It ¡­." Anne gulped, not daring to look at Kat or the other women at all. "You may not believe what I say. However, we really don''t treat your sister like a ve. She is on par with the rest of our group." Kat continued. "And with us, she got a shelter, safety, and enough food." Anne clenched her fists. "Then can I join your tribe?" "I know you miss your big sister a lot, Anne. You two are very close." Lin chimed in with a cautious tone. "But, remember the consequences. If you run away to Kat''s Tribe, then Kat''s Tribe will get in trouble. Our Tribe will assume they kidnapped you, Anne. And don''t forget your parents too. They''ve already lost their first child, don''t let them lose you too." And finally, Anne couldn''t hold it anymore. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she seemed to be desperately trying to keep her mouth from groaning. Lin approached the petite girl and held her by the shoulders. "Hey, in a few days we''ll get to your big sister''s new house. You can see her again." Anne looked like she was about to speak, but she couldn''t. Her mouth just opens and closes like a fish onnd. Kat put down her food and got to her feet. "What do your tribes do for vows?" Kat''s voice was loud enough to attract the attention of the others. Anne looked up to look at my colonist. The little girl''s sobs had stopped, though her tears continued to flow. Well, I didn''t tell Kat to do that. Maybe there are emotions that are overflowing inside her. This time she was a little out of my control, but I didn''t hate it at all. I''m actually proud to see Kat like this. "I can''t return your older sister to you, but I can make a promise to you." Kat continued with a firmer intonation. "I will guarantee that I will always take care of your older sister." "The greatest oath in our Tribe is to sh your own forearm. It''s up to you which one you choose." Lara muttered. "And your oath will be epted if the person you make the promise epts your blood." "Lara!" Lin got up with wide eyes. What? What kind of madness is this? I was about to stop Kat, who had taken her knife from the sack. However, seeing her steady movement without any hesitation, I stopped my intention. Even though her expression was still barely shows any emotion, I could feel her determination. People began to rise and gather near the two women. Anne wiped her tears, then looked up at her trembling hands.. Without showing the slightest fear, Kat stuck the sharp part of her knife against her right forearm. Chapter 69 - 69 – Sisterhood While asionally ncing at Kat''s face, Anne neatly bandaged my colonist''s forearm. "Hey, don''t you feel any pain?" Lara grimaced. The amber-eyed girl answered. Her facial muscles have not moved since earlier. "Of course." "Girl, your face doesn''t show it at all." Rox let out a groan as if hits was in pain instead. The dog''s eyes looked sadly at its master''s forearm. As usual, Kat gently stroked her pet''s fur. "Just so you know, Kat." Anne did thest knot in the bandage. "That blood vow you did can''t be taken lightly. I will keep your promise to take care of my big sis." "Come on, Anne." Lara snorted. "Kat just slit her forearm for you. Could you be a little nicer?" "Lin always said that, right? We all have different personalities, so...." Anne stifled her words, closed her eyes, and spoke again, "Sorry." "By the way, why would you want to do that, Kat?" Lin asked. "You just met Anne yesterday, right?" Kat slightly rubbed the bandage on her forearm. It took a while for the girl to finally answer. "I don''t know myself either. Maybe it''s because I feel . . . Well, I have an older sister too." "So, you remember your older sister?" Lara replied. "Are you two close too, like Anne and Leva?" "Not really." Kat was silent again for a moment. "We never speak except when it''s necessary." You''ve had a lot of talks today, Kat. Lin, Lara, and Anne looked at Kat, who was silent again. They were, of course, waiting for the continuation of the story from my colonist. "I want to pee." Instead of speaking further, Kat stood up. Lin and Lara looked at each other, shrugging their shoulders. "I aming along." Anne also got up to catch up with Kat. Kat, who had already walked a few steps with her dog, stopped and looked at Anne for a few seconds, then continued on her way. "Once again, I apologize for what I said." Anne sighed. Seeing that Kat didn''t answer, I had to whisper to the girl again. "No problem, really." Seriously, you have no intention of answering that, Kat? "My big sis really means a lot to me." Anne gulped. "You know that I speak very harshly, and I often get into trouble because of it. It was Leva who always protected and defended me, even though I was wrong sometimes." Anne looked at Kat, who didn''t answer again. I was about to whisper to Kat a second time when Anne finally continued. "In the past, our mother also often acted and spoke carelessly. She admitted that she stopped doing such things after having children." Anne smiled faintly. "She focuses on taking care of her child and doesn''t think about other problems. Therefore, our mother always forces my big sis to get married and have children.... Ah, that''s enough about me and my family. Let''s talk about yourself... Maybe we can start with your mother...." "Just like my older sister, my mother rarely talks to me either. She is busy with her own work." Kat cut off the conversation in a quick tone. "So did my father. We as a family rarely get together." Damn. What kind of family do you have, Kat? "Oh, I see." Anne still opened her mouth, but she couldn''t utter a single word anymore. A few secondster, she chose to remain silent. Yeah, that''s Kat. It''s so awkward talking to my colonist. You''ll be at a loss for words. "After you?" Kat offered when they came to a bunch of banana trees with big trunks. "Ah." Anne shook her head. "Actually, I don''t want to pee." Kat froze for a few seconds, then hid behind two adjacent banana trees while Rox stood guard nearby. I certainly didn''t follow my female colonist because it was her personal business. Anne crossed her arms and looked the other way. And that''s when I realized her breathing had stopped. Her body and face also didn''t show any more gestures. Auto-pause. I looked around, and it didn''t take long to find the source of the pause. I found a creature with dark brown fur,rge in stature, with wed fingers, and two ears that were small in proportion to its body. A bear. The beast was walking on all fours from about 100 meters away. I don''t know if it''sing for us or not. However, I must remain vignt. As far as I know, even with such a big body, a bear still has a fast-running speed. I rushed over to Kat. Finding that the girl had crouched down to do her business, I looked up, only then lowered my body to whisper to her. "There''s a bear from the east, quickly bring Anne back to the group, then tell Tosa about this." I spoke to Kat while trying not to see her underside. After that, I exited the bunch of trees and pressed the y button. Anne yawned, then looked east. She flinched when she saw the bear. Fortunately, Kat had rushed out and covered Anne''s mouth, who was about to scream. Rox, who must have been ordered not to bark, was ready to attack with a fierce face, staring straight at the beast. "Stay near me." Kat hissed quietly. Anne nodded while biting her lip. Kat turned to the bear and began to slowly walk away from the ce. Too bad, there was no ce to hide other than the bunch of banana trees. Of course, they couldn''t hide there because it seemed the bear had seen Anne. Then, what I feared happened. The bear began to speed up its pace. "Run, but don''t scream." Kat whispered into the little girl''s ear. Anne nodded again, with her body starting to shake. The bear''s movements quickened, and the two women ran as fast as they could. However, the bear seemed to be faster. "Kyaaaa!!!" Anne couldn''t stop herself from screaming anymore. "Helllpppp, there''s a bear!!!" Luckily, they had almost reached the group. The women and men who were there immediately stood up, prepared with their weapons. There were indeed some who looked panicked or confused, but theirpanions tried to calm them down. "Take your bow and arrows and hide to shoot the beast!" I gave orders to Kat. The bear is getting closer to Anne and Kat. I can even hear the sound of its running. "Don''t panic! Don''t run away!" Tosa gave themand in a loud voice. "There are many of us, we will be able to deal with it! Remember our practice!" Chapter 70 - 70 – The Fiercest Creature The archers scattered in various directions, slightly away from the melee fighters who had gathered and prepared with their weapons. "Archers, shoot!!!" Tosa gave an order while taking aim. The arrows shot through the air and hit the bear. The beast roared with a deafening sound and stood on its two legs. "Melee fighters don''t attack just yet!!! Stay tuned for my signal!!!" Tosa shouted, then shot his second arrow. The melee fighters stayed where they were, wielding clubs, machetes, spears, and so on. There were thirteen of them, more than the archers. Most were tensed, and only Reha looked frustrated. With gritted teeth and a wild breath, the bald man tightly gripped a cleaver the size of a human forearm. "Hey, where''s Kat!?" Anne asked while looking around. Since she was one of the two healers, she didn''t participate in the fight, only taking cover behind Lara. "Kat is special." Lara grinned as she retook aim. "She will attack from a ce we don''t know. I''ve known her abilities since the first time I met her." "What do you mean?" Lara shot her arrow. "Just wait." Your observations are sharp, Lara. An arrow came from beside the bear and stabbed into the beast''s cheek, making it roar even louder. All the members of the Redtooth group were a few meters in front of the bear. Only Kat took a different angle, hiding behind a tree, a few meters from the beast''s side. Maybe she is in the safest position. The next time the bear attacked, it woulde forward first, not sideways after Kat. I kept my eyes on the bear, which couldn''t go forward because it was constantly bombarded with arrows. I just realized the bear is a bit bigger than its earth counterpart¡­. And why hasn''t it fallen after being hit by that many arrows!? The bear let out the loudest roar than ever, then dashed forward. This time the arrows seemed to have no effect on it. No, the arrows still have an effect. The bear''s running speed had decreased. Some of the melee fighters flinched, and some were already shaking. "Don''t be afraid! He''s seriously injured, we can definitely win!!!" Tosa shouted with all his might again, to the point his voice began to hoarse. "Now, melee attackers, scatter!!! As for the archers, keep shooting until the bear is close to the melee attackers!!!" As ordered, the melee attackers had indeed dispersed, but the distance between them wasn''t very far. They clearly wanted to attack the bear from all directions. "Fuck it! I''m tired of waiting!!!" Reha suddenly came forward while brandishing his giant cleaver. The archers immediately hesitated to shoot. "Just keep shooting!!!" Tosa''s tone became furious. "It''s his own fault!!! Don''t mind that motherfucker if he dies!!!" The bear had opened its mouth, about to pounce on Reha, who came to him. However, as the beast jumped, Reha rolled to the side, then shed at one of the enemy''s hind legs. Roaring again, the bear waved its hand to w at Reha. This time Reha jumped back, then stepped forward and shed at the beast''s other hind leg. And it keeps happening. Reha jumps, rolls, and attacks with very agile movements. There is not a single sh that does not hit the target. Holy shit. Yes, the bear''s movements did slow down, but it should still be hard for a normal human to dodge. I even checked the stats of that member of the Redtooth tribe. [Reha, 32 years old. (Tribe members)] Ranged Attack: 20/100 Melee attack: 72/100 His melee attack ability was still below Leva''s, but how could he fight like that? Because of buffs? A special trait? "Ahahaha!!!" As if he didn''t feel any pain, Reha pulled out a stray arrow stuck in his back. He was covered in blood, but it wasn''t from his body, but from the bear. The beast was already very limping, walking towards him. "Come on, attack me again, ugly beast!" Lin lowered her club and put her hands on her hips. "Well, whatever it is, he''s really reliable." Even though I still hate the bald man a lot, I can''t deny what Lin said. Even though it had been badly injured, the bear shouldn''t have been faced by a single person. Reha should have died from the beast''s swift attack. "Stop shooting!" Tosa raised his hand high. The archers immediately lowered their bows. The bear finally fell with a prone position. Its breath was running out. Instead of immediately finishing it off, Reha took a few steps back, then dashed forward and jumped high. "Heaah!!!" The bald man plunged his cleaver right into the center of the bear''s head. However, the cleaver bounced instead. Reha moved to the side of the bear''s motionless head, snorting in annoyance, then backed away again. He ran and jumped for a second time, but this time stabbed his cleaver into the bear''s nape instead of the head. The bear was flinched, though the weapon didn''t prate its nape too deep. Clearly not satisfied, Reha did that several times. Even though her breathing was already ragged, Rehaughed again after the beast didn''t move anymore. Theugh was normal at first, but then it got louder and louder. Finally, he spread his arms and shouted. "No one can beat me!!!" Meanwhile, the members of the tribe just froze. Reha pulled out his cleaver and climbed onto the bear. "All of you have witnessed Reha''s prowess! I haven''t been given a chance to show my skills! Now my chance hase and you see it! I defeated a bear that is said to be one of the fiercest and most powerful creatures!" The man paused, then looked at his fellow tribe members. "You guys can rx now! I''ll take out every stump scorpions thates at you! You''ll all be alive and home safely! You''re in the protection of the mighty Reha!" The group members were still frozen before finally a man raised his bow. "All hail, the mighty Reha! All hail, the mighty Reha!" The chant eventually spread to other members of the tribe. In no time, more than half of them were chanting the man''s name. Lara walked over to Tosa, who didn''t join in the cheers. The blonde woman said, "The bear is dead, but I think we''ll have another problem." "I know." Tosa hissed while looking at Reha, who had juste down from the bear''s body. Most of the group members had already surrounded him.. "However, it is undeniable, he remains one of the indispensable members of this expedition." Chapter 71 - 71 – Gift For The Hero From a few meters away, Tosa looked at Reha, who was sitting surrounded by several group members. They were praising the bald man, who was eating arge chunk of bear meat. Every now and then, the new hero of the Redtooth tribeughed. I''m sure those people weren''t entirely in awe of Reha. They just wanted the bald man to protect them when they came to the salt cave. A thin-faced man, whom I recognized as Sena''s father, approached Tosa and cleared his throat. "You know what will happen after this? If he doesn''t get his wish right away, he will make a fuss. Everything will be a mess." "Of course I know, Yogi." Tosa shook his head. "You don''t have to remind me. That Reha has a really hard time suppressing his libido." Tosa had moved from that ce, but Yogi held his shoulder. The squad leader looked at Sena''s father with his mouth gaping and brows furrowed, clearly pissed off. "We have to stick together and not hurt each other. If we arrive at the salt cave with sub-optimal conditions, then we will be screwed up." Yogi showed his left hand, which turned out to be missing the little finger and ring finger. "This is what you get if your group has anymosity among the members. I used to go on an expedition like this, and there was a dispute along the way. Blood was spilled. Some were injured and some chose to leave. We came to a salt cave with the people who ...." "Are you done talking, old man?" Tosa cut Yogi''s words in an annoyed tone. "I need to do something urgently, so don''t get in my way." Yogi raised his hands, and Tosa continued on his way. The group leader walked over to Kat, Anne, Lin, and Lara, who were gathered together, enjoying their dinner. "Hey, girls. Sorry to interrupt your time." Tosa sat across from them. "I don''t want to talk too much. After Reha''s heroic deed earlier, he definitely wants to have sex. He thinks he deserves it. If we don''t grant his request, everything will be in chaos." Anne''s body immediately shuddered, and Kat caught sight of it. However, since it was Kat, she didn''t respond. "I know, I also mentioned this matter earlier." Lara snorted. "But that doesn''t mean you cane up to us and expect one of us to spread our pussy. I thought you were thinking of another method, not necessarily using sex." Tosaughed bitterly. "Believe me, I''ve thought about it, but couldn''t find any other way. After being full and satisfied with thepliments, he''lle to all of you. Please, the hope of our group is just the four of you. The other two women are married and not to Reha''s taste." Lara spat on the ground. "Why don''t you just poke your ass hole at him, you bastard?" Ignoring Lara''s words, Tosa looked at Anne, who was now looking down. "What about you, Anne? You have experience with him." "What?" Lin raised her eyebrows. Lara put her index finger to her lips, signaling Lin. Lin widened her eyes with an expression of disbelief. So, Lara knows something, after all. "How about you, Kat?" Tosa pointed at my colonist with his chin. "After visiting your tribe, Reha kept talking about you all the way, to the point to the point of being annoying. He said he''s never seen a woman as beautiful as you." Hell no. Instead of answering, Kat stroked the dog''s head instead. Lara chuckled. "Hey, get Rox to bite this bastard''s dick, Kat!" "God damn it!" Tosa snorted and hit the ground. "You guys don''t have to do anything but get naked and give your pussy! It''s for ourmon good!" "Watch your words, Tosa!" Lara''s tone began to rise. "We are not sluts!" Anne gulped hard. Her eyes began to be decorated withyers of tears. "It seems, this time I have to..." "No." Lin stood up and smiled. "I''ll do it." Anne raised her face. "But ...." "Leave it alone, Anne." Lara cut off Leva''s sister''s words. "Can''t you see she''s so happy now? She really wanted to do it with Reha, and now the opportunity hase, but she was so shy earlier that she didn''t say yes right away." "Shut up, Lara." Lin snorted. "Hey, look!" Lara pointed at the muscr woman''s face. "Her face is red! That means, what I said is true!" "Are you two done fighting each other?" Tosa got up too. "You will do, Lin. Reha once said he wanted to do it with a strong woman." "Okay." Lin took a deep breath, then waved to the other girls. "See youter everyone." "Thank you, Lin..." Anne spoke in a groan-like voice. Lin chuckled. "Why are you thanking me? I really wanted to do this with Reha." "If you like Reha, aren''t you mad at me for doing it...." "Let''s not talk about that, okay." Lin gave a smile. "No matter what, you look like you''re not the one to take Reha." Tosa and Lin walked towards where Reha was. When Lin patted the bald man''s shoulder, Anne covered her mouth. The girl''s cheeks puffed up a little, a sign that he wants to vomit. She then hastily runs from the ce. "I caught them both when they were about to do that." As soon as Anne was out of sight, Lara began to tell her story with quivering lips. "I saw the two of them going to a remote corner of the tribe. However, I didn''t follow them. I chose to run to tell the tribe guards." Lara rubbed her face. "You know my reason, right? I can''t possibly fight Reha alone¡­. So, when we finally arrived at the scene, it was toote. Reha was doing that to Anne¡­." The blonde woman was silent for a moment. "But still, I was wondering if that time I confronted Reha.... Shoot him with an arrow, maybe? So that he would chase me and leave Anne. And I would lead him to the guards." Kat just stared at Lara, who was starting to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Therefore, I request that no one tell Anne that I was the first to catch the incident." Lara looked up, smiling bitterly. "I also keep my character who often argues with her. I don''t want her to be suspicious of my changes. Maybe this sounds paranoid, but I''m afraid she will be able to guess what happened, if she sees my character changing.... Ah, why am I telling you this to you, Kat? I''m sorry." "It''s okay.." This time Kat answered without my orders. Chapter 72 - 72 – Hard Evidence Nothing significant happened during the rest of the journey of the Redtooth tribe''s entourage. At noon on the fifth day, Reha walked behind Tosa, who was still leading the troops. The new hero of the Redtooth tribe puffed out his chest and put his arm around Lin. The couple asionally chatted andughed. Perhaps the one who kept Reha from doing bad was Lin. That woman always persuaded Reha not to get angry, basically by asking him to have sex. Damn. It turns out that Lin really likes Reha. I''m sure that if Reha started acting bad, Lin would be happy. It was evident from the expressions of the woman. "Stop!" Tosa raised his hand when we arrived at a in dominated by ck, from the soil color to the trees'' trunks. Yes, it was the part of the in that had burned down because of Manu. Although now, some short green nts are starting to grow. "Your tribe likes to burn, doesn''t it, Kat? The day after we departed, we also found a charred forest. Now this ce." Lara chuckled. She refers to where Jia, the criminal who attacked my colonists, was basically burned by Kat. Kat was silent. However, I could see her hands were tightly clenched. Maybe she hasn''t been able to move on from that incident. "Kat!" Tosa called. With a half run, Kat stepped forward to meet Tosa. "Don''t look at that." Lin turned Reha''s face the other way. Just now, the bald man''s eyes fell on Kat''s chest, which, although now covered in clothes, was still jiggling quite wildly. "You said, when we get to this ce, we''ll be at the salt cave soon, right?" Tosa confirmed to my female colonist. "Now, show me the way." Kat looked around for a moment before finally starting to walk towards the southwest without speaking at all. I speeded up the gamey until they reached the crack that Leva had found. Rox looked nervous. Its kept barking and twitching around its master''s feet. Kat had tried to calm the dog down but to no avail. The horses the group had brought also began to squirm ufortably, giving the caretaker a hard time. I could see that it caused some of the members to get tensed too. "Back then, it was like this too." Yogi, Sena''s father, hissed. "In my old tribe''s expedition, some of the pets we brought became restless." "So, the cave is in there, huh?" Tosa rubbed his chin, then looked at his group members. "I want to confirm it first. However, if we enter together, we might attract the attention of the stump scorpions. We''re pretty tired and won''t be at our best to fight." "Just send that woman from the east tribe then!" One of the group members shouted. "Her tribe made use here. She must take responsibility!" God damn it. A frenzy began to sound in the group. In essence, they agree with what the person said earlier. Tosa looked at Kat, who had crouched down, still trying to calm Rox. Then, the group leader raised his hands up high, causing the others to fall silent. "I agree with all of you." Tosa said with a big smile. "However, it''s useless if Kat goes alone. We have to have our members check with their own eyes that there really is a salt cave there." Kat looked at the man, whose smile grew wider. Reha walked forward with haughty steps. "Just let me in!" This time, cheers of praise for Reha emerged from some of the group members. Tosa had to raise his hand again to silence them. "If he''sing, I''ming too." Lin embraced Reha''s hand. The two lovebirds exchanged nces and smiled broadly. "I also want to participate." Lara also approached Tosa. Good, the more people, the better. I couldn''t possibly make Kat refuse Tosa''s orders. The squad leader looked at the four people and nodded. "Alright, you guys leave your stuff here and go in there." I whispered in Kat''s ear. "Just follow the orders and stay careful. Don''t take Rox because his barking might attract the attention of the monsters." Kat led her dog to a nearby tree trunk and tied it there. After that, she let go of his sack and gathered with the three volunteers. Rox was still barking and moving restlessly. "Come on, let''s go in!" Reha started walking, carrying his giant cleaver on his shoulders. "Don''t be so loud, dear." Lin reminded. The four of them went through the winding cliff passage for a while. With every step they took, I felt like I wanted to take Kat out of there more and more. I used to be excited about this ce because I didn''t know anything. However, after understanding the dangers of the world in this game, I couldn''t calm down. In a few minutes, they arrived at a in surrounded by cliffs. Lin, Lara, and even Reha gasped in amazement. The area was not affected by the fire from the monkey forest. So, the condition is still the same, full of colorful flowers simr to tulips. "I''ve never seen a flower this beautiful." Lara crouched down and examined the dark purple flower. "ording to the story, these flowers are a sign of the existence of a salt cave." Lin continued to look around. Reha walks again. "Then let''s get in there right away! I can''t wait!" "I told you, don''t be loud, dear!" Lin snorted. They walked into the cave, and the three Redtooth tribe members gasped again. They looked around at the white walls, stctites, and stgmites. Meanwhile, Kat just stood looking at them. "Don''t forget, there''s a monster inside." Kat said ording to my instructions. The three of them froze and looked at Kat. "You''re right." Lara sighed, took a knife from the back of her pants, pried out one of the stgmites, and licked a chunk from it. "It''s really salt." Without warning, Reha advanced towards the interior of the cave. Lin immediately pulled her lover''s hand. When the bald man turned to the woman, Lin shook her head hard. Reha snorted but luckily came back again. "Let''s get out of here." Lara said as she showed the small chunk of salt in her hand. "I''ve brought enough evidence." I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, they came out of the cave. I speed things up until they reach their group again. Tosa smiled when he saw the small white lump in Lara''s hand. "We went to Kat''s tribe first to greet andy bricks, as ordered by our leader.. We will also rest there and return to this ce tomorrow morning to start mining." Chapter 73 - 73 – A Game While the group from the Redtooth tribe continued their journey, I warp to my colony just to check on the inhabitants. I stopped the fast forward as Leva approached Pif, who was practicing sit-ups. Looks like something interesting will happen. "Pif, wrestle me." The red-haired girl shrugged. Huh? "Huh?" Pif froze while blinking his eyes. "What do you mean?" Leva chuckles. "Don''t you know wrestling?" "I know, but why?" Pif stood up with a confused face. "Of course to train, you idiot!" Leva spread her arms. "I''m bored and want to do something else! And you can train your physique by doing that!" I see. Now I''m jealous of you, Pif. "I tried asking Seb earlier, but he just ran away." Leva pointed at Seb, who had already run a long way like he was being chased by something that could kill him. Yes, Seb doesn''t like violence, but... What? "Okay." Pif answered in a discordant voice. His expression did look normal, but I''m sure the young man''s heart was starting to beat fast. "We can do it now." "One condition." Leva pointed to the lower body of the young man. "Take care of your dick. Don''t get boner. Or I''ll do something painful that you won''t forget for the rest of your life. One member of my tribe experienced that, and he''s traumatized to this day." Immediately, Pif covered his crotch with both hands. I could see his body shudder. "Errr..... Not really. Looks like I''m not in a fit condition to wrestle." Well, don''t you know, controlling that dick is nearly impossible, Leva? Leva''s eyes narrowed. "You look very healthy to my eyes." Pif shook his head vigorously and began to take a few steps back. Leva tried to catch him, but Pif ran as fast as he could. "Hey, wait for me!" Leva tried to catch up. "Let''s wrestle! I''m so bored! This is for your physique too!" "No! I don''t want my dick to be destroyed by you!" Pif''s scream started to sound like a falsetto. "I''m not talking about breaking your dick!" Leva elerated her run and tackled Pif from behind. The young man suddenly fell to the ground. "Let me go!" Pif tries to free himself, but Leva''s strength is greater than his. "I''ve caught you, let''s just wrestle now...." Leva choked, and her eyes started to widen. "Hey, why is your dick hard now! I haven''t done anything to you!" "I can''t control that!" "You pervert! You..." Leva choked again, and this time she stood up, gazing into the distance. "Who are they?" Pif raised his eyebrows, looking at the group of people walking to the settlement. "They''re my people." Leva gulped. "That...." Pif got up too and narrowed his eyes. "Kat with them? Where''s Manu?" I asked the two of them--as well as Seb--to return to the settlement. However, just as they started walking again, I realized something. "If you don''t want to see them, that''s fine, Leva." I whispered to my female colonist. And Leva stopped. Pif looked at the woman for a moment but said nothing and continued on his way. Sighing, Leva just watched from a distance. However, someone broke away from the group, galloped towards Leva. "Sis!!!" The petite and red-haired girl had tears in her eyes. She threw away all the things she was carrying. Leva held her breath. "Anne?" Anne jumped up and immediately hugged her older sister, crying profusely. At first, Leva was confused but then hugged back Anne. "I miss you so much, Sis." Anne''s voice became indistinct as it was muffled by her own sobs. Leva closed her eyes, began to shed tears too. "Me too. How are our mum and dad?" "They''re¡­" Anne''s sobs grew louder. "They''re fine." Leva gently stroked her sister''s hair. "Good." Meanwhile, near the settlement, the members of the Redtooth tribe had started to pile up bricks. Seb and Pif just looked at them with confused faces. "Kat, where''s Manu?" Seb asked Kat, who had just joined them. "Studying in their tribe." The amber-eyed girl just walked away to the shelter to put her things. Ugh. This girl is always unreliable in conveying information. "Hello, Seb." With a smile, Tosa came to my colonists. "We haven''t seen each other in a long time. Well, your new house is nice and it looks like you have a new member?" "Actually, what happened, Tosa? What was your purpose ining to us?" Seb asked ording to my orders in a cautious tone. A tribe member puts a sack into the shelter. Perhaps it contained the sleeping bags and warm clothes that Suja had promised. This made Pif and Seb look even more confused. Tosa widened his smile. "Long story." *** "Mining salt, huh?" Leva, sitting on the ground leaning her back against a boulder, sneered. "Suja is still greedy apparently." The woman red at her former triberades, who had already started to prepare things for the night. "But, because of that, I was able to see you again, Sis." Anne sighed. Her head rested on Leva''s shoulder. "Stupid. They don''t know anything about salt caves, but Suja sends them anyway. And they have to involve you." Leva snorted, then looked at her little sister, who was still wiping away tears. "You''d better go back there. You''re still one of them, right? I''m nobody anymore." Anne shook her head hard and hugged her older sister. "You know it, right? I''ve always felt like I''m not a part of them." "We." Leva took a deep breath. "We both feel like we''re not part of them." "I''ve said this many times and I won''t get bored. Only you understand me, Sis. Even our mom, who said she used to be like us, raised us with all her strict rules, without listening to us." Ah, maybe it was because their mother didn''t want the two of them to be like this. She had been so strict about educating them. This actually triggered the rebellious spirit within these sisters. Leva rubbed her little sister''s head again. "But, after what happened to me, I can see that our mother has the point. Maybe, for them to ept us, we have to..." "Don''t." Anne cut off her older sister''s words. "We''d better stop talking like this. I just want to enjoy mypany with you, Sis." Leva opened her mouth again but finally chose silence.. She wiped her tears which also started to fall again. Chapter 74 - 74 – Calm Night Night had fallen, but Leva and Anne were still far from the Redtooth tribe''s entourage. The older sister had just managed to make a bonfire when Lara came to her. The blonde-haired woman hid her hands behind her back. "Ah, it''s you, Lara." Leva greeted, only ncing at Lara. "Good evening." Lara was silent for a moment. "Apparently, Kat was right. You''ve changed, Leva. The old Leva wouldn''t greet first like that." Leva smirked. "Well, I just found out that I can change myself." "So, what do you need, Lara?" Anne asked in a fast and not at all friendly tone. "See?" Lara chuckled. "That''s the kind of response I was expecting. Full of suspicion and hostility." Levaughed too, though it seemed forced. "But, really. What are you doing here, Lara? And I know you''re hiding a knife behind your back. You want to fight us in an open space like this, with melee attacks that you are not good at?" Lara turned to her little sister. "Have you told Leva about Kat making a blood vow to protect your sister?" "What?" Leva turned to Anne, who just sighed. And Lara then pulled out a knife from behind her back. "And that deed inspired me, Leva. Now raise your hand, I will make that vow to protect your sister in the salt mines tomorrow." "Hey!" Leva quickly got up and grabbed Lara''s hand. "Are you insane!? You don''t have to do something like this!" "I have to do it, Leva." Lara smiled with teary eyes. "Let me do it. It''s for your family." "You have no debt or obligation to do anything for my family." Leva hissed sharply, still not wanting to let go of Lara''s knife-holding hand. "And I don''t want to be in debt to you either." Lara''s tears started to fall. With a slight shake of the head, she said in a whimpering voice. "I havemitted a grave sin against your family, Leva." "What do you mean?" Leva frowned. Lara never showed any sign that it was very stressful on her mind. Yes, I know she feels guilty, but not to this extent. Seconds passed, Lara shook her head again. Her tears fell more and more. "I can''t tell you." "Don''t do this." Leva reiterated her words. Lara''s hand holding the knife went limp, so Leva let go of her grip. "I''m so sorry..." Unable to look at the siblings, Lara left the ce half running. Anne got up, watching the blonde girl walk away. "She is acting strange. She does often argue with you or me, but never gets into a fight with us." "Maybe she did something wrong to one of us, but we just don''t realize it." Leva was on her hips with an expression I couldn''t predict. They both sat down and started eating. I looked around to check the situation. Seeing Tosa sitting across from my three colonists, I immediately moved to the settlement to listen to their chatter. When ites to Tosa, I have a terrible feeling. "So, what''s your job here, Pif?" Tosa asked, then took a bite of green guava-like fruit. Pif, having just swallowed his smoked chicken, shrugged. "Well, a healer maybe? And I guess I''m a long-range fighter here too." "All this time, you asked about our abilities." Seb smiled widely. "You want us to join you on your mission, right?" Hell no. I don''t want my colonists to be in danger. I immediately whispered to Seb to refuse if Tosa wanted to take my colonists on the mission. However, the group leader shook his head instead, throwing the rest of the fruit into the fire. "So, if I ask, will you guys agree toe along?" Tosa shrugged. "This tribe of yours is still very small and has very few members. I just wanted to say, in a critical situation, maybe we need your help, especially the healer. If, for example, many of us are injured and two of our healers are overwhelmed, we will ask for your help. Is that alright?" "Well then, just agree with him, Seb." I whispered to my male colonist. Seb nodded and held out his hand. "You guys have also helped us a lot with bricks, and others. We will help as much as we can, even if we cannot participate in the mission." "Great." Tosa smiled and shook the hand. "We appreciate your kindness." Pif and Kat also shook Tosa''s hand. Since nothing meaningful happened anymore, I used the fast forward feature again. My colonists and group members from the Redtooth tribe seemed to be carrying out their activities in such a quick motion. In no time, my colonists entered the shelter while the group members entered their sleeping bags. It was not yet morning, but I''ve pressed the y button. I became restless. I need some time to cool off before the storm that might hit tomorrow. Although this is not a mission from my colony, the event that will happen is the biggest thing I have ever encountered in this game. Game, huh? Sighing, I started strolling, watching the sleeping people. I stopped when I saw people I knew. Lin, Lara, Yogi, then Anne, who slept with her sister in one sleeping bag, hugging each other. Honestly, I''m a little fond of them. In thest few days, I''ve been learning about their stories. They were no longer NPCs from other tribes. No. All of them here are not NPCs like in other games. You can''t just forget them. Finally, I stopped in front of Tosa, who had not yet fallen asleep. The squad leader''s eyes were fixed on the zing bonfire. He''s an asshole, but I can feel a surge of determination in him. I hope, tomorrow, this man''s n will fail. No one will be a martyr to spark an uprising. Yes, this time, I can only hope. Everything is in the hands of the guardian spirit of Redtooth, not mine. I looked up at the stars in the clear sky.. If I, who wasn''t even one of them, could be so worried, how would Red feel now? I think she also really loves her people, even though she failed Leva. Chapter 75 - 75 – Words Of Reassurance The sun had not yet fully risen, but the squad members from the Redtooth tribe were already preparing to move to the salt cave. Anne hugged Leva and buried her head into her sister''s chest. Leva stroked the petite girl''s head gently. "How about I just take you away, so you don''t have to go on that stupid expedition?" Leva sighed. Anne looked up. "You''re really going to do that, Sis?" Leva didn''t answer and instead looked away. Sorry, Leva. I can''t let you go with them, even if it''s to take care of your sister. You are my precious colonist. "It''s okay." Anne let go of her arms and gripped her sister''s hands tightly. "Like what our mother always said, we have to make a contribution to themunity, right? I''ve be an adult, Sis. I have to be a responsible woman." "Stop it." Instead of praising, Leva said in a disdainful tone. "You speak wisely, it''s scary." Anneughed, and a few secondster, Leva too. "So, good bye then." Anne took a deep breath. "I will try to join a traveling merchant in the future toe here." "Take care." Leva smiled faintly. Anne smiled back, then removed her hand from her sister''s. I can see Leva''s gesture that she looks reluctant to do that. Sorry again, Leva. I can''t do anything. Leva looked at her little sister, who kept walking away, then averted her gaze with teary eyes. Before Anne returned to her group, the girl came over to my colonists, who were chatting with Tosa. "You want to say something to them, Anne?" Tosa said with a smile. "Please, go ahead." Anne looked at the three colonists one by one, then fixed on Kat. "I''m sorry, Kat. Turns out you were right, my older sister wasn''t treated as a ve. I couldn''t find any signs of it." Then, the girl looked at the others again, bowing slightly. "And I thank all of you, for taking good care of my older sister." "No problem." Seb shed a broad smile. "Leva is an irreceable part of our group. We are delighted she is with us." "In that case, I beg you to continue to look after my sister." Anne bowed again. "Then you don''t have to worry." This time it was Kat who answered, and it immediately caught the attention of two of her fellow colonists. "Okay, we''re leaving now." Tosa smiled again. "If we really need it, we''lle back here. We''ll ask for your help." "Take care," Seb replied. "Our group is always open to you. Tosa and Anne rejoin their group, then begin their journey to the salt cave. Leva finally approached the settlement, watching the group move away. Meanwhile, Kat has returned to the shelter. "Honestly, I have a bad feeling." Pif gulped. "I''ve heard a lot of bad stories about the salt cave." Leva snorted. "Don''t talk like that. My little sister is with them, dumbass." "Oh, sorry." Pif grimaced. "I didn''t mean to make you worry more." The red-haired girl then walked over to pick up the container beside the shelter she used to carry y with. "You still want to go, Leva?" Seb asked. "Yes." Leva raised an eyebrow. "Why?" "I think the y you collected is enough." Seb walked over to the girl. "And they''ve given us a lot of bricks too." Leva was silent, staring at Seb''s face for a moment. "What''s your point in saying all that, Seb?" Same question I have. Seb gulped. Now he was silent for a few seconds. "Maybeter your little sister will need help." Ah, Seb must have thought of more than that. That makes sense. If Leva left when her sister was going through the worst, Leva''s mentality could be affected. "You better take a break until I tell you to start again." I whispered to the girl. So, Leva lowered the container. "Ah, you''re right too, Seb." The girl turned from the others and rubbed her face. Her eyes zed over again. Damn it. Should I order her to catch up with Redtooth''s group? No. I prefer to order my other colonists to give a few words of reassurance. And so, I gave orders about it to my other colonists. Kat came to Leva in her old skimpy clothes. This immediately made Seb and Pif gape. Now Kat''s midriffs, underboobs, cleavage, and thighs are visible again. I was surprised myself. I didn''t order her to do that at all. Leva looked Kat up and down, then asked, "Why?" "I just feel morefortable in this outfit." Kat answered with her trademark nk expression. Does this mean I can instill a habit in them? Shaking her head, Leva started walking again, this time leaving the ce. Kat began to speak. "I''ve seen Reha''s way of fighting, he''s really great. Your tribe members are also very good at team fighting. They can definitely protect your sister...." "Don''t." Leva hissed as she kept her back to my other colonists. "I don''t need to be entertained by you guys. Just don''t." "My Tribe knows Redtooth very well. We skirmished them a few times." Pif joined in. "People in my tribe always say, the Redtooth tribe is the most powerful tribe we''ve ever fought...." "I said, shut up!!! Why don''t you guys understand!!??" Leva snapped in a booming voice, even I was shocked by it. "I also know the strength of my former tribe!!! I know they are very powerful!!! You think I''ve never seen my own tribe fight...." The woman choked violently, and the others could only stare at her in silence. "Please. Leave me alone." Leva said in a hoarse voice. She covered her eyes with one hand, and her body trembled. Maybe she was crying. I don''t know. I didn''t have the heart to check on the girl. Seb took a step forward. "We understand, Leva. But always remember, we will always be there for you." Giving no response, Leva began to walk again,pletely leaving the settlement. Like my other colonists, I don''t follow her.. Even though she couldn''t see me, I felt wrong to do so. Chapter 76 - 76 – Self-proclaimed Hero "Ugh, all of these are really hard to use." A male member of the Redtooth tribeined. He was building a tent frame with burning logs. "My palms have turned ck too." "Don''tin, Zhen." Another man, also building the frame, reminded him. "Just move your ass." "This is all because Tosa forgot to mention that this area was burned! Even though he was told by the tribe in the east!" Setting up the tents meant that they would be in this ce for more than a day. They anticipate the rain. So, how much salt will they mine? I passed the sacks that were still lying around, surveying the situation in the area that was only filled with a handful of people. I saw Anne sitting alone, staring at the crack on the cliff. Because I was too worried, I came here. However, there doesn''t seem to be anything extraordinary. After making sure everything was fine there, I moved to the field filled with colorful flowers. There were about ten people there, and most of them were archers. Apparently, if the miners in the cave ran outside, the archers were tasked with shooting down the chasing monsters. "You collected that for your son, Yogi?" Lara bowed slightly beside Sena''s father, who was picking various colorful flowers in the area. Yogi turned to Lara and raised an eyebrow. "Huh, how did you know?" "Sena once showed me his favorite item." Lara smiled. "A purple dried flower that looks simr to the one here." Looking at some of the flower stalks he was holding, Yogi smiled too. "It is a souvenir from my previous expedition. And Sena really likes it." I checked the situation again and found Tosa standing with his arms crossed, focused on the dark cave. Some people can be seen mining there. It seems everything went smoothly. Am I being too paranoid? Perhaps I should return to my colony, keeping an eye on the inhabitants as usual? "Heaah!!!" The booming voice of a man echoed from the cave. It was Reha''s voice. I rushed into the cave and found the workers still busy mining the salt, lit only by a few torches. Some had already started to carry containers containingrge chunks of salt and brought them out of the cave. Meanwhile, Reha stood guard by shouldering his giant cleaver in the slightly deeper part of the cave. His weapon appeared to be covered in white liquid, and near his feet were the five corpses of stump scorpions lying around. The dull brown beasts that resembled scorpions without a tail were nearly crushed by the sh from Reha. "Come on, guys. Keep it up." While mining with a pickaxe, Lin gave encouragement, but not too loudly. "We have to mine as much as we can, so that when wee back here in the future, we can just take these salts without having to enter this cave." Ah, so that''s it. They wouldn''t immediately bring a lot of these things to their tribe. Reha yawned. "Argghhh!!! I''m bored!" "Don''t talk so loud, dear." Lin hissed. "We don''t want a giant stump scorpioning at us." "Heaah!!!" Reha eximed while shing a stump scorpion the size of an adult''s head that came at him. "I want to fight the big one, Lin!" "Hey, can you pay attention to what I''m saying?" Lin threw down her pickaxe, and put her hands on her hips. The other workers also stopped to watch what was happening. "We can''t be reckless here. I''ve been hearing that you keep screaming every time you kill those monsters. Please, once again, be quiet." "Tsk!" Reha snorted, turned around, and started walking to his lover. "Hey, you can''t just control me, woman! Yes, we do¡­." The bald man''s speech was interrupted by the appearance of the shriek from inside the cave. The workers stopped and looked around. The shriek was like a singer''s voice with such a high pitch, but at the same time, I felt that the voice didn''te from a human. If I were in the real world, my heart would be beating fast right now, and I would be breaking out in cold sweat. "Run!" Lin gave the order. The workers immediately ran out. Lin was about to run too, but she was look horrified when she saw that her lover didn''t move. Reha was still at his ce, and his loudughter echoed in the cave again. "About time! Finally, the one I''ve been waiting for hase!" "Hey, we have to go now, Reha! ording to Tosa''s orders, we must flee immediately if there is a loud noise!" Lin shouted. "Shut up!" Reha shed some stump scorpions that came at him. "I''m the greatest hero of the Redtooth tribe! I will defeat all these ugly beasts so that our tribe can mine in peace!" Now, the stump scorpions that appeared were twice the size they were before. Reha''sughter grew louder, and his movements were getting more agile. He shed and stabbed the beasts almost without a break. "We have to get out now, dear!!!" Lin started to cry, but at the same time, she didn''te forward to pull Reha at all. Either because she was too scared or because she was being held back by her guardian spirit. "You can die if you stay there!!!" Reha didn''t answer and continued to attack the animals like a madman. In no time, the corpses of the stump scorpions were scattered, creating puddles of disgusting white liquid. And none of those monsters could hurt Reha. Seeing that, Lin finally stopped screaming and looked at his lover in amazement. "Heaah!!!" Reha shed thest stump scorpion. His breath was now ragged, and his body was full of white liquid from the monsters he had killed. Is all this over? It only takes one person to defeat them? This is far from what I imagined after hearing talk about the salt cave, which is said to be horrifying. However, that terrifying shriek still echoed in the cave. "Come on!" Reha walked forward while spreading his arms. "Give me more!" The shriek stopped right after Reha shouted, reced by the fast and tight tter of something approaching. With a big arrogant smile, Reha took a stance, ready to attack. And from the darkness of the cave, I could see the appearance of a stump scorpion whose size was much more massive than the others, maybe as big as a minibus. The color is also darker, the proportions of the pincers are more enormous, and the body is full of nodules. I had to back away because I was intimidated by the beast even though my life was not in danger at all. "Ahahaha!" Reha dashed forward, but the giant stump scorpion elerated at an incredible speed and suddenly was in front of the bald man. The self-proimed hero didn''t have time to do anything when his stomach was mped by the monster. Reha also didn''t have time to scream when the pincer of the monster closed, splitting his body in two, sttering fresh blood everywhere. "Kyaaaaaaa!!!" I could hear Lin''s hysterical screams. Chapter 77 - 77 – The Day With tears in her eyes, Lin ran out of the cave. "Heeellllpppp!!!" However, she saw no one in the flower-filled area. What are you doing, Red? You ask your tribe members to run first and leave the ones still in the cave? Lin continued to run, but the giant stump scorpion from the cave caught her quickly. The woman suddenly fell down and checked her feet. Her right leg was oozing fresh blood from where her knee should have been. The rest of her legsy a few feet from him. "Kyaaaaa!!!" The woman''s tears flowed harder. She desperately crawled away, leaving a long trail of red liquid. The giant stump scorpion just froze in ce. Then, from within the cave, stump scorpions of various sizes emerged. They crawled in groups like ants. And in no time, some of them had already surrounded Lin, whose screams grew louder. "Let go of me!!! Help!!! It''s hurts!!! It''s hurts!!! Help!!!" Of course, the beasts didn''t care. They kept cutting the woman''s body with their pincers. I turned around, unable to see the scene anymore. Is this the price I paid to keep my colonists safe? Seeing that some of the stump scorpions had started creeping into the crack on the cliff, I used warp to return to the basecamp of the Redtooth tribe member group. There, I found people already gathered around Lara and Tosa, who were standing face to face with tense faces. "We have to save those who are still inside! They are part of us!" Lara snapped in a voice like she wanted to cry. "We can''t just abandon them!" "We have agreed that if there are suspicious voices, we will immediately run." Tosa growled. "Sorry if I say this, but the two of them didn''t do that." "That doesn''t mean we can''t help them!" "I can''t leave the others in danger, damn it!" Finally, Tosa snapped. "We don''t know what we''re getting into! These people still have families, children, husbands, wives, and so on! They are not expendables!" Even at a time like this, I''m not sure if Tosa''s words came from his heart or not. He might have taken advantage of this incident to attract support from others. Lara''s face grew even tenser. She approached Tosa with such a sharp gaze. "And those who are still inside also have loved ones, people waiting in their homes." "If you want to save them, do it yourself!" Suddenly a woman from the group shouted. "I still want to go home safely!" "Hey, you, shut up!" Lara pointed at the woman. "Don''t make this situation worse!" However, the other members had ignored the blonde woman. They were talking among themselves. In essence, they agreed that they had better get out of there right away. "Come on, guys," Lara looked around in disbelief. "There are still people in there! You guys really don''t want to save them!? Please, I beg you! I ¡­." "Enough!" Tosa raised one hand, causing Lara and the others to fall silent. "There''s no point in arguing anymore. If you want to be safe,e with me to get out of here, prepare only the important things to bring. If you want to kill yourself, please follow this bitch." And after that, the group dispersed to prepare to go home. Lara looked at them with wide, teary eyes. Then, she chuckled bitterly. "It turns out that this is the true nature of all of you." "Remember, Lara." Tosa said in a t tone. "You also came with us after hearing that suspicious voice. If you wanted to help Lin, why didn''t you do it earlier?" Lara''s eyes widened even more. She choked and couldn''t speak at all, while Tosa walking away from her. Then, the blonde-haired woman lowered her head and clenched her fists. She looked like she was desperately holding back her sobs. "Hey, are you okay, Lara?" Lara turned to her side. Anne just tapped her on the shoulder. "There''s nothing we can do." Anne continued her words with trembling lips. From Anne''s tone of voice, choice of words, and expression, I couldn''t tell if she was trying to calm Lara down or not. "Just leave me alone." Lara said tly, then left Anne alone. Weird. No. I don''t mean the interactions between humans that just happened. Their bickering and chatter had already taken a few minutes, so where are the monsters? Hadn''t they already entered the crack on the cliff? Could it be that they decided not to attack and retreated? Anne shook her head and walked towards the location of her sack of goods. However, only taking a few steps forward, she froze and widened her eyes, then shouted in a frightened tone. "Kyaaaaa!!!" So shocked, Anne took a step back and almost fell over. All the attention of the tribe members was on her. Then, with trembling hand, the girl pointed at the crack. At the corner of the crack''s lips, there was a stump scorpion the size of an adult''s head who just stood there, not doing anything. It positioned itself close to the cliff wall so it was difficult for people to notice. "Let me kill it." One of the archers immediately took aim with his bow. "Don''t!!!" Yogi and Tosa, a few meters away from where the archer was, shouted in unison. It was toote. The arrow from the archer had been shot, directly stabbed into the stump scorpion who immediately fell, twitched a little, then died. Tosa pushed the archer''s chest. "Have you forgotten!? It''s a scout scorpion! It could send a signal to itsrades! And now you''re killing it!" "Shit, shit, shit!!!" Yogi squeezed his head with a frustrated face. ''We''re screwed!!! They wille us now!!!" Then, auto-pause was triggered, a sign that my colonists were also in danger. And a text appeared in front of me. [When the stump scorpions are out of their nest, the leader will send some scouts to check on the situation. Basically, they wouldn''t attack outside the cave if they weren''t disturbed first. If even one of the scouts dies, then they consider that a sign of threat] Oh, Fuck. Chapter 78 - 78 – The Day (2) I gave the necessary orders to my colonists. Judging from the distance between my colony and the salt cave, I think it''s unlikely that the monsters will approach here. The members of the Redtooth group must have defeated them first. However, there is no harm in being vignt. After giving a final whisper to Leva, who was huddled behind arge rock, I intended to focus solely on keeping an eye on my colonists. However, I feel ufortable. This is all still my fault. It seemed inappropriate for me to take my eyes off what was about to happen, even though I couldn''t do anything about it. And so, I returned there, to the salt cave area. The people from the Redtooth tribe were still in position when the auto-pause was triggered. I was about to press the y button when my eyes fell on the cliff crack. I haven''t checked it yet. Slowly, I entered the crack. I still felt the terror even though I wasn''t in any danger at all. Even I could feel my heart beating fast and my breathing getting heavy. However, it was clearly only in my imagination. A few meters, I found nothing. Until finally, I arrived at the first turn. I slowed my pace, then peeked. My body shook hard, and I pulled my head, immediately rubbed my face. The monsters are there. Ranging from the size of a human head to the size of a human stomach. They crawled across the ground and both sides of the cliff walls. Their number is countless. Will the people from Redtooth be able to fight these beasts? Only one way to find out. I came out of the crack with limp steps. My eyes looked around at the member of the Redtooth tribe. As Tosa said earlier, they have loved ones, people waiting for them at home. And not all of them will be able to return. I moved my index finger to the y button, took a deep breath, then pressed it. There''s no point in dying any longer. "I''m sorry." I hissed, though they couldn''t hear me. "Stay calm!" Tosa shouted. "Gai, prepare that incendiary bomb!" A man took out a wooden container from a sack, then quickly brought it to Tosa. The container contained y bottles with wooden plugs. "Back off, back off!" Tosa gave another direction. "Don''t mind our stuff yet. Disperse and form a formation like you would against other tribes!" Those people did just that. They ran away, scattering with the archers behind the line of melee weapons holders. Meanwhile, Anne and another male healer were already preparing with their respective medical bags in the back row. The rumbling of thousands of tiny footsteps boomed, then before long, the monsters began to be seen in the crack in the cliff. Tosa took one of the dark brown bottles from the container, opened the lid, then pulled the cloth from the bottle''s neck as a fuse. The bottle became like a Molotov cocktail used by people on earth to carry out demonstrations. Someone swiped two fire stone near the bomb fuse. As soon as a spark appeared, the bottle''s fuse instantly ignited with zing mes. Right after that, a part of the stump scorpion hade out of the crack. Tosa threw the bomb in his hand. The bomb flew through the air, then exploded as soon as itnded on the group of monsters and spread fire to them. The stump scorpions whose bodies were burned ran around aimlessly and spread fire to theirrades. "Shoot them!!!" Tosa screamed with all his might, then threw a second bomb. The archers started shooting, and the second bomb set fire to the monsters again. However, all of them don''t seem to be doing much. Yes, some of the monsters were directly hit by arrows. Many of them were burned too and couldn''t attack anymore. However, the number that came from the crack increased, and they were getting closer to Tosa''s line of troops. The leader of the group gave up throwing the third bomb and shouted instead. "Run!!!" Toote, several melee attackers were brought down and surrounded by the monsters, even when they had just made their first attack. Their screams of pain filled the air, creating a feeling that seemed to squeeze my heart. What have I done? Tosa took two bottles of bombs and ran along. The monsters'' movements did slow down a bit because some of them were swarming around the people, but of course, the danger didn''t just go away. I also ran with those people. That''s when I saw Tosa, who was observing the situation. Secondster, he took another direction from the people he was leading. Huh? You''re using thoserades of yours as bait!? You want to make them herd the monsters in another direction while you save yourself!? What kind of leader are you!? Some people who saw that immediately followed Tosa. One of them was Lara, who pulled Anne to run in that direction. Tosa looked back and immediately snorted when he saw several people running a few meters behind him. If there wasn''t a single stump scorpion behind the man, now the monsters are chasing. And I just realized that these people are running towards my colonists. Shit. The voices of the victims'' screams became quieter as if they were drifting away. Tosa''s party kept running, with the asional archers and melee attackers dispelling the pursuing monsters. "I can''t take it anymore, Lara..." Anne, who was runningst, moaned with a shaky breath and started to stagger away. "Come on, you can do it, Anne!!!" Lara eximed, then shot one of the stump scorpions. "They''re getting less and less!" Yes, the number of monsters chasing them now wasn''t too many. There were about four that were the size of a human head and one that were bigger. So staggered, Anne tripped over her feet and fell down. A small stump scorpion came straight to her feet. "Argggghhhh!!!" The girl screamed hysterically as the stump scorpion started cutting her ankle with its pincers. "Anne!!!" Lara immediately stopped. And the other monsters had already approached the petite girl. Chapter 79 - 79 – The Day (3) Lara took an arrow from the quiver on her back and shot the monster in Anne''s leg. "Argggghhhh!!!" Anne screamed even more in pain as the other stump scorpions began to pinch several parts of her body. "Hey guys! Help us ..." Anne, who was looking back, gasped as the people from the tribe ran further and further away. What are you doing, Red? Why did you let them escape? "Lara .... Help me ....." Anne whimpered with tears in her eyes. She tried to free the monsters from her body but to no avail. "This hurts so bad...." Anne''s body was already bleeding profusely. "Shit!" Lara kept shooting at the monsters with her arrows. The tiny monster immediately fell when hit by the arrow. However, for more enormous monsters, one arrow was not enough. It still cut the petite girl''s right waist. "Die you, ugly monster!!!" Lara kept shooting that monster. At the fourth arrow, the beast finally fell. However, another big stump scorpion came to the petite girl. Seeing that, Anne widened her eyes which were filled with tears. "Don''te near me!!!!" Anne tried to crawl away, but her strength was gone. She could only move for a few inches. Lara reached for her quiver again but couldn''t grasp anything. Her arrows have run out. "Aieeeeee!!!" Anne''s scream was heard again as the stump scorpion began to cut her hand. The girl tried to fight back. However, she couldn''t do anything because of her weakened body. Maybe it''s because she''s bleeding a lot. Lara looked here and there frantically, then fixated on her tribe mate, who was still suffering. And the blonde girl just ran away. "Lara! Don''t leave me!!!" Anne burst into tears again. "I beg you, don''t leave me alone.... Please.... It''s hurts...." I knelt down, pressing my palms to the ground. My tears started to flow, causing a warm feeling in my eyes. If I were in the real world, my tears would have fallen to this ground. A game, they say? What a joke. In front of me, there is a person who died, and it looks so real. For me, this is not a simtion anymore. This is hell. Anne''s screams were no longer heard. Now she could only sob and whimper in pain. She was still trying to push the stump scorpion, which was still cutting off her other hand. However, the push was very weak. She had no more strength. "I am really, really sorry." I groaned, unable to look at the girl. "Heaah!!!" I lifted my face when I heard the roar. It wasn''t Anne''s voice. Lara was running towards the petite girl carrying arge rock. And then, Anne''s crying stopped. She looked horrified when she saw her left forearm, which had just separated from her body. Then, the stump scorpion had crawled into the poor girl''s chest. A loud thud echoed, apanied by a disgusting sound as if something was squeezed hard. Lara just threw the big rock in her hand, and itnded on the monster''s body, sttering a lot of white liquid. The stump scorpion''s legs were still moving, but it could do nothing to break free. "Anne!" Lara crouched next to Leva''s little sister, ignoring the pool of thick red liquid that continued to spread on the ground. Anne''s mouth spits out fresh blood. The girl sobbed and whimpered again. "I don''t want to die.... I don''t want to die...." "You won''t die!" Lara tore off her own clothes with a knife, then tied the part of Anne''s hand that had been cut off. "Hold on, Anne!" "It''s hurts so much...." Lara picked up Anne and started running. Blood continued to stter on the ground at every step of the blonde-haired woman. Come on! You can do it, Lara! Anne''s mouth kept opening and closing. She seemed to be talking, but no sound came out of her mouth. "Come on, hang on a little longer, Anne." Lara also started to have tears in her eyes. "We''re going to ask your sister''s Tribe for help." Anne''s eyes narrowed, and her breathing began to slow. Lara realized that and getting more and more tears in her eyes. Until finally, the petite girl''s chest no longer showed an up and down movement. Her eyes were also staring nkly at the sky. Lara stopped running. Her mouth opened wide. *** I returned to my colony because I could no longer bear the sad sight. My colonists had their weapons ready. Leva with her pickaxe, then Kat and Pif using their bows. And, of course, Seb was hiding somewhere some distance away. "Well, what are we actually making a bonfire for?" Pif asked as he looked at the bonfire in front of him. "Are we going to meet those monkeys again? "Just shut up, kid." Leva snorted. "You''ve asked that many times. I''m also confused as to why we have to prepare like we''re going to war." The skinny young man sighed. "Maybe our guardian spirit expects something toe to us.... Maybe from that salt cave.... Ah, sorry...." Pif didn''t continue his words because he got a re from Leva. Oh, you all don''t know. Kat took a few steps forward and narrowed her eyes. "That''s...." Tosa''s group had begun to be seen in the distance. The nine men just kept running. If I could, I would have spat on them one by one. They were the ones who left Anne to die. "Oh shit." Pif hissed. Leva came forward with her lips tightly closed. Her eyes moved between the nine people. I know who she is looking for. As soon as they arrived at my settlement, the group immediately stopped. By drenched in sweat, all of them catch their breath, even to the point of some lying down exhausted. Leva hurried over to Tosa, who was sitting on the grass. "Where''s Anne?" The red-haired girl asked with trembling lips. Tosa nced at Leva, then looked away and said, "I don''t know." Leva widened her eyes, then ran in the direction the group hade from. She did it without my orders. "Leva, where are you going!?" Pif called out to the woman but was ignored. Soon, Leva would meet Lara. At first, I didn''t want to follow the red-haired girl, but that particr feeling came back again to me. As the one who made all of this happen, I have to see them all, share their suffering. Therefore, I also ran to catch up with Leva. Chapter 80 - 80 – The Day (4) Leva ran for quite a while. While descending in a gentle valley, she finally met Lara, who was carrying Anne''s body. "Anne!!!" Leva screamed desperately. Lara -- already in tears -- lowered Anne to the ground. Leva dropped her pickaxe and knelt beside the little sister. "A-anne?" Leva patted Anne''s cheek lightly, but of course, the little sister didn''t respond. "Please, answer me." Anne still had her eyes closed, not giving an answer. Lara staggered back a few steps, then fell to her knees, staring at the sisters. With her breath starting to get out of control, Leva looked all over Anne''s bloodied body. When her eyes fell on the missing left hand of her little sister, the woman gasped. "No ... No .... Please, no ...." Leva shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. "Arrrrrgggghhhh!!!" Leva''s screams were louder and more heartbreaking. Just a few hours ago, they were still hugging and saying goodbye to each other. Tosa''s group came to check. Most just stared at the scene while the rest looked away. And all were silent. Leva was still screaming. Lara got up and approached the group with a face full of anger. "This is all because of you guys!!! You didn''t want to help her when she was attacked!!!" Lara pushed some of the people away. However, they all remained silent, did not argue at all. "Earlier, you could turn around and attack the monsters surrounding Anne!!! With this many people, you won''t be in any danger!!! You could save her!!!" The people were still silent. Lara cried again, then knelt down and covered her face. And Kat passed the crowd to approach Leva, who was now no longer screaming and just looking down in silence. When she saw Anne''s wounded body, the amber-eyed girl clenched her hands so tightly that they trembled. A few secondster, her eyes began to shed tears. This time I could guess Kat''s emotions, though she was still expressionless. "Kat, please, take care of my sister''s body." Leva hissed hoarsely, then picked up her pickaxe and got to her feet. "I''ll get rid of those damned vermin." No, Leva. I immediately tried to speak into the red-haired girl''s ear, forcing her not to act recklessly. I understand how Leva''s mental state is now, but one person wouldn''t be able to fight that many monsters. It''s suicide. "Hey, Leva. Please, don''t go!" I started to panic as Leva begun to step forward. "You can die!" "They wille here!" Yogi, already a few steps ahead of the group, shouted. "You don''t have to go to them. They''ll split up to check if we''re still around. So if you want revenge on them, just wait for them toe. You''ll have more chances thaning to their base." Leva stopped walking. Everyone is silent and looks at Yogi. "Then let''s just run. Why stay here?" One of the members of the Redtooth tribe sighed. "Where are we going to run to?" Yogi snorted. "The range of the stump scorpions doing the search is very wide, up to hundreds of kilometers. We need rest to reach a safe distance, while they will continue to search relentlessly. Sooner orter, they will get us." Another member chimed in. "Then what should we do?" "We have to hang on somewhere. They''ll give up and go back to the nest if west long enough. Those monsters will think we are too strong and will choose to defend the nest again." As time went on, Yogi''s voice grew louder. "Earlier, our formation became chaotic, so we were forced to run. This time, we just have to defend our position." "I''ve heard that from you." Tosa approached Sena''s father with a sharp gaze. " Can you repeat what you once told me, how do you know it all, Yogi?" Yogi gulped. "From the stories I''ve heard." The tribe members snorted or grumbled. Tosa smiled faintly. "No, we''re going to run away." The squad leader shrugged. "In my opinion, escaping is the most logical, rather than defending against the endless onught of monsters." The man looked at the others. "We''re going home on a detour. I don''t want to argue, if any of you still want to stay here, go ahead." Damn it. Now my colony is in even more danger. You really are disgusting, Tosa. "Kat, Leva." Yogi called my two colonists. "Will your tribe leave or stay here?" My two colonists didn''t answer. And I also don''t know whether to give them orders to answer yes or no. Leva turned and lifted her little sister''s body, then started walking towards my colonist. Everyone there fell silent again, and only a few dared to look at the woman. Ah, she definitely chose to stay. I''m sure I can''t order her to run away. I have a difficult dilemma. Should I ask my other colonists to run away and leave Leva? Or is it my colonists to stay at the risk of all of them dying? But I don''t want to lose Leva. "I don''t want to waste any more time. For those who want toe with me to escape, follow me now." Tosa then looked at Kat. "Goodbye, leave my greetings to Seb. I left two throwing bombs for you guys. I won''t take it because we don''t have fire stones." After Tosa said that, the Redtooth party just walked away as if nothing significant had happened. Well, at least the group didn''t rob supplies from my settlement. I think this is an order from Red. "So, you also stay, Gai?" Yogi looked at a big tall man, with brown skin and messy hair. The man who was also carrying some sort of giant machete just nodded. "I will too, Yogi." Lara approached Sena''s father. "I''ve failed Leva''s family twice. Leva will most likely stay here and I will apany her to the end." Yogi nced at Kat briefly. "Let''s hope the members of this nameless tribe will also stay here." Even at this point, I''m still at a loss to determine the best way. Chapter 81 - 81 – The Day (5) Two weeks without ying this game. During that time, I was thinking hard, making my life quite messy. In work and socializing, I be unfocused. Yes, there are still two choices. Either my other colonists left Leva, or let them stay to help the red-haired girl. Actually, I''m already leaning towards the second option. I couldn''t bear to leave Leva alone to die. However, I still dare not return to this game. The risk of all my colonists dying is rtively high. It''s not just a game over like in the others. They are all characters that have be part of my life. And when I finally logged into this game again, I wasn''t really ready. But I feel dying will only torture me longer. I better get over this and move on. So, now I''m in my colony again, watching them get ready. The night is almost here. After my colonists cleared the grass in the shelter yard with the help of the people from Redtooth, Pif began the next task. The thin man poured the oil from the explosive bomb Tosa gave us onto the branches, which were arranged in such a way, forming arge circle. If there''s still a lot of grass there, I''m afraid the fire will spread if the ring of twigs is burned. "Hopefully the beasts are really afraid of the fire." Yogi, who was sitting down, sighed. "No one knows for sure." With her arms crossed over her chest, Kat looked at Pif, who was still working, then turned to Lara, who was sitting beside her. "I was wondering, what if I pulled out my arrows stuck in the monsters instead of running for the boulder." The blonde woman wiped the tears from the corners of her puffy eyes. "Maybe I can save Anne.... But, I''m too scared to get close to that monster...." "Stop it." Leva, arriving after burying her sister''s body, cut the conversation in a firm tone. Her gaze was sharp, but her eyes were red and puffy, even more so than Lara''s. "Please, don''t talk about my sister anymore." "Sorry." Lara gulped, not daring to look at my female colonist. Leva looked at the pickaxe she was holding. Her hands were still dirty with dirt. She then spoke with trembling lips. "The ones who have to pay for all this are those bastard monsters." I wouldn''t want to be on the side of Leva''s enemy. Aside from that woman''s savage expression, I''ve also felt a really intense aura from her. If she moved even a little, I felt like it could kill someone. Maybe this is a feature of the game or just my feeling. I don''t know. "You''d better eat before you fight." Seb held out arge banana to Leva, who just nced at the food. "Come on, it''s ripe and it''s sweet." A few seconds frozen, Leva took the banana, which was already yellow, not green anymore. She looked at it while Seb distributed the fruit to the others. Seeing Leva not eating, Seb smiled. "If your stomach is empty, you won''t be able to fight. You willck energy." Finally, the red-haired woman peeled the banana and ate it brutally like someone who had not eaten for days. In just seconds, the bananas were gone. Leva''s mouth bulged as she chewed the fruit. "It''s not just you who have business with the beasts, Leva." Kat suddenly spoke, naturally attracting the attention of her fellow colonists. Even Lara too. "She loves you very much and it amazes me." Although Kat''s choice of words is quite stiff, I understand what she just said. "I told you not to talk about my sister, bitch." Leva spoke in a muffled voice. "Are you deaf?" Kat didn''t apologize at all. Rox, who had been silent all this time, suddenly barked and moved erratically. Kat tried to calm it down but to no avail. "They''ll be here soon." Yogi hissed. And we waited. I purposely didn''t press the fast-forward button because I felt it was unfair. They will feel these moments of excruciating tension longer than I do. "Is that ..." Lara got to her feet and pointed into the distance. The others immediately looked in the same direction. Pause is automatically triggered, but I immediately pressed the y button because I had prepared a strategy. Yes, that group of stump scorpions hase closer with various sizes and countless numbers. Seb''s body started to shake violently. Pif slid the fire stone into the circr formation of the oil-soaked branches. The sparksnded on the branch formation, instantly growingrge and spreading out into a fiery ring, protecting my colonists and the three members of the Redtooth tribe. Kat, Pif, Yogi, and Lara had already started aiming. Meanwhile, Gai was in front of them a few steps, ready with his machete. Only Leva had not changed her position. She just stood looking down at her ce earlier. Of course, it made me panic. I shouted into the woman''s ear. "Snap it out, Leva! You have to fight now!" The monsters are getting closer. "Leva, wake up!" Pif also started to panic. "Just let her be." Lara hissed, keeping her focus on the beasts. "We can''t me her. She just lost a loved one." But, Leva took a deep breath. "Arggghhhhh!!!" Leva''s thunderous scream startled me and the others. The woman lifted her face, and I immediately shuddered. That expression was fiercer than before, like that of a beast¡­. No, it was more like a furious monster. Her gaze was so sharp, and her face bulged with many blood vessels. Suddenly she dashed forward. Fuck! She has lost her mind! The red-haired girl jumped over the wall of fire, ignoring the calls from herrades. "All of you, stay here, don''t follow Leva!" I gave orders to the others, then ran after Leva. Kat, who was about to advance, immediately stopped her steps. "Leva,e back!!!" I ran after the red-haired girl, screaming desperately. "I don''t want you to die!!!" I kept screaming, but it was no use. She is already out of my control. So, I stopped running, only looking at the girl running towards the monsters. "Argggghhh!!!" Shouting again, Leva swung her pickaxe, sending several stump scorpions flying into the air. However, in no time, the monsters had already surrounded the woman. Chapter 82 - 82 – The Day (6) However, before the monsters couldnd on her feet, Leva retreated at high speed. And then, she swung her pickaxe again, sending a stump scorpion the size of a human belly flying. And it continues. While screaming, Leva continued to attack and dodge at a speed that the human eye couldn''t keep up with. The people in the ring of fire froze to see what was happening. Just like me, they must have felt like seeing a monster against many monsters, not a human against monsters. [Berserker Buff - All stats rted to Leva''s fighting ability have increased drastically, but she''s not in the right mind right now.] The stump scorpions continued to fly under the swing of Leva''s pickaxe, whose strength was also iprehensible. Supposedly, with her not too big body, Leva wouldn''t be able to make such big beasts fly. She looked much stronger than Reha, who was clearly more muscr. Time goes on. The corpses of the stump scorpions piled up everywhere. A disgusting white liquid had also welled up widely on the ground. Leva''s insane attacks did continue, but she couldn''t dispel all the enemies, who wereing more and more. Some managed to escape and began to approach the circle of fire. "Why aren''t you guys moving!?" I screamed at my colonists. "Shoot them!!!" Pif and Kat started shooting, while Lara and Yogi only joined in when they saw the two colonists. In front of the four of them, Gai had already tightened his grip on hisrge machete. Leva didn''t show any signs of slowing down, but as more and more monsters came, she was starting to get overwhelmed, even though her body wasn''t injured at all. And the number of stump scorpions who escaped also continued to grow. The four archers in the fire circle continued to shoot arrows non-stop, but it bore little fruit. "Our arrows are going to run out!" Yogi shouted in an anxious tone, shooting the umpteenth arrow. "What should we do!?" No one answered. The four archers focused on shooting at the stump scorpions that continued to approach. And finally, there were some of the monsters that pierced through the mes. They weren''t afraid of that glowing orange thing at all. Luckily, after passing through it, they caught fire and ran wildly. Gai only needed to attack those who came at him and the four archers. Even so, that does not mean they are entirely safe. The branches of the ring of fire through which the stump scorpions passed began to fall apart, making the fire begin to fade. "Arrrggghhhh!!!" The fire from one of the stump scorpions hits Gai. In no time, the mes burned all over the man''s left leg, knocking him down. I could tell right away she would be an easy target for the stump scorpions any minute. "Gaiiii!!!" Lara was about to help her fellow colonists, who were squirming wildly on the ground, but Yogi pulled her away. "No, we have to run!" Sena''s father shouted. I also shouted at my colonists to run, then asked Pif to take a fiery stick as a torch. However, even after my two male colonists jumped over the wall of fire and ran away, Kat was still where she was, aiming while keeping an eye on Leva. "I know you promised Anne to protect Leva, but there''s nothing you can do!!!" I screamed in the girl''s ear. "Now, run and protect your friends!" "Let''s go, Rox!" Finally, Kat lowered her bow, turned around, and ran with her dog. On the other hand, Lara was still trying to free herself from Yogi, who was holding her back. But, seeing the path of the monsters opened, she couldn''t help but run away as well. Gai kept screaming with a burning body, and the stump scorpions had started to surround him. I was about to catch up with my colonists, thinking that Leva would be able to hold her own. However, I heard something crack from where the woman was. When I looked at Leva, I noticed that the pickaxe that the woman was holding had crumbled, probably from being brutally used. The red-haired girl started to run away. But it was toote. One of the tiny stump scorpions crept up her thigh, delivering a bloody chopping attack. She was indeed able to release the beast, but the others were already getting closer to her. And I immediately looked away, unable to see what was starting to happen. The woman had no hope. Therefore, even though I had to cry, I chose to follow my other colonists. I''m sorry, Leva. "Mr Yogi, are those monsters afraid of water!?" Pif, still running with the others, asked after I gave him the order. Yogi seemed to think for a moment. "I don''t know, but we can try." I directed my colonists to cross the river. Pif led the way because he was holding the burning wood. It''s getting dark. "Be careful!" I gave orders to my three colonists when they began to cross the knee-deep river, which had a rtively swift current. Rox, who also crossed the river, swam easily, even reachingnd faster than people. "Ouch!" Yogi screamed in pain when he had just entered the river. He didn''t move from his spot at all. "What happened!?" Lara, who had already walked a few steps, turned and walked over to the man. "We have to move fast, Yogi!" "Ah, it looks like my leg got caught in something. And I can''t let it go." Yogi winced in pain and tried to release his right leg. "I was in a hurry to get in here." "I will save you!" Lara dived and tried to get off Sena''s father''s leg. I also dived in to see what was going on. As it turned out, the man''s legs were caught by two stones in a position that looked wrong. The ankle bends inward excessively. It looks painful, and I''m not sure he can be saved anytime soon. Yogi looked back, found the monsters who had started toe from a distance. Chapter 83 - 83 – The Crossing I ordered Pif and Kat who had alreadye ashore to stop and stand by with their bows. Yogi pulled Lara''s head out of the water. "Enough, Lara!" "No!" Lara, who was soaking wet, was about to dive again, but Yogi held her back. "They''re getting closer!" Yogi removed his quiver from his back and handed it to the blonde girl. "Take this and go! Your arrows are about to run out!" Lara shook her head hard. "You have to stay alive! This is for Sena!" Yogi looked back again, found the stump scorpions who were already a few meters away from him. Then, he shouted again in Lara''s face. "Gooo!!! Go away and don''t look back again!!!" Lara sobbed. She had already opened her mouth to speak, but she gave up, walked backward, turned, and ran. And finally, the stump scorpions began tond on Yogi''s body. Sena''s father screamed in pain, and I immediately took my eyes off it. Thest sight I saw from there was the flow of the river water, which was partially turning red, and the stump scorpion drifting there. It seemed the monsters couldn''t swim. Once at the riverbank, Lara climbed ashore with Pif and Kat''s help. Seb, who kept on shaking, really couldn''t do anything. And they ran again. Pif looked exhausted. He was sweating more and more, and he was starting to run out of breath. Only about a few dozen meters from the river, he fell. His weak body couldn''t hold on anymore. Perhaps coupled with this intense situation, his energy was drained even more. But they have to keep moving. Yes, I saw the stump scorpions couldn''t cross the river, but I couldn''t calm down yet. I feel that the beasts are pretty intelligent. One proof is the scouting system they have. It was not impossible that they would find a way to cross. "Seb, take the torch, carry Pif and lead the group!" I gave the order in a loud voice. Seeing the blonde man still frozen in fear with his body shaking, I snapped. "Damn it, Seb! You have to do this because Lara and Kat have to guard you guys with their bows! Fight your fears, or you''ll all die!" I said all of that with almost tears in my eyes. "It''s okay." Pif started to rise to his feet, though staggering. "I still can." Finally, though still with a frightened face, Seb snatched the torch from Pif''s hand, crouched down, and gave his back to the skinny man. "Get on!" "Hurry up, Pif!" I gave the order before the skinny young man had a chance to freeze. "Thanks." Pif climbed onto Seb''s back, who immediately picked the young man up and led the way with a torch. The four of them ran again. I could see the tears flowing from Kat and Lara''s eyes, but there was nothing I could do for them. "Forgive me." I said again, though they couldn''t hear me. "It''s all because of me." What followed was the sound of gasping for breath, the galloping of running from the three of them, and a rustling sound as they passed through the tall grass. Even though we were getting further away, I felt ufortable. So, I stopped running and used the hover feature to check into the river. And when I got there, I felt like my insides were being squeezed out. A giant stump scorpion was crossing the river. The river''s flow didn''t affect that monster at all because of his six long and sturdy legs. It also carries countless other smaller stump scorpions on its back. The monsters formed a colossal mound that was bigger than the body of the giant stump scorpion. I hastily used the warp feature towards my colonist, then pressed the pause button. Feeling even more panicked, I looked around. But I couldn''t find a ce to hide. There were only trees and not too big stones around the meadow. Those ces are very inadequate for them to hide. I floated again to check the situation and found arge tree in the distance. Maybe they can climb it. Inded on the ground again and said into Seb''s ear. "Change your course 30 degrees to the right. Find a big tree there and climb it with the others." After I pressed the y button, Seb did as I was told, shifting his running direction slightly. The two women behind him followed without asking. As they continued to run, I repeatedly used the hover feature to check on the stump scorpions, who split into three groups to look for people. In each group, there is one giant stump scorpion running behind the smaller others. Yes, one group walked up to my group, and their pace was very steady, while my colonists and Lara were super exhausted. After a few minutes of running with almost out of breath, they finally arrived at the tree in question. "We''ll stop here." Seb braked his run with a gasping breath, then lowered Pif, who was lying on the ground immediately. "We will climb this tree to hide." Lara moved from there and vomited profusely. Kat also covered her mouth but didn''t do that. Seeing all of them who were still in ce to catch their breath, I shouted. "You guys have to get up soon! Damn it!" "Come on, you go first, Miss." Seb spoke to Lara, who was wiping her lips. "I''ll help by lighting you up with this torch." Lara nodded. "Okay." The woman climbed onto the tree and climbed onto the biggest branch. After that, Pif climbed up with help from Seb. And then, the young man was pulled by Lara when he got to the top. Pif took quite a bit of time due to his limp movements. "Come on, Kat." Seb looked at the amber-eyed girl. "Now it''s your turn." Instead of obeying Seb''s orders, Kat took the torch from the blonde man. "After you." Huh? Why is she behaving like this? Seb raised an eyebrow. "Okay..." The blonde man started climbing, and Kat began to calm the restless Rox again. The dog kept walking around Kat''s legs and barking. "Shhhh.... Calm down, boy. I''ll always be with you." Kat rubbed her pet''s head while lighting up Seb. That''s when I realized something. Dogs are not designed to be able to climb trees. Kat wouldn''t be able to get her pet up the tree either. I began to hear the tter of hundreds of fast-moving feet.. Kat stuck her torch into the ground and started aiming forward. Chapter 84 - 84 – By The Big Tree In desperation, I kept screaming into Kat''s ear. My two colonists and Lara also kept calling out the amber-eyed girl in a loud voice. However, Kat stayed where she was and took aim while Rox barked forward. It was dark, and the lighting was minimal. I bet Kat could barely see anything. The girl''s chances of survival were slim. "Damn it, Kat! You have to go up!" Pif was about toe down from the tree, but Lara held her breath. "Are you crazy!?" The blonde-haired girl snapped. "You could die if you go down now!" The ttering sound grew clearer. "I''m sick of having to leave other people to die!" Suddenly Kat screamed, making me and the others flinch. Although her face remained expressionless, her tears flowed. Lara replied, "He''s just a dog, Kat! You can tame another dog, or buy one from a merchant¡­." "You don''t understand, Lara." Seb cut off the blonde-haired girl''s words. "For her, that dog is her bestpanion, maybe even more than us." "Yes, I agree wit Seb." Pif sighed and wiped his face. "She really loves Rox. They are inseparable." "Why the fuck are we talking about this!?" Lara looked even more frustrated. "Down there, a member of your tribe is about to die!" "Arggghhhhh!!!" Kat drew her bow while the monsters were already a few meters away from her. However, suddenly another scream was echoed in the air. Then, a figure that came from nowhere appeared and attacked the stump scorpions using arge machete, which Gai previously held. In no time, the monsters fell down with gaping shes oozing white liquid. Kat widened her eyes and lowered her bow. I then pressed the pause button, and went over to the figure to check who it was. She was a woman with a body full of wounds that were bleeding profusely. Her clothes, which only slightly covered her body, were also in tatters. However, her terrible condition was not reflected in her face, which still looked as ruthless as when I saw her rampage this afternoon. Leva? You still alive? I almost breathed a sigh of relief, but with her condition now, I''m not sure she can hold out much longer. She should have passed out a long time ago. Minutes passed, I pondered, thinking about what to do. However, I soon realized that there was nothing else I could do other than hitting the y button and watch it all happen. I still can''t control Leva. What kind of gamey doesn''t let you control your characters? Taking a deep breath, I pressed the y button. Leva continued to sh at the monsters by jumping here and there. In my eyes, her movements were still as solid and fast as they had been this afternoon. And with such dark conditions, she could move smoothly like that. Insane. However, maybe because the type of weapon she was holding wasn''t that long and because it was already dark, her attacks weren''t optimal. Several stump scorpions managed to escape. Kat shot the monsters one by one. The people in the trees didn''t stay still either. Pif and Lara also opened fire on the stump scorpions that were approaching Kat. Even Rox also attacked. The dog bit the pincer of one of the small stump scorpions, then shook it brutally. The monster mmed, and in a short time, its pincer separated, sending its body flying. And, of course, the dog didn''t end there. It attacked another stump scorpion and did the same. In a short time, the monsters became few in number. That''s because they weren''t as many as before when they were near the settlement. However, I know that the worst is yet toe. "Heaah!!!" Leva stabbed her machete into one of the stump scorpions the size of a backpack. And after that, a huge, menacing figure emerged from the darkness. The giant stump scorpion is now alone because itsrades are dead butchered. Weird. Why didn''t it join the attack earlier? Did that monster sacrifice itsrades to weaken its opponent? "Hold on, don''t shoot!" I gave orders to my colonists. Pif and Kat lowered their bows, and Lara followed them. If they attack now, I''m afraid the stump scorpion will just go berserk and make things worse. Leva drew her machete from the monster she had just killed. Then, shouting for the umpteenth time, she dashed forward. The giant monster was about to catch the red-haired woman, but Leva slid on the ground. Then, Leva shed one of her enemy''s legs. The sh did inflict a wound, but it was insignificant. Leva had to make more shes, but none of her attacks were clean as the monster moved its legs to spin backward. Leva jumped back, then continued to dodge the pincers of the giant stump scorpion''s pincers. I remember Reha''s body was split in two when the pincers caught him. And so, every time Leva made an evasive move, I took a breath. The woman continued to escape death. Over time, Leva can dodge more easily. Now she can read the enemy''s attack. In addition to avoiding the catches that keeping, she also starts attacking, asionally sliding or jumping onto the monster''s upper body to stab and sh. I noticed she was attacking the monster''s right pincer more. The monster''s body was now covered with wounds. Its movements also slowed down, especially in the right pincer. Even so, everything still looks grim to me. Leva''s movements began to slow down and were not as steady as before. And then, the monster shed its ws hard and hit Leva, made Leva''s body flying several meters, thennded on the ground with a loud thud. Even so, the woman still tried to get up, despite the difficulties. She kept moaning in pain. Her body was also shaking hard. That attack must have had an extraordinary effect, even though what hit Leva''s body was the pincer''s back, not the one for cutting. The woman looked around to look for her machete, but she couldn''t find it anywhere, even though the giant monster was getting closer and closer. Chapter 85 - 85 – The Great Struggle "Shoot!!!" I gave orders. Pif shot his arrow, and Lara followed. Meanwhile, Kat came forward with a torch to illuminate the body of the giant monster. The two arrows hit one of the monster''s eyes. It immediately stopped in its tracks, then stood on its two hind legs, probably from the incredible pain. So, the weakness of this beast is the eyes. It was a stroke of luck for me, who chose that part at random. "Rox, attack!" Running backward, Kat gave orders to her dog. Rox advanced at high speed and bit one of the monster''s hind legs, right where Leva had shed. The giant stump scorpion scurried wildly to free the dog, but Rox was able to hold on to his bite, though his body swayed back and forth. Thebination of all of that was enough to give Leva time to fully stand up and look for her weapon. When she found therge machete a few meters away from her, the girl jumped and rolled over to get it faster. After that, she ran towards the monster, jumped again, and hugged the joints of the giant stump scorpion. The monster continued to move wildly. However, Leva also managed to keep herself from falling and continued to stab the wound she had made on the giant stump scorpion''s hand. And after that, I heard thousands of more footsteps in the distance. I pressed the pause button and used the hover feature. Arger group of stump scorpions came to my colonists'' location. And what''s worse, they were apanied by two giant stump scorpions. Electricity felt as if it ran through my body. I don''t know if it''s really happening in my body, because of the game''s features, or it''s just my feelings. I just stayed in the air for a few moments. It couldn''t possibly end like this, right? Inded back on the ground, looked at Leva, who was still perched on the pincer of the giant monster, then turned to my colonists, who were still on the tree branches. And for thest, I looked at Rox, who had be part of my colony. My tears are flowing again. Even in the real world, I''ve never felt anything like this. As if something was stifling in the chest and forced out, at the same time instilling immeasurable pain. After this, I will lose them. "Sorry...." I choked out, feeling that the word wasn''t appropriate anymore in the current situation. So, I took a deep breath and sighed. "Thank you everyone, I had fun with all of you, even if only for a moment." And I pressed the y button again. I certainly want to avoid all this, log out and return to the real world. However, that means I''m running away, and that''s a disgrace. They will just be data in some hardware. Forgotten. That''s worse than death. Yes, they will feel immeasurable pain. I can''t feel it like them, but at least I''ll still be here for them. Leva screamed in a hoarse voice, shing again at the pincer joint of the giant stump scorpion, breaking the machete in her hand. However, at the same time, that right pincer detached, made the monster squirm like crazy. "You guys heard that!?" Lara gasped. "Are theying again with more numbers!?" Leva isn''t done yet. With a loud moan, she lifted the pincer, which was almost as big as her body, then ran with the sharp point of the pincer facing forward. The front of the giant stump scorpion''s body was pinched by its pincer vertically. Leva jumped and stepped on the pincer''s back with both feet. It sounded like something was being squeezed so hard. The giant stump scorpion''s face was squashed by the pincer. Its body immediately copsed, and its legs could only move limply. At that moment, the echoes of the thousands of stump scorpions stopped at one. What? It wasn''t long before the ttering sound was heard again, but this time away rather than closer. I used the hover feature to check again. The horde of monsters really started to leave us. What happened? Why are they like that? Were they frightened by the madness of Leva, who killed one of theirmanders? "Hey, don''t run away!" Leva shouted again in a voice that was barely audible for being so hoarse. "I''m not done with you guys yet!" Leva picked up her broken machete from the ground and started walking forward. Now, I can see the toll of all the madness that she had been doing. Her steps were so limp, her body was shaking uncontrobly, and she had to breathe through her mouth because it was so difficult to do it with the nose. I dropped to the ground again, immediately whispered to the woman. "Stop it, Leva. This is all over. Your friends are safe and you don''t have to fight anymore." However, the red-haired girl kept walking. "I don''t want you to die, damn it!" Very frustrated, I was about to ask Seb to persuade Leva, but suddenly Kat ran towards the red-haired woman. The amber-eyed girl stuck the torch in her hand into the ground, then hugged Leva from behind. Leva immediately stopped because of that. "Enough, Leva." Kat said in a voice that was also hoarse. Her body moved up and down like someone crying. However, since she buried her head into Leva''s back, I can''t be sure. "I promised your sister to protect you and I broke that promise." Kat sounded like she was having a hard time speaking. "I won''t let youmit suicide like this." Leva didn''t answer. Her nk gaze was fixed ahead. Her tears were dry and no longer dripping. And finally, those eyes closed. Leva fell. "Leva!" Kat screamed, knelt down, and rocked her colony mate. She wasn''t like the usual Kat, who was always expressionless. This time, the girl looked like an ordinary person who was crying. Full of sadness and despair. "Leva, don''t leave me!" I called the others toe to check on Leva. "Here, we have nothing to treat her." Pif gulped. "All the medical equipment is in our house." "Are you insane!?" Lara snapped. "There''s no guarantee that it''s safe there!" "It''s okay. They''re not around your house anymore." I, just checking the state of settlement with my own eyes, informed my colonists. "So, you three can take her there." "Then let''s pick her up and take her there." Seb suggested. "Hey, are you guys deaf!?" Lara looked even more frustrated, especially when my three colonists really picked Leva up. Chapter 86 - 86 – The Talk The chaos earlier didn''t destroy the shelters belonging to my colonists. It''s just that a lot of stump scorpions carcasses are scattered around it. All of that is odorless, but it certainly creates an ugly sight. Lara threw thest bit of dirt on a mound using my colony''s makeshift shovel. Even though she looked so exhausted, the blonde woman insisted on burying Gai''s corpse right now. In fact, if Seb hadn''t stopped her earlier, Lara would have been looking for Yogi''s missing body. It looks like the corpse was carried away by the current of the river. "That seems to be enough." Seb, who I asked to help the girl dig, wiped her sweaty forehead. Then, he put the piece of the escape pod he used to dig in and stuck arge, t stone as a tombstone. "We''d better get back." "A moment." Lara watched her fellow tribesmen grave for a few seconds, sighed, and turned around. "Okay, let''s go." Seb picked up the torch that was stuck in the ground and lit the way for Lara. "Can I ask you something, Seb?" Lara asked in a muffled voice. "What is it?" Seb asked back. It took a while before Lara finally managed to answer, "Well, these stump scorpions basically don''t eat humans.... I don''t know what they eat.... And from what I''ve heard, they leave their victims behind." "Ah." Seb gulped. "You''re talking about yourrades near the salt cave." The blonde girl nodded stiffly. "I can''t take care of them alone.... There are quite a lot of them.... I need help.... Ah, if you want to help me, you guys don''t need to go through that crack." "That''s...." Seb was speechless. Sorry, Lara. My colonists just survived death. I don''t want them to take too much risk. The stump scorpions have indeed retreated, but that doesn''t mean the cursed ce is one hundred percent safe. "Who is the craftsman in your tribe? That man named Manu, right?" Lara continued. "You''re all preparing for winter, but he''s still a long way home. I can help you guys make warm clothes and whatever else you need. Apart from being a hunter, I''m also a craftsman in my tribe. Well, I can''t say I''m an expert though." "But, we don''t have the materials.... Ah...." Just like Seb, I can already guess the direction of the conversation from Lara. "You already have two warm clothes and two sleeping bags from us." Lara stopped walking when she and Seb arrived at the bonfire near the shelter. "I can use materials belonging to my tribe''s entourage. There are tons of leather sacks, tents, and sleeping bags, which can be made into warm clothes. You can also use their other resources. You can even take the salt we mined. I don''t care anymore. As long as you don''t take the clothes they wear. I want to take care of them properly." Instead of answering right away, Seb looked at his three fellow colonists who were already asleep. Pif separated from the girls. Meanwhile, Leva was lying in the middle of the shelter with her body covered in bandages. Next to her, Kat was also asleep. The amber-eyed girl put her palm on Leva''s chest. I have to admit, Lara''s offer was tempting. "I''m sure they''ll agree." Lara crossed her arms over her chest. She must have just guessed that Seb wanted to discuss with the others first. "They won''t refuse because it''s for their own good. When Manues home, he can immediately focus on making bricks, and building what''s needed." "But, are you okay with all that?" Seb grimaced. Lara shook her head. "This is also my return to you guys. I''m still alive because of all of you. Also, it''s a shame if the existing materials aren''t used." She has a point. And, of course, everything she said benefits my colonists. Well, at least I''ll check if the ce is still safe or not first. "Okay, just ept the offer, Seb." I whispered in my colonist''s ear. Seb nodded, then smiled faintly. "Okay then. I agree, but tomorrow I still have to discuss it with the others. Well, I''ll get them to agree. "Deal." Lara held out her hand. Seb shook that hand, smiling again. "Deal." [Temporary colonist acquired] I opened the colonists'' profile menu and found Lara''s card. [Lara, 29 years old (Temporary Colonist)] STATS: Ranged attack: 66/100 * Melee attack: 6/100 Construction: 17/100 Crafting: 60/100* Cook: 8/100 nt: - Mining: 2/100 Animal: 6/100 Medic: 30/100 TRAITS: - INCAPABLE OF: nt HEALTH ISSUES: Stab scar on the left big toe. (walking speed -1%) Ah, she''s pretty good. Unfortunately, she doesn''t seem to want to join. Even if she wanted to, there would definitely beplications with the Redtooth tribe. I don''t want any new problems. *** As usual, I use the fast forward feature while my colonists sleep. However, seeing Lara, who kept moving restlessly in her sleep and then got up, I turned it off. The woman wiped her face, then moved over to the fire and sat there. After a moment of silence, the girl spoke. "Hey, guardian spirit of this nameless tribe. Can you hear me?" She muttered while looking at the fire. "Come to think of it, we''re the same, huh?" I chose silence. There''s no point in talking to this woman. She can''t hear me. Lara wiped away the tears that were starting to form at the corners of her eyes. "I wonder, do you feel guilty for telling my tribe the location of the salt cave? After that, are you trying to at least make amends for your mistake?" The woman fell silent again, creating silence. All that could be heard was the crackling of the fire-burning branches. "I know you heard me, why didn''t you answer me? You''re the one who asked your children toe back here to take care of Leva, even though they don''t know if there''s still a stump scorpion hanging around or not, right? You''re..." She shook her head, probably starting to think she herself was going crazy from talking alone. Yes, she and I are the same. We made a fatal mistake and tried to fix it. Lara couldn''t stop Anne from getting tainted by Reha while I was responsible for all this mess. It''s just, I''m still lucky that my people are still alive. Chapter 87 - 87 – Back Again Lara, Seb, Kat, and Rox had been walking along the riverbank for quite a while, but they had yet to find Yogi''s body. I''ve also searched using the hover feature and to no avail. Lara finally stopped, sighed, and looked up. "We''d bettere to that cliff now. I guess it''s useless to look for Yogi in a river that flows as fast as this. Besides, I want to quickly take care of myrades." "In that case, okay." Seb answered. Once they changed course, I pressed the fast-forward button. I turned off the feature when they were almost at their destination. Time does stop when they are in danger. But I don''t want something like someone shooting a scout to happen again. What''s more, I also have to share their burden, who will be doing a formidable task. Rox was barking and fidgeting ufortably, a sign that we were close to danger. I ordered Kat to tie the dog to a tree. "Calm down here, boy." Kat crouched down and rubbed her pet''s head. "I won''t be long." Seb covered his nose at the sight of the shapeless corpses strewn on the ground, with dried blood and flies swarming over them. His body was also shaking like crazy. I had to keep encouraging him not to run. If I could, I wouldn''t have brought him here. However, Pif as the colonist with the highest medical stat had to continue to monitor Leva. Besides, Seb also couldn''t take care of the woman in case of danger. "Use the cloth I gave you." Lara tied a piece of cloth to cover her mouth and nose. The fabric was a tear from a sack of items used to wrap gifts from the Redtooth tribe. Kat did what Lara did, but Seb seemed to have a hard time doing it. His hands were so shaking. "Here." Lara helped Seb tie the cloth. "If you can''t, you don''t have to do this." "Or you can just gather the resources they have, Seb." I whispered to the man. "And just stay away from the bodies." Seb gulped, then said in a stuttering voice. "I''ll just collect sacks, sleeping bags, tents and other useful things. I can''t rx while you guys work." "Ah, fine then. As long as you don''t push yourself." They started to work. Kat and Lara dragged the bodies and put them together into a pile, far from mmable objects. Meanwhile, Seb did as I was told. He checked the sack of goods, if there was no corpse nearby, or the corpse had been shifted by the women. Several times the man was frozen because he identally saw the lifeless bodies. A small package fell from the hands of a man''s corpse as Kat and Lara put it in the pile. Kat picked up the package from the shabby cloth, which was only the size of a human thumb. There was a small rope that tied the middle of the package, which was also thin. "Ah, that''s a dangerous thing." Lara began to exin, taking part in observing the object. "Well, now it won''t be dangerous. If you eat it, it will have a terrible effect on you." Seeing Kara looking a little ufortable and showing no sign of continuing her exnation, I told Kat to ask the blonde-haired woman. "So, what is this? What effect does it have on our bodies?" Kat looked at Lara. Lara shrugged. "They call it the devil''s tears, even though it''s in powder form. I don''t know who named it and what it means. The thing is, that powderes from a rare nt and has the effect of increasing speed and strength, but also makes you go crazy for a period of time. Well, just like Leva''s berserk state back then." I see. Maybe the person holding this thing would have used it against stump scorpions. "So, what effect does it have on your body?" Kat continued her question, still per my order. "Basically, it only affects your brain. Your movements don''t really speed up, and your body really doesn''t get stronger. Your brain will force your muscles to work way beyond the limit. Of course it will damage your body." Lara gulped. "And that''s not the scariest part." Kat tilted her head slightly, though her face was still expressionless. Lara took a step closer to Kat''s face, then hissed. "Once you consume this, you will be addicted. You will feel painful things because of it. And of course you can''t fulfill your desire because this item is very rare. Some say that the effect canst up to a matter of weeks. So don''t ever use it, Kat." Kat was silent. After saying that, Lara walked away, leaving Kat, who looked back at the small package in her hand. "For now, keep it, Kat." I whispered into the amber-eyed girl''s ear. There''s nothing wrong with keeping the thing, though I''m not sure I''d have any of my colonists use it ever. Kat returned to work with Lara. It took about two hours for all the bodies to be collected. Some bodies are separated from others by quite a distance. I was amazed by the two women who didn''tin and continued to focus on the work. They are very tough .... Or not... They could just hide how they feel because all this must continue to be worked on. I don''t know how they feel. If their feelings were the same as mine, they would be in a lot of pain right now, having to do this crazy job while I was just watching them. In fact, I feel this is all unfair. I, who made all this happen, did nothing but stand still. Seb froze again as he found several wooden containers containing chunks of salt of various sizes near the cliff. Lara, just putting thest of the bodies in the pile, came up to the man. "Like I said, you''d better take it, Seb. But it might be too heavy, so you guys carry it gradually over a few days. No matter what, this thing still has some really lucrative uses, you know. You can also sell it for a high price." "Then, what if your tribe asks for this back?" Seb replied in an unconvinced tone. "You just give it all." Lara shrugged. "You keep it, but that doesn''t mean you have to defend it to the death. After all... I''m sorry if I put it this way. The ones who deserve the most are still my tribe because they are the ones who braved the dangers to get it." She has a point. "Just bring what you two can." I gave instructions to the man. "Tomorrow we''ll be back here." Seb nodded slowly. "Okay, if you don''t mind." "But, since we can''t take them all, we''d better hide them around here first." Lara continued her work. She and Kat picked up a few pieces of wood that were nearby. Starting from the former handles of various weapons, the tents'' frame that had fallen, to the scattered branches. The two women put them all on the pile of corpses. "May you all rest in peace." Lara poured oil from an explosive bomb, which happened not to be shattered, over the pile of lifeless bodies. Then, she backed away as she continued to pour, to create a path of oil extending from the pile. Kat is ready with two fire stones. Lara wiped her tears, closed her eyes and sighed, then knelt down. "Turn it on, Kat." The amber-eyed girl rubbed the two fire stones in her hands together. The sparks that appearednded on the pool of oil, instantly became a fire that spread, and eventually devoured the pile of corpses. In no time, the fire burned the bodies. The three people who were nearby fell silent. All that was heard was the crackling sound of the fire. "After this, what are you going to do, Lara?" Seb asked, narrowing his eyes from the re of the mes. Lara wiped her tears again. "I''m going to wander.... I don''t want to go back to Redtooth. Well, I don''t have anyone there either. I can''t continue living with you guys because that wouldplicate things." "Where are you going?" Seb asked again. It took some time for the blonde girl to answer. "I don''t know..... As far as possible." Chapter 88 - 88 – Another Calmness Several days had passed since the cremation ritual, but nothing significant had happened. Right now, I watched Leva, who was still bandaged and lying down. The girl had kept her eyes closed for the past few days, showing no sign of waking up. Because of that, I kept stopping the fast-forward feature just because I wanted to check her condition. My only hope was that this woman''s quick healing powers could save her life. My ears heard loud barking from outside. Kat, already carrying her bow and quiver, crouched down and stroked her beloved dog''s head. "No, Rox. We''re not going to that ce again." Kat spoke, of course with her signature no emotion face. "Today we will go hunting." Can you really talk to him, Kat? As Kat and Rox walked away, I came out of the shelter to find Seb lying on the grass after watering the nts, Pif doing push-ups, and Lara making a shirt. The scenery around the shelter has been cleared of the corpses of the stump scorpions. My colonists also no longer needed to go near the salt cave to collect resources because there was nothing else to take. It was peaceful, but I couldn''t calm down. This was the fifth day since the rest of the party from Redtooth chose to leave rather than stay. They should have reached their tribe by now. I''m sure those people hold grudges and will not be able to move on. I used the warp feature to get to Manu''s location, one corner of the Redtooth tribe. He was alone, loading wet y pots into a structure. The structure was cylindrical in shape and was as high as Manu''s chest. A kiln? Is he learning to make jugs and stuff? Looks like he''s okay. So, I circled the tribe in search of Tosa and his friends. However, after a while of doing it, I never found them. The atmosphere also still looks safe, and there is no sign of anything suspicious. There are two possibilities. Tosa''s group did not survive, either because of the stump scorpions or some other danger facing them. They can also take a detour so that it takes longer to get here. I can only guess. However, when I got to the most prominent house in the tribe, I found something unusual. In front of the tribe leader''s house, which was covered with carvings, I saw the guard was tighter than usual. Several men were sitting around on the ten-meter-long staircase, carrying their own weapons. Ah, it must be because of Red. The guardian spirit was anticipating Tosa''s arrival, which might trigger a rebellion. Maybe I should take Manu home? No. It''s stillplicated. Suja had made it clear that Manu could only go home when the salt had reached the tribe. I decided to check Manu again before using the fast-forward feature until Tosa''s group arrived. It was then that a gray-haired old man with an almost bald head approached my male colonist. Maybe the old man looked over 60 years old, but his body was still sturdy and somewhat muscr. "Excuse me, young man. Can I bother you for a moment? You are the one who came from that tribe in the east, right?" The old man asked with a sharp look. Manu, just starting a fire under the Kiln, smiled and stood up. "That''s right, sir. Can I help you?" Instead of answering immediately, the old man looked at Manu intently. Manu could only be silent while maintaining his smile. "Sir?" Manu asks again. "I am Leva''s father." After a few minutes, the old man finally spoke again. "My name is Noel." My heart felt like it was being hit hard. Memories of Anne''s tragic death shed through my head again. I didn''t expect a man this old to be the sisters'' parents. Seeing the speechless Manu, I gave him some hints. "Leva is one of the most important members of our tribe." Manu smiles again, this time wider. "She contributed a lot to our development." "You mean contributing as a ve?" Noel''s tone began to rise. Manu shook his head. "Yes, we indeed bought her. However, we don''t treat her as a ve at all." Noel looked Manu in the eye again, and I ordered my colonist not to look away or make any unimportant gestures. I know Noel is looking for signs that Manu is lying. "I hope what you say is true." Noel hissed, with veins starting to bulge down his neck. "After Leva left, my wife became very sick. And I kept your arrival a secret so that my wife wouldn''t ask about Leva''s condition. I''m afraid any answer thates out of your mouth will only make her illness worse. She can detect a liar." So, Anne was lying? When she saw her big sister again, Anne said their parents were fine. "I''m not lying, sir." Manu gulped. From his expression, I guessed that he was getting intimidated. "My daughter is on the expedition. Let her judge it. If it turns out that Leva is suffering, I will do something to you. I can''t touch Tosa and Reha because I don''t want to be punished. I have to take care of my sick wife. There''s no way I''d put that task on Anne alone." Noel''s face stiffened even more. "And because yesterday my wife died, I have nothing to lose. I will really punish you if Anne says your tribe tortured Leva." Oh, shit. I can''t imagine Noel''s sadness when he finds out that Anne is gone too. This family really had an unfathomable barrage. Manu doesn''t answer. I don''t even know what to say to my male colonist. "Keep this in mind." Noel hissed again, bringing his face closer to Manu. "If it turns out that you are indeed lying, you will not forget what I was about to do to you. And you can''t run away from me, young man. I will chase you even to hell." After saying that, Noel took a few steps back, turned around, and walked away from Manu. I don''t know. I felt something intense from the old man.. It''s like when Leva was about to go berserk. Chapter 89 - 89 – The Redtooth Tribe I moved to the front of the Tribe''s gate and fast-forwarded again. It''s a few minutes for me, but for the people of this Tribe, it''s a day and a night. Then, the fast-forward feature stopped by itself, just as I saw seven men with Tosa as the leader. They all looked fatigued and shabby, but their gazes were fixed straight ahead. Several guards, who were also more numerous than usual, immediately lined up in front of the gate. Some of them whispered to each other, wondering why so few returned. Some were poking their heads at the group, perhaps looking for someone they knew. "Hey, is this how you treat us, your ownrades!?" Tosa snapped. "We just returned from a deadly mission! We are tired and hungry! And you guys are blocking our way!" One of the brown-skinned guards came to Tosa with a smile. "Sorry, this is an order from our leader." "We''ve done his bidding and he''s now barring us from entering!?" Tosa''s facial expression stiffened even more. "Fuck him! Open that fucking gate! We must meet him and hold him ountable!" "I understand how you feel." The brown-skinned guard shook his head. "However, that way of speaking of yours ispletely inappropriate. You should know, those words can get you imprisoned." Tosa snorted, then shifted and looked at the other eight guards. "How many of you have rtives on this mission!? Do you see them now!? No, right!? That''s because we''re the only ones who can survive!" Tosa pointed to one of the guards, a man with long hair. "Your name is Kit, right? Your big brother ising with this expedition, right? You know what? I saw him surrounded by a lot of stump scorpions. He was bleeding and screaming in pain. He suffered before finally dying. You should know who ordered him toe to that hell salt cave, right?" The guy named Kit is gulped. His body began to tremble. Suddenly, the brown-skinned guard caught and dropped Tosa''s body to the ground. Before Tosa could break free, the guard twisted the squad leader''s hand. "I''m sorry, my friend. However, our leader''s orders are absolute." I can only stand in silence. What is happening to Tosa now is indeed unfair, but if he is allowed to enter, then chaos can ur. "Don''t fight me." The brown-skinned guard continued to hold Tosa, who was now disying a vicious face. "Or else your punishment will be more severe¡­." The guard''s words stopped as one of the expedition group members kicked the back of his head. The guard fell to the ground, groaning in pain as he clutched the back of his head. Meanwhile, Tosa stood up and confronted the other guards who had brandished their respective weapons. "Kill us!!! Kill us if your morals are that low!!!" Tosa let out a thunderous roar, but I could still hear the desperation in the way he spoke. "None of us wants toe to that cursed ce!!! We''re just carrying out orders!!! And we will now get punished!!?? Think about it!!! Do we deserve it!!??" Some of the weapons were slightly down. The holders also began to hesitating. "Do not listen to him." The brown guard, who was their leader, struggled to his feet, grimacing and clutching the back of his head. "No matter what happens, we must obey¡­." His words stopped again, because his mouth was kicked hard by one of the members of Tosa''s group. However, this time the incident did not end there. Other members joined in to kick and beat the man. "Stop us!!! Kill us!!!" Tosa''s roar grew fiercer. "We''re just useless trash in your eyes, right!? Our struggle to satisfy your leader is meaningless, right!?" Having such a confrontation, the guards did not dare toe forward even though they were the ones holding the weapons. The leader of the guards continued to be beaten and kicked. Kit, the long-haired man Tosa had spoken to earlier, moved towards the door and knocked on it using the metal bracelet hanging there, using a tone. Within seconds, the sound of argetch being lifted echoed from within. Tosa''s men stopped beating the leader of the guards, who was so battered and unconscious. The other guards looked at each other, then made way for Tosa''s group. "Thank you." Tosa hissed with quivering lips, then started to go to the gate with hisrades. As Kit opened the gate, someone from the guard said. "I will follow you." Tosa stopped, turned his back on the man, saying nothing. In just a short time, the others took turns dering themselves to join Tosa. "Once again, thank you." Tosa said again, starting to move on. "We will stop this mad leadership." With therger group, Tosa entered his Tribe, immediately attracting people''s attention. "O residents of this Tribe!!! Get out of your house and look at us!!! Days ago, we left with a total of twenty-five, but now there are seven of us left!!! Meanwhile, your leader iszing around in his pce to await the results!!!" As he continued walking, Tosa shouted with all his might. "He also forbid us from entering our home, even though we were the ones who had to fight to satisfy his greed!!! Does he deserve to be called the leader!!??" The members of Tosa''s group were also screaming. Several people who heard Tosa''s speech took weapons from their homes and joined in. They took whatever they found. Some find weapons such as sickles, hammers, or others. Some only find fist-sized stones or wooden sticks with sharp ends. They seem very easy to join Tosa. Maybe because their rtives didn''te home, or they were too fed up with Suja''s leadership. Perhaps they were purely influenced by Tosa''s talk, or maybe it was abination of all of that. All I know is, it''s not going to end well. Maybe there will be more blood spilled, and it''s all my fault again. I pressed the pause button and warp to Manu''s ce.. I had to do something to my male colonist before the chaos broke out. Chapter 90 - 90 – The Redtooth Tribe (2) As soon as I reached the kiln, I saw Manu chatting with Xe, the son of the master craftsman. Xe was giving Manu a sack of items. I identified the sack as belonging to Manu himself. "I will tell you the secret path to escape from this ce." Xe said in a fast tone after I pressed the y button. "Honestly, I don''t know why I''m doing this." "Eh?" Manu looks confused. It must be because of the guardian spirit''s orders from Redtooth. So, I immediately gave instructions for Manu to obey Xe. "I don''t want him to be affected by all this." The transparent red-figure descended from above,ing towards me. "After all, in the eyes of my people, he was the one who made the expedition happen. Even if it''s because of your orders, right?" "Oh, thank you¡­. And I''m sorry¡­. See you¡­." I was about to follow Manu, who had started walking with Xe, but Red stood in my way. "He will be safe with Xe." The transparent female figure sighed. "I promise. If I wanted to harm your people, I''ve been doing it since the arrival of the Tosa group to your tribe. But, I didn''t, right? So, stay here. You shouldn''t be able to see what happens here when your men leave, but I can make an exception." "But, I have no more business here¡­." "No more business you say?" Red''s tone began to rise. "Hey, did you forget? This all happened because you told Suja about the salt cave, right? Yeah, one of my guys shot the scout without my orders. And I don''t know why it happened. But, it all started with you." I''m speechless. Everything she said was true, and I admit it. "Honestly, I''m so angry about all of that. I want to vent now. However, I can''t do that to your people." Red continues, then pauses for a moment. "You know the reason?" "Because you can''t kill people, right? Unless you have to when your people are attacked. You only lock up those who are guilty. Even for the Leva you hate so much, you''d rather sell her as a ve than execute her." I gave the answer in a slightly stuttering tone. "The point is, you can''t betray who you are." "I could have asked my people to torture yours." Red''s voice sounded hoarse, like someone about to cry. "But, you know why I didn''t do it?" This time, I can only shake my head. "Because they are innocent." Redughed bitterly. "You made this happen, not them. I can''t punish innocent people." The figure folded her arms across her chest. "So, I won''t let you go. I can''t punish you, because we really can''t hurt each other. However, I will let you see all the results of that mistake of yours. I will make you regret it forever." I looked at Manu, who had walked away with Xe, then nodded. "Okay." "But before that, I want to tell you something." Red takes a few steps back. "I did say it''s your fault. However, maybe this is the price I have to pay for making this tribe too big. I was overwhelmed with managing them, so I chose Suja to be my mouthpiece. Actually, conflicts like this almost happen several times, but I can always surpress it. However, now I can no longer control them ¡­. Well, maybe the salt cave was just the trigger." "Thank you for the advice¡­." Since Red had already disappeared from sight, I didn''t continue my speech. As usual, if this happens, it means that Sena''s power is no longer active. I move to where Tosa is now, who turns out to be standing on a pile of wooden boxes and making a speech. The people of the Redtooth tribe had gathered around him. Some of them were already weeping, perhaps because their rtives were victims of the deadly expedition. "Aren''t you all tired!? Aren''t you fed up with this unfair situation!? Suja is having fun in his luxurious pce, while we live an ordinary life and never prosper! He just kept having sex with his bitches, eating a lot like a pig, and drinking. Meanwhile, we have to work hard for him¡­." Tosa stopped his speech when he saw Sena, who was advancing from the group of adults. "Sir, please tell me, where is my father!?" The little boy asked in a desperate tone. I can only clench my fists. The atmosphere became quiet. All that could be heard were the whispers of some residents. Tosa could only be silent and looked at Sena. Sena started to shed tears. "If my father is really gone, at least tell me where his corpse is, so I can meet his spirit. The human spirit will only be around its body." This time, no one spoke at all. Some women covered their mouths with their hands. Some even blinked with teary eyes. Everyone there looked at Sena with pitying expressions. Tosa shook his head with stiff motion. "Sorry, Sena. I don''t know where your father is now." Sena opened his mouth and then knelt down limply. His eyes were still flowing with tears, but they just stared nkly at Tosa. He doesn''t have anyone anymore. Noel, who was in the crowd, came to the boy, picked him up, and carried him away from there. Tosa lowered his head, and said in a trembling voice. "There''s nothing I can talk about anymore. We will go to Suja''s house and will do something to him. It''s up to you whether you want to go or not. If you don''t want toe with us, I just hope you don''t get in our way. And for those who want toe, bring your weapons." The man jumped down from the wooden box. The crowd was divided, those who dispersed to go home or pick up weapons, and those gathered near Tosa. "I''m going to meet someone first." Tosa sighed, then went to one of the houses nearby and knocked on it. It didn''t take long for Noel to open the door from the inside. "What is it?" Leva and Anne''s father asked. "I don''t have much time, so I''ll just say this straight away. It''s about your two daughters, Leva and Anne." Noel''s eyes opened wide. "What about them?" "Anne is gone, sir. I saw the body firsthand." Tosa took a deep breath. "Then for Leva¡­ I''m sorry, sir. We ran away in a hurry, but with that many stump scorpions, I''m not sure she and his tribesmen can survive." Noel didn''t answer, but I could see the veins on his face tightened.. The old man''s breathing also grew heavier. Chapter 91 - 91 – The Redtooth Tribe (3) Someone gave a bow and quiver filled with arrows to Tosa. Then, the man turned to his entourage. "Today, we will wipe out injustice from Redtooth!" The man raised his bow. "O my friends, fight with me to thest drop of blood!" The people cheered, and followed Tosa, who had started walking. Apart from Noel, who now had a ruthless expression, many other types of people joined Tosa. I even found an old granny brandishing a club in the air. "Because of Suja, my only son died!" The Granny screamed with a stream of tears. "Suja must take responsibility!" "Put down Suja!!!" One of the people in the group shouted loudly. "Put him down! Put him down! Put him down!" The others chimed in while continuing to brandish their weapons upwards. When he arrived at Suja''s house, Tosa raised his hand, making the people in his party go silent. A number of men and women are already standing guard in front of Suja''s luxurious house. They lined up neatly, ready with their weapons. Several archers were already at the rear, standing on the steps of the tribe leader''s house gate. The number of these two parties is indeed bnced. However, Suja''s guards appear to be morepetent, while some of Tosa''s group are unfit to fight. There were some old people other than that Granny and those who looked sickly. Not to mention their different weapons. The guards had much more proper weapons. "Turn around and go back to your homes!" The leader of the guards, standing in the back row with the archers, shouted. "Our leader will forgive all of this if you will return to your respective homes now! No one will be punished!" "Hey, get out of the way all of you! Why are you still loyal to that fat bastard!? He''s killed a lot of people, but he won''t even talk to us!" Tosa replied in a louder voice. "We can talk about all this! Let''s not fight amongst ourselves!" Tosaughed like crazy. "What do you say!? Suja won''t evene out! How are we supposed to talk about this!? Our business is with him, not you!" The leader of the guard squad shook his head. "Alright, I''ll persuade our leader toe out and...." With a movement that the eye could barely follow, Tosa raised his bow and shot the troop leader right in the eye. The man immediately fell and made the people around him gasp. "There''s no point in talking anymore." Tosa hissed, then shouted. "Attack them!!! For freedoom!!" I know Tosa minimizes the chance of a peaceful settlement. He wants chaos to achieve his own ends. Bastard. Tosa''s group advanced with deafening shouts, while the guards looked confused and frightened because no one led them anymore. Arrows were fired from both groups. In no time, several people were hit by arrows and fell. Noel was at the forefront, punched one of the guards down, then grabbed his sword. The people in Tosa''s group had also attacked. The battle is inevitable. Blood had started to spill, and bodies began to fall one after another. And I forced myself to see all that. Again, I can''t run away. I can''t be held responsible, so at least I saw all this happen. In that battle, the one that stood out the most was Noel. The old man shed at people with unbelievably fast movements, much like Leva''s in her berserk state. His face was as ruthless as his daughter''s. The difference is, Noel''s movements are more refined. His stabs, shes, parries, and dodges look more like a deadly dance. There are no unimportant movements. Everything is precise. In a short amount of time, he had already finished off about a third of the army. One arrow flew and hit Noel''s shoulder. Having just shed a man''s throat, the old man immediately stopped his attack, looking at the female archer who had just shot him. She was standing just a few meters from the gate of Suja''s house. Noel drew the arrow, then ran towards the female archer, who immediately turned around and banged on the door. Several people tried to block Noel, but of course, they fell under the old man''s attack. Tosa, who had only been watching and shooting asionally, immediately followed the old man along with his six friends who had been on the salt cave expedition. The fight wasn''t as fierce as before. Corpses were lying on the ground, and blood had flowed a lot. Thanks to Noel, the number of guard troops is now just a few. Tosa''s group members aren''t doing one-on-one attacks anymore. Two or three people are now facing someone. "Heeelllppp!!! Please, open the door!!!" The girl who had shot at Noel just now kept pounding desperately. Her tears were flowing. "I don''t want to die!!! I...." The girl''s words stopped when Noel stabbed her in the back. She looked down, finding the tip of the sword sticking out of her chest. Then, she spurted blood from her mouth. Noel drew the sword with one swoop and pulled the archer girl back. She fell, rolling on the steps with a continuous trail of blood. "Arrrghhhh!!!" Tosa started kicking at therge two-leaf wooden door in front of him, making loud banging sounds. Tosa, who had just arrived on the steps a few meters behind Noel, looked around. By now, almost all the guards were dead. The remaining one was on his knees and raised his hands above. They gave up. The male guards were still lucky. I saw that two women were being stripped naked by the men of the Tosa group. Those women screamed for help, but no one listened. And Tosa, as the leader, didn''t say anything. He looked back at Noel, who was still kicking Suja''s mansion. The gate didn''t open, but the shaking was getting harder. It means that thetch inside had begun to break. Even as hisrades helped Noel, Tosa still stood where he was and watched. I approached the man and could see a faint smile on his face. Chapter 92 - 92 – The Throne An explosion-like sound echoed as the door of Suja''s house burst open. I immediately saw arge and magnificent room decorated with colorful tassels, stone and wood statues, and y jars of various sizes. However, I have not seen Suja''s throne. The guards in the area charged forward, one using a spear, two using a sword, and two archers kept their distance while aiming. Noel caught the spear that almost pierced through his body, then kicked the assant. Due to the force of the kick, the spear wielder was thrown and hit one swordsman. "Block the door so no one escapes!" Tosa gave the order. Some of his colleagues immediately closed the gate. Some carried a giant wooden statue to prop it up. Tosa shot one of the archers in the chest with the only arrow he had left. The archer fell instantly. Meanwhile, the Tosa expedition group members came to the swordsman and spear wielders who were lying on the ground and began to finish them off with their respective weapons. Noel is hit by another arrow, this time in the thigh. However, as before, it didn''t affect him at all. He attacked the next swordsman. The sword fight was quite fierce. Noel''s opponent turned out to be able to use the sword quite expertly. He can dodge and parry all of Noel''s attacks, be it a stab or a sh. He can also counterattack multiple times. The archers of the pce guards took aim at Noel several times but always gave up because he couldn''t get a clear target. And the archer was so focused on the battle that was taking ce, he didn''t know that Tosa had taken the quiver from his deadrade. Using the speed of his hand, Tosa shot the archer''s neck from the side. The archer widened his eyes, spit out fresh blood, then fell down. Now Tosa is aiming at the battle of the swordsman and Noel. The swordsman screamed as his enemy managed to sh his waist. He jumped back, but Noel was about to attack again. "Stop! We still need it to show Suja''s hiding ce, Mr. Noel!" Tosa shouted. Noel immediately froze, but the swordsman did not dare to use the opportunity because Tosa targeted him. "Put your sword away, Bran." Tosa said to the swordsman, starting to draw his bowstring. "Or I''ll really shoot you." The pale-skinned swordsman threw away his sword, looked intently at Tosa while holding his bleeding right waist. "Don''t look at me like that, Bran." Tosa smirked. "We''ve been best friends since childhood, haven''t we?" Bran spat on the floor. "What kind of good friend? You''ve always used me." "Could you two stop this pointless chatter?" Noel said with a big cough. I also just realized that the old man now looks pale, and his lips are purplish. "We must ...." The old man suddenly lost his bnce, then fell on his back. "Take care of him!" Tosa gave the order again. After two of hisrades restrain Bran, Tosa walks over to Noel, who is gasping for air and can''t speak. Tosa pulled an arrow from the old man''s thigh, then sniffed the tip. "It turns out that the leader you worship is very cruel, Bran. He has the heart to kill his own people with poison." Bran snorted. "That''s because lord Suja can already smell rebellion...." "h.... h.... h...." Tosa looked at Bran again with his hands on his hips. "Enough said. Now show me where Suja is hiding." Tosa''s teammates pushed Bran to take the lead. Tosa and the others then followed the swordsman. "Is it okay to leave him like this?" Another colleague asked while standing near Noel. "He can''t be helped anymore." Tosa answered without stopping his steps. "All you can do is ease his suffering by killing him. You can do it now, while no one is watching." Tosa''s partner was silent for a moment, then raised the machete he was holding. "I''m sorry, Mr. Noel. I have to do this, even though you are a good friend of my father." The machete dived and pierced Leva''s father''s chest. The old man winced hard, vomited blood, and his eyes became nk. Again, a member of the Leva family died. The man who killed Noel crouched down closed his eyes, then followed the others. I was silent for a moment, forcing myself to leave the ce because there really wasn''t anything I could do. My steps felt heavy, knowing that this mental torment would not end yet. After the front room, Bran and Tosa''s group walked into another room, which was much more beautifully decorated than before,plete with a red carpet on the floor. The statues are no longer made of stone, but silver and gold, all lined up neatly, depicting the animals in thisnd. Some I know, like a bear, a stump scorpion, and a Biruhud bird. However, I''ve never seen the rest. As great as the statues were, they were nothingpared to the object at the end of the room. The throne there was indeed made of wood, but the carvings looked so beautiful with gold and silver ornaments. Perhaps the situation of the Redtooth tribe''s settlement did not indicate that they were poor. They eat enough too. But still, all that is very out of bnce with the luxury of this ce. We continued walking, passing the next room, which looked in, with arge table and chairs. Perhaps, all of that was used for tribal leader''s meetings. "One of the most absurd rules Suja made is, forbid us to make and use chairs." One of Tosa''s group members snorted. "I remember my dad had to destroy the little chair he made for me. I was a kid when it happened, and I cried all day because of that." "He wants to influence our minds." Tosa smiled bitterly. "With him always sitting on a higher ground and us not, our subconscious will think that we are inferior to him." After the meeting room, we went through a wide hallway with doors on either side. The ce still looks luxurious. Although without shy decorations, the floor was covered with a red carpet like in a throne room. Tosa raised an eyebrow when they finally arrived at the most modest ce in the pce: a kitchen with y stoves and brass cookware set on a giant wooden shelf. "As a great leader, it turns out that he can still hide in a ce like this, huh?" Another member of the Tosa groupmented. ncing at Tosa for a moment, Bran walked over to the cutlery rack and started pushing it from the side. Chapter 93 - 93 – Your Majesty As soon as Bran had shifted the shelfpletely, I could see a wooden door. "Before opening this, I have a request." Bran said as he kept his back to the others. "What''s that?" Tosa replied. The swordsman nced slightly at that man. "You know, my sister...." "Yeah, your older sister is one of Suja''s concubines." Tosa cut off the conversation, then smiled broadly. "Don''t worry, we won''t do anything to her, really." Bran was silent for a moment before finally pushing the door open. We were greeted by a brick-walled hallway with a staircase that led down. "Basement?" Tosa smirked. "I just found out there''s something like this in our tribe." "Who is that!?" Suja''s voice echoed from the end of the hall. "It''s me Bran, Your Majesty!" Bran answered while picking up antern made of metal framework hanging from the wall. "I wille there!" "Bran?" Suja asked again when Bran and the others had started descending the stairs. "Has the rebellion of Tosa''s group been stopped!?" "We did it, Your Majesty." Bran answered again. "I''ming down with the rest of the squad to pick you up." In the middle of the stairs, Tosa whispered to one of his colleagues. "Then hurry over here and take me out!" Suja sounds impatient. "It''s so ufortable in here! I feel hot and it''s hard to breathe!" A few stepster, we came to arge, almost empty room, only a few bags of belongings and a wooden chair. Suja, getting up from that chair, immediately snorted at Bran. "Why take so long!?" The tribe leader gasped. So did the women, who were sitting cross-legged on the floor, close to Suja''s chair. Since the only light came from a few dim hangingnterns, they didn''t immediately notice who the people behind Bran were. "I''m so sorry, Your Majesty. We couldn''t carry your fat body up those stairs." Tosa smiled with satisfaction, then took thentern brought by Bran. Bran raised an eyebrow, then a member of Tosa''s group slit his throat from behind. The swordsman immediately copsed with a thick red liquid dripping from his neck. "Brannn!!!" One of Suja''s concubines, pale-skinned like Bran, approached the swordsman and wept. Realizing the man didn''t respond even though his body was shaken, the woman snapped at Tosa. "Why!? Why did you kill my little brother!?" Tosa shrugged. "Your brother has been an idiot since childhood. He''s so easy to take advantage of. He asked me to spare him and you when we found out about this hiding ce. He should have said that before he showed me this ce." "I didn''t ask that!!!" Bran''s sister screamed even more hysterically. Her tears were falling even harder. "Why did you have to kill my little brother!? He already brought you here! That means he''s given up and won''t fight back, right!?" Tosa crouched down and hissed in the woman''s face. "Bran is very loyal to Suja, even though in the end your brother betrayed our leader by showing us this ce. If he is allowed to live, he may hold grudges with us, and could interfere with my leadershipter." "Your leadership!?" Suja snapped, with his face starting to turn red. "Who gave you the title, huh!?" Tosa stood up, grinning, "Who gave me the title? Well, it''s me, Suja. I gave the title to me." Suja''s eyes widen. His mouth opened and closed but made no sound. "Hey, Tosa." One of the group members approached the man. "Shall we have some fun with thesedies? They are the most attractive women in our tribe! It would be fun to y with them!" The women flinched and ran to one corner of the room, including Bran''s older sister. "Oh, I think the same as you. Think of this as your reward for helping me." Tosa chuckled, looking at the women who were now cornered. "But unfortunately, there are only one, two...." The man counted by pointing at the concubines of Suja one by one. "There''s only five.... Hmmm.... Come to think of it, why were they brought here too, huh? Ah, maybe Suja still wants to use his dick even though he''s hiding. He doesn''t want his dick to get rusty." Tosa''s followersughed vulgarly. "How dare you say that in front of me..." Suja growled. His face was getting redder, and his body was shaking violently. "I will sell you as ves!" "Ah, looks like Suja''s other bitches are hiding somewhere else because it gets stuffy in here if there are too many people." Tosa continued his speech,pletely ignoring Suja. "We should look for them, because they are close to Suja. Maybe we should also look for Suja''s other sympathizers...." "Don''t ignore your leader!!!" Suja approaches Tosa until the distance between the two is very close. Tosa raised his hand so his men would not do anything, then faced Suja with a rxed motion. "Ah, how disrespectful I have been to you, Your Majesty." Tosa smiled broadly at Suja''s angry face. Suddenly Tosa kicked the leader''s genitals hard. Suja''s mouth gaped very wide, then he knelt down, holding his crotch. "My friends, please have fun." Tosa pointed at the women, who looked more and more frightened. Some of them even cried. The members of Tosa''s group came up to the women with creepy giggles. The women tried to run away, screaming hysterically, but Tosa''s men caught them easily. Seeing Suja, who was still kneeling and grimacing in pain, Tosa opened her mouth slightly, taking a deep breath. His expressions and gestures seemed to indicate that he had just felt immense pleasure. "Already feeling inferior like your own people?" Tosa mumbled. "You will pay for all this." Suja lifted his head with a face full of anger, even though tears were falling. "You will receive the most severe punishment that you can''t imagine." Tosa smiled widely again, then shook his head. "Oh, I don''t think so." Suja was about to speak again, but Tosa punched him in the face. The desperate screams of the Sujadies rang painfully in my ears. I didn''t want to see any of that and chose to turn around. This game has gone too far. Chapter 94 - 94 – New Ruler The knocking sound of two wooden blocks continued to be heard in the streets of the Redtooth tribe. People were already out of the house to see what was going on. "Anyone who used to work for our former leader, be it a high-ranking officer or an errand boy, please surrender yourselves!!!" The man who tapped the two blocks was not the one who used to do that, but one of Tosa''s men. He led a group that was walking around. "It would be better if you turned yourself in, rather than hiding or running away! If you hide or run away, then you will be punished like this!" Behind the man, Suja walks with his hands and feet tied. The bruises were clearly visible on his naked body. His head was down, and his face was full of defeat, but no one cared about him anymore. The people who used to respect him now berate him. Some even threw dung at him. His concubines suffered the same fate, tied up and had to walk naked. "Give me back my husband!" A young woman screamed and cried. "You have fun, while we live in poverty!" A man roars fiercely. "Cut his dick!" An old man shouted along. And many more screams. All of that came together into a deafening roar. Suja and his concubines could not do anything. They were escorted by several people. Every now and then, the people kicked or pushed the prisoners. Unable to see the pathetic sight, I chose to return to the pce. I don''t know what I was thinking. Maybe I want to see Tosa''s face onest time and curse him. Once at the pce, I found Tosa, who was doing a briefing with a man and a woman. Even though he was in the main room, the man did not use the throne and stood on the same level as the two people. After the two of them left, Tosa just came to the throne and sat there, leaned his back, then took a deep breath. He nced at the table beside him, picked up a y bottle there, removed the lid, sniffed it, and drank its contents. You''re so happy, Tosa? Do you enjoy gaining power by killing multiple lives? From the martyrs near the salt cave to the victims here, not to mention those who were raped, you don''t care about them? "My n worked, didn''t it?" Jane, the fake wife of Tosa, entered the throne room alone. "You have to admit, ordering that guy to kill the stump scorpion scout is a brilliant idea, right?" I see. The scout''s shooting wasn''t idental. It was premeditated. If anyone found a scout, Tosa''s men would shoot it right away. So, when he prevented and scolded the person, Tosa was just acting to make people believe he wasn''t behind all this. "But I have to take a tremendous risk, Jane." Tosa took another sip of his liquor. "Those stump scorpions turned out to be countless and I almost died from it¡­. Aah, we better not talk about this. Others can hear us¡­. So, how can youe in here, Jane?" "Did you forget that I am your wife?" Jane snorted in annoyance. "I have a right to be here too! I got so angry at the guard who wouldn''t let me in! After I threatened them as your wives, I was finally allowed in!" Tosa gulped down his drink, then the y bottle in his hand slipped to the floor and shattered into pieces. Jane just nced at the shards and then turned around. "This room is not elegant at all." With a sneer, Jane looked around. "I will give better decorations and I will make one more throne for the Queen¡­." The dark-skinned woman gasped loudly. A shard of y bottle had stuck in the back of her neck. I looked straight at Tosa, who was still in a pose like he had just thrown something. Jane''s body fell with a soft thud. "When I get drunk, I''m even more urate at ranged attacks." Tosa''s words began to be unclear, sounding more like gibberish. "That''s one of my hidden traits, I guess." The man took another bottle of liquor and drank its contents, then got up and went over to Jane''s body, which had not moved at all. "You''re great, Jane. Unfortunately, you''re also cunning. Those two traits will trouble me." Tosa burped, then took a sip of the alcohol in his hand. "Besides, you also know a lot about my secret. You are too dangerous to be by my side¡­." Tosa bent down to examine Jane''s face, whose eyes were wide with no radiance of life. Then, the man kicked his wife''s body. "You''re dead, why am I still talking to you?" Sipping his liquor for the umpteenth time, Tosa sat back on the throne, and closed his eyes, thenughed a little. What happens if this tribe is led by someone as cunning and as ruthless as Tosa? Will the people be happier than Suja''s leadership? I froze to think about it. However, I couldn''t find the answer. I looked at Tosa again, who was now asleep, and decided there was nothing more to see here. When I was about to press the warp feature, I saw Red was already standing in front of me. "Hurry to leave, huh?" The guardian spirit said in a very hoarse voice, like someone who had just burst into tears. "There''s still something for you to see, brother." Even though I couldn''t stand the mental pressure I felt at the sight of this madness, I lowered my finger from the warp button. Redes up to me and puts her palm on my shoulder. We moved into a house, which had almost the same interior as Tosa and Jane''s. In the corner of the room, I saw a teenager lying down. That''s Sena. The boy was sleeping with tears in his eyes. Before long, he opens his eyes and looks at Red and me.. The guardian spirit of the Redtooth tribe knelt near that kid. Chapter 95 - 95 – The Memories "Sorry, but Noel won''t being back here anymore." Red sighed. "Too bad, even though he promised to take care of you." In the real world, I would have felt that my heart was pounding hard. Sena wipes his tears. "What about his majesty Suja?" "I don''t think you can see him anymore either." Red sighed. "So, am I really alone now?" The boy looked down. "All my family is gone. Mr. Noel who was close to me apart from my family had also died¡­. His Majesty Suja will note to me again¡­. Also, no one wants to be friends with me." "There''s still me, Sena." Red rubbed Sena''s head. "Even though we can''t always see each other, remember that I will always be by your side." Slowly, the boy looked at me. "So, why is he here?" Looking at his nk stare, I was speechless. Because of my actions, a child bes so lonely. And it will definitely affect his mental state. "You don''t want to talk to him about something?" Red asked Sena. "He made all of this happen. You don''t want to be angry with him, or maybe even curse him?" Sena shook his head, looking down again. "I don''t want to talk to him. I don''t want to see him." "I apologize." I answered in a low voice. Sena''s tears fell again. He covered his face with his arms and whimpered like he was in pain. Red hugged the poor boy and said to me. "It seems that you are no longer needed here." "I see. In that case, I will go." "I hope you haven''t forgotten all this. You will have to bear this burden for the rest of your life." Red says again, this time in a voice like someone crying. "Take care, then." With tears in my eyes too, I pressed the warp button. In an instant, my view had changed. Kat and Lara gathered near Seb, who was butchering a rabbit. The sky is already orange. The bonfire has been lit. So, they were getting ready for dinner. "How is Leva?" Lara asked Pif, who was walking closer to the bonfire. Pif shrugged and sat down too. "Still no sign of she waking up." They were at peace, not knowing that a bloody coup had just taken ce in another part of thend. I also sat near them, listening to their small talk. This time the topic was their favorite meat. As usual, while the others chatted, Kat remained silent. With these gestures and ways of speaking, they''re just a random collection of data generated by a program? What a joke. I don''t believe it. They are too lively. I pressed the fast-forward button with the maximum setting. As usual, the people were moving at incredible speed, the moon and sun alternated in seconds, I don''t n on discontinuing the fast-forward feature before an event makes it stop automatically. I don''t even know why I''m like that. Usually, I stop this feature when I find something interesting. On the fifth day in-game, everything went back to normal. Manu finally reaches his house at dusk. "Wee back, Manu." Seb, boiling raw bananas using a metal pot from the Redtooth tribe, stood up and smiled. "I just happened to be making dinner." "Wow, nice clothes. You bought it from a traveling merchant?" Manu asked as he put his bag of belongings down, then sat down by the bonfire. Seb looked at the tank top, trousers, and shoes he was wearing. All parts of the garment were simr to what people in the Redtooth tribe used to wear. "Well, it was made by our new friend from the Redtooth tribe who is temporarily staying here." Manu''s brow furrowed. "Temporarily staying?" "Ah, that''s a long story. I''ll tell you about itter." Seb widened his smile, sitting down too. "You must be really tired." "So, have you learned all that is necessary?" Pif, who had just joined, also asked. "Actually, there are still many things I can learn¡­." Manu looked around to find Kat. Instead of greeting him, the amber-eyed girl was ying with Rox. Maybe getting used to Kat''s miraculous attitude, my colonists let it go. Then, he looked at Leva, who was still lying in the shelter. "Huh. It''s unusual for Leva to sleep at this time." Seb and Pif exchanged nces. "Well, there was actually a big incident that happened recently." Seb sighed. "Is this rted to the expedition of the Redtooth tribe?" Manu asked back in a serious tone. "I heard, the expedition failed, right? I got this story on my way home. The one who said it was a member of the Redtooth tribe who had fled on a horse. He said there was a massive coup there." "What did you say? A massive coup?" Lara, who had just appeared, immediately asked with wide eyes. "Ah, this is Lara from the Redtooth tribe who stayed with us after the stump scorpion attack." Seb introduced the woman. "Hey." Lara knelt by Manu. "Can you tell me in more detail?" *** The sun had set entirely, and my colonists had fallen asleep. Only Lara was awake. The woman sat in front of the bonfire, wiping away her tears. She must have been devastated by the destruction of her tribe. Feeling sorry for the blonde woman, I woke up Seb to talk to her. My male colonist came out of his sleeping bag with a yawn, then went to the fire. "After I finish all the clothes for you guys, I will leave." Lara said when Seb sat down. "Aren''t you thinking of just joining us?" Seb asked with his signature smile. "Redtooth''s new ruler isn''t necessarily the same as the previous one. Maybe they have a new policy regarding members splitting up. Besides, I also feel quite familiar with Tosa, maybe I can persuade him to let you join." "That''s not it, Seb." Lara shook her head slowly. "I just want to stay away from this ce and my tribe. All of that has given me painful memories. If I stay in thisnd, it''s like I''m constantly reminded by those memories." "Oh¡­.." Seb was at a loss for words, and I couldn''t do anything anymore. Chapter 96 - 96 – The Legendary Plant "So, this is good bye." Lara slung her sack over her back, then smiled at my colonists. This is the fourth day after she said she would leave my colony. Seb smiled back. "Take care. We are very grateful to you. Because of you, we were able to speed up preparations for winter." "Nothing really." Lara shrugged, smiling back. "I am grateful to you guys too. Without you guys, I''d be dead surrounded by those stump scorpions. And also thank you for letting me stay at your ce." "You''re wee." Lara started to leave my colonists, waving. "Can she survive alone? Winter ising and before that she must have permanent shelter and food reserves." Pif looked at the blonde woman, who was getting further and further away. "Could she actually make this trip tomit suicide?" "You''re thinking too much, Pif." Seb took a deep breath. "I''m sure she can survive no matter what." My colonists disbanded. Kat goes hunting, Seb takes care of the nts, and Manu starts making bricks. Assisted by Pif, Manu had made quite a number of bricks, which were now arranged around arge fire under a hut. I looked around, finding that the leaves had changed color and were falling. Maybe because I was too focused on the events that happened, I didn''t notice this beauty. My colony still had to build a firece, kitchen, and storeroom. Is there enough time? I don''t want my people''s struggle for survival to be in vain just because of ack of preparation against winter. "Alright!" I looked at Seb, who just shouted. It turned out that my blonde colonist had just picked up a sprig of potato. The potatoes on the nt were still dotted with dirt and were a little less than a fist in size. "We got a good harvest!" Seb looked at the light brown staple food source with a satisfied smile. Pif and Manu walked closer, also looking happy. "Finally, we don''t just eat meat, meat, and meat." Pif snorted. "Sometimes there are bananas and berries, really. But ¡­. You know what I mean." Even though Seb was smiling, I could see the sadness in his eyes. "Ah, if only there were spices here. At least peppers. Anything else would be even better. I could make a nice sauce for potatoes and meat¡­ Well, not sure it would be nice, but I could try." "Spices?" Pif frowned. "Those nts in the legend? The one that says it can make food really tasty?" Seb''s mouth dropped open immediately. "Ah, that''s because you guys never saw it, huh? That''s not a legend, Pif. The nt really exists. The food from the escape pods is proof of that. It''s all seasoned with spices." "No wonder it''s delicious." Manu gulped. "Ah, I want to eat it again." "On ourrge expedition ship, there are seeds of those spices. However, I don''t think anyone would have brought it with them when they escaped." Manu narrows his eyes into the distance. "Looks like we have a guest." I zoomed to the west. There was a group of two men, one woman, and a horse who had indeede towards our tribe. Like cave dwellers, their clothes are still primitive, but they wear shoes, or rather leather covering both feet. They also wear jewelry such as bracelets and nes made of various kinds of bones. They did not appear to pose a threat, even though one of them carried a spear with a sharp tip made of stone. Even so, I still gave briefings so that my colonists would prepare everything. Seb will be the one to confront them, while Pif and Manu continue to work with weapons near them. I also called Kat and her pets toe back. I checked the three people''s stats. Nothing special. The highest stat was melee attacks from the spear wielder. And that''s only 59. "We are a traveling merchant of the Acornhull tribe." The leader of the group, a dark-skinned, bald-headed, and tall man, bowed slightly. "We want to make transactions with your tribe if your tribe is willing." "Sure." Seb gave a friendly smile. "Please, kindly show me the things you brought, sir." The group leader ordered his two men to unload the sacks of goods from the horse''s back. Then, they spread the sacks in front of Seb. Unfortunately, none of the items they sell are needed by my colonists. There were only a few weapons still made of stone, a few pieces of leather, jewelry, pemmicans, and¡­. What? Why is that thing here? Seb''s attention was also drawn to the thing I found, and he was immediately taken aback. However, I immediately whispered to him to keep his face normal. "Oh, that¡­. We don''t even know what that thing is. One of our members found it while out for a walk." The leader of the merchant group said as Seb took the item: a stic bag sealed in silver. In the bag was the text: thirty seeds of garlic. I saw two of the group leader''s men who showed agitated gestures. Perhaps after someone found it, a lot of misfortune coincidentally befell their tribe, so they decided to sell it. Why not just throw it away? "How much is this?" Seb asked after I ordered. I could see that he was holding back his enthusiasm. "Just one silver, sir." When Seb was about to take the money, the leader of the party offered another object. Seb refused ording to my request because there really wasn''t anything needed. After paying what was asked, the group from the Acornhull tribe left. "Yes!" When the party from Acornhull was out of sight, Seb jumped for joy. It seems you don''t feel guilty for buying that rare item at such a low price, Seb. "What''s wrong, Seb?" Manu,ying bricks under the hut, asked in surprise. "This is the seed of the spice nt! Garlic!" Seb held the silver package up. Pif and Manu immediately looked at each other, then ran to the blonde-haired man. "Aah, I can''t wait to nt it!" Seb shook his head, and I even saw that his eyes were starting to fill with tears, probably from being too happy. Well, he likes to cook indeed. At first, I was also happy. Good food will definitely boost the morale of my colonists. However, suddenly the incident about the salt cave shed through my head. Shit. With a heavy heart, I whispered to my male colonist. "Don''t nt that, Seb. If salt alone can kill a lot of people, what about spices?" Seb''s smile suddenly faded. He was now looking at the onion seed wrapper with a sad expression and gaping mouth as if he really wanted to cry. His two fellow colonists just looked at him with raised eyebrows. After my colonists talked about spices, suddenly there was a traveling merchant selling garlic. This is no coincidence. This game wants to give me a challenge. If this is a typical game, I''ll ept it. Chapter 97 - 97 – A Nice Colony "Nice colony you have here." A transparent dark green figure spoke to me. Like H and Red, this male figure also has no facial features. "Is that so, Lanz?" I watched my colonists at work. Since Seb was no longer taking care of the nts, I had him cut down the trees while Pif was still working on the bricks. Manu himself has started to build a brick wall in the open part of the shelter. "You are great to get to this stage with permadeath mode. I also use that mode and really regret it." Lanz sighed. "I already feel a very strong bond with my colonists, you know." "Yeah, I was hoping to hear advice about not using permadeath mode before starting this game." I replied, continuing to stare at my colonists. "You could say, I only lost two colonists, and even then they only joined briefly, but other events rted to death traumatized me." "Many who use permadeath mode eventually retired from this game, including me. Therefore, I salute you." I looked at my friend. "Well, maybe because I''m so fond of them, maybe even more so than people in real life." "Holy shit." Lanz looked the other way. It turned out that Kat had juste home dragging a fairly fat boar. "Nice day, huh?" Seb, who had also just returned carrying an ax and dragging a log, smiled brightly at the sight of the boar. "You get good animals in a fairly short amount of time, when you usually leave untilte afternoon." "I''m leaving again." Without waiting for Seb''s response, Kat put the boar down, then left the settlement with her dog again. Well, we still need to stock up on food. So, if there is an opportunity to hunt again, why not do it? Seeing Lanz, who continued to stare at my female colonist, I chuckled. "You''re in love with her? Her name is Kat. And sorry, you can''t have her." "No wonder you still want to y this game. I''ve never found a girl as hot as her in my gamey." Lanz scratched his head. "You must really want to protect her, right?" "Well, I want to protect everyone." I shrugged again. It is true. I want to see this colony survive and prosper. "Ah, I have to go now." Lanz checked the time in his UI. "Good bye. I''ll check your gamey again sometime." After I replied to his words, Lanz logged out of my game. When I was about to use the fast forward feature, I saw Pif, who looked at the shelter, then left his job of molding bricks. Did he hear Leva''s moans or something? Pif entered the shelter through the door because the open part was almost half-covered with bricks. It turned out that Leva was still lying down and was speaking softly, but the words were unclear. Her body was no longer wrapped in bandages. Thanks to her quick self-healing ability, she had appeared to be healed entirely in the past few days. Well, at least from the outside. However, it was only her consciousness that had not returned yet. "How do you feel, Leva?" Pif slightly lifted the leather nket covering the red-haired woman''s body to check. "Well, looks like you haven''t peed today." I know. It seemed very strange for a young man like Pif to do such things. However, I had no other choice. Kat had to hunt every day, and cleaning was certainly something that couldn''t be put off. Instead of going straight back to work, Pif looked at Leva''s face, which was still pale and looked a little thinner than before. After a while of doing that, Pif shook his head with a flushed face. Huh? You have taken care of Leva for so long. And now, there''s a feeling that has developed in your heart, Pif? Pif wiped his face and nced back at Leva, who had already opened her eyes. The skinny young man immediately froze at that. Leva suddenly straightened up in an unbelievably fast motion, causing Pif to flinch hard. "Ughhh...." The red-haired woman held her head and grimaced in pain. "Leva?" Pif asked. With a stiff motion, Leva turned her head to the young man. "Is that my name? Leva?" Oh, shit. Pif widened her eyes, speechless. "Where is this?" Leva started to look around, then squeezed her head with both hands. "What happened? Who am I?" "You are Leva." Pif said in a cautious tone. "You are a member of this tribe. Do you remember me? My name is Pif. What about Kat, Manu, and Seb?" Leva squeezed her head even more, then bowed. "Arggggghhhhh!!! Arggghhhh..... Hmmmm...." More and more, Leva''s voice sounded discordant and strange. Pif could only stare in confusion. And finally, the red-haired woman lifted her head, looked back at Pif, then smirked. "I was just kidding. I remember everything." "Don''t scare me like that!" Pif snorted in annoyance. "What happened? I heard screams." Seb enters with Manu. "Hey, you''re awake, Leva?" Manu asks. Leva waved her hand to the tworades. "Hi, everyone. Now you guys have nice clothes, huh? Where''s mine?" Now Leva was only wearing some kind of garb like the one in the hospital, but it wasn''t neatly done. "That''s yours." Pif pointed to a set of clothes beside Leva. "It was Lara who made it. She said it was a gift." Leva frowned and grabbed the clothes made of white cloth withrge pores. Instead of a shirt and trousers, the outfit''s top is just like a bikini''s bra, and the bottom is just like super short hot pants. "What the fuck is this!" Leva flipped through the clothes with wide eyes. "What was Lara thinking when she made this!?" "Kat suggested the top." Manu exins. And I asked Kat to suggest a bikini top. I can''t help it. "Kat says she feels more restricted in her movements with clothes that cover more." Pif added. "Maybe you''re like that too." Leva mmed the clothes down. "And you all expect me to wear it!? It''s as nearly naked as before! What..." The red-haired woman stopped her speech when her stomach suddenly rumbled. "Ah, you haven''t eaten properly in a long time, have you?" Seb smiled. "I''m going to prepare a nice meal.. Kat just happened to get something out of the ordinary." Chapter 98 - 98 – A New Kind Of Training In the end, Leva still wore the clothes that Lara had made, a bikini top and super short hot pants. Of course, I asked for it. Three days after Leva woke up, the woman rocked her new pickaxe to rx her stiff muscles. She had been unconscious for two weeks, after all. Her previously formed muscles had faded a bit. Sweating, she stared at the pickaxe in her hands for a moment, looked at the container she used to carry y, then snorted hard. Maybe she doesn''t want to take y anymore and wants to start mining as usual? I then whispered some instructions to her to do something. When Leva was walking to Manu, I saw Pif doing push-ups. I also saw the dispirited expression on his face. Maybe it''s just his hardworking trait that makes him able to survive doing that monotonous activity day after day, without some entertainment. So, I gave another instruction to the red-haired girl. "Hey, Manu. I want to ask." Leva looked at Manu, who was standing on the temporary wooden frame. The frame was made so that Manu could build a wall in a high ce. "Do you still need more y?" Manu stopped his construction work, then looked at the pile of y that was still near the shelter. "We already have enough bricks. I just need to build a kiln and a furnace. I think the remaining y will suffice as well." "Then I''ll stop transporting the y, okay?" As soon as Manu gave a thumbs up, Leva smiled and took out a sack, as well as Pif''s bow and quiver. Then, Leva walked up to Pif, who was still doing push-ups. "Stop that, brat. Youe with me to mine." Leva stood by the young man. "Muscle and stamina building is not just doing what you are doing now." Pif raised an eyebrow, stopped his push-ups, and looked at the red-haired girl. "I know what you mean, but what if I run out of energy? I''ll bother youter. You know that I''m physically weak." "If you fall, I''ll carry you on my back." Without asking for approval, Leva pulled Pif to her feet. "And we ran towards the cliff for your training too. To make you more excited, I will chase you and give you punishment if you get caught." "Punishment? How do you excite someone with punishment?" Pif grumbled in annoyance. "What kind of punishment are you going to give me? You want to destroy my dick like you said before?" "Of course not, I wouldn''t do such a twisted thing in a situation like this." Leva handed the quiver and bow to Pif whileughing. After that, Leva made a twisting gesture with her thumb and forefinger. "I''m just going to twist your nipple. It''s not just any twist, because I once traumatized a member of my tribe. He covers his chest every time he sees me." Pif winced and covered his nipples, starting to walk backward. "The race is on!" Leva stomped her foot on the ground hard, causing Pif to run away with a frightened expression. At the same time, Leva chased after him whileughing again. *** Pif was still gasping for air, even though Leva wasn''t after him anymore. The young man walked some distance from the red-haired woman. "Come on, Pif! We''ll be there in a minute!" Leva approached the young man, who immediately backed away with a snort. The red-haired girl spread her arms. "I''m really sorry, okay. Maybe I did it too hard." Pif rubbed his right nipple. When Leva twisted that part, I cringed hard. I can''t imagine something like that happening to me. "You can repay me for what I did to you." Leva puffed out her chest. "Even you can do it twice if it makes you more satisfied." "Are you insane!?" Pif snapped with a red face. "How could I do that to you!" "Why not?" Leva had an astonished expression. "This is a form of my apology." Pif snorted again and quickened his pace, but Leva soon caught up and put her arm around him. Leva pressed the boy''s cheek with her finger. The young man snorted for the third time. "You look cute when you''re angry, you know?" "Stop it. "I''m not a kid anymore." Pif tried to get away from Leva, but the woman hugged him even tighter. "Hey, Pif." Leva looked straight ahead. "I want to ask you something." Pif''s brow furrowed. "Ask me something? What do you want to ask? And why are you looking so serious now?" It took a few seconds for Leva to finally open her mouth again. "How do you get rid of the sadness of losing loved ones?" "Aah¡­" Pif also took a while before finally being able to answer. "I don''t know. I haven''t found a way either." "I see." Leva took a deep breath. She blinked her eyes which were starting to get coated with a clear liquid. "In that case, I changed my question. How can you still carry on as usual after losing so much?" "There are only two choices, right? Keep walking or keep wailing? What happens if you keep wailing?" Leva fell silent, and I contemted Pif''s words. My two colonists stopped when they were at the crack leading to the salt cave. The crack has been covered with a pile of stones now. There''s a g stuck there. The g, made of scraps of dull cloth, is engraved with a skull, using charcoal. "I haven''t been here since that incident." Pif hissed. "Me too." Leva narrowed her eyes at the g that fluttered slowly in the wind. "We''d better get out of here soon." Pif shuddered. "I feel ufortable." They continued their journey, past the cremation mark, which was now just a stretch of ashes, then started walking down the cliff. It took about an hour in-game time until Leva finally stopped walking. "Here ¡­. Maybe this is iron¡­." Leva turned her head to Pif. "It''s your time to shine." Leva begins to teach Pif how to swing the pickaxe well. With slightly blushing cheeks, Pif asionally nced at Leva''s face, which was so close to him. I envy you, Pif. I also wanted to be taught this closely with someone like Leva. "What?" Leva raised an eyebrow when she realized that. "Nothing." Pif shook his head, then started swinging the pickaxe against the cliff wall. "Your form is already good. Just keep it that way." Leva stepped back and studied her new student. "Give it a little more force." Knowing it would be boring because Pif was doing the monotonous work, I went over to Kat, who was hunting. Once near the amber-eyed girl hiding in the bushes, I didn''t find Rox.. Kat was observing something. Chapter 99 - 99 – Family It turned out that Rox was a few meters in front of his master. Sticking out his tongue, the brown dog was riding on the back of another ck dog. Kat''s pet''s hips moved back and forth rapidly. Kat, are you watching the dogs having sex? I''m wondering what reasons could justify the amber-eyed girl''s actions. Ah, maybe she wants to have another pet and use Rox as an attention-getter. And I have a mixed feeling because of that. I continued to watch the animal having sex, then shook my head. Why the fuck I still see such a thing? So, I used the fast-forward feature, and only a few seconds passed, the speed of time returned to normal. A singlerge arrow was floating in the air, pointing directly at where Leva and Pif were. As soon as I warp to the ce, I see Pif, who was already lying on his back. His breath was almost out, and his body was full of sweat. Intrigued by realistic-looking animal sex, I had forgotten about this young man. And when I checked Leva, I found that the red-haired girl had fallen asleep, in a vulgar position too. Her legs were open, and her mouth was drooling like crazy. I woke the woman, who immediately straightened up, then yawned while looking around with her eyes almost closed. "What are you doing, Pif?" The woman then approached the skinny young man. "Let me rest for a bit." Pif had difficulty speaking because he was still out of breath. Leva looked down at the cliff wall, which hadn''t really been excavated, then checked the shadows on the nearest log to tell the time. "Hey, you''ve been doing this long enough apparently? Why are you just taking a break now?" It took a while before Pif could answer again. "I''ve had three breaks during your sleep. This job is quite taxing." "Ah." Instead of replying, Leva was silent. Seeing that Pif''s condition was quite pathetic, I gave instructions to Leva. "Looks like we''re done with this. Time for us to go home." Leva held out her hand. However, even reaching for the woman''s hand, Pif struggled. His hands were shaking violently. He also struggled to get up. "Just carry him, Leva." I gave orders again. "He''ll have a hard time walking too." I know Leva''s physical abilities. Even though she''s been unconscious for quite a while, I''m sure she''s still strong enough to do this. She is used to carrying heavy loads of y for days. So, Leva crouched down with her back to the skinny young man. "Come on, it looks like you won''t be able to walk." Instead of being grateful, Pif snorted. "You think, I..." "Throw away your prestige and get on that damn back of hers, dumbass." I cut off Pif. Although with a heavy-hearted expression, Pif finally climbed onto the back of his fellow colonist. The young man''s face turned red, either from embarrassment or feeling lost in pride. After retrieving the pickaxe, sack of items, quiver, and bow, Leva began to travel home with Pif on her back. "Thanks, Leva." Pif said quietly. "No problem." Leva smiled. "After all, I haven''t done any significant physical activity today. And you''re also quite light." Pif was silent for a moment before finally speaking again. "Since we left, I didn''t hear you scoffing about my physical weakness.... Why?" "Huh? Why do you ask like that?" The red-haired woman chuckled. "I couldn''t have done that to you. You were the one who took care of me while I was unconscious, right?" "But you still have the heart to twist my nipples." Pif snorted. Leva''sughter grew louder. "Well, I''m sorry about that.... But, I really thank you. Kat has to hunt, so you''re the one cleaning me up when I pee and poop, right?" "Why are you discussing such a thing!?" Pif''s face was as red as a tomato. "Maybe you understand my body the most. You see my pussy and butthole regrly...." "Please, stop!" Pif pped his forehead. "Don''t talk about it again, okay?" "And, despite the odds, you didn''t do anything indecent. That alone makes me respect you, Pif." Pif''s eyes widened. "Huh? You know that?" "Even though I''m unconscious, I can still hear and feel my surroundings, Pif. I know you really didn''t do anything." The skinny young man took a deep breath. "Thanks again, I guess." "What for?" "Appreciation from you." Leva smirked. "So, you''re reminded again of your former tribe who only valued strength in fighting?" "Perhaps, my decision to ept their invitation to join this tribe was the right one." It was now Leva who was silent for a moment. "I also feel the same way. I''m grateful they bought me. Even though at that time their resources were still low. They could have exchanged clothes from the sky ship for more important items. However, they preferred me, even though I was rude to them. ." After that, the two of them were silent. I kept walking next to them, waiting for the continuation of this heart-to-heart chat. Seeing Pif looking agitated with mouth twitching, I whispered to him. "You''d better just say what you think. You guys are already family, right? Don''t hesitate any longer." Gulped, Pif took a deep breath. "Hey, Leva..." "Yes?" "May I call you Big Sis?" Pif asked, stammering and blushing even more. "I-I don''t have an older sister, so... Aaah.... Forget what I said. That sounds weird." I''m also confused about how to react. This was very unexpected for me. Leva stopped in her tracks. Pif gulped again. "Did I make you angry?" The skinny young man grimaced. Leva just lost her little sister. Not sure she will appreciate the nickname that is also used by Anne. However, the red-haired girlughed. "Alright! Now call me Big Sis Leva! You are now my little brother, Pif!" Damn it. I''m getting more jealous of this little boy named Pif. I also want to have an Oneesan like Leva! "Why are you quiet?" Leva spoke again and continued on her way. "Now try calling me." "O-okay, big sis.." Despite grinning, Pif''s face was still red. Chapter 100 - 100 – Family (2) The next morning, Kat hid behind the bushes to peek at the dogs having sex again. However, this time Rox was beside her. The dog also looked at the scene with sad eyes. The one having sex with the ck dog was a dull-white dog, not Rox. Kat rubbed her pet''s head. "You''ll get something better, boy." Poor him. Kat was about to leave, but she immediately crouched behind the bushes again. It turned out that there was a group consisting of three adult men, a teenager, and a horse in the distance. Merchants? I used the zoom feature and immediately gasped. The teenager is a boy and has braided hair. Sena? Why did hee here? I gave orders for Kat to return to the settlement. Apart from that, I also gave instructions as usual to the others. Seb will do the transaction while Manu keeps building our shelter but stay alert. The problem is Leva. She hasn''t started mining yet because of oversleeping. Last night she woke up suddenly because she might have had a bad dream, and I think she could only sleep a few hours after that. "Let''s go, Pif!" Just stretching, the red-haired girl called out in a loud voice. "Just a minute, Sis!" "Sis?" Manu, who was carrying bricks for the firece, raised an eyebrow. "Why are you called that, Leva?" "You don''t know? He''s my long-lost little brother." Leva giggled. Manu''s eyes narrowed. "How did you know he was your little brother?" Leva just shrugged. Pif came out of the shelter very excited. He had brought his item sack, his archery equipment, and Leva''s pickaxe. "This time you''re the one chasing me." Leva received her mining tool. "If you can catch up with me, it''s your turn to twist my nipple. Don''t do it half-heartedly, twist it as hard as you can." "What''s wrong with your mind, Sis!?" Pif snapped. Manu didn''te into the house and just stood there with his mouth open. "What?" Leva giggled. "We agreed to be brother and sister, didn''t we? Isn''t that what siblings do? I often do it with Anne. We twist each other''s nipples." With a stiff motion, Pif turned his head to Manu. "Why are you looking at me, Pif?" Manu asked in a t tone. "Maybe the culture in her tribe is like that, or maybe she''s gone crazy after being unconscious for days." Ah, because of this interesting incident, I forgot what I was going to do. "Leva, your tribe members areing here. It''s up to you whether you want to meet them or not." Leva had opened her mouth with a cheerful expression like she was about to say something exhrating. However, a secondter, she lowered her pickaxe and gulped. "But, looks like we''ll have to put this on hold for a while, Pif. I don''t know why this is happening. I just feel like I have to." Pif narrowed her eyes at Seb, who had his arms crossed and stood still. "Looks like someone wille." The skinny young man made a guess. "Seb is already in a waiting position. Maybe there will be merchants who will transact with us. Our guardian spirit ordered us to prepare." "So we have to be on guard, huh?" Leva scratched her head. "Well, although I don''t believe in it, but things like this still happen.... But don''t worry, Pif. We can still practice." Pif raised an eyebrow. "Practice how.... Hey!" Leva hugged the thin young man''s body and dropped him. Not too hard, but enough to make Pifnd on the ground. "We''re wrestling, Pif!" Leva restrained Pif, who was trying to escape from her. "Escape from your big sister if you can!" "You are crazy!" Pif snapped again. "Suddenly you do this, even though I''m not ready! What if I get injured!?" "Stop bitching!" Using painless locking techniques, Leva continued to restrain Pif''s floundering body. "This game will train your muscles and stamina too!" Shit, I''m getting jealous of Pif. The young man looks normal, just like me. However, why did he get this kind of luck? Unfair! Not wanting to stop it because Pif really needed practice, I chose to move from that ce so I wouldn''t be more jealous. However, just turning around, I found Manu still frozen in ce, staring at the wrestling, asionally gulped. Are you jealous, too, Manu? Aren''t you more experienced? You''ve done something more than wrestling, haven''t you? "Move your ass, Manu." I snorted because I was still annoyed with Pif. "The firece won''t build on its own." Finally, Manu left the ce. Leva pressed Pif''s body against her own and held the boy''s hands to the ground. Usually, a guy would break free easily, but not for Pif, who is weak, and it makes him look pissed off. The red-haired girl frowned, then smirked. "Oh, your dick is erect again, Pif." Pif shook her head hard. "Please, please, please.... Don''t do anything to it!" "Hmmm, but I''m still tempted to do something to yours." "Nooo!!!" Leva continued to hold Pif down whileughing. Then, her attention turned to the merchant group that came from a distance. With a serious face, she let go of Pif and stood up. Pif sat down and looked in the same direction. "From the clothes, they are your tribe''s friends, Sis?" "That''s right, they''re from my tribe." Leva hissed. "You don''t want to go?" With a slight sneer, Leva shook her head. "I wanted to ask how my parents are doing, especially after Anne''s death." Kat arrived at the settlement before the merchant group arrived. As usual, without speaking to anyone, she sat near the shelter with her dog. "Wee to our ce." Seb smiled at the group led by the long-haired man. "Can I help you?" "Ah, we''re from the Redtooth tribe." The leader smiled back. "Well, we just wanted to make a deal with you guys. That''s if you''re interested in our stuff." "Hi, Kit, that''s Kat." Leva pointed at Kat, then pointed to the long man, who turned out to be the gatekeeper of the Redtooth tribe who paved the way for Tosa. "And Kat, that''s Kit." "I know her already. How are you, Leva?" Kit chuckled. "And apparently, it''s not just Kat who has a sense of dressing like that, huh? I guess this is the norm in this tribe." Kit and two of his men looked up and down at Leva, who was indeed wearing skimpy clothes. Leva just folded her arms across her chest with a rxed expression. Maybe she wanted to get angry or even punch the men but preferred to hold back. Sena suddenly approached Leva, immediately asked. "I came near the salt cave and found a lot of spirits, but I didn''t find my dad. Can you show me where his grave is, Leva? Those spirits usually reside near its body." Leva''s mouth began to gape. Chapter 101 - 101 – Not A True Sibling Gulped, Leva turned her head to Seb. "Who''s his dad?" Seb asked. Leva sighed. "Yogi." Sena looked at the two people in confusion. I ordered Seb to tell the poor boy. Sena deserves to know. I chose Seb because he could definitely use softer words. Seb walked over to the boy and crouched down in front of him. "What''s your name?" The braided boy slightly tilted his head. "My name is Sena." "Hi Sena. My name is Sebastian, just call me Seb." The blonde-haired man shed his signature warm smile. "Right now, we haven''t found your dad. But, I promise, we''ll keep trying." Not sure giving hope will help, Seb. "Ah." The little boy blinked his teary eyes, then just walked away. "Where are you going, boy?" Kit asked with his hands on his hips. "I just want to be alone." Kit paused for a moment, then resumed his pace again. "Don''t go too far." Should I send one of my colonists to cheer him up? I''m not sure that will help. No one is close to Sena. "Ah, one more thing we came here for." Kit spoke to Seb again. "We want to take our salt." Leva, Pif, Kat, and Seb looked at each other. I ordered my colonists toply with their request. However, I will not give up everything. Salt is handy for tanning leather and preservative, in addition to giving vor to food. "Wait a minute, sir." Seb said kindly. And then, with the others, took out three wooden containers containing the white chunks. Each container measures approximately 70x70 cm. There were still two even fuller containers. I ordered my colonists to hide it under a sheet of leather. Fortunately, none of Kit''s party joined the deadly expedition. So they don''t know the total number. "Is that it?" Kit raised an eyebrow, staring at my colony shelter. "Isn''t there anything else in there?" Seb shook his head while maintaining his smile. "We only have this, sir." Kit had opened his mouth with a stern expression, but a secondter, he was sneering. "Alright, we ept all of this. Even if you guys still keep the rest, consider it a reward for taking care of our tribe''s deceased members. We found arge cremation mark near the cliff," Two of Kit''s men exchanged nces. It must be because of Red''s interference. I know she is basically good, though her sense of punishment is twisted. "Then can we start this trade, sir?" Seb asked. "Oh, yes." Kit nodded, then walked over to his tworades. "Come on, let''s get everything down." Once the items wereid out before us, I took a look around with Seb. Most of the ones sold were weapons that didn''t look too good. Some of the machetes, swords, sickles, and spearheads for sale were rusty. "We haventerns." Kit puts a metal box object open on every side, except for the top and bottom. In the center of the thing was some kind of small container, which I assumed was a ce for oil because it had a fuse. "Since it''s made of metal, it won''t burn easily, so it''s safe to light the house. There''s no way you guys light a firece all the time just to light up a room, right? Especially in summer." One of Kit''srades ced a half forearm-sized y bottle in front of Seb, joining in. "And here''s the oil." I''m not sure my colonists need it. Looks like I''ll ask Seb to bid for the best price, but if there''s no deal, I''ll let it go. "And this, I think you guys need this." Kit opened two small cloth packets containing darkish seeds. "These are spinach and cabbage seedlings. Unfortunately, you can''t nt them now because winter is approaching. Better start nting these in early spring." I definitely need it for the variety of food and nutrition of my colonists. "Hey, Leva." Another member of Kit''s party nodded his head at the red-haired woman. "You want to say something?" I just realized that Leva looked nervous. Her body kept on twitching, and her gaze flickered in various directions. Ah, she wanted to ask about her parents, but the bitter history with her tribe made her feel ufortable to ask. "Well, just ask, Leva." I whispered to the woman. She also deserves to know what happened, even if it hurts. Looking the other way, Leva finally opened her mouth. "How are my parents?" The three members of the merchant group from the Redtooth tribe were silent for a while before Kit finally sighed. "Sorry, Leva. They''re gone." The atmosphere is quiet for a moment. Leva opened her teary eyes wider. With gritted teeth, she said. "You guys don''t mess with me. Tell me the truth...." "They really are dead." Kit got up, facing Leva. "Your mother was seriously ill, while your father died in a bloody rebellion to bring down Suja. You can ask Sena, he never lies. Or if you want, you can check their graves in our tribe." Everyone''s eyes were on Leva. The woman shook her head, began to walk backward, and shed tears. She then turned around, leaving the ce at a brisk pace without saying a word. "Sis...." Pif gulped as he watched his older sister walk away. "You''re the closest to her, Pif. Follow her." I whispered to the skinny young man. Although looking doubtful, Pif followed Leva. I instructed Seb to buy thenterns, oil, and vegetable seeds at the best price, then I followed the skinny boy. After a long walk, Leva finally hid behind a giant rock near the river, starting to sob. Pif came over, and Leva immediately turned her back on the skinny boy. The red-haired girl then said in a hoarse voice. "Leave me alone, Pif." "Ah." Pif could only scratch his head and remain silent. I had to give him another order. "Do something, whatever it is to soothe your older sister''s heart." Pif took a deep breath, approached Leva, and knelt behind her. Then, something quite surprising happened. Pif wrapped her arms around Leva. Leva gasped and was speechless. Then, she grabbed her ''little brother'' arm. Her tears fell more and more, "Pif, please do that with me." Leva asked in a low voice. If what Leva meant was something I was also thinking about, this would be even more surprising. Why did she intend to do that at a time like this? "Doing what, Sis?" Pif rested his chin on her shoulder. Leva turned her body slightly, pressed her hands to Pif''s cheeks, then looked intently into the thin young man''s eyes. Then, the girl brought her lips closer to Pif''s. Chapter 102 - 102 – Not A True Sibling (2) At first, Pif was shocked and turned his face away. However, seeing Leva''s flushed face and looks like begging, Pif finally closed his eyes and pressed his lips to Leva''s. My mouth was so close to Leva''s ear. Of course, I intended to prevent this from happening for the same reason I stopped Leva and Seb. However, I gave up my intention and let the two humans continue to press their lips to each other, moving them passionately. Maybe they need this. Slowly, Leva pulled her head back, creating a thin thread of saliva connected from her mouth to Pif''s. After that, Leva put her back on the ground while putting her palms behind Pif''s head. Pif''s hands began to caress Leva''s beautiful body, starting from her butt, which was shaped like ripe peaches, to her slim waist that had a soft six-pack. And finally, they reached the chest of the red-haired woman. "Ahhhnnn..." Leva moaned as Pif''s hands gently massaged her breasts. And finally, Pif pulled up on the bra that protected both of Leva''s assets. Pif''s breath suddenly became heavy when he saw the almost perfectly round breasts with a pink center for each. The young man massaged the two beautiful objects more intensely, making Leva moan even louder. The woman could barely open her eyes. Drops of tears had adorned both ends of his sight. "This is my revenge, Sis." Whispering, Pif slightly twisted the woman''s right nipple, causing her to flinch. However, it was much gentler than what Leva did to Pif. "Don''t be too rough...." Leva sighed in a pleading tone. However, Pif didn''t care. Now, it wasn''t just his hand that was viting Leva''s chest. The young man brought his face closer to his ''sister'' chest. His tongue stuck out, moving to the center of Leva''s left breast, sweeping the area with intense movements, asionally doing a light biting or sucking on it. Leva''s left nipple, which was already erect, was always moving following the thrust of the thin man''s tongue. Leva spoke again, but it was not clearly audible. She looked resigned, just holding the back of her ''little brother'' head. And after that, Pif''s hand moved to Leva''s lower body, reaching for the garment that didn''t really cover much of the girl''s hips and buttocks. With just one move, Pif was able to untie the knot that held the red-haired girl''s shorts. He did that while still ''treating'' Leva''s breasts with his tongue and mouth. And with one motion again, Pif slid Leva''s pants away from where they were supposed to be. Pif raised her head, looked at the woman, who had averted her eyes and was biting her finger. Leva''s eyes were getting more and more watery, her face was already so red, and she still didn''t show any signs of resistance. ustomed to the outgoing and tough Leva, I found it odd to see her looking so vulnerable like this. Pif brought her mouth close to Leva''s ear and hissed softly, "You can''t stop me anymore, my sister. There''s noing back." Leva closed her eyes. Her body trembled slightly. Pif, also in one fell swoop, untied the knot in his pants. The thing lowered itself, exposing something that made him aplete man. Something that would tarnish this ''older sister.'' With a hip motion, Pif''s object dived, ramming into something no one else should have seen. Something Leva''s. Something that was probably the most precious of that woman''s body. Leva''s mouth opened wide. Her eyes were getting tighter and tighter. There were no more words that could be said by her other than a moan full of pleasure. "Ahhhhnnnn...." The woman hugged Pif so tight as if she didn''t want to let him go. Of course, Pif didn''t stop there. His hips kept moving back and forth. As time went on, his movements became wilder, causing Leva''s body to shake, making her breasts move up and down uncontrobly, making the woman unable to hold herself back from moaning. And the longer it went on, the moaning was also getting wilder, louder, more violent. Even I can''t believe Leva''s mouth can make a sound like that. Leva''s body arched backward. Her tears finally flowed. Pif stopped the movement of her hips, and I could see a pool of fluid expanding around the woman''s lower body. Pif raised his head again, looking at Leva, who was still in tears and blushing. The woman looked more and more helpless. "You are so beautiful like this, Sis." Pif hissed for the second time, sweat dripping and gasping for air. Then, his head fell into Leva''s chest. "You''re running out of stamina, huh?" Leva sighed, hugged, and rubbed the boy''s head. "That means you really are Pif. I was thinking, Pif can''t do something this intense." "I was surprised myself...." Pif choked and paused for a moment. "After all this, shouldn''t I call you big sister anymore?" A lowugh escaped Leva''s mouth. "So what? You''re still my little brother, and you still have to call me your big sister." Pif buried his face further into the red-haired woman''s chest. "You are so naughty, my lil bro. You love my chest so much?" Levaughed again, tightening her grip on her ''little brother.'' Her still watery eyes looked up at the cloudy sky. "Hey, Pif. We''re going to continue to face tough odds, right? I want you to promise me something." "Promise something? What do you mean?" Pif asked, showing absolutely no sign of pulling his face away from Leva''s chest. "I beg of you." The voice of the ''older sister'' started to be hoarse again. "Don''t leave me." "What''s the reason I left you? I''m so happy to have an older sister like you...." "Please, just answer my request." Leva cut the young man''s words. "Promise me." Pif was silent for a moment before finally being able to answer. "I won''t leave you, Sis. But, you also have to promise me not to leave me too." "Ooh, I''m not leaving you, Pif." I looked up at the cloudy sky like Leva. My brain started to wonder, can I be as lucky as Pif in real life? Can I get an older sister like this? Chapter 103 - 103 – An Information Leva carried Pif''s body using her shoulders. The skinny young man didn''t move and only limped after he had fallen asleep on Leva''s chest. It seemed, for Pif, that sexual activity was more energy-draining than running or mining. "What is wrong with him?" Seb, still sitting and chatting with the three members of the Redtooth tribe, asked. Leva stopped her steps. "We just did¡­." "Don''t tell me what you did just now!" I cut off Leva''s words. It could be noisy if anyone found out, especially since Seb had almost done that with the red-haired woman. "Ah¡­." Leva scratched her head. "We were just ying catch and he was tired." Seb raised an eyebrow, but Leva ignored it and walked again to put Pif into the shelter. "Ah, looks like my friends and I should continue our journey. While it''s still not toote. I don''t want to bother you by spending the night here. Nice to talk to you, Seb." Kit smiled and started to organize his things. "Next time, I wille here and love hearing stories about earth again." "Anytime." Seb smiled back. "Thank you for selling these things to us. And I hope you and the tribe will be fine." "You too. Hopefully you will survive the winter." Kit and his two men arranged their belongings into sacks and hoisted them onto the horses. The things they carried now were much heavier due to the many chunks of salt. "Ah, there''s something you might know." Kit talks to Seb again after calling Sena to join the group. "Do you know a new tribe called Congraylham in the south, Seb? It''s probably about three days'' trip from here." Seb exchanged nces with Manu, who had just joined. Manu just shook his head. "No, we don''t know." Seb shrugged. "A few days after the bloody coup to take down Suja, they came to us and said they wanted to be friends with our tribe." Kit started to exin. "Usually, there are only two types of tribes thate to us, namely trading or attacking us. Even if they have other business, they will bring goods to trade as well." I gave orders to Seb to ask some questions. Information like this cannot be ignored. "So, they really didn''t bring anything?" Seb asked in a cautious tone. "They just want to dere as friends of your tribe?" Kit shrugged. "That''s how it is, they only brought their own provisions. That''s really weird. Our predecessors told us, even for new tribes, they will still bring goods to sell to us, even though the main goal is to make friendship." "Our guess is that they are looking for another tribe to loot. However, when they saw therge size of our tribe, they changed their goals." One of Kit''s men added. Seb rubbed his chin. "Then, what kind of tribe are they? Is it like you guys, or more primitive with stone weapons?" "This is apletely different tribe. Their weapons are very strange, made of metal and¡­." Kit scratched his head. "It''s very hard for me to exin. In essence, the weapons are for long range and the ends can explode. They showed us that." What? In this world, there are weapons like that? I whispered to Seb to ask Kit something else. My colonists must dig up as much information as possible about this. This can change everything. "Is it shaped like this?" Seb picked up a stick, then began to draw an object with a muzzle, trigger, and it had nearly a 90-degree angle. Yes, it''s a gun. "Yes, some carry weapons shaped like that, but some are longer." Kit continued his speech. "What they demonstrated in front of us was like this one you drew." "They just want to show off so we don''t mess with them." Another member of Kit''s group snorted. "They also don''t want to say how to make weapons like that." "I don''t think there are too many of them. If we have weapons like them, we can certainly be a threat to that tribe." Kit shrugged again. "That weapon is very nasty, Seb. Whatever it is thates out of the end, it can pierce the trunk of arge tree, even to the point where it can''t even be retrieved." "That thing''s name is gun." Seb gulped. His lips began to tremble. "It''s a weapon that came from my original world." "Ah, it''s only natural that they wear slightly different clothes too." Kit nods. "I''m just saying, they are really friendly with us. However, they don''t necessarily want to work with you guys. Your tribe is still small and luckily our new leader told us not to tell them about you. However, you guys still have to be careful." After exchanging farewells once more with my colonists, Kit and hisrade started to leave my colony. Actually, people from the Redtooth tribe are decent, huh? Not everyone is like Tosa and Reha. "If they do have firearms, then we''re in real danger." Kat said as the group from the Redtooth tribe was far away. Even the quiet Kat spoke about this. She must have been distraught after hearing Kit''s exnation earlier. "I know." Seb sighed. "How great is that so-called firearm?" Manu frowned. Seb rubbed his face. "Not great, but terrible. It was a weapon that became one of the highest causes of death in my world. And here we have no means of defending against it." "How about we catch up with Kit and his friends. You know, to learn to make traps. I don''t know how to do it myself." Manu throws the idea I gave him. "It''s useless." Leva came with her arms crossed over her chest. "From the beginning, we did not use traps because it was considered unsafe for our own people. So, no one knows how to make it." Seb took a deep breath, then said my other suggestion. "Well, at least I can teach how to treat the wounds from those weapons¡­. I''m no expert, but at least I have a general idea of ??what kind of wound it is and we can figure out how to treat it." Shit.. That sounds bad to my ears. Chapter 104 - 104 – The Fall Leva and Kat can''t wear my favorite clothes anymore. Well, I''m really disappointed not to get to see their cleavage, midriff, and beautiful legs again. However, what else can I do? The temperature is dropping. All my colonists now have to wear jackets and gloves, although they don''t need to wear thick parkas yet. Weeks had passed without anything really significant happening. Threats onlye from the attacks of the beasts that we can still deal with. Rats, guinea pigs, and more chickens. Except for the rats, they were a source of food for my colonists. For the rest, everything went peacefully. So, soon I will experience the first winter in this game. "This is good, Manu." Seb spoke with white steam already escaping from his mouth. Squatting outside the house, he studied the wooden spoon in his hand. The spoon still doesn''t look like a spoon like the one I usually use, but it''s smooth enough, and the important thing is that it can be used for eating. "It''s still nothingpared to what the Redtooth craftsmen made." Manu smiled, continuing his activity of carving a spoon with a knife. "Ah, looks like the one in the kiln has cooled down." "What are you making in the kiln, anyway?" Seb raised an eyebrow, then followed Manu into a workshop with one open side separated from the main building. The workshop was just a tiny building made of scrap wood, but it was enough for Manu to make pottery from y. Yesterday, he had just made a ratherrge jar to store water. Manu took the bricks used to cover the top of the kiln and then took something from that tool to burn things made of y. "This¡­" Seb took out one of the brownish bowls of the few that Manu had made. "I can put some soup here. I can make a savory broth from bones¡­ Even if the voring is only from salt¡­. Ah, there''s no point inmenting what we don''t have. Thank you, Manu." "No problem." Manu smiled, eyeing one of the bowls he made. "Now that all the essential needs are met, I can make that game you proposed¡­. What''s that name again?" "Chess?" Seb smiled too. "Wow, I can''t wait to y it again after so long." "Oh yes, Chess. I''m going to make the game from the board first. I''m curious. Seems like an interesting thing." I also smiled, looking at the wooden house, which now has a chimney. Yes, I don''t think of it as a shelter anymore, but a real home. There is already a small kitchen, warehouse, and tiny toilet attached to the building. The ce stillcks furniture. However, after seeing the struggles to make it, from just cutting down trees to taking y back and forth from far away, I am very proud of all of them. As I peered through the open window of the house, I saw Rox licking Kat''s face. The amber-eyed girl was fanning the fire in the firece. Seeing the smile on the girl''s face, I immediately pressed the pause button and took a screenshot. This is the ninth photo in my collection of smiling Kat photos. "You want to y, huh? You''re bored thest few days we didn''t hunt, boy?" Continuing to fan the fire to get bigger, Kat stroked her pet''s brown head. "Just a moment, boy. It''s getting dark, now it''s my job to prepare this firece." The dog barked while wagging its tail. Oh, I still remember. Back then, the dog was so skinny and couldn''t smell. Now, look at its muscr-looking body. "Are you done, Kat?" Seb came in with the bowls and spoons Manu had made. "Today I''m very excited, Kat. You know what I''m going to do? I''ll try to cook soup with bone broth. Manu just made cutlery for something like that." Kat, whose smile had disappeared, turned her head to Seb. "Ah." After that, she rechecked the fire. Seb froze, blinking, then walked into the kitchen. "Hopefully it will be delicious." I heard loudughter from the courtyard. On my way out, I saw Pif and Leva ying catch-up. This time, the one chasing after was Pif. "Come on! Catch me!" Leva''sughter grew louder. Pif''s movements are no longer like running but more like walking. He was out of breath, and clutching his waist. "Wait, Sis. I can''t take it anymore." Leva turned around, then ran backward with her arms outstretched. Her mouth forms a broad smile that looks so sweet, not her usual haughty smile. You''re lucky to have her, Pif. I also want someone who gives me a smile like that. And Pif jumped into Leva''s arms, making both of them fall. The red-haired girl buried Pif''s head into her chest, but the skinny young man didn''t resist at all. I shook my head. These two people. "Remember, don''t have sex." I grumbled near the two. "If you guys have sex too much, Leva could really get pregnant." "So, your favorite ce is still in my chest, huh?" Leva chuckled. Pif lifted his head and asked, "What do you think?" "You naughty!" Despite yelling like that, Leva buried her ''little brother'' head into her chest again. "You guys look like a couple." Manu walks towards the two. Leva looked at the bearded man, blinking for a moment. "We are a couple." Manu freezes for some time. "What? But you guys call each other like sibling. That''s sound fucked up." "So what?" Leva, still lying on the ground and hugging Pif, raised an eyebrow. "We''re not blood rted at all." "That''s not what I meant..." Manu scratched his hair. "Ah, forget what I said." Leva checked Pif, then let go of her arm. "Well, he fell asleep." When Leva shifted Pif''s body and was about to wake the young man, she saw something falling from above. It was white, almost round, and descended slowly. Leva reached out her hand to catch that thing. "Snow." She hissed, sounding enthusiastic. She then patted Pif''s cheek until the young man opened his eyes. Manu looked up at the sky, which would soon bepletely dark. Other snowkes have also started to fall. Seb leaves the house, while Kat and Rox stop ying throw and catch. They all also watched the snowfall. "So, this is our first winter as a group, huh?" Seb said. Chapter 105 - 105 – Bad Feeling The thick snow covered the grounds and trees. My colonists remained at home, warming themselves by the fire. The heavy snowfall outside had no sign of stopping. Manu and Seb were focused on watching the ongoing chess match between Kat and Pif. By far, those two were the most skilled at ying that game. They both have a record of three wins against each other. Leva, who had juste out of the toilet, looked at the chessboard, which was made of only pieces of wood with charcoal scribbles, then sneered. "I don''t understand why you guys like boring games like that." "Shhh..." Manu put his index finger to his mouth. "Please be quiet, this match is exciting." Leva narrowed her eyes as Kat moved one of the pieces on the board. The pieces made by Manu still look very rough, but at least they can be distinguished between horses, kings, queens, and others. Snorting in annoyance, the red-haired woman grabbed the parka from the coat hanger near the door. "I''ll practice outside, Pif." "Okay, Sis." Pif stays focused on the game. He just moved his horse. Leva, who was wrapping her fists with pieces of cloth, snorted again and left the house. She walked briskly toward what looked like a wooden scarecrow. That thing''s body was wrapped in the remains of leathers and cloth, as well as leaves. Manu made it and ced it next to the workshop so that Leva could still have fun. The woman couldn''t enjoy ying chess at all. "Stupid Pif." She hissed, then began practicing thebination of punches to the training dummy, echoing a loud banging sound. I could see from her expression that she was doing it with a lot of emotion. What exactly happened to you, Leva? Feeling worried, I went into the house again and whispered to Pif. The young man immediately made a stupid move in his game, making Manu and Seb frown. Then, it leads to Kat''s victory. "Ah, looks like it''s going to be 3-4 for you, Kat." Pif stood up and grabbed his parka. "Ah, maybe he''s worried about his girlfriend outside, so he can''t concentrate." Manu shrugged. "What?" Seb gaped at his fellow colonists. "Did I hear right? They''re a couple now?" "Well, actually we didn''t hide it." Pif answered shyly, without looking at hisrades. Seb scratched his head. I don''t know if he was disappointed or confused. It was the blonde-haired man who used to be almost in Pif''s position. "I also only found out about it at the beginning of winter." Manu shrugs again. "You also find it strange that they are a couple, right? They call each other brother and sister after all." The strange thing is you guys. Why did you only know about this after so long? When Pif opens the door, Seb and Manu find that Kat has finished arranging the chess pieces. "Okay, now it''s my turn." Seb folded his sleeves, moving in front of Kat. Manu chuckled. "You want to lose again?" I didn''t see the game start and chose to exit instead. "It''s very cold outside, Sis. Don''t you want to go inside?" Pif approached the red-haired woman. Leva didn''t answer and continued to beat the training dummy. Pif spread her arms slightly. "Actually what are you doing, Sis? Talk to me... Please." "Nothing." "Tell him how you feel." I gave the order to the woman. "Don''t make him any more worried." Leva stopped her boxing practice, then caught her breath. It took a few seconds before she finally opened her mouth again. "I''m on a period.... Actually, it''s not just that.... You must remember about the animal attacks before winter, right?" Pif nodded. "Of course, whether it''s rats, guinea pigs, or chickens, somehow everyone is after my dick." Maybe because your dick looks delicious to them, Pif. "It''s hard for me to exin.... The point is, after I fainted for days at that time, I felt a change in myself. Before the arrival of the beasts, I felt something ufortable in my heart." Leva sighed, blowing white steam from her mouth and nose. "I didn''t know what it was at first, but after three attacks by the beasts, I assumed it was a warning of danger." [New hidden trait unlocked] [Forecast of impending danger - Leva can sense impending danger] After passed out for two weeks, she got this hidden trait, huh? I don''t know if this trait is valuable or not. As a yer, I will know the enemy''s arrival in advance and prepare my colonists. "And now you feel it again, Sis?" Pif walked again, getting closer to her ''older sister''. Leva turned around. "And this feeling of difort is greater than ever. Perhaps what is about toe to us is something more dangerous..." Pif put his hand on Leva''s cheek, making her fall silent. "No matter what happens, I will protect you, Sis." Pif said quietly. Leva closed her eyes, holding her lover''s hand tightly. "I''m not worried about myself, but I''m afraid something will happen to our house and its inhabitants." "We can definitely do something. Have you forgotten how many times we''ve been able to get through obstacles?" Just as Pif''s words finished, the falling snow stopped in midair. The cold wind that blew disappeared, and the two people also didn''t move anymore. Yes, the auto-pause is triggered. I turned my head to the north, finding an arrow emitting a red glow pointed downwards in the distance. The arrow floated in the air, like the arrow indicating my colonists'' location, but in a different color. I flew to that location. Luckily, this new feature has been added, so I don''t have to search in a broader area. I just needed to find the danger in therge red ring that appeared on the ground, five kilometers in diameter. It didn''t take long for me to find a group of people walking in the snow. [Raiders of Congraylham Colony] The warm clothes of the seven men in the party looked more modern than the inhabitants of my colony, as did their weapons. All the melee weapons they carried looked much more refined evenpared to those made by the Redtooth tribe. However, that''s not what worries me the most.. The three of them carried neither melee weapons nor bows, but one pistol and two rifles. Chapter 106 - 106 – Raiders From Congraylham Inded near the raiders to check their stats. Almost all of their attacking abilities are below my colonists, though it''s not exactly low either. However, there are two exceptions. A woman with a gun in her waist and an old man fiddling with a knife. [???? (Raiders, Colonists)] STATS: Ranged attack: 10/100 Melee attacks: 84/100 [???? (Raiders, Colonists)] STATS: Ranged attack: 83/100 Melee attacks: 7/100 With those two alone, this group cannot be attacked directly. I had toe up with a strategy that would disrupt their formation. I returned to my colony, immediately whispered the strategy I had made. Several times I have to change the steps that will be used to make sure everything runs smoothly. This iing enemy uses firearms. With one shot, my colonist could die, so the slightest mistake can''t be tolerated. Everything must be perfect or they will be doomed. After confirming once again the strategy in my head, I sighed and pressed the y button. "Are you feeling that way again? You feel like you have to do something you didn''t think about before?" Leva asked and sighed. Pif lowered his hand from the red-haired woman''s cheek, then looked towards the north. "Apparently, our guardian spirit told us that an enemy woulde." "Well, although I still don''t believe in the guardian spirit, but we better do whates to our mind." Leva also looked in the same direction. "It''s been proven time and time again that something like this feeling will save us." Seb and Manu turn off the fire using the snow. Then, all my colonists scattered and went into hiding. They took different spots, behind the bushes, big trees, the back of the house, and the snow mound purposely made for this kind of thing. Only Seb was forced to hide with Manu because the blonde man couldn''t fight. Fortunately, it was still noon. So even though it was still snowing, my colonists could still see quite well. I then used the fast-forward feature until the raider group was close enough. "This shitty mission isplete nonsense!" One of the male raiders with an ax on his back grumbled. "We''ve been walking for days, but didn''t find anything! I''m fucking tired! Our supplies will also be running out soon! We''re going to starve to death." "Hey, can you stop bitching, please!" Another man, who had a rifle with a belt that hangs to his shoulder, responded with a harsher remark. "If we don''t do this mission, we can''t eat anymore, dumbass!" The ax-wielding man stopped in his tracks, then turned and walked over to the gunman. "What did you say, huh!?" "I call you dumbass!!!" The gunman answered again, making the rest of the group stop. "So what!? I''m sick of hearing yourints! It''s not only you who are hungry and tired, you know!" The ax bearer grabbed the gunman by the cor. "You want to fight!?" The ax wielder froze. I don''t know since when the muzzle of a gun has stuck to his left temple. "Looks like you really should keep your mouth shut, Hans." The woman holding the gun hissed. "Please, we all suffer too, not just you. Yourints only make us suffer more." Then, she turned her head to the long-barreled gunman. "And watch your temper, rk. Don''t get into fights." The man named rk snorted. "But he started it, Jill. I just..." "I told you, don''t start a fight." The woman said again, this time in a firmer voice, but not to the point of snapping. As she lowered the gun, Hans let go of rk''s cor and started walking again. "Hey, am I the only one who saw that?" The other rifle holder, this time a woman, had already climbed a rather steep incline. "Looks like it''s a house, but I don''t know either." Jill also went up and narrowed her eyes. "If it''s a house, then there''s no upant. There''s no sign of a firece in it, even though they have a chimney¡­." After saying that, Jill was silent for a moment. "Or maybe they''ve been expecting us and are hiding. Guys, get your weapons ready. Stay alert, they can be everywhere" They all took out their respective weapons, except for the knife holder who had been ying with his own. Their formation has also be more organized. The melee attackers protected the gunners on the front, rear, and both sides of the formation. They were clearly trained. I kept an eye on them, who began to slowly approach my colonist''s house. Who knows, maybe from their movement, I can find their weakness. They kept walking until they were only thirty meters away from the house. And suddenly, the group dispersed in various directions. Two arrows fired from one of the hideouts of my colonists. However, none of the arrows managed to hit the target. I only managed to follow the two members of the attackers. One was Hans, the man with the ax, while the other was the woman with the rifle. Because they could not find a ce to hide, the two chose toy down in the ground. "Are you able to see the enemy already, Emma?" Hans whispered to the ck-haired woman beside him. Emma shook her head, pointing her rifle in different directions. "Not yet." And at that moment, Leva ran towards them while lifting her pickaxe. Hans, who realized that, immediately got up and blocked the pickaxe swing from the red-haired woman. "Wow, you''re so hot!" Hans chuckled when he saw Leva''s face. "Thanks, and you''re hot too if you don''t attack us!" Leva kicked the enemy in the stomach and attacked again. Hans did manage to parry or dodge Leva''s swings, but he couldn''t counterattack. The man continued to be pushed back. Hansughed hard, still withstood the woman''s attack. "Pretty and can fight! I think I fell in love with you!" "Rejected!" [Hans Anderson (Raider, Colonist)] STATS: Ranged Attack: 11/100 Melee attacks: 72/100 [Leva, 23 years old (Colonist)] STATS: Ranged Attack: 8/100 Melee Attack: 79/100** Chapter 107 - 107 – Revelation Meanwhile, Emma looks like she''s having a hard time targeting Leva, who keeps getting closer to Hans. The female shooter couldn''t get a clear target. An arrow suddenly shot out of nowhere, but it could only graze Emma''s cheek. The female shooter immediately pointed her rifle in the direction the arrow came from, then pulled the trigger. An explosion was heard, followed by a man''s scream. "Argghhh!!!" "Pif!" Leva flinched, kicked her foe again, and came towards her lover. But, the machete-wielding man appeared and blocked her, instantly delivering abination of shes. Now, it was Leva who was overwhelmed. She had to block and avoid attacks from the two enemies, no longer able to attack. Emma then walked over to the big tree where Pif was hiding. However, suddenly another arrow shot, this time from another direction, almost hitting Emma''s rifle-wielding arm. Emma immediately sped up her run, dodging Kat''s arrows. Gunshots rang out again, this time from some distance away from Emma. Kat''s shooting stopped immediately. Shit. Does this mean Kat''s position has been found by another gunman? Did Kat get shot too? Why is everything so messed up!? I pressed the pause button and went straight to Kat, who was crouching behind a mound of snow with her dog. Fortunately, the girl did not get injured at all. However, when I arrived at Pif''s location, I found the young man was self-tending his wound on the right hip. I don''t know if the bleeding wound was caused by a bullet or just grazed by it. Pif had started covering the wound with bandages. And Emma was so close to Pif''s hideout. I turned around, about to ask Leva to help Pif. After all, she was the strongest in terms of attack. And that''s when I felt like electricity was running through my body. Leva did manage to bring down Hans, the ax holder. Even Hans'' leg was showing a gaping wound. His machete-wieldingpanion also seemed to be pressed against the woman. However, a few meters behind the red-haired woman, there was Jill with her gun ready. If I pressed y button now, Leva would definitely get shot. I held my head, panicking even more. There''s nothing I can do now... Wait. I approached Jill and studied the direction of the woman''s gun muzzle. Strangely, she didn''t seem to be aiming for Leva''s vitals and would just shoot my female colonist in the leg instead. A conclusion shed through my head. Perhaps this was due to an order from their guardian spirit. As much as possible, the guardian spirit did not want to kill other humans unless absolutely necessary. I used to be like that too. However, that doesn''t mean my colony is safe. I moved to the house of my colonists. Manu was on standby with his ax on one side of that building, while Seb just crouched down in fear. A few meters away, the man wielding a katana hade to the house. I checked the Katana wielder''s stats. [???? (Raiders, Colonists)] STATS: Ranged attacks: 11/100 Melee attacks: 69/100 I was stunned. This man''s melee attack stat was greater than Manu''s, which was only 44. Damn it. The only hope I have left is Kat. Unfortunately, while maybe my colonists won''t be killed, I don''t think the amber-eyed woman can do anything. If she hid and continued to attack with her arrows, she could be shot. That is even more dangerous. Yes, these raiders probably won''t kill. But if they were attacked in a sneaky way like Kat usually did, they couldn''t help but retaliate. It took me a while until I approached Manu. With mounting frustration, I whispered something to him, then took turns whispering another. This is all I can do for them. As soon as I pressed the y button, gunshots echoed, followed by Leva''s scream of pain. I hit the pause button again and checked what had happened. Leva had fallen and raised her hands as I ordered. She winced in pain. Her right thigh was already bleeding from the bullet. I then returned to where Manu was because it was the most important location for my colony. The ce has a stock warehouse. "We give up!" Manu throws his ax,es out of hiding, and raises both hands. The katana wielder instantly pointed his sword at my colonist. Not long after, Seb also came out of hiding. The blonde-haired man walked up to Manu''s back, bending and trembling. "Good decision." The katana wielder approached Manu, still pointing his weapon. "We don''t have any killing intent...." The katana wielder, whose mouth was covered with a cloth, looked at Seb with a frown. "Dad?" The man lowered the cloth over his mouth, revealing his entire face. What? I immediately pressed the pause button again before Manu and Seb could even react. Then, I went over to the katana-wielding man, observing his face. Aside from his blue eyes, it''s undeniable that this man has the same facial structure as Seb, despite his brown hair. What confuses me is, this man in front of me can''t be called a kid anymore. He was even taller than Seb. I''m guessing that this katana wielder is in histe 20s or early 30s. This means that the age gap is not too far from Seb. Is this a bug? It''s impossible for Seb''s child to enter a device that instantly turns him into an adult, right? After thinking for a while and finding no satisfactory answer, I pressed the y button. Yes, the only way to really know what''s going on is to let the scene continue. "Dad? Do you still know me? I''m Eric, Dad. One of your children." The man from the Congraylham colony put his katana back on his back, then walked over to Seb, who didn''t respond and just hid on Manu''s back. "Finally, I can meet you after so long." Manu raises his eyebrows. "You im to be Seb''s son? That''s impossible, right? You two look the same age." The man who imed to be named Eric was silent for a moment with a gloomy face, then looked up at the sky.. "That''s because something happened to the big expedition that was supposed to bring us here." Chapter 108 - 108 – Revelation (2) "What do you mean?" Manu continues his question. I put my mouth close to Seb''s ear. "Listen to the man''s answer and watch his face. Make sure he''s really your son or not." Still shaking, Seb finally turned his head to the man named Eric. "You two must have heard of the sky ship that has descended since ancient times. Since the time of the ancestors of the inhabitants of this, right?" Eric sighed. "The thing is, the ancestors of humans on this are thought to havee from that big expedition ship." Seb finally straightened up, exchanging nces at Manu. "The theory that my mom came to was, whatever destroyed the big ship also distorted the time... I won''t go into detail because I don''t know anything about quantum science either." Eric cleared his throat,ing over to Seb again. "The bottom line is, the escape pods that came off the ne entered different points in time. Some were thousands of years ago, some were in the future maybe. For me... The escape pod I was innded over twenty years ago." The atmosphere became quiet. Manu scratched his head, and Seb looked at Eric with his mouth hanging open. Seb was clearly still trying to digest what he had just heard. "Is that what makes the animals and some nts on this look the same as those on earth?" Seb hissed. "On the expedition ship, there are escape pods that specialize in carrying lots of animal embryos and nt seeds, right? Does this mean that there used to be someone who bred these animals and nts here, then for one reason or another, everything spread out to the corners of the?" Ah, so that''s it. No wonder there are wild bananas that can live on onend with berries. Seb also once said about chickens whose feathers are easy to pluck, much like chickens gically engineered for consumption on earth. And of course, I remember stories of superpowered humans who were also gically modified. People like Leva, Tia the healer, or maybe Sena might be descendants of those people. This is some mumbo jumbo sci-fi shit right here. "And don''t forget the people who brought their own seeds or pets, Dad." Eric continued his speech. "They also contribute to the formation of new ecosystems in this world." "Yeah, I also found some garlic seeds that are still sealed." Seb rubbed his face. "It probably belongs to a scientist who wants to try growing onions here... Ah...." Seb turned around, taking a few steps away from the spot. "Gradually, without realizing it, we have made this world suitable for our habitat on earth." Eric approached his father. "Is it possible that we will also make a world full of oppression like the earth?" My mind was reminded of the onion seeds my colonists bought. Yes, spices were an excuse for some nations to colonize othernds. Will this world also be like that? "Even as a child, your thoughts were deep... Just like your mom...." Seb looked at Eric again, this time with teary eyes. "But, are you really Eric, my son?" Eric nodded slowly. "Believe me, Dad... Do you remember Emily and I identally destroying the tes from mom''s collection? We cried in fear because mom would be furious, but Dad calmed us down, then buy a new collection of simr tes before mom gets home from work." A faint smile blossomed on Seb''s lips. "Then where are your mom and your little sister?" Eric closed his eyes and shook his head. He spoke in a hoarse voice, "I can''t tell you now, Dad. Maybe next time." "What?" Seb went to his son. "What happened?" Eric averted his gaze. His tears started to fall. "I can''t protect them, Dad." Could their meeting have happened by chance? I don''t think so. It''s this game that makes it all happen, presumably through H, who does something to get Eric''s colony to move from where it belongs. Maybe H thought things would be more interesting if this father and son met. Trembling again, Seb put his hand on Eric''s shoulder, looking deeply into his son''s face. Over time, the eyes of my male colonist also shed tears. "No way..." The father shook his head, began to walk backward. "You know him, Eric?" Jill, who had just arrived helping Hans walk, asked. Manu and Seb immediately flinched. Leva came there with the help of Pif and Kat. Behind them, there were two people pointing rifles. "He''s my dad," Eric answered, then looked at Seb again. "Dad, join my colony. Please." Seb''s eyes opened wide. "Huh?" "It''s not up to you to decide that. Besides, I''m sure the majority of us would disagree. Both here and those in our settlement." Jill reminded. "We are short of food, not in good condition to ept new members. We don''t need extra mouths to feed." Eric was silent for a moment. "Okay, then I''ll stay here." "What!?" Emma, ??one of the Rifle wielders who was pointing my three colonists, snapped. "Don''t say that, Eric! You want to forget us, yourrades in arms!?" "You know I''ve been looking for my dad for years, Emma," Eric replied in a firm tone. "I won''t let go of this opportunity. I''ve lost my mom and sister." Emma stepped forward from her position guarding the captive. "Hey, you promised me that we would always be together, right!?" "I''m sorry, Emma." "I don''t mind if you leave our colony and join this group." Jillughed bitterly. "But remember, Eric. We''ll take their supplies. You will starve to death here." "Hey! They actually have a lot of food supplies!" Someone shouted from inside the house, clearly the machete holder. Jill sighed. "Sorry, we don''t hate you. We just want to survive." I clenched my fists, feeling anger welling up in my chest. "Then I will have to fight you guys." Eric took out his katana from his back. "I won''t let my dad starve to death." "Eric! Come back to your senses!" Emma screamed desperately. Her eyes started to water. "You are a member of Congraylham!" [Eric Buttman wants to join your colony, will you ept him?] [Yes] [No] Chapter 109 - 109 – The Wounds I pressed yes. [Eric Buttman, 29 years old (Colonist)] STATS: Ranged attacks: 11/100 Melee attacks: 69/100 Construction: 78/100* Crafting: 30/100 Cook: 9/100 nt: 10/100 Mining: 12/100 Animal: 12/100 Medic: 22/100 TRAITS: Agile feet - Eric has feet that can move more agile than usual. (Walking speed +15%) INCAPABLE OF: - HEALTH ISSUES: - As soon as things went back to normal, Jill pointed her gun at Eric. "Hey! Stop all this madness! We are family, right!?" Emma started to cry. "Shut up and raise your weapon, Emma!" Jill snapped. "He''s not part of us anymore!" Emma shook her head. Her tears flowed harder. "No, please...." "Ah, from the start, he wasn''t really part of us." Jillughed disdainfully. "He''s just a boy from the sky who always feels ufortable with primitive people like us." Eric tightened his grip on his sword. "Aaaah, we really screwed, huh!" Kat squeaked, naturally attracting the attention of her colony mates. Good, Kat. She did train her dog with that cue. I pressed the pause button again and gave more instructions to my colonists because there was a change of ns. Eric had joined, and I had to adjust. As soon as I pressed the y button, Rox appeared and pounced on the gunman aiming at Pif, Leva, and Kat. The gunman fell, and Leva stomped hard on his face, then Kat grabbed the rifle. On the other hand, Manu had tackled Emma and was trying to snatch the girl''s rifle. A fierce struggle ensued, and Emma put her muzzle rifle on Manu''s shoulder. The loud bang from the rifle sent Manu tumbling to the side, screaming in pain. His shoulder was bleeding profusely. Emma was about to get up, but suddenly Pif came and bit her hand holding the rifle. The woman screamed and tried to free herself, but Leva came and hit her in the face, knocking her down. So Pif can take the rifle from her. Simultaneously, Kat managed to shoot the newly arrived machete wielder, causing the man to hide again on the other side of the house. He is clutching his bloody forearm that was grazed by a bullet just now. And when all that happened, Eric had already stepped forward and delivered abination sh with his sword. Jill was forced to keep backing away and struggling to aim until her hand on the gun grazed the sword. The limp Hans was about to attack Eric with his ax, but the man stumbled as soon as my new colonist kicked him. Then, Jill couldn''t help but let the sharp edge of Eric''s sword almost stick to her neck. Apparently, Eric hasn''t been able to kill his former friend, even though I told him to be ruthless. "Enough!" Suddenly someone''s scream echoed, bringing the chaos that had onlysted a few seconds to a halt. The attention of everyone immediately turned to Seb, who was being held hostage by the knife holder. Shit. Because of all this mess, I''ve forgotten that man exists. "Drop the weapons you are holding and raise your hands!" The knife-wielder gave the order in a loud voice, then pressed the knife against Seb''s neck. My male colonist could only standstill with his body shaking. I sighed, then gave orders to my colonists. "Just follow his orders." Pif, Eric, and Kat threw the weapons in their hands into the snow and raised their hands. Meanwhile, Manu was still lying on the ground, moaning in pain. Emma took her rifle and gave Eric a hateful look. My newest colonist only nced at the woman. "Get your hands off my dad, Mark. Or I''ll kill you." Eric threatened with a voice like a growl. "Shut up, you traitor." The knife holder named Mark said back, then looked at my other colonists in turn. "If I could, I would kill all of you. However, somehow my heart rejects that. Maybe this is what they say as a whisper from the guardian angel. So, as long as you don''t fight back, we won''t kill you. We will give you guys a chance to treat the wounds of your own members." "But remember, don''t fight us again. If you fight us, then we won''t hesitate to kill you." Jill, who had started to bandage the wound on her right hand, added. I could only freeze, confused to find a way to get my colonists out of this situation. *** My colonists gathered at the rekindled firece, at Emma''s gunpoint. Seb was pressing Manu''s wound with a cloth, while Kat did the same with Leva''s. Several times, Emma looked disdainfully at Eric, who never looked back at her. Meanwhile, the raiders from Congraylham were being treated by Jill in the other corner of the house. For those who are still healthy or have been treated, they have started looting my colonists'' belongings in the warehouse. God damn it. I looked at my two wounded colonists. Weird. Why hasn''t Pife back from the warehouse yet? I assigned him to take the medical kit from there. So, I decided to check the stash. "It''s salty... It''s fucking delicious." The man with the bandaged machete devoured a piece of jerky. "Shall we bring the salt too, Mark?" "Focus on food. And move your ass to work, rk." Mark, the knife-wielder, said as he stuffed things into a sack. Then, he turned his head to Pif, who was self-medicating. "If I may give you a suggestion, you''d better get someone else to look at your wound. You won''t be able to treat it alone." Pif didn''t answer. He continued to focus on changing the bandage on his stomach. I knew right away she wasn''t all right. His sweat was flowing like crazy, even though the weather was so cold. His breathing was also getting heavy, and his hands were shaking. I cringed when I found a hole full of blood on the young man''s waist, a sign that there was a bullet in his body. Shit. He was the one with the highest medical stats among the rest. I was about to whisper something to him, but the skinny young man suddenly said in a low voice. "O guardian spirit... If you hear me, don''t order me to actually treat this wound of mine. I''m in a race against time to save Manu and Leva. I''m the most skilled in medicine. Leva may have fast healing abilities, but no one knows the consequences if the bullet gets lodged in her body. Manu''s injuries are also quite severe. The bullet went through his shoulder to the back." I froze for the second time.. My mind is nk. Chapter 110 - 110 – His Hands After bandaging his entire stomach, Pif looked at her right hand, which was shaking uncontrobly. He closed his eyes and then took a deep breath. And in no time, his hands stopped shaking. [Determination buff ¨C All Pif''s stats and physical abilities increased] I''m still frozen, not knowing what else to do. Even when Pif finally got up with the medical kit box, I was still where I was. You want to die, Pif? Clenching my fists, I finally got up and followed the young man, who now seemed so calm. He also showed no signs of being seriously injured. The male shooter tapped Emma on the shoulder. "Now it''s my turn. Jill will treat your wound." Emma looked at Eric again, then walked backward and finally left my colonists. "Well, it''s nothing personal." The gunman pointed his rifle at my colonists. "We''re just trying to survive. Well, we have to admit, our preparations for that winter were pretty poor..." "But, by stealing all of our supplies, you''re just letting us die." Manu cuts the gunman off. My male colonist''s eyes were sharp, though his mouth was still grimacing in pain. "Why don''t you just kill us?" "Basically, we''re good people who don''t like killing. We''re just desperate." The gunman shrugged. "And I guess, by letting you guys live, that means we''re still giving you guys a chance." Bullshit. Pif was not affected by that talk and focused on preparing everything. "Wouldn''t it be better if you treated Manu''s wound first?" Leva grimaced as Kat handed a knife to Pif. The red-haired woman already knew what Pif was going to do. "Besides, I have fast-healing abilities, you know." "We don''t know what will happen if the bullet stays in your body while your wound heals on its own." Pif studied the knife in his hand. "Now, lie on your stomach and take off your pants." Leva looked like she would argue, but I ordered her to follow her lover''s words. "Ugh, you say it like you''re about to do something perverted to me," Leva grumbled, then fell on her stomach and pulled down her pants with Kat''s help. I immediately cringed at the bloody hole in Leva''s back thigh. The wound looked nastier and bigger than Pif''s. Pif cleaned the wound with alcohol. Leva indeed grimaced in pain and flinched a few times, but no screams came out of her mouth at all. After all that was done, Pif focused on cleaning Kat''s knife, also using alcohol. "Just a suggestion." Suddenly Jill, who was treating Emma, joined in. "Bite anything, so you don''t bite your tongue when you scream. Preferably cloth. The pain will be unbearable." Kat looked around for a moment, then found a small rag nearby. She folded the rag and put it in Leva''s mouth. "I''ll do it now. Are you ready?" Pif said, holding Kat''s knife firmly. Leva was already biting the cloth in her mouth, making her voice muffled. "Just fucking do it!" "Please hold her." The skinny youth started lowering the knife in his hand into Leva''s wound. Leva''s muffled screams filled the room as Pif began prying the bullet in the red-haired girl''s thigh. My other colonists needed extra effort to keep the woman from moving around too much. Meanwhile, I can only watch while wringing my head. The screams were so terrifying. I can''t imagine the pain Leva was in. "Oh, shit. I can''t see this." The gunman who was guarding my colonist turned his gaze away. "It''ll be over soon, Leva! Hang on!" A few seconds after saying that, Pif finally managed to get the bullet out of Leva''s leg. I immediately breathed a sigh of relief when the metallic tter sounded as soon as itnded on the wooden floor. Leva, whose body was covered in sweat, could only pant, still prone on the floor. "Seb, can you take care of her now?" Pif looked at the blonde-haired man. "With her fast-healing abilities, I''m sure any stitch will work. I have to take care of Manu immediately." Seb froze, but as soon as I gave a firm order, he finally nodded stiffly. Sighing, Seb began to carry out Pif''s instructions while the skinny young man tended Manu. I really can''t believe that Pif was hurt too. His hands were still steady in cleaning, sewing, and bandaging Manu''s wounds. Or not... Gradually, the young man''s hands began to tremble again, and his breathing also slowed down. Eric, also realized that, was about to say something, but Pif gestured for the man to be quiet. Minutes are like hours to me. Leva and Manu''s tending finished simultaneously. The wounds of the two colonists were sessfully bandaged. "Looks like it''s over." Pif looked alternately at Leva and Manu, then smiled widely. "I''m grateful." There was a slow thud as the man fell to the side. "Pif!!!" Leva hastily straightened up, crept up to her lover, wincing in pain and clutching her wound. Eric lifted Pif''s shirt at the waist. "This...." Eric gulped as he found arge amount of blood seeping through the bandage that wrapped around Pif''s stomach. Because Pif was wearing clothes made of leather, the seepage was not visible from the outside. "What happened, Pif!?" Leva brought her face closer to Pif''s, and at the same time, ced her hand on her lover''s cheek. The red-haired girl''s eyes began to fill with clear liquid. "I''m sorry, Sis...." Pif''s voice was so low and almost inaudible. I ordered Seb to tend Pif. However, when checking the medical kit, the blonde-haired man choked. "It''s all gone...." Seb hissed. I held my head again. Inside the medical kit box, there were no more bandages. The stic bottle that was supposed to contain alcohol was also empty. Leva turned to the raiders, who looked unconcerned and were still organizing my colonists'' belongings. I saw the other medical kit that was being put in one of the sacks. Perhaps seeing the same thing, Leva got up with a ferocious expression. "Hey, return that thing to us!" The man guarding my colonists, along with Emma and Jill, pointed their respective weapons at Leva. Chapter 111 - 111 – The Most Valuable Member "Sorry, but we also need this medical kit." Jill said firmly. Leva''s gaze turned sharp, the muscles on her face tightened, and many veins had started to protrude in her neck. I know that beast-like expression. That''s a sign she''s about to enter the berserk state. "Leva, don''t do this. They carry guns. No matter how fast you move, you won''t be able to dodge the bullets." I spoke into the red-haired woman''s ear. "I beg of you, Leva." Yes, it''s hazardous, especially now that we are in a tight space. However, Leva''s body began to lean forward slightly, her teeth chattered, and her breathing began to run wild. "Don''t do this, miss." Jill gave a warning. She and her two colonists looked ready to pull the trigger. "There''s going to be some nasty bloodshed." Leva was about toe forward and scream, but her body instantly froze when Pif caught her leg. Eyes wide, Leva looked down. Pif looked back at her with a faint smile. The thin young man''s breath was getting slower. "Don''t do this, Sis." Pif sighed. "Then our friends will also be affected if you go berserk. They can get hit by bullets." "And maybe Pif will get hit too." I added. Leva''s expression softened. Her tears started to fall again. She knelt down and supported Pif with her forearm. And the raiders from the Congraylham tribe returned to rearranging their loot, except for one of the gunmen. "Please don''t leave me, Pif." Leva''s tears flowed more. "You promised me, right?" I fell to my knees, pressing my hands to the floor. My eyes also felt hot from the tears. Why, at times like this, am I always helpless? I hate this. Pif''s arduous struggle to be better will be in vain. Pif coughed, bleeding from his mouth. However, his smile only grew broader. "I''m sorry, Si..." And the atmosphere is quiet for a moment. Pif was still smiling, but his mouth didn''t make any sound anymore. His gaze was still on his lover but without the light of life. Leva could only stare with her mouth agape. Her eyes opened wider. Seb started to sob while covering his eyes with his hands, Manu who was still lying down, looked away and held his forehead, while Kat just stood still watching the scene. [Pif, 18 years old (Colonist) ¨C Dead] STATS: Ranged Attack: 32/100 Melee Attack: 1/100 Construction: - Crafting: 12/100 Cook: 4/100 nt: - Mining: 2/100 Animal: 2/100 Medic: 61/100 TRAITS: Diligent ¨C Pif is a hard worker and gets the job done quickly (Work speed +15%). Weak body ¨C Pif feels tired very quickly and gets sick easily. INCAPABLE OF: Construction nt HEALTH ISSUES: - That''s it? It ends here? The raiders from Congraylham were already carrying sacks of items on their backs. "We apologize and goodbye." After saying that, Jill signaled to her friends to leave the ce. Emma looked at Eric, who still wouldn''t look at her. "You can stille with us, Eric .... Please." "Yes, I think your friends will forgive you. You are one of our most valuable members, after all." Jill shrugged. Eric didn''t answer. Emma turned her gaze forward and wiped her tears. When they finally came out, there was a loud bark of Rox tied to a stake. I cannot forgive them. After taking away our painstakingly gathered resources, they killed one of my best colonists. This time, it was not only anger that felt like it was urging from my chest, but it also filled with something dark and dense. I got up, leaving my colonists who could only stay where they were. When I checked the warehouse, I found only the remains of a pile of cloth, bones for broth, and a few potatoes. Even that is not enough to eat for one day. "Hey, are you all right, Hans?" Emma''s voice came from outside. "You seem to have a hard time walking." "You guys go first. Our friends at home are waiting with hungry bellies." Hans answered. "I''ll definitely be able to catch up with you." "Hans has a point. Our friends could die if we don''t feed them quickly." Jill replied. "So, forgive us, Hans. We had to leave you." Hansughed. "Don''t worry, I''m the great Hans! I can definitely survive!" "How about one of us apanying him?" Emma suggested. "No." Hans replied with a firm tone. "I don''t want to be a burden to all of you." "But...." "Just go, damn it!" I got out of the house and used the hover feature. Rox kept on barking at the group from Congraylham that was moving away. And Hans did start tog behind the others. All of you said this was survival, right? I will also make you feel the meaning of survival. I went down into the house, found Leva tightly hugging her lover''s body, still shedding tears. Leva, I''ll make them pay for this. I whispered something to Kat, who headed straight for the door. "Hey, where are you going, Kat ..." Manu immediately closed his mouth when I told him not to interfere. I also whispered the same thing to the others so they wouldn''t get in Kat''s way. The amber-eyed girl came out of the house, immediately untying the knot around her dog''s neck. "Today we will hunt again, Boy." Kat hissed. A tear rolled down her cheek. It turns out that now you really care about your fellow colonists, Kat. And sorry, I can''t get the others to help you. Eric isn''t injured, but I''m not sure he''ll be able to do this mission. So, my only hope is you, Kat. Kat started the search. Before long, Rox was barking at Kat''s bow and arrow lying in the snow. I flew back to check on the raider group. Hans is getting further and further behind, but I still need some time. The men''s friends had to be as far away as possible to the point of not being able to see Hans again. Meanwhile, Kat started to run forward with her dog, and I pressed the fast-forward button. Chapter 112 - 112 – Their Feelings I stopped fast-forwarding because Hans was already quite far behind the others. Kat had caught up with the man. Now, the girl was sneaking around, hiding among the big rocks and trees. "Shit." Hans seemed to have difficulty walking. Several times he stopped to rest his injured left leg. Kat started aiming for the man who was already quite close to her. "Argghhhh!!!" Hans screamed as the arrow from Kat pierced his right leg. He deliberately dropped the sack of goods on his back, then held his ax while looking around. "Hey, where are you! Come out and fight me!" Suddenly, Rox ran towards Hans, jumped high, and bit the hand of the man holding the ax. Hans lost his bnce and fell. Screaming in pain, he wrestled with Kat''s dog. "Let go of me, you ugly dog!!!" Hans continued to smack Rox, but the dog kept its fangs in the man''s forearm. However, Hans was still able to maintain his ax. Kat came out of hiding and fired another arrow. Hans'' screams grew louder as the arrow pierced his stomach. Ignoring the screams of pain, Kat continued to walk forward, shooting and shooting more arrows. Shout after shout of Hans continued to echo through the snow. Kat''s arrows ran out, and finally Hans'' ax slipped out of his grip. Kat threw away her quiver and bow and took the ax. Hans, who was already covered in arrows, looked at Kat in horror, then began to crawl through the snow, making long trails of red over white. I looked at Hans''s sack of belongings, some of which had been spilled. A few jerky, pemmicans, and potatoes were scattered in the snow. Kat lowered her head, walked over to the still creeping Hans. And once she got so close to him, Kat raised the ax in her hand high. The tip of the ax then dived into the back of Hans'' head. *** Kat walked back home with a bloodied sack and ax. Even aftermitting such a cruel deed, her face still not showing any meaningful expression.. This isn''t the first time she''s killed someone. However, unlike Jia, who almost raped the girl, Hans was just a desperate person, not a pure evil. He''s probably the same as Pif''s friends who once raided my colonist''s house. They didn''t want to attack at all. After Hans died, I just remembered that. A moment ago, my heart was still filled with revenge and hatred. But, in the end, it''s still for survival, right? Even though the food we took back wasn''t much Rox, who apanied Kat, continued to stare at her master. The pet''s eyes looked a bit zed. Perhaps he was worried about his master''s condition. Maybe the dog could sense the feelings of its master, who was shaken after killing people. I can only hope that Kat can move on from this. From this game, I learned. In certain situations, there is no such thing as hesitation. If you pity the opponent, then my people will probably die. But... Still, that Hans death was my doing. I ordered Kat to do that. I''m sure the image of the ax hitting Hans''s head won''t leave my mind soon. I have to live with it. Once she was close enough to the door, Kat ran into Leva, carrying a shovel, probably just burying Pif alone. Leva''s puffy, still watery eyes narrowed at the sight of the bloody ax in Kat''s hand. However, the amber-eyed girl didn''t care. She kept walking and went inside the house. All the attention of the people inside turned to her. Especially when she threw the ax and sack of Hans'' belongings to the floor. Even so, no one spoke. Kat didn''t talk either and chose to go to the toilet. Rox was going to follow his master. However, at the signal from Kat, the dog moved away. He approached the firece and curled up with a sad face. Eric moved from his ce, took the ax, gripped it tightly. His body shook, and his face stiffened. Feeling sorry for the man, I whispered to Leva. After all, Eric is now part of my colony. I have to take care of him. Leva held out the shovel in her hand to the man. "He''s your friend, right? Looks like his body isn''t far away. You can bury him in our grave, it''s only a few meters from here." Eric raised his face, looking at Leva, who pointed to the final resting ce for anyone who died in my colony. Whether it''s a member or not. Bowing his head again, Eric grabbed the shovel, then stood up. Meanwhile, Leva walked over to one corner of the room, huddled there, and buried her head into his knees. "Let me help you, Eric." Seb got up too. "No need, Dad." Eric came out of the house without another word. "We must avenge them." Manu, lying with bandaged shoulders, spoke vehemently after Eric''s footsteps were heard no more. "We must go to their quarters, kill all the members, and retrieve our supplies." "Shut up, Manu." Leva replied in a quivering, hoarse voice, still burying her head in her knees. "You can see for yourself their weapons can do nasty things, right?" "Don''t you want to avenge Pif''s death?" A bitterugh escaped Leva''s mouth. "Of course I''m furious and want to kill them. But that doesn''t mean I''m stupid, Manu. We can''t do anything in front of their guns." Manu straightened up, winced in pain, and spoke again in a firmer tone. "But, you can defeat arge group of stump scorpions, even kill one of their leaders. You can definitely finish off those bastards...." "Stump scorpions can''t shoot hot metal." Leva lifted her head, showing tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please, I don''t want to lose the people closest to me again. If we attack them, I can''t guarantee that I can protect you guys. So can we just end this conversation?" Manu narrowed his eyes, speechless. Seb, who had his back to the two people all the time, finally turned around and spoke with a faint smile. "We''re tired. We''d better rest and not argue.. I''ll cook you guys something." Chapter 113 - 113 – In The Yard That night, apanied by a small bonfire, Eric huddled near the grave he had just made. His gaze nkly stared at the makeshift gravestone from the tomb of Hans, his formerrade in the Congraylham colony. "Will you forgive me, Hans?" After being silent for a long time, he finally whispered. "I just want to be with my dad again, you know..." Erich stopped his speech, then lowered his head, fell silent again. Maybe what he felt now was the same as how I felt about losing Pif. Perhaps Hans didn''t deserve it because he just wanted to survive and was forced to steal. However, what can I do? If I hadn''t told Kat to kill him, this guy would probably still have died from blood loss and many arrows in his body. By finishing him off immediately, I gave him mercy instead. He didn''t have to suffer before his life waspletely lost. A cold wind hit Eric, making his hair flutter. However, the man did not move from the ce. I tried to get him back into the house, but he only responded with a quick nce, then looked back at Hans'' grave. Looks like I''ll have to call his parents. When I teleported into the house, I found Leva, who had already opened the door. The woman carried a sack of goods with little content and an ax on her back. Meanwhile, her hand gripped the torch. Her expression is full of determination, as if she''s on a mission, even though I haven''t ordered her to do anything. I tried to get her back, but there was no response at all from her. So, you really don''t want your other friends to die, but you are still determined to go to avenge them, Leva? Do you have a trait retaliator like Manu? I can''t let this happen. No one else can die. I woke up the others. All of them, including Rox, got up and came out of the house like Leva. "Leva, where are you going!?" Seb called out when Leva had walked about ten yards from the house. The red-haired woman stopped walking. "Please, don''t try to stop me. I have to do this, or I can''t move on." "How ironic." Manu chuckles. "You said earlier that you don''t want anyone close to you to die, but don''t you think that we might not want you to die either?" Leva''s body shuddered. I was surprised such powerful words coulde out of Manu''s mouth. In the past, it was this bearded man who had the most arguments with Leva. Seb took a step forward. "What Manu said is absolutely true, Leva. We don''t want to lose you. So don''t go on a suicide mission like this." Instead of answering, Leva draped the parka hood over her head, continuing on her way again. "Hey, you''re still limping like that! Can you really make it all the way there?" Manu called out, but Leva still didn''t care. Suddenly Kat ran into the house, grabbed her bow and quiver, then came out again, startling her two male colleagues. "Just one more step and I''ll shoot you!" The amber-eyed girl eximed, still with her usual almost no expression. Gulped, Seb had reached out his hand to hold Kat''s. "Kat, I don''t think this is a good way to stop her...." "Leave her alone, Seb." I cut off the blonde-haired man''s words. Maybe Kat had her own way, and who knew it would work. After all, I''m also not sure that she would actually hurt Leva. Leva stopped again and turned her head to her fellow colonists. Her brow furrowed. "You want to hurt me so I don''t leave?" "I swore to your little sister, Leva." Although her face was still expressionless, Kat''s tears had already started to flow. Her lips also began to tremble. "So, I will do whatever it takes to stop you." Levaughed. "Try it if you dare!" There was a sound like hissing as Kat released her bowstring. "Argggghhh!!!" Leva screamed in pain and clutched her left thigh, which had been pierced by an arrow. "Holy shit! Are you insane, Kat!?" What the fuck! What do you think, Kat!? I was about to stop the girl, but I immediately gave up. Maybe it took some crazy way to quell Leva''s madness. "Get the rope! We''ll tie her up!" Kat shouted. Seeing that her two male colleagues were still frozen, she raised her voice. "Now!" Seb and Manu rush into the house. In an instant, I just saw the fierce expression on Kat''s face. Yes, really just a moment, just as if she was smiling. Screaming again, Leva pulled out the arrow from her thigh and threw it away. She looked fiercely at her fellow colonist. "You really want to fight me, Kat!?" "Rox, if she runs away again, bite her leg!" Kat began to advance by continuing to aim. "Shit." Leva threw the item sack and ax on her back, then clenched her hands into fists. "Come on, then!" "Rox!" Kat snapped at Rox, who looked at his master with sad eyes instead of preparing to attack. The dog also made a slightly shrill sound like a groan. "You want to go against my orders, Rox!? You want to go against your master, you stupid dog!?" Rox flinched, then did a pose like when there was an enemy. He bent his forelegs and showing his fangs to Leva. "I''ve never seen you angry at Rox like that." Leva hissed. "I told you, didn''t I? I would do anything to keep you from leaving." Kat''s voice was getting hoarse. "Whether it''s forcing Rox to bite your leg, or I''ll immobilize you. I don''t care. You''d rather get injured and stay here than go off on your own to die." Leva sighed and lowered her hands. She closed her eyes and knelt down. Rox changed his position back to the way it was. When Leva gestured for the dog to approach her, Rox miraculouslyplied. "Looks like your dog doesn''t want me to go either, does it?" Leva''s lips curved into a smile. She stroked Rox''s head gently. This time, Rox did not show any hostile behavior. Kat tossed her weapons, then ran, hugged Leva, and started sobbing. I couldn''t see her expression because the amber-eyed girl buried her head into Leva''s shoulder. Leva returned the hug of her friend. Meanwhile, Seb and Manu, who had juste out of the house, just stared at the two women in silence.. Eric, who had just returned from the graveyard, also froze and watched. Chapter 114 - 114 – Opinion Several days had passed since the attack from the Congraylham colony. Manu goes inside the warehouse, finds Seb checking inventory. "Are you feeling better, Manu?" Seb, who was sitting on the floor, asked the bearded man. "It still hurts quite a bit, but luckily my fever has gone." Manu moved his right shoulder, grimacing slightly. "What is the condition of our supplies?" "Not good. Even if we reduce our food rations from two meals a day to one, we can onlyst for less than three weeks at most." "It''s a long way from the end of winter. Plus, there won''t be any merchantsing in this weather. We won''t be able to buy food." Seb rubbed his face. "And Kat also had a hard time finding animals to hunt." "For now, give each member a smaller portion of the food than usual." I gave orders to Seb. Of course, I''ve been trying to figure a solution, but I can''t seem to find one, and that''s really frustrating me. "Well, we have to eat less for the day." Seb got up and hugged three packs of pemmicans. "Every member has to get half of this." Manu shrugged. "What else can we do?" Seb came to the main room, which was very gloomy. There was only the creaking sound of the firece and a strong gust of wind from outside. People scattered in different corners, just sitting still. Seb gives one pemmican to Manu. "Share this with Leva." Manu epts the pemmican and obeys Seb''s orders. Then, Seb walked over to Kat. "Sorry, but you have to share this with your dog." Seb gave his signature smile. Kat epted the nearly round food without speaking. "Here, eat it." Seb gave the food that had been divided in half to Eric, who was sitting some distance from the firece. "Thanks." Eric epted the food while giving a small smile. Seb sat down next to his son. "Hey, by the way, did you miss my cooking on earth, Eric?" Ah, Seb wants to lighten the mood, it seems. "Yeah, I missed that." Eric started to bite his share of the pemmican. Seb chuckled. "Lies. It actually tastes the same as the food here, doesn''t it? Not offensive, but verycking in vor." Suddenly Manu got up from his seat, showing his share of pemmican. "Would you guys like to eat a little like this every day, before starving to death? We should have a counter-raid on them, guys." "Shut up and eat, Manu." Leva snorted. She hadn''t started eating her rations yet. "We won''t be able to fight them." "We can do it if we use the right strategy...." "Shut up, Manu!!!" I screamed in the man''s ear, growing frustrated with the situation. Fortunately, Manu immediately fell silent and sat down again, eating again, albeit with an irritated face. However, what Manu said was true. Even if they save on food, the supplies will eventually run out before winter, and my colonists will starve to death. Shit. Should I ask H for help again? No. He won''te no matter how many times I call him. I''d rather have my colonists discuss finding a solution again, even though I''ve been telling them to do so the past few days. I nced at Eric. The newest member of my colony never had an opinion. "Hey, Eric. Say anything to help your new colony." "I have a suggestion for you to consider." Finally, Eric opened his mouth. "But, it''s not really for the long term. It''s just to prolong the lives of all of you." I''ll ept any suggestion, Eric. "What is it, Eric?" Seb asked his son. Eric gulped, looking around, ended up at Kat, who was feeding Rox. Kat''s portion of the meal looked less than what Rox was eating. "There''s an animal that can be used as food. And by doing it to that animal, you guys have fewer mouths to feed. And I think if you guys really want to do it, better hurry, while there''s still a lot of meat." Holy shit. The other members'' eyes were on Eric, except for Rox, who was still enjoying his meal. I could see the rare thing happening on Kat''s face. Her brows furrowed, and her gaze sharpened. I then looked at Eric''s face, which was now very tense. He looked confused, perhaps not understanding why the idea had juste out of his mouth. It''s still my fault. I''m sure Eric knows his position as a new member. This man wouldn''t say that cruel idea of ??his own ord. If he intended to do so, he would have done it long ago. Maybe this was the reason he was always silent when there was a discussion. Eric looked back at Kat, whose expression was now not showing any signs of emotion anymore. The amber-eyed girl was rubbing Rox''s head. The dog lowered its head to the floor. "Know your ce, man." Leva hissed. "You''re a new member here." "Okay, apologize to them, Eric." I gave the man another order. It''s better to press the tension, so it doesn''t get bigger. "My bad." Eric raised his hands. His tone was full of regret. "I don''t know why I said that myself. I''m so sorry.... Especially to you, Kat." Kat didn''t answer. She stood up and motioned for Rox to follow. "Where are you going, Kat?" Seb asked as Kat started walking towards the door. Kat still didn''t speak. I ordered the others to stay where they were and be quiet. Maybe Kat needed to be alone for a while. Fortunately, the cold wind outside had stopped. As soon as she stepped into the snow, Kat moved to the other side of the building. She then sat down and leaned against it. Sighing, the girl rubbed her dog''s head again. "Sorry, I''m starving you again, boy." Rox just let out a low shriek like a moan, the sound he makes when he''s in pain or sad. He''s really be a part of my colony. Even when Seb divided the food into Rox''s ount, no one protested. Incredible indeed. This dog used to be a stray dog ??that nearly died. I can hardly believe that the dog that used to be skinny, now has a body like this... Eric''s words just shed through my head. At the very least, with the prolongation of their lives, they could have more time to find a solution. But... I pondered, kept looking at Kat, who continued to cuddle her dog. Quite a long time passed.. I finally crouched down beside Kat, intending to whisper something to her. Chapter 115 - 115 – The Price "Kat..." I paused for a moment. "I know you love Rox very much. But you love your friends too, right?" I froze again. I couldn''t believe my mouth was talking like this. "I won''t force you. You are free to do this or not." After saying that, I choked. My eyes started to heat up from the tears that were flowing again. Slowly, Kat''s tears also began to fall, although her face still didn''t show any meaningful expression. The girl''s left hand began to move to the back of her pants. Rox looked at his master sticking out his tongue, showing no sign of feeling any danger. "Sorry, boy...." With hands shaking uncontrobly, she started to move the knife she was already holding. I stood up and looked away. I''m sorry for you too, Rox. However, I must keep my colonists alive. As the knife got so close to Rox''s neck, another hand caught Kat''s hand. "Stop it, Kat." Leva said softly in the face of the amber-eyed girl. "He''s your best friend." Rox just froze, still staring at his master, whether he knew what was going to happen or not. Kat''s mouth began to tremble, her eyes twitched. She hugged Rox''s body and cried with screams, and kept on begging for forgiveness. Kat''s expression looked more like she was in pain than sadness. I sat on the snow, leaning my back against the wooden wall. What I''ve done? I asked Kat to tame Rox myself, and I had intended to use the animal as food. Am I crazy? Leva hugged Kat and the dog, sighing and shedding tears too. "I told you, didn''t I? I don''t want to lose anotherrade in arms." The intense cold wind blew again, but it still couldn''t muffle Kat''s cries. Maybe I need to take the risk. *** I need a few days in the real world to solidify my decision. The risk is indeed too great, but after contemting for a long time, I think this is a better way than my colonists just sitting around until death. When I logged back in, Kat was still crying outside, and Leva helped her up. For them, today is very tiring. Better let them rest first. Everything moved quickly after I used the fast-forward feature. In a short time, the afternoon became night, and night became day. My colonists still stay in the house in a gloomy mood. Each sat in a different spot again, and Rox fell asleep on Kat''sp. The girl, whose eyes now looked very puffy, continued to rub her dog''s back, asionally wiping away her tears. Even so, her expression returned as usual. I knelt next to Eric, who was wiping his katana with a piece of cloth. "Hey, Eric. How about you propose to raid Congraylham, and you say you''re going to take it seriously?" This is the first step of my n. If Eric could carry out my orders now, I''m sure he would actually carry out the attack, even if he didn''t want to. Eric choked and stopped what he was doing. His mouth opened but soon closed again. As expected, it won''t be that easy. It''s time to take alternative steps. I turned to Seb, who was sitting next to his son in silence. "Seb, your only chance of survival is to retaliate against Congraylham. You don''t want your friends and son to starve to death, do you?" Seb responded by raising his head. "However, in order to increase the sess rate of this raid, I need to exert maximum strength." I continued my speech, then paused to confirm the words in my head. "So persuade your son to join the raid. I know you don''t like violence, but this is all you can do." Seb''s mouth began to open. He looked at Eric, who had put the katana on the floor. Eric''s expression was a mixture of confusion and rage. Come on, Seb. Gulped, Seb shifted closer to his son. "Where did you get that sword of yours, Eric?" "Ah, this is a gift from the person who taught me to fight." Eric answered without looking at his father. "But you didn''t like violence before, did you? You''ve always avoided confrontation, too." Just like you, Seb? Eric put his katana back into its sheath. "Well, in this insane world, you need fighting skills, right? There are two options, shooting and closebat. I don''t know why I chose closebat myself." It must be because the guardian spirit of his former colony asked him to do so. Seb nodded. "You must be great at fighting, right?" "Well, there are some who are better than me." Eric looked at his father. "So, Dad. Have you also learned self-defense skills here." Seb chuckled. "Not at all. I always run every time there''s a fight. Pathetic indeed, even though my friends always fight for survival.... You will definitely be a great addition to this colony." Eric was silent for a moment, staring at his sword again. "But I''m still not sure if I made the right decision, Dad.... Don''t get me wrong, I don''t hate this colony, but.... I''ve lived with them for years, you know." "Are you going to join them again?" Seb''s tone turned colder. Eric looked at his father again, but only briefly before looking ahead. "It''s impossible, especially after Hans'' death...." "So, you prefer your family, which is me, huh?" Seb patted Eric on the shoulder, then sighed. "You know, if all this goes on, we''re all going to die?" Eric''s body shuddered. I can''t believe words like that cane out of Seb''s mouth. Usually, he speaks warmly. However, when I looked at the blonde-haired man''s expression, I wasn''t sure the words just now came from his heart. Seb''s smile blossomed. "Ah, forget what I said. To be clear, you are already a part of us and we wee you." "Be honest with me, Dad. You want me toe along when this colony raids my former colony, right?" Eric spoke in a firmer and louder tone, drawing the attention of the others to him. Seb closed his eyes, sighed. "Listen, we''re just trying to survive, just like your old colonists." Eric was about to argue, but I quickly whispered in his ear. "Shut up and think about your dad''s words." "Shit.." Eric got up and left the ce with his sword. Chapter 116 - 116 – Son Of A Farmer Eric kept swinging his sword outside the house, asionally grunting in frustration. I know there is a conflict in his heart, and now he needs to be given another trigger. "Moving like that just drains your energy, you know? We''re short on food." Leva walked over to her new colonist friend. "Besides, it''s still very cold outside." "It''s okay." Eric paused to answer Leva, then continued his activity. Leva stared at the movement of Eric''s feet, which were like fast rhythmic dance steps. "You must be very happy when you meet your long separated family, right? I know how it feels.... Well, even though I was only separated from my little sister for a few months, I was very happy to see her again that time." Eric just nced at the woman, put his katana into its sheath, leaned it against the wooden wall, then started practicing kickbinations. Just like when doing the sword swing practice earlier, his leg movements are also swift. "And finally, I lost my little sister again, this time for good." Leva smiled bitterly. "Then, I heard the news that my mom and dad were dead." Eric stopped his activity again, then turned his head to Leva. Leva shrugged. "I just wanted to say.... Out of all of us, maybe you''re the only one with the highest life expectancy. Your old colony might take you back if you begged them." "I don''t think that''s possible....." "I saw that you were very close to them." Leva cut off the conversation. "I can tell by the way you interact with them." "But...." Eric choked out, putting his hands on his hips and facing the other way. "But at the same time you can''t leave your dad, can you? You love him too, and you haven''t seen him in a very long time." Leva stepped closer to the man, his tone getting louder. "You''ve lost your family too, haven''t you? I heard from Seb that you lost your mother and younger sister. Do you really want to lose your family again? Or do you think of your old colony more as your family?" "Shut up." Eric''s teeth clenched. His gaze sharpened on the red-haired girl. "You don''t know anything about me." "Maybe I don''t know about you, but I can guess what kind of man you really are." Leva red at the man''s face. "You are doubters, unable to carry out your choice wholeheartedly. So, if you don''t want your father to survive, it''s best if you go back to your former tribe. We''d be happy because that means less mouths to feed." I don''t know if Leva''s words came from her heart or not. I only ordered her because I think she has goodmunication skills after Seb, despite her temperament. "Or you can stay here." Leva smiled sarcastically. "We won''t kick you out. You are Seb''s son, after all." After saying that, Leva moved and started beating the training dummy. Even though you said that physical activity will only drain energy, Leva. Eric took a deep breath, then took his sword and went back into the house. He stopped in the main room and looked around. Perhaps not finding his father there, the man went to the kitchen. "Ah, Eric...." Seb, who was boiling three potatoes, smiled at his son. "I apologize for what I said earlier." "No problem, Dad." Silence for a few moments. I could feel the awkwardness between them, maybe because of what happened earlier. "Today''s meal was boiled potatoes and a pinch of salt. Well, I hope Rox will eat this." Finally, Seb spoke again, pointing to the pot where the water was bubbling. "I see...." Eric was stunned. Seb frowned at his seemingly unfocused son. "Why? You don''t like potatoes? Don''t worry. I guarantee they are soft and delicious. I grew them myself, so I can guarantee you." A faint smile appeared on Eric''s mouth. "So, in this world you also work as a farmer, Dad? I''ve heard your conversation with mom before. You''re actually already tired of working as a nt scientist, right?" "Well, you have to contribute to amunity, right?" Seb shrugged. "And apart from farming, I can still express my passion for cooking. It''s not like on earth. I don''t have time for hobbies because I''m busy with research. So it''s not too much of a problem for me." "So, why are you doing your job as a nt scientist?" Seb chuckled. "ssic problem. Parents'' request. You know I don''t like confrontation. So I can''t rebel against them." Eric leaned his back against the wall. "Ah, because of this conversation, I remembered something. The farmer in my former tribe was different from you, Dad. He really likes farming, so he was very sad when most of the nts he cared for got sick." "Ah, that must be really painful. Even for me who doesn''t really like farming, it still hurts when it happens to me. Taking care of nts isn''t easy, Eric." Seb smiled again. "And seeing your hard work go to waste, you must feel sad." Just like what happened to my colonists. They''ve been collecting food with great effort, but in the end, it was stolen. Eric closed his eyes. "Come to think of it, that was the start of a series of curses that befell our colony." Huh? What does it mean? Why do I feel ufortable? "Curse?" Seb rose to his feet, raising an eyebrow. It took some time before Eric could finally continue his speech. "Because of the nt disease outbreak, we''re running out of food. And strangely enough, at the same time animals for meat are nowhere to be seen." "So, that''s what made your former colonists move to where they are now?" Eric shook his head slowly. "Not really. We did decide to move, but the distance is actually still far from where we are now. It''s just that, every time we decide to stay somewhere, we always find obstacles ....." The man began to massage the point between his eyebrows. "I can''t go into details. In short, we''re always getting wild beast attacks in new ces. There''s bears, Bluebirds, unicorns and so on. We''re forced to keep moving around." "Unicorns?" Seb''s eyes opened slightly. "Yes, they''re nasty nasty creatures." The corners of Eric''s lips twitched. "They love to attack with their horns." Because of the pathetic condition of my colonists, my brain is full, so I don''t feel curious about that mystical beast. Now I''m thinking, maybe Eric''s former colony curse was H''s doing so that Eric could meet Seb. "I can''t imagine it." Seb grimaced. "Fortunately, you survived, son." "But not for most of us." Eric rubbed his face with trembling hands. "Initially there were thirty of us, and now only nine are left, including me.... After Hans'' death, and I left, there are only seven of them." Seb held his son''s shoulder, then said in a soft voice. "I''m sorry to hear that." "We are constantly fighting for survival." Eric looked into his father''s eyes. "Those are my closest friends who fought with me. I have a strong bond with them, but I prefer you, Dad. Say something to justify my actions... Please" Seb gasped, and I whispered something to him. "Nothing." Seb said as per my orders. His smile bloomed for the umpteenth time, but this time it seemed forced. "Even though we are rted by blood, you haven''t seen me in a long time. No one will force you to acknowledge me as your family." I''m sorry I asked you to say that, Seb. Eric froze with a stiff face.. Seb backed away with a confused expression, lifted the iron pot to boil the potatoes, and took it outside to drain. Chapter 117 - 117 – Objection My colonists gathered again in the main room, minus Eric. They were no longer looking for a solution this time because I had already decided what they had to do. Now, it''s just a matter of how they execute it. "I think, if Eric''s ex-tribe can get through this snow, then we can too." Manu rubs his chin. "I agree about that." Leva replied. "But, what about you, Manu? Once you get to their ce, will you be able to fight to the max?" Manu wiggled his right shoulder while wincing in pain. "Well, I''ll try." "There''s that powder." Kat, who had been silent all this time, suddenly burst out. Her gaze fell on the wooden floor. "Devil''s tears. I still have it." Manu gulped, Leva''s gaze sharpened, while Seb just raised an eyebrow in confusion. I remember the drug Kat was referring to. "Ah, indeed that thing can make me forget about pain and fight even more fiercely. My speed won''t be hindered by this scar on my leg either." Manu nodded. "But where did you get it, Kat?" "When taking care of the victims of the stump scorpion." Kat answered. Leva shook his head. "I''ve never seen the actual use of that thing. However, if the effect it gives is ording to what people are talking about, we''d better stay away from that thing." "But, it can be an advantage for us, who are outnumbered and outgunned by them." Manu sighed. "I''ve seen firsthand the performance of the drug. The addiction it creates is just a myth. Yes, it is true that your muscles can hurt from being forced to work beyond the limit, but that will eventually heal over time." I, who previously agreed with Leva, started to have doubts. We did need something more to win against the Congraylham colony. "What exactly are you all talking about?" Seb finally asked. Leva sighed. "They call it devil''s tears, satan blessings, and some other names. It''s a kind of drug that has the effect of increasing speed and strength, but also makes your mind unclear." "Perhaps the condition of whoever consumes it can be likened to Leva''s berserk state." Manu added. "At the very least, if you''re already going to raid, keep that thing with you." I gave instructions to my colonists, unable to determine whether the drug would actually be used or not. At the very least, I will consider all possibilities. "I already asked Eric. The Congraylham tribe is about four days'' journey in the snow." Leva continued the discussion. "Honestly, I don''t think Eric wille with us. So, the only ones who could go were me, Kat, and Manu. The problem is, we won''t be able to bring all those stolen resources back here with just three people. Even though Seb said, to get through winter, we need everything they stole¡­. Well, maybe Rox can bring a little too, but of course it doesn''t make much of a difference. Maybe we need two trips there¡­." "Why do we have toe back here?" Manu cuts off the conversation. "Why don''t we just bring all our members, including Seb. Then, we take over their ce of residence." All eyes turned to Manu, whose expression grew more serious. Yes, Manu certainly has a point, but there is a consequence that must be paid. Seb gulped hard. His eyes widened slightly. "But, that means we have to kill them all." "So?" Manu chuckled. "If we don''t kill them all, they''ll juste back here to steal ours again." The man then looked around his colleagues, who were just silent. "Remember. Like them, we do all this to survive too." "Can all of this be resolved without violence?" Seb massaged her forehead. His voice sounded hoarse. "Too many people have died already." "If you have a better idea, please tell me, Seb. As long as you don''t think about persuading them, it''s definitely impossible. They divide our supplies that should be for five people, into seven people. They are desperate." Manu''s tone was firm. Seeing Seb, who just opened and closed his mouth in confusion, Manu said again. "And don''t forget, we''ve been trying to find other solutions for days, to no avail." The door creaked open. Eric, who had been outside all this time, finally entered. "I heard you guys talking.... So you''re going to take my dad there too?" "If these friends of mine agree to this n, Eric." Manuughed bitterly, looking back at hisrades. "What about all of you? Has anyone objected? Any other ideas? Say it now. Don''t waste time." Leva closed his eyes. "I agree with you, Manu. It will be more effective and efficient if we take over their residence." Seb shook his head. "Leva, please think about this again." "How are you, Kat? Do you agree with this n?" Manu cocked his chin at the amber-eyed girl. "This is for your dog too, Kat. You don''t want him to starve to death, do you?" Kat stroked her dog curled up beside her, then said. "I agree." "Come on, guys." Seb rose from the floor. "Are you guys crazy? All of you are nning to ughter one group." Manu got up too, brought his face closer to the blonde-haired man. "Do I really like doing this? No. Just so you know, I basically don''t like violence. Yes, just like you, Seb. However, there are two things that set me apart from you. First, my brain is not right which sometimes pushes me to take revenge. Second, if need be, I can force myself to do what I hate, and not run away like you." Seb just froze and was speechless. Eric approached my colonists. "I know the weakness and the terrain around their house. I''ll help as much as I can." "Eric, please don''t go along with it." Seb looked at his son with a pleading expression. "You don''t want to kill your friends, do you?" "Former friends." Eric corrected his dad. His lips started to tremble. "I''ve chosen you, Dad. There''s no point in doing this half-heartedly, I''ll keep you alive no matter what." Seb had opened his mouth to refute, but I quickly stopped him. "Please, just do what they do, Seb. I don''t want to do this either, but it can''t be helped." Finally, the blonde-haired man lowered his head. His teeth gritted, and his hands clenched into fists. "Why all of you¡­." "Dad also once persuaded me to join the raid if that happened, right? Even if that time you used indirect words." Eric interrupted. Seb lifted his face with teary eyes. "Honestly, I didn''t know why I said that at the time." After speaking like that, Seb headed out. Chapter 118 - 118 – Choice No snow fell that day, and the snow that remained on the ground was not very thick. The sun just appeared a few moments ago. My colonists had gathered in front of the house, wearing full warm clothes, as well as carrying their own bags of goods. Of course, they also brought their respective weapons. Kat with her bow and arrow, Manu with the ax originally belonged to Hans, Eric with his katana, and Leva with her pickaxe. Seb finally came out of the house, closed the door, and forced a smile on his face. "Actually I wanted to bring the chessboard, but we can''t bring too much stuff." "When you get there, I''ll make you a new chessboard, Seb." Manu smiles back. Leva sighed, sending white steam out of her nose and mouth. "Ah, I''m going to miss your bone broth, too, Seb." Manu looked at his colonists, then said sternly. "Is there anything else you missed? We''re leaving now. All or nothing." "Come on, boy." Kat stroked her dog, which was barking with delight. The pets certainly didn''t know where they were going and what to do. They started walking to the north. Because I want to keep an eye on them, I don''t use the fast-forward feature. I only used it after they passed the stream because they all kept quiet. Manu and Leva''s expressions were full of determination, but the faces of Seb and his son were gloomy. While Kat used her usual nk expression. Maybe they think now is not the time to do chit-chat. The sun moved fast and finally set. My colonist stopped the first of three nights before reaching the Congraylham colony. Manu dug up the snow in a small area, then arranged the firewood in such a way that it didn''t get hit by the snow. Meanwhile, the others ttened the snow in ces of their choice, then covered it with small leafy branches and spread a sheet of leather over it, making it a kind of bunk for sleeping. Even while doing the activity, they only talk as necessary. Looks like I have to step in. Traveling can be very boring at this rate, and it will affect their morale. I want their mental condition to be as optimal as possible, even though it can''t be optimal, of course. I watched one by one my colonists were eating jerky, then chose Eric to open the conversation. As my newest colonist, he must have a lot of questions. He also needs to get along with his new colleagues more. "By the way, Kat." Eric spoke after I ordered him to say whatever was on his mind, as long as it wasn''t too offensive. "When I told you about the fate of that great expedition ship, and the theory of time distortion, you didn''t seem surprised. Why are you like that?" "Kat is like that." Leva chuckled. "Only earth-shattering events can make her expression change. Looks like your story isn''t an earth-shattering event, Eric." "I was surprised about the story." Kat said after swallowing the bite of the jerky she was eating. The conversation didn''t continue. Eric waited, but Kat continued to eat in silence instead. "You should ask more, Eric." Manu shrugged. Slightly scratching his hair, Eric asked again. "But didn''t that story have any effect on your mind?" Kat lowered the jerky she was eating, then looked at the fire. There was silence for a while, Eric had opened his mouth to continue the conversation again, but finally Kat spoke. "I just.... I guess there''s nothing I miss from Earth." All the colony members stopped eating and looked at Kat, who now stood up, took a fiery log, and left with her dog. "Where are you going, Kat?" Leva asked while chewing. "Want to pee? Don''t go too far, okay. There''s a myth about goblins who like the smell of women''s pee, you know." Kat just nced at Leva with her usual expressionless face and kept walking. "I think she wants to say that we are more valuable to her than the people from her original world." Leva spoke again when Kat was out of sight. "She conveyed it in the best way she could." Seb''s smile bloomed. "Kat''s development has been amazing, you know." "I remember, she used to ask why we had to bury the bodies on the sky ship she was on. She reasoned that the bodies wouldn''t smell because they were burnt, so there''s no need to bother with them." Manu added. "Ugh, that sounds awful." Leva grimaced, then looked at Eric. "How about you, Eric? Do you miss where you came from?" "Of course." Seb''s son smiled faintly. "But, I''ve actually also gotten very close to my friends here...." Eric''s words stopped. His eyes widened slightly. He then looked down and clenched his fists tightly. No one dared to speak. The atmosphere became quiet again and awkward. I took the initiative to ask Leva to say something. "I take my word for it, Eric." The red-haired girl spoke in a low tone. "You don''t have to join the raid if you don''t want to." "I agree." Manu turned his head to Seb, who was also looking down. "You can just keep your father away from your former tribe, Eric." Over time, I felt sorry for him. I''m too cruel to force him to kill his own friends, after all. "There''s nothing more to discuss." Eric started to arrange his sleeping bag in his bunk. "Without me, your chances of winning from them are getting smaller. If you don''t win, then my father will also be in danger." The others fell silent again. Kat, who had just arrived and seemed to have heard everything, also chose not to say a word and sat down where she had been. I approached Eric, who was already lying down, wanting to ask him to follow Leva''s suggestion not to join the raid. However, I gave up my intention. Eric has a point. If I want to win, I need this man. Apart from increasing the strength of my colonists, he is the one who knows the terrain best. Shit. Why am I so wishy-washy and confused? "We''d better get some sleep." Manu sighed.. "As discussed earlier, the order of the guards is Kat, Eric, me, then Leva." Chapter 119 - 119 – For Survival During the four-day journey, my colonists were met with heavy snowfall and hostile terrain. There were countless times they had to go through the uphill road. "Are you all right, Manu?" Seb asked the bearded man who was a few meters away from the group. This trip seemed to put a lot of strain on one of Manu''s legs, which did have a scar. "How many times have you asked that, Seb?" Manu replied while panting, was climbing up a hill full of trees. "I''m fine, just a little slower than all of you." "Our destination is not far away." Eric stopped right after crossing the incline. "Shall we continue our journey?" Leva looked up at the sky covered in lush leaves. Even though it was cloudy, there was still lighting through the leaves. "Well, it''s still early afternoon." "But we''re too tired, Leva." Seb said, then helped Manu up. "That''s what I meant." Eric continued his speech. "If we continue our journey now, we will not be able to fight optimally because we are exhausted." "I agree." Manu is already sitting in the snow. "We''d better rest first." "Then you guys get some rest." I sighed at them. My colonists moved from there, looking for a rather spacious area among the dense trees. After finding it, they prepared bunks for the bed as usual, while Manu made a bonfire. Nobody spoke. "There''s still a chance for us to stop and go back." Seb suddenly squeaked while making Manu''s sleeping bunk. My other colonists stopped what they were doing and looked at the blonde-haired man. Leva scratched her hair. "Go back and die you mean?" "Since arriving here, I''ve seen a lot of death." Seb clenched his fists. "Honestly, I can''t take it anymore. I can still quite ept that we''re the ones being attacked, but now we''re the onesing at them and going to ughter them...." "You''d better hide far enough away when we attack them. We''ll only get you when we''ve taken care of the bodies." Manu cuts the conversation. "That''s not it...." Seb started to squeeze his head. "Isn''t there another way? Do we really have to resort to violence?" With veins starting to appear in her neck, Leva grabbed Seb and punched him in the face, sending him crashing into the bunk he made. "Hey!" Eric ran over to Seb and crouched down, examining the bloody wound under his father''s eye. "Wake up." Leva hissed. "You think I and the others enjoy doing this? We''re all aware of the risks. We''ll have to live with guilt forever. I don''t mind if you can''t fight, but can you stop bitching? Remember, this is for you and your son too. And again, as Manu said, if you have any other ideas, say them now." Seb covered his wound, unable to look at the woman. "But ...." Before Seb could finish his sentence, Leva brought her face closer to the man. "We want to focus, Seb. Yourints are annoying and might affect us during the fight. So shut up." After saying that in a cold tone, Levay down in her bunk. "Are you all right, Dad?" Eric asked again. Seb was silent, staring down with his mouth open. "Dad?" Eric shook his parents'' bodies slowly. With a stiff motion, Seb turned his head to his son. A drop of tear rolled down his cheek. "I miss our home, Eric. I even miss my boring job. Why do we have to go on that expedition ship?" "I understand your feeling." Eric hugged his father. "At the very least, I will continue to be by your side." Seb hugged his son back. I pressed the fast-forward button. How would it feel if I was forced to follow something that waspletely against my basic principles? I do not know. Perhaps it was more painful than any physical wound. *** The fast-forward feature stops when morninges automatically after my colonists have eaten breakfast, packed up their things, and walked a few kilometers. They now stopped near arge tree. Seb sat there, mute, and draped the parka hood over his head. Eric crouched down in front of his father. "Just stay here, Dad. If something goes wrong, scream as loud as you can. I''lle to help." Seb gave a short node. Leaving him here alone was indeed a risk. However, if I put someone here to guard him, then the attack power of my colonists isn''t optimal. If I want to win, I have to take a lot of risks. My colonists began to creep among the trees, keeping their distance from each other. Manu took something out of his shirt and looked at it: a small bundle of leaves tied with thread in the middle. Devil''s tears. "Don''t." Leva, who was beside Manu, shook her head. "It will only damage you." Manu shrugged. "I will only use it when absolutely necessary." [Congraylham Colony] The text appeared in my view as we finally almost arrived at the path leading to the descent. My colonists peered through the trees. We saw the back of the house one and a half my colonists'' home size. The building looks more solid because the entire wall is made of bricks. However, what caught my attention was the people who had left the house. Just like if my ce was attacked, maybe the guardian spirits in this ce would also receive advance warning of the enemy''s arrival. In the game guide, I''ve read that only a few guardian spirits can do sudden raids without the other guardian spirits knowing. For example, when my colonists were attacked for the first time. And I''m not that kind of guardian spirit. What kept the position of my colonists from being discovered were the trees around us, which hid them quite a bit. Therefore, the Congraylham colonists had not moved from around the house and chose to hide in the snow mounds. Three carried rifles, one carried a pistol, and two carried a machete. Six, not seven as Eric said.. I know the knife-wielder must be moving on his own with his stealth skills, maybe sneaking up on the trees. Chapter 120 - 120 – For Survival (2) My colonists dispersed, except for Kat and Leva. The red-haired girl rubbed the fire stone, setting fire to the bottle with the oily fuse in Kat''s hand. As soon as the bottle fuse caught fire, Kat threw it. The bottle hit a man holding a gun, exploding and setting the man on fire. He moved wildly, screamed, and threw himself into the snow. One of the machete-wielding men immediately removed the parka he was wearing and waved it over the burning person''s body. Within a few seconds, the machete wielder managed to extinguish the fire in that person''s body, then pulled him into the house, while the others remained focused on observing the surroundings, having previously been distracted by that scene. Damn, they must have been told by their guardian spirit to do something like that. My original n was to attack when their attention was distracted. But, there''s still a way. Kat had separated from Leva. Then, a few secondster, an arrow sted at one of the enemies. But, unfortunately, Kat''s shot missed and only hit the snow. I pressed the pause button, about to use the hover feature to check on my colonists. However, before that, I checked the situation around Leva to see if the knife-wielder was around that woman. I don''t want to miss something like that again. Several times my colonists have been in danger because I haven''t paid much attention to my surroundings. And I found a man a few meters behind Leva. The man was hiding behind a tree, almost out with his knife. "There''s someone holding a knife about three meters behind you. Get ready." I whispered to the woman. As soon as I pressed the y button, Leva spun around, throwing the pickaxe in her hand at the man. The man was startled, and Leva tackled him until he fell backward. The knife the man was holding moved swiftly into Leva''s eyes, but the woman managed to hold it in. Leva bit the man''s hand, causing him to scream in pain, and the knife in his hand slipped off. However, just as Leva was about to take the knife, now it was the man who caught her hand. A fierce struggle ensued, sending snow scattering and burying the knife. The knife-wielding man managed to break free and inched quite a distance, then rose to his feet. "My name is Leva, sir." Leva pulled Kat''s knife from the back of her pants. "What''s your name?" "Is it important?" The man took a boxing stance. "Asking for a name in a situation like this?" "I always try to remember the names of my victims, as a form of final respect." Leva was clearly lying. I just pressed the pause button again to call Eric. Leva needs help against this guy whose melee attack stat is higher than hers. The others from the Congraylham colony were still in their respective ces to watch the situation. Their guardian spirit was too careful, either because they were afraid their colonists would be hit by arrows or they were confident enough in the knife-wielding man. "My name is Mark." The man smirked. Leva raised her knife in a reverse grip, then flicked her chin at her pickaxe near the man named Mark. "You don''t want to take that as a weapon? You are now empty-handed." Mark looked around slightly, shrugged, and sneered. "Well, it''s no use in this tree-filled area. If it''s a sword, I''ll take it. At least, the sword can still be used to stab." After saying that, Mark stepped forward and gave abination fist to Leva. It seemed he knew that Leva was stalling for time. Leva could still dodge all of the fists and managed to deliver shes with her knife. But my female colonist couldn''t hit her enemy at all. "Damn, you''re good!" Markughed a little, avoiding a single thrust from Leva. "But, you have to add more movement variety!" Finally, the man managed to punch Leva in the face, making the woman stagger. Then, he kicked Leva''s stomach hard, forcing her to fall. And that''s when Eric appeared and gave Mark abination of sword thrusts. Mark was able to dodge, but his forearm was hit by one of the stabs. Mark took Leva''s pickaxe and threw it at Eric, then jumped back as far as he could. "Hi, traitor." Mark smirked as he looked at the wound on his forearm, which didn''t seem too deep. "Emma still misses your dick, you know." Eric tightened his grip on his katana. So, Eric and Emma are lovers? Damn. In this case, will Eric''s mental statest until the end? Leva then lined up her partner and was ready to attack again. "If you can''t do it, let me do it, Eric." The red-haired girl whispered. "Your stabs just now weren''t like your usual attacks. You weren''t really into it." Eric just gulped. Mark smiled, then jumped into the group of trees beside him. The trees there were so close together, and I lost Mark instantly. Eric and Leva checked into the ce and couldn''t find the man either. Damn it. Eric and Leva pressed their backs against each other, constantly looking at various angles warily. All that could be heard was the cold wind blowing hard, not a single footstep. Seconds passed without anything happening. I can only search here and there with increasing anxiety. I still can''t find Mark anywhere. And then, a rustling sound was heard from above, the snow was falling, I immediately pressed the pause button. Mark''s body was in the air, in a descending position, and about to hit Leva. So, he climbed the tree without a sound, maybe also moved from one tree to another in silence. Holy shit, is he a squirrel? Unwilling to give up, I was about to tell Leva and Eric the new n. However, having kept my mouth close to them for a long time, I was speechless. My head is nk. The two of them wouldn''t be able to avoid Mark. So, I had to just tell them where Mark was and hit the y button. Leva''s body was caught by Mark, while Eric fell down because he was hit by the knife-wielding man''s body. Leva and Mark wrestled, rolling on the ground. Mark picked up a rock and hit Leva''s head with it. Leva immediately held her bleeding forehead while groaning in pain. Just as Mark was about to hit Leva again, Eric charged at him. However, Mark managed to catch Eric''s hand holding the katana. Mark thumped the hand until Eric''s katana fell. After that, Mark banged Eric''s head several times against a nearby tree trunk. Eric fell, and Mark came over to Leva again, who was trying to stand with a stagger. Mark pulled Leva''s body and pushed her hard out of the tree area. The Man also came out of the area and pushed Leva hard again, then gave a jump kick to the woman''s chest. Leva tumbled backward and hastily rose to her feet. "Watch out, behind you!" I shouted. It''s toote. Because she''s still staggering, Leva lost her bnce, then fell on the slope, and rolled on the descent. The sound of explosions from the muzzles of firearms echoed. Chapter 121 - 121 – For Survival (3) Leva''s body kept rolling. The three gun wielders fired several times, and now Leva''s body left a red trail running down the snow. I couldn''t help but freeze, watching Leva''s body continue to roll around before finally lying at the end of the descent. The womany on her stomach and didn''t move at all. No. A tter of steps from the direction of the trees woke me up. This is not the time to mourn. I still have my other colonists to lead. I turned around and shouted at Eric, who was about toe out. "Stay there! You''ll get shot!" I gave a warning to the man whose right temple was already bleeding. Eric braked his steps. Mark turned and lunged forward, giving Eric another punchbination. My male colonist dodged all of that with great difficulty, then thrust his sword. However, Mark managed to catch Eric''s hand again and beat it with an elbow. It only took a few seconds for the katana in Eric''s hand toe off. Instead of taking the katana, Mark strangled Eric from behind. "I wanted to kill you so bad, but my heart was telling me not to." Mark hissed to Eric, whose facial muscles were so tight and having trouble breathing. "Perhaps our guardian angel wants the others to judge you." Eric''s movement to free himself was getting weaker and weaker. Until finally, his eyes closed. Mark put the man on the ground and picked up the katana. Mark went back into the tree area while hisrades were still standing guard in their original ce. Seriously, does this Congraylham colony spirit guardian have that much faith in Mark? Having just stepped through the trees, Mark ducked to avoid an arrow that was shooting at him. The arrow was only stuck in one of the trees. Yes, I did summon Kat to attack Mark. The man began to creep, moving from tree to tree with crouching and silent steps. I continued to follow behind him, not wanting to lose track of this enemy of mine. But, I have to admit. His sneaking abilities are swift andpletely silent. However, a distant gunshot startled me, causing me to turn my head towards the Congraylham colonists on guard. Did they shoot Manu? When I turned to Mark again, I couldn''t see the man anywhere. Shit. I paused the gamey, then used the tracking feature for Manu. It turned out that my male colonist was still walking among the trees, still fine even though he looked surprised, maybe because of the gunshots just now. The guardian spirit from Congraylham used that gunshot to outwit me? Trying not to panic, I looked around for Mark''s whereabouts. In the end, I did find him, but he was close behind Kat, who was hiding behind arge tree. With the two of them so close, it seemed impossible for Kat to turn around and shoot her arrow. My only hope was Rox, who was already running to lunge at Mark''s side. I''m counting on you, Rox. Please, save your master. I pressed the y button, Rox jumped with her mouth open, about to pounce. However, Mark had quickly changed course, from Kat to the dog. One sh and Rox was blown away with a gaping wound to his face, leaving arge bloodstain on the snow. "Rox!!!" Kat was in a state of shock but still managed to aim her arrow. Mark was about to dodge, but the arrow managed to hit his stomach. Kat didn''t pause at all. She shot again, this time in the man''s knee. "Arrrrghhhh!!!" With tears in her eyes, Kat continued to shoot at the man from close range. Mark couldn''t do anything but try to run away. However, Kat showed no sign of stopping. Mark finally fell with his body full of arrows. Now, Kat''s expression showed that she was in pain. She threw her quiver and bow, then pulled one of the arrows from Mark''s body and stabbed it into the man''s back while screaming again. Manu appears and catches the girl''s hand. "Enough, he''s already helpless!" Mark coughed, sttering blood from his mouth. "Damn, so far I''ve never failed.... You trained your dog in stealth well.... I only realized its existence after it came to me...." After raving like that, Mark was out of breath. He justy there with wide eyes. Kat looked at her victim, then widened her eyes and turned to Rox, who was still lying on the ground. "Rox!!!" Kat crouched beside the dog and burst into tears. The massive shing wound on Rox''s face continued to bleed. The animal''s breath was already so weak. "Rox, hold on!!!" Kat unloaded her sack, probably trying to get something out to squeeze her dog''s wound. However, after a few seconds, Rox''s breath stopped. Kat''s body froze instantly. With her mouth open, she shook the dog but got no response. "Rox.... Don''t leave me ¡­. Please ¡­." Still no answer. I turned away from the scene and cried too. It''s the first time I''ve seen Kat look this expressive, but I certainly wasn''t expecting this. After Pif, now Rox is dead. Rox is no ordinary dog. He had saved his master many times in various situations, including today. The dog didn''t deserve to die. There''s too much sadness for me in this virtual world. Why am I still in this game? I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard several approaching footsteps. Instantly, I pressed the pause button and looked back. Manu stood by Kat, looking at the small package in his hand. Meanwhile, Kat was still on her knees with drooping hands, and head bowed. Leva was probably dead or at least unconscious, Eric seemed to be still out too, and now Kat didn''t seem to be able to fight anymore. I checked ahead, finding the Congraylham colonists who had finally entered here, walking with their weapons in hand. Two men wielding machetes, Jill with the gun and Emma with the rifle. Another rifle-wielding woman didn''te with them, probably standing guard near the house. I turned back to Manu, observing the little square package in the man''s hand. Chapter 122 - 122 – For Survival (4) The four members of the Congraylham colony continued to walk through the trees, looking carefully in different directions. "Mark?" Jill hissed when she found the man''s body. "Shit! Is he dead!?" One of the machete holders replied. "Watch out!" Emma screamed and fired her weapon. Jill also fired her gun. With a zigzagging motion from tree to tree, Manu moved closer at high speed. Two machete-wielding men were ready to counterattack, but one of them couldn''t do anything when suddenly Manu was in front of him, striking his head with the ax. Manu did not bother to pull out the ax and used the enemy''s body as a shield. Jill and Emma hesitated to shoot, and that gave Manu a chance to advance. Manu''s movements were so fast that Jill didn''t have time to run away. Now Manu was so close to Jill. The man threw away the corpse of the machete wielder then pulled Jill behind arge tree. Emma did shoot, but the bullet only hit that tree. Manu bites Jill''s hand holding the gun. Jill screamed in pain, and it didn''t make Manu feel sorry at all. The man mmed the woman hard after that, and Manu began to stomp her head brutally. Even I shudder to see that scene. I never imagined Manu could have such an expression. With bulging eyes, mouth rattling tightly, and facial muscles depicting the ferocity of a wild animal. He was even more terrifying than Leva back then. Jill''s face kept sttering blood. The sounds like something cracking also kepting from that part of the body, but Manu still stomped on it. "Arrrrrghhhh!!!" Even the man''s scream didn''t sound like it came from a human''s mouth, nor did it sound like that of a beast. Manu''s voice sounded like it came from a non-existent being from the earth, a being that would give immeasurable terror. Devil. The two members of the Congraylham colony shuddered and began to retreat. As Manu let out a louder and horrifying scream, Emma turned and ran. The other man wielding a machete flinched at that and eventually fled as well. Manu finally stopped trampling on Jill''s head, which was beyond recognition. And then, the bearded man breathed at increasingly wilder intervals. He shouted again, then followed the footsteps of the two fleeing people. The next victim is the holder of the second machete. No matter how hard he ran, Manu could catch up with him in a matter of seconds. "Heeellllpppp!!!" The machete wielder screamed hysterically as the back of his clothes was caught by Manu. However, Emma only nced back briefly, still running away. There was a loud thud as the machete wielder fell on his back. The weapon in his hand fell off, and of course, Manu didn''t waste the chance to pick it up. This time Manu held the hilt of the machete with both hands, thrusting it into the male member of the Congraylham colony. Blood sttered everywhere as Manu continued to stab the poor man''s body. His cries of pleading and pain don''t affect Manu at all. Even when the man was silent, Manu kept stabbing him. And I can only watch that crazy scene in silence. Nausea has hit me, a sign that my body in the real world has been affected. And I''m sure all of this will be a nightmare when I sleep. Manu only stopped when the machete de slipped from its hilt. He then looked at the face of his enemy, who looked back at him with empty gaze. Now, Manu''s face and clothes were covered in blood. "Arrrghhhh!!!" Manu roars again, then turns around and runs out of the tree area. Emma and a woman on guard crouched behind two mounds of snow. They fired their respective rifles, but none of their bullets could hit Manu. My colonist ran in another zigzag with movements that the human eye could barely follow. Now, I was hoping that Emma and her partner had just run away. It''s better than them falling victim to Manu. As time goes on, Manu gets closer to the two women. Emma and her partner finally ran away because they ran out of bullets. However, instead of being together, they ran in separate directions. Manu chose to chase after Emma''s partner, who was running beside the house crying. "Get away from me! My son still needs me!" The woman screamed in terror. "Get away from me!" And that''s when I heard the faint cry of a baby. The voice sounded muffled, perhaps because the baby was being hidden¡ªno wonder he had not been heard in the distance so far. "Manu, stop this!" Of course, I couldn''t bear it if the baby had to lose his mother. However, Manu didn''t care. He jumped up and caught the woman whose screams were getting louder. Why didn''t the guardian spirit of this ce ask this woman to run away or hide with her child!? Manu dragged the woman near the house, then started banging her head against the wall. I kept trying to stop the man, but he didn''t care. The terrible crashing sound continued, apanied by the baby''s cries. The red stain on the wall is getting wider. Should I ask Seb and Kat for help to stop this possessed Manu? No. I don''t know if Manu still knows his friend or not. Manu might attack them too. That''s also what made me ask Kat to evacuate. Suddenly Manu stopped doing that. His attention turned to Emma, who was running in the distance. Manu then let go of the woman he was tormenting, making her fall down with face covered in blood. The bearded man started walking towards Emma. Seeing an ax stuck in a wooden stump, Manu picked it up and started running. Emma looked back and stumbled when she saw Manu. However, she did not fall, still managed to maintain her bnce and continue to run. Meanwhile, the man whose body had been burned by the bomb earlier came out of the front door of the house.. His hand was holding a rifle. Chapter 123 - 123 – Rancid Smell The man whose burnt body part had been lightly bandaged took aim with his rifle. However, since Manu''s distance was too far, he ended up running forward. And soon enough, Eric appeared to join in the pursuit. Emma stumbled again, this time to the ground. Seeing Manu, who was getting closer to her, the woman hurriedly got up. However, she was now limping. Emma''s breathing became increasingly ragged, and her running slowed. At the same time, Manu showed no sign of running out of stamina at all. And finally, Manu was only a few meters away from the poor woman. Emma looked back a third time, then screamed hysterically. The woman forced herself to keep running, but Manu had already raised his ax. The ax swung and stabbed deeply into the woman''s shoulder, forcing her to fall down again and scream in pain. Gunshots came from a distance. Manu looked back and saw a man with a burnt body pointing a rifle with a smoking tip. In addition to the long-distance, the man''s hand also trembled, so the fired bullet missed. "Please, don''t kill me!!!" Emma kept screaming in pain and crying. As Manu pressed the woman''s back with his feet and pulled the ax on her shoulder, her screams grew louder. And then Manu just left the woman, running in a zigzag to the rifleman. Eric, who was running after Emma, gasped at that. I ordered him to take a detour so as not to run into Manu. The rifleman kept firing his weapon but couldn''t hit Manu. Finally, he chose to turn and run away. And, of course, Manu could catch up with him in no time. He couldn''t do anything when my male colonist hit him in the back with the ax, forcing him to fall down. Manu pulled the ax from the man''s body and plunged it again. Blood sttered on the white snow. Manu''s screams were heard again. My colonist continued to hit the rifleman''s defenseless body. "Emma!!!" Eric called out and knelt down next to the woman, who was now crawling. "Get away from me!" Emma''s voice was barely audible because her voice was muffled by her own sobs. Eric slightly lifted Emma''s body to lean on his hand, ring at the terrible wound on the woman''s right shoulder. The blood wouldn''t stop pouring out of it. "Kill me.... Kill me now, Eric...." Emma continued to cry and beat the man''s chest weakly. "This is what you wanted? Making us all die...." Eric shook his head with tears in his eyes. "I don''t want this at all, Emma.... I just..." Before Eric could finish his sentence, Emma''s hand drooped. The girl''s tearful gaze was fixed on Eric, looking as if cursing my male colonist. Eric''s chin started to drop. His tears flowed harder. He then hugged the lifeless body and screamed. And I can only freeze in silence. *** I whispered to Seb. "Seb, run to that house." Seb stood up and removed the hood of his parka, scratched his hair, and looked confused, but followed my orders anyway. I made sure that he took a detour to avoid running into the corpses in the forest area. Seb had covered his nose, turning his head several times towards the distant source of the rancid smell. The smell of blood. And I always make sure he doesn''t run out there to find out. Once outside the tree area, Seb gasped when he saw Kat pulling Leva''s bloody body. "She''s still breathing, help me!" Kat called out to the blond man. Seb quickly descended down the hill and helped Kat pull up the still unconscious Leva. The man nced around. "Where''s the others? Where''s your dog?" Kat wiped her tears. "I''ll tell youter." "Is that the sound of a baby crying?" Seb gulped as they got close enough to the Congraylham colonists'' house. Once at the back door of the house, Kat and Seb picked up Leva and entered. What greeted them was not a pleasant sight at all. A cloth-wrapped baby with only his face visible was lying on the floor, inches from the small space below, measuring 30x30 cm with the lid open. Previously, the baby was hidden in that space. The loud cry of the baby filled the room. I assumed he was less than a month old. It can be seen from his still petite body. On the other side of the room, Eric was trying to join Emma''s nearly split shoulders. "Emma, ??don''t leave me.... I admit that I was wrong...." Seb''s son kept moaning and crying. And then, a woman whose head had been banged against the wall by Manu crept in through the front door. Seb winced and fell to the ground. The woman''s face was covered in blood, one eye waspletely closed, her nose was bent the wrong way, and most of her teeth had fallen out. "My baby.... My baby...." The woman''s voice was barely audible. She continued to crawl, trying to reach her baby. However, when she was only a few meters away from the baby, her head fell on the floor. She didn''t move anymore. But, the nightmare wasn''t over yet. This time it was Manu''s turn to enter. With his face and shirt sttered with blood, he red at Seb, whose body was starting to tremble. Gradually, Manu''s breathing became more and more uncontroble, and he finally fell to the floor. "Hot!!! It hurts!!! Heelllppp!!!" That man was screaming, gripping his chest, and have a wild seizure. I looked at all of them one by one. Leva, whose wound was being pressed with a cloth by Kat, Eric who buried his head against Emma''s chest, the baby who was still crying, the corpse that was trying to reach the baby, then Manu who looked so tortured on the floor. What the fuck I''ve done? I stumbled backward, not knowing what else to do. I''ve justmitted an unspeakable crime, and this horrific sight is the result. Seb shook his head with a pale face.. Then, he screamed in terror. "Argghhhh!!!" Chapter 124 - 124 – New Home Seb''s screams, Manu''s shrieks of pain, and the baby''s loud cries still filled the room. Kat immediately left Leva to shake Seb''s body. "Seb, wake up." The girl sounded very desperate. However, Seb was still screeching hysterically. His eyes, which were already shedding tears, seemed unfocused. Please, don''t be broken too, Seb. "I need you, Seb!!!" Finally, Kat screamed back. Gone was the nk expression she used to disy. Her tears spilled like crazy. The amber-eyed girl continued to rock Seb''s body, though now her movements were fragile. "I can''t take care of all this by myself, Seb.... Look around you.... If you''re broken too, I... I.... So please wake up...." Kat couldn''t take it anymore. She snuggled into Seb''sp and kept crying. Seb had stopped crying and just stared at the girl with his mouth agape. Manu had also stopped wagging and screaming. The bearded man justy on the ground, shivering, breaking out in a cold sweat, looking at Seb and Kat. The momentsted for a while. Finally, Seb closed his eyes and sighed. [Soul-stirring words buff - This buff allows Seb to be active again, despite experiencing a mental breakdown.] "Forgive me." Although his hands were shaking violently, Seb lifted Kat''s head to face him. The girl''s face was red from crying. "Okay, let''s do this together, Kat. You''re still with me, right?" Kat wiped her tears, then nodded. Again, I''m sorry. [New house acquired] [New colonist acquired] *** I hovered near the house. It waste afternoon, but the bodies thaty there had not been taken care of. Only the mother and Emma were covered with cloth, and even then, they were only left at the side of the house. Seb and Kat were too busy taking care of things. Sighing, I reentered the house, looking around the now quiet room. Levay in one corner of the room with her body covered in bandages. Her four bullets had been removed, the joints in her shoulders were fixed, and her broken leg had been tied to some pieces of wood. A miracle she didn''t die and was just unconscious. Maybe it''s because of her special power. Meanwhile, Manu was squirming in the corner of the other room, though not as wild as before. His body was wrapped in a cloth sheet like a mummy, making his hands and feet not free. His mouth was also gagged with a cloth so as not to scream. It was all his own request. He didn''t want his friends to bother holding him back if he went crazy again. There are other things to take care of. So, this is the price to pay for devil''s tears? Just one-time use and Manu is now addicted. Eric sat at a location a bit far from the others. His puffy eyes looked up nkly, his mouth slightly opened, his legs stretched out, and his hands were drooping. I don''t know if he can still function well. And Kat was sitting by the burning fire, holding the baby who had finally fallen asleep. A few hours ago, it was the mother who was cradling the baby. Now, everything changed. I sat up and wiped my tears that kept falling. Any justification is useless. Everything is clear. I just did something unforgivable. Again. Seb came out of the kitchen with two boiled potatoes and a slightly steaming bowl. "Here, eat it." Seb handed the one potato to Eric, who only nced at the food for a moment. So, Seb put the potato on his son''sp. "Eat, you must be hungry after everything that happened, right?" Eric still didn''t respond. Sighing, Seb turned to Kat. "This is for you, Kat." "Thank you." Kat epted the potato as she continued to hold the baby. "I made this." Seb showed him the bowl he was carrying. It contained a brownish white liquid. "There''s definitely no form milk here. There aren''t any grains that can be made into milk either. So I try to make it from mashed potato juice. He must be starving." The baby started to squirm and opened his mouth, looking like he was going to cry again. "Sshhh.... Don''t cry little one. You must be really hungry, right? Here." Kat said softly, took the bowl from Seb, then began to feed the baby. Several times the tiny human choked and cried. Seb helped Kat by wiping the baby''s mouth, asionallyforting the little human. "His name is Barry." Suddenly Eric hissed. "He was born a few days before our expedition." I brought up the baby''s profile card. [Barry Nelson, 0 years old (Colonist)] "Hi, Barry." Though her eyes were teary, Kat smiled faintly in the baby''s face, then lightly touched the little human''s nose. Barry looked back at the girl as his hands moved slowly. Seeing that scene, I wanted to cry again. It looks beautiful, but why should it happen after this tragedy? Eric got up from the floor, then grabbed a shovel from the storeroom. "Where are you going, Eric?" Seb asked his son, who was lighting a torch in the firece. "I''ll take care of my friends." Eric answered in a low voice. "Poor them." Seb got up too. "Let me help...." "No need." Eric cut off his father''s words. "You must be very tired, Dad." "That''s right, Seb. You''d better get some rest. You''ve been treating Leva for hours and doing all sorts of other things." I added. When he was about to open the door of the house, Eric stopped. "No matter what happens, I''m still grateful you''re alive, Dad." "Ah...." Seb was at a loss for words. Eric came out of the house and stuck the shovel in his back, then approached the two female corpses beside the house. He tied ropes to the two bodies and began to pull them. The man started crying again. "So, you''re the owner of the colonists who attacked my colony, huh?" I turned my head to the side, saw a man-shaped figure with a gray body. This figure seems more transparent than Red, H, and me. "Ah...." I immediately realized that he was Congraylham''s guardian spirit. "Forgive me." "Even though I let your people live...." The figure seemed more and more transparent. "Ah, maybe I''m the stupid one...." And finally, the figure disappearedpletely.. Maybe this means that the Congraylham colony is really vanished. Chapter 125 - 125 – The Little One Barry''s loud cries filled the room again after three days of us being able to seize the house. "Be patient, little one." Kat put cloth diapers on the baby. The girl had just cleaned the tiny human. "How is he?" Seb, who had just fed Manu, asked. "Is he still having diarrhea?" Kat nodded. "And now he''s so pale." "Surely what we give him is not suitable for his body." Seb sighed, looking at the closed window that was twitching a bit from the stormy wind outside. "But we also don''t know what to rece it with and where to find it." Kat just closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Seb turned to his son, who was huddled in a corner with dark bags under his eyes. Seb''s stewed jerky soup beside him waspletely untouched. "You have to eat, Eric." Seb said with a slight smile. "Or do you want me to make something else?" Eric averted his eyes. It seems that normalcy is not going to return any time soon. The sound of the storm outside grew louder. The windows that were closed also moved harder. Surprisingly, even with those terrible voices, Barry was calm. Just as Kat was about to touch Barry''s nose lightly, the tiny human identally grabbed the girl''s index finger. "You want to y with me, little one?" Kat smiled faintly. "What do you want to y?" Perhaps, Barry also helped Kat, who was grieving the loss of Rox. "You''ll make a good mother, Kat." Everyone, except for Eric, turned to Leva, who was still lying down with a nket. The woman finally woke up. "Just from the way you carry him, it''s obvious. You''re a natural." Leva continued his speech. Seb went straight to the red-haired woman. "How are you, Leva?" "Terrible." Leva''s voice was still weak, and her face was pale. "But, even though I still feel pain everywhere, I can feel that my body is starting to recover." Leva then turned to Kat. "So, is it the son of one of the inhabitants of this tribe?" Kat nodded, then walked over to Leva, showing the baby. Leva waved lightly at the tiny human. "You know what? I used to really hate Anne when she was born. She stole the attention of both my parents." Leva widened her smile. "Until one day, sheughed when she saw me, I don''t know why.... Usually, I just looked away from her, but that time she really caught my attention.... Well, after a while I thought she wasn''t bad, even though she can only cry, drink milk, pee, and poop. She is very cute, especially when sheughs when Ifort her." "Yeah, a little human like this is a miracle." Seb also smiled at the baby. "Even though he can''t do anything, but people''s attention is on him." I agree. "He shouldn''t be suffering like this. He doesn''t know anything." Manu, who was sitting leaning against the wall, gulped. He shivered even though he was close to the firece. "All this because I was careless and killed his mother." Leva narrowed her eyes at Manu. "What happened to you, Manu? You''re like.... Did you consumed those devil''s tears?" I hastily whispered to Kat to tell Leva what had really happened. I prefer Kat over Seb because she knows best what''s going on at that time. "Things were really bad for us back then. You and Eric were unconscious. I couldn''t function due to the shock of Rox''s death. Meanwhile, there are still a lot of enemies." Kat said in a rapid tone. "Rox? What happened to him...." Leva widened her eyes slightly but immediately closed them. "If that''s the case, I won''t say anything." Manu shook his head with a stiff motion. "But still, I''ve done something that..." "No one mes you." Eric cut off the conversation. "You also killed my girlfriend, but I don''t me you.... At least, I try not to me you. No one wants all of this to happen." "But ...." "Forget it, Manu. Maybe you want toin, but now isn''t the time." I spoke to Manu before he continued his words. "Others have their own burdens. If you talk about how you feel now, it could trigger conflict." Manu winces and starts clutching his chest. "I''m sorry.... Can you guys tie me up again, this heat and pain seems to being back." "A moment." Seb hurried over to Manu and took the usual cloth for tying. "Let me help." Eric chimed in. Seb added, "You stay there, Kat. Poor Barry if you put him down now. Looks like he''s almost asleep." Kat, who was about to get up, sat down again. Manu starts letting out a muffled scream. However, the screams did not affect the baby, who instead yawned and blinked his eyes. "Are you getting sleepy, little one?" Kat smiled faintly at the tiny human. "You don''t want to y anymore, huh?" "Seriously, you''re so natural, Kat. I didn''t expect you to have this talent." Leva, who was still lying down,ughed a little. "So, don''t you want to have something like that, but from yourself, from your own body?" What a way to convey something, Leva. Kat was silent, looking at the baby who had closed his eyes. "Preferably not in this world." "It''s okay if you want to have children now." Levaughed again. "In my tribe many children were born and they are now big and healthy. One of them is me." Manu was finally tied up and gagged, preventing him from squirming too wildly. Meanwhile, Kat continued to cradle the tiny human in her arms. Too bad I hit the fast forward button now. I can''t get enough of this view of motherly Kat. As Leva said, it was a surprise that Kat had such a skill. But suddenly, Kat stopped cradling the baby. Her eyes and mouth began to open. "What is it?" Leva raised an eyebrow. Kat rubbed Barry''s head and gasped. With an unusually stiff movement, the girl turned to the others.. "H-he''s not breathing." Chapter 126 - 126 – Atonements Seb kept trying to give the baby artificial respiration. Kat couldn''t help but freeze and shed tears, showing her expressionless face again. The minutes have passed. All that could be heard was the sound of a blizzard outside. Leva got up with difficulty, then limped to hug the amber-eyed girl. Seb applied the final pressure to the little human''s chest, then gasped. After a few seconds of silence, he finally looked at Kat with a gloomy expression, shaking his head slowly. "I''m sorry." Kat knelt down, covering her face with both hands. Her cries began to echo. The baby seemed to be sleeping peacefully. No one would have guessed that he was dead. Tears welled up in my eyes again. Why? I thought we would be given a chance to atone for our sins by raising this tiny human. It''s too cruel. Seb wiped a tear from his eye, then covered the poor baby''s face. If only the baby''s mother was still alive, she would have been able to take good care of this tiny human. Eric got to his feet, went into the storeroom, and came out with a shovel. "I''m going to bury him now." The man said in a low voice. Seb looked up at his son. "It''s still stormy outside, son." "Poor him if we dy...." Eric''s words stopped when a banging sound came from the front door. The gazes of him and the others, except for Kat who was still sobbing, fixed on it. Someone''s voice was heard from outside, but it wasn''t clear because of the storm. I pressed pause and checked out. It turned out that in front of the door a man was carrying another person on his back. He looked so desperate, while the man on his back seemed to close his eyes, either asleep or unconscious. I don''t know whether to let them in or not. The supplies of my colonists are limited. Wait. I know them. Especially the old man, whose skin was brown, and baldness covered the front part of his all gray hair. With a beard that was also gray, he looked even older than thest time I saw him. For a while, I studied the two men''s faces, then went back in and gave orders to my colonists. "Those people outside need help. It''s up to you all to ept them or not." Yes, this time I want them to decide. The big decisions I make always end badly. As soon as I put everything back to normal, Eric opened the door, sending strong winds and snow into the house. "Help us! It''s cold outside! We just need a temporary shelter!" The person outside was crying. His medium-sized body shivered. "Suja?" Leva gasped at the sight of her former tribe leader. Suja, whose body had shrunk drastically, looked at Leva with wide eyes. Then, he knelt down and pressed his hands on the floor, making the man on his back nearly fall. Fortunately, Eric swiftly caught the unconscious man. "I swear, I don''t want to sell you into very, Leva!" Suja''s cries get louder. "It was the voices that prompted me to do it." Leva lowered her head, approaching the old man with a limp. "Then, what about that expedition? Are you still going to say that you got a whisper from that magical voice? Because of you, my whole family died, you know." Suja choked hard, then pressed his forehead to the floor. "Then I plead guilty!!! All because of my selfishness and greed!!! I have no other reason!!! I''m really sorry!!! So please ept us!!! We won''t be able to survive outside there in a situation like this!!!" "He''s dead." Eric spoke suddenly. His index and middle fingers pressed against the veins of the neck of the man Suja was carrying. Suja flinched again, hastily propped his partner against his forearm. "Xe, wake up! We promised to endure to the end, right?" Manu motioned for Seb to remove the gag in his mouth, then spoke gibberish like a drunk. "He Xe? Mr. Zhen''s son who taught me crafting while in the Redtooth tribe?" Suja turned his head to my male colonist. "It was Zhen who had this kid save me, and...." The man''s eyes narrowed at Manu. "Why are you tied up like that? That face of yours.... Pale and your eyes are red.... Have you recently consumed devil''s tears, young man?" "How do you know?" Manu asks while starting to wince in pain again. "I''ve seen the soldiers I ordered to use it many times.... I know the effect very well." Suja gulped, then looked at the others with pleading eyes. "I''ve never practiced any healing techniques for devil''s tears addiction. However, I''ve seen addiction treatments many times. I think I can do it." Leva was still looking down in silence. Kat continued to cry, Manu started to squirm again, and Suja looked at them in turn. "I know that you still have a history with him, Leva." Seb sighed, just gagging Manu''s mouth again. "But I think we''d better just ept him. We''ve all justmitted a grave sin. Maybe this is our way of making amends." Eric closed the door of the house and bolted it, blocking the wind and snow from entering. "I agree with my dad." Leva clenched her fists, and gritted her teeth. However, it onlysted a moment. After her hands opened again as usual, she went to the toilet. So, this is their decision. Seb smiled and walked over to the former tribe leader, crouched down, and held out his hand. "Wee to.... Ah, we don''t have a name yet." "Thanks very much!" Suja shook Seb''s hand with both of him''s. That''s when I noticed something odd. The pinky and ring fingers of Suja''s gloves looked limp. Have the fingers been cut off? [Suja wants to join your colony, will you ept him?] [Yes] [No] I pressed yes, ording to the wishes of my colonists. [Suja, 66 years old (Colonist)] STATS: Ranged attacks: 50/100 Melee attacks: 19/100 Construction: 22/100 Crafting: 92/100** Cook: 56/100 nts: 8/100 Mining: 5/100 Animals: 6/100 Medic: 27/100 TRAITS: Hard Drinker ¨C Suja really likes to drink liquor. Not drinking for long periods of time will affect his mood. He will also ignore orders not to drink. INCAPABLE OF: - HEALTH ISSUES: Scars on both legs (-35% walking speed) Missing four fingers (-40% working speed, there are some jobs he can''t do) Presbyopia ¨C Suja''s eyes are farsighted due to old age (-30% vision at close range) Cirrhosis ¨C Suja''s liver is damaged due to excessive alcohol consumption (Major, -10% moving speed) Hypertension ¨C Suja''s blood pressure is sometimes very high (Sometimes his vision is reduced by 10%, and his body gets tired easily) Damn, his condition is so bleak.. It was amazing that he was still alive after battling the cold of winter, even defeating the younger Xe. Chapter 127 - 127 – The Old Man’s Story "So, how did you escape from your own tribe, Suja?" Manu asked with his body still tied, though he wasn''t squirming anymore. Suja, who had just devoured Seb''s soup, took a deep breath. "After the coup, they killed all my friends, subordinates, family, wives and sympathizers. However, they didn''t kill me and tortured me every day instead. So many of my own people came to my cell to give me their own version of punishment." The old man then turned his head to look at Xe''s corpse in the corner of the shrouded room. "If it wasn''t for Xe, I don''t know how long I would be in that hell. That kid had been nning my rescue for a long time. Luckily enough, Xe wasn''t killed even though his father was my best friend. Redtooth still needs a skilled craftsman like Xe." The old man coughed, and Seb helped him drink some water. I just realized several cuts on the back of his neck and Suja''s hands, maybe all over his body, but they couldn''t be seen because they were covered in clothes. "They hold a grudge against me after being oppressed for years.... Maybe I deserve it. I think more of myself, and often make rules that my people don''t like, even though I feel it''s in their interest." Suja closed his eyes. "Thank goodness you finally realized your mistake." Leva, who was sitting some distance from her former tribe leader,ughed sarcastically. "All this time you were fattening your body, drinking, and having sex with your bitches, but your people were forbidden to do things for your lust. And then, you fell because of your lust too. How does it feel?" Suja was silent for a moment. "Leadership can turn out to be an intoxicating thing. In the past, when I was chosen to be a leader, I considered it a burden, but over time I let my guard down. Everyone bowed to me and assumed they would continue to obey my orders." "What is the purpose of you talking like this?" Leva got up and came to the old man with a wild breath. "Your regrets are pointless. I''ve been dragged for miles naked, my private parts--front and back--have been tainted time and time again, and all my family members are gone. Bitching of any kind will not make up for that." "If you want to torture me, go ahead." Suja closed his eyes for a second time. Leva shook her head with tears starting to fall. "That won''t change anything." The red-haired woman stepped back, then sat back down where she belonged. It was quiet again. The storm had subsided, but the sound was still heard from outside. *** The next day, Suja and Manu are in the hut containing cksmith tools. The former tribe leader was pulling the lever on the bellows, a device made from wood and leather, to push air into the fire. It will allow the furnace to reach a high enough temperature to make iron melt. Meanwhile, Manu watched with a shivering body. "Now it''s your turn, Manu." Suja signals. "You''ve noticed how I work, haven''t you? Don''t worry, it''s wrong to think that after using the devil''s tears your muscles be very exhausted. You can still do your normal activities. The only thing that gets in the way is your mind." Manu nods stiffly, then starts taking over Suja''s activities. Having just done his job a few times, Manu was already wincing in pain and clutching his chest. "Focus, Manu. If you focus on your work, you can get past the pain." Suja gives orders. "Breathe in, and keep pulling the lever regrly. Don''t think about your pain." Manu continued to do the work, though he continued to wince in pain and whimper. Using a kind of small shovel, Suja started to put the dark gray chunks into the kiln, which was getting bigger and bigger. Those chunks reminded me of the silvers that Leva used to mine. I guess making iron isn''t as simple as this in the real world. Well, I have to remember that this is all still a game. There must be some things that are simplified from the real world. "Come on, Manu." Suja gives motivation when Manu''s movements start to be erratic. "You can get through this¡­." Suja''s words were interrupted by a loud explosion from outside. The man immediately came out of the hut to check what was going on. It turns out that Kat is shooting a rifle at a tree with Eric teaching her. Seb''s son wasn''t really a long-range fighter, but no one else knew how to use that weapon. I did ask my colonists to do activities, but I didn''t force them to do them at specific times. What matters is that they want to do it. I think they need a diversion from their own grief. Or am I doing this wrong? I can''t tell what Kat is feeling because the girl''s face is back to how it was, almost expressionless. However, her eyes were very puffy. And what worries me the most is Eric, who looks very discouraged, and the dark bags under his eyes are getting thicker. When Kat fires another shot, Suja returns to the cksmith area. Manu''s movements and breathing were getting regr again. "Keep it up, Manu." Suja searched around the hut and found a sack in one corner. The old man opened the sack and found a rifle, a pistol, and parts that looked like they would be used for a sniper rifle, with a long barrel and a scoop. Apart from these spare parts, the other firearms looked worn out. "What the..." Turns out they kept the firearms here too. I have hidden the others in a safe ce in the house. How risky is it to put those dangerous things in an open space like this? Or maybe it''s weapons that are damaged and will be recycled? How about those spare parts? "Where did you get all this from?" Suja asks Manu in a cautious tone. "I''ve seen weapons that explode like this before. But at that time, I was very young." "It belongs to the people who used to inhabit this ce." Manu struggled to answer as he continued to pull the bellows lever. Suja gulped, took the revolver from the sack, and studied it.. "Hey, if we can reverse engineer this, no one can beat us." Chapter 128 - 128 – Dangerous Knowledge "As expected, you would act like this, Suja." The newly appeared Leva squeaked. She pressed her shoulders against the hut post while crossing her arms across her chest. "You want to take revenge on the Redtooth tribe by using us to make that weapon, right?" Suja shook his head. "I just thought that this weapon-making skill would be very useful. You can make weapons to protect yourself from stronger and more numerous enemies." "What a lie." Levaughed disdainfully. "Apart from seeking revenge, you also want to dominate others, right? You want to have a wider area of ??power to satisfy your lust." "I don''t know where you got that idea from." Suja sighed, then got up and faced Leva. "You know yourself, right? When I was the leader, I never took any other area. I have always adhered to the principle of not attacking anywhere else, unless they attack our tribe first." Leva shrugged. "I know that you discussed this with the other elders several times, right? Fortunately, it never came to fruition." "Why would I do that now? I am old ¡­." Suja cleared his throat, started putting the firearms into the sack again. "This is just a suggestion, if this tribe doesn''t agree, I have absolutely no problem." After saying that, Suja handed the sack to Leva, who immediately raised an eyebrow. "Why did you give me this thing?" The red-haired woman asked. "I don''t need it." Suja brought the sack closer to Leva''s chest and smiled. "Save it, so I don''t check it again and reverse engineer the stuff." Despite looking doubtful, Leva epted the sack. I have to admit, Suja''s words were also valid. The threats thate our way can be bigger than ever. Of course, there is no harm in improving other things besides fighting skills. My colonists already have the firearms, but if any of them are damaged, they can''t do anything because they don''t have the knowledge about them. Especially if one of them can''t be used anymore. Of course, someone has to create a new one. However, at the same time, I was thinking about various things. What if Suja managed to control my colonists and put up a fight with those firearms. Maybe now Suja still can''t do anything, but what if he bes like Tosa? Tosa managed to escape the orders of his guardian spirit and was able to mobilize humans to fight. Not to mention if other groups want to seize knowledge about these weapons. If they seed, then their way of fighting will change. Something absolutely terrible could happen. Besides all that, other bad possibilities kept swirling around in my head. "Arrrgggghhhh!!!" Suddenly Manu screamed and fell down, starting to flounder on the floor. Leva and Suja rushed to help him. "Looks like we''re done with this therapy session," said Suja, who was having a hard time holding Manu''s body down. *** Hours had passed, Manu finally stopped waddling like a madman and was now being fed by Seb. Manu looked more tired than usual because he had to do some activities before he rpsed. It seemed very hard to him. His shiver was also worse than yesterday. "After a few times of practicing with such focus, I believe that you will bepletely healed Manu. You just need patience and consistency." Suja said while chewing mashed potato with jerky pieces. "It would be even better if you did something that didn''t require too much physical exertion during a break like this. You can refocus on distracting yourself from the pain." "Ah, you can carve chess pieces, Manu." Seb suggested. "Carve? You guys don''t have a chisel¡­. Ah, maybe you mean carving with a knife for small objects?" Suja stroked his beard for a moment. "I don''t think that''s wise. His hands were still shaking. He wasn''t in good shape to wield a sharp object like knife. What I mean is like learning a harmless skill. However, unfortunately I am not a person who can teach with words alone. At least I need props." Leva stopped eating and narrowed her eyes at the former leader of her tribe. I also realized what Suja meant. Apparently, he was mentioning the gun issue again, but in a more subtle way. And I''ve decided. Maybe that''s a good idea. "Just say what you want about those firearms, Suja." I whispered to the old man. "I have something I want to tell all of you." Suja sighed then looked at the others in turn. "There are still very few of you. I think you should have more fighting power to defend yourself from something stronger in the future." Leva put her bowl roughly on the floor, causing a rather loud ttering. "Shut up, old man. I''ll punch you if you talk more than this." "You want to say about the reverse engineering of those firearms, Suja?" Manu chimed in with his eyes closed and lips trembling. "I agree with you. It will be very useful for us." "What the fuck?" Leva looked at her partner in disbelief. "You heard what I said earlier in the hut, right? Maybe he will use us to take revenge on Redtooth!" "Sorry, you speak nonsense. Maybe because you hate Suja so much, you think all of Suja''s actions are meant to harm us." Manu opens his eyes. "How can he use us for revenge just by asking us to learn to make weapons? In the end, we have to agree with him to attack Redtooth, right? We just have to refuse him if he asks us to do that." Leva folded her arms across her chest. "Now I ask you. So why do you agree with this old bastard?" "That¡­" Manu winced in pain again, starting to clutch his chest. "In the end we do need more strength. We were able to sessfully survive only because I consumed those devil''s tears, and I don''t want to do it again. One time is more than enough." "I know what I''m saying is rude. After all, I haven''t joined this tribe for long." Suja sighed after I whispered to him again.. "But maybe we should vote on this." Chapter 129 - 129 – Long Talk Yes, I did give the decision-making to my colonists again. Maybe I will also continue to do it again in the future. "Please, guys." Leva stood up. "Don''t listen to him." "I agree with Suja too." Eric answered while looking at his food which he only ate a little. "We cannot rely on existing weapons, because they may bepletely damaged or stolen. However, the problem is that we haven''t been able to find the source of the gunpowder." "Gun powder?" Suja raised an eyebrow. Eric turned his head to the old man. "It''s the explosive powder used tounch the bullets inside those firearms. I know how to make those things. I''ve seen it many times before. However, we have to mine the raw material somewhere or buy it. The problem is, I''m not sure there are any merchants selling it in this area." I''m sure in the real world, gunpowder is not mined. "Well, there''s someone with mineral detector abilities among us." Manu sighs. My three original colonists looked at Leva, who immediately snorted and shook her head. Realizing that, Suja and Eric also looked at Leva. "I can tell what characteristics the mineral detector will feel if it finds an area containing that gunpowder material." Eric added, continuing to look at Leva. "You must be able to sense various other minerals without knowing what they are, right?" Leva shook her head again, this time with a firm expression. "I would never do that." "Okay, then." Suja took a deep breath. "But at least we can still reverse engineer those weapons so that if they break, we can fix them." "Hey, we haven''t reached the majority of votes yet." Leva''s voice was getting louder. Seb sighed. "Sorry, but I don''t agree with Suja''s suggestion. Firearms will only pose a higher risk of violence. I''ve seen it many times in my original world." It wasn''t surprising that the words came out of Seb''s mouth. Perhaps he thought that if knowledge of these weapons spread, even more terrifying wars could arise. Yes, just like my worries. However, any decision has its risks, right? "I agree with Suja''s proposal." Kat answered and went to the toilet. Everyone there looked at Kat in silence. Leva spread her arms and snorted, walked over to the front door, and opened it. A sizable windstorm immediately greeted her, forcing her to close the door again. "Argggghhhh!!!" "Rx, Leva. We''re not going to make a functional weapon if you don''t look for that gunpowder material." Manu said, still clutching his chest. Leva sat in front of the fire, muttering in an incoherent voice. *** Everyone was asleep, except for Leva. She was still sitting in front of the firece with the nket wrapped around her. Her gaze continued to focus on the firece. Suja got up from his sleep, then went to the toilet for a few minutes. As soon as he got out, he didn''t go straight to his sleeping bag but approached Leva with a small, modern-looking bottle. Maybe that metal bottle came from one of the escape pods thatnded on the. As the former tribe leader sat down in front of the fire, Leva shifted away from him. Suja shrugged, took a sip from the bottle he was holding, then handed it to Leva. The red-haired woman nced at the bottle for a moment. "It''s alcohol, right? That''s basically poison. I''ll never drink poison." [New trait unlocked] [Straight Edge ¨C Leva does not like smoking, using recreational drugs, and drinking alcohol. She didn''t want her body and mind to be damaged by those things.] Suja shrugged, then took another sip of his drink. He pulled away and shook the bottle into his open mouth. However, only a drop finallynded on his tongue. "What''s your businessing here, old man?" Leva asked in azy tone. "You want to persuade me again to agree with your n?" Suja shook his head, looking at the silver bottle in his hand. "No. I know you''re stubborn." Sighing, Leva pulled the nket over her body. "Do you know the reason I haven''t killed you yet?" "Because only me that might have a chance of healing Manu, right?" Suja smirked, also looking at the fire. "It turns out that you are quite fond of your friends. Honestly, I''m quite surprised, Leva. I don''t think you''ll be able to open your heart to anyone outside of your own family." "One of the good things about you dumping me is that I''m trying to change to be a better person. I realized that after a while people would get sick of my shitty actions and they would do something to me." Suja nodded. "Well, that''s what got me punished. They are fed up with what I''ve been doing all this time, and they took everything from me." "Are you saying that we are the same?" Levaughed bitterly. "What a fucking joke." Suja was silent for some time. "The thing is, you still have plenty of time to reorganize your life, while I don''t. I know that I am old and far from healthy. I can feel it, maybe my life won''t be long." "You want me to pity you, old man?" "No. Why pity this lowly me?" Suja chuckled. "I just wanted to ask you, don''t you want to continue to be happy?" Leva snorted again. "Hurry up and say what you want to say now. I''m sick of your long talk." "Like I said, you''re already very fond of these friends of yours." Suja''s smile blossomed. "It means that the source of your happiness is in them, right? You don''t want to protect them with something better?" "You said earlier that you weren''t going to persuade me to look for that explosive powder." Leva scratched her head with a troubled expression. "What a fucking liar." "I''m not asking you to forgive me." Suja looked at his shaking hands. A hand that only has three fingers. "Maybe I sound shameless and selfish. Since I am now here with you guys, I also want to have safer protection. And I think that firearm is the answer¡­." Before Suja had finished speaking, Leva got up from the firece and walked over to her sleeping bag.. Suja couldn''t help but smile at that. Chapter 130 - 130 – Reminder Days passed with Manu continuing to practice cksmithing, from melting iron to forging various weapons. Then, at night he would dissect firearms and study them with Suja. Seb had a job to cook, while the others had almost nothing they could do. Leva mostly beats the training dummy. Kat trains with the rifle. However, because the avable bullets and gunpowder were limited, she mostly just practiced aiming to get used to the weapon. What worries me the most is Eric, whose body is starting to get thin. He mostly stays in the corner of the house, eats very little, or sometimes doesn''t eat at all. The man also sleeps very little, and every day he looks unmotivated. This man has been through a lot. And no matter how much his father talked to him, it didn''t matter at all. The man''s condition seemed to be getting worse by the day. Until one day, I stopped the fast-forward feature because Eric came out of the house and looked like he would leave, even though I didn''t ask him to do anything. "Where are you going, Eric?" Leva stopped hitting the training dummy. "I just wanted to take a walk to change the mood." Eric said in a limp tone, bloodshot in his eyes, thick eye bags, and ackluster expression. "Ah, be careful then." Leva watched the man walk away, then started beating the training dummy again. "I sensed something dangerous wasing." Leva spoke to Kat, who was about to enter the house. "This may sound strange, but after the stump scorpions attack, I can sense the danger ahead." Having a bad feeling after hearing that, I ordered Leva to catch up with Eric. However, because Seb''s son has the trait of agile feet, Leva is far behind. Eric entered the tree area at wild breath intervals. His steps also began to be irregr. "I''m sorry.... I''m sorry.... I''m sorry...." The man kept muttering in his steps. His tears began to fall drop by drop. "I failed all of you ...." And then, he took out something from his parka. Something that made me gasp hard and turn back to Leva, ordering her to run instead of walking. Eric just pulled out a long rope. When I returned to him, the man made a knot in the rope and then climbed up arge tree. Weeping again, he climbed onto one of the thickest branches, tying the rope to it. The rope dangled downwards, the ends forming a loop like a smallsso, a circle that would clearly be where Eric''s neck would be. "What are you doing Eric!?" I screamed at my colonist. "Please, don''t do this!!! Don''t kill yourself!!!" I kept yelling at him, but the man ignored me and continued to tie the rope to the branch. Why hasn''t Levae yet!? "Do something, Leva!!!" I screamed when Leva finally appeared. Wide-eyed and choking, Leva quickened her run, then climbed the tree fast. "Leave me alone! Don''t stop me! Get out of here!" Eric screamed like a madman. He had trouble making a knot on the branch because his hands were shaking. "I can''t take it anymore! Let me do this! I don''t deserve to live!" However, Leva didn''t care. She kept climbing and finally reached the branch Eric was sitting on. Seb''s son inched away. "Get away from me!" Leva still didn''t reply and continued toe to Eric. At first, I thought the red-haired woman would talk to the man, but she didn''t. I jumped in surprise as Leva pushed Eric from the tree. Are you crazy, Leva!? What if Eric gets injured!? What if he falls headfirst!? Luckily the snow was thick enough, so Eric was only in pain and could get up again. A nasty disaster would ur if the mannded on the usual ground. Leva jumped off the branch,nded on a roll in the snow, then tackled Eric to the ground. Ugh. Am I wrong to choose this savage Leva to stop Eric? There was a fierce struggle. The two humans rolled in the snow, But finally, Leva managed to restrain Eric by twisting the man''s arm behind his back. "Why? Why did I choose Sebastian who I thought was dead a long time ago?" Eric groaned as if holding back pain. "Why would I betray my friends who I''ve lived with for years? Even Emma was killed, even though I had promised to marry her. If I knew this would happen, I wouldn''t want to be reunited with Sebastian. It''s better for him to be someone else to me." "But, in the end you still love your dad, right?" Leva sighed. "If you end your life, do you know what will happen to him?" Eric was silent. His hair covered his eyes. "Just so you know, your dad had gone through a lot before our raid that time." Leva continued her words. "We did help him to survive. However, all of that still came from him...." Leva gulped, loosening the lock on Eric''s hand. "The point is, I don''t know if he can survive without you, Eric. You don''t want him to be broken, do you? So, live for your dad." I didn''t expect that Leva would give such a piece of advice with a much gentler tone. Leva rose from Eric''s body. Eric also rose to his feet, then walked with his head down. Sighing, Leva climbed up the tree to retrieve the string of ropes that were still there. I chose to stick with Eric. The man''s gaze, though shedding tears, looked as empty as that of a dead man. "O guardian angel.... If you really exist.... Please listen to me.... Tell me what to do...." The man raved in a low voice. "I really lost my way..." "You have to stay alive, Eric." I answered him. "This is for your dad''s sake and for your own sake. There is still much you can do in this world. I beg of you." The manughed with a bitter tone, but it was only for a moment.. He walked again with unsteady steps. Chapter 131 - 131 – Big Discovery Eric fell asleep in one corner of the main room even though it was still noon. Leva looked at the man for a moment, and when Seb came into the house, the woman led the blond man into the kitchen. There, Leva recounted what had happened earlier, without the slightest reduction. I did ask it that way. Seb deserved to know what was going on. "That''s it, Seb." Leva sighed at the end of her story. "Maybe he said he would try to forgive Manu, or was grateful you were alive. Still, he couldn''t lie to himself. He lost a lot of people and he med himself for it." Seb, who was sitting on a small wooden chair, let out a long sigh. "I don''t know what to do, Leva. He was my son, but now I feel like he''s a different person. I didn''t see him growing up.... Honestly, I only saw a little bit of the Eric I used to know." "But, you''re the one who still has a great chance of healing him, Seb." Leva leaned her back against the wall. "You have saved us many times with your words." Seb chuckled. "Have you seen me do thattely? I am.... Ah, forget it, Leva." "Just say what''s on your mind, Seb." I said to the blonde-haired man. He also needs mental support. Maybe talking to Leva would help. "To be honest, this whole thing frustrates me a lot, Leva." Seb massaged his forehead. "I can''t even keep my own mind clear, let alone help others? Just so you know, I''ve thought many times about doing what Eric was about to do¡­ Ending my own life¡­. This world is too crazy for me, Leva." After a moment of silence, Leva put her hand on the man''s shoulder. "We''ll get through this, Seb. My parents say any storm will pass." "But for how long?" Seb looked at Leva''s face with sad eyes. "And after one storm has passed, is there any guarantee that the next storm will note? What if the stormes while we are still recovering from the previous storm? What if the next stormes bigger?" Leva opened her mouth but then closed it again. Those words emphasized that the condition of my colonist was far from okay. I''ve always thought of Seb as a shining light for others, even though he''s had many breakdowns. It was impossible for him to bepletely healed from the terrible things he had seen and experienced. He is a man who loves peace, after all. So, what else can I do for them? I was about to hit the fast-forward button as usual, but I held myself back. Maybe I need something to refresh my mind to make it easier to find a solution? After thinking for a while, I decided to take a walk around the house. However, just leaving the house, a conversation from the cksmith''s hut caught my attention. "It must be very hard to keep your people''s spirit high, while they don''t have much to eat." Manu asked while beating arge piece of iron that was glowing red on the anvil. The man''s breathing was more regr this time, but he couldn''t use the big hammer in his hand steadily. "Well, the thing is, I used a guardian spirit as my tool. I said the guardian spirit was battling an evil spirit that was causing a nt disease outbreak, and theck of animals to hunt. That battle willst for a long time." Suja says while keeping an eye on Manu. The old man had to raise his voice a little to counter the sound of the hammer blows. "Essentially, I make stories that give hope to my people, even though I don''t know their future. I even asked my tribe''s shaman that time who could see the spirit to support my story." "Then, did it work?" Manu asked, inserting the piece of iron into the smoldering kiln using arge metal pincer. "It worked. They can endure until eventually the crops get better, and the animals that can be hunted increase." Manu put on a faint smile. "Sounds like you are a great leader, Suja." "Maybe in the past." Suja''s gaze bes zed. "Before greed kills my morality." Oh, that''s right. Suja is the former leader of a sizeable group. For years he led them, making them obey his orders. This old man probably has the bestmunication skills in my colony. *** "I found this in the storeroom." After dinner, Suja puts a y bottle with a wooden seal on the floor. "Sorry if I''m rude, but I can''t help myself when I find wine of this quality." I did ask Suja to boost the morale of my colonists, and it was up to him to do whatever it took. But I didn''t expect him to do that with alcohol involved. Well, I know that his liver condition is not good because of his excessive alcohol consumption. But I guess it''s okay if it''s just a little. Seb raised an eyebrow. "Huh, that bottle is the same as oil bottles. I didn''t know it was wine." "It''s poison." Leva snorted, choosing to stay away from them. "My dad got sick from drinking too much alcohol." "But I salute him who can still carry out his usual activities even with the disease." Suja chuckled and started handing out y sses to the others, minus Leva, of course. "Don''t worry, we won''t drink to the point of ruining us. We drink just to warm our bodies." "I prefer to be sober to guard all of you in case the enemyes." Leva shrugged with a sneer. Suja poured the dark purple liquid into the ss each of my colonists was holding. "We toast to the tribe¡­." Suja, who had raised his ss, frowned. "Ah, you guys don''t have names yet." Sebughed. "That''s what makes us unique." "Alright, let''s toast so we can get through winter and survive afterward!" They all touched their sses to the other''s. Suja nods after drinking the liquid. Seb shrugged, perhaps having tasted much tastier wine on earth. Manu only tasted a small portion of it, and Eric finished it in one gulp. Meanwhile, Kat drank slowly. Suja smiles. "So, have you felt the warmth of ..." Suddenly the sound of something breaking echoed. Kat had just mmed her empty ss onto the floor, stood red-faced, then ran over to the firece. "These clothes trapped my body! I can''t be free!" Kat screamed as she started to take off her garments. "I have to destroy all of this!!!" Chapter 132 - 132 – Emphasis Kat took off her clothes at an unbelievable speed. Now, she was standing in front of the firece wearing a loincloth only, exposing her incredible body assets. The men just red at that. I, who had not seen the beauty of the amber-eyed female colonist''s body, couldn''t help but stare. The breasts, the butt, the thigh, her soft skin... "I am free!!!" Kat screamed in a slurred voice, then mmed all her clothes down. "Hmmm.... Ah, I''m not that free yet." I gasped as Kat started to take off her loincloth. "Hey, why are you guys silent! Stop her!" I shouted to my colonists. This is not the right ce and time to be naked! Damn it! The first to rise was Leva. She tackled Kat, who had almost taken off the bottom garmentpletely. They both fell down, and Leva immediately strangled Kat from behind using her forearms. "Hey, tie her up and cover her body!!!" Leva shouted as she continued to hold Kat''s body. The men scattered frantically. Seb took the ropes while Eric brought the nkets, and the others held Kat''s body. They had a bit of a hard time doing it because Kat kept squirming wildly. It took a few minutes for them to finally tie Kat up and wrap her in a nket. "Why did she be like me when I rpsed?" Manu scratched his head while watching Kat, who was still squirming like a caterpir on the floor. The girl''s face was getting redder. "Let go of me... Please... Ahnnn... Instead of sounding like an angry person, Kat let out a teasing sigh. "I want to be free...." Seb grimaced. "This means we have to keep her from drinking alcohol again." "Hey, all of you guys, warm up my body...." Before Kat could finish, Leva stuffed the amber-eyed girl''s mouth with a cloth. "I told you, alcohol is poison!" Leva grumbled. "Ah, I haven''t seen anything like this in a long time. In the future you willugh if you remember this moment again." Suja chuckled, then drank the wine from his ss again. "You think this is funny?" Leva looked even more irritated. "She almost humiliated herself! Again!" Ah, that poisonous mushroom incident. "Has something like this happened before?" Eric raised an eyebrow. "I''m not going to tell you guys!" Leva folded her arms across her chest. "And Manu, Seb, don''t tell anyone about that or I''ll crush your dicks!" Manu and Seb immediately covered their respective genitals and flinched as if thinking Leva could actually do that. "Ah, this is the Leva I''ve known all along." Suja chuckled, turned around, and sat back down where he had been. "But it''s true, it''s not just this incident. You all remind me of being together in a group, something I''ve forgotten for a long time. You guys take care of each other." Suja pours more wine into his ss. "After observing you guys, I came to a conclusion. Maybe you guys took this ce by killing the residents, right?" The atmosphere was immediately quiet. The only sound that could be heard was the soft snoring of the sleeping Kat. "What''s your point, old man?" Leva put her hands on her hips in front of Suja. Sipping his drink, the old man continued his speech. "I can guess. You guys feel guilty, right? All of that can be seen from the gloomy atmosphere of this ce. The guilt can damage your morale, but all of you are still solid and can still carry out activities. No one mes each other. And although some can only wail in silence, you all don''t me them." Eric turned his face away from the old man. "But we won''t know how long we canst." Manu clenched his fists. He started wincing in pain again. "As long as this guilt persists, maybe we won''t be able to calm down." "If you have no guilt, then your heart is dead." Suja was about to pour some more wine, but turns out the bottle he was holding was empty. "Just like I used to be. I consider that people dying on my mission to be inevitable. Even though they clearly lost their life because of me. Now, I''m reminded again that every life is precious." "Again, I think your words are bullshit, old man." Leva replied with a sharp look in her eyes. "I''m not asking you to believe me." Suja smiled faintly. "Ah, I''m talking at length.... The point is, it''s better if you live with that guilt, and move on. If you do that, I''m sure all of you will be fine. It shows that you are good people. I feel that if good people unite, they will be very difficult to divide." Well said, Suja. Leva knelt down and brought her face closer to Suja''s. "I know your speech pattern, old man." Leva hissed. "This is the way you talk like when you do propaganda to your people. You will attract their sympathy, then put twisted ideas into their brains." Suja just stared at Leva''s face in silence. Blood vessels began to appear in Leva''s neck. "From seducing young girls to be your concubines, to influencing your people to carry out a mission. You''ve always used this method." Suja''s smile blooms again. "But, in myst moments as a leader, I sometimes lose that touch. I once forced Manu to tell the salt cave. My lust made me do that instead of persuading him." Leva raised her eyebrows, probably not expecting Suja to say that. "My purpose for doing speeches like this is really to lift the morale of all of you. I have be a part of your tribe. I want our tribe to survive and thrive." Suja spoke with great emphasis on the word tribe. "It''s up to you to believe me or not. What is clear is that what I said makes sense to all of you, right? Think about it carefully." Am I wrong to ask this old man to speak to the others? Is he actually still dangerous? Leva takes her face away from Suja, then gets up and leaves. The former tribe leader remained where he was while the others stared at him in silence. Suja opened his mouth. At first, I thought he would talk again, but the old man threw up violently instead. "Suja!" Seb and the other men came up to the old man, who eventually copsed. The vomiting that came out of Suja''s mouth grew more intense, making him unable to speak. "Please get some water and a rag!" Seb gave the order. Chapter 133 - 133 – Lump Of Living Flesh [Stroke, Major ¨C Damage to the brain from interruption of its blood supply.] Now Suja is lying with his eyes closed on the fur mat. He wasn''t throwing up anymore, but there was something different about him. His right lip was nted. This is bad. "How do you feel Suja?" Seb asked the old man in a slow and low tone. "I have a headache.... Strong headache...." Suja''s way of speaking was not clear. Seb touched Suja''s right hand, which was half sped and looked stiff. "Here, can you feel my hand?" Suja shook his head. The same thing happened when Seb switched to holding the old man''s right leg. "Do you know how to treat it, Seb?" Manu asks, starting to clutch his chest again. Seb shook his head, of course not wanting to be seen by Suja. Manu closed his eyes and massaged his forehead. Perhaps he was the most disappointed by this situation. In this challenging situation, Suja continued to give him instructions and motivation to heal himself. Manu has shown good progress. "I apologize." Suja''s voice was barely understandable. Not because it''s soft, but it''s not clear. "At times like this, I''m even more troublesome for all of you." "It''s okay, Suja." Seb lightly touched the old man''s shoulder. "Now, rest." "T-thank you." "We''re going to bed, if there''s anything, wake me up. I sleep beside you." Seb added. *** I stopped the fast-forward feature as Leva got up from her sleeping bag and knelt next to Suja. "What a pity." The woman hissed, then brought her mouth close to Suja''s ear while shaking the old man''s body hard. Suja flinched a bit, maybe in shock. However, he still couldn''t open his eyes. "Shut up." Leva stuck the knife to the neck of the former tribe leader. "Ah, don''t worry, I won''t kill you if you don''t scream." I was going to call the others to stop Leva, but I chose to remain silent and watch in the end. Suja had opened his mouth to say but ended up just gulped. "As long as you are here, I really want to kill you. However, as I told you before, while I was with these people, I also learned self-control." Leva started whispering through gritted teeth. "But, I continued to struggle to contain this desire, old man. And finally, everything changed today. I no longer want to kill you. Seeing you who used to be drunk on power and arrogant, now reduced to a helpless old man like this, it makes me feel immeasurable pleasure. ." Leva smiled in satisfaction, and it gave me goosebumps. "You remember Fred? My grandfather who was also an elder in our tribe?" The red-haired woman began to gently caress Suja''s face. "He had the exact same disease as you. In fact, it happened very much like you. He spoke, then suddenly vomited and fell." Suja''s body starts shaking. "Do you know when he finally recovered?" Leva shook her head. "Well, he remained sick until he died. For the rest of his life, every day he would have severe headaches, unable to function as usual, never enjoying his food... In other words, he became like a lump of living flesh. It means nothing at all." "That''s enough, Leva." I could not stand to hear her words anymore. "Sigh, I feel the urgency to stop this conversation." Leva chuckled. "Maybe it''s the guardian spirit that my ex-boyfriend used to talk about. Well, hopefully he doesn''t wake up my friends to stop me. I won''t be able to calm down if I don''t tell you what''s in my head now. After this, I''ll be done with you." I, who was about to do what Leva said, was momentarily stunned. So, this is a closure for Leva, who has been wronged. Despite feeling very sorry for Suja, I finally let Leva continue with her words. "Well, at least my grandfather still has people who love him." Leva sneered a little. "Well Seb helped you because that''s Seb, he''s a good person. Manu just needs you to heal him. Eric just followed his dad. Kat? I bet she doesn''t care about you at all." The woman was silent for a moment. "As for me? Hmmm.... Seems like I''m the only one who really loves you. I think of you as my own grandfather." A smallugh escaped Leva''s mouth. Suja still didn''t give any meaningful response, just closed her eyes and gulped. Either because he really couldn''t do anything or because he was too scared. Until finally, Suja''s body twitched a little. Leva narrowed her eyes and removed the nket that Suja was wearing. "Ah, you wet your bed, old man." Leva smirked. "Let me take care of you. Don''t talk, or I''ll do something more than clean you up." Suja''s body trembled even more, and her face turned pale. I couldn''t imagine being in the position of this old man, so terrified and utterly helpless. It''s a hell. Leva left for a moment to get some water, new pants, and a rag. Upon returning, the red-haired woman immediately started caring activities without feeling awkward at all, even though it was clear that Suja was of the opposite sex. From taking off his pants, washing him, to putting on new pants, Leva did it very smoothly. "This is nothing new to me." The woman shrugged. "I once took care of my mother when she was paralyzed. Anne gave the medicine and checked her condition regrly, while I was the one who bathed and took care of other things. Well, although of course this is different." Suja is still shaking. I can only guess what the old man had in mind. Maybe this will destroy his self-esteem even more. The woman he once dumped is now taking care of him in a situation like this. What a revenge. A single tear fell from Suja''s eye, and Leva quickly wiped it away. Seb woke up when Leva had covered the old man''s body with a nket. The blond man''s gaze fell on the y basin of water, rags, and Suja''s pants on the floor. "Leva, you¡­." "It''s finished." Leva smiled with satisfaction again, starting to tidy things up. "Well, I just wanted to help him.. After all he is the former leader of my old tribe." Chapter 134 - 134 – Lump Of Living Flesh (2) A week after Suja fell ill, the old man was carried out by Seb on his back, to Manu who was forging iron in the hut as usual. The former tribe leader was finally able to open his eyes. "I''m sorry and thanks for helping me, Sebastian." Suja said in a barely understandable voice. "It''s nothing." Smiling, Seb helps Suja sit on the chair with Manu''s help. "You should just rest inside, Suja." Manu says while adjusting Suja''s position to be morefortable. "It''s cold outside and you''re still not well." "I''m bored." Suja chuckled with his nted mouth. "And did you forget? I promised to help you until the end." Leva, who came to check from a distance, just narrowed her eyes and returned to the training dummy. "But I''m feeling a lot better." Manu replied. "My focus is getting better and my pain isn''t as bad as it used to be." Suja sighed as he closed his eyes. "Let me do this.... Let me at least pretend to make a contribution to you guys." "You''re not pretending, Suja." Seb patted the old man on the shoulder. "I''m sure your mere presence will increase Manu''s motivation." "Thank you very much." Suja smiled back, though of course not perfectly. He then looked at Manu. "Hey, what are you waiting for young man, continue your work. Those irons won''t turn into something by themselves, you know." Manu nods and smiles too. While Manu forges the irons, Suja gives motivation and instructions, albeit with heavy breathing and difficulty speaking. He keeps doing that, especially when Manu shows signs of pain again. This man does have countless sins. However, seeing him like this, I couldn''t bear it. He was nothing but a helpless old man. His aplishments and prestige had been forgotten. But he didn''t want to be seen as a living piece of flesh like Leva said. "You have no idea how precious all of this is, Suja." Manu said when his work session finished in the afternoon. He is now carrying Suja to enter the house. "It''s hard for me to exin. Basically, something went wrong in my head.... It got me in a lot of trouble. And with this mental training, I think I can control it." Ah, maybe he''s also fighting the urgency of taking unreasonable revenge. Perhaps against Eric, who used to raid my colonists. Suja smiled faintly. "None of this would have happened if you didn''t have the will, Manu. The only one who could make this happen is yourself." "But, without your guidance, I''m sure none of this would have happened." Manu sighed as he finally entered the house. "Ah, if only someone guided me when I was in my old tribe." My bearded male colonist lowered Suja to lean on one corner of the room. Leva, who was lying nearby, just nced at them briefly. "So, how are you now?" Suja asks again. "I''m actually still in pain right now. But, like I said, it''s not as intense as it used to be." Manu replies, smiling again. "I can move more freely." "Ah, maybe my existence isn''t really needed anymore." Suja spoke still in an unclear voice, then chuckled. "You managed to endure the immeasurable pain, until it gradually disappeared. There were some who went insane before that happened. You''re great, Manu." Manu was silent, looking at the sad face of the old man. "You''re great too, Suja. I know you must still have a terrible headache. The cold outside must have been really torturous for you, but you still came out to support me." "Actually..." Suja gulped again. "This may be penance for me for driving many of my people crazy because of the devil''s tears, it''s not just to help you...." "So what?" Manu cuts off the conversation. His smile grew even wider. "In the end, you still helped me. That''s what''s important." Suja looks at Manu with teary eyes, smiling too. "Just friendly reminder. Don''t let him manipte you, Manu." Leva chimed in. Manu only nced at the red-haired woman, then spoke again to the former leader of the Redtooth tribe. "When you feel better, I''ll help you practice walking again, Suja." "Thank you." Suja''s tears start to fall. *** "I''m sorry.... All of you.... Because of me, you all suffered.... I became a ve to my own lust...." Suja spoke in his sleep, waking the others up. He then opened his eyes, turned to the other colonists, then said with a quiet tone. "Where''s Leva? I want to talk to her." All eyes were on Leva, who immediately snorted and walked over to the man. "What''s the matter, old man?" Leva asked while yawning, not bothering to kneel beside Suja. "I''m still sleepy, so hurry up. Don''t waste my time." Suja coughs, starts sobbing. "Forgive me ...." "I told you, didn''t I? I''ll never forgive you." Leva snorted. "Don''t be like that Leva. Don''t you feel sorry for him?" Seb reminded, but Leva just replied with another snort. Suja was silent, with more and more tears flowing down. Seb helped him to wipe the clear liquids with a rag. Leva, looking increasingly irritated, had opened her mouth just as Suja finally spoke again, of course in a barely understandable tone. "As you said, I did intend to manipte all of you to take revenge and take over Redtooth. In fact, my activity in helping Manu was to gain your sympathy first." Manu took a deep breath. Seb stopped wiping Suja''s tears while Kat and Eric just froze in ce. "I already knew that." Levaughed sarcastically. "Why are you saying that again? So that we can pity you even more?" "There''s nothing more to say." Suja sobbed, looking at my other colonists. "I''m really sorry. I''m a bad human. I intended to take advantage of all of you, even though you helped me...." Suja''s body suddenly flinched, and his mouth started to vomit. Seb quickly contains the vomit into a rag to keep it from spilling out. At the same time, Manu hurried off, presumably to get some water and another rag. Meanwhile, Leva was still standing tall, staring at the scene in silence. [Stroke, Extreme ¨C Damage to the brain from interruption of its blood supply.] Chapter 135 - 135 – Another Arrival Suja is buried immediately that morning. No ceremony at all. There is no such thing as a speech to mention the achievements of the deceased. There were only people gathered to dig a hole and bury the old man. After the grave was finally finished, my colonists just looked at it as a mound of soils among the other mounds. Only Leva was nowhere to be seen. One by one, my colonists withdrew, leaving Manu, who was still there for a few more moments, before finally walking back towards the house. Arriving at the ce, Manu came to Leva, who was sitting in the corner of the main room. "What?" Leva asked without seeing her friend''s face. "Perhaps I know the most about feeling grudges." Manu sat opposite the red-haired woman. "So maybe I know how you feel about Suja. But won''t you forgive him after all that happened? I think he''s made his redemption. And now he''s gone. There''s no point in keeping that grudge in you, Leva." A smallugh escaped from Leva''s mouth, who finally lifted her face to look at Manu. "Look at Suja''s influence. Even after he bes a corpse and starts to rot, you are still being deceived by him." Leva doesn''t give Manu a chance to reply. The red-haired girl got up and walked quickly outside to approach the training dummy. "Hey, you wanna go hunting, Kat?" Leva asked Kat who was getting ready in front of the house. The girl just nodded, then took the quiver and walked away with the bow. "Take care!" Leva shouted. I ordered Kat to do that. The food supplies of my colonists were running low. As long as the snow is not too high and the air starts to warm up, there''s no harm in taking this opportunity. Still walking, the girl nced slightly to her right side, then wiped her tears that had started to fall. You still miss Rox, Kat? Kat continues to walk through the trees, and I use the fast forward feature. Everything went so fast, then in just a few seconds, everything turned back to normal. However, there was nothing around the girl, who was now standing still. There were no signs of danger, animals to hunt, or anything else to trigger the fast forward to stop. I ended up looking around because maybe there was something I missed. Then, the scenery around me became blurry. "Hi, long time no see, my son." I sighed, turning my body towards the direction of the voice. "Hi, H." "Why is your wee so cold?" The human figure with a transparent orange body shrugged his shoulders. "I already helped your people when their settlement was about to burn, didn''t I?" "Perhaps I would be warmer to you if you told me what consequences my colonists had after that incident." I''m on my hips. "It''s been a while and I didn''t know about the consequences. Honestly, I feel uneasy about it." "We''ll get to that topicter." The figure approached me. "Now I''ll give you something. Can''t believe it''s been almost six months since you came here." Boxes with pictures started popping up all around me. And in each box, I find text that exins things. Ah, those are perk boxes. Everything is still gray, a sign I don''t have all of that perks. My attention was immediately drawn to a perk with a picture of someone doing stealth. It reminded me of the first raid that happened to my colony. [You will gain the ability to raid other colonies without being detected by their guardian spirit] Looks like I don''t need it. As much as possible, I don''t want to raid anywhere else. I don''t want my colonists to feel guilty anymore. And again, the moral burden I bear is enormous. "Take your time." H spreads his arms. "Choose what you think your people really need. Don''t let yourself regret it." I carefully checked the boxes. There are those rted to strength, crafting, hunting, and much more. And there is one more thing that caught my attention again. Image of a person who appears to be giving a speech on a stage. [You can choose someone to get high charisma. The person you choose can have a significant influence on the minds of your other colonists. If that person dies, you can choose another to rece him.] Ah, maybe this is the perk that Red chose when inaugurating Suja as the leader of the Redtooth tribe. I don''t think this is useful for my people. Making my colony like Redtooth is a bad thing. I went back to looking at the perks, reading the descriptions one by one. As time passed, I marked a few to sort through again. In the end, I got the three that I thought I needed the most. [The yield of agricultural crops increased by 20%] [Animals around the living area increased by 20%] [Battle ability on defense increased by 10%] Everything is for survival, not the oppression of others. After a moment of thought, I eliminated the second option. Now I only have one hunter. Maybe the chance to find the animal would be bigger, but Kat wouldn''t be able to make the most of it. Only two left. It would be convenient indeed if there were more agricultural products. However, if you really want a lot of those things, shouldn''t I just ask Seb to nt more? I ended up choosing thetter, remembering the raid from Congraylham. At the very least, it would reduce the risk of my colonists dying from an attack from anything. I pressed a perk with a picture of a group of people carrying the weapon. A text to confirm that I selected it appeared, and I pressed yes. The perk glowed, and the color changed, from being gray with various shades to being colorful. H pped. "A good choice." "So." I shrugged again. "You''re going to tell me the consequences you''ve kept secret for months?" "I didn''t say I would." H cleared his throat. "What?" I was starting to feel more and more irritated. "But don''t worry, you''ll find out soon enough." The orange figure giggled. "Hey, why do you look so upset, I came personally to apany you to choose this perk, you know! Usually, I let the others choose for themselves!" "Is that true?" I snorted, feeling H was toying with me. "Why is that?" "Because you and your colony are the most interesting of all...." H stopped talking and looked up slightly. "Ah, I have to go now... Ah, I almost forgot. I gave a gift to your people. Please ept it." "Wait a minute, you can''t just walk away without answering...." Before I could finish my words, everything returned to normal. Kat stood still, staring at the gigantic, lifeless pig lying on the snow.. The pink pig was too fat. Chapter 136 - 136 – Something Called Home My colonists began to devour the brown roast pork that Seb made. The meat was more tender and miraculously tasted quite savory even without the seasoning at all. "This is definitely not meat from a wild boar." Manu nodded with his mouth full. "Maybe this animal got out of its owner''s cage. Is it okay for us to eat it?" "You talk like that but eat like a madman." Leva answered while licking the bone that was clean of the flesh. "Don''t worry, the evidence will be ger. The remaining meat will be processed as jerky by Seb. And who''s going to bother looking anyways?" Kat stayed out of the conversation and kept eating. Seb, who was also chewing, nced at Eric, who just sat and didn''t touch his food at all. "You haven''t eaten in days, Eric." Seb sighed. "At this rate, you''re really going to get sick." "Huh?" Eric looked at his father, then took his portion of meat and took a small bite. After that, he put it back on the te. Seb couldn''t help but sigh again as his son chewed slowly. "Hey, by the way, what about us next?" Leva spoke in a low voice. Manu raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" Leva started to look around at the others. "Winter will be over soon. Do we still need to stay here? The main reason we stay here is because winter will make our journey home difficult, right?" The atmosphere became quiet. Everyone stopped eating. It took a while before Manu finally answered. "Well, there are a lot of bad memories here." "I agree that we go back to our previous home." Finally, Kat joined the conversation. Manu chuckled bitterly. "And in the first ce, we have no right to be here. We didn''t build all this. I do feelfortable with the forging tools here, but I can build them where we are, and I can bring the necessary things from here ...." Manu stopped his speech and looked at Eric. "That''s if you don''t mind me bringing your friend''s stuff, Eric." Eric shrugged. "I don''t mind. It''s better than leaving those things alone. However, isn''t it troublesome to carry heavy things like anvils and so on?" "Ah, that''s right, huh." Manu sighed. "Well, before leaving, we can wait for the merchant who sells horses or other transport animals, though I think the chances of that happening are very slim." Eric continued his speech. Manu nodded. "And so I can sell the weapons I''ve made." "There''s nothing wrong with waiting." Seb shed his trademark smile. "Also, I think it would be best if we waited for the snow topletely clear before setting off." "I''ve been dying to go back to our old home, even if it''s not as good as it is here." Levained with an annoyed face. "But what you say makes sense, Seb. We''ll have to wait. The journey in the snow was tough." Then, they fell silent again. I know they won''t decide before I give orders. Wait. Just now, they made a n without me giving an order to discuss first? My mind went back to what H said a moment ago. "Don''t leave. Stay here." I ordered them all. "So, it''s been decided, right?" Leva said again while scratching her hair. "Shall we return to our former home?" My colonists looked at each other, then nodded in turn. This is very strange. I don''t see a cause that could make them go against my orders collectively like this. Could this be the consequence that H meant? My colonists can''t permanently move from their original homes? I didn''t expect it at all. I thought the consequences would be more significant than this. Or have I not seen the great repercussions of this consequence? An uneasy feeling began to overwhelm me. What do you want, H? "Okay!" Leva got up and put her hands on her hips. Her mouth formed a wide smile. "We are going back to our beloved home! Well, there''s nothing special about that house, anyway... Come to think of it. There were terrible memories there too... Whatever! What is clear is that the ce we built with great struggle. I walked for days to collect the damn ys!" *** Kat came out of the house carrying a burning torch, standing in the yard looking up at the star-studded sky. Not long after, Seb came out too and approached the girl. "Can''t sleep, Kat?" Seb said while giving his usual smile, joining in on the stars gazing. "I can''t sleep either.... Ah, the stars. In our original world, especially in big cities, we wouldn''t be able to see them because the existing buildings gave off too much light." Since it was Kat, the conversation stopped there. However, when Kat left the house like this, I think maybe she had something on her mind. As for Seb, I purposely ordered him to follow this girl. He happened to be awake. "Just tell him what''s on your mind, Kat." I whispered to the amber-eyed girl''s ear. Kat closed her eyes, took a deep breath. "That conversation about home made me realize one thing." "What''s that?" "I had no idea that what I could call home would actually be in a ce millions of light years from Earth." The girl opened her eyes again. Seb chuckled softly. "Well, that''s an interesting opinion." "Can this home still exist?" "Of course, Kat." Seb looked at the girl. "After all, we''re family. We''ve been through a lot of obstacles, haven''t we?" "Family...." Kat was at a loss for words. "That''s right. What else?" It took a few seconds for Kat to answer. "I see." After that, the amber-eyed girl walked into the house without speaking, leaving Seb alone. Seb chuckled again as Kat closed the door. "And now I can''t see anything. It''s so dark here." The blonde-haired man began to walk back to the house cautiously. Why didn''t youe with Kat into the house, Mr.. Buttman? Should I order you to do that simple thing? What the hell. Chapter 137 - 137 – They Came To Bargain The snow had melted a lot outside. My colonists had already started packing, but Seb was lying rxed on the fur rug. That damn procrastinator trait. "Move your ass, Seb." Leva lightly kicked her friend''s leg. "Tomorrow we have to leave." "Later." Seb covered his yawning mouth. "We''re not leaving today, right?" "Just let him be." Eric, who was walking carrying a pile of leather sheets, stopped. "If he''s like that, he can''t be helped. Unless he''s working for money, he can''t force himself to work when he''szy like this." Leva snorted, then started packing her things again. Unlike her friends who did it neatly, she stuffed everything she had carelessly into her sack. As I was about to press the fast-forward button, my eyes identally fell on Eric, who was sitting still. His tightly clenched hands pressed against the floor. Seb, who also saw that thing got up and went over to his son, who now looked so thin that his cheekbones were clearly visible. "What''s the matter, Son.... Ah, maybe we should drop the call. You can call me Seb." Eric turned his head to his father and asked. "Why?" "After all, you''ve grown up, Eric." Seb''s smile bloomed. "It''s a bit weird when we call each other father and son. We''re almost the same age... So, what''s on your mind, Eric?" "It''s nothing...." Eric chokes when I order him to talk about what''s bothering him. I felt it was essential to the mental health of my colonists. Taking a deep breath, Eric looked at the wall of the room. "For me, this ce is myst home with them. Well, I find it hard to just leave this ce." All my colonists who were still arranging things stopped hearing that. Leva rose to her feet and came over to Eric, kneeling beside the man. "We are truly sorry." The red-haired woman said in a soft tone. "No." Eric just kept staring at the wall. "You all just want to survive, and so does the Congraylham colony.... Ah, can we not talk about this anymore?" I could have asked him to keep talking about what was on his mind. However, if he''s been talking like this, maybe it''s time for me to respect his wishes. Perhaps, some things need to be hidden. My colonist''s attention was distracted by a call from outside the house. I checked who was on the front page. It turned out that there were four men there, apanied by two horses and a white dog. "Good day, would you like to buy something from us, sir or madam?" The one who seemed to be their leader, a dark-skinned and tall man, called out again. "We from the Acornhull tribe have brought all kinds of things you might need." Ah, after I observed him, I realized that this man was the one who had sold onion seeds to my colonists. As usual, I arranged the colonists. Seb would be the one to speak to the group leader from the Acornhull tribe while the others were on standby. "Good afternoon." Seb came out smiling, apanied by Leva as a bodyguard. "Wee to our house, would you pleasee in?" "No need, we...." The leader of the group raised an eyebrow. "Hey, aren''t you two from a nameless tribe in the.... If I''m not mistaken in the south?" "That''s how it is." Seb shrugged, still smiling. "There are things that will take a long time to talk about.... So, what are you selling, sir?" "Ah.... Well, it''s none of my business either why you''re here." The leader of the group signaled to his men to unload various items from the two horses. "Hey, is one of those horses for sale?" Seb asked as the items began to beid out on the ground. "We need animals for transport." "Not really. However, if you guys buy so much stuff from us that we don''t need two more horses, maybe we''ll consider it." The group leader smiled back. I saw various kinds of food being sold by those merchants. There were sweet potatoes, pemmicans, and dried vegetables. The other items are just garments. "Wow, that''s a lot of food." Seb looked at the items. "Good then." Leva crouched down and also observed. "We''re starting to run out of food." The group leader sighed. "Well, many of us died from a gue... Ah, calm down. We''re all fine." The man added when he saw Seb raise an eyebrow. "So the food has be so abundant...." Hey, did you guys sell all of that too?" The group leader''s gaze was fixed on Manu, who came out of the house carrying a sack containing various weapons and agricultural tools. "Does your tribe need all that?" Seb''s smile widened. "We can make an interesting deal." The leader of the merchant group cleared his throat, probably cursing himself for making that unfavorable gesture. I''m guessing that the weapon makers in the tribe have also died, or perhaps their stockpile of weapons was taken away. It could also be abination of the two. Bargaining between the two men began. Seb continued to seduce the leader of the group with the primary goal to get the horse. And it went on and on. The group leader insisted that my colony buy most of their wares if we wanted horses. Because the bargaining continued for a long time, Leva chose to sit down, leaned against the wall, yawned very wide, and closed her eyes. "Okay." The group leader half grumbled. "All of our food and one horse were exchanged for all of your weapons and 75 silvers." "That''s a good price, Seb." Manu finally joins in. "Especially we got the horse." Seb shrugged with a satisfied smile. It''s so obvious that he really liked this deal. "Well then." The blonde-haired man had already stretched out his hand for a handshake, but the merchant was facing the other way. Seb raised an eyebrow and turned his head in that direction too. Kat was petting the dog that had been following the group. The dog that looked like a wolf but with a more petite body was silent. He was not hostile to the girl at all. Slowly, Kat turned her head to Seb. The two eyes met in silence. Now it was the group leader''s turn to smile widely. "The owner of the dog is dead, and every day the animal is always sad. No other animal tamer can get close to him." Seb grimaced. Looks like he has to do some bargaining again. Meanwhile, Leva was already sitting asleep with her back against the wall.. Her mouth that opened wide was drooling. Chapter 138 - 138 – They Dont Shine Too Bright In the end, my colonists had to pay 40 silvers more than the previous agreement. The group leader from Acornhull smiled in satisfaction, while his men looked annoyed that they had more baggage. They only have one horse, after all. I then checked Kat''s stats. [Katherine ''Kat'' Takahashi, 20 years old (Colonist)] STATS: Ranged Attack: 61/100* Melee Attack: 9/100 Construction: 9/100 Crafting: 4/100 Cook: 13/100 nts: 3/100 Mining: 6/100 Animals: 51/100** Medic: 24/100 Stealth: 67/100* TRAITS: t Affect ¨C Kat is less able to express her emotions like other people. INCAPABLE OF: - HEALTH ISSUES: - This girl''s animal stat now gets two stars, huh? After Rox''s death, your love for animals has increased, Kat? "So, we have a little money left, right?" Manu rubs his chin. Seb turned his head to Kat, who was rubbing the brown horse''s head and patting the white dog at the same time. "No problem." The blonde-haired man chuckled. "The important thing is that Kat is happy. She looks devastated after Rox''s death." "Really?" Manu frowned. "I didn''t see...." The bearded man cleared his throat. You were going to say Kat didn''t show that on her face, Manu? "This horse is Rix." Kat was still stroking her two new pets. "This dog is Rex." "Don''t you have the creativity toe up with a name, Kat." Manu shook his head. Seb chuckled again, then sighed, gazing in the direction the group from the Acornhull tribe had left. "Well, unfortunately they don''t sell food crop seeds." "Didn''t you save our seeds by bringing them here?" Manu responds. The blonde-haired man shook his head. "It''s not like that, it''s just¡­. Ah, I''m having a hard time exining it. Basically, I want to grow more food crops. Well, so that if one or many want to rob us, at least we can invite them to eat together and persuade them. If they have full stomachs, they will definitely listen to us more." What the fuck are you saying, Seb? Manu narrows his eyes. "You mean you want to be able to keep your food reserves hidden in case someone robs us, right? Then, we can sell themter when the ingredients are close to expiration and we have enough stock from harvest." "Oh, that''s what I meant." Seb scratched his hair, looking confused. Why are you confused by your own words, Sebastian Buttman? Is it possible that the joke generator in this game glitcher, which makes Seb say a strange set-up for jokes? "You could have gone to my former tribe to buy those seeds, Seb." Leva, who just woke up, yawned and stretched her body. "They must have stocked up a lot." "How about we catch up with the group and ask if they have any food crop seeds?" Seb scratched his head again. "Why am I only thinking about this now?" Everyone fell silent. Kat tossed a branch far away, but Rex, the white dog, just tilted his head at his new master. "Are you very sure that your former tribe keeps the seeds of nts, Leva?" Manu asks. Leva nodded her head. "Definitely.... Ah, since I haven''t been with them for a long time, it''s probably a high possibility.... Maybe?" The woman grimaced, scratching her head. "Well, I''m not really sure." Why are my colonists so dumb today? "So, the question is, who will go there?" I asked my colonists with growing irritation. "Kat can''t do it because she has to hunt. Neither can Seb because he can''t defend himself. And it would be foolish for Manu to go there, because maybe some of the Redtooth''s residents still think he was one of the causes of the expedition to the salt cave..." My tongue suddenly felt stiff. Why am I also dumb? Why should I ask my colonists? Why not just say that only Eric and Leva can go? Well, even though Leva had a bad history with Redtooth, I had no other choice. I don''t want to send just one person to Redtooth. I want whoever is leaving can take care of each other. Who knows, there will be another Biruhud bird that will get rid of Eric''s dick. I''ve been ying this game for a long time. I decided that asking my colonists to go alone would be a stupid choice. "Why do I think that it will be Eric and Leva that will depart?" Now Manu is scratching his head. Seb also scratched his head for the umpteenth time. "I think so too." Leva snorted, also scratching her head. Because of them, I had to resist the urge to scratch my head too. *** That morning, there was little snow left on the ground. I can also smell the earth mixed with water. "Ouch!" Eric flinched as Manu poked him in the waist with a stick. "What are you doing!?" Manu replied with gritted teeth. "You stay there, I''m trying my best not to kill you because of my brain gone wrong." "What the fuck are you talking about!?" Eric dodged the man''s second thrust. "Hey!" This should be a scary and sad thing, but why did it be aedy like this? Yesterday, something like this also happened with my colonists scratching their heads. Is it because of the new update? This is the answer from game developers from the advice of people who say don''t make this game too gloomy? "Are you guys ready?" Seb asked as he slung his sack over his shoulder. "Hey, you guys stop! We''re leaving soon!" Leva snapped at the two people who were fighting. Manu keeps trying to poke Eric, but Seb''s son keeps holding him back. "You want both of you to flick your dick until it swells up!?" Manu immediately stopped and put his hands behind his back. Yes, he behaved like Leva would totally do that to him. "So, we part here." Seb shed a smile. However, that smile looked different than usual. I can feel a bit of sadness from him. "Hopefully we''ll all make it to our respective destinations. And both of you will be safe when you return to our homes, Eric, Leva." After waving to each other, they parted ways. Kat, Seb, and Manu started walking with the horse and dog they had just bought yesterday. However, Eric stayed where he was, looking at his former colony''s house. Leva, who was already a few meters ahead, just waited in silence. Sighing, the man finally started walking.. "Let''s go." Chapter 139 - 139 – Extremely Rare Opportunity Leva and Eric continued walking in silence. Eric''s gaze was directed downwards while Leva continued to make ufortable gestures. The woman repeatedly shrugged her shoulders, whistled, and scratched her head. "Hey, don''t you have anything to talk about?" Finally, Leva spoke. "I feel like I''m walking with Kat." Eric raised his face. "How about you? Don''t you have anything to talk about?" "Why are you even asking back?" Leva snorted, then paused for a moment. "I''ve always wondered, how is life in that ce called Earth? I''ve heard about it from Seb, but I also want to get some insight from you." "What about Kat? Have you asked her?" Leva scratched her head again. "She only answered briefly, and I didn''t understand what she was saying... Hey, why are you keep asking me back? What''s so hard about answering my question?" "Honestly, I can''t remember much about it. I was there about twenty years ago, when I was under ten, before leaving for that expedition." Eric looked up at the clear sky with few clouds. "I only remember my family, my dad, mom, and my little sister...." Eric stopped talking when he realized Leva had slowed down. The red-haired woman narrowed her eyes and looked at the wet ground around her. "What is it?" Eric went to his partner. I immediately whispered to Leva to tell Eric how she felt before she said it was nothing. "I can feel it...." Leva gulped. "The ingredients for making that gunpowder...." Eric''s brow furrowed. "I know you are a mineral detector, but I never told you about what it feels like to find materials for making gunpowder." Leva crouched down, took off one of her gloves, then lightly touched the ground. "Actually, my mom also told me about that material. At first, I didn''t know if it was gunpowder, but I was able to connect your description with my mom''s story after a while. You two are talking about the same material... Ah, my mom thinks knowledge of the material is dangerous if it is known by others, so she doesn''t want to tell it in my old tribe." "Why don''t you two dig it up first? Don''t worry, Leva. We''re not going to use it right away, really." I whispered in the woman''s ear. Although I''m not sure whether to ask my colonists to produce firearms or not, it wouldn''t hurt to store these materials first. Seeing that Leva didn''t respond, I asked Eric to persuade the woman. Eric then sat down on a t stone. "On Earth, making gunpowder is not as easy as it is here. In this, all you have to do is mix the material with charcoal, add water, and form it into balls. It''s done." The man started talking. "Why did you even start saying that?" Leva raised an eyebrow. Eric was silent for a moment, probably looking for a good reason other than the sudden urge to do so. "Well, you wanted to chat, didn''t you? It''s noon, after all. It''s time for a break." "Oh, that''s right." Leva shrugged, then sat down on another rock and drank through her leather water jug. "On Earth, we had to look for a substance called potassium nitrate to make gunpowder. The ancients got it from bat droppings, horse urine, or some other source..." "Sounds nasty." Leva shuddered a little. "Wait. If you leave Earth before you''re ten years old, you shouldn''t be taught this, right? Who teaches something like this to a child? Gunpowder is dangerous, right?" "When I was little, you could say I really liked to seek new knowledge." Eric smiled slightly, starting to unwrap his pemmican. "I like reading things... Therefore, I also know how dangerous firearms are, but they can be useful..." "I know, you want to say that gunpowder is like a double-edged knife, right? If used well, then it can be good for us. If it is misused, it will be something bad." Levaughed bitterly. "Do you know what my mom said when she talked about this material? If other groups find out we have knowledge of explosives, then they will target us. Either because they want to learn too, or because they are afraid of our increasing power. And both can be a bad thing. Do you know why?" Eric swallowed the pemmican he was chewing. "As for those who are afraid of us, that''s obvious. They want to eliminate the threat. For those who are curious about this material... Well, an even worse war may ensue. As we discussed earlier. Firearms are very deadly indeed." "In that case, I refuse...." "I''ll give you a night to think." Eric cut off Leva''s words and shrugged. "We may have trouble finding this material again in the future." "Hey, I don''t want us to use weapons like that!" Leva stood up with a sharp look in her eyes. "I also don''t want us to have things that can kill easily, but are you willing to lose your loved ones again?" Eric said in a cold tone. "Just imagine in the future there''s a group raiding our ce with guns again. We can''t do anything, Leva... Like your colony that couldn''t do anything when Congraylham came." Leva was instantly at a loss for words. "So, we''re spending the night here now while you think about it. I know you''re not stupid. You know the possibility I just said, right? You''ve been ignoring it all this time." Eric also stood up and approached the woman. "Now I ask, is it easy to find the gunpowder material in thisnd? If it was where I used to be, it was very easy." Leva gulped, looked into Eric''s eyes, and was still speechless. "From your expression, I can tell it''s challenging. This material is scarce for you to detect." Eric sighed. "In other words, this opportunity is extremely rare." *** It was gettingte. Leva was still moving around in her sleeping bag. Meanwhile, Eric who was on guard continued to stare at the fire. "Fuck!" Leva straightened up with an annoyed face, took the pickaxe she was carrying, then stood up to approach the point that contained the material. "Okay, you win, Eric!" "Let me help." Eric stood up from his spot. Perhaps you inherited a talent for diplomacy from your father, Eric. Chapter 140 - 140 – Trails In The Sky Since there was no more snow, my colonists could get to their old homes faster. They only took three days. "Maybe I should build a bridge here," Manu said as he helped Kat get Rix, their new horse, across the river. Meanwhile, Rex the white dog, can cross the water with ease. Note, Manu. However, I''ll order Eric to do it since he''s the one more skilled at building something. "Take it easy, boy." Kat tried to calm the horse, which was starting to move wildly. Perhaps this animal is notfortable with the cold river water. It was even more challenging to do because there was quite a lot of stuff that Rix was carrying. After a long struggle, they finally made it to the other side. However, Manu and Kat''s clothes were already soaked by the horse''s sshing water. Then where is Seb? The blonde-haired man was already running scared. He probably thought the horse would be violent. After walking for a while more, the two of them arrived at their house. I felt relieved when I saw that home again. Well, although this building is simpler than Congraylham''s. "After seeing Eric''s ex-tribe''s house, I wanted to rece the wooden walls of this house with bricks. Unfortunately, the ce where the y was taken was very far away. I don''t feelfortable asking Leva to take those materials again from there." Manu mumbled as Kat tied her horse to a nearby tree. I was actually keeping the tree in the south of the house, the one Kat used to practice archery for and had once be a ce to tie up the naked Leva. After passing through the banana trees, which had miraculously started to grow their leaves again, Manu entered the open door, following Seb who had entered first. The bearded man looked around the damp room, then approached the warehouse. There, Seb was crouching near two wooden containers whose lids had been opened. "Looks like no one ising here." Seb takes a chunk of salt from one of the containers. "All of this has not decreased in the slightest." "And indeed, there are no other signs that people have been here. Take our firece, for example. There was no sign of burn marks there. It''s the same as the one we leftst time¡­." Manu stops his words and looked up with Seb. A loud rumbling sound from above made the roof of the house tremble slightly. The two men then nced at each other and hurried out. The rumbling was still audible, but it was starting to lessen. A trail of smoke formed in the blue sky, heading south. Kat tried to calm her horse, which was probably panicking at that sound. "I''m no stranger to this sound." Manu gulped, walked forward while continuing to stare at the trail of fading smoke. "That''s the sound of the sky ship¡­. Or you call escape pod, just like the one that brought you here, Kat." Kat, finally calming Rix the horse, looked at Manu. What a coincidence. When we returned to our house, an escape pod appeared. If this wasn''t a game, such an event would be nearly impossible. *** Seb and Manu descend the valley after walking for about an hour in-game time, while Kat stealth from tree to tree to keep an eye on. We saw argeke in the distance. The edges of the water-filled ce were pale brown, like sand. . . . Or maybe even y? I can''t imagine how upset Leva would be if it turned out that theke''s edges were really y. Ah, now is not the time to think about that. Although this could be a great discovery for my colony. What I have to focus on is the escape pod near theke. That thing is in much better condition than the one that brought Kat. The rescue capsule didn''t catch fire, and it didn''t even leave any traces ofnding on the ground. Metal legs protruded from the bottom, supporting the oval-shaped object firmly. The three people who were near the rescue ne were shocked to see my two colonists. They were all dressed in light blue, the same as Kat had when she came here. Seb raised his hands. "Rx, my friends! We don''t mean any harm! We will not rob your supplies!" I pressed the pause button to check on the three people. The first was a man with thick wavy ck hair. From his face, I assumed he was of Latin descent. [Carlos Guttierez, 27 years old (Crasnded)] STATS: Ranged attacks: 12/100 Melee attacks: 89/100** Construction: 22/100 Crafting: 12/100 Cook: 52/100 nts: 7/100 Mining: 10/100 Animals: 11/100 Medics:- TRAITS: Brawler ¨C Carlos likes closebat and hates using ranged weapons. His melee attack uracy is outstanding. Bloodlust - Carlos gets a rush from hurting people and never minds the sight of blood or death. INCAPABLE OF: Medic HEALTH ISSUES: - I hit the jackpot. With his melee attack stat, coupled with his brawler trait, he would be a great addition to my colony. Although the bloodlust trait is quite worrying. I then turned to the second person, a woman with short hair with an Asian face. nted eyes and prominent cheekbones. [Sun Hee Yoon, 27 years old (Crasnded)] STATS: Ranged attacks: - Melee attacks: - Construction: 12/100 Crafting: 55/100 Cook: 10/100 nts: 1/100 Mining: 2/100 Animals: 70/100* Medic: 33/100 TRAITS: Agile feet - Sun has feet that can move more agile than usual. (Walking speed +15%) INCAPABLE OF: Violence HEALTH ISSUES: - He can help Manu in craftingter and be Kat''s partner to take care of the animals. Let''s hope it doesn''t cause any jealousy for Kat. Thenstly, I checked on a fair-skinned woman with long wavy hair and pigtails¡­ Holy shit! Why are her stats like this!? [Gwen Quinney, 22 years old (Crasnded)] STATS: Ranged attacks: 42/100 Melee attacks: 9/100 Construction: 7/100 Crafting: 60/100** Cook: 5/100 nts: 1/100 Mining: 1/100 Animals: 1/100 Medic: 80/100 TRAITS: Fast Learner ¨C Gwen can learn things much faster than anyone else. Nocturnal ¨C Gwen prefers to be active at night. Her mood will be reduced when awake during the day. Night Vision ¨C Gwen can see clearly in the dark. Slow Shooter ¨C Gwen took more time to aim, but her uracy got better because of it. Nudist ¨C Gwen enjoys the feeling of freedom thates from being nude. She can handle clothing but will be happier without it. Exhibitionist ¨C Gwen likes to show her naked body to others, especially the opposite sex. asionally she would do so without warning. INCAPABLE OF: - HEALTH ISSUES: - Chapter 141 - 141 – Their Version Of Facts The man named Carlos was constantly fiddling with an electronic tablet. He had been doing this for quite some time, and asionally he would snort in annoyance. "We haven''t been able to get a signal from the other escape pods, Sun." The short-haired woman called Sun kept looking around, then answered in a worried tone. "I haven''t seen the others either. We shouldnd close to each other, right?" "So, so it is suspected that humans have inhabited this ce for thousands of years?" Gwen, the only one who heard Seb''s exnation, rubbed her chin with her index finger, smiling slightly. "Maybe that exins why we don''t see any other escape pods around here, but it still doesn''t make sense, sir." Is this woman flirting with Seb? Why does her voice have a low intonation and a bit of a sigh? Her sigh also didn''t sound like she was upset, tired, or anything like that. Seb turned his head to the other two people who were busy by themselves, then smiled back. "You all can see the escape pod of one of our members. That thing fell months ago." "Why didn''t you tell me earlier?" Carlos came to Seb with an annoyed face. "You said there were no more escape podsing, but now you want to show them? What do you really want?" "Like I said earlier. That escape pod came here months ago." Seb still looked patient. "Stop this nonsense!" Carlos snapped, bringing his face closer to Seb''s. "You''ve been saying something that doesn''t make any sense! From the time distortion that made the escape podsnd with different timeframes, to the residents of therge expedition ships that have built various groups here! You think I''m stupid!?" The man patted Seb''s leather shirt with the back of his finger. "And what kind of clothes are these!? You guys are cosying to prank us!? Admit it, you guys actually also came from the escape pod that justnded, right!?" Manu pushes Carlos a little. "Hey, man. Don''t you think what you''re doing is rude?" Carlos rebuffed the hand. "Do not touch me! You ¡­. The man stopped his speech when Sun touched his shoulder. The woman shook her head, and Carlos finally backed away with another snort. Seb took a deep breath, said something I whispered to him. "If you all really want to see that one escape pod we''re referring to, we can take you there, but it''s going to take a while. About an hour on foot." Sun and Carlos exchanged nces. *** "Impossible." Sun gasped when he saw the wreckage of the escape pod that had carried Kat. Meanwhile, Gwen just narrowed her eyes at that. "Why? Is it just a broken escape pod? Nothing special, right? There may have been a failure during thending." Carlos came to the object and observed it. "The two people who approached us looked perfectly healthy and unharmed." "Can''t you see it, Carlos?" Sun was taken aback and walked quickly to the man. "You see, this thing is so filthy, and some parts of it are covered with moss." Then the woman pointed to the hollow-shaped trail that was the mark from thending. "And look! Thending spot is covered with grass!" Carlos looked at the grass that had grown there. "So, you believe in these two people? Have you been stupid, Sun? There must be an exnation for something like that! Don''t believe their bullshit!" "But all of this is too weird, Carlos." Sun shook her head, starting to sob. "We couldn''t find another escape pod¡­. Once we found it, it was already like this¡­." Taking a deep breath, Carlos hugged the woman. "Don''t worry, Sun. No matter what happens, I will protect you from anything. We''ll definitely be able to find the others and regroup. Maybe our escape pod justnded some distance away from the others." Ugh, it''s so hard to convince a denial person like this. "So, what do you guys do after this?" Seb asked, forming a kind smile again. "Our house is open to all of you. It''s not too far, just a few minutes walk to the west." "Sorry, but we don''t believe you two. You guys are like raving madmen." Carlos replied sarcastically, then took Sun''s hand and walked briskly from there. "Where are we going?" Sun asked while wiping her tears. "Of course, we will find another escape pod!" "I suggest you don''t do that," Manu warns. "You all don''t know the conditions of this ce, and your weapons are only knives, right?" Carlos kept walking fast and pointed at Manu. "Shut up! I told you, we don''t trust you two!" Gwen, the blonde woman with pigtails, smiled back at my two colonists. "Apparently, this is goodbye. You two seem like good people, but sorry, I''m morefortable with those who are clearly on the same expedition ship with me." As the woman started walking away, I pressed the pause button. They can''t just be left alone. Apart from their excellent stats, they also knew nothing about the condition of this ce. I know my colonist isn''t perfect, and that means more mouths to feed. There is a possibility that they also betrayed. However, after destroying Congraylham, I wanted to save as many lives as possible. And at the very least, they brought their own food, even though it would eventually run out. After considering various things, from their stats, the circumstances around us, and so on, I managed toe up with a n. I immediately alerted my colonists, including Kat, who was still lurking behind one of the trees in the distance. Maybe this n is crazy, and Seb won''t be able to help. As soon as I pressed the y button, Manu ran and tackled Gwen from behind until they both fell down. Seb, who saw that, immediately flinched and ran away. Carlos and Sun stopped in their tracks and looked back. Carlos was about to help Gwen, but Sun ran away with incredible speed. Yeah, after all, she hated violence like Seb. "Let me go!" Gwen tried to break free from Manu''s grip, then waved her hand at Carlos. "Help me!" However, Carlos went after Sun instead. This fits my guess. Sun and Carlos have a rtionship.. The man would prefer to go after Sun, not wanting her to get lost or run into other dangers. Chapter 142 - 142 – Early Spring Gwen sat in a wooden cage near the house. Surprisingly, she smiled and didn''t show any fear at all. "Remind me to make a better cage than this in the future." Manu was on his hips, looking at the woman. Squatting down, Seb stared at the top of the cage, which was made up of logs with lots of gaps. "That''s right, even if it''s for prisoners, we have to treat them well." "Why are these gentlemen confining me like this?" The pigtail-haired woman asked, still smiling. "Ah, maybe you guys want me so bad?" She blowing a kiss. My two male colonists looked at each other. "I don''t know what you mean by that." Seb smiled widely. I''m sure he actually knows what Gwen means. "However, believe me. We''re doing all of this for your good, Miss. You don''t know the situation in this ce yet, so it''s better if you stay with us who have been here for quite a while." "Call me Gwen." The woman sighed, then gently touched her own lips with her index finger. And after that, something totally unexpected happened. She started to unbutton her shirt. "And what could make the two of you let go of me? Maybe you want some warmth? I can give it to you guys." Manu hastily pulled Seb and spoke with his back to the woman. "I have a bad feeling about her." "But, you''re the one who caught her," Seb whispered back. "You intend to lure the other two people to save this woman, then you will catch them too, right?" "I don''t even know why I did that." Manu scratched his head. "Could it be that our tribe''s guardian god ordered me?" "I can hear you guys." Gwen chuckled. Even the chuckle sounded sensual. "Maybe they won''t save me." My two male colonists and I turned to Gwen again, and we all flinched in surprise. The woman was no longer wearing a shirt, making her maroon colored bra clearly visible. Now, she is taking off her pants. "W-what are you doing?" Seb asked with bulging eyes. "I don''t actually know those two people." Gwen threw her trousers into the corner of the cage. Her long, smooth thighs made me gulp. "Well, you know, right? The situation on the expedition ship at that time was very chaotic. I just went straight into one of the empty escape pods." The woman then folded her arms across her chest and shivered slightly. "Hmmm ¡­. It''s still cold in here." "Then hurry and put your clothes back on." Manu snorted, but Gwen didn''t care and reached behind her back with both her hands. With one motion, the bra''stch is untied. My colonists immediately looked away as the bra fell off slowly, making the two women''s nipples visible. Funnily enough, both Seb and Manu kept ncing at her. "Don''t you two want to see it?" Gwen said in a more seductive tone. Even her face was starting to turn red. She held her bra, which was almost on her stomach, and puffed out her chest. "I don''t mind it." This cannot be allowed. I was about to whisper to the woman but immediately remembered that she wasn''t my colonist. Frustrated, I pulled my head away from her ear, and that''s when my eyes fell on the two assets on the woman''s chest. This woman''s chest was not as massive as Leva''s, especiallypared to Kat''s. Maybe only c cups. However, the shape is still beautiful, with pink nipples that are erect, maybe because of the cold. Her hips, thighs, and butt probably weren''t as plump as Leva''s or Kat''s either. Even so, that doesn''t mean Gwen''s body shape is unsightly. She looks fit. Maybe, sometimes bnce is the best thing¡­. Damn it! Now is not the time to think about that! Then, the woman''s two thumbs hooked the sides of her panties. Manu and Seb held their breath and didn''t look away anymore. They both looked at Gwen, who was removing the cover of her womanhood. I also did the same thing as two men. Gwen''s sensuous movements had me glued to her. Is this a grace? I''ve seen naked women several times in this game, but this time was different. Every gesture from Gwen made her even more attractive. "Y-you really should put your clothes on, Gwen." Despite saying that, Seb couldn''t turn his attention to the woman yet. "Why?" Moving her head back, Gwen rubbed the panties she was holding onto herself slowly, starting from her face, chest, stomach, to her thighs. This made Manu and Seb''s eyes widen even more. "There are no police here. There are no rules against what I do. I want to be free. So let me do this. After all, you''re still enjoying all of this in the end, right?" Okay, I''m enjoying all of this, but isn''t this too much, Gwen? The woman gently massaged her breasts. "So, are you guys going to let me go? I''ll give you more than this." Ah, maybe I''ll just enjoy all of this. After all, Gwen did it of her own ord. No coercion at all. Kat suddenly ran from a distance carrying a bucket, immediately sshed the pigtail-haired woman. Both of my colonists flinched in surprise a second time, while Gwen immediately covered her chest and shivered violently. "Looks like you''re feeling cold." Kat tucked a pile of clothes between the cages. "The bottom one is the towel." I did order Kat to get Gwen a warmer change of clothes. However, I did not order her to take water and ssh the blonde woman''s body. It''s still early spring. The water temperature is still freezing. "You are so rude, Hon." Gwen hurriedly took the towel to cover her wet body. The towel is actually just a sheet of leather. Although her lips trembled, she spoke again. "Well, but I like someone as rude as you. It gave me a challenging experience." She put her index finger to her lips and smiled again. Really? Are you flirting with Kat too? Wouldn''t it be a problem if this woman became part of my colony? I can only hope that this woman doesn''t cause a big ruckus when she bes part of my colony. Chapter 143 - 143 – The Seducer My colonists were already in the house sleeping while Gwen was still in the cage. This was my strategy to lure Carlos and Sun to help the blonde woman. Perhaps, if no one was on guard there, they would be caught off guard and could easily be caught by my colonists. Damn. In a situation like this, I really hope my colonists have the ability to set traps. I can indeed search the inte for the method, but my colonists will not be able to implement it. They can only learn in-game. Maybe ask another group who knows how. It''s past midnight, the fast-forward feature stops by itself. I can only look around and wonder. I couldn''t find any event that could trigger that to happen. "Sir," Gwen called as I was about to enter the house. I turned my head to the woman, who was fortunately still fully clothed. She seemed to be looking at me, but I wasn''t sure that was the case. I looked back but again found nothing. "I called you, sir," Gwen said again, with a seductive sigh, coupled with her signature gesture of putting her finger to her lips. I pointed to myself to confirm, and she nodded. [Hidden stats unlocked] Psychic: 90/100 Really, you already have that many traits, and you still have hidden stats, Gwen? "I''ve never seen a spirit like you." The woman''s sparkling lips formed a smile that made my heart skip a beat. "Usually, I can only see white spirits." "Every group in thisnd has its own guardian spirit." I decided to speak ording to the lore of this game while walking towards the woman. "The guardian of this group is me." "I see." Gwen brought her face closer to the cage. "Then can you ask your people to release me? I can give you something you will never forget, sir." Gwen rubbed her own body in a gesture that made me gulp again. Not to mention her seductive gaze that feels like piercing my heart. Her blushing face too... Hey, I shouldn''t be affected by all that! "When you''re out, what do you want?" I cleared my throat. "As you can see, there are no other escape pods around here. Everything Seb said is true." The woman''s smile widened. "So, you''re asking me to be a part of your group? Aah, then I agree to join you." No text came out indicating that this woman had joined, so I said, "Lies." And finally, the woman started to undress again. Starting from the leather jacket given by Kat. With a frowning mouth that looked fake, she sighed for the umpteenth time. "Hmmm... What should I do to make you want to let me go?" Ugh. I''m starting to get annoyed with this woman''s behavior. "Could you speak more seriously? I''m doing this for your own good. You have no idea how vicious this ce is. I''ve seen many people get seriously injured and die because of what''s here." Images of the beasts shed through my head, from mad monkeys to stump scorpions. Not to mention the humans who think for their own survival, are greedy and harm others, or even full evil. In this world without rules, anything is possible. Gwen shook her head slowly. "I''m really going to join...." "No, you still want to run away." I brought my face closer to hers. "Can''t you see? You need my colonists to survive." Gwen sighed, shook her head, then smiled again. "Look, at the very least, I want to prove to myself that what you''re saying is true, that no more escape pods havended. If I can''t see the others anymore, I''ll be back here." The notification text that the woman had joined had yet to appear. "I know you''re still lying." I hissed at her. The woman chuckled softly. "Are you so desperate for me, sir?" "It''s not like that...." I suddenly choked. My mind goes back to when I first yed this game. At that time, I didn''t think much about the survival of my colonists. I''m more focused on getting them to grow. One of the developments is the increasing number of colonists. "That was just a rhetorical question." Gwen started stroking the wooden cage in an unusually slow motion. She is like rubbing things that shouldn''t be. "Why can''t you answer it, sir?" "Well, basically, I do need more people. Especially someone like you with medical skills." I took a few steps back, deciding to tell the truth. That''s better than making her distrust me even more. "But what I said at the beginning is still true. Your risk of getting something bad is greater if you leave unprepared." The woman''s eyes narrowed. "How do you know that I have medical abilities?" I couldn''t answer because suddenly I was short of breath. My gaze identally fell on the woman''s lower half, which suddenly wasn''t protected by a single thread, allowing me to see her smooth thighs, as well as her private parts, which were pink and had no pubic hairs. "Why don''t you wear pants!" I screamed hysterically. "I want to pee." Gwen pointed to the small bucket in the corner of the cage. "You could have said so first, right!?" I screamed louder at this madness. "Now hurry up and put on your pants!" "Huh? Are you sure you asked me to wear pants? You said that, but why are you still looking at my lower body?" Chuckling again, the woman opened her crotch slightly. Her two hands have moved to her female part. "Besides, I want to pee." I looked up and pped my forehead. My self-esteem felt insulted because Gwen indirectly said I was a pervert. Well, maybe I''m like that, but... Shit, my head is going crazy because of this insane woman. The chuckle from the woman sounded quite loud, then followed by the front door of the house creaking open. Kat came out, squinting straight at Gwen''s naked underside. "Don''t worry, I just want to pee, Hon." Gwen let out that seductive sigh again. "Really, huh?" Kat asked with her usual no expression. Chapter 144 - 144 – The Empathy Gwen fell asleep while my colonists were at work the next day. Kat had gone hunting, Seb nted potato seeds and vegetables, while Manu started building the stables. I asked them not to do all that if they were tired. After all, they only got here yesterday. But, in the end, they did it anyway. Well, living in such physically demanding conditions seems to make them ustomed to constant activity. Seb, carrying a wooden bucket to fetch water, stopped near Gwen''s cage. Seeing Gwen naked again, Seb shook his head. Luckily the woman used her clothes and jacket as a nket so that her private parts were not visible. How vulnerable this woman is. If my two male colonists were assholes, and I didn''t care, this woman would definitely be harassed. I intend to press the fast-forward button. Just now, I purposely used normal speed to check the activities of my colonists. However, when I pressed that button, the speed of time didn''t increase at all. Another event? My eyes saw a red arrow pointing down in the south. Deciding to check things out, I used the fly feature. There was a red circle dotting the ground, just below the arrow. It was several kilometers in diameter. I checked the section, and it didn''t take long until I found someone I recognized. Sun, the woman whonded yesterday with the escape pod, walked limply holding her right arm, bandaged by a makeshift cloth. Red blood seeped from the fabric. I then ordered Manu toe to the woman. Upon seeing Manu, Sun immediately knelt down and burst into tears. The woman looked dirty, and her clothes were torn in several ces. "What happened?" Manu asked while crouching in front of thedy. "I-Carlos and I are spending the night somewhere after a long day of searching for other escape pods." Sun had difficulty speaking because of her shortness of breath due to crying. "Then a giant flock of birds attacked us. And they... Oh, Carlos... Carlos has been killed." Manu''s eyes widened. "Are the necks of the birds long and the feathers blue?" This time Sun could only nod, continuing to cry. Biruhuds? Manu gulped, then spoke again. "You''ll tell meter, nowe with me to our house." Manu helps thedy up, and they start walking. I used the fast-forward feature until they finally got home. Gwen, who just woke up, immediately stood up and asked. "What happened to her?" "Put on your clothes first,dy." Manu snorted, continuing to lead Sun to the house. Seb saw this and helped them. Instead of following them, I went over to Gwen, who was still naked. "The man in the pod with you is dead, and the woman is injured. All because of a beast attack. If only they had a shelter, like this house, I think they''d be safe." Gwen just froze with her mouth hanging open. Gone were the seductive expressions, gestures, and sighs she had shown yesterday. "If you don''t believe me, you can hear the woman''s story in the house." I continued my speech, drawing closer to Gwen. "And you can''t just sit around watching her get hurt like that, can you? I can guess that you are a nurse, doctor, or something. Basically, someone who works in the health sector." "I haven''t graduated from medical school yet...." "But, as a prospective doctor, you should have been taught empathy for others, right? I ask you once again, do you have the heart to let her be injured like that? My people have limited healing skills. I''m not sure they''ll be able to treat her well." Maybe I''m exaggerating a bit. However, this is for Gwen''s entry into my colony. "At least you can treat wounds, right?" The blonde woman sighed. "Then free me from this ce..." "If you didn''t really want to join my people, then the answer is still no." Gwen pursed her lips, looked away, then sighed again. "Okay, then." [New colonist acquired] "Great. I''ll call someone to release you." Somehow, I get tremendous relief. I then backed away while pointing at the woman''s body. "And put your clothes on, please." I do not understand. Why does she have such a high tolerance for cold temperatures? It''s still early spring, you know. *** Gwen goes into the house with Manu, who just freed her. The woman went straight to Sun, whose wound was being cleaned by Seb. I winced. The wound looked pretty nasty. "Excuse me." Gwen knelt down next to the short-haired woman, examining the gaping wound on her arm. "This wound was treated, so she can still survive until now. But still, this must be treated better." Gwen then looked at my colonists. "Do you guys have medical kits?" "Our supplies are running out," Seb replied in a worried tone. "Well, our escape pods must still have that stuff. You can''t possibly carry all of them while you''re out looking for other escape pods, can you?" Gwen asked Sun, who nodded immediately. "I could have unlocked it using my fingerprint. However, it would take a long time because it takes two hours to get there and then back." Ah, looks like if it wasn''t an ident, the escape pod would have to be unlocked with fingerprints. Back then, I remember Manu being able to open it without doing so. "And I''m not suggesting we go out now," Manu added. "There are still Biruhuds outside. They are very aggressive and nasty." Shit. I remembered Kat was still hunting. Gwen was silent for a moment. "In that case, do you have any alcohol and sewing kits?" "Yes. Let me prepare all that." Seb got up and headed for the kitchen. "You guys heal Sun. Do your best." Having said that, I pressed the pause button and left the house, using the locator feature to find Kat. As soon as I teleported to Kat''s location, I immediately saw the girl lurking behind the tall grass. And she was watching some beasts in the distance. There are five in total. All of them arerge, have long necks, have blue feathers, and have giant beaks. Slowly, I turned towards my own house, which was still visible, the size of a bean. In no time, I''m sure the monsters will reach my colonists'' homes. Their speed is extraordinary. Taking a deep breath, I brought my mouth close to the amber-eyed girl''s ear. "Kat, get out of here. But I beg you to be very careful, don''t let them see you.. You remember, don''t you? Those fucking birds are insane." Chapter 145 - 145 – Inside The House Kat began to back down by crouching while Rex followed her by sticking out his tongue and wagging his tail. I cringed at that. The dog''s movements made a sound, though not loud. However, Kat gave no warning at all to the dog. Maybe because the girl was afraid the dog would bark. I looked back, and luckily the birds didn''t seem to notice Kat. They did their own thing, sitting quietly, walking with their heads turned in different directions, or pecking at the ground for food. "Baaaakkkk!!! Baaaakk!!!" My breath felt like it was cut off. Kat stopped her movements, immediately signaling for Rex to be quiet. The dog just sat and tilted his head. When I checked again, I saw one bird that was on top of another bird. The two birds were screaming. They''re having sex. After checking in on the birds too, Kat gulped and continued on her way. I could see cold sweat on her face, which of course still not showing any signs of emotion. This is torture for me. It hadn''t been long since Kat had been sneaking around like this, but I felt like a long time had passed. I want Kat back home safely soon. And that''s when Rex the dog barked. I immediately squeezed my head, and Kat closed her eyes. Rex barked again, making the girl look back. The birds were still in their respective positions. The two of them who were having sex were still making loud noises. Maybe that''s why Rex''s barking was not heard by them. Stupid dog. If I have the heart, I''ll let you go to get their attention. "Shut up, Rex!" Kat was whispering, but she was showing out something she rarely does. The girl red and put on a fierce face, immediately making Rex look down with sad eyes. His tail is no longer moving. Kat resumed her walk while I continued to follow her. And finally, when I thought the distance from the birds was far enough, I ordered the girl to run as fast as possible. In front of the house, we saw that Seb had started nting again. "There are monster birds!" The girl screamed, then stopped near my colony horse which was still tied to the tree. Manues out of the house. "Monster bird? Biruhuds?" Kat didn''t answer and continued to stare at the horse. Ah, this is troublesome. If left here, the mounts could be easy targets for the Biruhuds. However, my colonists certainly couldn''t get him into the house. After hitting the pause button and thinking for a moment, I whispered a few things to Kat. "So, how does Biruhud''s speedpare to a horse?" Kat asked ording to my orders. Manu was silent for a moment. "I don''t know for sure, but I think it''s the same." Kat looked at the horse again, swallowed hard, then pulled out her knife and said. "Forgive me." The girl then began to cut the rope that tied the horse. "What are you doing?" Seb asked as he walked up to the girl. "Ah, if the birds from helle, then the horse will try to run. If it escapes from there, the horse can attract the attention of the Biruhud." Manu guesses in a bitter tone. Yeah, Kat didn''t actually cut the rope. The important thing is that there is a thin section, so it will break easily if the horse tries to escape. Seb shook his head. "You really haven''t taken care of it for long, but..." "Come on, Seb. You''d better shut up." I cut off Seb, who immediately shut his mouth. "All of you, especially you Manu, who understands about the bird, prepare what is necessary." After Kat finished, my colonists went inside the house. Gwen was still taking care of Sun, who was biting a piece of cloth, in pain as her hand was being stitched. "Sorry, I know you''re in a lot of pain, Sun," Manu said while covering the windows of the house. "But, those birds you see will probablye here, and they''re very sensitive to sound." Sun just stared at Manu while out of breath. "Don''t worry, it''s over." Gwen, sweating profusely, drank heavily from the jug, then began to bandage Sun''s wound. "If there''s a painkillers, that''s even better. She doesn''t have to endure the pain. So, that will minimize her from screaming." "If it''s just painkillers, we still have them." Seb moved to the wooden item box in the corner of the room. "Now, let''s just stay here, don''t say anything or move too much," Manu added. "That''s all we can do. But don''t worry, after a while, they''ll go far. They won''t stay .... Well, let''s just hope they don''t spend the night nearby." I''m sure, despite saying that, Manu still doesn''t feel calm. The room was dark and silent, but not so dark that my colonists couldn''t see. Lights can still enter through the vents and the gaps between the wooden walls. All I could hear was their slow breathing. Moments after I pressed the fast-forward button, I heard the horse neigh, and auto-pause was triggered. I gulped, checked outside, and found some Biruhuds who came up to the horses, went back into the house, then pressed the y button. My colonists flinched when the neighing of a second horse was heard. "Baaakkk!!! Baaaakk!!! Baaakkk!!!" The sound of the rope breaking, followed by the swift galloping of horses and apanied by the screams of the Biruhuds. "Woof!!! Woof!!! Woof!!!" And Rex barked loudly at the door. "Shut up, Rex!" Kat snapped and immediately covered her mouth, looking at the others. Maybe because of the intense situation, she slipped up. The white-haired dog immediately sat down, looked down with sad eyes again, not daring to look into his master''s eyes at all. And I could hear the footsteps of something approaching. I looked outside again and immediately found two Biruhuds checking around my colonist''s house. Shit! Sun was already straightening her body with difficulty when I came back in, waving his hand at Rex. At first, the dog just stood still but eventually went to the woman. Smiling faintly, the girl gently stroked the dog''s head. Rex closed his eyes and sat down with a more rxed gesture as if enjoying it. Manu and Seb turned to Kat, who just stared at the scene in silence. Taking a deep breath, I spoke to my colonists. "As ordered by Manu, no one moves or makes a sound." I just wanted to make it clear to them. Chapter 146 - 146 – Inside The House (2) Every now and then, I could hear the bird''s beak tapping on the wooden walls of the house as if they wanted to confirm that there was something here. This is insane. Who programmed them to be troublesome? In my original world, I had never seen a giant bird behave like this. I looked outside again to find one bird still circling the house while the other sat in front of the closed door. How long are they going to continue like that? It''s almost evening. My colonists have not done any meaningful activity. They don''t even eat and go to the toilet, afraid that their footsteps will be heard. As I pulled myself back into the house, I saw my colonists gathered in the center of the room, sitting tensely. Sun, lying on the fur sheet, rubbed Rex a few times if the animal seemed to be moving. And my eyes fell on Gwen, who had a different expression from the others. The woman bit the corner of her lips, her eyes began to water, her face turned red, and her eyes slowly narrowed. Then, her mouth opened slightly. She looks like to be moaning silently. Her body also shuddered. Seb, who was sitting next to the woman, flinched slightly and raised his right hand that was resting on the floor. The hand is wet. The man''s eyes then fell on the area Gwen was sitting on. A wide puddle of liquid could be seen there. "Sorry, maybe I drank too much earlier," Gwen muttered silently. Her face was now as red as a ripe tomato. Everyone else''s attention was also drawn to the puddle. With a confused face, Seb scratched his head. However, because the hand that was used to scratch turned out to be the wet one, the man instead wiped it on his clothes. Gwen grimaced at that. Seb, who realized his mistake, flinched again and looked away. The atmosphere became even more awkward. Maybe in normal times, Seb''s behavior would be funny. However, in an intense situation like this, I would hardlyugh. I left the house again to check on the birds. This time the two of them circled the house, asionally tapping the wooden walls with their beaks. And it continued even after I pressed the fast-forward button. The monster birds only left at sunset. However, I can''t immediately assume that my colonists are safe. I make sure the birds go as far as possible, disappearing from territory I can check on. Even so, I still can''t breathe a sigh of relief. There were still some Biruhuds who had been chasing the horses. Unfortunately, I couldn''t check their whereabouts via the flight feature. Unless I followed them from the start, I couldn''t find any animals in my territory. If I could do that, it would be effortless to find an animal for Kat to hunt. Unless the animals are going to attack my colonists, then I will be able to see them in my colonists'' territory. In the end, I decided to make my colonists start doing activities again. There''s no use worrying about the birds I can''t see. "Am I the only one who feels that we''re safe?" The first to speak was Manu, after I gave the order. "I-I haven''t felt it yet," Sun answered in a meager voice. "And is this a good time for us to talk?" Kat quickly got up and ran to the toilet. She tripped and almost fell because it was so dark. Thankfully, Kat survived to the end. I don''t want the others to embarrass themselves by identally peeing in their pants. "I also feel that we are safe." Seb chimed in, then leaned his head towards Sun, saying as I instructed. "I know it''s sudden, but I feel like this needs to be said right away. So, what are you going to do after this?" Sun was silent for a moment, then shook her head. Seb''s smile blossomed. "Then will you join us?" "Looks like I have no other choice." Sun smiled back. [New colonist acquired] "Ah, looks like I''ll have to light the fire. It''s dark in here, and it''s getting colder." Manu gets up and goes to the warehouse. "Errrr... Your name is Sebastian, right?" Gwen asked timidly. "May I have a favor?" "Just call me Seb." The man smiled again. "And, of course, you can ask me for help." Gwen looked down. Her face was still so red. "Because I''ve been holding my pee for a while, for some reason, my legs don''t have the strength .... Can I ask you to help me stand up? Then .... Ah, I''m sorry I wet the floor of your house." Well, at least your pee doesn''t stink, Gwen. "Oh... Ah, well....." Seb gulped. The man got up and stretched out his right hand but immediately reced it with his left. That right hand is the one that had been exposed to Gwen''s pee. "Rx, Gwen," Sun spoke with a flushed face. "You''re not the only one peering in the pants." Gwen, who had just stood up, couldn''t help but stare at Sun. However, over time she and Sunughed together. Seb just smirked at the two women. Maybe he doesn''t know if it is appropriate tough at the wetting of the two women. Finally, my colonists were able to do activities, although they didn''t really do much. After eating boiled potatoes and jerky, my colonists'' standard menu, they all went to bed. Except for Gwen, she motioned for me to follow her out. "I can''t use my psychic abilities all day long. I need to rest it from time to time." The woman stretched her body and looked up at the overcast sky. "However, I''ve been able to sense your presence ever since, Mr. Spirit." Mr. Spirit, huh? Weird name, but I don''t know what other nickname would be suitable for me. "Well, that''s the guardian spirit''s job," I answered her. The woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Seeing Sun''s wound, I know that what attacked her was no ordinary beast... Hey, Mr. Spirit..... Please, tell me it was the worst." "Sorry, I can''t say that." "Ah." Gwen looked up at the sky again.. "I see." Chapter 147 - 147 – The Newest Colonists The next day, the situation at my colonist''s house was safe without the arrival of the Bluehuds again. It''s a shame indeed. Their horses wouldn''te back, even though I''ve been thinking about making a cart that the animal can pull. Manu had learned to make simple wheels from Congraylham. It just so happened that there was a broken cart there. Activities in my colony are running normally as usual. Seb takes care of the crops'' field, Manu turns to cut down trees to build a cage because they don''t need a stable anymore, Gwen and Kat go to get things from the escape pod, while Sun stays in the house. Sun sat down with Rex. I did leave the dog at home on purpose. Who knows Sun needs friends while the others are doing their own things. "Have you ever lost a loved one, Rex?" The woman continued to stroke Rex''s head which was in herp. "Were you as sad as I was when it happened?" Ah, but it looks like that won''t be enough. I came out and found Seb lying in the grass instead of continuing to grow crops. "Get up your ass and have a chat with Sun inside." I gave the order to the blonde-haired man. Seb straightened up, yawning widely. It took a few seconds for him to finally get up and enter the house. "Hey, how are you?" Seb shed a big smile, then sat down next to Sun. Sun smiled back, though her face looked tired and pale. "It''s okay. Thank you for asking." "Ah, what''s on your mind, Sun?" Before Sun replied to that, I whispered into her ear. "He is already a member of your family here. You are free to say what is bothering you. So just spill it all out, Sun." The woman gulped and finally spoke again. "The thing is, I''m a terrible person." "How so?" Seb raised an eyebrow. "Carlos has protected me and saved me from the attacks of the giant birds." Sun''s hands began to shake. "Therefore, I only had this wound¡­. However, when he was surrounded by those birds, I couldn''t do anything¡­. My heart wanted to help him, but another feeling pushed me to run. I was scared and felt like I couldn''t do anything¡­. I''mpletely useless in a situation like that¡­." The woman wiped her tears that had begun to fall. Seb stared at the woman''s face for a moment, then took a deep breath. "The same thing happened to me when I just came to this ce. A group attacked us. Two of my pod friends managed to escape¡­. Well, they''re not really my friends, just people who happen to be in the same pod with me¡­. They don''t know me, but still help me¡­." The manughed bitterly. "And what did I do to them? I ran away when they were beaten." Sun looked at Seb with wide eyes. "Then, what do you do with that feeling of guilt?" "I can''t do anything, even though it happened months ago. That incident still haunts me." Seb shrugged. "I can only move on." *** Gwen quickened her pace when she finally reached the escape pod. "Finally, I can take my baby again." With a wide smile, Gwen pressed her hand to a screen near the cockpit door. After the screen turned blue, she opened the empty cockpit, while Kat opened another door beside it. Behind that door, Kat found orange cardboard-like boxes of various sizes, white food boxes, and two boxes with red plus-sign handles. Ah, my colonists were so lucky to find all that. "Look, Kat." Gwen showed me another box with handles, ck and smaller than a medical box. She just took that thing from the cockpit. "Hey, I can do your makeup with this cosmetic box!" Priorities. Kat, who had just retrieved the backpack from the escape pod storage, froze as she studied the box. However, not long after, she resumed her activities. Gwen pouted and shrugged. Then, she took another box which was dark green from the cockpit. The woman knelt down and opened the box. Her mouth curled into a faint smile while her hands lightly touched the various colored threads and sewing kits in there. "Oh, my baby." She breathed a sigh of relief. I crouched down beside the woman. "Why do you bring something like this, Gwen?" Honestly, I''m really interested in that thing. As for cosmetics, I can understand. After all, Gwen is a woman. However, if she brought something like this, it might mean a lot to her. Gwen just looked around, not answering my question. Looks like she can''t see me. So, I decided to give Kat an order to ask. "Why did you bring something like that?" Kat spoke without looking at her new partner. She was busy stuffing various things into the backpack. "Even though I''m an aspiring doctor, my real passion is to be a clothing designer." Gwen''s smile grew wider. "Well, I think the human body is already so beautiful, and it doesn''t really need clothes. Unfortunately, our society doesn''t think like that¡­. And our bodies can''t survive at a certain temperature. So, at least I want to make clothes that are also beautiful to cover their bodies, even though my work is nothingpared to God''s creations." Ummm¡­. That''s kinda twisted. "Well, but I was born as someone who¡­." Gwen stopped talking when she realized that Kat wasn''t paying attention to her. The amber-eyed girl stood up and looked the other way instead. It turned out that there was a brown animal in the distance, eating grass. Those are my colonists'' horses. Ah, my colonist got lucky again. "Perhaps there is food in this stockpile for him to eat? You can use it to lure him." I made a suggestion. Kat searched through the items from the escape pod. She checked thebels on the food boxes, then partially opened one of them, taking out the pieces of dried berries that were inside. And without saying anything, she came to the horse. "Good luck, girl," Gwen sighed. Chapter 148 - 148 – New Policies Leva and Eric had just buried a sack filled with materials for making gunpowder under a tree, quite far from the Redtooth tribe. "But, like I said, is this any good?" Leva scratched her head. "There may be traces of that material on our clothes, you know. My ex-tribe has a mineral detector that''s more skilled than I am. He can feel the material even if it''s just a little bit." "Well, we have to give a reason," Eric answered while pping his hands. He then proposes a n and asks Leva to cooperate with him. Well, I think Eric''s n makes a lot of sense. After Leva agreed, the two of them continued on their way. Everything gets faster with the fast-forward feature. In just seconds, they had arrived in front of the high fence of the Redtooth tribe. One of the guards, a man with a bald head and holding a spear, approached my two colonists. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Leva. "Good afternoon, Pac," Leva called out the guard''s name with a smile. But that smile looks very forced. "We just wanted to buy things inside." "Hmmm... Now you have your manners, huh?" The man named Pac chuckled sarcastically. "Well, sorry, I can''t just let you guys in right away...." The man choked, looked confused, then said again. "Okay, you cane in." It must be because of Red''s orders. She is still kind to my colonists after what I did to her tribe. I was ready to persuade her while Sena''s psychic powers were active. Pac knocked on the gate with a tune. There was the sound of argetch being moved, and therge door swung open. Leva narrowed her eyes when she saw a street with bricks-walled houses on either side. Something must have hit her heart to meet the location that must be familiar to her. "But, you two have to meet Tosa first as the leader of the tribe," Pac said, gesturing for them to follow him. "Huh?" Leva frowned, starting to walk with Eric. "Is it okay for you to call him by that name? He''s already the leader of Redtooth, right?" Pacughed again. "Tosa is one hundred percent different from Suja. Tosa does lead us, but he tries to put himself on a par with the others. That way, the residents respect him more." Looking at Tosa''s track record, I''m sure he did it just to get the sympathy of the people of Redtooth. Eric looked left and right. "It''s very quiet in here." The existing houses do look empty. People are also nowhere to be seen. There was only the faint sound of a crowd in the distance. As time went on, the crowd''s voice grew louder and louder. And what I saw next was entirely beyond my wildest imagination. We arrived at area I once recognized as an empty prairie before Redtooth''s prison. People gathered there, around two stages, cheering and dancing. My two colonists were speechless to see what was on the stages. One stage is upied by a woman who uses a wooden stick that is stuck down as a prop for dancing. The dancer twirled agilely using the stick, moving erotically to the rhythm of a band consisting of drummers, flute blowers, and harp users. Yes, she is very simr to pole dancers in the real world. It''s just that she doesn''t wear clothes at all. As for the other stage, I couldn''t stand to see it. The stage was the same as the previous stage, but the dancer was a pretty muscr man, alsopletely naked. The people who gathered at each stage were divided between the two genders. The women gathered on the male dancer''s stage and vice versa. Only a few of the opposite gender joined each group. At least, I haven''t seen a child yet. But ..... "What the fuck happened while I was gone?" Leva''s face looked more annoyed than shocked or something. "Tosa proposed this festival. In gratitude for our freedom, it also builds more friendship with the Acornhull tribe." Pac walked again to a wooden tribune where only a few people sat. "You guys are fortunate toe here when this festival is being held." After looking around, I did find some people wearing clothes that were more primitive than the Redtooth residents. My colonists keep following Pac. And after almost reaching the tribune, we could see Tosa sitting there, enjoying the show while drinking from a y bottle. His thigh was upied by a woman who was quite attractive. The woman with long ck hair was also wearing the clothes of the inhabitants of Acornhull. Leva red at the new tribe leader. The veins on her neck bulged. Her breath also started to get out of control. "I know that you had a history with him," Eric whispered to the red-haired woman. "But remember, we have a mission here. Don''t let your anger ruin our mission." Leva closed her eyes, then took a deep breath. In no time, the expression on her face returned to normal. Your progress has been remarkable, Leva. "Wait here." Pac gave the order, then went up to the tribune to meet Tosa. After talking to the tribe leader for a while, Pac returned to my colonists. "Tosa hasn''t been able to meet you guys because today''s event isn''t over yet." The bald man exined. "You can enjoy this show or wait in the pce." My two colonists looked at each other for a moment but didn''t immediately answer. I have to step in to make a decision. "It''s up to you two where to go." Well, I''m definitely going to enjoy this show. However, I don''t need to force my colonists. Leva shrugged. "I want to visit the cemetery first." "Tosa also said that if you want to visit a ce, you are free to do so," Pac answered in a disappointed tone. "As long as I keep an eye on you two, and you two don''t go where you''re forbidden." Leva''s lips formed a wide grin. "Actually, you still want to be here, don''t you, Pac? You keep guarding the gates, so you can''t enjoy all this. You were already thrilled when there was the possibility of us staying in this event." "Shut up." Pac snorted and started walking again. Before following Pac, Leva looked at Tosa.. While sipping his drink, the tribe leader stared back at the red-haired woman. Chapter 149 - 149 – Back To The Graveyard I prefer to follow Leva to the graveyard. Well, if I want to see the striptease show again, I''ll just use the rey feature. What''s more important is seeing my colonist''s mental state. "Hey, Pac. Cheer up." Leva patted the bald man''s shoulder. "Tosa must be nning to have that festival every year, right? You cane next year." Pac, who had been pouting ever since we left the striptease arena, snorted in annoyance. "Well, that means I have to wait another year. I''m fine with not attending the festival. But why do I have to get a shift when the most exciting show is going on?" Levaughed. "Then find a wife who can dance! You can see her dancing naked every night!" "It''s not that easy." Pac snorted again, then looked closely at Leva''s face. "What?" Leva raised an eyebrow. "No." Pac looked ahead again. "You have indeed changed, Leva. I can say that you are... Maybe you are not as annoying as you used to be. It turns out that your new tribe has really influenced you, huh?" "That and many other things." The red-haired woman shrugged. It reminded me that Leva used to yell at my colonists, who had obviously helped her. As soon as I arrived at the cemetery, I saw a teenage boy kneeling between two graves. At first, I did not recognize the boy because his hair was short, and his body was so skinny. But, after I looked again, I realized that it was Sena, the psychic. "This ce looks a lot bigger than when I was herest time." Leva narrowed her eyes, surveying the ce. There are more graves there than before, the result of a bloody coup. "Ah, sorry. But I don''t know where your mother and father are." Pac scratched his bald head. "Maybe you can ask Sena who is here often." "Thank you, Pac." Leva continued on her way while the bald man stopped. Eric just nodded slightly to the man and continued to follow Leva. "Hey, you really thank people." Pac chuckled with his hands on his hips. At Pac''s suggestion, my two colonists walked over to Sena, who just sat and looked down in silence. "Good afternoon, Sena." Leva greeted with a bow and smiled at the boy. "Do you know where my parents are?" Sena raised his face, looked at Leva with a nk expression. I was reminded of Eric''s condition some time ago, after losing Emma. Sena seemed to have no zest for life anymore. A few moments passed, but Sena was silent. This made Leva look confused. The teenage boy was just pointing to a corner of the cemetery when Leva was about to speak again. "Thank you very much, Sena." Leva widened her smile, then started to leave the boy. However, after only a few steps, she stopped, turning her head back to the psychic boy. "I know, this might not be appropriate for me to ask you. But, I just want to know, Sena. You can still see the spirits, right? What about the spirits from my parents...." "I can''t do it anymore," Sena replied in a cold tone. "Oh, I see." Leva rubbed his face. "Once again, thank you." Then my two colonists continued their journey. "He can only see me now." I turned my head to the side, finding Red, the guardian spirit of the Redtooth tribe. The figure was walking towards me. "Even then, he can''t hear me. He can''t hear us." Red sighed, folded her arms across her chest, staring at the boy. "I suspect it was due to his mental breakdown. His psychic abilities were hampered." Well, not surprising. The boy only has his father. And now, he couldn''t meet his father at all, not even in spirit form. "Thank you for epting my people." I sighed. "And, if you don''t mind, I have a question. Well, after what happened to your tribe...." "You wonder why I let you and your people in here again?" Red shrugged, then looked at Leva, who was now kneeling in front of her parents'' graves. "If you came here, it''s most likely for the survival of your people. As I said, they''re innocent. I can''t just let them die." I could faintly hear Leva''s muffled cry. *** My two colonists were already sitting in a in room, decorated only with carpet, a medium-sized table, and a few chairs. This surprised me quite a bit because the room was inside the pce. When Suja was still in power, the pce was quite luxurious. However, since I entered here earlier, I only found mediocre decorations. Where did the luxuries go? "Well, I haven''t eaten anything like this in a long time." Eric opened the conversation after a long silence. He had already finished half of a round bread filled with pieces of dried fruit. "Thest time I ate something simr to this was in my original world." Leva lifted her face, wiped the tears from her puffy eyes, then took a piece from the pile of bread that was served on a y tray. "Well, Suja hid this for himself. The reason is that, because the ingredients to make this are limited, he can''t share it fairly." "Really, huh?" Eric took a sip of wine from a y ss. Leva then ate the bread. "Fuck, it''s delicious. It''s the freedom that allows us to eat this. But freedomes at a price." Exactly. The door to the room creaked open. Tosa entered the room, apanied by a woman with brown hair and a bun. Eric hastily stood up and gave a respectful gesture with a slight bow while Leva was still enjoying her bread as if she didn''t care about the existence of the tribe leader. "You don''t have to be like that." Tosa smiled while gesturing for Eric to stop the gesture. "We are in the same position." If you look at Tosa''s clothes, which have the same model as the residents, he does look on par with the others. However, I''m sure he doesn''t really think like that. All of this is just a mask. "Just a moment, sir." The woman beside Tosa frowned. Her sharp eyes looked at Leva and Eric in turn. "I feel there are traces of explosive material on their bodies." Leva stopped eating right away. This is a crucial moment. I hope that Eric can speak well. Tosa must not suspect that my colony has firearms. Things like that can be troublesome. Redtooth already knows my small number of colonists, so they won''t hesitate to attack us under the pretext that we are dangerous because we have those weapons. With the Congraylham, Redtooth did not know how strong the colony was, so Tosa did not dare to do anything at that time. Not to mention the possibility that Tosa could force us to tell stories about producing these deadly weapons. "Well, I''m from Congraylham, the colony that owns the firearms. I heard myrades had visited the residents here." Eric exined with a friendly smile. "However, due tock of food, we couldn''t survive the winter. I was the only one alive. Luckily, I was rescued by a member of the Leva colony when I fainted in the snow on my way to find a new ce." "You''re telling me that maybe there''s still some explosive material stuck to your clothes?" The bun woman tilted her head. " You said you passed out in the snow, and they helped you? That means it''s been a while, right? It''s spring now. Haven''t you been washing your clothes all this time?" "Looks like the traces of the gunpowder are hard to remove, indeed..." Eric massaged the nape of his neck. "I''ve heard about you,dy. A person with high mineral detection abilities like you can still feel it, even if it''s only a small amount of minerals, right?" Suddenly Leva got up. "The mineral detectors other than me and my mother in this tribe should be male." "Formerly." The woman beside Tosa slightly lifted her chin. Leva looked at that woman, gulped. "Bryan?" Chapter 150 - 150 – Transformation "Brianna." The woman cleared her throat. "Just call me Brie." Eric narrowed his eyes at the woman while I scratched my head. From the moment she walked in, I was sure she was a real woman. From her movements to her appearance, her slender figure, and even her voice, they all scream femininity. Her face is also lovely, with a sharp look that seems arrogant but might melt a man''s heart¡­. Ah, my mind is going crazy. Well, her chest is t like a board, indeed. "What the fuukkk!!!" Leva widened her eyes and thumped the table. "I once dropped your pants! You have a dick, and your dick is the most gigantic of all!!!" Huh!? Do you know the dick size of the other inhabitants of this tribe!? Did you peek at them and make notes about it!? Seriously, Leva! Brie covered her chest with her hands, and her face started to turn red "P-please don''t talk like that...." "What''s with that behavior?" Leva sounded even more shocked. "Where are your muscles, huh!!?? You are the most masculine human among the other masculine humans in Redtooth!" "Well, one of the rules I make for my people is to let them choose the sexual orientation they want." Tosa chuckled, shifting between Leva and Brie. "Then, what about your parents!?" Leva pointed at the woman, looking increasingly frustrated. Apparently, Leva had a history with this woman. Otherwise, she wouldn''t be this hysterical. Brie hid behind Tosa''s back, talking like someone was about to cry. "My parents hate me for being like this, but I''m sure they''ll ept me eventually." Tosa widened her smile, looking at Leva and Eric in turn. "Well, how about we end this topic? You two have something more important to say, right?" The corners of Leva''s eyes and lips twitched. She squeezed her head like crazy, then screamed. "Arrrgggghhh!!!" But in the end, she sat down, albeit taking a piece of bread again and eating it like a madman. Tosa and Brie pulled chairs from the table and sat down as well. Since Leva continued to eat and showed no sign of speaking, I told Eric to negotiate. "We are both grateful for your warm wee, sir." "Just call me Tosa." The tribe leader smiled. "You are special guests. The tribe you belong to is our best friend." Tosa''s words made me ufortable. "Ah, maybe you have a little time because you still have to take care of the festival. So, we won''t waste your time." Eric continued the conversation. "We just want to buy food crop seeds from here, and if possible, some supplies." Tosa didn''t answer right away. He just smiled as he tapped his fingers on the table. That gesture made me even more ufortable. "Sorry, but we can''t do that." Tosa''s smile widened again. Shit. Leva immediately stood up, about to pound the table. However, she managed to contain herself by taking a deep breath. The woman then answered Tosa, though with trembling lips and a fake smile. "If I may ask, why is that? Don''t you guys keep a surplus of seeds? I know very well, you must have seeds to sell. Come on, we just need some." "I''m not done talking yet." Tosa shrugged. "We can''t let you bring seeds from our ce unless you do something for us, Leva." Damn it. Is this the primary source of my difort? Eric and Leva looked at each other for a moment. Then, Leva asked again with a frown. "What do I have to do so I can buy seeds from you guys?" "We''ll even give it all away for free. You two will be able to bring corn and strawberry seeds without paying any money at all." Brie smiled too. "You can even bring cotton tree seeds. You want more breathable clothes, right?" "Obviously, after I came to power, I removed the ban on wearing cotton clothes." Tosa stood up, walked over to Leva, who looked increasingly suspicious. "That bastard Suja turned out to be hiding a vast field of cotton trees. I don''t know where he sells the products. The person I assumed used to do the transaction has run away...." "And I don''t care about any of that." Leva cut off the conversation. "The most important thing to us is the seeds. What do I have to do to get them?" "Tomorrow, we will have a tournament," Brie smirked. "A bare-knuckles tournament." "We don''t have any hand-to-handbatants who can defeat Acornhull''s warriors." Tosa''s teeth clenched. He looked disgusted. "They''re the ones who proposed this tournament when I talked about holding a festival of peace. And we find it difficult to argue with them. So, we had to agree with that stupid event." So, friendship with the Acornhull tribe is fake? I know it. "You think, even if your people can''t win, at least don''t let them be champions?" Leva said in a t tone. Tosa tapped Leva''s shoulder, smiling again. "Well, after all, we used to be one tribe mate. It turns out that you still understand this friend of yours... Oh, I almost forgot, if you win the tournament, then you will still get the prize money of 1000 silvers." Leva nced at Tosa''s hand, and I pressed the pause button. I started to weigh the pros and cons of all this. To be honest, I wasn''t worried that Leva would get hurt. After all, she can heal quickly. However, is there no ulterior motive in this tournament? Well, I can only hope in Red, who I think is almost impossible to do anything terrible to my people. Like it or not, I have to do this. My colonists need those seeds, after all. Before pressing the y button, I whispered something to Leva. "Very well, I willply with your request." Leva''s lips twitched again. She seemed to be holding back from pping Tosa''s hand on her shoulder. "But I have one condition. I need someone to teach us how to make weavers and animal traps." Tosa''s smile disappeared in an instant. "If it''s a weaver, we can do it." Brie massaged her own forehead. "As for the traps... You know yourself, right? Suja has always forbidden those things. The reason is that they are fraudulent, cowardly, and dishonorable. However, the real reason was, he thought the traps could harm our own people or visitors from other tribes. He went so far as to forbid even chicken traps, which should be harmless to humans. The old man wanted to appear consistent with his rules, so all traps were forbidden. What an idiot." "And those who still have knowledge of traps are all dead." Tosa shrugged. Levaughed out loud. "You guys are too embarrassed to ask Acornhull to teach you how to make traps, huh!?" Chapter 151 - 151 – In The Middle Of Two Hills The next day, the bustle was heard outside the 5x5 meter tent upied by my two colonists. I have to admit the preparation from Redtooth was quite amazing. They even provided this private room,plete with water, food, exercise equipment, and other necessities. It''s like a prep room for real-world MMA fighters but a more primitive version. "Are you nervous?" Eric asked. He was wrapping Leva''s hands with long cloths. Leva, who had been unfocused all this time, sighed. "Well, for this tournament, I''m actually very excited. I really like fighting, you know. Moreover, it involves money. I have more motivation to be a champion." "So, what''s on your mind." Eric made the final knot on his fellow colonist''s left hand. It took a while before Leva finally answered. "Can you imagine your ex-crush being of the same gender as you? Well, that''s a bizarre situation, indeed. A small chuckle escaped Eric''s mouth. "People say love doesn''t look at gender." "Honestly, I was a little excited when I came back here. At least I got to see Bryan again¡­. Arggghhh!" Leva scratched her hair with an annoyed expression. "There''s no point in thinking about it! I have to focus on this tournament! This is for our tribe!" Eric nodded. "Well, as we talked about earlier, I''m going to go find someone from Acornhull who can teach me how to make animal traps. I''m not of much use here. You are more skilled in closebat than I am. My advice will be useless." "Take care." Leva shrugged. "Your mission is also important to us." "I''ll be back before your fight." Eric waved, then left the tent. Leva started beating up the training dummy, and I pressed the fast-forward button. However, only a few momentster, someone opened the tent door and went inside. "It seems we are destined to meet again, Leva." That woman with curly hair looks quite muscr, with tan skin and a body taller than Leva. She walked over to the red-haired woman with her arms crossed over her chest. "Do you know how much I waited for this day?" Leva stopped beating the training dummy. She studied the woman while raising an eyebrow. From her attire which was quite simr to that of a cave-dweller, the uninvited guest was clearly from Acornhull. So, she has a history with Leva. "Who?" And that''s the question that came out of Leva''s mouth. The woman who spoke to Leva froze. Slowly her mouth opened, and her eyes widened. "I''m Naomi!" [Naomi, 27 years old. (Acornhull''s Tribe Member)] Ranged Attack: -/100 Melee attack: -/100 I see, before the match, the stats of Leva''s opponents were censored. "Oh¡­." Leva blinked a few times. "Hi, Naomi. Pleased to meet you. Is there anything I can help you with?" "You really forgot about me?" The woman named Naomi snorted, then pointed to my colonist. "A few years ago, I went with a merchant group toe here. When I brought things, you nudged me, and instead of apologizing, you scolded me. I got angry, and we fought." "Is that so?" Leva rubbed her chin. "Then forgive me. At that time, I was rude. Now, excuse me." And after answering like that, Leva hit the training dummy again. Naomi shook her head, then sat down on a wooden bench. "You may have forgotten now, but at that time, you amazed me, Leva. At first, we did fight because we were both upset. However, as time went on, I became fascinated by your fighting style. Your attacks are fast and on target. Well, I lost, and after that incident, I practiced a lot to beat you. Unfortunately, our chance to fight again never came." Leva paused a second time, drank from a y bottle for a few sips, then smiled at the woman. "So, you''re also in the tournament? Good luck then." Leva''s words sounded rxed, and that made Naomi look even more irritated. "I hope you keep winning, so we can have an epic showdown in the finals." "What''s your name? Naomi, huh?" Leva turned her head to the board with the charcoal inscribed tournament chart on it. "Well, we won''t be meeting in the final." "What?" Naomi got up and pounded the table. "Just like that!? You give up!? You just want to participate in this tournament with no desire to be the champion!?" The woman''s voice rose. "Huh! I misjudged you, Leva!" Leva froze and blinked again. "Err¡­. It''s not like that. We''re in the third and fourth matches¡­." "So what? That won''t stop us from getting to the finals! I don''t want to hear your excuses! You have to fight all the way to the final, and we will fight there!" "Well¡­" Leva grimaced, pointing at the tournament chart. "The winners of the third and fourth matches will meet in the semifinals." "What? How did you know that!?" Naomi walked up to Leva with her face red with anger. "You want to distract me, huh!? It turns out that you like doing things like this!? Let the fighting skills do the talking! I don''t like mind games!" Leva looked at Naomi with her mouth agape, then started walking back to the training dummy. "I still need to train so that my body doesn''t stiffen. Please do not bother me. Let me concentrate before fighting so thatter I can perform to the maximum. You want us to fight in the final, right?" Well, it seems my female colonist has given up on exining. "Good then." Naomi snorted again. "Before I leave, I have to tell you something about your opponentter. He was no ordinary person¡­. Well, let''s just say he''s agile and has some unexpected moves. However, I still feel that he is not a match for you. Good luck." Leva shook her head when Naomi finally came out of the tent. I thought maybe the old Leva would get mad at Naomi''s stupidity. Just as Leva had started beating the training dummy again, Eric burst in breathlessly. "What''s wrong, Eric?" For the third time, Leva stopped her activities. Eric held his knees while catching his breath. "I-I was chatting with a male member of Acornhull about how to set a trap. But, suddenly, a group of women came up to me. I had a hard time getting away from them." "Eric! Where are you!" "We still want to be with you, Eric!" "Hey, I''m not done talking, Eric!" Leva narrowed her eyes at Eric, who got goosebumps at the voices of several women from outside. Chapter 152 - 152 – In The Middle Of Two Hills (2) In the afternoon, Leva came to the arena with Eric following behind. The red-haired girl, wearing a hooded jacket over a bra-like top and very short pants, continued to make light punching movements. Meanwhile, Eric, who was carrying a wooden bucket filled with supporting items, kept looking around. However, the audience''s attention has not been drawn to the woman. They sat on two hills opposite each other. It''s outside the Redtooth tribe area. Both the Redtooth and Arcornhull residents upied different hills, with the Redtooth people far more numerous. Ah, those hills serve as stands. The people cheered the match in the arena between the two hills. The arena reminded me of a boxing ring,plete with four corners and ropes arranged on each side. However, the bottom was just the ground where the grass had been removed. Apart from those two hills, several people were sitting on a wooden tribune, simr to the one near the striptease arena yesterday. Maybe it was made for the higher-ups of Acornhull and Redtooth. "You were so worried about meeting those girls you told me about?" Leva asked. Seeing Eric''s behavior that I had never seen before, I also became curious about what was really going on. "They''re crazy, Leva." Eric Gulped. "At first, they just sat around me. I politely declined at first because I was running errands. However, after a while, they went crazy. Imagine, I''ve been pulled up somewhere and almost stripped." Leva narrowed her eyes. "Well, I can understand why they are like that. Your face is quite attractive, Eric. Although not my type. And your refusal might make the girls curious, plus your cool demeanor. Because of all that, they want to eat you." "Please, don''t be joking, Leva." Eric started to shiver, even though he was wearing a jacket. "I''m not joking." Leva shrugged. "I am also a woman." "But, there is no woman like them! They are fucking crazy!" My two colonists are getting closer to the arena. Some of the Redtooth residents looked shocked to see Leva. It seems they still remember what happened to my female colonist. "That''s Eric!" "Where!? Hey, why is he with that girl!?" "No!!! He''s my Eric!!!" Eric shivered again and chose to lower his head. Leva looked up at the hill the Acornhulls were sitting on. She found several young women who were hysterically looking at Eric. "Well, they''re quite attractive, really." Leva grinned, ignoring the cynical looks from the women. "Wouldn''t you say you were lucky instead? You can have a harem very easily." I agree. Their faces are above average, although they can''t beat Kat''s, Leva''s, or Gwen''s attractiveness yet. "I have a bad feeling about those girls." Eric massaged the nape of his neck. The two of them stopped at a long wooden bench located a few meters from the battle arena. After tying her hair, Leva reached her hands to be bandaged by Eric, while watching the ongoing fight between two shirtless men. The first man was of great stature, had pale skin with short blond hair. Probably about 210 cm tall, with a muscr build. He continued to givebination of punches to the second man. His opponent was also muscr, but his body was smaller and slimmer. The second man continued to be pushed back by thebination of fists until he finally leaned against the corner with his face starting to bleed. If this was an MMA match in the real world, then the match would be stopped. The blows were brutal, and the second man had no chance to dodge or retaliate. Every second, thatbination of fists kept hitting his body and head. And finally, the second man''s hands drooped. The ck-clothed referee has pulled the first man to back off. However, the first man pushed the referee instead and continued to beat his opponent. The referee tried again, and this time the push sent him tumbling down. The second man was utterly helpless. So, the referee signaled to the ck-clothed officials around the arena. They rushed into the arena and grabbed the first man. It took extra effort until the man was finally pulled back. The referee gestured to the other officials near the wooden tribune. Then, a gong sounded three times. The residents of Acornhull cheered, while the people of Redtooth could not help but fall silent. The referee raised one of the first man''s hands, who was now grinning widely. "And the winner is Ivan from the Acornhull tribe!!!" The female announcer shouted using a funnel. Meanwhile, the second man was already lying in the corner of the arena. His face was almost disfigured with bruises and blood. I can also see some broken teeth around the poor guy. "Ugh, nasty." Leva hissed as the second man was being taken care of by several people. "That dude from the Acornhull tribe will be a formidable opponent for meter." Why do you sound insecure, Leva? Officials cleaned the blood and teeth in the arena, then the announcer shouted again. "The third match, between Dex from the Acornhull tribe, against Leva from the nameless tribe from the west! Fighters, please enter the arena!" I could see the residents of Acornhull whispering. Perhaps they hadn''t been told by their leader that a fighter from another ce would join. There was no way Tosa had Leva participate without speaking to the people from Acornhull first. When Leva entered the arena, there was no cheering because she didn''te from either side. There are only a few whistles andments about her clothes which are quite revealing, showing her fantastic body. Well, Manu''s clothes look more like a bikini than a fighting suit, after all. However, the voices were still inferior to the loud hateful screams of the women who had chased after Eric earlier in the day. I looked at Leva, who didn''t seem to care at all about it. Her eyes look so focused. "Good luck, Leva. Go, get him!" Eric patted the woman''s back after giving her a drink from a y bottle. As Leva did her shadowboxing again, dozens of red flower petals were tossed around the arena.. Then, a slender man jumped in. Chapter 153 - 153 – The Rose Warrior The smell of roses is enough to tickle my nose. [Dex, 27 years old. (Acornhull''s Tribe Member)] Ranged attack: -/100 Melee attack: -/100 Since his stat was censored, I could only observe the body and movements of the man with short brown hair. Maybe there''s a weakness I can tell Leva about. However, after watching the man wearing only the leather loincloth, I couldn''t find anything. Instead, I feel he is a capable fighter. Despite his slender body, his muscles were quite prominent. His pose is indeed weird. He stood with his legs crossed, smelling the rose he was holding. But that doesn''t mean he looks like a woman. I actually feel a different aura of manliness from him. "All women are beautiful creatures, as beautiful as this flower." The man''s mustache with coiled ends twitched as he spoke. "I can''t afford to use my hands to hurt them." Leva changed her stance from fighting ready, to folding her arms across her chest. "If the flower is as beautiful as you say, why did you destroy it and scatter it around this arena? That flower you hold too. You pluck it, and in a moment, it will die." Leva''s opponents froze, as did the cheering residents of Acornhull. What a burn. Dex arched back, throwing a rose from his hand. "Well, you are one of the most beautiful creatures, like a fairy, so..." "Fights!" The referee started the match, ignoring Dex. Leva didn''t care about the rose man either. The red-haired woman had her fists clenched in front of her face, ready to punch. Dex looked shocked but then stretched his body and started walking around. Strangely, his hands were hanging down, not protecting his body or head at all. Leva stepped forward, instantly delivering a fistbination. However, Dex was able to dodge all of that. He then retaliated with a kick to the side of Leva''s head. Leva blocked the kick with her forearm without any trouble. "Huh, you said you don''t want to hurt women?" Leva sneered. Dex backed away and shrugged. "I don''t use my hands." They fight again. Leva provides abination of fists with a faster movement, with asional kicks to the side of the opponent''s body. Dex can still dodge or parry, but the counterattack he gives is not much. All of them were kicks, and most of them aimed at Leva''s left foot. And I know that can be a problem. Almost all of Dex''s kicks hit the target, making Leva wince in pain several times. Dex jumps up, spins in the air, and kicks my female colonist in the chest. Leva was pushed back. But, she could maintain her bnce and get back into a stance. Now, the two fighters stood still, sweating and out of breath. The audience from both camps cheered and apuded, appreciating the exchange of attacks that had urred just now. However, I can still hear the hateful screams from Eric''s pursuers. I saw Dex frowning, looking at Leva''s feet which still looked clean without any bruises. It seems that Leva''s speedy healing ability has increased. The kicks from Dex were quickly healed before they could have any significant effect. Dex cracked his fingers with a smile. "Looks like I really have to use my hands." Leva was unaffected by the man''s words and went forward again. However, when Leva gave another punch, Dex ducked, and he was behind Leva in no time. My eyes can''t even follow the man''s movements at all. And from behind, Dex squeezed both of Leva''s breasts. The red-haired woman was stunned with a face that turned red, so she didn''t have time to react. "BOOBPLEX!!!" The spectators from the Acornhull tribe shouted in unison. Dex lifts Leva up, then falls backward intentionally while bridging his back and legs. He mmed my female down to the ground, back of the head first with her legs spread up. Eric and I flinched while cringing at that. The impact on Leva''s head looked brutal. My ears can hear the nasty thud. Dex rolled away from Leva, then got up and spread out both hands. His fellow tribesmen cheered even more crazily. However, I could still hear the hateful screams from Eric''s pursuers. Leva was lying on the arena with her face covered by her own untied hair. The referee started counting out loud. "One! Two! Three!" The referee pointed his finger up every time he shouted a number. The members of the Acornhull tribe also counted with enthusiasm. Eric was already holding the rough cloth used as a towel, clearly wanting to throw it into the arena as a sign of surrender. From the look on his worried face, I could tell that he wanted this to be over. However, he could not make a decision. It''s in my hands. "Five! Six! Seven!" I looked at Leva again, whose body suddenly started to twitch. At that moment, I decided not to give up. She started to get up, albeit staggering. "Eight!" Her legs are almost straight, but her one hand is still touching the ground. "Nine!" The woman staggered a bit again. "Ten!" Finally, Leva managed to pull her hand off the ground. "Are you okay? Can you still continue the fight?" The referee asked my colonist. Leva nodded, then clenched her hands into fists again and raised them in front of her face, though she had to do so with a shudder. Dex chuckled. "I have to admit your determination, but I suggest you just give up. Your condition will only get worse the longer you fight. That m earlier must have had a huge impact on the back of your head." "Fights!" Again, the referee didn''t care what Dex said. This time, the fighter from Acorhull also raised his hands in front of his face, but not clenched like Leva''s pose. Leva stepped forward, and suddenly she was inches away from Dex. Horrified by the unexpected movement, the opponent couldn''t do anything when Leva''s right hand gripped his neck. [Berserker Buff (lite) - All stats rted to Leva''s fighting ability have increased, but she''s not really in the right mind.] Chapter 154 - 154 – The Rose Warrior (2) What? There''s a lite version of the buff? "Heaaah!!!" Still strangling Dex''s neck, Leva lifted Dex''s body and mmed him hard. Then, Leva sat on her enemy''s stomach. However, just as she was about to beat the man, Leva froze. The red-haired woman looked down to find that the bra that protected her chest was missing, making her breasts exposed. "Kyaaaaa!!!" The woman covered her chest, then got up and went to the corner of the arena. Now cheers rang out from both sides, even louder than before. They looked like they were watching the most fantastic scene of the century. However, all of that still couldn''t muffle the hateful screams from the women who had been chasing Eric. Dex then got up and twirled Leva''s bra. I don''t even know when that guy stole it. I turned to the referee, who showed no sign of ending the fight. Instead, he gulped while looking at Leva''s condition. "G-give me back my clothes!" An expression of hatred and shame mixed together on Leva''s face. "It''s your fault for wearing clothes like this." Dex tucked the bra into his loincloth, making the audience scream even more thunderous. However, they still couldn''t beat the hateful screams from the girls who had been chasing Eric. "A top like this is easier to take from that beautiful chest of yours." No. I''m sure this bastard would still do something like that even if his female opponent was fully clothed. Leva looked disdainfully at the loincloth Dex was wearing, which was now slightly bulging from being stuffed with her bra. "Hey, we have to postpone this match!" Eric shouted at the referee. "Don''t interrupt this match!" The referee pointed to my male colonist. "If you yell at me like that again, I''ll take out your fighter!" "Leva,e here!" Eric turned to his partner, holding out arge towel. "Use this towel!" "Companions are prohibited from giving anything to the fighter during the match!" The referee shouted again. Eric gritted his teeth, looking frustrated. Even this is a very dire situation, I don''t want to give up. This bastard named Dex needs to be taught a lesson. I had to intervene, even though this might hurt Leva''s dignity. After pressing the pause button, I approached Leva, who was still covering her chest. "Sorry if I speak like this, Leva. However, if you give up now, then this bastard will win. So, I beg you to keep fighting. This isn''t your first experience of being naked in public, is it? Just imagine when you don''t wear clothes for days when you join your current tribe. After a while, you get used to it, right? It''s the same as that, but with a bigger audience, not just Seb and Manu." I''m so sorry, Leva. I returned outside the arena and pressed the y button. Leva looked at Dex, who was standing proudly in the middle of the arena. And then, the red-haired woman took a deep breath. The red-haired woman lowered her hand, her eyes refocused, though her face was getting redder and the corners of her eyes were tinged with tears. Seeing that, Dex raised an eyebrow, not hiding at all that he stared at Leva''s chest. The audience is now going ballistic. Some of the men jumped up and down. Some even had nosebleeds. Meanwhile, mothers cover their sons'' eyes. Leva put her fists in front of her face again. "This is getting more and more interesting!" Dex spread his arms andughed with delight. "I have nevere across a woman like you, who can still fight in such conditions!" Leva didn''t answer and chose to run forward, dealing abination of fists and kicks to her enemy. This time thebination of blows was faster than before, even though Leva''s stamina should have decreased. Honestly, I had difficulty focusing on the match as both of Leva''s D-sized assets bounced like crazy. Unlike at the beginning of the game, Dex is overwhelmed to dodge and block the attacks. Several punches and kicks from Leva hit the man''s face and body, constantly pushing him back. And then, Dex''s back stuck to the rope. His face was dotted with bloody wounds, and now he was staggering like a drunkard. "Finish him!!!" I shouted. Leva jumped up, about to deliver the ultimate punch. However, Dex ducked and moved again with a movement my eyes couldn''t follow. Leva just punched the air, and Dex was behind her a second time. Dex grabbed both sides of Leva''s shorts and pulled them up with all his might. "WEDGIEEE!!!" The audience from Acornhull eximed in unison. "Kyaaaaa!!!" Leva couldn''t react except to scream. The woman''s two buttcheeks were exposed. Her legs twitched wildly, and her hands desperately tried to free Dex''s grip. Shit. Looks like she can''t think straight because of what she feels right now in her crotch. Dex pulled the pants until Leva''s body lifted, brought her to the corner of the arena, and hooked the back of Leva''s pants to the pole there. The cheers from the audience be more deafening, making the ground shake, and managed to drown out the screams of the girls who had been chasing Eric. All of you love this insanity, huh? What a sick people. Leva looked troubled and struggled to free her pants from the pole. Meanwhile, Dex wasughing like a madman while pointing at Leva. I can''t stand it anymore. I finally decided to speak to Eric. "Enough, Eric. We''d better give up. It''s not worth it." At mymand, Eric threw the cloth into the arena. A few seconds passed, and nothing happened. The referee was still focused on the two fighters. Eric and several officials outside the arena kept telling him, but he didn''t budge. Meanwhile, several other officials just sat in their ce. What the¡­. Red couldn''t have ordered all of this to happen, could she? So¡­. Ah, it looks like the referee and some of the officials are from Acornhull. It could be their guardian spirit who allowed this to happen. On the verge of tears, Leva punched the approaching Dex, who could dodge back easily. The pole where Leva''s pants were stuck was high enough that her legs couldn''t touch the ground properly, making her unable to attack as usual. "Sometimes, there has to be human intervention for something to be beautiful." Dex clenched his right fist. Because I was close to the two fighters, I could clearly hear the sound of Dex''s fist hitting Leva''s cheek. Chapter 155 - 155 – Humiliation "Ughhh!!!" Leva made a sound like she was going to throw up as Dex''s hard fist hit her stomach hard. Dex doesn''t care about his opponent''s condition at all. He kept punching Leva''s face and body. The red-haired girl waspletely helpless because her feet couldn''t stick to the ground properly. Her hand just swung weakly, and of course, Dex could dodge it with ease. I can''t stand this anymore. Leva is like a living sandbag. My female colonist''s lips were already bleeding, and her face was covered with bruises. Some parts of her body have also been decorated with purple. The referee didn''t do anything, maybe because Leva''s body hadn''t fallen on the ground yet. However, he should have stopped all of this anyway, like when Ivan was pounding his opponent hard in the previous match. And the audience just kept cheering. I turned to Tosa and a white-bearded old man who seemed to be a higher-up from Acornhull. The two of them giggled while enjoying the wine. There was no sign of them feeling guilty. Ah, they had agreed to make someone to be toyed with like this. Maybe this was Tosa''s suggestion. He saw the opportunity when Leva came. And there will be no consequences. My colony is still very small, and they will not retaliate against them. My group is nothing in their eyes. Fuck it. I don''t care anymore if the two tribes will be offended. "Eric, save her!!!" I gave the order with a heart that felt like it was about to explode. Eric was already holding the rope, about to jump into the arena. However, several officials suddenly held him back. "Let me go!!!" Eric tried to free himself, but it was no use. "You can''t interfere with the match!" One of the officials snapped. Leva''s hands were drooping, her head was down, and her blood was dripping to the ground. Dex leaned over and checked the woman''s face, grinned widely, then backed away. I can still hear the sickening cheers. Dex turned away from Leva and spread his arms for the umpteenth time. Leva''s pants were ripped, she fell on her stomachpletely naked, and everyone could see her bare body. The referee then raised his finger up, starting to count. "One! Two! Three! Four!" At least it''s finally over. Once again, I''m really sorry, Leva. I''m not a good guardian spirit. "Five! Six! Seven!" Dex went up to the corner of the arena and waved his hands. "Eight! Nine!" A few seconds passed without a count. The crowd was bing hysterical but not cheering for Dex, who lowered his hands and looked back. Leva was already standing with her head lowered. Her naked body was already covered in blood from her face. The text about buffs reappeared before my eyes. However, there is a change. Some words have disappeared. [Berserker Buff - All stats rted to Leva''s fighting ability have drastically increased, but she''s not in the right mind right now.] Yes, it''s not the Berserker buff version like before. I don''t care anymore. The pride of this female colonist of mine has been trampled on. Let this be hell. Dex got off the pole and came up to the red-haired woman, then said, "Hey, you better give up. The back of your head is already injured. ...." Suddenly Leva had disappeared from Dex''s presence. The man then looked around in panic. I don''t know since when Leva has been standing on the rope. Dex turned his body to the back while the woman jumped. The red-haired woman kicked him in the face. The man was immediately pushed, rolling all the way to the edge of the arena. Holding his bloody face, Dex hastily got up with the help of a rope, but he couldn''t really stand up straight. And Leva was already running towards the man. The crowd gasped as Leva jumped up and smacked his knee into Dex''s head. The man immediately fell again, and Leva did not remain silent. With her face covered in blood and bruises, the woman knelt down, starting to beat the enemy on the head. Dex was unconscious, but Leva didn''t care. The woman continued to beat the side of her enemy''s head with a ruthless face. "Stop!" The referee tried to stop Leva. However, like in the previous match, he was pushed to the ground. This time the referee did not bother to try again. He immediately gave a signal to the other officials. Five officials entered and immediately tried to pull Leva. However, they couldn''t hold back the wild movement of Leva''s body. Some of them even got kicks and fists from the woman. "Arrrrrghhh!" Leva screamed and banged her head against one of the officials. Several other officials came in and helped. However, their arrival did not change the situation much. Leva moved swiftly in various directions, dealing multiple types of attacks on the people. Punches, kicks, elbows and knees, ms, and headbutts, all of which Leva did with swift movements. There''s really nothing that many people can stop my female colonist. I don''t care anymore about seeds, prize money, or any other tribe''s impression of my colony. Avenge them, Leva. The woman continued to scream and attack the people around her. The bodies of men who fell unconscious began to multiply. "We need more people! Help us!" After shouting like that, the referee got Leva''s fist hard in the face, forcing him to fall too. More and more people are entering the arena, and they are no longer official but volunteers who want to help. Or maybe they were ordered by their respective guardian spirits. It makes me want tough at the thought of the two of them being so panicked to see that one person could give such a terrible thing. And suddenly, someone managed to tackle Leva''s body. One other person gave her a stranglehold from behind, then the others started grabbing her body parts. "Arrrghhhh!!! Arrrghhhh!!!" Leva continued to roar and move wildly, but as more and more people were holding her back, she ended up being unable to do anything. And that''s when I realized something terrible. "Hey, stop it!!! She could die!!!" I was so panicked, I forgot that those people wouldn''t be able to hear me. Leva''s face was turning pale, veins were starting to form on her forehead, and she seemed to have difficulty breathing. "Let go of my friend!!!" Eric had taken the initiative to stop all that, but the actions of one person had absolutely no effect. "Hey, guardian spirits of Redtooth and Acornhull!!! Stop your people!!!" I screamed in desperation. Chapter 156 - 156 – Leva’s Feeling Leva opened her eyes as shey in the house that had been provided for them. Eric, who was sitting beside her and was nodding off, immediately raised his face. "Ah, you''re awake," Eric spoke while yawning. "How are you?" "Well, not so great." Leva winced in pain. The bruises on her face had started to fade thanks to her unique ability, but it still looked terrible. "So, I lost, huh?" Eric raised an eyebrow. "You don''t remember what happened? You managed to beat that bastard. And after that, you went on a rampage and brought down a lot of people. It took a lot of effort to stop you. Well, at least they got their reward for enjoying you being harassed like that." "Really, huh?" Leva rubbed her forehead. "No wonder I feel a little better despite what has happened to me." "Well, at least it''s over." Eric sighed and patted a medium-sized sack nearby. "They''ve already given us the seeds we asked for, as well as the blueprints for making the loom. I''ve also learned to make simple traps from the Acornhulls. The kind-hearted people came here and taught me. It turns out that some feel guilty for you, and after hearing I was looking for someone who could set a trap, they came here." Of course, something like that wouldn''t be able to make up for the humiliation that Leva got. "But, the tournament is still going on, right?" Leva asked again. "Tomorrow, they will still be waiting for you toe to the semifinals." Eric continued his speech. "But that''s none of our business anymore. When you feel up to it, we''ll go home." "No." Leva cut the conversation in a firm tone. "If I don''t continue this tournament, it means I have lostpletely. I will show them that humiliation is meaningless. And I will repay them by defeating their champion in the arena." Eric and I stared at the woman''s face, which was now full of determination. Leva has a point. My colony really loses when those two go home. And maybe that disgusting incident will continue to be told. However, if Leva can win, then she will look much better. The humiliation part will only be the beginning of the story of an epic awakening. But Eric shook his head. "Sorry, but I guess we should just go home...." "Shut up, Eric," I spoke in the ear of my male colonist. "Just follow her request." The man fell silent and scratched his head, looking confused. "Well, at the very least, wear clothes that cover your body more if you''re fighting again." A bitterugh escaped Leva''s mouth. "I''m going to wear a simr outfit to show that I''m still free to wear whatever I want. This further confirms that the humiliation didn''t affect me at all." I''m not sure that the crazy humiliation in the arena has no effect on this woman. She must be going through some pretty deep trauma and just putting on a tough face. I have more respect for her because she chose to keep going. "Moreover, clothes like that give me more freedom to move." Leva closed her eyes. "Now, I''m going to bed to recover myself. You better sleep too, Eric." Eric had already opened his mouth, perhaps wanting to argue. However, he gulped, and all that came out of his mouth was, "Alright, good night." The man then shifted and got into the sleeping bag, which was a bit far from Leva''s. "Sorry, but I can''t do anything." I turned towards the familiar female voice. It turns out that Red has entered the house, standing in one corner of the room. "Can''t do anything you say?" I replied with a chest that felt as if it was about to erupt with anger. "You can get your men to save Leva when the referee pretends not to see the surrender sign." "I can''t break this friendship that''s being repaired." Red sighed. "Acornhull and Redtooth have always been friends, but there is still tension during Suja''s reign. He always tells merchants whoe to Acornhull to sell goods at high prices, even though that tribe needs them. And vice versa, if merchants from Acornhulle here, Suja always tells his people to sell things at a high price... Ah, actually, there are many more things like that, but it would be too long to tell." "I know, at that time, you were getting more and more out of control of Suja." I snorted. "And maybe you could say that the tension wasn''t solely your fault. But still, why did you have to humiliate my people like that?" My tone started to rise. "One of the higher-ups of Acornhull asked Tosa something to have one of the Redtooth fighters sacrificed to be bullied. Some Redtooths wanted something they would call more spicy entertainment." Red exins after wiping her own face. "Again, this is for the sake of the friendship of the two tribes. I don''t want any tension in the higher-ups of Acornhull. However, I also don''t want more tension to arise within my own tribe. And then your people came..." "Enough." My lips trembled violently. "I don''t want to hear you anymore." "It''s amon urrence in my tribe." I looked the other way, immediately found a brown transparent figure squatting on a table. His appearance is slimmer than Red and I, maybe almost the same posture as that bastard Dex. "Are you the guardian spirit of Acornhull?" I answered while clenching my fists. "Can you exin what you just said?" "Well, the humiliation your people experience in that arena also happens in my tribe sometimes, although the level of violence is much lower." The brown figure continued his talk. "That''s the reason my people were shouting Boobplex and wedgie at the same time. They knew the moves." "Why?" I don''t understand where this conversation is going. "Sometimes, I order my people to fulfill their desires. For example, if someone wants to bully others, I will support them to do that. Or they want to steal from other people, or just wants to have sex with the most attractive person in my tribe. And of course, I ask the victims not to fight back." "What the fuck?" I can''t believe my own ears. "What''s your purpose in doing such a twisted thing?" "So that conditions in my tribe remain peaceful." The brown figure jumped off the table. "Sometimes the desires of some people have to be vented so that they don''t make a fuss. Look at what happened in this tribe. There was a bloody coup because the residents'' desires were suppressed. Even so, I still have limits. I won''t let someone is seriously hurt, killing or raping other residents." "One of your men injured mine!" I snorted. "Well, it just so happened that today there was an official one-on-one fight. I apologize. I won''t intentionally let my men attack your people if nothing happens." I''m still trying to digest the madness I''m hearing. "Then what about who fell victim to that madnesses in your tribe? "Well, I made sure the victim didn''t retaliate or stir up chaos." I backed away, shaking my head, and pointing at that figure. "You are insane." "Don''t you want your tribe to remain peaceful?" I looked at Red and the brown figure in turn, then hissed. "I want to be alone. Can you guys go?" The existence of these two figures made me want to vomit. The brown figure shrugged, then used the flight feature to go through the ceiling. "Again, I''m really sorry." Red bows her head slightly to me then walks past the wall. I looked at my two sleeping colonists, still unable to understand what I had just heard. One thing is for sure.. I don''t want to deal with that guardian spirit from Acornhull. Chapter 157 - 157 – Road To Redemption Gestures whispering to each other, gasping, and shaking heads. Things like that were seen from the audience and match officials as Leva walked towards the arena. I found some of them bandaged in some parts, especially the face. It was apparent they had fallen victim to Leva''s rampage yesterday. The match between Ivan against a fighter from Redtooth is still ongoing. Like yesterday, Ivan continued to deliver brutal punchbinations to his much smaller opponent. Leva stopped a few meters from the arena. She then took off her jacket, revealing her beautiful body d only in a bra-like outfit and shorts that barely covered her finely-shaped butt. It immediately triggered gasping again from the people. Either because they were surprised that Leva still dared to wear such revealing clothes or because the bruises on Leva''s body had disappeared entirely. Even cuts and bruises on the girl''s face had almost vanished, leaving only minor, insignificant marks. Eric started to wrap Leva''s hands in a long cloth while the red-haired girl watched the match. The fighter from Redtooth was catching Ivan''s leg, but the big man just lifted his opponent''s body high. A loud thud was apanied by cheers from the crowd as the Redtooth fighter was mmed to the ground. Yes, their attention is on the match again. Ivan sat on his opponent''s stomach, then began to throw a barrage of fists. The fighter from Redtooth was utterly defenseless as the fists continued to hit his right and left cheeks. It continued under the supervision of the referee, who was a different person from yesterday. Blood was already sttering from the Redtooth fighter''s face. However, the referee only stopped the match when both hands of the Redtooth fighter had fallen weakly to the ground. "Stop it!" And like yesterday, the referee had a hard time getting Ivan to stop beating his opponent. Some people even have to enter the arena after getting a signal. Resistance did ur from Ivan. The officials needed extra effort until Ivan finally stood up from his opponent, whose face was now almost shapeless. "And the winner is Ivan from the Acornhull tribe!!!" The female announcer shouted using a funnel just as the referee raised Ivan''s hand. Cheers echoed from the group of spectators from Acornhull. While the residents of Redtooth remained silent, some looked inspired or annoyed, some pped their foreheads, and some even left the hills. Nothing strange. With this, the representative of Redtooth is no more. Leva''s next opponent was Naomi, who was also standing near the arena, albeit from a different side from my female colonist. The fighter from Redtooth was carried on a stretcher while Ivan and several of hispanions exited the arena. The big tall man grinned widely at Leva as he walked away from the location. After the officials cleared the arena, the announcer made an announcement. "The second semifinal match for today is between Leva from the nameless tribe from the west, against Naomi from the Acornhull tribe! Fighters, please enter the arena!" The cheers from Acornhull rang out again, while there was no more shouting from Redtooth''s side. Ah, I just realized that the screams of the crazy women who were chasing Eric were no longer heard. Leva jumped in and got a pat on the back from Eric. The red-haired woman still had to wait for Naomi, who entered in slow motion. I could see a slight blush on the cheeks of the female fighter from Acornhull. Leva looked around, sneering and nodding. "Is this the final you mean, Nani?" Leva''s tan-skinned opponent snorted. "Yeah, I admit that I''m stupid for not reading the match chart well. And my name is not Nani, but Naomi. Then, may I ask one thing? What the fuck did you do to yourself to recover from your grievous wounds?" "This is because of his treatment." Leva pointed at Eric. "What kind of treatment?" My female colonist chuckled. "Super special treatment." Naomi frowned, while Eric just scratched his head. With Leva''s tone, people could misunderstand the remark. "Well, it doesn''t matter." Naomi shrugged. "Obviously, you''re in good shape now. I was worried that you wouldn''t recover¡­." "Fights!" The referee started the match before Naomi finished her sentence, and Leva had put on a stance. Sighing, Naomi also used a fighting pose like Leva did. The two of them then walked around and approached each other. I could see the focus and determination on Leva''s face. No signs of being ashamed of yesterday''s events or angry outbursts anymore. She focused on the match. A good sign. Come on, Leva. This is for your pride too. The one who gave the first fist was Leva. However, it was immediately blocked by Naomi. The female fighter from Acornhull countered with a fist as well, and Leva was able to avoid it by pulling her head. When Naomi gives a kick, Leva can also dodge. And the exchange of intense attacks continued. Both are equally aggressive, and no one wants to lose. Even so, only a few of their attacks were able to finally hit the opponent. Both Leva and Naomi can dodge or block well. "If you fought like this yesterday. Then you will win easily." Naomi dodged Leva''s umpteenth fist. "I also fought like this yesterday!" Leva snorted. "But ¡­." Naomi choked when Leva was no longer in front of her. "Kyaaa!!!" The woman from Acornhull screamed as two hands squeezed both her breasts from behind her. "BOOBPLEX!!!" Leva, now behind Naomi, performs the same movement as her opponent did yesterday. The red-haired girl lifts Naomi up, then falls backward intentionally while bridging her back and legs. She mmed that fighter from Acornhull to the ground, back of the head first with the legs spread up. I jumped for joy. The movement is cleaner than Dex''s version. And just like yesterday''s Dex, Leva shifted to the side and got up, albeit without making any celebratory gestures. She retreated to the corner of the arena instead while looking at Naomi. Thetter was on the ground with her arms outstretched. The referee raised a finger. "One!" Chapter 158 - 158 – Years Of Waiting "Five! Six! Seven! Eight!" Naomi staggered as she tried to get up while Leva just leaned back casually in the arena corner. "Naomi! Naomi! Naomi!" The audience from the Acornhull tribe continued to cheer on their fighter. "Nine!" Just as the referee was about to raise his finger for the tenth, Naomi finally stood on both feet. The referee went straight to the woman and asked, "Are you still able to fight?" Naomi nodded and used her stance again. "Fights!" Leva ran fast, jumped, and hit her opponent''s chest with her knee. Naomi was pushed back until her back touched the ropes, then Leva kicked her leg so hard that the curly-haired woman fell a second time. My female colonist made a gesture like she was about to punch her lying opponent, but she stopped midway, then backed away and leaned against the corner of the arena. The referee starts counting. This time Naomi was able to get up on the count of six. Maybe she could get up that fast because the initial effect of Leva''s boobplex had worn off. Still, she stood with a stagger. So, Leva can tackle that woman easily. Then, as before, my colonist retreated to the corner of the arena and waited while the referee started counting. And Leva didn''t stop there. She continued to bring down Naomi in various ways but never gave the ultimate move to her opponent. I have no intention of intervening at all. Maybe this is one of her ways to take revenge. The important thing is that she doesn''t break the rules and doesn''t harass Naomi. The audience from Acornhull kept on booing Leva every time my colonist brought down her opponent. However, Leva didn''t seem to care at all and continued to do so. They were happy yesterday that Leva was humiliated like that, but they''re booing this colonist of mine this time? Don''t they have shame? However, over time, the audience''s voice diminished as Leva continued to make Naomi fall. Some of the people looked frustrated. Maybe they couldn''t stand the sad sight that befell their fighter. Meanwhile, on Redtooth''s side, the audience was starting to watch the match with enthusiasm. Even some who had already left chose to return. Perhaps because of Red''s orders or being called back by friends. The match had been going on long enough. Leva pushed Naomi with ease, making her opponent fall into a sitting position. "Give up." Leva didn''t look at Naomi, who started to shed tears. "Before I embarrass you even more." The referee started counting. He even grimaced at Naomi''s condition, even though that woman was not battered at all. And despite all that, Naomi''s twopanions outside the ring showed no sign of throwing in the towel in surrender. They even continue to encourage the fighter. "Stand up, Naomi! She underestimated you! You will find an opening to defeat her!" Stupid. Naomi started to get up again. It seems Leva''s attacks have had such an impact on her body. She was shaking and was also having difficulty breathing. Meanwhile, Leva still looks fit, as if not doing any physical activity at all. And as always, Leva retreated to the corner of the arena. "You want to say something, Eric?" Leva asked. Eric, who was near the red-haired woman, shook his head. "No." Naomi managed to stand up, albeit clutching her knees. This time Leva did not approach the woman and just stayed where she was. "Come on, Naomi." Leva sighed. "You can''t beat me." "Arrrgggghhh!!!" Naomi screamed with all her might, then ran over to Leva. Even the woman''s way of running was unstable. Naomi punched Leva, but my colonist caught her opponent''s hand with ease. The red-haired woman brought her mouth to Naomi''s ear. "I remembered our fight years ago. At that time, I won by andslide. And actually, I didn''t use my full strength. I felt that it was unnecessary. It is the same now. Even your stance is still as weak as what I sawst time. " I saw a brown figure from the Acornhull tribeing towards me. "Ah, it''s all my fault. She is the daughter of the top brass of my tribe. I''ve always spoiled her because her father is an honorable person and has the potential to cause a ruckus. I made all of her sparring opponents deliberately lose. Naomi''s father gets excited and thinks his daughter is the strongest." "Another twisted idea." I shook my head. That means Leva was pretending to be equal with Naomi at the beginning of the match. Maybe this is to bring down Naomi''s mentality. After feeling that her fighting ability is on par with Leva''s, Naomi is shocked when she finds out it was a lie. Naomi''s abilities were nothingpared to Leva''s. "Even at the start of the tournament, I requested that the chosen fighter is the weakest one from Redtooth''s side to fight Naomi. Then, if Naomi meets Dex, I will also ask Dex to lose deliberately." "Then, what if she meets Ivan?" I asked in azy tone. "Are you also going to ask Ivan to lose?" The figure shook his head. "No. Ivan and his family are the only ones who''s never sparred with her. I can never control that brutal man when he''s fighting." "Oh? You want Naomi to realize that she''s not that great?" I''mughing. "Well, sorry that my people taught her that valuable lesson before the final." The figure was silent for a moment. "Not really. I just can''t let my strongest man not enter this tournament. Ivan is a hero, and his fight will be a disy for the people of Redtooth. However, at the same time, I can''t stop Naomi, who is so eager to join this tournament." "Boy, you must be proud of Ivan," I answered in a tone full of sarcasm. "The n is, I''d ask Ivan to hold back if he met Naomi in the final. Or at least he shouldn''t embarrass Naomi. The two of them will look evenly matched, and the final battle will be fascinating." The brown figure took a deep breath. "However, all those ns fell apart. Well, maybe I deserve this after getting your woman badly humiliated yesterday." "Then don''t you feel sorry for that fighter of yours?" I pointed at Naomi, who was standing still. "Why don''t you ask herpanion to give a surrender signal to the referee?" Brownughed bitterly. "Naomi''s parents will be angry with thepanions, and that will give me a headache." And the figure just disappeared, a sign that the psychic power of Sena or someone from Acornhull had been deactivated. Brown''s words made me dissatisfied. I want him to feel the rage like I felt yesterday. However, he didn''t even show any signs of irritation at all. Naomi was still frozen with tears, and Leva showed no sign of attacking her. The red-haired woman was still leaning casually in the corner of the arena. "I give up." Finally, the words left Naomi''s mouth. The referee gives a signal to the official. The sound of the gong echoed. "And the winner is Leva from the nameless tribe of the West!" Even though she was still shouting, the match announcer looked disappointed. Leva exited the arena while Naomi came to herpanions with her head down. I''m sorry, Naomi. Maybe your pride as a fighter has been shattered.. However, all of this was caused by your tribe messing with my people first. Chapter 161 - 161 – The Final (2) Of course, Leva didn''t care about the cheers. She remained focused on her opponent and returned to her stance. Ivan wasted no time and ran towards Leva, who not only dodged but ran away again. There was a chase in the arena, which made the referee look confused. The audience from Acornhull also berated my fighter. At the same time, the Redtooth crowd stopped cheering, probably because they were also confused as to why Leva did that. And I let Leva do it. If Leva really wanted to run away, she would either give up or leave the arena altogether. However, she continued to move swiftly in various directions in the arena, even crawling under the opponent''s crotch. She must have a n. Besides, I knew Leva wouldn''t run away so easily. She even fought a group of deadly arachnids once. "Hey, don''t run away from me! Fight me!" Ivan looks frustrated. He looked here and there because he lost Leva. "One! Two!" The referee counted Leva, who turned out to be outside the arena. "Behind you! Behind you!" Several of the Acornhull spectators shouted at their fighters. Leva climbed onto the rope and jumped just as her opponent looked back. Leva''s knee then hit Ivan''s face hard. The fighter from Acornhull stumbled backward, clutching his face, but didn''t fall. My female fighter doesn''t stand still. She got back on the rope and jumped again. This time to kick Ivan. However, Ivan lowered his hand from his bloody face, instantly catching Leva, who was in midair. I flinched when Ivan mmed Leva''s body hard, causing a loud thud that made the audience scream in unison, "Oooh!!!" And I can''t believe my own eyes. I thought that Leva would faint from that hard m, but in fact she didn''t. She instead nked Ivan''s arms with both legs, twisting and pulling them tightly. Armbar. A submission that is often done by MMA fighters in the real world. "Argggghhhh!!!" Ivan picked up Leva, who was still locking his right hand, mming it hard again for the second time. And Leva still persisted in locking his opponent. Her teeth gritted, and her eyes showed an extraordinary determination. I''m sure, in the real world, this would not happen. Anyone would definitely release their submissions if they were mmed that hard. Especially twice. This female colonist of mine is special. Ivan wanted to m Leva again, but he couldn''t lift her up. The man turned his head to one side of the arena. Then, he walked to that side with great difficulty and winced in pain. The man came out of the arena, and of course, Leva was carried there. And they were all mobbed by the officials, who immediately tried to release Leva''s submission. Any attacks should not be carried out outside the arena, after all. "First warning, fighter Leva is attacking fighter Ivan outside the arena!" The referee shouted. "On the third vition, then fighter Leva will be disqualified..." Leva didn''t let go of her submission. She was able to hold on even though so many people tried to let her go. Ivan, already lying down, started hitting the ground with his other hand while screaming in pain. Meanwhile, the referee looked confused. Apparently, this kind of condition does not exist in the regtions. He also couldn''t count for fouls out of the arena because the ''attack'' was still going on. So, Leva is just waiting for Ivan to give up. "Disqualify her now!" One of the spectators from Acornhull eximed, which was followed by cheers of approval from hisrades. "Hey, don''t talk carelessly! She didn''t break any rules!" One of the spectators from Redtooth answered in a voice that was also loud. An argument ensued between the two groups, apanied by verbal abuse. Tosa and an Acornhull''s high-ranking official came down from the tribune to calm their respective people. "If you don''t take it off soon, you will be disqualified!" Finally, the referee made a decision. "That kind of thing is not in the rules!" Leva replied. "One of my duties is to make sure the match goes well! And now the match isn''t going well! Release him now! If you argue one more time, I will totally disqualify you." "Tch!" Leva snorted, then rolled into the arena. The official who surrounded him disbanded. Meanwhile, Ivan who was still outside justys holding his right hand, constantly groaning in pain. I realized something was wrong when Leva didn''t get up right away. The red-haired woman continued to lie in the center of the arena while wincing in pain. Ah, the two ms still had an effect on her. Maybe it''s her extraordinary determination that makes her able to keep locking the opponent''s hand. "One! Two! Three!" The referee started counting. This time he did it by lifting both fingers simultaneously every time he said a number. "Four! Five!" He counted for the two fighters. To Leva as shey on the ground and Ivan because he was outside the arena. Leva finally started to get up using the rope. On the other hand, Ivan remained outside as he continued to groan in pain. Ivan had been through that submission for a long time, but his legs should still be in normal condition. How could he be so helpless? This man should have stood up a long time ago. Or perhaps, the pain he felt was too great so that when he moved another part of the body, the hand hurt even more? When Leva got up on the count of seven, Ivan just shifted towards the arena. I started to get nervous because of that. If Ivan can''t enter the arena until the count is over, then Leva will win. The cheers in support of the two fighters from each group were still heard. "Eight! Nine! Se...." And finally, Ivan made it into the arena. Leva took a breath, then ran to the man who was kneeling and looking down. "Ughhhh!!!" Leva fell backward as soon as Ivan''s fistnded hard on her stomach. And Ivan got up without difficulty at all, even though his right hand drooped weakly. Shit. He had pretended to be helpless.. It seemed that Leva had let her guard down because she felt she had the upper hand, so she attacked without thinking. Chapter 162 - 162 – The Final (3) Leva struggled to get up, and she couldn''t do anything when Ivan punched her in the face. I winced as if I was in pain. Ivan''s left fist hit so hard that it made Leva fall. The girl staggered, moving back to the corner of the arena, holding on to the rope. With a heavy breath, Leva looked at her enemy with a bruised right cheek. The corners of her lips were also bleeding. "You are one of my greatest opponents, Leva. You can use your intelligence to ovee this physical difference." Ivan walked over to my colonist with his right hand still drooping. "It''s an honor for me to be able to fight you. And I will destroy you in return for that honor. Like I said before, this is my way." Ivan changed his pace to a run, ready to hit Leva again. Desperate, I almost asked Eric to throw in the towel, but suddenly Leva ducked and ran behind Ivan again. The man immediately turned back, clearly not wanting Leva to climb onto his back a second time. Leva stepped forward with a very low body position, then tackled her opponent''s right leg. Ivan lost his bnce and immediately fell backward. The crowd cringed as the back of Ivan''s head hit the pole so hard it even made a gong-like sound. Is this over? No. The man was still conscious, albeit wincing in pain and clutching the back of his head. Wasting no time, Leva stomped on her opponent''s head brutally. The referee only watched the scene because Ivan was still conscious. I gasped as Ivan straightened up and pushed Leva up until she rolled backward. How could he do that with a concussion? And then, Ivan rolled out of the arena, triggering the supporters from Redtooth to boo him. "One! Two! Three!" The referee starts counting. Leva got up, still gasping for air, looking straight at Ivan, who was trying to get up. My female colonist briefly turned to look at one of the arena''s poles, then looked at Ivan again. Taking a deep breath, Leva climbed onto the pole, observing her opponent, who was now half standing. And then, Leva ran on the rope without losing her bnce, jumping while putting her palms together above her head. Ivan, who was already standing straight, turned around when Leva was close enough to him. He looked like he wanted to dodge but instead stumbled. Leva could m her hands into the opponent''s head with ease. The audience from Redtooth immediately cheered in unison, especially when Ivan fell. "Second warning! Fighter Leva attacks the opponent outside the arena! Once again, Leva will be disqualified!" The referee shouted at my female colonist. However, Leva didn''t care and rolled into the arena. She approached one corner of the arena and leaned against it again. Her sweat was dripping so much, and her breathing was getting more uncontroble. "One! Two!" The referee started counting, apanied by the sound of the crowd from Redtooth. "Are you all right, Leva?" Eric grimaced when he saw Leva''s condition. "What do you think? Running around, defending submissions, and doing those attacks takes a lot of energy, you know?" Leva touched the bruise on her cheek. "If he gets up again, I''m not sure he''ll still be able to fight back." Well, she''s not under the influence of the berserker buff, after all. She will not be able to break the limit. "Oh,e on...." Leva shook her head when she saw Ivan start to crawl towards the arena at the count of six. "It''s about time you fell unconscious, right?" "Seven! Eight!" Ivan was close enough to the arena in no time, even though he could only use one hand to crawl. "Shit." Despite the circumstances, Leva smiled widely and walked towards the center of the arena in a slightly staggered motion. "Looks like I have to fight again." You''re enjoying all of this, right? "Nine!" Leva held her breath when Ivan was only a few inches away from the arena. Meanwhile, Ivan''spanions already looked very panicked and kept shouting at the fighter. But, the referee raised his finger again. "Ten!" The referee gave the signal to the official, and the sound of the gong echoed. The crowd''s cheers exploded like thunder. Eric jumped into the area, and Leva clenched her fists. "Arrrrrgggghhhh!!!" The referee then raised Leva''s right hand. "And the winner is, Leva from the nameless tribe in the west!" The announcer shouted through his funnel. The cheers from Redtooth grew louder, while the audience from Acornhull was speechless. Seeing Ericing to her, Leva immediately hugged the man. "You won, Leva! You won!" Eric also looks happy. At first, I only thought of this tournament as a condition for getting seeds. Maybe Eric felt the same way. However, after everything that happened, it turns out that something like this can give me immeasurable joy. Congrattions, Leva. As soon as she let go of Eric''s arms, Leva looked outside the arena, finding Ivan sitting outside with a defeated face. The man is being encouraged by hispanions. "A moment." Leva then approached the man. Ivan raised an eyebrow when he found Leva already standing in front of him. The man grew even more confused when Leva''s hand reached out for him. "Good fight," Leva said with a smile. Ivan widened his eyes, then got up with the help of hispanions. "Slow down, big guy." Leva also helps. "How can you still be standing like that?" "I''ve always been like this...." Ivan cleared his throat. "Well, this really surprised me. My Tribe has done something that..." "That is another matter." Leva widened her smile, stretched out her hand again. "Right now, I''m just very honored to have just fought someone so powerful. I''m very grateful to you. The match just now was enjoyable." Ivan grinned, then shook Leva''s hand tightly and lifted it. Both groups of spectators, from Redtooth and Acornhull, gave a standing ovation. I found Brie, who cried with joy. "I''m looking forward to our rematch, Ivan." Leva nced at the opponent she had defeated. Ivan just smirked again. Chapter 163 - 163 – The Expressions That morning, Leva was shaking the sack containing the silver chunks, making a rattling sound. "We can buy a lot of things for our tribe, Eric!" Leva smiled. "Well, we won''t be able to carry much, Leva." Eric, who was arranging things, answered. "In the end, we can only wait for the traveling merchant at our house." Leva snorted. "What a way to ruin the mood... Ouch!" The red-haired girl rubbed the bruise that still adorned her cheek. "Shit. Among the other wounds, this bruise is the most troublesome. The healing progress is slow." The bruises are still clearly visible. Perhaps Ivan''s fist was special, causing more damage than usual. In that case, the impact given during the match should also be more, right? Maybe Leva should have fainted from the blow. Or is this a trait? There was a knock on the front door, and Leva rose from her chair. "Let me." "Good morning, Leva." Brie smiled outside as soon as Leva opened the door. Then, that woman, who was actually a man, looked inside. "Good morning, Eric." "Ah, good morning, Brianna," Eric replied, smiling back. With a nk expression almost like Kat''s, Leva moved the door, intending to close it. However, Brie hastily pushed it back. "Hey, I just wanted to say goodbye to you!" Brie inadvertently let out a manly voice, and she immediately covered her mouth. Sighing, Leva shifted to make way for Brie. "Well, you guys are really going home now, huh?" Brie looked at the two bags of goods that Eric had prepared. "So, what''s your businessing here?" Leva sounded even more annoyed. You still can''t ept that your crush has be of the same gender as you, Leva? Instead of answering, Brie sat on the chair and looked at Eric. My two colonists immediately exchanged nces at that. Ah, Brie wants to have a one-on-one talk with Leva. So, I ordered Eric to leave the ce. After Eric''s footsteps were gone, Brie leaned back and looked up. "Do you really have to go back to your tribe, Leva? The situation here has changed a lot. Everything is so much better. And I''m sure the people here will ept you again, especially after your change in nature." "Of course, I will return to my tribe now. It''s my damn home." Leva answered in a firm tone. Great answer, Leva. A smallugh escaped Brie''s mouth. "But, you have to admit, this ce must have a strong bond in your heart, right?" Leva replied with an even louderugh. "My ties to this ce are in the past. My family here is also gone. And to be honest, when I look at this location and its people again, I feel nothing." Brie rose from her chair. Her teary eyes stared intently at Leva''s face. "But I''m here." Leva was silent for a moment, then looked back at her friend. "Sorry." Brie''s eyes widened. Her tears slowly fell. A smallugh escaped her mouth again. "I see. Turns out I mean nothing to you." "Oh,e on." Leva''s tone began to rise. "Fuck it. Don''t use that card... Ah, if you think I don''t care about me, I don''t care. I want to go home, and you can''t change that." Brie had opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly she froze and looked confused. Ah, looks like Red is asking her to stop. Clenching her hands together, Brie stepped back, shaking her head. Then, she turned and ran out of the house. "You''ve really changed, Bryan." Leva took a deep breath when the woman was finally out of sight. As she was about to close the door, Leva froze. Her eyes narrowed at the group of several men in the distance. They were all from Acornhull, led by Ivan, whose right hand was bandaged and tied to two wooden nks... Holy shit. The big tall man was carrying a bucket of flowers! Leva''s chin dropped when she saw Ivan''s bright smile. "Reject him, you must still be respectful! Reject him, you must still be respectful! Reject him, you must still be respectful!" I shouted those words in Leva''s ear. It was very likely that Leva would be brought to Acornhull if she epted this. Of course, I don''t want that to happen. Leva still didn''t move when Ivan finally knelt before her. Meanwhile, the other seven men lined up behind the fighter from Acornhull. This immediately attracted the attention of the people around there. "P-lease, ept my love, Leva!" Ivan spoke in such a fast tone. "I-I fell in love with you after that fight! Y-you are an amazing woman. No one has ever beaten me before!" It was strange to see this tough-looking man be so nervous like that. Then, one of Ivan''s followers took three steps forward. "We, as the subordinates of lord Ivan, ask Ms. Leva''s humility to ept this expression of love from our leader!" He bowed. "We beg you very much!" Ivan''s other followers also bowed. Is this an okay way to express love to a girl? I do not think so. It''s very cringeworthy. Leva''s eyes focused on the bouquet of flowers Ivan was still holding. Her body then slightly shuddered. "Rose, huh?" Ivan examined the bouquet of red flowers for a moment, red at it wide, then simply tossed it aside. "S-sorry, I reminded you of Dex." Slowly, Leva''s mouth formed a faint smile. "Stand up, Ivan." "Okay! Ivan stands up!" Ivan got up with a quick movement, but it was clear his body looked very stiff. "First of all. I thank you for all this. I feel very honored." Hmm? Why do I see veins popping out of your neck, Leva? "However, right now, I can''t have a rtionship with another man." Leva continued her words. Wait, if she refuses, won''t there be tension between my colony and the Acornhull tribe? "Is it because I brought roses!? I can bring you another flower, Leva!" Leva shook her head. "Not because of that, Ivan...." "There''s someone in your heart, Leva?" Leva sighed. Her expression turned sad, though her mouth was still smiling. "Well, you could say so." Brie? I do not think so. Looks like Leva still can''t move on from Pif. Ivan froze with his mouth agape, while Leva just stood there while maintaining a smile. And that''s when I saw Acornhull''s guardian spirit appear behind Ivan''s men. "Hey, can you make sure that there''s no tension caused by this rejection!?" I asked the brown figure, who immediately gave a thumbs up. "Boss?" One of Ivan''s men patted the big tall man, who was still frozen. "I-I see. I-I''m still not good enough for you." The voice that came out of Ivan''s mouth sounded so hoarse. I cringed hard. The tears that came out of Ivan''s eyes were like a waterfall. I''m also sure Leva is holding herself back from cringing. "Well then, goodbye, beautiful." Ivan sighed, then walked limply away from Leva. His men also cried and tried to cheer him up. "Goodbye, Ivan." Leva gulped. "Again, I''m sorry." Once Ivan''s group was far enough away, my female colonist walked back into the house and closed the door. What a bizarre scene. Chapter 164 - 164 – A Night In Spring Everything went so fast in my colony because there really wasn''t any meaningful event to stop the fast-forward. Manu is digging a well behind the house, Seb is growing crops, Sun is training horses, and Kat is hunting. And, of course, Gwen sleeps during the day. By the time Gwen was up and out at night, everything was back to normal. "I haven''t seen you in a while, Mr. Spirit." The woman wearing a crasnded light blue dress gave me a sensual smile. "I already miss you, you know. The nights are always quiet." "Well, I''ve been apanying the other colonists on duty the past few days. They''re off to another tribe." I tried to stay focused on seeing her seductive gesture that made my heart feel like it sank into my stomach. "How are you?" "I''m fine. Just bored because my job is just practicing archery." The blonde woman sighed. "Can you give me another assignment?" I did order this woman to focus on increasing her ranged attack stat. I''m desperate for another shooter. "Well, what do you want?" I asked her. Gwen shrugged. "I don''t know. Does your colony need clothes, preferably not leather? I can''t and hate working with leather, but I can weave and sew nice clothes. You''d love to see your guys well-dressed, right? Especially yourdies." Mydies, huh? "Ah, unfortunately, it can''t be done immediately." My mind began to imagine attractive sexy clothes that my women could wear. "Two of my colonists were on their way back from another tribe bringing cottonseed here." "You must first nt the cottonseed and wait for it to blossom." Even Gwen''s disappointed sigh sounded so erotic to my ears. "Then any other work? Anything is fine, as long as it''s rted to crafting because that''s my passion. I''m not a picky person." I thought for a moment. "How about you make bricks? Manu will teach you. We need quite a lot to build a well and a cksmith''s kiln." "Of course." Gwen spread her arms. "Eh, wait. You''ll have to wait for the other colonists toe in four more days. I''ll assign one of them to pick up the y and bring it here. The others have their own errands, and I can''t allow you to go alone. You still don''t know anything about this ce." Seeing Gwen''s cute pout, I wanted tough. "Sorry, Gwen." "Looks like my only choice is to practice archery." Gwen moved to a pile of wood that was already slightly burned, then ignited the fire using two fire stones. After the fire was lit, Gwen took off her shoes and began to unbutton her shirt. "W-what are you doing!?" If Gwen hadn''t seen me, I probably wouldn''t have been this nervous. I don''t know, maybe because this situation is weird and confusing. "Oh,e on." Gwen snorted, but she still sounded like she was teasing me. "In the daytime, I can''t be naked, can I? This is a good chance for me to be free. Nobody''s going to see me, right?" The woman still took off her clothes. Since she wasn''t wearing a bra, I could see her beautiful breasts. No. This vites the norms of decency. "Stop. You shouldn''t be...." "If you don''t like it, you don''t have to look at me." Gwen didn''t care and kept her pants down in a slow-motion, her face red and one index finger pressed to her lips. "But, I don''t mind if you stare at me." "No, stop! Put your clothes back on now! Jeez!" I gave strict orders, but the woman waspletely naked, crossed her legs, and blew kisses. I turned my body back and could hear the woman''s chuckle. Damn. I can''t tell her to wear clothes anymore. Why should this game developer include nudist and exhibitionist traits? Don''t they think that it will make the yers ufortable? My principles haven''t changed. I don''t want to see naked women where they shouldn''t. It is a norm... Huh? Who sets the norms? And isn''t this not the real world? In this world, there are no rules forbidding a person to bepletely naked in public. Well, her appearance didn''t burn my eyes. What''s more, Gwen doesn''t seem to mind me seeing her naked. Why didn''t I take advantage of this opportunity? Finally, I looked back to find Gwen, who had just returned to the bonfire carrying a bow and arrows. "Ah, Mr. Spirit. You are so naughty. You want to see me shoot in this condition." Gwen gave a small giggle. "You ordered me." I sat cross-legged, fixing my gaze on her beautiful body. "Don''t me me if I can''t blink at you." Gwen smiled, then started shooting at the target in the tree. And I enjoy all that is presented in front of me. Her every move is like a slow dance. The muscles of her body that contracted every time he drew an arrow also made it look like a moving work of art. "Hey, why are you silent, Mr. Spirit?" Gwen shot her umpteenth arrow. "You have enjoyed the beauty of my body. At least pay me by chatting so that the atmosphere is not lonely. I have no topic to talk about." "Ah." I flinched a little. My brain went crazy because of the sudden request from that woman. "Errr... That... Why did you be a nudist?" Stupid question. Gwenughed again, this time louder than before. She lowered her bow, looking at me with an increasingly red face. "You think I really want to do this?" "Huh?" I couldn''t digest her words. "Basically, I don''t want to do this, let alone show it to other people. I still have shame. Who isn''t ashamed to show her nipples and pussy to the world? And look..." Gwen showed her forearms. All the fine hairs in that part bristled. "Nude on a spring night like this leaves me cold, let alone for hours on end. This bonfire does help, but it won''t do much." "You''re kidding, aren''t you? It was you who wanted to be naked, even to the point of telling me to look at you." "That''s the weird thing." Gwen shoots her arrow again but misses the mark. "At the same time, there was also an urge in my heart that asked me to get naked and show my body to others. And if I didn''t do it, I would feel tortured." I was silent, still trying to digest the woman''s words. So, she wants to do this, but at the same time doesn''t? "Hello, Mr. Spirit." Gwen waved at me. "Did you hear what I said?" I shook my head. "I don''t understand you.. At all." Chapter 165 - 165 – A Nudist Story ''Can you have sex with your colonists in Hvind?'' I just entered that keyword in the search engine using the in-game browser. There was a fear that the answer was not what I wanted, but I pressed the magnifying ss button in the end. ''No.'' My heart felt like it had been hit hard when the word first appeared. Even so, I didn''t give up. I kept looking through the featured articles. Unfortunately, the answer I get is always an absolute no. I want to smack the heads of the developers of this game. Why make a lot of risky features like this, but the yer can''t do the most important thing? Why are you letting your yers dry, developers? ''... The existence of VR does blur the line between the real and virtual worlds. We do want to make the most immersive experience possible, but there are boundaries we can''t cross...." Bullshit. That official statement from the CEO of Fringe Softwork made me even more irritated. Just say yourpany doesn''t want to make this feature. I''ve heard that simting sexual pleasure is soplex, and Fringe Softwork has never done it. And without these features, this game still makes a lot of profit. The fast-forward feature stopped again. I turned my head to the house and found Gwen, who had juste out of the house, stretched her body, and took a deep breath. Ah, for her who started sleeping in the middle of the day, now was morning. "Good evening. What are you doing, Mr. Spirit?" The woman spoke in her low, seductive voice, approaching me, sitting near arge tree. "Are you doing some kind of ritual?" I closed the browser window, which the woman couldn''t see. "It''s a secret." Gwen chuckled, then started the fire. "I''m curious. You can''t interact with your people. Doesn''t that make you lonely? It must be boring just watching us all day." "Well, there are other psychics besides you in thisnd. And if a psychic activates its power, I can chat with guardian spirits from other groups." I shrugged. "Well, it''s rare, really. . . And I never get bored, Gwen. Because it''s my job." "I see." If the gamey bes boring, I just use the fast-forward feature until something interesting happens. After the bonfire was lit, the woman took off her clothes and took the bow and arrows lying near the house. This time I moved behind the woman, who started shooting. Yesterday, I watched her from the side. "You really are naughty, Mr. Spirit." The woman rubbed her bare butt in a gentle motion. "You''re not satisfied with just one angle, huh?" "I just wanted to get something different." Gwen smiled, then shot her arrow. This time the arrow did hit the target, but it was far from the center. "But, I still can''t believe that you don''t get bored while watching us." Gwen bowed in an unusual motion. It seemed like she was deliberately making the gesture look erotic. And because I was behind her, I saw something when the woman''s ass was sticking out. Damn! Why did everything just end here!? I cleared my throat. "I really never get bored." "Hey, I have an idea. How about you leave me naked all day, so you don''t get bored. You can keep looking at me." "No," I answered in a firm tone. Gwen pursed her lips slightly. "Why? In thiswless world, I want to be naked even more..." The woman paused, rubbed her chin for a moment, thenughed. "You want no one else to see me like this, do you? You really want me, Mr. Spirit?" I could only gulp. She could guess exactly what was on my mind. "You can wear skimpy clothes or wear only a bra and panties." I sighed, still feeling weird talking casually to a naked woman in the open. "Or you can make new clothes... Hell, you can also modify existing clothes." Gwen suddenly kissed my cheek, and I couldn''t do anything. I could feel the wetness and warmth of her seductive lips. Well, this was unexpected. I thought she wouldn''t be able to touch me. "A brilliant idea, Mr. Spirit," Gwen whispers in my ear as her hands move across my chest. "I''ll get the sewing kits, and I''ll do them right here, so I can keep youpany." "Do? Do what?" My mind started to mess up again. Gwen chuckled. "To modify clothes, of course." "Ah." Disappointment and feeling stupid mixed into one inside of me. The woman stepped back. Slowly, her hand left me until only her middle finger stuck to my chest before she finally let it gopletely. She continued to walk backward by continuously staring at me. He just wants to pick up the sewing kit, right? Why... I shook my head. Because of this strange situation, I forgot something important I wanted to ask. "Hey, Gwen...." I cleared my throat again. "Maybe this is too personal for you, but I''m curious...." "You want to ask, with my nudist tendencies, as well as my flirty nature, am I not having bad luck?" Gwen answered with her back to me. "Well, I do hate some people who think I''m bitchy. And indeed, a lot of people ask for more because I tease them. Luckily, I always survived them. Well, it''s my fault too.... But, I can''t stop myself from acting like this..." The woman sighed and walked back towards the house. "Ah, wait a minute, Mr. Spirits." I''m just scratching my head. Actually, I just wanted to ask about Gwen''s background. I didn''t mean to talk about her tendencies. Just as Gwen entered the house, I saw arge green arrow in the air. It pointed down, directly above the building. An event? I followed Gwen into the house. Instead of picking up the sewing kit, the woman walked over to Sun, who was still lying in her sleeping bag, coughing and breaking out in a cold sweat. Gwen knelt beside Sun, then pressed the back of her hand to her partner''s forehead. "It''s so hot. How are you feeling, Sun?" "Headaches, nausea, stiffness in the joints, and I''m a little short of breath," Sun replied, still coughing. "Is this an infection of the wounds?" I asked while crouching down next to Gwen. "This could be anything." Gwen stood up. Her eyes did look at Sun, but she seemed to have just answered my question. The woman who was still naked then spoke again with a smile. "Wait a minute, Sun.. I''ll get you some medicine and apress." Chapter 166 - 166 – The Symptoms "Well, I am a child who came from gic engineering. Once they found out I could see the spirits of the dead, they asked me to be a doctor. I will be a doctor who willmunicate with spirits and convey their message to those closest to them." Gwen smiled as she fed Sun from an emergency lunch box. "Unfortunately, I can only see them but can''tmunicate with them. However, the scientists kept pushing me to increase my psychic powers. Well, my days are just filled with education to be a doctor and practicing psychic." "Then why were you sent here?" Sun shrugged as she chewed. A small smile slipped from Gwen''s mouth. "In the end, I was considered a failure. Besides not being able to use psychic powers in the way people wanted me to, I was toozy to study to be a doctor. I know it''s a noble job¡­. Well, I just can''t see myself doing that job. I envy you, Sun. From your story, I feel that you really like being a zookeeper." "You''re right." A faint smile formed on Sun''s mouth. "One of the reasons I joined the expedition was because I wanted to find the endemic animals here. Well, even though scientists say the percentage probability is close to zero." Gwen smiled back, moving a spoon filled with rice into Sun''s mouth, but the woman shook her head. "Come on, Sun. You''ve only eaten so little." "I really have no appetite." Sun coughed. Just then, Seb passed by and looked at the ailing woman. Gwen sighed, then helped the woman take medicine. Arge arrow floated in the main room of the house. Instead of pointing down, it points to the warehouse. I got up and headed for where Seb was. There, Seb was holding a silver package containing onion seeds. "O guardian spirit, if you really exist, I beg of you to allow me to nt this thing. I really want to nt it, but it''s like something in my heart is preventing me. Maybe because you don''t like it? But, listen to me, O guardian spirit. We''re still lucky to have an emergency lunch box that still tastes decent. However, what if the emergency foods run out and someone gets sick and has no appetite again? They will have more difficulty eating if the food tastes nd." The man paused, took a deep breath. "Ah, I hope I didn''t offend you. It''s not that I''m not grateful for all the crops, but¡­." "All right, Seb," I said before Seb finished his sentence. "You can nt those." A wide smile instantly bloomed on Seb''s mouth. The man unwrapped the package in his hand and took out some onions, which weren''t really that big. "Huh?" Seb raised an eyebrow when he found something else in the package. It was another package made of light brown paper. The size is smaller. "It''s most likely poppy seed." Gwen, who has been leaning on the warehouse frame for some time, said. "I heard there are people who smuggle things like that on the expedition ship." Holy shit. Opium? The Narcotics? Seb was speechless to hear the exnation from Gwen. "Just destroy the seeds," I asked Seb using a firm tone. "Such a thing is pointless¡­." "I know the nt can be hazardous if misused." Gwen seemed to cut me off, though her eyes were on Seb. "However, basically, it can be useful too. Our painkillers will eventually run out, and we''ll probably need anesthesia at some point." Hearing those words, I hit the pause button. Gwen''s words made sense, but things could get very messy if they were to be misused. Especially if it involves other tribes. Shit. After weighing things down for a few minutes, I finally whispered into Seb''s ear. "All right, nt the poppy seeds." "Alright, I''ll nt these poppy seeds," Seb answered Gwen after I pressed the y button. He scratched his head with a confused expression, then exited the warehouse. "Mr. Spirit, I want to tell you something important. But not in this ce." Gwen spoke in a low voice. "I don''t want to be called a lunatic for talking to myself." Wouldn''t it be even crazier if you were naked in public? "Okay, follow me." I walked out of the warehouse. "Where are you going, Gwen?" Manu, who just came out of the well he made, asked. His body is stained with dirt. "You don''t know about this ce yet¡­." "Leave her alone, Manu." I gave orders to the bearded man. "Just go on with what you want to do." Manu was silent, then started walking away to the river to clean himself. "Wow, you actually have high authority, Mr. Spirits," Gwen whispered with a chuckle. "Could it be that you ever ordered your woman to do something for you?" "Well, I''ll give my people as much freedom as I can." Honestly, I''m not sure what I''m saying. Gwen pursed her lips. "Really?" "So, what do you want to talk about?" I asked after we both got behind arge rock. "I don''t think what Sun went through was not an infection from the wound, but more than that. There are some symptoms that don''t match a wound infection." Gwen spoke in a serious tone. Gone were the seductive gestures and tone she used to show. I felt like my heart was hit by something hard. "Where did she get it from?" "Perhaps it could be from the attacks of the birds? I don''t know. I''m not an expert in that kind of thing yet." Gwen took a deep breath. "What I''m afraid of is that the disease might be contagious. Everyone here has been in contact with Sun, and we don''t have enough resources to quarantine the girl." "What can we do then?" I tried to suppress the panic in me. "Right now, I can only make masks, although I don''t think it will help much since we''ve all been in contact with Sun. Meanwhile, you can order your people to tell me if they have symptoms." "Okay, I''ll do it.." I sighed. Chapter 167 - 167 – They Are Back "I''m back, everyone!!!" Leva eximed as she spread her arms a few meters in front of the house. "Ah, wee, Leva, Eric." Seb, who was watering the nts, answered. "It''s weird." Leva scratched her head. "Why can''t I get closer when I really want to?" Gwen came out of the house wearing a mask. "Sorry, but there''s a risk of disease transmission here, so both of you should stay away from this area. And don''t touch the things we touch... Ah, sorry, my name is Gwen, a new member of your group." "Ah, nice to meet you, Gwen." Leva raised an eyebrow. "My name is Leva." "And I''m Eric." Seb''s son joined in. "So, what should we do, Gwen?" Leva asked again. "Again, I advise you to stay away from this area." Gwen took a few steps forward. "You brought food?" "Yeah, we have some food in our bags." Now it was Eric who chimed in. "We bought it before we came back here." "Good, this may be inconvenience to you, and you will want to restfortably. However, it is also for the sake of your group. You guys camp near this area until the situation improves. Sorry, but honestly, I don''t know how long this willst. " Leva shrugged. "Yeah, no problem. Thest few days, we''ve both been sleeping under the sky, after all... Ah, I wasn''t intending to offend you, Gwen. Sorry." "No problem." I whispered to my two colonists. "But first, we wanted to give you something." Eric lowered his sack of things and took out other, much smaller bags. "Here are the seeds you asked for, Dad... I mean Seb. There are strawberries and corn and cotton." "Strawberries? That''s good. So we can eat fruit other than bananas without having to look for wild berries." Seb smiled happily. "I''ve moved wild berries here a few times, but they always fail." "And the presence of cotton is very beneficial to us, too," Gwen added. "For the clothes and, of course, the bandages." Eric tossed the bags of seeds, and Seb caught them all. "Thanks, Eric." Right after that, Manues coughing. Everyone''s eyes were on the bearded man. "Gwen, I think I''m having symptoms." The man hissed. "What do you feel?" Gwen approached the man. "Cough, headache, nausea, and stiffness in my joints. This morning I didn''t have an appetite either." Gwen pressed the back of her hand to Manu''s forehead, who flinched slightly. Are you nervous around this woman, Manu? Because she teased you several times? "Your temperature has indeed gone up." Gwen narrowed her eyes, looking at Manu''s face that wasn''t as pale as Sun''s. "Are you already short of breath?" "Not yet." *** Night had fallen, Leva was munching on bread filled with dried fruit that was a gift from Redtooth. Sitting in front of a bonfire, she gazed at her house in the distance. "I want others to taste this food." Leva sighed, taking another bite of her bread. "What else can we do?" Eric pushed firewood in the bonfire. "We don''t know how long this situation willst. So, we have to take care of our food. Neither of us is good at hunting animals." "I know, Mr. Obvious." Leva shook her head. "I''ve actually felt this danger on the way, but I didn''t expect something like this to happen." "That''s why you want to rush to the house?" Eric tucked himself into his sleeping bag. "It''s gettingte. It''s time for us to sleep. Tomorrow I might set a trap for rabbits or chickens." "Goodnight, Eric." Leva sighed again. "But I''m not sleepy yet." I then use the fast-forward feature. However, even though some time had passed, Leva had not yet fallen asleep. She changes positions repeatedly. From sitting, standing, and even doing light shadowboxing. Ugh, if she''s still like this, maybe I won''t be able to meet Gwen in that state again. Gwen has been in the house for the past few days, even at night. She observed Sun. Tonight, the woman promised to go out. I stopped the fast-forward feature when Gwen finally came out of the house, stretching as usual. Luckily, Leva was already in a sleeping bag. "Good evening, Mr. Spirits." Gwen yawned and stretched again, but this time with a more sensual gesture. "Sorry, I haven''t been able to apany you in thest few days." "No problem." I shrugged. "Although I have to admit, I miss yourpanion." The woman chuckled. "I am very honored that you speak like that." Gwen then put her sewing box in the grass and lit a bonfire. As she started to undress, I held my breath. I don''t think I''ll ever get tired of seeing this beauty. "It''s a little ticklish." Gwen corrected the position of her bare butt, which had justnded on the grass. "Oh, okay." I didn''t reply and focused on the woman''s body. After doing this a few times, I feel like seeing a naked woman against the backdrop of an openndscape is an entirely different experience. "How do you want me to modify these clothes, Mr. Spirits?" Sitting cross-legged, the woman asked as she started threading the needle. "Up to you." I kept my focus on the woman''s body. "The important thing is that the results are good." Gwen chuckled. "You love my body so much that you don''t look into my eyes when you speak." It''s your own fault. "Whaaat the fuuuuckkk!!!" The thunderous voice from Leva broke my concentration. "Oh, Leva. You have not slept yet?" Gwen asked in a casual tone, even though she wasn''t wearing a garment at all. "I''m sewing." "Sewing!? While naked in public!? Are you crazy!!!" Leva''s hysterical voice woke Eric, who straightened up but immediately red at the sight of Gwen''s naked body. "Don''t you havemon decency? Put your clothes on now, or I''ll boobplex you!" "Shut up, Leva!" I teleported and called out near the red-haired woman. "This is her own will. You have no right to stop it. You''d better go to sleep." Then, the door of my colonists'' house opened. Seb and Manu, who had juste out, perhaps because of Leva''s screams, suddenly choked. Meanwhile, Kat just narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. Rex came up to the woman and sniffed her. "Hmmm? Did you find something wrong on my body?" Gwen asked the white wolf-like dog. "All right, you all go to sleep!!!" I know I''m overly mad, but I really want to enjoy this night. Chapter 168 - 168 – It Begins Kat tossed the twig that morning, and Rex happily chased after it. When Rex came back wiggling his tail and carrying that thing, the girl crouched down and then stroked the dog''s body. "Good boy. Good boy." Seeing Kat''s rare smile, I immediately used the screenshot feature. "Well, you do like animals, don''t you? Are you a zookeeper like Sun?" Gwen came over, took off the face mask she was wearing. Gwen''s outfit has been modified into a kind of tight-fitting shirt that shows off the midriff, as well as her cleavage. Meanwhile, her pants have be so short, to the point of showing some of her butts. Not to mention the size that seems too tiny for Gwen''s lower body. Excellent. Kat turned her head to the blonde woman, returning with her nk expression. "No." The girl didn''tment on Gwen''s skimpy outfit at all. And as happened to my other colonists, Gwen was silent, waiting for the amber-eyed girl to continue. However, Kat stayed quiet and focused on training her dog to sit up instead. Gwen turned her head to me, made a broad smile, and spoke to me silently. "I just want to get to know her." I shrugged, moving over to Kat''s side. "Hey, how about you talk to Gwen, so you guys get to know each other? Well, maybe there''s a question that''s really bothering you, Kat?" Kat stopped her training Rex, finally speaking. "I know you, Gwen Elizabeth Quenny. I heard about you when I went through a series of tests to join the great expedition. And I know why you were banished here." Gwen narrowed her eyes. "Hooo¡­ Really?" The woman sat on a nearby t stone. "What''s the reason I was thrown here?" "The reason is the same as the reason they recruited me. The difference is, I registered myself, and maybe you''re here because¡­." Kat fell silent again. A long sigh escaped Gwen''s mouth. "Well, I won''t argue with that. They thought I was a failure as a psychic and a doctor, so they sent me here to¡­. Well, they sent me here to make as many children as possible, with the hope that my children will have super abilities like me." Ugh. Those who did this to Gwen were disgusting. "For me. It''s more about my physique. I don''t have any special skills. They want people who¡­. They want people who have a physique that fits the criteria they set. The goal is the same, with the hope that I give many offspring that¡­. You must have figured it out already." "Ah, I''ve heard of such a thing. They just think of us as a tool to make offspring that they think is good." Gwenughed bitterly, then looked fixedly into Kat''s amber eyes. "Tell me, Katherine. I was thrown here because of the wishes of people who think they owned me. How about you? Why did you sign up here?" "I didn''t know what to do with my life, and my friend offered me toe here." Gwen was silent a second time, probably waiting for another reply from Kat. However, she finally smiled broadly and asked. "Only that? Really?" "Yes." You are indeed a unique individual, Kat. "Seb, you better stop this now!" The three of us turned to Eric''s voice, which came from afar. With a worried face, the brown-haired man was looking at Seb, who was nting corn. "I can''t stop now¡­." Seb broke off from coughing. "If no one takes care of all this, we won''t be able to get enough food supplies." Huh, he doesn''t want to obey my orders? Putting on her face mask again, Gwen immediately ran over to the man and checked on him. "Your body temperature is so high. Since when have you been this sick?" "Come on, Seb. You should rest like Manu and Sun." Eric sounded desperate. "That is not important." Seb kept smiling despite coughing again. "I should at least finish nting all of this first." And the man started nting again using a small shovel. Gwen was speechless when she saw that. Eric rubbed his face. "Seb, please. Stop this¡­." "Let him be, Eric." I cut off Eric, and Gwen immediately red at me. The woman gestured to me, then left the ce. I followed her to the backyard. "Are you crazy?" Gwen lowered her face mask and spoke in a high-pitched, low-volume voice. "We don''t know about this disease. Maybe his condition will only get worse if he continues like that." "Sorry, but this is for the long term. Seb used to work in an institution that researched nts. Of course, he knew about good farming techniques. Meanwhile, the others didn''t know about it. Do you know how? I do not think so." I replied to the woman. "Yes, he could have taught others to do it. However, it takes time, and there is no guarantee it will be sessful." "But..." "I prefer him to finish his work as soon as possible before he copses. If he fell, he might not even be able to teach others anymore. We will be in a difficult situation. Seb can''t grow crops because of illness, while the people who rece him don''t have adequate skills." I sighed. After all, this is a game. nting stats certainly affects the final results that will be obtained. And with the low nting stats for the other colonies, they had to be taught from a fundamental level. Gwen massaged her forehead. "Please understand, Gwen. Food is one of the most important things for survival. This cannot be taken lightly." I continued my speech. "At the very least, you can keep an eye on him, right?" The woman looked up and closed her eyes. "If anything happens to him, I''ll me you." "Please, go ahead. I''m ready to hear all your angerter if something bad happens." I spread my hands. "But listen, I''m still worried about Seb''s condition. However, in doing all of this, I have to take risks, Gwen." "Shit." Gwen shook her head, then left me. "Pray for the best, Gwen." "You can be said to be the god of this ce, right?" Gwenughed bitterly.. "You didn''t even listen to my request." Chapter 169 - 169 – Something Small That Kills Many Several days have passed. Seb, Manu, and Sun could only lie in the house while still coughing. Gwen checked the thermometer she had just used to check Sun. Thirty-nine degrees Celsius. I, who didn''t really know much about health, knew that it was terrible. Compared to the others, Sun''s condition was the worst. She was already struggling to breathe and was shivering. "I''ll be fine, won''t I, Gwen?" Sun asked with trembling lips. "Surely you will recover, Sun." Gwen gave a warm smile and rubbed that woman''s forehead. "I''m going for a while, okay." However, Sun caught Gwen''s hand with tears in her eyes. "Please, don''t leave me, Gwen. I''m scared." Gwen, almost standing straight, froze for a moment, then shed a big smile again. "Just a moment, Sun. I still have something to do." The blonde woman gently let go of Sun''s hand, then stood on two legs. Just as she turned around, she found Kat already standing a few feet from her, coughing too. *** Kat''s condition was also getting worse every day. Now, everything is handled by Gwen herself. Starting from cleaning, feeding the animals, watering the nts, and of course taking care of the other colonists. In the best-case scenario, Sun would recover first, and she would help Gwen. Maybe Sun already has immunity, so she doesn''t get infected again. But still. It''s just a possibility. "You really don''t want us to help?" Leva asked in a worried tone to Gwen, who had left the house carrying a wooden bucket. "No, Leva," Gwen replied as she continued walking. "Don''t go near this house." Just a few meters left the house, I saw that the blonde-haired girl coughed. "Do you really have to do all this alone?" I grimaced seeing her state. This is a very desperate situation. "Couldn''t we just use some alcohol to clean the bucket and ask Leva and Eric to water the nts instead?" "Did you really think I didn''t think about it?" Gwen tied the handle of the bucket with rope and threw it into the well. "Can you really guarantee that Eric and Leva didn''t touch anything that Seb had? Droplets from infected people could be anywhere. On the ground, on walls... Anywhere. We have to spray disinfectant. Not to mention the risk that the virus or whatever causes this disease turns out to be airborne." I''m at a loss for words. Gwen pulled the bucket from the well, then returned to the farm. Gwen''s movements seemed very limp. She was probably exhausted from having to take care of everything herself. So, I moved to the side of Leva and Eric, giving orders to the two of them. Gwen, who had started watering the nts, widened her eyes when Leva and Eric came to her. "What are you two doing?" "Get some rest." Eric took the bucket from Gwen''s hand. "Your face is turning pale." "Poor horse. He needs to eat, and the stable needs to be cleaned." Leva took the sickle that was beside the house, then walked over to get some grass. Gwen looked at me and spread her arms, looking so disappointed. *** The blonde woman came up to me as night fell, and the other colonists were already asleep. "Are you crazy?" She started to scold me and coughed. "With this, all of your people will obviously be infected." I closed the browser window exining the strategy for dealing with the pandemic in the colony. "Leva and Eric are still showing no symptoms, are they?" I answered the woman. "By the time they get sick, it''s likely Sun will have recovered, so she can take turns taking care of the others. I don''t want you to be too tired, and that will make your situation worse." Gwen had opened her mouth, looking like she was about to argue. However, I cut her off in an instant. "Please, take my word and don''t argue." The woman froze, clenched her fist that was pointing at me, then took a deep breath. "So, has Sun shown any signs of recovery?" I asked her insted. "Yeah, her fever has gone down. Her appetite has improved too." The woman shrugged. "But her shortness of breath, stiffness in the joints, and coughs hasn''t gone away." I pressed the back of my hand to Gwen''s forehead, as she did when checking the others. Then, I looked at her body, which was no longer wearing skimpy clothes and was protected by a jacket instead. "You''re starting to have a fever, too," I said slowly. "You better go in and rest." "Yeah, I''ll do it." Gwen sighed again. "But first, I''ll tell you something. Maybe we''ll talk less and less like this. Maintaining Psychic strength with an unfit body is very difficult." "No problem, at all." I shrugged again. This is no big deal. When she''s healed, I''ll be able to chat with her again. Just as Gwen had turned around, the door to the house burst open. Leva came out with bulging eyes. "What?" Gwen raised her eyebrows. "Your friend... Sun...." The red-haired woman gulped. Gwen''s eyes opened wide, then she ran into the house. No. Please, don''t let that happen. The sick colony members straightened up, looking at Sun. Meanwhile, Eric was already kneeling beside the Asian-looking woman. Gwen stopped, her eyes widened again when she saw Sun, who was now so pale and his mouth was blue. "Looks like she died a few minutes ago," Eric said in a low voice. Gwen fell to her knees and squeezed her head. "It''s my fault. If only I had checked her condition before I left the house." "It''s not your fault, Gwen," I whispered into the woman''s ear. "You don''t know what will happen." The blonde woman coughed, then looked at the others. Now the one in the worst condition was Seb, who seemed to be starting to have difficulty breathing. Then, she looked at Sun again, rubbed that woman''s forehead, then began to shed tears. "I''m sorry, Sun. We''ve known each other not too long, but I consider you a friend. Sorry, you died in a ce like this, far from the people closest to you. This is all because of my ipetence." "No, Gwen," Leva replied with trembling lips. "Thoughts like that can kill you." Silence returned.. All that could be heard was the crackling of the bonfire. Chapter 170 - 170 – Something Small That Kills Many (2) "Shit." Gwen, who finallyy down, sighed. "I should have taken care of you guys. I''m the one with the medical skills...." "Shut up, or I''ll twist your nipples off." Leva snorted, causing the face mask she was wearing to bulge for a moment. She had just applied apress to that woman''s head. "You''ve done more than enough." "But...." Leva stuffed Gwen''s mouth with a peeled banana, creating an odd-looking scene. Not long after, Eric came in and spoke. "Looks like a merchant group ising." It''s a horrible time for them toe, but my colony really needs them. No one can hunt to supplement my colony''s foods. My colonists had to buy as much as possible from the merchant. I don''t want anything wrong to happen again, like Sun''s death. So Eric and Leva mainly were at home and only went out asionally. They must continue to monitor the condition of the other members. So, Eric can''t set traps for animals either. "Tell them to wash the money you gave them with wine or other form of alcohol," Gwen said and coughed. "That''s to prevent germs from being transmitted to them." "Oh, okay." As per my orders, Leva came out of the house, waited a moment for the merchant party carrying the two horses to approach, then raised her hands high. "Sorry, but it''s better if you don''te any closer! We have a disease outbreak! However, we still want to do business with you!" "Ah, fine then. We will discuss first!" The leader of the group, a tall ck man I knew was from Acornhull, raised his hand as well. "Thank you...." Leva choked when she realized another man from the group was waving at her. The pale-skinned body, the thinly cut hair, and the big and muscr tall stature. It was Ivan, the man who used to be Leva''s opponent in the final, who then confessed his love for the red-haired woman. Leva raised her hand again, but not as high as before, then waved stiffly. I couldn''t see her mouth because it was covered by a face mask, but she seemed to be grinning awkwardly. Seeing that, Ivan waved his hand even more excitedly and smiled widely. He had to be pulled by a female member to discuss with the others. Do they really want to have a discussion, or is this the wish of their guardian spirit? "Alright, we''ve made up our minds." The group leader said again after about three minutes of discussion with his followers. "You must already know Ivan, right? He will be the one to deliver goods and collect money from your tribe while transactions are carried out over long distances. Don''t worry. He has the ability to withstand various diseases. Since birth, he has never been sick." I went straight into the house, whispering to Gwen who was still lying down. "I know it''s hard for you to do what I''m about to ask you to. However, it''s very important, Gwen. So I beg you, activate your psychic powers." I left the house again, finding that Leva had already started bargaining with the leader of the merchant group. Not long after, a slender, brown transparent figure appeared beside the group. As soon as I pressed the pause button, Brown looked around and scratched his head, then looked at his people closely one by one. "Wee to my house." I walked up to the figure. "Is this one of your powers?" Brown is still watching his tribe members. "When I found out that you had members who could do psychic, I was quite shocked. But this is far more amazing. I''ve never seen anything like it." I took a deep breath. Maybe I still hate Brown and don''t want anything to do with this figure. You could say he was the main mastermind behind Leva''s humiliation. However, at a crucial moment like this, I had to put my ego aside for a moment. Yes, it hurts, but this opportunity cannot be wasted. "Could you lend Ivan to take care of my people, as well as take care of other things that my sick people can''t take care of? He just needs to be here until most of my people are healed." I asked in a quick tone, not wanting to mince words. "Please." Brown turned his head to me, was silent for a moment, thenughed out loud. "Ahahaha!!! You''re funny, O guardian spirit of the nameless tribe!" "I''m serious." "Alright, alright." Even though he said that, Brown was stillughing, to the point it irritated me even more. "So, what makes you think I will ept your offer? Ivan is one of the most valuable warriors in my tribe. He is the best attacker. The only reason he came here is that he misses Leva so much, to the point until he can''t do his job properly. Hell, he often daydreams while feeding the pets." "I''m sure there are many other great people in your tribe who can guard well." I sighed. "Of course, I wouldn''t ask for this without rewarding you." "Hooo...." Brown crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you want to give? Ah, I know about the salt cave from the Redtooth tribe. I don''t want it. I have my own salt supplier." "No¡­" I had a feeling the possibility of offering this salt would be less likely to be epted. But still, things would be easier if Brown received it. So, now I am forced to offer something else. "How about you let Ivan take Leva as his wife?" "Hell no..." I cleared my throat, keeping my annoyance out of my tone. "Leva will only provide a small benefit. This is something that is arguably much bigger than that." "What''s that?" "You know opium, right?" Brown fell silent immediately. A few minutes passed, I was about to ask him again, but finally, the figure spoke in a colder and more serious tone. "Yes, I know that thing. Why are you asking that?" "You also know that it''s useful for reducing pain, right? It''s handy for anyone who is seriously injured and needs surgery... For example, one of your people needs stitches in their wound. This thing will suppress the pain..." "I know about that too." Brown cut me off. "No need to go into detail. Why are you talking about things like this?" I brought my face closer to Brown''s.. "My people have poppy seeds and know how to grow them." Chapter 171 - 171 – Something Small That Kills Many (3) "And did you think I would just believe it?" Brown tilted his head. "Look." I pointed to the houses of my colonists. "This ce is nothingpared to yours. If I were to be mean, you would definitely take revenge, and my people would lose. I''ve seen your people at the Redtooth festival. There are plenty of them." "They are only a third of my tribe''s poption." Brown shrugged, then crouched down and looked up at me. "But, you have a point. It would be foolish for you to mess with my tribe." "This means I''m really desperate...." "And I could have forced you guys to talk about the opium now." My chest felt like it was about to explode with anger and anxiety. However, I tried to speak in my usual tone, "If I do, I will guarantee that you will not gain knowledge of it." "Well, I''m not like that. I won''t bully other weaker tribes. I''m not evil." Really? Encouraging your people to harass and bully other members isn''t evil either? Even though I wanted to confront him about his words, I restrained myself. I''m negotiating, not arguing. "Maybe you''re right. We''ve always had conflicts with other tribes. Many of my people have been injured frequently, and I feel sorry for them to suffer." Brown took a deep breath. "And there are some of my people who are born with a disease that keeps them in pain." The figure was silent for a moment, then stood up and looked at me again. Or rather, turning his face to me. He has no eyes, after all. "Opium is a nt that only exists in legend, like spices." He spoke again. "How did you get it?" "Your own men sold it to us," I exined, still trying to use a normal tone. "The poppy seeds are in a silver package containing the garlic seeds." Brown tilted his head again. "I know opium, but what exactly is garlic?" "Garlic is one of the spices. You don''t know that?" I scratched my head. Even some of my colonists who grew up in thisnd know what garlic is, though they''ve never seen what it looks like. "What did you say?" Brown choked. "Spices, you say? But, the package had a picture of something strange. I thought it was poison! I don''t want my people to try to grow it because I don''t want anything bad to happen!" "Why are the humans from the sky ships carrying poisonous nt seeds?" I stifled augh. "Hell, even the seeds of the poppy nt were smuggled in packets of garlic seeds. They thought opium was dangerous, even though it had uses. So, they didn''t want to bring it into thisnd." Brown massaged his forehead. "Well, even though I still have the seeds, none of my people know how to grow those things... Well, how about you teach us how to grow garlic too?" "No problem at all." I don''t know what will happen in the future if those two things are cultivated on arge scale. Will there be opium dealers who use addicts as a source of their money? Or maybe there is a conflict over territory withrge onion and poppy fields? But, the most important thing is that I have to save my colony first. And I don''t need to give one more crucial thing to this guardian spirit from Acornhull. I don''t have to tell him about firearms too. "So, is this a deal?" I stuck out my hand. Brown looked at my hand with his hips crossed but finally shook it. The two of us gave orders to our respective men to carry out this n. As soon as I pressed the y button, Leva and the people in Acornhull''s party looked confused. "Why do I feel I have to allow Ivan to stay here temporarily to take care of those sick people?" The group leader scratched his head. Leva took a deep breath. "Surprisingly, I also feel the same way." [New temporary colonist acquired] [Ivan, 29 years old (Temporary Colonist)] STATS: Ranged attacks: 3/100 Melee attacks: 84/100** Construction: 25/100 Crafting: 21/100 Cook: 60/100* nt: 2/100 Mining: 3/100 Animal: 72/100* Medic: 19/100 TRAITS: Brawler ¨C Ivan likes closebat and hates using ranged weapons. His melee attack uracy is outstanding. Super-immune ¨C Ivan''s body can withstand various kinds of infectious diseases well Tough body - Ivan can withstand various attacks very well. INCAPABLE OF: - HEALTH ISSUES: - "That means our guardian spirit and this tribe have agreed, Guss." Ivan chuckled. "I feel good here. That means I get to see Leva every day." Leva''s expression went nk, simr to Kat''s usual expression. Meanwhile, the member of the party from Acornhull narrowed his eyes at Ivan, who was now smiling so broadly. Hang in there, Leva. I know he''s annoying, but at least he''s not a bad person... Well, I can only hope he really isn''t a bad person. "Well, can we continue this transaction?" Leva asked in an unenthusiastic tone. Leva and the group leader conduct long-distance transactions. My female colonists were more focused on getting groceries because that was what we really needed. After bargaining with each other, we were finally able to get all the food the group was selling at a price that could be considered rtively cheap. Is this the goodness of Brown? I can''t ask him anymore because I''ve already ordered Gwen to turn off her psychic abilities. "I hope my presence doesn''t bother you." Ivanughed as he walked over with arge sack filled with rice, dried vegetables, and jerky. "Ah, we''re d you''re here, Ivan," Leva replied with another smile. It seemed like she was trying hard to make her voice sound polite. "So, where do I put all this stuff?" Ivan asked. "Follow me." After saying that, Leva walked towards the warehouse. "Honestly, I''m really excited about this, Leva." Ivan sounded enthusiastic but also stuttered a little. "Yeah, me too." Ivan choked. "Does this mean you ept my love?" Blood vessels began to appear in Leva''s temples and neck.. "Well, I don''t think now is the time to talk about such things." Chapter 172 - 172 – Something Small That Kills Many (4) "Hey, you remember me, boy?" Ivan approached Rex, who was sleeping outside. Rex opened his eyes and raised his head, then barked at the big man. "You''re bored because your master is sick and can''t y with you, huh?" Ivan rubbed the animal''s body. "Just a moment, okay. After the rice is cooked, I''ll take you to y." Rex didn''t fight back at all. The dog was originally from Acornhull, after all. Leva walked over to Ivan, leaned her back against the wall, then said. "This really surprised me. Someone like you can cook and likes animals." A chuckle escaped Ivan''s mouth. "Shouldn''t someone like me be good at cooking and love animals?" "Seeing your ferocity in the arena, I never imagined you would be like this." "There''s nothing special." Ivan got up and rubbed Kat''s white dog''s head. "Since I was little, my father was paralyzed, so I had to take care of him. One of the skills I learned was cooking. If not me as the only child, who else would take care of him? My mother died because of illness when I was a baby." "Sorry to hear that." Ivan smiled, slightly looking up at the sky. "There are some mean people in my tribe, you know. They like to bully my dad because he''s crippled." Ugh. It must be because of Brown. "Ah." Leva shed a faint smile. "You wanted to protect your father, so you learned to fight, right?" Ivan''s smile widened. "Well, basically, I''m already interested in closebat. The bullying of these people actually fueled me to study more. Unfortunately, it had consequences." Leva''s eyebrows rose. "Consequences?" "I''ve had quite a bit of ying time with my friends because I have to take care of my dad. And when I y with them, I get triggered several times by theirments mocking my dad." Another chuckle escaped Ivan''s mouth, but this time it was bitter. "I often fight with them. One by one, the children in my tribe stay away from me because of it." Ah, maybe his case is simr to Leva''s "It was their own fault to mock your father." Leva shrugged. Ivan shook his head. The smile on his face had disappeared. "No. Actually, most of them just ask or identally talk about my father. However, I often misunderstand and assume they are mocking my father." The man was silent for a moment, rubbing Rex''s head again. "Because of loneliness, I have developed rtionships with several animals, especially dogs. In the past, I had a pack of war wolves, which helped me to fight the enemies." "Back then? Where are they now?" "Two years ago, we had a food shortage. Crops couldn''t grow properly because of disease, there were very few animals to hunt, and a lot of livestock died from disease as well." Ivan took a deep breath. "During winter, we were short of food... The only animals left were those that weren''t livestock." Leva''s eyes widened. I can only guess the meaning of what Ivan just said. So, Ivan''s wolves were killed for food? Shit. It was a very sad memory. It reminded me of Kat, who almost killed Rox to be eaten so her friends could survive. Ivan''s broad smile grew again. "Well, but that''s all a lie! I''m the second of three children! I''ve always loved fighting! And all my family members love to fight! My mother and father, who are actually still alive, also love to fight! My family still keeps lots of war wolves, but they won''t allow me to bring them here because my main goal is to meet you!" Leva''s chin immediately dropped. I''m also speechless because of that. How could, after making people sympathize with him, he said it was all a joke!? "Leva, attack him!" I gave the order in a huff. Leva didn''t attack right away. She looked down. Her veins protruded again on her forehead and neck. "I had to fight with my whole family just to bring the wolves here!" Ivan spread his arms. "And I lost, even though I really wanted to show you their greatness." "How dare you..." Leva hissed. Her breathing started to get out of control, her gaze sharpened, and her body was already leaning forward. "Arrgghhhh!!!" Leva ran and jumped, about to kick the big man. However, Ivan managed to catch Leva''s body and hug her tightly. The red-haired girl immediately froze, and her feet couldn''t touch the ground anymore. "Hey, let her go!" I shouted at Ivan, who had be my colonist, albeit temporarily. However, the big tall man didn''t take my word for it. "Ooh, you''re so aggressive, Leva." Ivan said to that woman whose face was now so close to him. "A long time ago, my dad used this technique to get my mom''s attention. Well, they''re both fighters... Arggghhh!!!" Ivan shouted while covering his eyes that had just been poked by Leva. The red-haired woman immediately backed away as soon as her body was released from the man''s hug. "If you do that again...." Leva said through gritted teeth. "Say goodbye to your dick." Rex, who was observing all of that, just tilted his head. "B-but, wasn''t what I did just now romantic?" Ivan protested while blinking his eyes. "My parents said so!" "Maybe it''s romantic for them, but not for me!" Leva snorted in annoyance. Ah, even though she had been holding back her emotions for a long time. "Okay, okay. I''ll use another, more romantic way." Ivan was still blinking his teary eyes. "I don''t need your romantic ...." Suddenly, Leva looked to the west, the direction the Acornhull group had arrived. "What''s wrong?" Ivan frowned. "I feel something... Something bad ising here....." Leva narrowed her eyes. "Ah, you may not believe it, but I can sense the dangers that the future wille upon us." "In the past, my tribe also had a person with such abilities, but he died." Ivan lined up Leva, looking in the same direction. "Well, I hope it''s not Naomi." Leva turned her head to Eric. "Naomi? What''s wrong with her?" "She did a dark ritual to strengthen herself. She wants revenge on you for beating her in the semifinals." What? Now we have to face something ult? Leva''s expression went nk, then she snorted again. "I''ve heard that fucking ritual, and everyone knows it''s a myth. Someone used to do it in my tribe, and nothing happened." Ivanughed again, this time louder than before. "I''m joking again!" Leva had already moved her legs to kick Ivan''s groin, but the man was able to dodge and run. "Catch me if you can, Leva!" However, the red-haired girl remained where she was, only folding her arms across her chest. "You want to make me y catch-up with you, right? You want to make it romantic. Huh. Don''t expect me to go along with you." Ivan immediately froze in a running pose, then turned his head to Leva, who had already started walking towards the house. Chapter 173 - 173 – Something Small That Kills Many (5) Finally, Eric also fell and could only lie down, coughing with a hot body temperature. "You have to keep eating, Eric," Seb said as he sat down and ate some porridge topped with rehydrated dried vegetables. "You may not have much of an appetite, but believe me, eating will make you feel better." Eric nced at the slightly steaming bowl beside him, then took a deep breath. "Or do you want me to feed you?" Seb chuckled. Eric coughed, then straightened his body in a sluggish motion. "No need, Seb. I can do it myself." "How are you guys doing?" Ivan approached them with a smile. I still can''t believe Ivan, who used to look brutal, could smile this friendly. "I''m feeling better, but Eric doesn''t seem to be. He just started showing symptoms two days ago." Seb nced at his son. "And thanks again, Ivan. The food this time was delicious too." "As I said before, my family has a rotating cooking schedule. If anyone refuses, they will be beaten." Ivan chuckled, then nced at Leva, who was still lying in the corner of the room and hadn''t even touched her porridge. "Why haven''t you eaten yet, Leva? Is my food not to your taste...." Ivan stopped his words and smiled brightly again. With excited steps, he approached the red-haired woman. Leva straightened up, grabbed the bowl of porridge, then began to eat it. "No thanks. I can feed myself. You don''t have to feed me." However, Ivan remained kneeling beside the woman. "Then, I will apany you to eat." Just as she put the spoon in her mouth, Leva froze. She then turned her back to the pale-skinned man, continuing to eat. And right after that, everything stoppedpletely. This is a sign that the pause is automatically triggered. Was this the danger that Leva felt? I came out of the house and was immediately greeted by a cloudy sky. This time the big red arrow is in the west. I used the flight feature and then searched inside the red circle apanying the giant arrow. In just a short time, I''ve been able to find the culprit of all this. And I was so shocked by it. Only one enemyes to my colony, with curly hair that spreads in a mess and eyes that are so red. Naomi was walking with her body bent forward, her facial muscles looking so tense, and her head moving in various directions as if looking for prey. Was this due to the influence of the dark rituals she had performed? Inded in front of her, intending to check her status. [Naomi (xxxxxx)] Ranged attack: XX/100 Melee attack: XX/100 Shit. How do I deal with something like this? Should I mobilize all my colonists? However, it is difficult for them to carry out normal activities, let alone doing strenuous physical activities such as fighting. I returned to my colony, then whispered a n into Ivan''s ear, and at the same time gave orders to the others to stay where they were. If you fight with sickness, it can be disastrous. They can be easy targets who cannot defend themselves optimally. As soon as I pressed the y button, Ivan got up and walked away. "You feel it, right?" Leva coughed and rubbed her chest. "You feel like you have toe out to face whateveres here, right? I can guess that because now I feel like I have to stay here. I think the others feel the same way too. Ivan stopped walking, then smiled broadly at Leva. "Yes, you and your friends should stay here." Leva swallowed. "Good luck then. Sorry, I can''t help you. Well, I would, but my heart says otherwise." The big tall man widened his smile, then continued on his way with the gazes of my colonists on him. As soon as Ivan left the house, Kat checked her rifle, Gwen pulled a gun from under her sleeping bag, Manu brushed his ax, and Eric opened the sheath of his katana. Staying does not mean not being alert. Leva sighed, staring at therge machete lying beside her. "Ah, why do I have to be so sick when I have to fight?" Sorry, Ivan. You have to fight alone. If my colonists are healthy, I will order them to help you. Unfortunately, the situation is not favorable. I will still be sad if you die. You are a great person and deserve respect. However, you are not my colonist. *** Ivan continued to walk while carrying a giant hammer that reached his waist. The sound of lightning shing and the roar of strong winds became the background music for his journey. I didn''t really ask him to wait. The fight should be carried out far from the homes of my colonists. The fighter from Acornhull stopped and narrowed his eyes when he could already see Naomi in the distance. "Holy shit." He gasped. "What the hell happened to you?" Seeing Ivan, Naomi quickened her pace and stopped a few meters from her tribe mate. "Where, Leva?" Naomi asked in a muffled, hoarse voice. Her eyes did not focus on Ivan but instead moved in various directions. Between the right and left eyes are not synchronous. Ivan lowered his hammer, and I immediately whispered to him to pick it up again. Ivan could not be careless. He didn''t know what he was dealing with. However, the man did not obey my orders at all. "Leva isn''t here, Naomi," Ivan said in a cautious tone. "You''d better go home. Your family will be worried about you. If you need supplies for the trip, I''ll give them to you." "Ah, you are Ivan." Finally, Naomi''s eyes managed to focus on the man. "You and your family have always refused to spar with me." "To be fair, we never refused, but after I fought you once, you and I didn''t feel like fighting each other. My family also felt the same way." "Ah, that time, after dealing a few blows to me, you gave up and didn''t want to fight me anymore!" Looks like Brown can''t get Ivan to hold back against Naomi. Hence, the guardian spirit of Acornhull asks Ivan to give up altogether. "Please wake up, Naomi." Ivan walked slowly towards the woman. "Go home." Naomi''s breath was getting out of control.. Tears started to fall from her eyes. Chapter 174 - 174 – Acornhulls Warriors "You pitied me back then, right!? You don''t want to fight me because you think you''ll win easily against me!?" Naomi screamed in a more muffled voice. "You underestimate me! I''ll show you that I''ve be strong!" "That''s not a power you can be proud of, Naomi. What you are feeling now is the power of the devil." Ivan continued walking towards the woman. "I''m sorry if I offended you. I don''t want to fight with you now. Wake up, Naomi. Remember your parents. Remember your training mates!" "I have no friends!!!" Naomi''s eyes filled with tears. "They were all just pretending to lose to me! Now, I can actually beat them all! Ahahahaha!!!" Naomi suddenly stepped forward and punched Ivan in the chest. The fist was so hard it pushed Ivan back a few steps. The man had not had time to stand up straight when the fist attacks from Naomi came brutally. Even in the eyes of ayman like me, those fists seemed so random. Even so, Ivan could only fend off the attacks and asionally receive them with his body. "I don''t want to hurt you in this condition, Naomi!" Ivan caught both of Naomi''s hands. "Please, wake up! I do like fighting, but not like this¡­." Ivan choked when his hands couldn''t move Naomi''s. It was Naomi who pulled the man''s hand hard. Ivan''s body was thrown forward, and he couldn''t do anything when his opponent kicked him in the stomach. His body suddenly rolled backward. Instead of attacking Ivan again, Naomi arched her body backward. She screamed like a beast, beating the roar of thunder. Raindrops began to fall. I could feel the coldness of the water droplets that prated my body. "Looks like I have no other choice." Ivan got up, wincing in pain, clutching the part of his stomach that had just been kicked. "I will fight you." However, Naomi is now looking down and holding her head. Her curly hair now covered her face. "But, you are not my target. My target is Leva¡­ Argggghhhh!!!" And suddenly, the tan-skinned woman ran past Ivan, toward the house of my colonists. "Catch her, Ivan!!!" I screamed. Does this woman know where Leva is now? How could that be? Ivan ran through the rain. His shoes continued to stter in the puddles that were starting to form. He looked like he had put in a lot of effort but couldn''t catch up with his opponent at all. And as time went on, Naomi got closer and closer to my colonists'' homes. I could only run along, holding my head in panic. Naomi is only ten meters from the house. Her hand reached out to grab the doorknob. "Arrgggghhhh!!!" Ivan forced himself to run faster, then jumped up and caught the back of his tribe mate''s shirt. Both fell to the ground, about three meters from the door of the house. Just as Ivan had knelt to his feet, Naomi punched him in the face. The woman, who was now also on her knees, gave Ivan anotherbination fists. However, this time Ivan did not remain silent. After blocking some of those fists, the man punched Naomi in the nose. Naomi suddenly staggered with a bloody nose. "Sorry, Naomi!" Ivan shouted to beat the roar of the rain, then wrapped his forearm around Naomi''s neck from behind. At first, Naomi''s hand stuttered as if she wanted to reach for something. However, over time her body weakened. Until finally, her hands drooped down. Her eyes almost closed, showing only the whites. Ivan hastily released his submission hold, thenid Naomi''s body on the ground with a gentle motion. "Please, don''t die. I can''t control my strength using a submission hold like that." Ivan put his middle and index fingers to the veins on Naomi''s neck for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Ah, thank god." As Ivan was about to lift his tribe mate''s body, Naomi''s eyes widened. The woman then strangled her opponent''s neck with one hand. "Ugh¡­" This is weird. Ivan had a hard time letting go of the stranglehold. Even when Naomi stood up, the man couldn''t do anything but try to escape. Then, Naomi started beating her opponent''s face. Not just once, but many times. Gradually blood began to flow under the man''s right eye. Should I send my colonists out? No. That would only trigger Naomi to enter the house and find Leva. I paused for a moment to think, then entered the house. However, I didn''t order my men out but instead asked them to be on standby a few meters behind the door. With their bodies stiff and limp, they got up and formed a formation. Eric and Manu were in the middle holding their melee weapons, while two women with firearms were standing in the corner of the room, already aiming at the door. Yes, maybe I''m cruel enough to have made Ivan the sacrifice for this surprise attack. However, after ying this game for a long time, I learned one thing. I must be willing to do anything to defend my colony. Hell, I sacrificed a lot of people just so Manu could make bricks. I''ve also destroyed a colony for food. Now, I just sacrificed one person. I''ll make excuses to Brown if Ivan ends up dead. After all, the one who killed the man was Naomi, a member of the Acornhull tribe. This was the fault of Acornhull''s own guardian spirit, who couldn''t stop one of its inhabitants from carrying out the dark ritual. Yes, it''s not really my fault... I clenched my fists. No matter how hard I tried to imprint that thought into my brain, I was sure I wouldn''t be able to just forget about an incident like this. Damn it. I took a deep breath and came out of the house, finding Ivan already on the ground. The water puddle around his head started to turn red. "Argghhh! Arggghhh! Arggghhh!" Naomi didn''t care about that and just kept stomping on the back of the man''s head. "Die! Die! Dieee!!!" Naomi ended it by kicking Ivan hard in the head. The head shifted, and his face turned towards me. The face was covered in blood and bruises. Its nose is bent in the wrong direction. With a ragged breath, Naomi turned her head to my colonists'' house''s door and then started walking towards it. At that moment, Ivan''s body twitched. Chapter 175 - 175 – Acornhulls Warriors (2) That warrior from Acornhull finally rose though with incredible difficulty. "Fighting only for glory like in a tournament is different from fighting for the protection of others." Ivan hissed. "You have more motivation because it rtes to other people''s lives." Naomi, already a few inches from the door, stopped in her tracks and turned around. Suddenly Ivan was in front of Naomi and hugged her. "Heaaah!" The man threw his tribe friend''s body far away. Naominded in a wet cotton field, rolling for a few meters. However, she hastily got up even though she staggered. "Even in such a state, you still lost to Leva." Ivan ran and jumped, delivering the knee attack used by Leva back then. Naomi rolled on the ground again as soon as the knee hit her chest. "Please, surrender, Naomi!" Ivan shouted, trying to beat the sound of the rain getting heavier. Their bodies are now covered in mud. Ivan just stood still, looking at the woman with a sad expression. Meanwhile, Naomi struggles to stand up. She continued to hold her chest and fell several times as her legs almost stood up. "Why!? Why can''t I be as strong as you guys!?" Naomi was crying loudly. "I want more power! Give me more power!!!" Naomi''sst scream made me shudder. The voice that came out of the woman''s mouth was likeing from a beast that shouldn''t exist in this realm. Yes, it reminds me of the moment Manu used Devil''s tears. Finally, Naomi managed to stand on her two feet, screamed again, then jumped high. I can''t believe that woman can jump very high like that. She could pass the distance of seven meters from Ivan with ease, without running first. Ivan shielded his head from the woman''s ws, leaving his left forearm adorned with five longitudinal wounds. Before Ivan had time to check the wound, Naomi had attacked him again. This time Ivan could only dodge the ws that kepting from his enemy. The man failed to do so several times, so the scratches hit his body in various parts. Instead of running out of stamina, Naomi is getting faster and fiercer. Ivan had more trouble dodging and couldn''t do anything about it because his body was bing more and more covered with wounds. If it continues like this, Ivan might bleed out from these injuries. It would be fatal for him. However, he led Naomi somewhere. The two of them were already close to the well. "Arrrghhh!!!" Ivan grabbed Naomi''s body and threw her into the well, but Naomi was able to hold on to the edge. Ivan wasted no time and beat both of Naomi''s hands, but the woman still managed to hold on. "Is this the hero from Acornhull!?" Naomi screamed, her eyes getting redder and her face getting more and more ferocious. "What hero uses dirty means to defeat his opponent!?" "Dirty ways can save your life in war!" Ivan was still trying to get Naomi''s grip off the edge of the well. "If I continue to fight you in an honorable manner, I may die!" Still unable to let go of Naomi''s grip, Ivan punched his opponent in the head. However, Naomi showed no sign of pain or staggering. She kept a savage gaze and grimaced at Ivan. It wasn''t until Ivan had punched him dozens of times that Naomi finally couldn''t focus anymore. Even so, Ivan still couldn''t let go of his fellow tribe''s grip from the edge of the well. Ivan looked around and found Manu''s long wooden chair near the house. The man from Acornhull stood up, intending to run for the chair. Instead, he stumbled and fell forward. Perhaps this was due to the effects of the attacks on his head earlier and his wounds. His consciousness began to wane. Meanwhile, Naomi is also struggling to climb up. Ivan forced himself to get up and was finally able to take the chair. However, Naomi had already taken out half of her body. "Heaahhhhh!!!" With a deafening scream, he banged the chair against Naomi''s head. The impact was so strong that the chair shattered in two, and Naomi''s hands fell off the edge of the well. Holy shit. I can''t believe my own eyes. Naomi managed to stick her fingers into the wall of the well, keeping herself from plunging down. "You won''t be able to kill me!!! I will live until I can beat Leva!!!" Naomi roared with a face full of blood. The distance from the top of the well is only about two meters. "You are fucking insane." Ivan backed away, looking for something else. And finally, his gaze fell on arge rock the size of an adult''s embrace, some distance from the well. Hey, you''re not going to use that, are you? That rock looks so heavy, Ivan. My guess was wrong. The man approached the giant rock with staggered steps and almost fell several times. Once in front of the stone, Ivan took a deep breath. "Errrrgghhh!!!" And he started to pick it up. I was squeezing my head at the insane feat. With every muscle contracting violently and a face that looked like it was in pain, Ivan managed to lift the rock, just as a loud thunder rumbled. He put the stone on his shoulder and carried it down to the well again, though with increasingly limp steps. Is he really hurt? Once reaching the well, Ivan found Naomi creeping up and only a meter away from the edge. "Are you still willing to kill Leva!?" Ivan shouted with all his might. "I will defeat her, and I will be the strongest." Naomi''s voice became more and more muffled. Ivan gritted his teeth. His eyes narrowed as if he was in tears. "Then I apologize." Ivan sighed, then threw the big rock he was carrying. The rock mmed into Naomi, instantly sending her free fall. Her body and the rock made a loud rumble as they finally hit the water. Ivan looked at the massive ripple in the water well, staggered back a few steps, then falling. Chapter 176 - 176 – The Winner It was night when Ivan, who was covered in bandages, finally opened his eyes. The sound of the rain had disappeared. All that was left was the smell of earth mixed with water. The man turned his head to the right and caught his breath when he saw a woman''s face adorned with freckles. The red-haired woman closed her eyes, seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Ivan moved in shock but immediately winced in pain andy back down again. "Don''t move around too much," Leva said with her eyes still closed. "Gwen said the scratches on your body were deep and bleeding so much. It''s a miracle you''re still alive." "Why are you sleeping next to me?" Ivan raised an eyebrow. Finally, Leva opened her eyes. "It seems I fell asleep while watching over you." "Y-you take care of me?" Ivan was starting to sound nervous. "Does this mean¡­." "Sorry, but I''m just worried about you as a fellow human." Leva took a deep breath. "You are a good person, Ivan. I''ve seen good people die too many times, I just¡­. Well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Ivan was silent, looking up at the wooden ceiling of the room. "Hey, you turned me down because your heart was for someone, but after the few days I''ve been here, I haven''t seen that special person." "You''re just asking that now?" Leva sighed again. "I''ll take you to see him when you''repletely healed. He rests not far from this house." At first, Ivan frowned, then the man''s mouth opened. "He''s gone?" Leva nodded. "You probably think I should be able to move on since he''s dead, right? Well, I apologize to you again, Ivan. It''s not that easy." A faint smile formed on Ivan''s mouth. "It''s alright. But make no mistake, Leva. I haven''t given up. Every time our merchants go on a trip, I''ll go with them." "Whatever." Leva snorted but immediately smiled, though she had to cough. "We won''t stop you froming." Ivan widened his smile. "By the way, Leva. Why isn''t that girl next to you wearing clothes?" Leva frowned, then turned her head the other way. Her eyes immediately bulged when she found apletely naked Gwen sitting cross-legged in front of the firece. The blonde girl had her back to Leva and Ivan. Her smooth back was clearly visible. "What are you thinking!? Aren''t you still sick!?" Leva snorted again, then covered her colony mate with the nket. "Ah, sorry," Gwen replied with a smile.'' *** Several days had passed since that fight between Ivan and Naomi. Seb helps Manu out of the well. The bearded man had just gone down the well to retrieve Naomi''s body. The two men were already rtively healthy, so I decided to have them do this immediately. "You really didn''t find her?" Ivan, who also helped the mission asked. I have to admit his toughness. Only a few days had passed, but he already could stand up straight and carry on with his usual activities. "Yeah, she''s nowhere to be seen," Manu exined while releasing the rope in his stomach with the help of Seb. "Maybe her body was suppressed by the rock at the bottom, so she didn''t float." Ivan rubbed his face and took a deep breath. "How do I exin all this to Naomi''s family?" I also went down the well with Manu. Turns out I couldn''t go in there without being with my colonists. As Manu said, Naomi''s corpse could not be seen at all. Maybe she did sink to the bottom. However, Manu could not dive without adequate lighting. He did strap the shlight from Gwen''s escape pod around his head, but that thing wasn''t waterproof. Apart from that, I also couldn''t see the spirit of the Acornhull woman, even though I had asked Gwen to activate her psychic powers. As I''ve heard before, a person''s spirit will not be far from the body. Well, the spirit may be at the bottom of the well too. "So, what are we going to do with this well? With the corpse¡­." Manu looks at Ivan and says. "Oh, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to offend you." "It''s alright." Ivan shook his head. "I know what you meant. It would be challenging to take Naomi from the bottom if she was indeed suppressed by that big rock. Her corpse will stain the water in the well." "So, we have to make a new well?" Seb replied. Manu shrugs, looking tired. "We have no other choice." "At the very least, do so when your body is fully recovered," I said to the bearded man. "Leva, what happened to you!?" Kat''s loud voice immediately made us turn our heads towards the house. My three male colonists looked at each other, then hurried into their residence. Oh, no¡­. What I saw the first time there was Leva''s body convulsing. Her stiff mouth opened slightly, and her eyes rolled back. Gwen was cing a fold of cloth around the back of the red-haired woman''s neck with a calm motion. "What happened to her!?" Kat sounded so hysterical. A rare urrence. She looked terrified like she was looking at a demon. "The most important thing is that we have to be calm." Gwen pulled her hand from the back of Leva''s neck. "We can only wait for the seizure to end." Manu and Seb just stared at the scene with tense faces while Ivan was already pacing back and forth, clutching his head. I crouched down next to Gwen. "What the hell happened, Gwen?" "Perhaps the immune system that fights the virus gets too much and causes immune cells to attack healthy body tissue¡­. I don''t know for sure." Gwen continued to watch Leva''s body, which was still convulsing. "We don''t know about what causes this disease." "Leva has fast-healing abilities¡­." Seb hissed, drawing the attention of the others. Gwen looked at Seb with her mouth open, then swallowed. "Oh¡­. Maybe that''s what caused her immune system to overreact." "Can you do something about this?" I asked again. Gwen just nced at me with an expression I couldn''t predict. I can only guess. Could something like this need to be handled with more modern equipment, which we obviously don''t have? Has Gwen given up because she can''t do anything? About three minutes passed, Leva''s body finally calmed down.. However, she seemed to be having a hard time breathing, and her eyes were half-closed. Chapter 177 - 177 – A Nonsense "Please, help me turn her body," Gwen asked, then began to do so with the help of the other colonists. "This is so that his salivaes out and she doesn''t choke." Leva was really having trouble breathing. Her mouth opened, and the breaths she could take were shallow, and even then, with a long pause between each other. The sound of his breathing can also be heard clearly. "Please, do something to her." Ivan knelt beside Gwen with tears in his eyes. Gwen just closed her eyes while still holding Leva''s body. My colonists instantly widened their eyes, speechless. Several minutes passed. Leva''s condition showed no change at all. Ms. She was still struggling to breathe, her eyes were barely closing, and her mouth was slightly open. "Leva, can you hear me?" Gwen asked Leva for the umpteenth time in a few minutes, then checked her pupils with a shlight. Leva didn''t respond at all. Manu, Eric, and Seb''s faces grew tighter, Kat''s tears fell even harder while Ivan continued to pace the room, squeezing his head. "Please, tell me that you can save her, Gwen." Kat''s voice sounded so hoarse. "I''m begging you too, Gwen," Seb added. Gwen sighed, then looked at my colonists in turn. "Sorry." Right after Gwen said that, Leva''s breath slowed, then stopped altogether. All of my colonists looked panicked, except for Gwen, who remained calm. The blonde woman performed CPR and artificial respiration on Leva. "Please, save her, Gwen." I had difficulty speaking because of my heavy crying. Minutes passed, and I couldn''t help but watch anxiously. I don''t want to lose her at all. This colony would be much different without it. She had fought so hard up until now. It would be very sad if this amazing woman died. Gwen stopped performing CPR on Leva''s chest. No¡­. All of my colonists froze as Gwen covered the red-haired woman''s face with the nket. "Sorry, I really can''t do anything." The blonde haired woman''s lips began to tremble. "Leva..." Kat''s expression didn''t show any significant emotion anymore like she was in her normal state. However, her tears were still flowing very hard. She then said in a t tone but very hoarse. "I already promised your sister to protect you, Leva¡­. Wake up¡­. Hey¡­. Did you hear me? Wake up¡­." Seb rubbed the amber eyed girl''s back, also shedding tears. Manu got up, went to the room''s corner, and punched the brick wall. Gwen covered her eyes with both hands, starting to sob too. Meanwhile, Eric just closed his eyes in silence. The energy in my legs felt as if they were running out. I fell to my knees, staring at the scene that was like a nightmare to me. Leva''s life is over? I can''t see her face anymore? I can''t see her smile again? Why did this happen? "I can''t ept this." Ivan shook his head. Tears welling up in his eyes. "I won''t let Leva die." What do you mean, bastard? It was clear that Leva was lifeless. Didn''t you see? She was no longer breathing, and her face was so pale! I also wanted Leva to live, but it was toote! "Naomi was able to gain such power after performing the dark ritual. People say that in order for the dark ritual to work, we must have a very strong will." Ivan''s tone deepened. "If Naomi can do it, so can I." "You want to revive Leva again?" Eric, who is now standing, chimed in. Huh? Did I hear wrong? My other colonists couldn''t help but stare at Ivan with shocked expressions. Ivan knelt beside the corpse of the woman he loved. "She just died. Her spirit hasn''t left her body yet. There''s still a chance." "But, the consequence is that you will disappear," Eric said again, using a cold tone. "You will really vanish¡­. I''ve seen it with my own eyes. The person who performed the ritual was suddenly gone, and we couldn''t find him anywhere." "The question is, did the ritual work?" "That''s¡­." Eric could only gulp. "Looks like the ritual worked." Ivan''s lips formed a bitter smile. "I''m willing to do anything for Leva. I had only felt the joy of fighting all of my life, but after that fateful final match, I felt something different. I want to continue to be by her side." But, you haven''t known Leva that long, Ivan. Are you really sure about doing this? "That''s it." Ivan stood back up. "I don''t want to hear rejection. If one person gets in my way, I will kill them without hesitation." The man''s words made all my colonists shudder. Even my body felt like being electrocuted. Ivan''s tone was full of determination and made it clear that nothing would stop him at all. "All of you, you better shut up and don''t disturb Ivan. Just let him do what he wants." I hissed at all my colonists. "You guys also want Leva toe back, right?" And my people do what I say. They shifted back to make room for Ivan. Almost all of them wore frightened expressions. Except for Kat, of course. The amber-haired woman disyed a nk expression again. I don''t know if they are like that because of my orders or if they really want Leva toe back alive. Or maybe both. Perhaps one of them wanted to argue, but in their hearts, they wanted Leva to be alive, and what I just said only made them justify their wish. "I''m d to meet all of you. You all are great people." Ivan looked at my colonists one by one and smiled. "Goodbye." Maybe I can still ask Ivan to stop this madness. Or perhaps I can get my other colonists to work together to stop the man. However, now I''ve thrown away my morals. I don''t want to lose my colonist, who has been a part of my life. I will do anything, even at the cost of other people''s lives. Ivan pulled a knife from the back of his pants, then stuck the sharp part into his forearm. Chapter 178 - 178 – A Nonsense (2) After taking a deep breath, Ivan sliced ??his right forearm with the knife. Red blood immediately flowed from there, soaking the brown nket that covered Leva''s body. "Hey, you who have great power! Come here! I give this blood to you!" Saying it out loud, Ivan clenched his fists. "Come here and give this woman another life! I beg you!" Nothing happened. More and more blood soaked Leva''s nket, and Ivan''s forearms began to tremble. This went on for several minutes, and my colonists just stared at Ivan in silence. I''m worried for Ivan, but at the same time hope the ritual will work. The big tall man started to look frustrated, then shouted, "Hey,e over here, you bastard!!! You want this delicious blood of mine, right!? You are free to drink it!!!" At that moment, the scenery around me became blurry. Yeah, like when H came to me. However, this time something was different. Ivan''s figure did not be blurry. He looked around frantically. And when he saw me, he fell to the ground in shock. "W-who are you!? Where am I!? What ¡­. Are you that being who has great power!? You can grant my wish!?" "No¡­." Ivan crawled quickly and hugged my legs. Weird, I can feel his embrace. I shouldn''t be able to interact with him right? "I beg you to bring Leva back! A woman like her deserves more to live in this world than me who can only fight!" The big tall man burst into tears. "I love her so much! I don''t want her to die!" "Please, let me go." I tried to get out of the man''s arms. His behavior really surprised me. It turned out that this tough-looking man could plead like this. "I''m the guardian spirit of this ce and not the being you summoned." Ivan froze, looking up to see my face. "Then, where is that being of great power?" "You mean me?" We both turned in the direction the voice came from. The one who just spoke was H, the orange transparent figure who imed to be the god. This time there was something different about him. He did note alone but apanied by a naked woman. That tan skin and curly hair. Naomi was crawling like a dog with a mixed expression of confusion and fear. That alone shocked me, especially when I saw some kind of transparent leash tying his neck. In addition to encircling her neck, the leash also extended to H''s grip. H raised the leash, which was the exact same color as his body color. "Ah, it''s the first time I''ve had two offerings in such a short period. Usually, people don''t have that strong willpower. So, most of the ritual will fail, be it to gain more power, revive the dead, stop a disaster, or something else." "Why?" There were so many questions in my head, but only one word came out. "I only give a chance to those who have big wishes." H shrugged. "But, of course, I don''t want to grant their request for nothing¡­. Hey, you stay there, or I won''t grant your wish." The orange figure pointed at Ivan, who was crawling to him. Ivan immediately froze and raised his hands. "You are taking advantage of their desperation for your own benefit?" I asked with disgust bubbling in my chest. Instead of answering right away, H chuckled. Then, a line appeared on the lower half of the figure''s face. The line formed a broad smile that revealed teeth like human''s. Those are teeth that are a more solid color than the rest of the body. The smile on that face was too wide. If H has ears, then the tip of the smile will reach both of his hearing organs. I feel ufortable seeing that smile. It felt like something that shouldn''t exist in a figure like H. The figure gave off a demon-like impression. "I will not exin to you at length, my child." The mouth opens and closes when H speaks. "My business now is only with this man named Ivan." I was about to argue with that figure, but no words coulde out of my mouth. And when I want to approach him, my body can''t follow my brain''s order. I can only freeze in my ce. I can''t even move my finger. H gestured for Ivan toe over to him. Ivan hastily got up and walked over to H frantically. "Please, sir! Bring Leva back to life!" Ivan eximed with tears flowing again. "I can do that." H shrugged. "But, there is something you must do." The figure then lifted the leash he was holding for the second time. Ivan looked at Naomi, who was still posing on four legs like a dog. The tan-skinned woman shook her head with teary eyes. "You will be my toy." H continued his speech. "I will not exin at length. You can only choose yes or no." What a bastard. Ivan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, he spoke in a more steady and firm voice. "Okay, I''ll do it. I would do anything for you as long as you can bring Leva back to life, Sir." "Consider it''s done." H nodded. The ghastly grin on his face was now gone. "Now, take off all your clothes. Including the bandages you have on your body." "Eh?" "You''ve seen this friend of yours, right? You have to be in a state like her to be my toy." Ivan turned to Naomi again, who shook her head more intensely. Instead of obeying Naomi''s signal, Ivan took a few steps back and began to take off his clothes one by one. After his body was not protected by anything, he began to remove the bandages on him. "You have a great body. Looks strong and tough." H looked at Ivan''s body which was full of dry wounds. "Don''t worry, I''ll erase all the wounds on your body." Now, Ivan was standingpletely naked. "Pose like this friend of yours." H gave the order again. Ivan knelt down, then put his palms down. Another leash emerged from H''s hands. "Ah, for you. I almost forgot to say something." H turned his head to me. "As you can see, this woman''s body is with me.. So, your well will not be contaminated by her corpse." Chapter 179 - 179 – Her Spirit The sun had already set. My colonists just sat in silence. Leva''s body was still lying in the middle of the room, covered by the nket decorated with therge bloodstain. "Well, Ivan really disappeared," Seb said quietly. "Does this mean we sacrificed people again, but this time we got no results?" Seb was clearly referring to some of the craziest things I''ve done for this colony, especially about the salt cave and Congraylham. "What do you mean by that, Seb?" Unusually, Kat asked like that. The amber-eyeddies didn''t look at Seb at all. Seb had opened his mouth again, maybe to argue. But he chose to shake his head instead. "Nothing." Gwen looked at me with a curious expression. "That''s a long story." I sighed. "And now I''m not in the mood to tell." "I understand Seb''s feelings." Manu joins in. "We do all that to survive indeed, but we will never be able to forget the guilt we feel." Can we still be called humans if they or I lose that guilt? "Hey...." Eric hissed, then pointed at Leva''s body. Our attention was immediately drawn to the body, which turned out to be squirming. I immediately held my breath, still unable to believe my vision, even though I had met H, who promised to revive Leva. "Haaaaahhhh!!!" Leva straightened up and took a deep breath. Her eyes opened wide, and she looked around. Then, she studied her hands. "What happened? Shouldn''t I be dead?" I wiped my tears. The woman really came back to life. Move and breathe as before. There are no signs of any disease on her. My colonists approached Leva. Kat knelt and hugged the red-haired woman''s body, tears welling up in her eyes. Even so, Kat''s expression was still nk. [Leva, 23 years old (Colonist)] STATS: Ranged Attack: 8/100 Melee Attack: 77/100** Construction: 28/100 Crafting: - Cook: 4/100 nts: 11/100 Mining: 58/100* Animals: 18/100 Medic: 11/100 TRAITS: Brawler ¨C Leva likes closebat and hates using ranged weapons. Her melee attack uracy is outstanding. Mineral detector - Leva has the ability to detect minerals around her. Fast healing - Leva will recover much faster from any injuries or illnesses. Straight Edge ¨C Leva does not like smoking, using recreational drugs, and drinking alcohol. She didn''t want her body and mind to be damaged by those things. INCAPABLE OF: Crafting. HEALTH ISSUES: - Almost all of Leva''s stats dropped between 1-3 points. In addition, there is one trait that is missing, namely the Forecast of impending danger. However, I don''t care about any of that. The important thing is that Leva has got her life again. My colonists took turns hugging Leva''s body, and then they sat around the red-haired woman. Manu and Seb also shed tears like Kat. The two of them¡ªother than Kat, of course¡ªwere people who had known Leva longer after all. "What do you feel now?" Gwen asked while checking Leva''s pulse on the wrist. Leva shook her head slowly. "I feel very healthy. My throat is not itchy, my joints are not stiff, my headache is gone, and my breathing is normal." "Your fever''s gone too." Leva looked at her hands again, then looked at the others. "So, I really am dead, right? I can already see Pif and my sister¡­. It was like a dream, but then everything was so dark¡­. Hey, where''s Ivan?" All of my other colonists fell silent, making Leva raise an eyebrow in confusion. "He was doing a ritual." Manu sighs after some time have passed. "A dark ritual." Slowly, Leva''s eyes opened wide. Then, she turned her head to the bloodstained nket thaty not far from where she was. "He sacrificed himself," Seb added with quivering lips. "He ¡­. Has disappeared without a trace." The red-haired woman shook her head in a stiff motion. "No. Don''t be joking at a time like this, please." The atmosphere was quiet again. No one dared look at Leva. The red-haired woman looked even more confused and finally snapped, "Hey, please answer me! Where is Ivan¡­" "He''s really gone, Leva." Kat cut off Leva''s words. "We have no reason to lie to you." Leva froze, slowly tears dripping from her eyes one by one. She rose to her feet, then picked up the bloodstained nket from the floor. "I don''t understand you, Ivan." Leva began to speak in a hoarse voice. "We haven''t known each other for long, but why are you willing to sacrifice this for me? You are crazy¡­. And stupid¡­. Idiot¡­." The woman''s tears fell harder and harder, and then she hugged the nket tightly. *** Leva was not apanied by anyone at her request when she visited the colony graveyard. She illuminates the tombstones of two graves using the torch she carries. Then, the red-haired woman wiped her tears and said in a low voice. "I''m sorry I couldn''t apany you two." "It seems you are very close to those two, huh?" Leva looked back to find Gwen walking towards her. "What''s the matter with you following me? Aren''t you healed yet?" Gwen coughed, then smiled faintly. "I feel like someone ordered me toe here." The woman nced at me. Yes, I did ask her toe here. "I see." Leva looked at the two graves again. "I can see them with my psychic powers." Leva turned her head back to the blonde haired woman. "What?" "There is a man who is hugging you." Gwen widened her smile. Yes, I can see a white transparent figure, which is clearly a representation of Pif. And indeed, the figure was hugging Leva. Gwen walked over to Leva and took her colony mate''s torch. Then, she positioned Leva''s hands so that it was like hugging Pif''s spirit body. Leva''s tears flowed again. "If you''re lying, I''ll pull out all your pubic hair at once, Gwen." Well, actually, Gwen barely has pubic hair. Smiling again, Gwen shrugged. "Ah, near you, there is also a small girl. Her hands are on her hips, and she looks at the two of you. It looks like she''s¡­. Angry Ah, maybe she want to hug you too." "Thanks, Gwen.." Leva hissed while looking down. Chapter 180 - 180 – T Slayer All of my colonists have made a full recovery. That morning, Eric pushed the cart that Manu had just finished making yesterday. Manu hadn''t had time toplete the horse carriage yet, so the y retrieval mission was done entirely by humans for now. "Ah, we should be grateful for what we get, no matter what." Wearing the modified clothes, Gwen stretched her body. "The sun is so warm, and the air is so fresh." "Do you have toe along, Gwen?" Eric asked. The corners of Gwen''s lips dropped, but they seemed exaggerated. She was pretending to be annoyed. "You don''t like mypanion?" Well, this woman whines at me, wanting to do something different, but she''s just going to theke. This woman had often gone to theke to collect supplies from the escape pod that had brought her here. This shouldn''t be anything new to her. Seeing Gwen who put her index finger to her lips, Eric shrugged. "No, but it''s safer if you stay at home. Not because you''re a woman or anything, but you..." "Don''t know much about this ce yet?" Gwen cut him off, then puffed out her cheeks. "I''m tired of hearing that. Is a month not enough for me to make you guys believe in me?" "It is not like that ...." Eric didn''t continue his speech because suddenly Gwen hugged his arm. "And there are you who can definitely protect me, right?" The woman gave him a teasing sigh. "I heard that you are very good with your sword." Eric sighed again, then put his hand on Gwen''s head and pushed her so hard that the blonde woman fell backward. Ouch. "Hey! What the fuck!" Gwen cursed while still sitting on the ground. Eric didn''t look at the woman and continued to push the cart. Iughed, and Gwen gave me an annoyed look. "You don''t know how to treat ady well, do you!?" Gwen got up and patted her dirty butt, then followed Eric again. "Depends on what species ofdy it is." Eric still didn''t look at Gwen as he spoke. Gwen was silent as she walked, then nced at Eric with veins starting to appear on her temples. Her teeth gritted, and her left eye twitched. Iughed even more when I saw thatical angry expression. Gwen clearly didn''t appreciate that and red at me again. "Sorry, but that''s funny," I spoke while stillughing. Gwen snorted and shifted away from Eric, then crossed her arms over her chest. It seemed she was really annoyed. Minutes passed as they continued through the meadow. Gwen nced at Eric several times. Hmmm, maybe this woman is still curious about Seb''s son? "Try flirting with him again, Gwen." I made the suggestion because I wanted to see what reaction Eric would show. Gwen nced at Eric for the umpteenth time, then fiddled with her hair. Not only that, she lowered the cleavage on her shirt, which was already too low. She did all that while looking the other way and whistling. "I don''t need your boobs, bitch." Eric still didn''t want to see the woman. "Save it for the perverts." Holy shit. I salute you for being able to speak like that in such a rxed tone. He looked like he was talking normally, not mocking Gwen. Gwen immediately stopped in her tracks. She froze as she continued to look at Eric. "What''s wrong with your brain!!??" Gwen screamed in an unbelievably high-pitched voice. Her eyes were bulging very wide as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. "What''s wrong with your brain?" Eric asked back. And all I can do isugh out loud again. In the real world, I would have a stomach ache. I didn''t expect Eric to have that kind of personality. Gwen drifted away from Eric again, and I felt sorry for the woman. So, I''m not asking her to tease Eric again. I chose to use the fast forward feature instead. In just a very short time, the two of them had arrived at thatke. And Gwen started to take off her clothes. "Really?" Eric shook his head, still not looking at Gwen. "So what? I''m not naked this time." Gwen snorted, pulling down her pants. "When did you make those clothes?" I was amazed to see the crochet bikini she was wearing. She makes ropes the size of half a little finger from fabric and leather scraps, then strings them into a bikini that barely contains her breasts and crotch. Even the bottom of the bikini only protected the middle of her buttocks, much like a thong. Gwen winked at me. I pped and shook my head in appreciation. The bikini enhances her beauty even further, even more so than when she waspletely naked. Well, at least to some degree. Finally, Eric looked at Gwen. The blonde-haired woman chuckled, then bowed her body while puffing out her chest. Her legs were crossed, showing that she was making a sensual pose. "Hoo¡­. In the end, do you want to see me? Is this bikini to your taste¡­" "I don''t see the part below your neck. Hell, I didn''t even see your face. I''m just watching your forehead." Eric spoke in his usual tone. "I just want you to listen to me. I feel like you won''t listen to me if I don''t look at you." Iughed again. Maybe, because of your words, Gwen is even more reluctant to listen to you, Eric. "Could you stop making fun of me, Eric?" Gwen snorted again, this time with her hands on her hips. "What do you want to ask?" "You want to swim here?" "So what? Manu said that ake like this doesn''t have anything dangerous." Gwen took her eyes off Eric, walked towards theke with a pouting mouth. "And I''m not going too far." Eric scratched his hair. "It''s not like that, but it''s still quite chilly now. And Why not on the river closer to our house?" "I''ve always been able to stand the cold. I don''t like rushing water too." After passing the y part of theke, Gwen''s feet started to enter the water, making her smile. "Ah, it turns out that you have thick skin, both literally and figuratively." Eric looked away and took the shovel from the carriage. Gwen turned her head to her colony mate. "What do you mean, Eric!? You said I have no shame!?" Chapter 181 - 181 – T Slayer (2) I sat on the grass and watched Gwen swim in theke. Several times I found the woman smiling at me. About half an hour had passed, Gwen walked out of theke wringing her hair. With a beautiful body full of sparkling water drops, she is different. And I feel like I''ll never get tired of seeing it. She is a beauty to my colony, for sure. Maybe she beat Kat? "You didn''t go swimming, Eric?" Gwen came to Eric, still dripping with water. Eric, who was sitting near his carriage, didn''t want to look at Gwen again. I did tell the man to wait after he finished filling the cart with y. "Well, it''s still quite chilly." The man answered. Gwen''s eyes narrowed at the man. "You can''t swim, can you?" Instead of answering, Eric shuddered. And that made Gwen chuckle. "Your reasoning just now makes sense, but I feel your tone changed." Gwen is grinning. "So, what''s the story?" "Because of people like you." Eric got up and started arranging his cart. "And don''t ask any further, please. Get dressed, so we can get home quickly. And don''t forget, you''ll have to help me push thister." Hmmm, I''ll have to dig into this storyter. "Alright. Alright." Gwen shrugged, then walked over to her bag. She took out her clothes, then wiped off the water on her hair with a towel. Even while doing that simple thing, her movements look sensual. Even so, Eric still wouldn''t look at Gwen. After a while, I was annoyed with his nonchnt behavior. So, I whispered into his ear, "Hey, turn your head to that woman. It''s not like she doesn''t want to be seen by you. She''s actually happy when that happens." Eric held his breath, looking very reluctant. However, of course he obeyed my orders. He turned his head to the blonde woman with a rigid, robot-like motion. The man closed his eyes and looked the other way. It turns out that Gwen is shirtless and is now lowering her bikini bottom. "Really? You don''t take the initiative to change clothes behind a bush, tree, or boulder? You really don''t have any basic decency?" Gwen, who was drying her body, chuckled again. "Hey, you finally look at me! As expected, you actually..." "No, I have no interest in your body at all, but I feelpelled to turn my head to you. I don''t know the reason." Eric cut Gwen off in a quick tone. "Hurry up and put on your clothes, or I''ll leave you behind." "Motherfucker." Gwen gritted her teeth. Right after Gwen said that everything stoppedpletely. Auto-pause. I looked in the direction that led to my colonists'' homes, finding arge red arrow in the air pointing there. I used the warp feature to return to that ce. Seb is still gardening, and Manu is dealing with firearms inside the house. They didn''t realize what wasing out from around their house. That... Like giant gray worms? They have what looks like skinny fingers in their mouths like they are for digging the ground... No, they''re not worms. They are like centipedes, have many legs and a segmented body. The ends of their bodies protrude from the ground around the house. I gave orders to Manu and Seb, with Manu taking the lead as he probably knew about these animals. After that, I went to find Kat, who was hunting, and also to Leva, who was trying to find the source of the gunpowder. I asked them toe back to help defend the house. After that, I returned to theke. "In your house, centipede-shaped monsters areing out of the ground. Help your friends to defend your house." I spoke into Eric''s ear. I then looked at Gwen, who was still naked, then looked at the carriage full of y. Should I leave this cart and get it backter? Is it effective? I looked at Gwen again. This blonde-haired girl didn''t have a high ranged attack stat yet. Is her presence necessary to defend the house? I opened the in-game browser to check the animals. In the past, I was too idealistic, so I didn''t want to check the information. And maybe I''m too immersed in this virtual world, so I often forget to do things like this. [Ash Digging Centipedes - They are passive beasts that won''t attack humans, but they can swarm your colonists'' homes if there are traces of ash in them. For example, from the firece, cooking stove, bonfire....] So, Gwen is not really needed, right? And if there is already one threat thates, then there will be no other threats lurking. So, Gwen is safe alone. "Gwen, you''ll be the one pushing this carriage all the way home." I gave the order to Gwen. "Please." I was going to use the warp feature again to return home, but I remembered that Gwen would know if I gave the order. So, I pressed the y button instead. Eric immediately ran away from Gwen, who could only freeze because she didn''t expect that. "Sorry, there''s a monster attack in the house. Eric is really needed there, so now it''s your job to bring this carriage home." "Huh?" Gwen blinked, and her chin started to drop. Before she spoke again, I warped into my house. The horse in the stable neighed and raised its front legs. Seb had run very far while Manu was chopping off the heads of the monsters with his ax. Once hit by Manu''s ax attack, the monsters spit out a thick white liquid, almost simr to whates out of stump scorpions. However, as more and more monsters appeared, Manu was overwhelmed. He wasn''t attacked at all, but he couldn''t handle the centipede monsters that kept oning out of the ground and creeping into my colonists'' homes. "Nooo!!!" Leva, who was running from a distance, eximed like crazy. "Don''t **** Manu!!!" Huh? Did I hear wrong? "These aren''t rapist centipedes, Leva!" Manu''s voice faltered a bit as he continued to attack the monsters. "They''re just ash centipedes. They will not **** us but destroy our house." What!? Rapist centipede!? What the fuck is that!? Chapter 182 - 182 – Their House Leva elerated her run, then swept the monsters with her pickaxe with all her might. The ash centipede flew up and was injured by the red-haired woman''s attack. I shuddered as Leva continued to sweep the monsters away. More and more, they were popping up from the ground. "Get out of our house!!!" Leva was getting hysterical when she saw her house was invaded by monsters. There was a loud roar as Leva attacked the monsters in the house. I immediately grabbed my head. Leva not only killed the monsters but also destroyed the wooden walls of the house using her pickaxe. "Leva, what are you doing!?" Manu gives a warning. "Focus on the monsters! Don''t destroy our house!" "Manu is right, Leva! Don''t destroy your house!!!" I screamed in the red-haired woman''s ear. However, Leva didn''t care. She kept destroying everything. Both the centipedes and the walls of the house. She did so by screaming and looking more frightened than angry. Had she ever been traumatized by monsters like this? The Rapist Centipedes? Kat finally came and took aim with her bow. "Kat, send Rex away!!! His low posture will make his body covered in centipedes!!!" Manu shouts again. Kat looked at her dog and pointed into the distance. "Rex, get as far away from here as you can!!!" Running next to Kat, Rex changed course, away from that location. I ordered Kat to pick up the firearms in the warehouse instead. The amber-eyed girl lowered her bow, then jumped among the creeping centipedes. Once at the warehouse, she found many centipedes gathered. Instead of retreating, she continued to run, even stepping on the centipedes without hesitation. Even when she arrived at the sack containing the firearms, she splendidly removed the centipede the size of a human forearm from the pile of items. Several times some centipedes were crawling on her body, but she could easily repel them. When she managed to retrieve the sack containing the firearms, Kat ran to get out of the warehouse because the ce was packed and it was difficult to aim. But something like a loud explosion appeared from beside her, knocking her down. It was an attack from Leva. "Die! Die! Die! Dieeee!!!" Leva continued to destroy the wooden wall. Kat struggled to get up because her body continued to be passed by many centipedes. I cringed at the sight, unable to imagine the sensation I felt when those monsters crawled over my body. "Arrgghhh!!!" The amber-eyed girl was finally able to get up with difficulty, even though she had to keep releasing some of the centipedes that hadnded on her body. Miraculously, her hair is now messy and fluffy. She looks like she just got electrocuted. She came out of the house, then ran away from the crowd. In the part of the meadow free of centipedes, she knelt down, starting to take aim with a rifle. It only takes one bullet to kill the centipedes. Kat kept shooting, and when she ran out of ammunition, she immediately reced her weapon with a new one. Meanwhile, I ordered Manu and Eric, who had just arrived, to take care of the monsters in the house. Leva was unwilling to obey my orders, so I just let the woman. However, the damage Leva had done already very severe. Nearly a third of the wooden walls of the house were destroyed. Part of the brick wall has also been partially damaged. It would definitely be very troublesome to fix all of this. I remember their struggle to build this house. And now, everything is ruined just because of the damn centipedes. So, as Leva said: Die. My colonists are starting to look exhausted. Only Leva was still moving with full force. "Hey, they''re starting to retreat!!!" Manu eximed. "Don''t attack anymore, or they''ll get aggressive!!!" My other colonists instantly stopped their attacks. The monsters eventually retreated and entered the holes where they hade out earlier, leaving carcasses scattered on the ground and inside the house. Not only that, but the white liquid from their bodies also pooled everywhere. "I''ve never seen this many centipedes." Manu wiped his sweat and sighed. Eric lined Manu while wiping his katana. "I''ve never actually seen them. Before this, I only heard their stories." Seb''s son stares at our corps field, which is starting to sprout buds. "Fortunately, our fields weren''t damaged much." There weren''t that many holes made by the monsters in the field. Well, this game has tortured my colonists by sending other tribes to steal their food in winter. It''s impossible for this game to do the same thing again in such a short period of time. However, it''s a different story on the sides of the house and backyard. There were many holes twice the size of a tennis ball which made me ufortable. Manu took a deep breath. "It''s almost impossible to close those holes. They are very deep¡­." "Dieeeeee!!!" The scream was apanied by a loud crash. My two male colonists turned their heads toward the house. It turns out that Leva is still attacking like crazy, even though there are only a few centipedes left on the wall, and she mostly just destroys concrete walls. "Hey, stop her!!!" I gave orders to my colonists. Kat, Eric, and Manu went straight to Leva and grabbed the red-haired woman''s body. However, Leva was moving wildly, and the threepanions had a hard time holding her back. I could only smack my forehead when the door to my colony''s house was released. The building that was made with great struggle is almost out of shape. Most of the wooden walls had been blown away, leaving only the frame, roof, and brick walls. And the walls had been destroyed in several parts. "What the fuuuuuckkk!!!" I turned my head in the direction the loud scream wasing from, found Gwen in the distance, releasing her grip from the carriage breathlessly, ring at the mess in the house. The blonde woman twitched. Her mouth bulged, and she vomited hard. Ah, looks like the job of pushing the carriage for long distances is too much for her. I approached the woman and sped my palms together. "Sorry, I didn''t consider your physical abilities when giving that order." Gwen wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, looking at me with a shocked expression. "Forget about that for now! What really happened¡­." Gwen''s words were cut short by a thunderous roar. The house copsed, and my four colonists ran away. "Nooo!!! My sewing kit!!!" Gwen screamed in a shrill voice and squeezed her head. Chapter 183 - 183 – Twist My four colonists sat around the campfire, tired and defeated. Meanwhile, nearby, Gweny down and fell asleep from exhaustion. It was gettingte. They had just gathered their supplies, which luckily were mostly intact. And miraculously, their stables were also only slightly damaged. There are no holes made by the centipedes on the stable floor. Now, Rix, the horse, is asleep. This game pitied me a bit maybe, didn''t want me to lose the horse, which is a great asset. "I am really, really sorry." The conversation was opened by Leva. They were silent for a long time, maybe because of frustration and exhaustion. "But, I''m really traumatized when I see centipedes, let alone that many. I''ve met with ...." The red-haired woman shook her head. "Rapist Centipedes? You shouted that, right?" Manu responds. Seb''s chin dropped. "What do you mean by that?" "They are simr to the centipedes that came earlier. As the name implies, they like to ****. Instead of raping fellow centipedes, they want to have sex with humans." Leva took a deep breath. "Their heads have protrusions like huge penises, and they target the female pussy. If it''s a male, they target the anus. If you''re unlucky, the girl will be raped both in her pussy and anus at the same time." What the fuck? "Usually, one centipede will attack, while the other holds the victim''s body from escaping. Then, they will take turns raping." Manu added. "They''re really nasty. I don''t know what they''re doing that for." Seb and Kat were speechless after hearing that. I''m the same. What kind of game developer would program such a twisted creature? Eric looked at Leva with a grimace. "May I ask you one thing? It''s about your encounter with those centipedes...." "Fortunately, I haven''t had the chance to be raped by them." Leva shook her head. "It''s just, I saw my male friend who had bad luck... So bad...." Leva shuddered. "Ah, I don''t want to talk about it any further." "It''s a gically modified beast created by the freaks on earth." Gwen, who had just woken up, got up from her sleeping bag, yawned, and then stretched. "I''m surprised they brought those nasty beast embryos here." "Hey, Gwen. Can you fix your clothes?" Eric sighed. That''s right, Gwen. Your low slit top shifted so that one of your breasts popped out. Instead of following Eric''s words, Gwen continued her exnation. "The centipedes are indeed given the instinct to attack the sensitive parts of humans." "What for?" Manu frowned. Gwen shrugged. "Let''s say there are people who like to enjoy the scenes that the centipedes do." This time all my colonists were speechless. Holy shit. They make things like that just for entertainment? Again, this game is going too far. Leva got up and walked over to the blonde woman, smiling. Gwen raised an eyebrow. "What''s wrong, Leva..." The woman''s words were interrupted by Leva, who suddenly squeezed her bare breast. "Kyaaah!!!" Gwen screamed in pain. Leva twists Gwen''s asset too much, making me cringe hard. The breast was rotated almost one hundred and eighty degrees. "Cover your body well, bitch!" Leva snapped as Gwen slumped to the ground clutching her reddened asset. My colonists winced at that, while Kat looked at her own breasts, then shielded them with both hands, as if Leva would attack her after this. Meanwhile, Rex sniffs the girl''s assets instead. "Why are you doing something like this, you female gori!!!" Gwen replied with the corners of her eyes already wet with tears. "What did you say!?" Leva grabbed the blonde-haired woman''s hand. "You want me to twist the other side too!?" "Maybe that''s enough, Leva. She''s the one who helped you see the spirit of your boyfriend and your little sister." I whispered to the red-haired woman, feeling sorry for Gwen. "Leva!!!" Eric got up and shouted loudly, drawing everyone''s attention to him. And the man gave a thumbs up. "Good job!" I burst outughing, and as usual, Gwen gave me an annoyed look. *** The others were already asleep. Gwen came to the hole-filled area around the destroyed house. Since the centipede carcasses had been removed and Gwen''s eyes could see in the dark, she had no trouble walking. She just needed to be careful not to get her feet stuck. "Ouch...." Gwen rubbed her left breast while grimacing. "I''ve never had anything like this before. What a crazy woman." "Well, if only you were willing to hear what Eric had to say." I, who was walking next to her, shrugged. Gwen snorted and puffed out her mouth, making her look even cuter than angry. "So, what are you doing here, Gwen?" I asked her. The blonde woman stopped at the part with the most holes. Instead of answering me, she fell silent and narrowed her eyes, looking at the holes. "There is something wrong?" I asked again. "Back in the Earth, my home, I can feel the aura from such a deep hole. I think that is the signal emitted by my''s core." Gwen''s tone turned more serious. "So, you feel it too from these holes?" "Yeah, but the aura I feel now is different..." Gwen gulped. "Wait a minute, I have to make sure." And she took off her clothes one by one. Perhaps the garments were some kinds of barrier to his psychic powers. She wanted to feel that aura to its full potential, using every inch of her body. Well, I''m not going to protest, anyway. The woman closed her eyes, stood naked in silence for a moment, then said. "It''s true, the aura I feel feels so dark... Evil maybe? I don''t know for sure because theparison is only the Earth with its warm and soothing aura." I shudder a little to hear that. "Will this be dangerous for us?" "Honestly, I don''t know." Gwen''s voice grew tense. "And that''s what makes it even more terrifying." "Ah, the greatest source of human fear is ignorance." "It''s always been like that." Gwen sighed. "Humans cannot anticipate what they don''t know." Gwen narrowed her eyes again to look at west. "Someone''sing." She hissed, picked up her clothes from the grass, then started to put them on. The mes from the torches can be seen from a distance. Since auto-pause is not triggered, the group is not a threat. However, what kind of group came at this time of night? As far as I know, any group will rest in the afternoon, so they won''t continue their journey at night. Chapter 184 - 184 – Special Guests It turned out that what came were four people dressed in primitive clothes wearing shoes and various essories. They seemed to be from Acornhull, but the four of them didn''t show that they were merchants. They did not bring transport animals but only had sacks of goods which seemed to be only enough to be filled with their own provisions. "Good evening, nameless tribesmen!" The leader of the group, a tall, middle-aged man with hair in a small braid, greeted in an enthusiastic tone. I feel familiar with the man''s face. I''m Heath of Acornhull!" "Hmmm...." The woman with the wrinkled face next to Heath, pale-skinned, silver-haired, and slender but muscr, checked the surroundings by holding up a torch. "Looks like there''s just been a big fight here... Ah, it''s really rude of me not to introduce myself. My name is Anca, and this man is my first child, Miro. The girl over there is Runa. The youngest." Miro looks like a younger version of Heath, while Runa looks more like his mother. The two of them nodded to my colonists. I did wake up my people on purpose. Runa then looked at the damage in the houses of my colonists with her hands on her hips. "Ah, it must have been a lot of fun fighting here. I wanted to join that." Meanwhile, Miro was staring at Kat with his mouth slightly open, eyes unfocused, and his face reddened. As usual, Kat doesn''t show any meaningful expression despite being watched like that. No, I''m not giving Kat to you, Miro. Never. Suddenly Heath hit his son''s head. "Where are your eyes looking, huh!?" Ah, they are Ivan''s family. I can already detect the tense expressions on my colonists. Only Seb could smile. The man took a few steps forward and held out his hand. "Wee to our house. Sorry for the mess. My name is Seb." The colonists and Ivan''s family shook hands and introduced themselves. I found Miro sniffing his hand that had just shaken Kat''s, and it made Heath hit his head again. "Ah, it seems you are the woman that Ivan told me about." Anca, Ivan''s mother, put her hands in Leva''s, then smiled broadly. "You look as strong as Ivan said. You are very worthy to bear my grandchildren. I want to have grandchildren, but my children don''t want to get married yet." Miro and Runa looked the other way as Anca looked at the two. Leva couldn''t help butugh awkwardly. "We''re here to pick up Ivan. Sorry, we decided to check who you are, so we''re in a hurry toe here. So, even at night, we keep walking." Heath looked around. "Where is he now? Ah, is he taking a shit? Has he constipated again? He was indeed constipated so often. Well, like his dad and sister." The manughed until his chest shook. "Can you not talk about that in front of other people!?" Runa snorted with an irritated face. The faces of my colonists grew tenser, while the smiles on Ivan''s parents began to fade because there was no answer. It affected Rex, who was near his master. The furry beast began to growl and was ready to attack. Kat had to kneel down to calm him down. "What happened?" Anca asked in a more serious tone. *** "Wait." Heath, who was already sitting in front of the bonfire, massaged his forehead. "You say Ivan sacrificed himself to resurrect Leva, who died of illness?" Leva came to the family carrying a pile of clothes and a pair of shoes, then knelt down. The woman then said with trembling lips. "These are Ivan''s clothes and shoes, sir." Anca narrowed her eyes, took the clothes, and studied them. "These are all Ivan''s." "You think we''ll believe your bullshit?" Runa, the youngest, said with gritted teeth. Her eyes stared intently at my colonists. Meanwhile, Miro just rested his chin on his intertwined hands. Maybe he looks calm, but that''s what makes me feel ufortable. He stands out among his agitated family members. I had to order my colonists to tell Ivan''s family what had really happened. It is very difficult to find a good reason to trick them. If Ivan''s body was still there, I could have asked my colonists topose a story that he died from the attack that destroyed our house. Unfortunately, that is not possible now. "I asked again," Anca spoke in an even colder tone than before. "Where is my son?" Seeing the transparent brown guardian spirit finally appears near the family, I hastily pressed the pause button. The bonfire mes instantly stopped waving, and so did my colonists and Ivan''s family. I''ve been waiting for that guardian spirit from Acornhull. "Looks like there''s just been a big war here?" Brown looked at the rubble from my colony house, then at me again. "If you use this time-stopping power, it means you have something important to say, right?" I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself so I wouldn''t say the wrong thing. "You know H, right? He came to you while Naomi was doing the ritual?" In Ivan''s case, H came to pick up the man shortly after the ritual was performed. Naomi has a different sequence of events. She did the ritual first, then after some time, H picked her up. I don''t know if Brown actually met H when the ritual was being held by Naomi. I''m just betting about this. Brown approached me, asked in a sharp tone. "How do you know? You know H too?" "Naomi came here to kill Leva, but she was defeated." I gulped. Brown was silent for a moment. "So, after that H came here to pick up Naomi?" "Actually, that''s not the only reason H came here. Apart from picking up Naomi, he came because of other rituals." I exined in a careful tone. "And yes, it was Ivan who performed the ritual. He wanted to resurrect Leva, who died of illness. The consequence was that he had to sacrifice himself for the ritual to seed." Brown put his hands on his waist. Chapter 185 - 185 – The Family "Come on, if it wasn''t for such a ritual, I wouldn''t have met H, right?" I was getting frustrated that Brown had been crouching in silence for a long time. "You could have known about H because he was just picking up Naomi. Or someone from yours used to do the ritual." Brown got up and faced me again. "So, your words just now don''t guarantee that Ivan really did the ritual." I sighed, massaging his forehead. "Why would I kill your people if that would infuriate your tribe? We are still so small." "I have enough with your bullshit." Brown''s voice began to tremble. "Time for my people to destroy you...." "So, I''ll trap you here." I cut him off. "Time will go by so slowly for you. One second will feel like years to you. You can''t take care of your people." I had to get the crap out of it. This is thest resort, although it will undoubtedly create an enormous tension with Acornhull. Brown was silent in front of my face, but I could see his body starting to shake. If he had a face, perhaps his gaze would be fixed on me, and blood vessels were already protruding in some parts of his face. "You don''t know who you''re dealing with." Despite saying that, I kept my voice normal. This will intimidate him more than I say out loud. "I''m willing to give you an advantage by giving you opium and spice. Do you know why I did that? Because I''m not an asshole. I want to have a good rtionship with others...." "Huh, what a great talk for the one who ruined the Redtooth tribe." Brown''s tone rose even more. "If I wanted to, I could threaten the guardian spirit of Redtooth. But, why do you think I didn''t? Why would I be willing to do such a long deed?" I was getting tenser but still trying to keep my voice down. "Hell, I didn''t know those stump scorpions were that dangerous. At that time, I hadn''t been born in the world long. I wouldn''t have allowed that expedition to the salt cave if I had known. My house is very close to that cursed ce. The risk is very high for my people." Brown took a few steps back. "I have no intention of damaging Redtooth." This time, I put more emphasis on my voice. "Honestly, I regret it. I''d rather threaten Redtooth''s spirit guardian than allow that deadly expedition." The guardian spirit of the Acornhull chuckled. "You''re good at talking, aren''t you?" "Go ahead if you want to try to attack me with your men." I pointed at the figure. "I don''t want your tribe to crumble without your leadership, but I have no other choice...." And that''s when I remembered something that could be my trump card. "You remember Congraylham, right? Those tribes with firearms? They''ve been to your tribe before, right? Your merchants have even been there and only found my people! You know what I did to the residents of Congraylham and their guardian spirits?" I stayed silent and waited, wanting to make Brown even more curious. "You destroyed them?" Finally, the figure asked. His voice was not as high as before. "They raided my house and took my men''s winter supplies." I tried to keep those horrible memories from interfering with how I spoke. "They have deadly weapons. My people only have arrows and other primitive weapons. Logically, we can''t beat them, can we? But in reality, they are gone. You can check there. You can find there are many graves near their house." Brown rubbed his face. "So, you trapped their guardian spirit? After that, they got disorganized, and your people defeated them?" "Honestly, I was sad to see them die. They weren''t evil and just wanted to survive. However, I had no other choice." Now I just hope my bullshit hits him. "One more question." Brown sighed. "Ivan is already a temporary member of your tribe. Why don''t you prevent him from performing the ritual?" "You know him better. That man is very difficult tomand, right?" "So is his family." Brown then whispered to the four members of his tribe in turn. "I''ve asked them not to attack, but I can''t guarantee it." Taking a deep breath, I pressed the y button. The four Ivan families looked confused, then Anca gave a hand signal to Leva. "You, stand up." Ivan''s mother spoke firmly. Leva wasn''t fully up yet when Anca punched her in the face, making her stagger. Then, it continued with Runa jumping up and kicking Leva''s chest. The red-haired girl immediately rolled backward. My other colonists simultaneously raised their weapons, as per my orders if something like this happened. However, Runa swiftly moved from ce to ce, twisting Kat''s hand, which was holding the gun. The gun fell, and Runa kicked it far away. After that, she dashed to duck into Gwen, who had just fired a rifle. The bullet missed. Runa hit Gwen''s hand hard. The grip on the rifle loosened, Runa easily grabbed the weapon, throwing it far away. An even more extraordinary feat was demonstrated by Anca, who avoided Manu''s ax attacks and Eric''s katana shes. Ivan''s mother crouched down and swept the man''s legs until they fell. "Do not move." Suddenly Anca put two knives on Manu and Eric''s necks. "And you, stop crawling! Or these two of my friends will die!" Kat, who was about to reach for her gun on the ground, was forced to freeze. Leva got up with difficulty holding her chest. Her left cheek was bleeding, and she was having trouble breathing. Just standing up straight, Leva came face to face with the eldest child, Miro. My female colonist couldn''t do anything about it when the man punched her in the stomach. "Akkhhh!!!" Leva crouched on the ground, curled up, and clutched her stomach. Shortly after, she vomited hard. I couldn''t do anything and just squeezed my head. Everything happened so fast that my eyes couldn''t follow. Heath stomped on Leva''s head until it sank into a puddle of vomit. "We''re good people, really," Heath said while blinking his already watery eyes. "But, we don''t like to be disturbed.. And what all of you are doing is worse than disturbing us." Chapter 186 - 186 – The Bullshit Runa squatted in front of Leva''s face. "You are lucky. We are not allowed to bring our war wolves. They were now sleepingfortably in their cages, watched over by my grandfather. Otherwise, when we attack, they will automatically attack. And they will attack without mercy. If we attack with kicks and fists, they will attack with their fangs." Leva couldn''t respond and just winced in pain. Kat, who was still in a crawling position, gulped. She had been looking around. I''m also looking forward to what the girl is waiting for. "You''re looking for this?" Miro came to the amber-eyed woman while carrying a white dog. Kat widened her eyes, then Miro threw the dog on the ground. "Rex!" Kat crawled over to the dog and checked on him. "Don''t worry, I won''t have the heart to kill your pet," Miro said in a cold tone. "But, I have to admit, you were great at training him. I don''t know how you teach that dog to do stealth, but unfortunately, I''m an expert at dealing with things like that." Kat didn''t look at Miro and continued to pet her dog. "So, what should we do with them?" Heath pressed his foot against Leva''s head even more. I turned my head to Brown, who could only reply, "If I can control them, I''ll stop this." "Please, stop it." Seb came out from behind the big tree with a timid face. This was quite a shock to me, who thought the man had already run away. I can''t imagine how much he forced himself to stay there. His legs were shaking so much. "Oh, it turns out that there are cowards here too. The others are trying to defend themselves while you are just hiding." Runa got up and went to the blonde-haired man. "Tell me, what kind of reason can make us not kill all of you." "I-I know that the reason Ivan did the ritual was because of Leva. I apologize for what I was about to say. However, Ivan did all of that of his own free will. We didn''t ask him, let alone force him." Runa raised an eyebrow. "When did we say that we already trusted you? You could just kill Ivan and hide him somewhere, right?" "Why did we do it¡­." "I know what you want to say." Runa sneered. "Your tribe is too small, and there is no way it will mess with a bigger tribe like Acornhull. Just doing something offensive was risky, let alone killing a member of arger tribe? We ¡­." "Enough." Heath cut off Runa''s words in a firm tone, then sighed and lifted his head from Leva''s head. "You guys feel it too, right? Our guardian spirit gave us orders not to kill them?" Runa gritted her teeth. Her eyes began to fill with tears. "Since when do we indulge in such abstract things?" Anca, the mother, pulled her knives from Manu''s and Eric''s necks, got up, and went to her husband. She then said in a hoarse voice. "You know yourself, right? We have fought those orders many times and have had many consequences. In the end, we get the harshest punishment. Ivan fought the voice in his heart and still insisted on going here. Now he''s gone." "Then, shall we just leave them alone?" Runa''s voice started to sound like a beast''s growl. "I''ll be staying here for a while to watch over them and investigate Ivan''s disappearance." Miro came to Seb, who was shaking even more. My male colonist had to look up to see the face of the big tall man. [Temporary Colonist Acquired] [Miro, 33 years old (Temporary Colonist)] STATS: Ranged attacks: 1/100 Melee attacks: 94/100** Construction: 75/100* Crafting: 21/100 Cook: 44/100 nts: 11/100 Mining: 5/100 Animals: 70/100* Medic: -/100 TRAITS: Brawler ¨C Miro likes closebat and hates using ranged weapons. His melee attack uracy is outstanding. Super-immune ¨C Miro''s body can withstand various kinds of infectious diseases well. Tough body - Miro can withstand various attacks very well. Fast Learner ¨C Miro can learn things much faster than anyone else. INCAPABLE OF: Medic HEALTH ISSUES: - I shudder to see the overall stats of the guy. For now, we''re safe because he''s an ''ally.'' However, if he was opposite us, it would be a nightmare. "Are you sure, Miro?" Anca asked her eldest son. "Aren''t you worried that they will kill you?" "Just let them try." Miroughed a little. "And take it easy, Mom. You already know me, right? I can''t be killed that easily." Heath patted his wife on the shoulder. "That''s right. Miro is very reliable, honey. You don''t have to worry about him." My eyes fell on the wounds on Miro''s arms, a sign that he''s been in a lot of fighting, probably rted to life and death. He is not someone to be underestimated. Runa started to cry. She walked away from Seb and hugged her mother, who was also starting to have tears in her eyes. Heath and Miro joined them, silent in tears. Meanwhile, my other colonists came to Leva to check on theirrade. The red-haired woman winced in pain and clutched her chest but still said. "I''m fine." "You are clearly not doing well." Using a rag, Gwen wiped the vomit on Leva''s face and hair. "All the attacks are nasty, especially the kicks." Ivan''s family let go of each other''s arms, then Heath patted his eldest son on the arm. "Good luck, Son. Hope you can get some clear truth about your brother." "I''ll do my best, Dad," Miro answered in a firm tone. Heath, Anca, and Runa started to rearrange their things. After that, they walked away without saying goodbye to my people. My colonists also fell silent, and only Miro waved and said. "Goodbye." Just past a few meters, Runa stopped walking, turning his head to my colonists with a sharp look. "No matter what happens, I will not forgive all of you." I fell to the ground when Ivan''s family finally left. My colony is really lucky. Miro faced my colonists with his arms folded across his chest. "For a few days or even weeks, I will be a part of this tribe. I hope we can be good friends." My colonists were still silent. Chapter 187 - 187 – An Important Business "Let''s just build the house here,plete with kitchen, storeroom, and bathroom. This ce is pretty t." Manu proposed in a piece ofnd a bit far from their former home but close enough to the fields. Eric looked around his surroundings. "Do you want the same size or a bigger one?" "Maybe a little bit bigger would be better." Manu shrugged. "But, that''s up to you. If you don''t want to do it, that''s fine too. Because that means you have to collect more y." "It''s okay. I''m leaving now. After all, our temporary shelter has beenpleted." Eric pointed to a makeshift building near a big tree, only made of the rubble of their house. "Okay then. I have to get back to my job too." Manu returned to the former house, about to sort out the wreckage of Leva and Miro, while Eric took the carriage. Luckily the carriage was only slightly damaged and can still be repaired. "Where are you going... What''s your name? Eric?" Miro, who was carrying the rubble of wood, asked. "Where are you going, Eric?" Eric, who was already pushing the cart, stopped his steps. "I will take y to make a house." "Wait a moment." Miro looked around for a while, put down his things, then took the wooden container that Leva had used before. "I''lle with you." "You don''t have to, Miro." I hastily spoke into the big tall man''s ear. "Don''t worry, I just want to help you. And maybe on the way, you''ll meet Biruhud or something. I can protect you." Grinning, Miro came to my male colonist. Shit. Miro refuses to obey my orders, just as he and his family refused to obey Brown''s. I decided to whisper something to Leva, who was picking through the rubble of reusable bricks. The woman froze for a moment, then took herrge machete and came over to Eric. "Me too. I''ll go with you two." Miro immediately chuckled. "Well, the more, the merrier!" Gwen, who was moulding bricks, looked at me with a perverted expression. Her eyes narrowed, her cheeks reddened, and her mouth opened slightly. She looks like she''s having an orgasm. Is that a pleading expression or what? "Please," Gwen spoke silently. "No, Gwen. You stay here. You still have to make those bricks. Remember, you were the one whining at me for assignments, especially those rted to crafting." Gwen snorted and went back to moulding the bricks. After only a few meters of walking, Miro turned his head to Kat in the distance. The amber-eyed woman was stroking her horse, which was eating in the meadow. Not far away, Rex was happily chasing a butterfly. I was going to use the fast-forward button, but I chose to wait in the end. An important chat will surely arise between them soon. "Ah, I haven''t apologized to you yet, Miro." Leva gulped and rubbed her face. "I just... Ah, I don''t know. It''s so hard talking to you and your family." "Well, if I say I''ve forgiven you now, I''m lying," Miro spoke without looking at Leva at all. "And now I don''t want to talk about that." The big tall man''s eyes fell on Eric, who was walking in front of him. "I have an important business with Eric." Eric immediately looked back. "Okay... Can I help you?" I started to have a bad feeling. "You''re Kat''s lover, right?" Miro asked in a muffled voice. Huh? Two of my colonists were speechless after hearing that. "Why do you think like that, Miro?" Leva scratched her head. "It''s a certainty. The two most attractive people in a group will definitely be in a rtionship." Miro chuckled, and I felt the hint of sadness from the man. My two colonists were speechless again, the same as me. I don''t understand why people of Miro''s age can think like that. Eric shook his head. "No, I''m not in any kind of rtionship with Kat." Miro blinked her eyes. "Lie." "What Eric said is true." Leva seemed to be holding back augh. "Kat is still single. Well, I''m not sure she has any interest in hooking up with anyone either." Now it''s Miro''s turn to be speechless. "S-so, I can date her?" The big tall man widened his eyes. Hell no. I won''t let Kat date you, Miro! Eric shrugged. "I guess?" An absurd and extraordinary event happened before my eyes. Miro jumps high and does a split in the air. And as soon as hended on the ground again, he punched upwards. "Good thing I''m still here!" Miro smiled very widely and looked excited. My two colonists stopped walking, speechless again. Realizing that, Miro cleared his throat. "Let''s continue our journey." "Sorry if I ask this." Leva scratched her head a second time. "But what made you like Kat? You haven''t known each other for long, have you? Hell, you two just metst night." "Are you crazy? What man doesn''t like the beauty...." Miro cleared his throat again, this time louder. "Of course, I like her personality! Hahahaha!" What a joke. Leva narrowed her eyes at the man. If it weren''t for her feeling guilty about Miro''s family, the red-haired woman would have said something. *** Everything went fast because I was using the fast forward feature. I''m currently near theke, watching Eric and Miro pick up the y. Yeah, I''m still not sure that Miro won''t do something. So, I chose to keep an eye on them. And suddenly, everything went back to the way it was. An event, huh? After taking off her shoes, Leva walked into theke until her calves were submerged in water. The woman looked around as she continued to take a deep breath of the air there. It seemed she was appreciating the scene. The vast, blueke does look calming, although I find it boring. Her attention was drawn to the rattle that appeared a few meters in front of her. There was a shiny green creature approaching Leva.. The creature''s lower body looked like a giant fish, but its upper body was somethingpletely different. Chapter 188 - 188 – Something In The Water "There''s something in the water!" ording to my orders, Leva rushed out of the water and drew herrge machete from behind her waist. Eric tossed his shovel, then pulled his katana from his back, preparing to face whatever came out of the water. "Wait." Miro gestured for the two colonists to lower their respective weapons. "I think I know what it is." What came out of the water was not a giant fish, as I had previously thought, but a mermaid-like creature. The upper body is shaped like a man, while the lower body looks like a fish. However, what really set him apart from ordinary humans was his body full of shiny bluish-colored scales, a pair ofrge andpletely ck eyes, a mouth without lips, long straight hair of transparent whitish color, and the most striking thing was the absence of a nose on his face. "Ake merman¡­." Miro hissed with an amazed expression. "It turns out that they do exist and are not just legends." Leva and Eric just looked at Miro with furrowed brows, a sign that they both didn''t know what Miro was talking about. Even though Eric has lived in thisnd for quite a while, and Leva has been here since birth. The creature ¨C or Miro calls the Merman ¨C slithered to the ground and looked at my colonists. Eric and Leva tightened their grip on their respective weapons, but Miro remained calm. The Merman moved his mouth, showing his tiny sharp teeth, but not a single line of sound could be heard from him. He seemed to be trying to speak again, and it was no avail. So, he chose to signal with both hands. The creature showed a downward waving gesture on both sides of its head. "That ¡­. Wavy hair?" Miro pointed at Leva while continuing to stare at the creature. The Merman shook his head, mimicking the movement of a swimming human, then pointed at theke. "Ah, looks like he''s referring to Gwen. She did swim here before." Eric took a few steps forward, gestured by pointing down, and waved his arms left and right. That means Gwen isn''t here. The mermaid looked down with a sad face, then crept towards the water again. "Wait!" Miro started to catch up with the creature. "Looks like he can''t hear you. Maybe he can onlymunicate well underwater." Eric responded. Miro stopped, looking at the Merman, who started to swim nimbly in theke, getting further and further away. "What exactly did we just see?" Leva approached Miro. "In all my life, I''ve never even heard a story about such a creature." "My grandmother in my mother''s lineage was not a native of Acornhull. She came from a very distantnd. One of the legends in thatnd is about the Merman race. They live in seas andkes." Miro held his breath as the creature finally disappeared in the middle of theke. "They really avoid contact with humans. No one knows why. Few humans have ever met them¡­. Ah, I can''t wait to tell my mom and my little sister about this." "And he wants to meet Gwen." Eric also looked at theke, but his gaze was more serious. "What does he want?" Miro took a deep breath. "If there''s a psychic among us, maybe they can use telepathy with that Merman." "Well, it just so happens that Gwen is Psychic herself," Leva said. Miro immediately turned his head to the red-haired woman. "Then, we should return to the house now." The big tall man rushed to take the container full of y, carried it on his shoulders, then ran as fast as he could. Seeing that, Leva and Eric could only exchange nces. *** "What did you say?" Gwen, who was resting after molding the bricks, raised her eyebrows. "You want me to talk to a merman using my psychic powers? I don''t even know what a merman is." "Well, it''s like a mermaid, but a bit¡­. They are a bit different from the mermaids you usually see in storybooks and movies on earth." Eric chimed in. Gwen stood up and looked the other way. "Well, I can''t do it." "Why?" Miro asked in a disappointed tone. "In theory, it is possible tomunicate telepathically to any creature that has a mind." Smiling, Gwen looked up at Miro''s face. This time my female colonist sounded so serious, there was no hint of seductiveness at all. "But doing telepathy is very taxing. Doing it with a fellow human is already very difficult. How about a creature that I never knew about? I don''t know what will happen next." Miro spread his arms and already opened his mouth, probably wanting to protest. However, I hastily whispered into his ear. "Don''t force her, Miro. Let her be my businesster." And this time, Miro obeyed my orders. He chose silence, though with a sigh, looking uninspired. "Now it''s time for me to sleep." Gwen yawned, then walked to the shelter. "See you tomorrow." Miro shook his head, then turned to Kat, who was training Rex for variousmands. "Hey, Eric. Because of the merman problem earlier, I forgot to ask." Miro''s eyes were fixed on the amber-eyed woman. "That Kat really likes pets, right?" Eric shrugged. "Well, you can see for yourself." Disying a smile, Miro came to Kat, who was now on her knees, and gave Rex a treat of a small jerky. "You trained your dog very well, Kat. I saw you train him with an unusualmand." Miro stopped right by Kat. "I''ve never seen someone train their dog to pretend to be friendly, but then attack¡­." "What about the horse." Kat suddenly cut him off. "Huh?" Miro raised an eyebrow. "What''s with the horse?" "When do you think I can ride it?" Miro turned his head to the stable. "Well, I think the horse is quite tame and manageable..." When the man looked at Kat again, he saw no one. The amber-eyed girl and the dog had disappeared, leaving that man speechless. I ordered the girl to run away. Chapter 189 - 189 – A Gentlemans Deed Instead of joining her friends sleeping in the temporary shelter, Gwen was in a location some distance away from them. The blonde-haired woman made a bonfire for herself, of course practicing archery without wearing any clothes. "So, is doing telepathy really that hard?" As usual, I sat watching her activities. "Ah, it''s actually not that hard, Mr. Spirit." Smiling, the woman shrugged. "What I said was just an excuse." "So, why don''t you want to do it with the merman?" Gwen sighed, shooting arrows at a target Manu had set earlier. The woman did not use the big tree because the temporary shelter was there. "There are some reasons." Gwen sighed, faced me, and put one hand on her waist. "The first is, I don''t like invading people''s privacy by peeking at their minds." "Is it the other way around too? When you read those people, they can see your thoughts too?" I''m guessing. The woman shook her head. "Not really, I canmunicate with them through my mind, but they won''t be able to see what''s on my mind." "Wait, you''re indirectly saying that you can read their minds without their consent? That means your power can be used as something of great value, right? For example, to interrogate an enemy. You will be used not only as an intermediary with the spirits." A smallugh escaped the woman''s mouth. "That''s why I hid this ability, Mr. Spirit. I reasoned I couldn''t use it to its full potential. And apart from viting people''s privacy, sometimes I also identally read the parts of their minds that... In short, there are parts of their minds that are not good. Lots of fantasies, wishes, tragedies... Ah, anyways, they are not always pleasant to know. Even people who look pure have something hidden." I can''t imagine Gwen reading the sick ideas people think. "So, that''s all the reason you don''t want to do that telepathy?" I asked again, feeling it would be difficult to persuade her to do Miro''s request. "There''s one more." Gwen smiled again, looking almostughing. "I don''t like fish." I was silent for a moment. "But these aren''t just any fish, Gwen..." "I don''t like fish at all." Gwen cut me off. "I''m not going to tell you much. . . . Well, there used to be a sick man who almost raped me by almost putting a big fish in my vagina." I can only freeze. My mind was having a hard time digesting this woman''s words. Fish to the vagina? Is there a fetish like that? Maybe people are right. Anything can be a fetish. "So, that''s what traumatized you?" I asked again. Gwen looked the other way. "Yeah, you could say that''s one of the things that shaped who I am today... Just like the scientists who used to ''take care of me.'' One is an exhibitionist guy who has liked to show his ugly dick to me since I was a kid. The other is a flirty girl who likes to tease the guy. They are both my everyday life." The developer of this game is really sick to include a backstory like that. It took me a while before I coulde up with another question. "So, because you keep seeing things like that, your mind bes shaped like theirs? You... Ah, sorry for asking like this." Instead of answering me, Gwen looked the other way. It turned out that someone was approaching her. "Hmmm?" Gwen sighed as she narrowed her eyes, showed a seductive gesture. "You want to apany me on this lonely night, Mi-ro?" An uneasy feeling welled up inside of me. "No, put on your clothes, Gwen." Miro didn''t answer right away but instead took off his robe and put it on Gwen''s naked body. Gwen clearly didn''t appreciate that and almost snorted in annoyance. "A woman like you shouldn''t show your body so easily." Miro sat in front of the bonfire, not looking at Gwen. "And that teasing gesture of yours... It would be more graceful if you didn''t do it all the time." "Put on your clothes, Gwen," I repeated my order. "I''ve stayed away from the others." Gwen crossed her arms, not trying to cover her lower body. As Miro''s robes only slung over her shoulders, almost all of her body was still exposed. "And I do this at night when everyone is asleep." Damn it. Why won''t you take my orders, Gwen? I don''t want the others to see you like this. "Oh,e on, you have to know your self-worth, woman. So, cover your body." Miro sighed as he nced at Gwen, who was still standing naked. "I''m not a man who would look terrible naked in public, and my shape wouldn''t hurt your eyes." Gwen removed the robe on her body and threw it back at Miro, who immediately shook his head, still not wanting to look at the woman. "Yesterday is Eric, now it''s you. Why can''t you understand? I have absolutely no problem with my nudity. And if you don''t like it, you don''t have to see me in this condition." Why are you so pissed, Gwen? Was this also triggered by your story just now? You just remembered the memories that made you upset, and it affected your mood? "Whatever." Miro shrugged. "I didn''te here to lecture you, after all." "It''s about the water creature, right?" Gwen still said in a firm tone, not showing her seductive side at all. "Sorry, the answer is still no. I would never do that." "There is a very famous story in my grandmother''s homnd. It is about the kind-hearted Mermans." A faint smile formed on Miro''s lips. "There''s a story about a psychic whomunicated with the Mermans. He onlymunicated with them once, but they already want to be your ally. When an attackes, they would help if asked." Gwen didn''t answer Miro and instead nced at me. Well, I feel that Miro''s story is too good to be true. Some people are truly sincere in helping others. But in this case, I think it''s impossible. Assisting in defending against attacks meant that there would be Mermans who took the risk of dying. "They''re not dangerous at all, Gwen." Miro sighed again. "I guarantee you." "Before today, you only heard merman stories, right? You''ve never met them before, right?" Gwen''s tone was starting to sound cynical. "How can you say that? Guarantee? Seriously." "As you know, I saw one of them this afternoon. He doesn''t look bad." Miro sighed again. "If they turn out to be evil, I''ll protect you." Gwen nced at me a second time. "Well, even if Miro''s words are true, there''s a good chance that Mermans will ask us something in return for helping." I shrugged. Gwen looked at Miro again, smiling widely. "Sorry, the answer is still no." After saying that, Gwen just walked away. Miro stood up and shouted. "Where are you going?" Gwen turned and walked backward, gently rubbing her pussy with her finger. Returning to her teasing tone, she sighed.. "You want it? But it will get you soaking wet." Chapter 190 - 190 – Fabrics Are Overrated Gwen looked at the sun that had just risen that morning, still with the body not covered by a single thread. "As usual, you just disappeared, Mr. Spirit. I''m getting lonely." With a low, teasing sigh, Gwen said. Her lips moved slightly forward, revealing an expression of annoyance that was clearly made up. The woman then leaned over to me, slightly touching the top of her breasts with a gentle gesture. "What brings you back at a time like this? Usually, youe back when it''s a littleter." Gwen crawled slowly toward me. It was not my intention to disable the fast-forward feature. "Would you like to do something, Gwen?" I asked, holding my breath, referring to an event that was clearly about to happen. "Depends." Gwen moves her index finger to my chest, giving me a slight tingling sensation. The woman''s face was already flushed red, and her narrowed eyes were a little watery. Her breath is also a bit heavy. Is this the time? Just thinking about it already makes my mind mess up. "I''m sorry, Gwen." Gwen looked back, finding Miro, who had just spoken. The blonde-haired girl hastily got up, but Miro quickly pushed her face down on the ground, then tied her hands behind her back. What the fuck!? Why did this have to happen when things were getting more interesting!? "What are you doing, Miro!?" Gwen tried to free herself, but her strength was far behind the man. Convinced that Miro would not obey my orders, I hurriedlye to my colonists, hastily awakening them. Still very sleepy, they forced themselves to get up while taking their weapons. At first, most of them looked confused. However, when they saw Miro, who had already lifted Gwen''s body on his shoulders, they immediately came to the big man. Meanwhile, Seb hastily hid behind arge tree. "What are you doing, Miro!?" Leva stopped by keeping her distance from the man while raising herrge machete. Kat pointed a rifle from a distance. Meanwhile, Eric and Manu were standing next to Leva, ready with their katana and ax. Gwen''s wild wiggle doesn''t affect Miro at all. "Don''t move too much. You''ll be exposed again." Miro adjusted a sheet of cloth covering Gwen''s body. "Let go of me, you dick!" Instead of responding to Gwen, Miro spoke to my other colonists. "I don''t want to fight with you guys. I just want tomunicate with the merman. However, since Gwen doesn''t want to, I''m forced to do this." I pressed the pause button, checking back into the web page regarding the merman. They are generally harmless, but if you do anything wrong to them even a little bit, the half-fish people will attack you. Not wanting any conflict in my colony, I decided toply with Eric''s request. I was supporting Gwen, who refused tomunicate with the merman. Apart from Gwen being my real colonist and not temporary, themunication with the merman was not worth it. They will most likely ask for something in return if my colony asks for help. There are only a few cases of other yer gamey where the Mermans really want to help out for nothing. Finally, I gave orders to each of my colonists. They immediately lowered their respective weapons after I pressed the y button. Gwen stopped squirming and looked fiercely at me. "Sorry, but I just want this to not escte any further." I shrugged. Leva beckoned her fellow colonists toe closer. Then, they discussed something. Well, they didn''t really have a real discussion. It was just their way of rationalizing the impulse in their hearts that came from mymand. "Alright, we''ll let you take Gwen over to theke," Leva said after finishing the discussion. "However, we wille with you." I still have to be on guard, after all. A small chuckle escaped Miro''s mouth. "Well, there''s no reason you''d believe me." "Then let me go right now." Gwen snorted. "Okay." Miro put Gwen down and untied the woman''s hand. "Damn it." Once her hands were free, Gwen removed the sheet covering her body. "Hey, cover yourself up, Gwen." I feel ufortable because there are more people who see Gwen in that condition this time. And likest night, Gwen disobeyed my orders. She remained standingpletely naked. Manu caught his breath, Leva snorted in annoyance, and Eric wore a nk expression, almost like Kat''s. "Really?" Miro shook his head, not wanting to see Gwen''s lower body at all, and focused on her head instead. "Do you hate clothes that much?" "It is not like that." Gwen snorted again, crossed her arms, and kept her back to the big tall man. "I''m so upset right now that I''mzy to wear clothes." What? Is it like what people say that women are hard to understand? "But we''ll be heading to theke soon, Gwen," Leva added. Gwen sneered. "There''s no rule that says you have to get dressed to go to theke." Okay, this woman is getting unreasonable. This is because of a crazy game developer. I''m sure that I won''t find a woman like this in the real world. "And this is the main requirement if you want me to telepathy with the fish-man." Gwen turned and snorted before Miro could speak. "And this is non-negotiable." "Then you can kick her into theke, Miro." Eric snorted, immediately drawing the attention of the others. "That would be a good spectacle." Gwen looked at Eric with a chuckle. "Really?" I sighed. There seems to be no other way. I have to make apromise. Other men would continue to be able to see Gwen''s beautiful body during the trip to theke. "You all go there, except for Seb and Manu." I don''t want the progress of my colonist''s house to stop just because of this event. "As usual, Seb will take care of the nts. Meanwhile, Manu will continue to make bricks. For Eric and Miro, bring carts and containers to carry the y. However, it''s better if you all have breakfast first." My colonists disperse ording to my orders. Except for Leva, who was approaching Gwen at a brisk pace. "If you twist my breasts again, I won''t be doing this mission. This will strain this group''s rtionship with Miro. The strained rtionship with Miro means that your rtionship with that man''s family will be strained too, right?" Gwen smiled meaningfully with her hands on her hips. Leva suddenly looked annoyed. "Just put some clothes, girl. Just a piece of fabric to cover your nipples and pussy is fine." "No." Chapter 191 - 191 – Swimming Again In the end, Gwen isn''tpletely naked as she walks towards theke. She was forced to wear her underwear because, after that confrontation, she got her period. No wonder his emotions are unstable like that. "Ack!!!" Gwen staggered as her leg was hit by the cart pushed by Eric. "What did I do wrong, Eric!? You''ve hit my leg three times!" "Oh, sorry." Eric walked ahead without looking at Gwen at all. Gwen snorted while rubbing her calves, then chose to walk a bit away from the group. Why are you so jerk, Eric? I decided to order Leva to ask, and at the same time, gave amand to Eric to tell what made him like that. "So, why do you like doing stupid things to Gwen, Eric?" Leva, who is now lining up the man, asked. "Before this, Gwen had told me everything." "Aren''t you like that too, Leva? Hell, you twisted one of that woman''s breasts 180 degrees, you know." Leva scratched her head. "That''s right... Well, I feelpelled to ask like this... You know, the way we usually feel." It''s because you''re a woman, Leva. As a fellow woman, you might be annoyed that Gwen unts her body and flirts with everyone. Eric sighed. "Remember the three perverted girls who chased me in Redtooth?" Leva raised an eyebrow. "Okay... What do they have to do with all this?" "They remind me of three women who have been ''teasing'' me since I was a little kid." Leva''s eyes opened wider. "Teasing? Is that...." "Well, they didn''t end up doing that to me or anything, but they still traumatized me." Eric shook his head. "They''ve always thought I was cute and made fun of me. And to make matters worse, the people of Congraylham found it funny andughed when I was being bullied." "That''s terrible." Leva grimaced. I could hear the sad tone in Eric''s voice. "Only my mother and sister always help me, but sometimes those three bitches take me to a hidden ce to ''y'' with me." Eric smiled bitterly. "In the end, there was an internal conflict within the colony. Several people broke away, including the three women. They almost took me, but luckily their efforts were thwarted by my mother and several others." Leva lightly touched Eric''s shoulder. "Surely you feel relieved after they''re gone, right?" "At first." Eric slightly looked up at the sky. "But then they appeared in my nightmare. I was afraid they woulde into my room and do something like that... And it wasn''t easy." I have a feeling that Eric is covering up part of the story. Perhaps the three women did more than this man said. Leva was silent for a moment. "So, when you see a flirty girl like Gwen, you..." "I like seeing evil." Eric''s tone grew colder and colder. "Well, actually, I''ve been able to get through all that. One of the people who yed a big role in my recovery besides my family was Emma...." Eric cleared his throat, then fell silent. Leva did not continue her question. There''s no way she''s talking about Eric''s girlfriend, who died at the hands of one of my colonists. "However, meeting that crazy woman in Redtooth reminded me of my trauma... Well, you could say I remember the past." Eric continued his speech. "I''m sorry to hear that." "By the way, thank you." This time what formed on Eric''s lips was a faint smile. "I don''t know why I''m telling you this. Even before this, I couldn''t talk to my father. Now a weight has been lifted inside of me a bit." "You''re wee, I guess?" Leva grimaced again. "You do realize, what I do is just ask and listen?" "You''re a good listener, Leva." Eric widened his smile. "Ah, good, then." Leva smiled back. "If there''s something you want to talk about, I''ll always be there to listen. We''re friends, Eric." Since I don''t think there''s anything important going on after that, I speed up the gamey. In a matter of minutes, we''ve arrived at our destination. My colonists passed the escape pod that had carried Gwen, then stopped by theke. "Great." Gwen spread her arms, looking annoyed. "I forgot to bring spare panties and tampons to use after getting out of the water." "Well, it looks like there are some nts with leaves that are often used for periods." Leva looked around. "Those leaves can be piled up and tied to your pussy... Well, it does feel a little itchy, though." "Not to mention the possible irritation because I''ve never used it." Gwen sighed, then massaged her forehead. "Sorry, I''ve been an asshole thest few hours." "Well, it''s normal for us, right?" Leva shrugged. "You''re not like Kat, who has the same expression all the time." Kat didn''t respond, while the dog just tilted its head at the three women. Eric and Miro got to work collecting y while Gwen started stretching. "Ah, I want to go swimming too." Sitting on the grass, Leva cupped her cheeks in her palms. "But, I didn''t bring a change of clothes." "Then, swim naked." Gwen held one leg up high. Leva sneered. "I''m not like you, Gwen. Well, I used to bepletely naked for a few days, but that''s enough for me. I don''t want my pussy to be seen by the whole world all the time." Gwen chuckled a little. "Why? Don''t you feel free without clothes? And aren''t you proud when others see your beautiful body?" "Your brain isn''t normal." After taking a deep breath, Gwen entered the water slowly, then stopped when her feet reached her knees. She looked around for a moment with a tense face. Since there was nothing that caught her attention, she started swimming. The men continued to do their jobs while Leva and Kat stood guard by theke. Leva chose to lie on the grass while Kat yed with her dog. Several minutes passed without any significant event, even until Eric and Miro finished their work, sitting next to Leva. Gwen was still swimming. Leva yawned. "Will this work?" "We can only wait." Miro gulped. However, Gwen ultimately chose to return to the shore. "Looks like this won''t work." Gwen walked up to her friend with wet hair and body. Her light purple panties were transparent with water and exposed her private parts. Miro got up. "No, not yet¡­" Rex''s loud bark towards theke cut Miro''s words.. There were quiterge sshes approaching. Chapter 192 - 192 – The Merman "Easy boy. Easy." Kat tried to calm her dog down. The creature''s tail that looked like a half of giant fish could be seen from theke, approaching quickly to the shore. Gwen ran as fast as she could out of theke, then hid behind Leva''s back. "No, no, no. I can''t stand fish." Gwen hissed. "Huh?" Leva raised an eyebrow. "Alright, just focus on fighting that creature!" Gwen was starting to sound panicked. "Hey, we''re not going to fight him!" Miro eximed. And finally, the scaly creature crawled across the surface with both hands and tail. Kat, Leva, and Eric raised their respective weapons while Miro froze. Even though he had met this creature before, the big tall man still looked amazed. The half-fish paused, then raised his hands, a gesture that he hade in peace. "Put down your weapons," Miro ordered firmly. "If he really wanted to attack, he would have done it earlier, with more people." "Looks like he''s not dangerous. You guys better do what Miro says." I gave instructions to my colonists. They lowered their weapons, then the creature pointed at Gwen, who was still behind Leva. The creature moved its mouth, looking like it wanted to speak. However, like yesterday, not a single word could be heard. He tried again but to no avail. Meanwhile, Gwen, who had been peeking earlier, hid her body even more behind Leva''s back. The half-fish stretched out his hand as if he was about to reach for something, but he pulled it back after a few seconds. He then looked down with his eyes narrowed, looking sad. "Remember our agreement, Gwen. Please, speak to the Merman." Miro made a wish. "That''s easy for you to say." Gwen''s body was shaking, and I''m sure it wasn''t just because of her wet body. "Come on." "Just this once, Gwen." I also begged the woman. "This is just to calm Miro down. He will continue to annoy you if you don''t obey him. Don''t worry, I will ask Leva to apany you." Taking an unusually long breath, Gwen looked at Miro. "I will, but you have to promise not to disturb me while I''m naked." "Of course." Miro nodded with a firm motion. "So, what do you want to ask?" Gwen asked again. Seeing Miro, who looked shocked, the blonde woman sighed. "You''re so enthusiastic about me doing this. You must have a question or two for this creature, right?" Miro gulped. "Well, I just wanted to ask him, am I really a descendant of Mermans?" "What?" Gwen frowned. "Well, my mom used to tell me that Mermans are our ancestors. We were strong and brave and noble like them." Miro grimaced while scratching the back of his head. "It would be too long if I told you about their greatness...." "Hey, he''s leaving." Leva squeaked while pointing at the Merman who had crawled into the water. "Well, here we go." Gwen finally came out of hiding. "I know you''re terrified of fish, Gwen," I spoke to the blonde-haired woman. "But don''t show gestures or speech that might offend him. Don''t make an expression of disgust, for example." Gwen just nced at me and continued on her way. I then asked Leva to apany the blonde woman. If everyone had apanied Gwen, a misunderstanding could have urred. Since the Merman couldn''t hear in the open air, Gwen stood before him. The half-fish creature looked up to look at Gwen with its mouth open. The blonde woman looked into the creature''s ck eyes, sighed again, then knelt down. I could see that her body was shaking even more. In slow motion, Gwen grabbed the creature''s head. The Merman flinched slightly and opened his eyes a little wider. After that, Gwen pressed her forehead against the Merman''s and closed her eyes. "Hi, my name is Gwen. Who are you?" I could hear the voice, but I didn''t see Gwen open her mouth at all. No, I didn''t hear it. Gwen''s voice felt like it was inside my head. The Merman gasped. "What? What happened? Why can I hear you? Why do I understand what you''re saying?" A man''s voice also resonated in my mind. "Well, you could say I have some power." Gwen widened her smile. "Ah, you''re great...." The Merman closed his eyes too. "My name is Re''i, resident of Fin''ce, the kingdom that resides in thiske." "Hello, Re''i. If I may ask, why did you want to see me?" The creature named Re''i disyed a smile. His cheeks also started to blush red. "I sometimes get close to the surface of theke... Well, sometimes I want to be alone and away from the other Mermans, Gwen." "Well, I used to have a ce to be alone, Re''i," Gwen answered with a shrug. "So, one day, as you approached the surface of theke, you saw me by chance, huh?" "Yes, I identally saw you swimming. When I saw your beautiful body and movements, I was stunned, Gwen. I didn''t think that there was a creature as beautiful as you. I was speechless, couldn''t do anything, and just looked at you from a distance." Hmmm? Can this be considered stalking? Gwen''s mouth opened slightly. "And then?" "Honestly, I didn''t dare to meet you, Gwen. I was both scared and ashamed. After all, we are very different. We are in different realms. Maybe you''ll run away in fear if I show up. I don''t want to scare you. You might not want toe back here because of that." Re''i shook his head a little. The smile on his mouth had disappeared. "However, when I returned to my house, I couldn''t sleep because I kept thinking about you, Gwen. You make my heart flutter. I want to see you again, and over time the feeling grows. And finally, I decided to go to the top of theke again. Unfortunately, I haven''t seen you for days." "But, I finally met my friends, right?" "Ah, so they are your friends?" Re''i nodded. "Yeah, when I saw them, I rushed to the surface to ask you. Unfortunately, you didn''te. At that time, I thought that I would never see you again. Turns out I was wrong! Luckily I still decided to go up to theke to check again and didn''t really give up." "And now we meet.." Gwen widened her smile. Chapter 193 - 193 – The Answer "I''m very happy now," Re''i said again. "Not only did I meet you, but I was able tomunicate with you, Gwen. Sadly¡­." The smile on Re''i''s lips became even more bitter. Gwen, who waited for Re''I to continue for a while, finally asked again. "What do you mean?" "We arepletely different, Gwen. I wish I could take you to my kingdom. I want to show you my kingdom." This time Re''i''s smile disappeared. "Well, you don''t want to be like me just toe over to my house, do you?" Gwen was silent for a moment. "What an interesting question." "I already guessed it. Well, then it all ends here¡­." Re''i fell silent again. "Ah, I''ll say it before I regret it, Gwen. Honestly, I want to always be with you... I want you to be a part of my life, and I am a part of yours, Gwen. However, that is impossible. So, I have to let you go." You''ve only seen her once, and you''ve already confessed that you love Gwen? Isn''t that an exaggeration, Re''i? "Oh¡­." Gwen sighed. "Sorry, I can''t answer your feelings." "It''s okay. With this alone, I''m already pleased." A single tear fell from the half-fish creature''s eye. "Well then, goodbye, Gwen. I hope we can meet again in the future." "Before that, may I ask you a question? This friend of mine has something bothering him." "What''s that?" "See that big tall friend of mine?" Gwen opened her eyes and pointed at Miro, still sticking her forehead to Re''i''s. "He wants to know if he really is a descendant of Merman or not." "Ah¡­" Re''i opened his eyes as well, nced at the man, who now looked very worried. "Sorry, but Merman can''t breed with humans¡­ Well, it''s also impossible for Merman descendants to stay onnd and take human form." "Oh, I see." Re''i closed his eyes again. "This is really goodbye, Gwen. If you need anything,e to me. I will help you. Whatever the case, even if you need the help ofbat troops, I can provide it." "Huh?" Gwen chuckled. "Combat troops? Are you a general? Or even higher than that? Are you a king?" "I am. I am the king of the Fin''ce kingdom in thiske." Holy shit. Gwen''s chin immediately dropped. She was speechless for a few seconds. "Err¡­. Sorry if I''m being rude, Your Majesty." Laughter escaped from Re''i''s mouth. "You don''t have to call me that, Gwen. You are not my resident. Re''i alone is enough." "Okay¡­. Re''i. Goodbye." Gwen sounded unsure. "Oh yes, one more. Thiske may look calm from the outside, but there are actually many fish here. Why don''t you eat them? Those fish can be a variety of food for you and your friends, right?" "Huh?" Gwen frowned. She sounded even more unsure. "Isn''t fish still your kind?" Re''Iughed again. "They are our prey. We are not the same as them." Gwen grimaced. It seemed that it wasn''t because of what Re''i said just now but because the blonde-haired woman didn''t like fish. "Ah, I can''t stay on the surface for long. Again, goodbye, Gwen. Pleased to meet you." "Me too. Goodbye." Gwen removed her forehead from Re''i, and the king waved his hand at my colonists. At first, my people exchanged nces but eventually waved back, albeit with stiff and awkward movements. Only Miro did it with a huge smile and enthusiastic gesture. Re''i crawled towards theke, and Miro hurriedly caught up to Gwen. With his breathing starting to get out of control, the big man asked, "What''s the answer?" Gwen looked at Miro, smiling faintly. "Sorry, Miro. Re''i said that the descendants of Merman cannot continue to exist onnd in human form." Miro''s eyes widened. "You''re not lying, are you?" "I can make you peek into my mind if you want," Gwen said in a low voice. "Re''i actually said that." "Ah, his name is Re''i, huh?" Miro closed his eyes, sighed, and nodded. "Most importantly, thank you forplying with this selfish request of mine, Gwen." Gwen patted the big man''s forearm lightly. "Are you okay?" "I''m okay, really." Despite saying that, Miro blinked his eyes which were starting to water. "We''d better go home now." Miro walked over to the container filled with y. "Let''s go home. I''ll tell you everything on the way." Gwen sighed to her colony mates. *** I stopped the fast-forward feature at night. Like yesterday, Gwen was separating herself from herrades by the fire, this time wearing only panties. However, instead of practicing her ranged attack, the blonde-haired woman just sat looking at the mes that kept on moving. "Ah, good night, Mr. Spirits." Gwen gave me her trademark seductive smile. However, I noticed something different. "Why do you look sad, Gwen?" Gwen was silent for a moment. "Like I said yesterday whenmunicating using telepathy with other people, I can peek into their thoughts. I can''t control it all, so I have to ept it." "Is Re''i evil?" The blonde woman shook her head. "I believe that he is a good person, although he still has some ws. Well, it''s normal... However, I could feel the burden of him being a king. He must ensure that his people prosper amid many conflicts of interest in his country. Not to mention theplicated rtions with other countries." "Ah, I did hear that the bottom of thekes on this is bigger than the surface." I nodded. Of course, I''ve learned about the German nation after meeting Re''i. "And they are connected to otherkes or even the sea through caves that are underground. So, they can indeed carry out their state functions well." In fact, they are more advanced than the inhabitants of the''s surface, which only consists of tribes and colonies. "He is ¡­." Gwen choked. "Oh, sorry..." "You don''t have to tell me if it''s hard on you, Gwen." I didn''t want Gwen to get too stressed. After all, I already had enough information. "I only have one question. If we ask him to use his royal army, will he ask for something in return?" Sighing, Gwen nodded. "Well, at least he didn''t force us to get what he wanted by force¡­.. Like I said earlier, he''s basically a good person." Chapter 194 - 194 – A Theory "Do we really have to eat themter?" Gwen crouched in front of arge cage with a wooden trellis that contained two gray rabbits eating grass. The rabbits were caught yesterday using a trap set by Eric. "Can we just keep them as normal pets?" Manu inspected the small wooden hut shaped like a house attached to the cage. The hut had just been made by Manu and wouldter be used by the rabbits to sleep. "We will eat their children when their children are grown, of course. So what? You can''t bear it because they''re cute?" Hearing Manu chuckle, Gwen sighed. "I know they can be eaten¡­. But ¡­. Hey, do you feel what I feel with these bunnies, Seb?" Seb, who was watering the nts in the field, shrugged. "Surprisingly, I''m fine with cooking them, as long as I''m not told to ughter them while they''re still alive." "Ummm¡­" Gwen stood up, put her index finger to her mouth, starting to use her teasing gesture and tone. "How about I give you two a gift, so you don''t ughter the children from these rabbits. The kids will definitely be cute. They will be able to brighten your day." I can only scratch my head watching Gwen lower the cleavage on her chest. Really, you did something like this just to save the rabbits? My two male colonists stared at Gwen. Meanwhile, the red-haired woman didn''t notice Leva sneaking up on her from behind. "Kyaaaaa!!!" Gwen jumped as Leva poked the middle of her ass with two index fingers joined together. Me and my two male colonists grimaced upon seeing that. It''s hard to imagine having my butthole poked that hard. It must be excruciating. "We need a lot of food sources, idiot." Levi snorted. Grinning in pain, Gwen rubbed her butt. "I know, but they are so damn cute." Levi tilted his head. "They will look more attractive when they are cooked." After that meeting with Re''i, the days of my colonists were peaceful. No threat at all, but of course, that doesn''t mean I can rx. I''m sure that soon a more challenging threat wille. "Hey, wee back." Seb greeted Eric and Miro, who had juste from picking up y. Levi cleared his throat. "Not that I''m being presumptuous or anything, Miro. But, haven''t you been here too long?" "I even remembered my purpose here after you said that," Miro answered while looking at Kat, who was ying catch with Rex, the dog. The amber-eyed girl was able to go home early because she managed to hunt down two wild chickens at the beginning of the trip. "I don''t think you guys are the killers of my little brother." "Why do you think so, Miro?" Manu asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, you could say my instincts told me that¡­." "Ha ha ha ha!!!" All of my colonists immediately looked at Kat and opened their mouths. Neither of themughed. "Hey, that''s enough, Rex. You tickle me. Ha ha ha!" Lying on the grass, Katughed again as Rex licked her face. Immediately I used the rey feature to record the scene and save it. This is truly a rare urrence. Miro lowered his hands, causing the container on his shoulders to fall and shatter, spewing out all the y he was carrying. He''d been here long enough to know what Kat was like, so he was surprised too. Leva approached Kat, whose expression was now back to normal. The amber-eyed girl was squatting down and giving her pet a little jerky. "Did you eat that hallucinating mushroom again, Kat?" Leva asked with a grin. Kat nced at Leva briefly, then turned her attention back to her dog. "No." My gaze was no longer on Kat but on something else near the girl. There was a transparent white spirit, but it was not in the form of a human but a four-legged animal. Rox? Gwen narrowed her eyes and approached the amber-eyed girl. "Did you have another pet dog before Rex, Kat?" Kat, who was stroking Rex, stopped her movements, but it was only for a moment. "Yes." "His name was Rox. He died in the winter but for some reason wasn''t buried here." Leva whispered to Gwen. "Why do you ask such a thing?" Instead of answering, Gwen crouched down beside Rox and rubbed the dog spirit''s head. "Sorry for asking like this, but is Rox buried that far away?" "Yeah, we need days to get to his grave." Leva raised an eyebrow when she saw Gwen''s behavior. The red-haired woman must have seen Gwen wiping the empty air. "So what?" Kat looked at Gwen too, but with her signature nk expression, of course. "I''ve never seen a spirit so far away from its body." Gwen looked at Leva and Kat in turn. "There''s a theory that things like this happened because the spirit had a strong bond with someone. They wanted to say something. However, since things like this rarely happen, the theory doesn''t get much attention." Leva''s eyes opened wider. "You see Rox there?" "Is he a mixed race?" Gwen continued to rub the spirit dog''s head. "And around this high?" Kat and Leva just froze. "I can''t forget Rox yet." Kat closed her eyes, stroking Rex, who was curled up in herp. "I do have Rex now, and he''s great. But still, I can''t forget Rox¡­." I was a bit surprised to hear the wordse out of Kat''s mouth. Leva knelt beside the girl, then hugged her and kissed her head. "We''ve already lost too much, Kat. I understand your feeling." "But, I just lost a dog¡­." "He''s still your best friend, Kat. And I know you were angry and sad when Pif died. You were the first to catch up to that raider from Congraylham. Hell, you were devastated when Barry died in your arms. I heard that you were also very shocked when I ''died,'' right?" Levi sighed. "Despite your behavior, deep down you really care about us, right?" Kat closed her eyes again, and this time the tears fell. And that''s when everything stoppedpletely. I saw a giant red arrow in the air pointing downwards. Is this what Rox wanted to say? Chapter 195 - 195 – The Horsemen I used the flight feature to check what threat wasing from the northeast. This time it didn''t take me long to find it. And it made me hold my breath. There were about 30 of them, mostly on foot and 10 on horseback. All of them wore clothes that weren''t too primitive, almost like what the members of Congraylham wore. However, this group prefers darker colors. [Raiders from Junchyde nomad] Some of them carried firearms. Shit. I returned to my colonists, immediately providing the solution that I thought was the best in this situation. "All of you, get out of here quickly! When things are safe, you cane back again!" Yeah, since I can''t really get them out of here, so I added thatst word. After saying anything else I thought was necessary, I pressed the y button. "Did you feel it too?" Leva raised an eyebrow. "I feel like we should get out of here right now." "I feel that way too." Gwen looked at me. "About 30 raiders areing," I answered the blonde haired woman. She gulped. My three female colonists came to the others. Without saying a word and only exchanging nces, they took their weapons and ran away from their house. No time to collect supplies. I also left my colonist horse. Kat was already able to ride the animal, but that meant she would leave the others behind. I think more people should fight in this group. "Ugh, why are we running? Wouldn''t it be better if we fought whateveres our way!?" Miro grumbled. "I thought so too," Levi replied. "But, I was thinking maybe the uing enemy was too big or too strong." They kept running, with Eric leading the way because he had a higher running speed. And the sound of galloping horses began to approach them. "Gwen, Kat, shoot them!" I gave orders to my two female shooters. Still running, they shot using the guns they carried. I did choose that weapon because it''s lighter and easier to use while running. However, they could not shoot well while running like that. Their attack was met with an upward warning shot by one of the raiders who used a rifle. So, they don''t want to kill my colonists? Do they just want to catch them? This doesn''t mean things will get any better. They may want to capture my colonists to torture or sell them into very. The mounted raiders drew closer to my colonists. I began to question my decision to ask my people to run. At first, I thought that the raiders wouldn''t detect my colonists leaving. Gwen and Kat kept shooting, but it meant absolutely nothing. None of their bullets hit the raiders. Now, the horsemen started twirling thesso string over their heads. I thought hard to find a solution. I haven''te up with anything yet, and one of the raiders throws theirsso. Manu, who was running at the back, couldn''t do anything when his body was caught in thesso and fell hard. "Manu!!!" Levi stopped. "No, keep running, Leva!!!" I screamed, even though I didn''t want Manu to be arrested. And Miro did something more than just stop. He ran towards the man who had just caught Manu. Two rifle explosions rang out, and Miro fell down with both thighs covered in blood. "You guys keep running!!!" I cried out in despair. Leva stared at Miro for a moment with a shocked expression but eventually returned to running with the others. A warning shot into the air resounded again. "Give up. We were ordered not to kill you!" One of the raiders shouted. However, ording to mymand, the colonists just kept running. The raiders gave chase again, this time more of them twirling theirsso. And one of them threw the rope, managed to catch Seb. The man immediately fell down when the rope was pulled by the raider. "Dad!!!" Eric stopped and turned to his father. That makes him an easy target. His body was snared by anothersso. I shouted again to keep my three remaining female colonists running. "They are our main target!!! Don''t let them escape!!!" One of the raiders who had been giving out warning shots shouted again. "You guys don''t want to be punished, but enjoy them, right!? So, move your ass!!!" "Oh, I won''t miss this fine catch!" One of the raiderrades licked his lips. Disgusting. However, in the end, humans lost to horses. The stamina of my colonists continued to decline. Their breath was running out. And the most exhausted is Gwen. She started tog behind the two colleagues. "Keep running, Gwen!!!" Leva screamed with all her might. "I can''t do this anymore...." After saying that, Gwen got caught in thesso and fell down. "Shoot, Kat!" My mind is getting messed up. Kat pulled the trigger, but not a single bullet came out of it. Then, her body was also entangled and pulled until she fell. "Kaaattt!!!" Leva stopped running and turned around, but she didn''t notice that one of the horses was so close to her. The red-haired woman couldn''t do anything as her body was hit by a horse, sending her crashing into the ground. Leva got up with difficulty. Even though she was clearly in pain, the woman had a face full of anger. Yes, that was the face she showed when she activated the berserker buff. Come on, Levi. You are my only hope. You can definitely save your friends if you go berserk. "Arrrgggghhhh!!!" Leva shouted, about to strike with her huge machete. However, a rifle explosion was heard. The girl''s eyes widened, looking down. No. Her left chest was bleeding. One of the bullets from the raider hit her back and pierced forward. And then, her body tumbled in a gush of blood. "What the fuck!" One of the raiders cursed. "The instructions are clear, right!? We can''t kill them! Are you out of your mind!?" "I feel something else from her." The man who shot Leva, looking the oldest of the lot, hissed. "She looks like she''s going to go berserk. I know someone like that.. She''d be a real pain in the ass if she really ran out of control." Chapter 196 - 196 – Meet The Leader The horses didn''t go very fast, but my colonists had abrasions and cuts. Their bodies were dragged on the ground as they were pulled by the four-legged animals. I know Rex might be hiding somewhere to attack, but I don''t think the dog will be able to help with this many raiders. Or maybe Kat sent him away because she didn''t want her white dog to suffer the same fate as Rox? The other raiders were sitting in the emergency shelter. Some of them were eating my colonists'' supplies. There is something strange. I don''t see any women among them. "So, this is the only upant of this ce?" One of them got up, speaking in a deep voice. He is the most different from the others. He wore a dark-brown mask, and clothes covering his entire body,bined with a long vest. The mask is decorated with two white patches that form eye patterns, instead of holes. "Only two women?" [???, 33 years old (Raider)] Ranged Attack: 8/100 Melee Attack: 83/100 One of the horsemen answered. "Exactly, sir." "You know what happens when you lie and it turns out there''s another female member?" "Yes, sir!" The man called sir looked at my colonists, lying on the ground covered in wounds. Almost all of them were there, except for Leva. The red-haired woman was left behind because she was thought to be dead. She was still breathing, but would she still be able to survive? Unfortunately, this is not the time to mourn. I have to find a way for my people to be free. "Is he still alive?" The man who seemed to be the leader of the raider group pointed at Miro, who was already unconscious. "Surprisingly, he''s still alive even though he''s lost a lot of blood, sir." "We can use him as a diatorter." The leader crouched in front of Gwen, then lifted the blonde-haired woman''s chin. "Oh, look. We got a good catch." Gwen forced a smile on her lips. Then, in her signature teasing tone, she sighed. "You are very mysterious, sir. And that makes my heart flutter. Well, how about I give you a present, as long as you and your friends don''t do anything bad to us?" Oh, Gwen. I''m not sure something like that will help you and your friends now. "Ah... The temptress. I quite like this one." Gwen''s smile widened, but it disappeared immediately as the leader pped her hard. And it didn''t happen just once, but many times. Gwen couldn''t react, except to cry. I couldn''t help but clench my fists, looking at Gwen''s face, which was swollen red from being pped dozens of times. That must be very painful. "Hey, stop it!" Finally, Manu got out of control. He no longer obeyed my orders to be quiet while I thought for a solution. "If you speak again, I''ll turn these ps into fists." The leader was still pping Gwen in the face, making a sound that continued to echo. My other colonists couldn''t help but be silent in horror at the cruel scene. Meanwhile, the other raiders just watched. Some of themughed, some watched with enthusiastic expressions. What the fuck. You all are sick. Maybe ten minutes or so, the leader finally stopped, leaving Gwen''s face already so red and swollen. The blonde-haired woman continued to cry. The leader rose to his feet, looked up slightly, and took a deep breath. Are you enjoying all this? What a sick bastard. "Then how about this bitch?" The leader came to Kat, who had been faced down. Her face is not visible because it''s covered by hair. "This is also a good catch, sir." The leader raised Kat''s face harshly. Nothing has changed from the amber-eyed girl''s face, apart from being decorated with wounds. Her expression is still nk. The leader studied Kat''s face closely, and a few secondster, he held his breath. "Katherine?" Kat just tilted her head. "Y-you don''t remember me? I''m Jia!" My chest felt like it was hit by something burning. My mind goes back to a few months ago when Manu and Kat went on a mission to Redtooth. At that time, I was stupid and carelessly made Jia join my colony. Turns out that bastard is a psychopath who likes to hurt women. And Manu was almost killed by this asshole. How did he survive the fire? Jia looks at Manu. "Ah, I''m no stranger to you either." Manu just looked at Jia with disdain. The masked man pressed his palms to Kat''s cheeks, then hissed with quivering lips. "Turns out our psychic girl''s predictions were right. By camping around here, we''ll be able to find you, darling." Darling? "You are different from other women, Katherine. When other women could only cry in fear, you beat me. Yes, there are some who dare to go against me, but in the end, only you that could really make me helpless, Katherine!" Jia continued his nonsense. "I hated you so much at first for that. However, after a while I realized one thing, there is no other woman like you. You are special. You deserve to be my life partner!" The other raiders exchanged nces, probably confused by their leader''s behavior. I also can''t understand what this madman is saying. "Are you saying you love me?" Kat responded, still with a nk expression. Jia''s breathing started to get heavy. He nodded. "Then let go of my friends, leave this ce." Kat''s tone grew colder. Jia shook his head. "That''s not how it works, darling. We''ve been traveling around while raiding other groups that happen to be in our path... I''m gathering people who want toe along...." "Then I will reject every inch of you. You can force me, you can torture me, but you can never have me." Kat''s lips began to tremble. "If you want me, obey me." I hastily spoke into the girl''s ear. "What did you say, Kat? Take it back." "Hey, you''re not serious, are you, Kat?" Seb asked with lips that were also trembling. "You can''t..." "Silence!!!" Jia snapped. "Or I''ll rip your mouth out!!!" "If one of my friends gets hurt even a little more than this, I really won''t ept you." No, Kat. What are you really thinking? Why are you going rogue like this? You don''t usually ignore my orders. "And leave all this behind. Don''t touch and take anything from us. Don''t destroy our farms too. Let my friends live in peace." Kat added. I''m getting frustrated. My brain is getting stuck. Taking a deep breath, Jia began to untie Kat''s body. Chapter 197 - 197 – The Heavy Feeling Kat stood up when the knots in her body finally loosened. "Y-you''re really going to follow me... Voluntarily?" Jia asks again. "Should I repeat what I said?" Kat answered, still in a cold tone. "Let go of all my friends, and leave this ce without taking anything, then I will follow you forever... And you brought your provisions, right? Leave your provisions to rece our supplies that your men eat." I can only squeeze my head in despair. My scream in Kat''s ear really didn''t make any difference. Gwen looked at me with her eyes still full of tears. "We still have something." The woman said without sound. Yes, I still have a way to ward off all of this. However, I can''t ept the consequences. To summon Re''i''s royal troops means that Gwen must be willing to be the wife of the merman king. They do have the ability to make ordinary humans into Merman. After all, Mermans are descendants of the experimental results ofbining human and fish DNA. The resulting creatures can transmit their fish DNA to humans. "Did you hear that!?" Jia shouts to his men. "Do what this woman says, now!" Without arguing, Jia''s people let go of my colonists. Some of them put their food supplies into the temporary shelter. "Are you all right, Gwen?" Seb crouched down in front of that woman, examining the swelling on her face. "It''s not life-threatening." Gwen wiped the tears off her eyes. "I have to take a look at Miro''s injuries." "Take Miro to the shelter." I gave orders. Eric and Seb carried the unconscious Miro to the shelter while Gwen arranged the treatment equipment. Only Manu was still standing face to face with the Jia army. They were getting ready to leave. "My head hurts again now, maybe because I remember the rock you hit me back then," Manu said in a growling voice. "So, what?" Jia wrapped his arms around Kat''s waist, chuckling. "You want to take revenge on me now? Just do it. No one forbids it." "Remember your promise," Kat warned. Her face still didn''t show any meaningful expression, but from her gestures, I guessed that she felt ufortable. "Ah, of course, darling." Jia then helped Kat get on one of the horses, then the man himself got on behind Kat. The amber-eyed woman was getting more ufortable because Jia''s body was already attached to hers. And it wasn''t over yet. Jia started to grope Kat''s body before finally squeezing one of the woman''s breasts. Kat could only wince and close one eye with flushed cheeks. "Oh, Katherine. You are so beautiful." Jia sniffs the woman''s neck. "I promise I won''t hurt you." Jia squeezed Kat''s breasts more and more, and the girl couldn''t help but tremble, though her expression was still nk. The sight made my blood boil. I had almost ordered Manu to attack the man. However, I realized. I have to do a long game this time. There is no immediate solution. Hang on, Kat. "We''re leaving now! Back to our camp!" The masked man raised his hand. Just as the group departed for the northeast, they heard the sound of a dog barking from a distance. Rex ran towards the group with a savage expression, like he was aiming for prey. Does the dog feel that its master is in distress so that ites out of hiding? "Just shoot that animal." Jia gave an order. "So we''ll get some meat to eat." One member of the group raised his long-barreled weapon. "No, boy! Don''te here! Come back with the others!" Kat eximed, giving a hand signal. "Do note here!" Rex stopped and sat down, looking sadly at his master. "Is that your dog, darling?" Jia asked. "You can take it if you want." "No," Kat answered, not looking at the dog. [Kat left your colony.] Wait, Kat. Your friends and I will help you. Not long after, Leva came back with a shirt full of blood. Her eyes looked at her friends taking care of Miro, Manu who stood and watched Jia''s group drift away, and finally looked at Rex. "Where''s Kat?" The red-haired woman asked. *** After a few hours of dealing with Miro and the others, Gwen, who had some parts of her body bandaged up, took me somewhere to chat. "We have to ask Re''i for help," Gwen said as she came behind arge rock. Her voice sounded hoarse. "We won''t be able to fight them with our current strength." "But, the price is for you to be his wife. Mermans can turn humans into their kind." Gwen''s chin dropped. "What, how are you...." "I just know. You don''t have to ask why I know." I shrugged. Actually, I just took one from the inte list about what the Mermans request if we ask them for help. This answer confirms one of them. "I see..." Gwen cleared her throat. "I don''t know what that bunch of ruffians will do to Kat. I''ve heard about that guy named Jia from Manu. Now that bastard looks like he really adores Kat, but we don''t know what he''s going to do next." The woman''s voice grew hoarse. "But if I''m with Re''i, at least I''m alive, and Kat can be saved. I''m sure Re''i won''t hurt me either." "Why are you being so adamant, Gwen? I haven''t known Kat that long, have I?" A bitter smile formed on Gwen''s face. "I don''t know. Maybe this is what I am." So, this woman has a pure heart behind her seductive nature and exhibitionist tendencies? She just wants to help others in need. "Do you really want this, Gwen?" I felt tightness in my chest when I said that. "Now is not the time..." "Answer honestly." I cut it. Gwen gasped, looking the other way. Slowly, her tears started to fall. "I''ll be something else, and I won''t know what I''m going to face. I''m content with my life now, even though I''m on another. At least I''mpletely free¡­ But that''s okay, Mr. Spirit. " The woman wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I''d be even more tormented by guilt if I let Kat stay with them." I paused, took a deep breath, then gave orders even with such heavy feelings. "Then go now. Prepare your provisions. Let me take care of the others.. I will keep them from asking where you are going." Chapter 198 - 198 – A Hefty Reward It was dusk when Gwen finally reached theke. She put the sack of things she was carrying on the ground, then took off her clothes. The woman also took off her panties even though she was still on her period. "Is all this necessary?" I ask. "And it must be cold for you. You didn''t bring any fire stones to make a bonfire. "My body only has a few abrasions, so this should be okay." The woman started walking towards the water. "I feel that Re''i can sense my presence when I''m naked... Don''t ask me why I know that. Maybe it has something to do with the psychic powers Imunicated with Re''i." "I see..." I choked. Gwen turned her head to me when the water reached her stomach, smiling widely. "Why do you sound sad, Mr. Spirit? Are you afraid of losing me? Don''t worry, you can still meet me at thiske. Well, I might be a lot different, though. My body will be full of scales, perhaps." Hearing his trademark seductive sigh, I held my breath. This woman has be a part of my life, like the rest my colonists. "I''m sorry, Gwen." My voice trembled. "It''s okay." The blonde-haired woman stared at the setting sun. "It''s not your fault. Circumstances made me have to do this. She continued on her way until the water reached the top of her chest. Then, she closed her eyes. I turned around, could not bear to see her in such a condition. "Sorry, I''m leaving for a while." "Huh? You want to leave a woman in a ce like this alone, Mr. Spirit?" Gwen chuckled. "Again, I''m sorry." I pressed the fast-forward button. *** I was only going to stop the time-speed feature when Re''i appeared, Gwen''s condition worsened, or when she had been in the water too long. However, since I saw someoneing from a distance, I stopped it now. Miro came carrying a torch to illuminate the dark cloudy night. I didn''t ask him toe. He wasn''t alone but apanied by Rex, who didn''t show his usual enthusiasm anymore. "Hey, are you not overdoing it?" The big tall man walked with a regr movement, not limping at all, although his pace was a little slower. The gunshot wounds to his thighs didn''t seem to affect him at all. "Aren''t you cold? And don''t you feel dark?" Gwen turned her head back, narrowing her eyes at the light from Miro''s torch. "I have the ability to see in the dark, Miro." "You better stop now." Miro stabbed his torch into the ground, then took out firewood from his sack. Rexy beside the torch, and Miro rubbed his back. "Come here. I''ll cook you something to warm you up, Gwen." "I have to meet Re''i soon," Gwen answered. "You can do it tomorrow. Come on, you must be hungry, right?" I said in Gwen''s ear. "That''s right, Gwen. Come out to warm yourself up. I want Kat back soon too, but I don''t want you to get sick." "Well, okay." Gwen sighed, then walked out of theke. As usual, Miro didn''t look at the woman''s naked body. Gwen dried herself with a towel without speaking while Miro made a bonfire. "This boy is very worried about his master." Miro rubbed Rex''s back again after the fire had grown. "We all want Kat toe back quickly, but that doesn''t mean you have to force yourself to ask the merman kingdom for help." Gwen sat in front of the fire, not bothering to put on her clothes at all. "No. I have to save Kat immediately." Gwen replied in a cold tone. Ah, his lips were already turning blue, and his body was shaking. Maybe I left her in the water too long. "Actually, you don''t have to do this at all." Miro started to set the pot to cook on the bonfire. Gwen''s eyebrow rose. "Why do you talk like that?" "I''ve heard stories about the Mermans many times. Yes, there are stories of them being genuinely helpful. However, most of them ask for a hefty reward. My guts say that the reward has to do with you." "So?" Gwen shed a meaningful smile. "So what if the reward I have to give has to do with me?" "Perhaps that will change something about you?" Finally, Miro looked at Gwen, albeit only in the face. "Ah, it''s hard for me to exin... I''m afraid the reward will make you suffer." The blonde-haired woman closed her eyes. "You guessed it already, right?" "Of course. I could have guessed it when you said Re''i was a king." Miro shook his head. "Not that I''m suggesting we stay quiet, Gwen. I have a solution. I''ll ask my tribe to help you all. Well, maybe I need more effort to do it." Gwen looked at me. "Well, I''ve never been to Miro''s tribe, so I can''t teleport there. Even if I do, I won''t necessarily be able to meet the guardian spirit." I exined. "Even if there are psychics there, it doesn''t mean they will activate their power when Ie." A small chuckle escaped Gwen''s mouth. "Why don''t you go straight to your tribe bute here instead?" "I wanted to check on you first because the rest of your friends didn''t seem willing to." I did ask my other people not to interfere with Gwen. "I heard your tribe is about six days'' walk from here, right? Not to mention the time it took to arrive at Jia''s camp. From the chat I overheard this afternoon, I assumed they were nomads, Miro. By the time your tribe reaches those people, they may already be gone." Gwen stood up and walked over to her sack of things again. She took out the dry bread that was from Jia''s group, then gobbled it like a madman. "You''re just torturing yourself, Gwen." Miro got up too. "I appreciate everything you do, Miro. You are nice." Gwen drank water from her stic bottle to shove the bread in her mouth, then walked backward toward theke. "But, you want to get Kat, right? We''d better save Kat right away, so you can keep trying to make her fall in love with you." Before Miro could reply, Gwen was blowing a kiss. Chapter 199 - 199 – A Role Model "Gwen, please get out of there." Miro sounded desperate. "You''ve been in the water too long." Gwen remained silent and closed her eyes in theke. "That''s right, Gwen," I said in the blonde-haired woman''s ear. "You''ve been here too long." I couldn''t bear to see her skin which had started to turn pale, and her lips were turning blue. Seeing Gwen still not paying attention, Miro scratched his hair roughly. "I had to do this. Forgive me." Just as Miro put his foot in the water, a ssh in theke appeared. Gwen opened her eyes to see Re''i swimming towards her. Re''i popped his face in Gwen''s face, looking so shocked. Gwen wasted no time, immediately grabbed Re''i''s head, then pressed her head against the king''s. "What are you doing, Gwen? This is called torturing yourself!" Re''i sounded very worried. "Why are you naked and in theke at this time of night? And why is your face so swollen?" "But you can feel my presence, right? And don''t mind my face." The merman shook his head. "That is true, but¡­." "Ah, sorry, but I can''t talk too long." Gwen cut off the half-fish creature. "I need your help, Re''i." Re''i was silent for a moment. "Okay¡­. What do you want from me?" The blonde-haired woman gulped. "I need help from your troops. One of my friends was kidnapped by a bunch of bad guys. However, the number of my people is far behind them." "Ah, I''m sorry for your friend''s condition." Re''I fell silent a second time. "Well, I did say that I would help you if needed." "You want me, right?" Gwen immediately made a guess without hesitation. "I''m ready, Re''i. As long as you fulfill my request." It was pretty painful to hear that. I then whispered into the ear of my female colonist. "Ask him two weeks after Kat''s rescue, Gwen. Make any excuses." "But, I''m asking for two weeks, Re''i." Gwen followed my lead. "I want to spend some time with my friends first." A wide smile formed on the king''s mouth. "No problem. As long as you''re willing to be my wife, waiting that long is meaningless, Gwen. I''m so d to hear this from you. I will show you the beauty of my kingdom¡­." However, just for a moment, the smile disappeared. "But, you will be like me. You will be a merman who lives in water. Are you ready for that to happen to you? Then, there was one more problem¡­. I am a king who already has a queen¡­." Gwen''s chin started to drop. "But I swear I only love you, Gwen. I married an arranged marriage. I didn''t really love the woman I was with." Re''i hastily added. You''re saying he''s basically a good person, Gwen? This half-fish creature wants to make you his concubine just because of your physique. That''s a selfish reason. No. I don''t think he''s a good person. "Whatever, Re''i¡­.. Or should I call you your highness." Gwen sighed. Re''i removed his forehead from Gwen''s, shing his smile again. Then, the king brought his lips closer to my female colonist''s. At first, Gwen looked shocked, but she resigned that Re''i kissed her lips in the end. The interval of my heartbeat spiked up. The sight made me ufortable, and the urgency to beat Re''i grew inside of me. I don''t want him to have Gwen. After a few minutes, Re''i broke the kiss, then pressed his forehead against Gwen''s again. "Thank you for the help, Your Majesty," Gwen said while forcing a smile. "I haven''t even helped your friend yet." Re''i smiled again. "Ah, I can''t let you go on like this, Gwen. I will return to my kingdom, and tomorrow I will bring apany of soldiers to help your friend. I will choose the best soldiers who will fight the evil group." "Again, thank you, Your Majesty." Re''i backed away, still smiling. After that, he turned and swam away from Gwen. The blonde-haired woman looked at the sshing water, which gradually disappeared, then turned and came out of the water. She passed Miro, who was still standing by theke, went over to her sack to get a towel, and clothes. Instead of being near the bonfire, Gwen walked out of ce, shivering violently. "Where are you going, Gwen?" Miro asked while approaching the woman. Gwen stopped in her tracks, spoke with quivering lips. Either because of the cold or because of her emotional outburst. "I want to be alone, Miro." "Then you''ll be alone by the bonfire, Gwen." Miro took one of the burning logs as a torch. "You need it more." Gwen didn''t have time to answer when Miro left her. Taking a deep breath, Gwen brushed herself off the water. This time she put on her clothes and curled up in front of the bonfire. It seemed the overwhelming coldness trampled her exhibitionist tendencies. "I just wanted to say that I admire you, Gwen," I said to her while holding back tears. "You really have a very noble soul." "I have friends¡­. One of the guys who got gic engineering too." Gwen began to tell the story, still with quivering lips. Her eyes looked straight at the fire. "Unlike me, who is just a psychic, he can fly and has super strength." A faint smile formed on Gwen''s lips. "He''s aplete embodiment of the ssic superhero." "You were inspired by that person?" Gwen looked at me with teary eyes. "His final opponent was a gigantic monster that was mutated due to an evil scientist''s experiments. No matter how strong my friend is, he can''t defeat a monster twice as tall as a skyscraper. But he did it anyway, Mr. Spirit. The government was already going to use a giant bomb to destroy the monster and he sacrifices himself. Not to win, but to buy time so that the monster doesn''t go to another city, and residents can be evacuated. When all the citizens were gone, he was helpless, and finally, the bomb was dropped¡­." Finally, Gwen''s tears fell. "Ah, it''s very fitting that your friend is your role model. He is a real hero." I sighed, unable to hold back the tears either. "What I''m doing is nothingpared to what he did." Gwen''s voice was hoarse. She continued to wipe the tears from her cheeks. Rex came over and sat next to Gwen. The haired woman looked a little surprised, then stroked the dog and smiled again. "Don''t worry, Rex. They will bring your master back." The white dog did not answer, just curled up and closed his eyes. Chapter 200 - 200 – By The Lake That morning, all my colonists sat by theke to await the arrival of troops from the kingdom of Fin''ce. I did order them to do that as a gesture of respect. "Regarding the merman race, some people say they are illegal gically modified creatures. There are many theories on why they could make ordinary humans like them. One of the theories is that they were made that way so that in the future, all of humanity will live in the water." Eric exined. "And there are many more theories that try to exin why their creator wanted humans to live in water." "And they were brought here illegally too." Seb, who was sitting next to his son, sighed. "Like those poppy seeds." "But there are creatures in this world that are not recorded in the database." Gwen chimed in. "Like those Stump Scorpions you guys told me about. Maybe they were the result of an illegal experiment that wasn''t recorded and not many people knew about." "Arrrrrgggghhh!!!" Leva ruffled her hair furiously. "You guys talk boring shit and hard to understand, you know!" "Well, I have to admit, I don''t really understand their conversation either." Miro shrugged, then looked at Gwen. "Are you sure you''re all right, Gwen? You were in the coldke water for quite a whilest night." Gwen looked back at the man with a pale face, though still swollen. "My body''s condition is indeed weak. My immunity might be down. But, maybe it''s just a coincidence that I haven''t had any bacteria or viruses that have infected me." "And I don''t understand what you''re saying either." Miro shrugged his shoulders a second time. Their attention then turned to theke, which was now decorated with many sshes, which looked different from what Re''i usually disyed. Every now and then, I see the appearance of golden-shod feet that appear between the sshes, instead of fish tails. Before long, the Mermans, numbering around fifty, rose to the shore. I was pretty amazed to see them. They all wore golden and shiny green armor. The shape reminds me of medieval armor, but the head is attached with a transparent tube filled with water instead of the normal metal helmet. They all carried spears or rifles that matched their armor. One of them, a merman who wore armor that stood out the most because it was decorated with magnificent carvings, approached Gwen. At the same time, the other bowed his head to the woman. Ah, he''s Re''i. Gwen''s gaze was fixed on Re''i''s lower body, which was in the form of two legs, no longer a fish tail. "Holy shit..." Miro hissed as he squeezed his head, looking at the Mermans with amazement. Slowly, her tears started to fall. "I can''t believe I could see something like this in my life." Re''i came to Gwen, who immediately tried to put her forehead against the king''s. "Ouch!" However, the blonde woman''s forehead hit Re''i''s helmet. I could see the king''s men were trying not tough. When Re''i looked back, they returned to their upright position. Leva was also holding backughter, and she had to be elbowed by Miro. While Gwen rubbed her forehead, Re''i pressed a button on his bracelet. The water inside his helmet shrunk, then he took off that thing. Gwen was finally able to put her forehead against Re''i''s. "Hey, now you have legs, Your Majesty." Gwen smiled as she closed her eyes. Re''i smiled back. "Yes, we do have the ability to turn our lower bodies into human-like ones, although it feels weird to use this. Usually, I''m in this form while training." "Thank you for being willing to do this, Your Majesty." "Well, I can only bring this kind of troops, even though my kingdom''s fighting power is far from this. The cabs insist that I can''t bring much because it''s a very trivial matter." Re''i sneered. "They don''t understand how important this is to me. They never think about my happiness." "This is more than enough, Your Majesty." Gwen rubbed the merman king''s face. "You really are the best. I will not forget this noble act of yours, Your Majesty." "Ah, I''m ttered." Re''i chuckled. "Well, we don''t have to linger any longer. Let''s go now. Your friend needs our help right away, right?" "Doesn''t your highness want to rest first? You and your people need good stamina to fight." "We Mermans have strong physique and stamina. This kind of thing is nothing... Ah, there''s one more condition, Gwen." Re''i added. "You can''te with my troop." "Huh!? But...." "You''re far from fit, Gwen." The king shook his head. "Neither can Ie because this mission could put my life in danger." "Just follow his orders," I whispered in the blonde haired woman''s ear. "You can get sick if you push yourself. Have him wait at your house. I believe he''ll be delighted." Gwen sighed again. "In that case, would your highness be willing to stay at our ce for a while?" "That''s my n." Rei''s smile widened. "As long as you''re okay with some of my followers." As soon as Re''i gave a hand signal to his troops, four other mermans came forward and bowed to Gwen. They consist of two men and two women. "So, let''s go." Re''i put his helmet back on, pressed the button on his bracelet to fill it with water, then carried Gwen in his arms. Gwen looked shocked, and Re''i just smiled. "Errrr... Let''s go home now." Gwen told her friend. The journey begins with Gwen being carried by Re''i. My colonists led the way to their homes. "Hey, you know something about this, right? I''ve been asking you for a while, but you never answered. So does Gwen." Leva whispered to Miro, who was walking next to her. "There''s no way these half-fish creatures would help us for nothing." "Does their leader want to have Gwen?" Manu asks along, sounding worried. You don''t want to lose her either, Manu? "If that''s true, it''s going to be very bad," Seb added, looking ufortable. "You''ll find outter." Miro quickened his pace.. "It''s not my right to tell you guys." Chapter 201 - 201 – Yummy Seb, plucking weeds in her field, nced at the four merman soldiers guarding my colonist''s house. I had deliberately ordered the man to stay here for an obvious reason. And because I want everything to be effective, I still ask him to work as usual. I found Gwen lying down with apressed forehead as I entered the house. In the end, that woman fell ill. Re''i sat next to Gwen, holding her hand tightly. The king''s wide smile made me ufortable. He''s the one who wanted Gwen for himself. Feeling more and more emotional by the sight, I decided to teleport to the merman troop walking to the northeast with my other colonists. "You can really walk well, despite getting gunshot wounds, huh? I''ve had it before. It hurts so bad." Leva asked Miro, who was walking next to her. "You are tougher than your brother." "Well, I heard you hit him in the head time and time again. I think I''d have the same fate if I had those attacks." Miro replied while chuckling. His eyes still continued to stare in amazement at the leader of the merman army, whose armor was almost the same as Re''i''s, but with less decoration. Manu looked around, then scratched his head. "It''s very strange. There are a lot of them, but we can''tmunicate with them. Then, how do theymunicate onnd like this?" "I saw some of them make mouth movements." Eric tried to exin. "Maybe they have a specialmunication device that sends signals from armor to armor when they''re not in the water." Miro chuckled again. "Oh, you guys have no idea how great the technology of these mermans is..." Leva quickened her pace, and Miro spread her arms in disappointment. "She doesn''t want to hear stories that give her a headache." Manu shrugged. "Don''t be offended. That''s just how she is." "Well, I''d love to hear your story," Eric responded. Since I''ve studied most of the data from the mermans, I decided to use the fast-forward feature. As usual, everything shed rapidly, and as the afternoon approached, auto-pause was triggered. A group of Biruhud birds was already starting to lunge towards the group in the distance. "Attack them the best way you know, but focus on ranged attacks." I gave orders to their leader. Luckily, since the mermans had be part of my colony temporarily, I could control them. "Just don''t go near the birds, even when they''re dead. They can transmit dangerous diseases." I pressed the y button, then the squad leader gave a hand signal while opening his mouth, seemingly giving amand. The rifle holders came forward and lined up neatly. When their leader pointed at the birds, they fired the weapons. Not the bullets that came out of the muzzles of the rifles, but the high-speed spray of water. There are no explosions but loud hisses. The waters pierced through the birds brutally, spurting fresh blood into the air, crushing their heads and limbs. In just an instant, the birds fell, without even having time to scream. The pool of blood grew wider. The giant birds that numbered around twenty were now lying in the meadow. Holy shit. It hadn''t been a minute since the mermans had fired their weapons. My colonists watched the scene in amazement, but I could also see the look of fear on their faces. Only Miro is different. His tears started to fall. "Great. Really great. Maybe God made me stay in your tribe so I can see this miracle." The man''s voice was getting hoarse. The mermans continued on their way as if what they had just done was nothing. *** Night hase. I ordered the group to rest. My colonists started making the bonfire while the half-fish creatures sat down and took out shiny silver box-shaped packages from their metal backpacks. When the packages were opened, I saw a kind of pink gooey that looked slimy. Rex, who was sleeping, immediately straightened up, sniffed, and then ran away. "Hey, where are you going, Rex?" Miro was chasing the white dog. The gooey was basically odorless, but it seemed Rex sensed something with his keen sense of smell. The mermans took off their helmets and started eating the gooey. I got goosebumps when I saw them do it. Whatever it was, it looked very disgusting. One female mermans came up to my colonists and handed them the gooey. My people seemed to be trying to hide their disgusted expressions, but I still ordered Leva to ept it as a kind gesture. "T-thank you." Leva grimaced stiffly and epted the ''gift.'' Seeing that, Miro, who just came back, gave some jerky pieces to the merman. The half-fish did ept it, but she looked confused and examined the thin, dark food. Then, she started biting one of them. Her eyes widen slightly, and nods at my colonists. She then bowed respectfully and left. Apparently, she enjoyed the food. The proof is, she shared it with her friends. "Let me taste this thing first." Miro plucked the gooey from Leva''s hand, then put it in his mouth while the others waited in anticipation. The big tall man froze while chewing, then his face contorted like someone who ate something very sour. "Shit, we can''t throw it away." Miro looks very tormented. "I will eat it all up. With my body''s toughness and my immunity to disease, I can withstand the bad effects of this thing." All my colonists grimaced. Miro was devouring the gooey like he hadn''t eaten in days, even though his face showed otherwise. Suddenly one of the mermans ran towards the leader, who was in the middle of the army. The armor of the merman waspletely jet ck since he had just done stealth to check the surroundings of the ce. After he pressed the button on his bracelet to bring the armor back to its original state, I could see a panicked expression on his face. I was curious, so I used the rey feature and followed the merman, who now looked like he was running backward. Quite a long time passed, we finally arrived at a ce quite far from the resting location. There are campgrounds with tents that seem impermanent. Several people were seen standing guard by the bonfire. Did their guardian spirit not know of my group''s arrival? My attention is drawn to the center of the encampment. There was a silhouette of an object that was fifteen meters in size. The object was made of metal, had two legs and arms. And in the object''s hand was a giant firearm mounted. A mech? [An error urred] Chapter 202 - 202 – A DLC After the discovery of the mech, I couldn''t continue the gamey. This is a disaster for me because it means that there is a possibility that my save game will be deleted. I can no longer see my colonists, even though they have be a part of my life. I spent a long time with customer service from Fringe Softwork just to make sure that After the discovery of the mech, I couldn''t continue the gamey. This is a disaster for me because it means that there is a possibility that my save game will be deleted. I can no longer see my colonists, even though they have be a part of my life. I spent a long time with customer service from Fringe Softwork just to make sure that this incident wouldn''t delete my save game. They exined this was a bug because some of the assets of unreleased downloadable content were in the game file. Then, for some reason, that game file appears in the gamey. So, the only way is to wait for the DLC to be released. And that one month of waiting was torturous for me. I wanted all the affairs with the Jia group to be over as soon as possible. However, even after the DLC titled Mechs and Advanced Technologies was released, I still chose to wait. Not many people have yed with the DLC yet, so aprehensive guide doesn''t exist yet. Now here I am, back to the game, not finding the error window again. The mech''s silhouette looked clearer, not just ck. The armor was dark green and somewhat dirty, equipped with a machine gun in his right hand and a giant sword slung over his back. I''m so lucky to have Mermans as Allies. As soon as I pressed the y button, the dark-armored scout returned to the camp and reported to the leader. After hearing the scout''s story, the leader was frozen for a moment, took a twig from the ground, then approached my people. He also signaled the scout to follow him. My colonists stared at the mermans who came to them while Miro had just returned from vomiting. The leader handed the wooden branch he was holding to the scout. The scout nodded and started to draw something on the ground using the stick. At first, my colonists just watched with curious looks, but then Eric held his breath as the image took shape. "That ¡­. A mech?" Seb''s son hissed. Manu raises an eyebrow. "A Mech?" "A giant humanoid war tool made of metal." Eric''s lips began to tremble. "That thing is nearly ten meters tall and has insane weaponry. Those firearms you''ve seen are nothingpared to what this mech carries." "Giant humanoid warfare tool?" Miro chuckled. "Don''t worry, we are together with great merman troops. They can definitely defeat any kind of enemy!" Eric shook his head. "No. You don''t understand, Miro. The mechs had tremendous destructive power. I knew they were on that big expedition ship¡­. And if someone like Jia can get it... Well, we fucked." "Then you''re saying that we should just leave Kat alone?" Miro responded with a sharp tone. "Isn''t she your friend?" "It''s not like that, Miro," Eric answered in a cautious tone. "But, we can''t underestimate a mech." "No matter what, we can''t back down, can we?" Leva joined in. Manu gritted his teeth. "And I have to take revenge for what they did to us." Eric started massaging his forehead. "Please, listen to me first¡­." "Oh, if you have another solution, I''ll listen." Smiling sarcastically, Miro folded her arms across her chest. "If you''re just going to exin how great the mechs are again, then I''ll cover my ears." "Shut your mouth if you have no other alternative, Eric," I whispered into the man''s ear. "Your stories about Mechs are pointless unless you know how to defeat them with the weaponry you guys have now." And I already have ns for them. "That¡­" Eric was speechless. "Looks like you have no other solution, Eric." Miro insisted. "So, we better rest now. We need good stamina tomorrow." My colonists dispersed and began to prepare their sleeping bags, leaving Eric, who sighed deeply while looking up at the sky. He then turned to the leader of the merman and the scout who was still standing there. The two half-fish creatures blinked alternately. *** I returned to my colonists'' homes to check things out. The three merman guards were sleeping outside while one was still holding his spear by the door. When I entered that building, I found Seb and the king sleeping in different room corners. Seb used his usual sleeping bag while Re''i justy down on the floor, still wearing his armor. "Ah, you just checked the merman troop, Mr. Spirits?" Sitting in front of the bonfire, Gwen let out a low sigh. This time he was fully clothed and didn''t show off his assets excessively. "How are they doing?" "Everything looks okay. They are about to reach their destination, it turns out that the Jia group''s campsite is not too far away. Maybe tomorrow we can attack them." I answered and sat down next to the blonde haired woman. "So, you''re not naked anymore because the king is there?" "You''ve seen him without armor, right? It seems he waspletely naked every day. He also seemed okay when I went naked to see him. Right now, I still don''t feel well, so I hesitate to take off my clothes." Gwen chuckled, then narrowed her eyes at the fire. "At the very least, if I was in the merman kingdom, I could be naked to my heart''s content. It seems, for mermans, nudity ismonce. Well, I''ll miss your and the others'' reactions." I was silent for a moment, watching the fire too. "Are you ready for this?" "No, but what can I do?" Gwen smiled, though her eyes filled with tears. An urgency suddenly rose within me. Slowly, I brought my face closer to Gwen''s. Unlike what happened yesterday with Re''i, Gwen didn''t flinch at all. The woman closed her eyes, letting me kiss her lips. The soft and warm sensation from her lips made me not want to lose Gwen even more. Minutes passed in silence. I removed my lips from this beautiful woman. A bitterugh escaped Gwen''s mouth. "Why on this do I have to keep dealing with non-human men?" I rubbed her head. "I''m so sorry." this incident wouldn''t delete my save game. They exined this was a bug because some of the assets of unreleased downloadable content were in the game file. Then, for some reason, that game file appears in the gamey. So, the only way is to wait for the DLC to be released. And that one month of waiting was torturous for me. I wanted all the affairs with the Jia group to be over as soon as possible. However, even after the DLC titled Mechs and Advanced Technologies was released, I still chose to wait. Not many people have yed with the DLC yet, so aprehensive guide doesn''t exist yet. Now here I am, back to the game, not finding the error window again. The mech''s silhouette looked clearer, not just ck. The armor was dark green and somewhat dirty, equipped with a machine gun in his right hand and a giant sword slung over his back. I''m so lucky to have Mermans as Allies. As soon as I pressed the y button, the dark-armored scout returned to the camp and reported to the leader. After hearing the scout''s story, the leader was frozen for a moment, took a twig from the ground, then approached my people. He also signaled the scout to follow him. My colonists stared at the mermans who came to them while Miro had just returned from vomiting. The leader handed the wooden branch he was holding to the scout. The scout nodded and started to draw something on the ground using the stick. At first, my colonists just watched with curious looks, but then Eric held his breath as the image took shape. "That ¡­. A mech?" Seb''s son hissed. Manu raises an eyebrow. "A Mech?" "A giant humanoid war tool made of metal." Eric''s lips began to tremble. "That thing is nearly ten meters tall and has insane weaponry. Those firearms you''ve seen are nothingpared to what this mech carries." "Giant humanoid warfare tool?" Miro chuckled. "Don''t worry, we are together with great merman troops. They can definitely defeat any kind of enemy!" Eric shook his head. "No. You don''t understand, Miro. The mechs had tremendous destructive power. I knew they were on that big expedition ship¡­. And if someone like Jia can get it... Well, we fucked." "Then you''re saying that we should just leave Kat alone?" Miro responded with a sharp tone. "Isn''t she your friend?" "It''s not like that, Miro," Eric answered in a cautious tone. "But, we can''t underestimate a mech." "No matter what, we can''t back down, can we?" Leva joined in. Manu gritted his teeth. "And I have to take revenge for what they did to us." Eric started massaging his forehead. "Please, listen to me first¡­." "Oh, if you have another solution, I''ll listen." Smiling sarcastically, Miro folded her arms across her chest. "If you''re just going to exin how great the mechs are again, then I''ll cover my ears." "Shut your mouth if you have no other alternative, Eric," I whispered into the man''s ear. "Your stories about Mechs are pointless unless you know how to defeat them with the weaponry you guys have now." And I already have ns for them. "That¡­" Eric was speechless. "Looks like you have no other solution, Eric." Miro insisted. "So, we better rest now. We need good stamina tomorrow." My colonists dispersed and began to prepare their sleeping bags, leaving Eric, who sighed deeply while looking up at the sky. He then turned to the leader of the merman and the scout who was still standing there. The two half-fish creatures blinked alternately. *** I returned to my colonists'' homes to check things out. The three merman guards were sleeping outside while one was still holding his spear by the door. When I entered that building, I found Seb and the king sleeping in different room corners. Seb used his usual sleeping bag while Re''i justy down on the floor, still wearing his armor. "Ah, you just checked the merman troop, Mr. Spirits?" Sitting in front of the bonfire, Gwen let out a low sigh. This time he was fully clothed and didn''t show off his assets excessively. "How are they doing?" "Everything looks okay. They are about to reach their destination, it turns out that the Jia group''s campsite is not too far away. Maybe tomorrow we can attack them." I answered and sat down next to the blonde haired woman. "So, you''re not naked anymore because the king is there?" "You''ve seen him without armor, right? It seems he waspletely naked every day. He also seemed okay when I went naked to see him. Right now, I still don''t feel well, so I hesitate to take off my clothes." Gwen chuckled, then narrowed her eyes at the fire. "At the very least, if I was in the merman kingdom, I could be naked to my heart''s content. It seems, for mermans, nudity ismonce. Well, I''ll miss your and the others'' reactions." I was silent for a moment, watching the fire too. "Are you ready for this?" "No, but what can I do?" Gwen smiled, though her eyes filled with tears. An urgency suddenly rose within me. Slowly, I brought my face closer to Gwen''s. Unlike what happened yesterday with Re''i, Gwen didn''t flinch at all. The woman closed her eyes, letting me kiss her lips. The soft and warm sensation from her lips made me not want to lose Gwen even more. Minutes passed in silence. I removed my lips from this beautiful woman. A bitterugh escaped Gwen''s mouth. "Why on this do I have to keep dealing with non-human men?" I rubbed her head.. "I''m so sorry." Chapter 203 - 203 – In A Tent For some reason, Jia''s group did not know of our arrival. So, I chose to do a surprise attack using mermans. I ordered them to go straight ahead and open fire on the camp. The camp members immediately panicked. The women who were doing activities¡ªstrangely, no one was wearing any clothes¡ªwere scattered. At the same time, the men came forward andy down or did cover while holding firearms. I deliberately didn''t order the mermans to let thebatants hide first. After that, the army of the half-fish creatures could all go out. They imnted tubr tools into the ground, which magically brought out metallic tes that were strung into hiding ces. The sound of gun explosions began to echo with the hisses of the merman''s water rifles. The members of Jia''s group were far more numerous. Still, they couldn''t do anything because their shots only hit the metal covers of the mermans. Some of them fell under the gunfire of the half-fish creatures. However, this is nothing. The main show hasn''t started yet. And finally, it happened. The mech in the center of the encampment started to move, the wheel at the thing''s feet spun, sending it sliding toward the mermans. The members of Jia''s group cheered as their trump card was finally used. This time, the mermans focused on shooting at the mech. Unfortunately, their weapons couldn''t do anything about the dark green war tool. Their high-pressure water spray doesn''t even leave a dent. When the mech finally exited the encampment area, it raised its machine gun-mounted right hand. The machine gun spun and started spewing bullets at very high intervals. The mermans could only hide behind their metal covers and couldn''t shoot back. We just have to wait. The shots couldn''t prate the cover of the mermans, only vibrating them and causing dents. Then, the moment I had been waiting for happened. The machine gun of the mech smoked and stopped. They could make escape pods that could prate the friction of the atmosphere, but their weapons still overheated? Well, this is all just a game, anyway. The speared merman soldiers came out of their hiding behind the gunners. They perform agile movements by running zigzag and jumping randomly to make it difficult for opponents to aim at them. The gunners from Jia''s group could do nothing but shoot through the air. The spear wielders leaped onto the mech''s body, striking its joints. The mech tried to release them, but the half-fish creatures'' movements were so agile dodging the mech''s hand. A few were caught, and their bodies mmed to the ground, but that was only a tiny amount. And when they are on the ground and struggling to get up, they be easy targets. I saw one of the merman whose armor was hit by the gunfire. His armor was hit by two bullets in the same spot, and it only caused dents. But in the third shot, the bullet pierced through the armor, creating a hole that oozed water mixed with blood. Since they could move like that, they had to sacrifice the strength of their armor, or else their suit would be much heavier. However, from my observations, we still have the upper hand. So, I decided to visit my colonists, who took a detour toe to the camp. Fortunately, there were hills beside the campsite, though a bit far. My colonists could get close by hiding in the hills. Since there was nowhere to hide on the path to the campsite, my group of colonists consisting of Leva, Eric, Manu, and Miro was immediately detected. Several shooters sprang up to block, but they were quickly taken down by the gunman who followed us. The female merman was the one who gave the food to my colonistsst night. My colonists could easily get to the ce filled with big tents. This time our shooters found no more enemies. It didn''t really calm me down. "We have to be careful." Eric hissed as he gripped his katana tightly. "Be aware of our surroundings." Miro stroked Rex, who looked confused. "This kid seems to have difficulty finding his master''s smell. It looks like Jia used something to cover it up. That bastard is pretty smart." Slowly, Leva entered one of the tents and was immediately taken aback by what she found. The naked women were huddled and cuddled in the corner of the tent, sobbing. The women''s bodies had bruises and whip marks. What the fuck happened in this camp? "Is Kat here?" Manu, who brought the ax,es in. Leva looked a little taken aback by Manu''s sudden arrival. "What the...." Manu was at a loss for words seeing the pathetic condition of the women. Levaes to the women with Manu on guard as there could be someone else hiding in the tent. "Don''t kill us!" One of the women, looking the most mature of all, pleaded with sobs. She hugged several other girls who seemed very young, maybe even under twenty. They all cry too. "We will not kill you," Leva said carefully. Maybe she had tons of questions in her head, but she could only ask one due to circumstances. "You know Kat, the ck-haired woman with amber eyes who was brought here?" The eldest woman nodded. "S-she is in the biggest tent in the middle of the camp¡­. Please, please don''t kill us." Leva shed a faint smile. "No, we will instead help all of you. But wait a minute, we have to save our friend first." Manu took a wide sheet of cloth from the corner of the tent. However, when they were about to wrap it around the women, they shook their heads violently. "We will be punished if we wear anything. We have to remain like this and can only dress in winter." One of the women answered with trembling lips. "Take it easy." Manu smiled faintly, still wrapping the women with the sheet of the cloth. "Soon, you will be free from them." "That''s right, we''re really going to save you guys." The eldest woman in the group looked at my two colonists in turn using her watery eyes. "T-thank you very much." Leva''s eyes also began to be coated with a clear liquid.. She certainly remembered the times when she was abandoned by her own tribe. Chapter 204 - 204 – The Rescue The gunshots could still be heard in the distance, apanied by the screams of the members of Jia''s group. Sometimes, there is an explosion that sounds like it came from a bomb. Leva came out of the tent while wiping her tears. "You already know what happened, huh?" Eric came to the red-haired woman. "Whoever the man named Jia and his men are, they are demons to treat women like that." "I can''t believe most of the work is done by naked women. And even then, they are still being tortured and used as sex tools." Miro added through gritted teeth. "Really?" Leva''s tone turned cynical. "Your tribe has Dex who likes to harass women, right? Have you done anything to him?" Miro chose to remain silent. Leva rubbed her forehead. "Sorry, I shouldn''t have spoken like that at a time like this." "It''s okay." The big tall man shrugged his shoulders. "Actually, I''ve done something for the bullying that often happens in my tribe, but I end up causing conflict a lot because of that... Ah, I''m talking unimportant things. We''d better continue our mission." Eric signaled the rifled merman. Then, my colonists and the mermaids started to walk warily. However, only taking a few steps forward, a cylinder the size of a baby''s head fell before them. "Watch out!!!" Seeing the burning fuse in the cylinder, Miro pulled my colonists back. An enormous explosion hit the merman, sending her into the air. Fortunately, my colonists still survived. Even if their bodies were hit by the impact of the st and rolled on the ground. Rex also seemed fine and barked in the direction of the explosion. The same cannot be said of the merman who helped my colonists. Shey down and struggled to get up. Looks like her feetnded in the wrong position. "Move! Move!" Miro got up, immediately faced several Jia troops carrying various melee weapons. With ease, he hit the heads of two enemies with his oversized hammer. The two people immediately fell down, covered in blood, making theirrades hesitate to attack. Not to mention Rex''s barks were getting fiercer. "Let me and Rex face them and protect the merman!" Miro shouted, and I ordered my colonists to obey. While Miro was attacking the enemies and Rex biting the leg of one of them, my three colonists ran the other way, although a bit staggered. However, their path was immediately blocked. Several other members of Jia''s group appeared and attacked them. Leva pulled out herrge machete and shed the head of one of the enemies. Having just released her machete from her foe, she had to fend off another''s sword strike. A fierce weapons battle ensued, and Leva was pushed back. And suddenly, Leva caught her enemy''s body and mmed it to the ground. The enemy couldn''t do anything when Leva stabbed him in the face with the machete. Not far away from that, Manu blocked a mace attack with his ax, then kicked the enemy. Mercilessly, Manu swung his ax at the assant''s chest, who immediately flinched violently and fell unconscious, covered in blood. Meanwhile, Eric moved like he was dancing, dodging stab after stab of spears from his two foes. When the opportunity came, he shed one of them in the neck. Before that person even fell, that man had moved to the other person and stabbed him in the stomach. Eric cleaned his bloodied sword with his shirt''s sleeve while the others came up to him. The trio''s eyes fell on a man with a bald head and a crooked nose, who had just arrived carrying a knife. He shook violently and looked very frightened but kept his knife raised. "G-get out of here, or you''ll die." The man threatened in a discordant voice. However, as per my orders, my colonists didn''t care and were ready to attack. This person could be just pretending and... Or not. [???, 32 years old. (Nomad member)] Ranged Attack: 11/100 Melee attack: 20/100 His melee attack is very low for his age. That meant he hardly ever practiced his closebat skills. "Don''t kill him!" My colonists turned to the direction of the voice. The one who had just shouted was a woman with short, neck-length brown hair who had been in the tent that Leva had visited. She was naked again, probably afraid of Jia and his men. "He is my husband. He''s a good person. We were just ying along with Jia so we wouldn''t be killed." The woman wept bitterly. I was about to order my colonists to stop attacking, but suddenly the bald man was inches away from Manu. Fortunately, the man''s stab attack was blocked by Leva using the machete. [???, 32 years old. (Nomad member)] Ranged attack: 11/100 Melee attack: 80/100 Shit. It turns out that there is a trait that hides stats. "Nooooo, don''t attack them!!!" The woman screamed hysterically. I didn''t want to take any chances, so I let my colonists attack him. Surprisingly, my colonists had a hard time delivering their attacks. The man was so agile to dodge. His body was flexible, and his steps were so rapid. Only Eric can match it. However, in the end, the man was still overwhelmed by being outnumbered. He backed away and turned to the brown-haired woman. "They''re not bad people. The proof is they didn''t kill me, Tom!" The woman was crying again, trying to hold back her husband, who was already preparing for the attack. Seeing his wife like that, the man named Tom called out to my colonists. "You guys want to go to Jia''s ce, right? Go now, don''t kill us!" "Should we really kill them?" Eric hissed, already prepared with his katana. "My head says it, but my heart doesn''t." It seems my colonists are in doubt. They didn''t attack right away. However, I don''t want to be fooled again. "My wife never lied to me." The man''s eyes started to water. "I won''t be able to face all of you alone, so let us escape." Shit. It''s tough to bepletely ruthless, especially after all the things I''ve been through with my colonists. My hands had taken many innocent lives, indirectly. Chapter 205 - 205 – The Rescue (2) The bald-headed man shook his head, then dropped his knife to the ground and raised his hand. I took a deep breath. "Get out of here, leave them. However, you must remain vignt." So, my colonists lowered their weapons, looked at the husband and wife for a moment, then left the ce. "Again, th-thank you." The wife wiped her tears. I just hope this time I won''t regret my decision. My colonists continued on their way. This time, they found no obstacle. All that could be seen wererge tents and scattered items. Perhaps the rest of the soldiers have already advanced to the battlefield against the mermans. I pressed the pause button and did a quick check to the frontline. As I expected, Jia was already there to lead the troops, albeit while doing cover behind a boulder. After a few more seconds of walking, my colonists came to a white circr tent that looked thergest of the lot. There is nothing special about the tent. Everything is in. At least on the outside. My colonists exchanged nces and nodded their heads, then passed through the curtain covering the tent''s entrance. Once inside, I could see the rooms with cloth walls. I can''t believe that all this is owned by a nomad group. How do they carry, pack, and assemble all of this? Leva, Eric, and Manu checked each of the rooms warily. However, they found only standard items such as sleeping bags, sacks, or small wooden pieces of furniture. Sometimes, they find some women who don''t wear any clothes, with bodies full of shes and bruises, looking terrified. When asked about Kat''s whereabouts, they just shook their heads. Perhaps they had been threatened not to speak up, or they would be punished. I can''t ask my colonists to force them. They''ve been through too much trauma. "Weird." Eric checked the umpteenth empty room. "A tent this big must be used for the leader, right? Perhaps the man named Jia was leading an army, but wasn''t he worried that this ce would be invaded? Why are there no guards at all?" "I think like you too," Manu responds while looking around. "Didn''t he keep anything of value here? Or maybe he just doesn''t care about all this anymore? He had already found someone he considered his soul mate, so he wanted to live a quiet life somewhere?" "Guys?" Leva called out in a muffled voice. My two male colonists came to Leva, who had entered a room in the deepest part of the tent. They were instantly shocked by what they saw, myself included. In a room that was quite dark because the cloth walls were ck, they found things that made me shudder. There were whips of various shapes and sizes, chairs with thin needles sticking out, wooden objects shaped like oversized dildos, and much more. "The minds of the people here are indeed twisted." Manu approached an object that looked like a child''s horse toy but with a thick triangr wooden nk with a very sharp tip for the body. I can''t imagine a woman being forced to sit on that sharp part. Her crotch will definitely feel excruciating pain. Eric turned on the shlight he was carrying. I caught my breath when I saw that there were still many torture devices in the room. And when Eric''s shlight hit a corner, I couldn''t breathe. There was a pair of legs covered in blood there. Women''s legs. "No." Leva widened her eyes at that, then ran towards it, followed by her two male colleagues. "No, Kaaaat!!!" It was the corpse of a naked girl with bloody wounds all over her body. Her face was also very bruised and hard to identify. And her straight ck hair is of medium length. No. I my insides feels like squeezed out when I saw such a gruesome sight. This is impossible, right? The jaws of my two male colonists dropped while Leva knelt down with tears already starting to flow. However, not long after, she frowned. "No, she''s not Kat." The red-haired woman hissed, then looked at the others. "Her body shape is different!" "Check her eyes." I gave orders to Eric. Please. Eric crouched down and opened the corpse''s eyes, examining it with a shlight. I immediately breathed a sigh of relief when I found out that this corpse''s pupils were dark green instead of amber. So did my three colonists. They sighed almost simultaneously. "We can''t stay here for long." Eric took off his jacket and draped it over the woman''s head. "We still have to find Kat in the other tents." Yes, we don''t have time to sit still. I ordered my colonists to get out and split up to visit the other tents. "I feel guilty for saying this, but how about we forced them to say where Kat was?" Manu gulped. His face looked doubtful. "That would save time, right?" Ah, maybe I really should be ruthless. Again, I''m reminded that you don''t always have to follow a moralpass in situations like this. So, I immediately prevented my other two colonists from refuting Manu. Then, I ordered Eric to pull one of the women into one of the rooms. The woman almost screamed, but Eric immediately covered her mouth. "We''ve caught your friend!" Leva shouted ording to my orders. "We don''t want to hurt you! Our main goal is to save a friend of ours! So, everyone in this ce, get out right now!" "Please, say it now," Eric added. No one obeyed. The women remained silent in their rooms. Leva patted her forehead and took a deep breath. "Do we need to burn this ce to get you guys out!!?? We really just want to know where our friend is!!!" "If no one will answer, we will have to do something to this friend of yours." Manu nced at the hostage, who was already in tears. "And to all of you one by one too. Behind us is a torture device waiting to be used." Finally, another woman came out of her room and came over to us, still naked. Chapter 206 - 206 – The Rescue (3) The woman with the braided hair was small and probably only about 155 cm tall. She came over to us, covering her private parts and chest, looking timid. "Come on. You can tell where our friend is, right?" Leva said in a soft tone, approaching the woman. "You are safe now. There is no need to be afraid. We will save all of you. So, tell me where Kat is." "Don''t tell them, Alice! Or we will be screwed!" One of the women in a room screamed. The woman named Alice gulped, then spoke in an awkward tone while pointing in a direction. "S-she was there, carried by our leader on a horse." Leva''s brow furrowed. "Your leader isn''t joining the fight?" "Perhaps he sent one of his men to take his ce on the battlefield. Well, he''s wearing a mask, after all." Manu chimed in. "I can''t say he''s a good leader." I gave more instructions to my colonists. Basically, I want them to find horses so they can catch up with Jia and Kat. However, I asked Manu to stay as a representative so the Mermans wouldn''t feel left out. After all, Manu''s animal stat was still below ten, meaning he couldn''t control a horse. "So, are there still horses here?" Eric asked the woman. Alice massaged the nape of her neck, but she immediately came to her senses and covered her pussy again. "I-it''s in the west. I mean stable¡­. Well, it''s not stable¡­." "Let''s go." Leva gestured to her tworades. "Are we really going to be safe?" Alice asked when Leva was just walking past her. The red-haired woman stopped in her tracks, then spoke without looking at the naked woman. "I promise you. My other friends are at war with those bad guys." My colonists didn''t wait for Alice''s answer and then came out of the tent, meeting Miro, who was supporting the female Merman. There were several shes and stab wounds on the big man''s body, but he seemed fine. "You didn''t find Kat?" Miro raised an eyebrow. "He was brought by Jia by horse from here," Eric answered, not stopping in his tracks at all. "So, you guys are going after them?" Miro asked again. "Miro, you just stay here with Manu." I gave the order because I felt what Miro did was more than enough. Yes, he''s still standing tall, but I''ll never know his actual condition. "I''m with you." Miro handed the Merman he was carrying to Manu and started to catch up with Eric and Leva. Stupid idiot. "You can bring this merman to help you in long-range attacks." I sighed, annoyed. "She can still sit with you on the horse, right?" Miro stopped, froze with a confused expression for a moment, then took the female Merman from Manu''s hand, chasing after my other two colonists again. Since the Merman couldn''t walk at full capacity, Miro lifted the half-fish with his hands like a princess. I could see the Merman was looking at Miro''s face with her face turning red. Again, there were no obstacles at all on the way. My colonists finally arrived at the wooden stakes used to tie horses. The horses in the stakes looked uneasy, constantly neighing and moving wildly. "Let me calm them down first." Miro put the Merman he was carrying on the ground, then started to calm the horses. It''s looked so hard. He had to dodge several times when he was about to rub the bodies of the mounts. And I can only wait impatiently. Leva also like that. She kept scratching her hair. After 15 strenuous minutes of struggle, Miro finally managed to let go of the three horses and hand over two to the others. Leva and Eric immediately got on their respective horses, while Miro helped the female Merman to get on first. The Merman looked nervous, and when she sat on the horse, her body was shaking. Miro patted the female Merman in an attempt to calm her down. They both can''tmunicate verbally to each other, after all. The gallops of the three horses began to echo. The four of them left the ce at top speed. Jia and Kat had already left. They had to catch up soon. Maybe the journey was long for them, but not for me. With the fast-forward feature, I was able to see the horse that Jia was riding in a matter of minutes. As expected, Kat sat in front of Jia, who was controlling the horse. Kat''s body was still clean and unscathed, though she was nowpletely naked, tied up, and gagged with a cloth. Well, at least the amber-eyed girl looks fine, still with her signature nk expression. Even with the person you love, you leave her in this state, Jia? Don''t you want to be Kat''s lover? Which lover would let his woman naked in public like this? As per mymand, the Merman started aiming with her water rifle. "Are you sure she won''t miss and hit Kat, Miro!?" Leva screamed against the howling of the wind and the sound of galloping horses. Miro shrugged. "I don''t know. But, at this rate, we won''t be able to catch up with that asshole." Yes, Jia''s distance from my colonists is still quite far. I had asked Miro to bring the horse he was riding closer to the evil man so that the Merman could shoot more easily. However, since Miro had been doing it for too long without any results, I ordered the Merman to fire now. There''s something strange. As I recall, Jia used to only have a very low animal stat, not even ten. I don''t understand why he can control the horse so well. In this game, the animal stat will affect the speed of the horse being ridden. Take Miro, for example, who is already quite far ahead of hisrades. He has animal stat of 70. If Miro followed my orders, we might not have been able to catch up with Jia. I still need to learn, even though I''ve been ying this game for quite long time. After a few minutes of aiming, the Merman finally pulled the trigger. However, instead of shooting high-pressure water, the muzzle rifle exploded and sttered the clear liquid everywhere.. Miro''s horse suddenly panicked and moved wildly. Chapter 207 - 207 – The Rescue (4) "Okay, okay! I will handle this!" Miro tried to control his horse which was moving wildly, while keeping the Merman''s body from falling. "Sorry, we go first!" Leva passed Miro along with Eric. Jia looked back, took out a wooden tube bomb with a wick from under his robes, and sped it in his armpit. Then, he rubbed two fire stones against each other. One time he couldn''t do it because he had to keep his bnce, and on the second try, he failed too. Only on the third asion did he manage to burn the bomb''s fuse, which immediately began to smoke. "A gift!!!" The bastard threw the bomb backward. The bomb rolled on the ground toward the horse Leva was riding. The red-haired woman had tried to swerve her horse, but her ride only moved slightly from the track. Maybe it happened because Leva wasn''t good at riding a horse. "Shit!" Levi cursed. The bomb exploded with a thunderous sound. Leva''s horse wasn''t directly hit, but the explosion''s impact was enough to knock him down. Leva''s body was thrown far away before finallynding with a loud thud. The woman groaned in pain. She held onto her left forearm that bent in the wrong direction. I checked the red-haired woman. And when I found out she was still alive, I went back to Eric. Well, Leva didn''t need help because she would definitely get better on her own. Fortunately, Miro had managed to control his horse and joined the chase. Now, we left the meadow, passing through a barren stretch ofnd with no nts at all. "Are you sure that rifle won''t explode again!?" Eric shouted. The female Merman took aim with her weapon again. "I don''t know, but we have no other choice!" Miro answered while shrugging his shoulders. "She has been fiddling with this thing. We can only hope for the best." "Shoot it! Aim for the horse''s body!" I gave the order when Miro''s horse distance had advanced enough. The rifle managed to spray high-pressure water this time, hitting Jia''s horse directly. The horse immediately fell, sending Kat and Jia flying. Kat was the one who had the most impact. If Jia was fully dressed, the girl was rolling on the groundpletely naked and tied up. I could see her whimpering in pain, but she didn''t break a bone. Her head also didn''t hit the ground. Only the wounds on her body made me wince. The multiple friction wounds on his body were flesh-colored and bloody. Jia got up with difficulty and removed his mask, revealing his head which was apparently full of burn marks. The top is only covered with sparse hair. The man looked more like a monster than a human. "How dare you get in the way of our love!" Jia took out a rope with stones tied at both ends, twirled it in the air, then threw it. The rope sped through the air, spun around, then entangled the leg of the horse Miro was riding. The horse fell hard. Fortunately, Miro had time to hug the Merman''s body tightly. The two of them rolled on the ground, with Miro protecting the Merman. When they finally stopped, the Merman on top of Miro looked at the man''s face. Miro just closed one eye, did not look in pain at all. Meanwhile, the Merman did not get injured. The half-fish seemed to be talking, perhaps thanking its savior. Why can Jia throw like that? This is not normal. I checked the parameters of that bastard. [Jia, 33 years old (Nomad Leader)] Ranged Attack: 78/100 Melee Attack: 83/100 What the fuck? Last I saw, this bastard''s ranged attack stat was still in the single digits. Is there a trait that allows him to increase stats in a short time? Jia starts twirling the second rope. I immediately shouted at Eric to just jump. Controlled jumps are much better than sudden and unnned jumps. I''m also sure Eric can do that well. He''s well trained. Before the horse''s legs caught the rope, Eric jumped and rolled on the ground with his arms folded across his chest. Sure enough, he didn''t get any significant injuries and could get up straight away without any trouble. However, now the rocky rope threw at Eric. The man still managed to dodge, though his temples were grazed by the rock on the rope. It did bleed, but luckily it wasn''t too deep. Ah, maybe Eric jumped too fast, so Jia still had time to change the direction of his throw. Sitting on the ground, the Merman tried to shoot with her rifle, but the weapon wouldn''t respond properly. So, the half-fish creature was hitting the thing to get back to work. Miro patted the Merman''s shoulder, then stood up. Eric''s horse had run off to nowhere. Miro''s horse was able to untie its legs and run too, while Jia''s horsey covered in blood. In the area full of dust flying like smoke, Eric was already walking towards Jia with his katana drawn. Miro took the oversized hammer from his back and stepped forward too, ready to strike. Their goal is clear, to save Kat, who is struggling to untie her body. She squirmed on the ground, a few meters behind Jia. Jia''s teeth gritted, his eyes ring at my two male colonists. He took out other things from under his robes. Two brass knuckles made of metal. "I was already intending to leave the group so that the two of us could live happily!!!" Jia roared like a hungry beast, already wearing the brass knuckles. "Why did you have to destroy our dreams!!!" "I think your definition of happy is different from ordinary people," Miro replied in a cold tone. "Let me guess, you forced Kat to see the torture you put on those women, right?" "Kill Him." I snorted in anger. People like this shouldn''t exist in the world. "I will kill you, and I will live happily with Kat!!!" Jia started to run forward to my two colonists, already standing in a row. "Argggghhhh!!!" [Jia, 33 years old (Nomad Leader)] Ranged Attack: 8/100 Melee Attack: 100/100 Chapter 208 - 208 – The Mad Man Miro blocked Jia''s fist with the hilt of his hammer. The impact of the brass knuckle and the metal handle was quite loud. Eric stepped forward to thrust the katana at Jia, but the bastard was able to back off. I can see Eric and Miro are more careful than usual. That''s because Jia''s attacks are faster, and more precise than ordinary fighters. Every punch that man makes is like it could kill you. It made Eric and Miro dodge or block more. They can''t attack at all. A strange sight for sure. Jia was only one person, and he was fighting two. The female merman was still trying to shoot with her dead rifle. I ordered her toe over to Kat and untie the amber-eyed girl''s body. At first, the merman attempted to stand up but immediately fell. So, she chose to crawl while still holding her weapon. I also ordered two of my colonists to lead Jia away from Kat. Miro and Eric are now more defensive and more withdrawn. Jia continued to attack aggressively, but none of his fists hit the two men. Maybe it''s thanks to Eric''s agility, as well as Miro''s fighting experience. "You won''t be able to take Katherine from me!" This time Jia used his feet. He jumped up and kicked Eric in the chest until the man fell backward. Miro didn''t waste this chance. He swung his hammer at Jia''s head. However, Jia was able to duck down and deliver abination fist to the big tall man''s stomach. Miro staggers back, and Jia holds the hammer. Jia then kicked Miro''s stomach hard. Miro didn''t fall over like Eric, just stumbled backward, but that was enough for Jia to grab the hammer. With one swing, the hammer hit Miro hard, knocking the big tall man down with the side of his head covered in blood. "The thing is¡­." Jia threw Miro''s hammer far away. "After getting this power, I prefer to use my hands." Jia raised her fist high, was about to beat up the already helpless Miro. However, from beside him, Eric came at high speed, ready to swing the katana. "Akkkkhhhh!!!" It wasn''t the shriek from Jia, but from Eric, who was punched in the stomach by that bastard. Eric immediately couldn''t move, and after that, his face was hit by Jia''s fist. As soon as Eric fell, Jia upied the stomach of my male colonist. "Die!!!" Jia punched Eric in the face again. Once, twice, three times¡­. My male colonist''s face began to stter with blood. Miro suddenly hugged Jia''s body from behind. The big tall man threw Jia far away, then crouched down to check on Eric. Eric could only moan in pain while holding his bloody face. He had only received three hits to the face, but that brass knuckle must have had huge impacts. Miro could not crouch for long. Jia got up and ran towards the big man. Miro also got up, walked past Eric, already preparing to fight. His hands were clenched in front of his face like boxers. Jia delivers another brutal punchbination. I ordered Eric to avoid the ce, then got up and joined the attack. However, it turned out that the man could not stand. He could only creep away. Shit. Miro couldn''t do anything against his enemy''s attack. The big tall man could only protect his head using his two forearms. I have to think of another way. My eyes wandered around and finally fixed on the water rifle that the merman was still holding. Beside her, Kat was sitting on the ground. The woman was finally free but could only watch the fight. "Hey, can you tune that rifle to explode, like earlier? If so, set it to explode when thrown at Jia! Make the explosion as big as possible!" I ordered the merman, who immediately started fiddling with the rifle in her hand. "And you, Kat! Get some rock or something hard and throwable!" Then, I gave another instruction to my men to carry out my n. The merman had stopped fiddling with his weapon, now waiting for the right moment. Her hand was already holding a small part in the inside of the rifle whose casing was partly opened. Miro finally gets a chance to catch Jia''s body and throw him again. After doing so, Miro knelt down and was out of breath. Jia bounced back with an expression that showed even more anger. The merman pulled out that small part of her rifle, then threw the weapon at the bastard who started running. A massive explosion of water sent Jia''s body flying into the air before finallynding hard. Miro sat down on the ground, looked at Jia, who was now motionless, face down on the ground. Is this over? Just as the question shed through my head, I saw Jia''s body twitch. The bastard started to rise to his feet, albeit with difficulty. His body was now so wet, and his head was covered in blood. What the fuck? Why is he still standing? The explosion was tremendous. Miro looked very exhausted, Eric could only lie down with blood rushing down his face, and the merman was no longer holding his rifle. "Die¡­ Die, all of you¡­." Jia hissed in a voice that gave me goosebumps. His expression was bing more terrifying, no longer like a beast, but a demon ready to ughter you. And suddenly, his body staggered to the side. His left temple had just been struck by a rock the size of a fist. With a stiff motion, the man turned his head towards the direction the stone hade from. Kat, stillpletely naked, threw a second stone but missed and only grazed Jia''s shoulder. The ugly-faced man chuckled. "You mad that I took too long to finish them, Katherine? Oh, take it easy, Honey. I promise to end all this soon. After that, we will visit a beautiful ce. A ce we will live in for the rest of our lives." This man is absolutely insane. Kat could only stare at her captor with heavy breath.. The amber-eyed girl''s face¡ªsmeared with dirt and abrasions¡ªstill showed no meaningful expression. Chapter 209 - 209 – Crazy Love "Looks like I''mte for this party, huh?" Leva came with her left hand hanging down and her right hand holding the machete. The abrasions on her body were barely visible, leaving only a few scars, which would eventually disappear altogether. "How could that be? Why do you still look so healthy? I saw your fall¡­." Jia widened his eyes at Leva, but secondster, the man chuckled. "Ah, you made a pact with the devil too, huh?" Levi frowned. I can tell the meaning of Jia''s words. "Well, I got this power by being a good person." Leva shrugged, stopping near Miro, who was still sitting. "Hey, can you still fight, big man?" "Yes. I can still fight." Miro caught his breath but never showed any sign of getting up. "No, you can''t fight anymore." Leva sneered, then looked at Eric, who seemed to be trying to get up. Seb''s son''s face was still covered in blood. "And Eric can''t fight either." "I can still fight." Miro persisted, and his body shuddered, but he still didn''t get up. "But fighting can''t just be done sitting down." Leva''s gaze was finally fixed on Jia, who now seemed a bit struggling to keep his bnce to his feet. "Fine then. I''ll do it myself." Leva ran as fast as she could to Jia, making the first sh with her big machete. Jia immediately dodged and punched Leva in the face. However, Leva was able to duck and give a thrust to Jia''s stomach. Unfortunately, that man was still able to avoid the attack. Jia''s movements were not as agile and smooth as before. Several times he was almost hit by Leva''s sh. Besides that, the bad guy''s punch was not as explosive as before being hit by the water st. "Arrgghhh!!!" Screaming in frustration, Jia kicked Leva''s chest until she was pushed, but the red-haired woman was able to use the momentum. Instead of falling, she rolled backward. She immediately stood up, ready to face Jia''s attacking at her. Previously Leva could counterattack, although Jia had always avoided it. But, this time, she was pushed back by Jia''s barrage of fists. I do not understand. How could that man still have the stamina at a time like this? His movements also seem to return to the way they were at the beginning of the fight. Fast and on target. "Die!!! Die!!! Die!!!" Jia roars again, continuing to give fistbinations. Leva had more and more trouble dodging, and in the end, she got hit in the ribs by Jia. The red-haired woman desperately maintained her bnce not to fall. Luckily Jia was out of breath and couldn''t immediately continue his attack. However, Leva couldn''t take it anymore. She finally knelt down while wincing in pain. "You all really annoy me." Gritted his teeth, Jia came to Leva. However, the man staggered forward. A few yards behind him, Kat was in a pose as if she had just thrown something. Apparently, she had just picked up the rock she had used to attack Jia earlier, then tossed it back at the evil man. Still wincing in pain, Leva forced herself to swing her machete, which instantly shed at Jia''s leg. The man fell down screaming in pain, and Leva wasted no time. My female colonist raised her machete. The machete dived down, but Jia managed to catch Leva''s hand. "You can''t separate us!!! We love each other!!!" Jia red so wide that his eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets. "I just need to make Katherine understand true beauty!!!" Leva opened her mouth, surprised that her hands had started to move towards her again. And then, Kat arrives and helps Leva push the machete. And that''s not enough. Jia was still able to hold the machete from hitting his face. Then, Eric came to help. However, the man''s arrival didn''t help much too. The machete only moved a few inches to Jia''s face. And finally, Miro came and helped push the machete. "Arrgggghhhh!!!" Jia screamed as the machete came closer to his face before finally piercing his skull to the back of his head. The man''s hands fell to the ground. The blood from his head started to puddle. My colonists let go of the machete, leaving it still stuck in the ugly-looking man''s face. I breathed a sigh of relief. "Good grief!" Leva examined Kat''s body which was full of nasty friction wounds. Instead of answering, Kat hugged Leva''s body and started crying. These are the moments where Kat shows her expression. It was as if something had exploded inside her. Something she had been holding back for the past few days. However, I wouldn''t put it in the screenshots or videos directory. Leva hugged the girl back, smiling and crying too. "You''re safe now, Kat." And the view in my eyes has nowpletely changed. Everything went blurry, except for Jia''s body which was still lying on the ground. "Hello, we meet again." The orange transparent figure came towards me. "How are you?" "What did you do to him?" I don''t want to mince words and ask in a hostile tone. "He''s not normal." "I saved him from that big fire." H started tearing the clothes on Jia''s body with ease, like people tearing papers. "And I also gave him that incredible power at a fee." "You really are insane." "What? You don''t want one of your folks to get something like this? The traits you get are very useful, you know." I can''t move at all now. My mind is also nk, and I can''t think of a proper reply. "But, are you happy that he''s my toy now? This time, I got the bad person, not innocent like the previous two you saw." H shrugged, pulled the machete still stuck in Jia''s face, looked at the bloodstained object for a moment, then threw it away. "What''s your real goal? What do you mean by making them your toy?" I asked again. H takes out a transparent leash from his hand, which extends and then entangles the neck of Jia''s corpse. "Well, in this world, not all of your questions will be answered." And just like that, I saw H dragging Jia''s corpse, whose face was decorated with gaping wounds.. Then, the transparent orange-colored figure vanished without a trace. Chapter 210 - 210 – Some Conditions The mermans picked up my colonists and carried some of them up. When they arrived at the campsite, Kat looked around. Shortly after, a barking sound was heard. Rex approached his master with his tail wagging and tongue hanging out. Kat--now wearing a shirt from Eric--knelt down and embraced the dog. Rex jumped into the amber-eyed girl''s arms. "You miss me, boy?" Kat closed her eyes, rubbed her dog''s head with tears that were almost falling from the corners of her eyes. Rex sniffed the wounds on Kat''s body, then looked at his master''s face with a sad expression. "I''m fine, boy." Kat smiled slightly. Manues to the girl. "Follow me. There''s someone who can heal your wound, Kat." The man then looked at the others. "You guys also need to be treated... It looks like you don''t need to, Leva." "Yes, my broken left hand will soon heal." Leva looked at her forearm with a sneer. "Let the others be treated." "Okay then,e on." Manu led the others to leave, while Leva came to the center of the camp apanied by several mermans. There, Leva found the residents of the nomads already sitting on the ground with their hands on their heads. Luckily, the girls were already dressed. They were all guarded by mermans with spears and rifles. I counted the number of those people. Neen for the women and only ten for the men. Before approaching the nomads, Leva stopped in front of a merman lying on the ground. Their bodies and heads were covered with sheets of cloth. Leva bowed to one of the mermans guarding the bodies. The merman replied with a slight nod. Quite an extraordinary feat. The army of half-fish came in fifty, and not a fifth died. The damage taken by those who were still alive wasn''t too bad either. However, some of their armor was cracked and even had holes, having to be patched up with something that looked like hardened cement dough. Some of the ss helmets they were wearing were also cracked. However, the dead are still the dead. They may have family or close people who love them. All of this is just to save a woman. Leva moved in front of the nomads, who still looked timid. "Is there anyone who can do psychic?" Leva asked while looking at the people. "If anyone can, please activate your powers now." Leva said that, on my orders. The nomads turned to a thin woman with brown hair and a face full of pimples. The woman looked confused but finally closed her eyes. A transparent light-yellow figure appeared not far from the nomad members. He flinched when he saw me. As soon as I pressed the pause button, he looked at the people who hade to aplete stop. I did that on purpose because I didn''t know how strong the psychic power was. By pausing everything, I don''t have to worry about the guardian spirit figure disappearing before I finish saying what I want. "What? What happened?" The yellow figure let out a voice mixed between panic and fear. "That is not important." I approached the figure. "My question is, why would you do such a crazy thing to your own people? Why do you allow men to torture women?" "Wait a minute..." The yellow guardian spirit sounded even more panicked. He took a deep breath, then babbled. "Okay, listen to me. Believe it or not, I was only born a few months ago. I appeared in this world because Jia brainwashed some of the men of a colony to run away and kidnap the women of the colony. Then he and his group raided other tribes, brainwashing men and kidnapping women again. It keeps happening... Hey, are you listening to me?" "Of course. I''m listening to you." I was surprised by the question. "Well, I couldn''t see your expression, so I was worried... Okay, that''s not important. Anyway, since Jia created this nomadic group, I was born. I knew right away that my job was to direct the group, but..." The figure choked. "But what?" "I don''t feel like I''m who I really am. They don''t want to follow my orders, but they do what Jia says." The figure shook his head. "I can only watch them move, I can''t guide them at all, I can''t stop them from doing this heinous thing." "How can I believe your story?" I asked in a sarcastic tone. "So, you want to take care of all these people alone?" The yellow guardian spirit was on his hips. His tone changed drastically to a sharper one. "What do you mean?" The yellow figure shrugged. "From what you''ve said, Ie to the conclusion that you don''t want me to take care of them, do you? Because you think I''m evil and let all this happen? Well, you have two choices, take all these people, or kill them." "Wow, you really are smart, aren''t you?" I didugh, but I admit what he said was true. I''m not in a position to add members this much. Suddenly the guardian spirit grabbed his knees and took a deep breath. With a trembling and discordant voice, he said again. "S-sorry. I''ve never interacted with other people before. I was so confused and just dared to say something like that." "So, you will continue this group while still making it a nomad?" "No." The guardian spirit straightened its body. "I decided to just make them stay here, thend is fertile, and I think there are enough wild animals to hunt." "Are you sure you can handle them all? You said you weren''t born long, right?" The yellow shook his head. "Of course, I''m not sure." I thought for a moment, facing the mech in the distance. "I feel these women don''t deserve to die. They are very deserving of another chance." "So, you''re not going to kill them, are you?" The yellow one breathed a sigh of relief. "As expected, you are a good person." "But I have some conditions.." I looked at the guardian spirit again. Chapter 211 - 211 – A Narcissistic Bastard Some of the Mermans grabbed the men and took them elsewhere. This left the nomad women confused and looking worried. "You don''t love them, do you?" Leva shrugged with a sneer, then pointed at the short-haired woman who was Tom''s wife. "Ah, except for you, of course." The woman crawled forward, making all the rifled mermans aim at her. Leva raised her hand to signal the half-fish creatures not to shoot. "Please, don''t kill Tom!" The woman wept bitterly. "He did Jia''s will to survive! If he refuses, he will be ughtered! He was forced tomit all those atrocities!" "Lies! That man also whipped me so many times!" Another woman answered. The others shouted along, causing the situation to be chaotic. Tom''s wife couldn''t help but cry. "Silence!!" Leva gave a thunderous scream, making the women shut up. Then, the red-haired woman spoke to Tom''s wife again. "You, what''s your name?" "My name is Yvonne, madam." The woman wiped her tears. "Okay, Yvonne. Youe with me to my tribe." Leva said ording to my orders. "With those guys, to avoid any trouble that might arise." Yvonne widened her eyes, speechless. Then, from behind, another woman raised a hand. Levi frowned. "Your name is Alice, right? What''s wrong?" The braided woman stood up, massaging the nape of her neck with an awkward expression. She flinched when she realized one of the rifled mermans was aiming at her. "Errrr... Well... Can I join you too? I mean with your tribe? Join your tribe?" Alice spoke in an incoherent tone, then grimaced. "Why do you want to join us?" Alice was silent for a few seconds. "Well, you guys are good people... It seems... I mean, you guys are really good people, of course." "What?" Leva''s frown deepened. Alice grimaced again. "Isn''t that reason enough?" "If she does say you guys are good people, then she will really think you guys are good people, so the reason she wants to join you guys is really because you guys are good people." One of the nomad women added. Hmmm... Interesting. "So, what''s her most valuable skill?" I asked Yellow. "Farming, and she''s very passionate about it... At least I heard from her chats... Under Jia''s leadership, she was demoted to just a maid and a sex ve." The guardian spirit answered. [Alice, 23 years old. (ve)] Ranged Attack: 60/100 Melee attack: 11/100 "Alright, I''ll bring her too." I went to Leva to give orders. "Damn, even though she is my favorite." Yellow sighed in disappointment. "Okay, youe with us." Leva gestured for Alice to approach her. Alice clenched her fists and smiled widely, then jogged up to Leva. It made me feel like I saw a child acting up, even though Alice was already over twenty. "Right now, we are tired, and some of our friends are injured. We need rest. So, we will spend the night here before going back to our home tomorrow." Leva exined in a firm tone. "And sorry in advance, we''ll be taking some of your supplies. Well, most of your members are gone, so you don''t need that many supplies, do you? Does anyone disagree?" The women remained silent, some exchanging timid nces with each other. It may sound selfish, but I don''t want to let go of this opportunity. After all, taking some of their supplies didn''t mean they would die. "And after this, you can all be free." Levi continued. "We won''t bother you anymore. Well, as long as you don''t bother us." The nomad women looked at Leva. Some were surprised even though it was already obvious, some cried gratefully, almost all of them said thank you. "Don''t make me regret this, Yellow," I spoke in a cold tone. "Take care of them. If you mess with my colony, you and your colony will get even more terrible retribution than this." "Well, you don''t have to worry." Yellow sighed. "I thank you for saving them." "And one more..." Leva added. "We will take the metal giant." *** It was morning, my colonists and Alice made their way back home aboard the mech. Meanwhile, the mermans walked on the ground escorting Jia''s henchmen. Yvonne did not go on the mech and instead walked beside her husband. I checked the mech driver in the cockpit, a man with a long beard and curly ck hair. He just kept ncing at a merman who was guarding beside him. "This is awesome!!!" Leva spread her arms. Her hair and clothes fluttered in the wind. "This is not possible." Manu shook his head as he crouched down, looking around a few times with stiff movements. "How could something this big move like this?" "Haven''t you heard of the legend of this iron giant?" Eric, whose face was full of bandages, chimed in. "Yeah, but they didn''t tell me that this thing would... Fuuuuuckkkkk!!!" Manu stuttered as the mech shook. The others werepletely unaffected because the shaking wasn''t too strong. They were passing through a rtively t meadow. "Noooo, please!!! Let me get out of here!!!" Manu shouted while holding on to one of the mech pieces. "I have to admit, this thing is amazing." Miro moved to sit next to Leva, but the amber-eyed woman just walked away with her dog. Sighing, Miro continued his words. "But, I hate it." Leva turned to face Miro, looking in disbelief at what she had just heard. "What did you say? Why do you say that!? This is such an extraordinary thing!" "Imagine if this thing also belongs to other tribes. The war we know about doesn''t exist anymore. I thought firearms were bad enough, but this is much worse." Miro exined in a cold tone. "And imagine if at that time Jia decided to attack your tribe with this thing, without checking the inhabitants first." "Ah, that would be terrible," Alice replied with trembling lips. "The reason Jia rarely uses this thing for raids is because of its incredible killing power. Jia wouldn''t have had time to brainwash the boys and kidnap the girls if this thing had fired its hot metals." "Why didn''t he bring this thing as a threat then." Levi raised an eyebrow. Alice shrugged stiffly. "I heard, another reason he didn''t want to use this thing anymore was that he would be less scary. This thing is more intimidating than Jia." What a narcissistic bastard. Chapter 212 - 212 – Their Meeting Re''i gasped when finally my colonists and the merman troop reached my colony. The king couldn''t take his eyes off the fifteen-meter-high mech my colonists were riding. "Ah, a mech." But, Gwen was not excited. "Yes, a mech." Seb looked sad to see that war weapon. It was natural for him to be a lover of peace. The mech was parked near the big tree in a kneeling position, and then my colonists descended on a rope. The pilot and the merman guarding him alsonded on the ground. "Ah, so nice to see you again, Kat." Gwen hugged Kat, who was actually just passing by. Rex just looked at the two women. Kat hissed in pain, and Gwen immediately let go of her arm, examining the amber-eyed woman''s body, which was now covered in bandages. "Looks like what happened to you was quite troublesome, huh?" Gwen grimaced. "Come on in, let me check on you..." "Later, Gwen. There''s something more important." I cut off the blonde-haired woman''s words. "Orter." Gwen nced at me. The mermans lined up Jia''s men near the tree and forced them to kneel down. Including the mech pilot. Then, the other mermans pulled Alice and Yvonne to their knees with the men. "Excuse me... Didn''t you all agree that I should join you?" Alice asked nervously as the mermans began to tie the people up. "Sorry, but we can''t believe you yet, Alice," Leva exined in a cold tone. "It''s only for a moment, really. If you''re a really good person, you''ll survive." Alice widened her eyes and was speechless. "I know it might be hard," I spoke to Gwen. "But can you take a peek at each one of them and see if they''re not going to betray or do bad things? Basically, you make sure they''re good people or not." Gwen opened her mouth slightly, swallowed hard, then walked over to Leva and my other colonists. "You all know what we have to do, don''t you?" "Yes, we already know. We discussed it on the way." Manu starts walking back to temporary shelter. "I''ll get you something sharper." My captives flinched. One of them even tried to run away and screamed, but some of the mermans held him back. "What... Why? Even though I wanted to help you guys...." Alice started to cry. "It''s no use crying, Alice." Yvonne sighed. "As expected, things won''t be that easy." Tom shouted, "Let go of Yvonne! She''s innocent. I''m the only one..." "Shut up!" Leva pointed at the man with her machete. "We will prove it our way!" Widening his eyes, Seb came up to my other colonists. "Hey, what are you guys going to do!?" "Shut up and get out of here, Seb." I gave orders. However, the man just stood there with his breath starting to rise and fall. Eric then approached his father. "You''d better go in, Seb." Eric patted his father''s shoulder. Seb looked at his son''s face for a moment, then walked away shaking. When Seb is far enough away, Gwen came upon the first captive, a man with a scarred face. The blonde woman then knelt down and pressed her forehead to the prisoner''s. The prisoner''s chin dropped, then secondster, Gwen turned to Leva and shook her head. Just then, Manu had returned, wiping arge sword. The prisoners immediately trembled. Some even cried. When someone spoke, their mouth was gagged by the mermans. "Let me do it." Leva took the sword from Manu''s hand while the first captive was forced to get up by the mermans. "If you''re tired, I''m ready to do it too," Manu replies in a cold tone. "I also want to do something to them." Leva moved to one of therge rocks some distance from the shelter. There two mermans forced the captive to lie face down on the rock. "Wait! Wait! I''m sorry! I know it''s wrong to torture and **** women, but I was influenced by Jia!" The prisoner was crying hysterically. "Please, don''t kill me! I promise to change!" I don''t want to take the risk. He could have betrayed us in the future. After all, someone like him deserved this kind of punishment. One bad person will disappear from the face of this. "Please!!! I''m willing to do anything for you!!!" The prisoner''s cries grew louder, and the mermans needed more effort to hold him against the rock. "I beg of you!!!" Levi doesn''t care. Her eyes focused on one point: the back of the prisoner''s neck. The red-haired woman stuck the tip of the sword in her hand to that part. Then, she raised the weapon up high. "Nooooo!!!" The prisoner shouted in a thunderous voice. Leva swung the sword downwards with speed and precision. With a single sh, the man''s head was severed, flung out in a spurt of blood, before finallynding on the ground with a roll. The expression of horror is still etched in the captive''s head. The prisoners were getting more and more scared. Their bodies shook violently, and almost all of them were crying. Only Yvonne looked calm, closing her eyes in silence. Seeing that, Tom also closed his eyes, smiling bitterly. "At least we''ll die together, honey." On the other hand, Alice could only widen her eyes with a pale face. Her pants started to get wet with her urine. Kat crouched down in front of the petite woman, then said. "Alice, you''ll be fine. You were one of the nicest to me while I was there." Seeing Kat''s expressionless face, Alice burst into tears again instead. "You have no right to judge our actions." One of the prisoners growled and red at my colonists. "Oh, the only one with absolute right to judge is god, sir." Manu crouched down, sneering. "We''re just making you and your friends meet him sooner." Gwen, who still looked shocked at what had just happened, hadn''t read the next prisoner''s thoughts. The woman froze with a pale face. Re''i came to the woman and patted her on the shoulder. The psychic girl looked at the smiling king, then took a deep breath. "Okay, I''ll do it.." Gwen grabbed the second captive''s head, then brought her forehead closer to the prisoner''s. Chapter 213 - 213 – The Final Judgment There were only four prisoners left. Gwen was now in front of the pilot, who was shaking violently. "I need a moment." Gwen caught her breath. Her body is now covered in sweat, and her face is getting paler. I''m sure it wasn''t because she had overused her psychic powers, but because of the mental stress she was suffering from. "Cruel... This is so cruel..." Alice was still crying. "Even though one of the reasons I joined you guys is because you guys don''t seem cruel. You all look different from Jia''s people." "This will all be over soon, Alice," Kat said, still with her expressionless face. "We don''t want to take any more risks by adding random people," Manu added. "We have to make sure first. After this, we guarantee that you won''t get any harm. You will be protected, your belly will be full every day, you will find a ce to live... Well, even though our house is still working in progress." "I admire all of you." Miro pped his hands lightly. "At first, I had the impression that you guys were too naive. But, it turns out that you all have the guts to do what needs to be done." "Well, we''ve learned, sometimes the hard way," Manu speaks again. Gwen went back to her job of reading minds. She pressed her head against the pilot''s for a moment, then turned to the others. "He''s good." The blonde woman hissed. "Great." Manu untied the pilot with Eric''s help. The pilot looked at his trembling hands, then burst into tears. "Thank you, I will never forget this! Thank you for giving me the opportunity." "What''s your name? I forgot." Leva came to the pilot while cleaning her sword with a cloth. "I''m Peter!" The pilot stood up. [New colony acquired] [Peter Smith, 32 years old (Prisoner)] STATS: Ranged attacks: 62/100* Melee attacks: 60/100* Construction: 22/100 Crafting: 58/100 Cook: 11/100 nt: 23/100 Mining: 3/100 Animal: - /100 Medic: 44/100 TRAITS: Heavy Drinker ¨C Peter is very fond of alcohol. He will continue to consume any avable alcohol, even if you forbid it. INCAPABLE OF: Animal HEALTH ISSUES: - Ah, he has ast name. Meaning he is a former crasnded. That exined his ability to ride a mech. Leva wore a smile, showing no sign of remorse or guilt for beheading so many people. "Wee to... Well, we still don''t have a name. Anyway, wee to join us." "Come on." Manu gestured for Peter to follow him. "Come into our temporary residence. You''re hungry, right? Or do you want to rest first? It''s quite a journey here." Peter nodded excitedly, then left the other captives apanied by Manu. "Okay, three more, Gwen. You can do it." Gwen patted her own cheek, then turned to check Tom''s thoughts. It took only a few seconds. Gwen looked at the others. "He''s good too." It wasn''t Tom who breathed a sigh of relief but his wife, Yvonne. [New colony acquired] [Tom, 32 years old (Prisoner)] STATS: Ranged attack: 11/100 Melee attack: 80/100* Construction: 75/100** Crafting: 19/100 Cook: 8/100 nt: 2/100 Mining: 5/100 Animal: 13 /100 Medic: 24/100 TRAITS: Stats Changer - Tom can change any part of his stats, but it''s just a trick. Actually, that stat didn''t change. He could only do this in one stat. Agile hands - Tom''s hands can move very fast in doing anything. INCAPABLE OF: - HEALTH ISSUES: - Well, he would be a great addition. With this, I have three builders. The house will be finished quickly at this rate. "You too,e over here." Manu, who apanied Peter at the shelter, signaled to Tom. Even though Eric had untied his body, Tom didn''t immediately stand up. He chose to remain on his knees and speak. "I''m waiting for my wife." "Everything will be fine, Tom." Yvonne sighed. Yvonne closed her eyes as her thoughts were about to be examined. This time the woman didn''t seem frightened at all. Instead, it was Tom who was tense. He looked at his wife with a trembling body and an uncontroble breath. We waited too, but Gwen took longer than before. Usually, it only takes a minute at most. And to make the situation even more confusing, Gwen frowned. She had never been like that when examining other prisoners. I was about to ask Gwen, but the woman had already pulled herself away from Yvonne. "Ah, she''s fine." [Yvonne, 33 years old (Prisoner)] [New colony acquired] STATS: Ranged attack: -/100 Melee attack: 70/100* Construction: 16/100 Crafting: 45/100 Cook: 82/100** nt: 15/100 Mining: - /100 Animal: 12/100 Medic: 24/100 TRAITS: - INCAPABLE OF: Ranged Attack Mining HEALTH ISSUES: - Yvonne breathed a sigh of relief, and Tom immediately hugged her. Both husband and wife immediately burst into tears. "Okay, now thest one..." Gwen massaged the nape of her neck, shifting in front of Alice. "I''m really a good person... At least I keep trying to be a good person... I can''t even kill bugs." Alice spoke in an indistinct voice. She continued to cry, even to the point of blowing her nose. "Please don''t talk too much, or I''ll have a hard time reading your mind," Gwen asked. Alice closed her eyes with tears that wouldn''t stop. Then, Gwen pressed her forehead against the petite woman''s. But, in just a second, Gwen had pulled away. "Okay, she''s definitely good." Alice opened her mouth wide and took a deep breath simultaneously. It made her choke. As expected, this woman is unique. [New colony acquired] [Alice, 23 years old (Prisoner)] STATS: Ranged Attack: 60/100 Melee attack: 11/100 Construction: 2/100 Crafting: 3/100 Cook: 6/100 nt: 87/100** Mining: 1 /100 Animal: 7/100 Medic: 16/100 TRAITS: - INCAPABLE OF: - HEALTH ISSUES: - "Okay, wee to our nameless tribe." Manu ps. "Please,e with me. You need some rest, right?" "Ah... I want to change my pants first... Well, you know... The one I''m wearing now is wet." Alice grimaced stiffly. "Ah, you can use mine." Kat then apanied Alice to the shelter. Gwen got to her feet and almost stumbled, but Leva and Re''i managed to help her stay on her feet. "Looks like I need some fresh air... Far from here where there''s no smell of blood." Gwen sighed. "Whatever you want. You''ve worked hard. Thank you, Gwen." Levi smiled widely. "If you need anything, you just say it. Hell, now you''re free to get naked if you want." "Thank you, appreciate it." Gwen smiled back, albeit weakly. "I''m going for a little walk." However, Gwen''s steps were blocked by Re''i, who looked worried for her. Gwen was forced to make a telepathicmunication to the king before moving on. And the blonde-haired woman signaled me to follow her. Chapter 214 - 214 – Very Important Reason "Well, it really exhausts me." Gwen shook her head as we got behind therge rock we used to chat with. "Not because of his psychic activity, but peeking into the minds of that many people is a very stressful job for me." "I''m sorry. I know this execution looks cruel...." "No, I understand." Gwen massaged her forehead. "We can''t let people like them run around. Well, I hope something like this doesn''t happen again, where I have to check the minds of so many people." I was stunned to hear that answer. "I''m surprised you said that, Gwen." "If you could also read people''s minds, then you would understand. The men brought here are almost all evil. They have bad intentions." Gwen sighed. "I''m not saying all men are crooks like them. They might actually be influenced by that guy named Jia. However, you''d be surprised how many humans have the seeds of evil in their hearts... Not only men but women too." "Ah, you know that from your experience in the experiment." I rubbed my chin. "I''m sure it wasn''t fun at all." "You''ve no idea." Gwenughed bitterly, but it was only for a moment. "However, I didn''t bring you here to talk about this. I have a question." "Because of that one person, right?" Gwen slightly approached me. "That''s right. Among the four people who have been released, there is one with evil thoughts. But, why would you just let that person go?" "I can''t tell you right now. But someday, you''ll know." I stroked the woman''s cheek. "You only need to know one thing. I''m doing this for a reason. A very important reason." You wouldn''t understand, Gwen. Gwen closed her eyes. "When? When are you going to tell me? Don''t make me think about this all the time, please. Soon I''ll have to leave here and join the mermans. After that, we won''t be able tomunicate anymore." "Soon." If I had a mouth, I would smile at this woman. "Now rest. You deserve it." "I will." Gwen took a deep breath. "But don''t you really have anything else to tell me?" I paused for a moment, shrugging. "No." Shaking her head, Gwen left me speechless. *** The fire had soared high, burning the corpses of Jia''s men. The mermaids chose to retreat and watched the giant mes from a distance. Almost all of my colonists gathered there or rested in a temporary shelter near a big tree. Only one still separates himself from the others. Seb was sitting beside the river, looking into the distance. Eric kept looking at his father. At first, I asked him and Manu to oversee the cremation, but now there might be something more important. "Looks like your dad needs someone to talk to," I whispered to Eric. "You''d better go where he is now. Talk to him." "Manu, I''m going to my dad," Eric told his partner. "See ya." Manu just gave a thumbs up, and Eric left the ce, went to his father, who was still sitting by the river. "Son... I mean, Eric. Have your wounds healed yet?" Seb asked without seeing his son''s face. Eric slightly rubbed the bandages on his face. "At least I can move." Seb took a deep breath. "Eric, I want to ask you. Did you also see that many people died after arriving at this ce?" "Well, several times." "Why does everything have to be resolved with violence? Can''t we just sit down together to talk about the problem at hand? Wouldn''t everything be beautiful if it was resolved peacefully?" This naive man irritated me so much. After all that had happened, how could he still think like that? I didn''t care anymore and asked Eric to say what I wanted to say. "When the enemy is about to get violent, where do you usually go, Dad?" Eric did ask that, but his tone sounded doubtful. "You didn''t even talk to them. You ran away. It was only recently that you didn''t hide, and even then, you failed miserably." Seb winced. "We saved Kat by fighting. In fact, we saved not only Kat but many other women. They are very grateful to us." Eric then massaged his forehead. "Did you think talking to Jia''s group would be easy? While we were trying to persuade Jia''s group to release Kat and the women, they might continue to be tortured. Or maybe they would already be dead." Seb squeezed his head, and Eric''s chin is down. "Sorry, Seb. I-I didn''t mean to say that. I don''t know why I said that myself." Eric sounded very confused. No. Seb had to understand. Not everything can be resolved peacefully. Sometimes violence is necessary. It''s undeniable. "I just feel... All of this doesn''t suit me." Seb''s voice began to tremble. "I don''t want other people to die. What if there is still light within them? It''s about morals, Eric. What kind of humans are we without morals?" "Wake up, Sebastian!" Eric snapped, and this time it wasn''t at mymand. "Aren''t you using your brain? Think! You''ve seen some examples of why we had to do this. If your friends didn''t raid my colony, they would starve to death, right? This colony will not survive if no one dares to resort to violence. On this, there are no police who will imprison the guilty, who will destroy the evil organization. We have to do it with our own hands." Seb rubbed his face. His tears began to flow. "So, you''re saying violence is good?" "It''s necessary." Eric''s tone became firmer. "Look, you have to ept this, Seb. Or you will continue to suffer like this. Earth is full of rules, but things can''t bepletely peaceful, let alone here." Slowly, Seb turned his head to his son. Smiling faintly, he said softly. "I just want to be alone, Eric." Eric massaged his forehead again. "Look, at least think about what I just said, Sebastian." Saying no more, Seb looked ahead again. "I''m worried about your mental state. I''m afraid you''ll be broken ....." Eric choked, then moved from that ce. Chapter 215 - 215 – The Minds "Goodbye, My Love." Re''i, who pressed his forehead against Gwen''s, smiled. "Ah, I''m going to miss you too during these two weeks." Gwen did smile too, but I felt the smile wasn''t as sincere as it used to be. "Are they crying?" Leva raised an eyebrow, looking at the mermans standing by theke. Some of the half-fish creatures did look like they were crying, but I couldn''t see their tears. Of course, the inside of their helmets was filled with water. "Ah, after this, I don''t have to use my feet like this anymore." Re''i chuckled. "It''s very ufortable. You''ll understand how great the tail we are used to is!" Gwen smiled, then rubbed her future husband''s cheek. Re''i pulled away from Gwen, kissed her lips, then backed away, waving his hand. Gwen waved her hand back. The king also waved his hand to my other colonists, who also waved. One of the female mermans who used to apany Kat''s rescue mission came to Miro with a red face and a shy gesture. She handed the big man a pile of boxed food that contained pink gooey. Miro just grimaced, epting the food that had made him vomit. Gwen continued to smile even as the mermans were already sshing in theke, leaving the ce. The blonde-haired woman''s smile finally disappeared after theke water calmed down. Leva took a step forward. "Are you sure about all this?" Gwen turned around, shaking her head weakly. "The idea that I''ll have to eat fish for the rest of my life makes me ufortable." I could see that the woman''s eyes were teary. "Gwen...." Kat approached the blonde woman and hugged her. It made my colonists gasp except for Peter, Tom, and Yvonne. The new members were surprised by the other''s behavior instead. "Hmmm? What''s wrong, Kat? You don''t usually do things like this." Gwen hugged the amber-eyed woman back. "Why? Why are you doing this to me? Why are you sacrificing yourself to save someone you haven''t known for long like me?" Even though her expression was nk, Kat''s voice started to sound hoarse. Her eyes have also been coated with a clear liquid. "Sacrifice sounds too much. In the end, I''m still alive. I''m just changing habitats." Gwen chuckled. "And is there really something wrong with helping people? It''s not just you that is being helped, right? You could say this is our victory together." Kat was speechless and hugged her colony friend tighter. *** "So, the holes were made by Ash Digging Centipedes, right?" Tom squeaked, biting a piece of jerky. My colonists were around the bonfire that night, having dinner. "Hey, this is good. It''s salty and savory." Yvonne studied the jerky she had just bitten. "There''s a salt cave around here? Did you guys mine it? Had you guys gone crazy?" "That''s a long story." Manu smiles. "My former Tribe knew about the cave and mined it." Leva shrugged with a sneer. "And what happened next... Well, it was a nightmare. Many people died, including my own little sister." "Oh, I''m sorry." Yvonne grimaced. "I must have opened up bad memories for you." "Biruhuds, stump scorpions, digging centipedes, and other monsters." Peter took a sip of the bottle of wine he had brought from his former group. "All of that is terrible, but they are inferior to humans. Especially if they are exhibitionists. They often give me nightmares when suddenly showing their dick in front of me." "Then you are afraid of me?" Gwen suddenly took off her shirt, showing her two breasts. Peter immediately red at the woman while Yvonne covered her husband''s eyes with her hands. Shit. It seems that the conversation about exhibitionists should be limited. It will only trigger Gwen''s tendencies. "Wow." Peter drank his wine again. Is it appropriate to show your assets to just anyone, Gwen? Look at this asshole creepy look. "Well, you''re a woman, so things are different," Peter smirked as he continued to stare at Gwen''s two assets. "I would be delighted if you shed in front of me as often as possible." I asked Gwen to put her clothes back on but failed. Leva and Kat seemed unwilling to do anything, perhaps because Gwen had done a great job. Even so, Leva looked irritated and brutally chewed on her jerky. Only Eric took the initiative to do something. He threw something at Gwen, causing that woman to flinch and squirm. "Kyaaa!!! What is this!? This thing is crawling on my body!" After saying that, a lizard was thrown from Gwen''s body and ran really fast. "Eric!" Gwen snapped, but Eric looked away. "Well, why don''t you do what the girls in my former group did? How about you stay naked all the time." Peter chuckled. "Ugh." Yvonne snorted. "Don''t bring that up, Pete. That''s gross, you know." Peter just smiled and drank his wine for the third time. "Without torture, I can say that your group is heaven, Peter. Imagine if I was there, I could be naked as I wished! However, here, many people are against my will!" Gwen nced at me. "Gwen?" Leva called out in a low voice. "Do you need to talk? We can both get out of here if you want." A wide smile appeared on Gwen''s face. The woman shook her head. "No, Leva." "Are you sure?" Kat added. Ah, Gwen''s behavior is indeed a little strange. "I''m sure." Gwen sighed, then stood up. "Oh, I''m going to the toilet." Everyone''s eyes were on Gwen, who kept walking away bare-chested. Except for Seb, who just looked down in silence. Eric nced at his father''s food, which was still untouched. "What''s wrong, Seb? Why aren''t you eating? Like Gwen, Seb got up too, picking up a burning log as a torch. Eric''s father said in a trembling voice. "I want to be alone¡­ Just for a moment." When Seb was out of sight, Leva asked Eric. "No luck, huh?" "I don''t know what else to do." Eric drank from a y cup. "That way of thinking is too extreme. I know that''s what made him, but..." Eric shook his head in frustration. Chapter 216 - 216 – A Walk Surprisingly, everything went as usual a few dayster. My colonists did their job as usual. "Hey, may I ask a question, Alice?" Seb asked as he watered the corn nts which had already started to grow. Alice, who was taking care of the strawberry nts, flinched. "Oh, sorry? Ah, yes¡­ You can ask anything. Of course, anything." "After you joined us here a few days ago, you always looked gloomy, Alice." Seb shed his friendly smile. "Is something bothering you? You also rarely interact with others." "It''s nothing." Alice gulped. "Well, I''d be lying if I said it''s nothing. How to say it, huh? I can understand if this ce was attacked and forced to kill people¡­. However, those people no longer resisted and were executed instead. I felt it was wrong." "Oh, I see." Seb widened his smile. "I understand what you mean." "Then what are we going to do?" Manu got up from his activity of burning bricks, then approached the two colonists. It seemed he had overheard the conversation just now. "You want us to just lock them up?" "Well, in my old tribe, we locked up all prisoners of war as well as criminals until they wanted to join," Alice answered with a grimace. "Or they would continue to be locked up if they don''t show any signs of repenting..." "You think it would be easy to take care of that many captives? What about their food? Who will be held responsible if they break away and attack us again." Manu cuts that woman''s words. "And tell me how many of them have confessed to repentance and ended upmitting crimes again?" "I think this is enough." Leva, who had just been practicing using the dummy, joined in. "It''s useless to argue. In the end, those who have a strong ideology will not want to change." Leva''s gaze was fixed on Seb. "Let me get some more water." Seb took the y bucket in Alice''s hand, then headed for the well. Manu shrugs and goes back to the hut he used to burn the bricks. Gwen just nced at the man, then continued molding the y. Turning around, Leva saw Miro carrying a container filled with y. The big tall man was apanied by Tom, who was pushing a cart filled with the same material. The two men had just returned from theke. "I can''t wait to build our new home," Tom said excitedly. "Since joining Jia''s nomad group, I can''t really get any construction work. Well, we did set up a tent, but that''s a lot different from building an actual building." "You seem very happy with this job, don''t you?" Miro chuckled. "Hey, big guy." Levi waved. "Wouldn''t your family worry about you being there all the time?" "So what?" Miro shrugged, spilling the y he had brought near the hut. "You don''t want me here anymore?" "No, that''s not what I meant." Leva scratched her hair. "I was just thinking if you stay here too long, won''t that create new problems? You have a crucial role in your tribe, right?" Miro looked at Kat, who was walking away with Rex, about to do some hunting. "Don''t worry, everything will be fine. If the situation gets worse, then I will exin to my tribe and my family." Ugh, those are not reassuring words, Miro. There was a mechanical creak from near the tree. The mech that was there was moving his hands. The cockpit door of the gigantic war device opened, and Peter looked down at Eric and Yvonne below. "We did it! We managed to fix this thing''s hand joints!" Peter shouted with joy. "Good, now we have to figure out a way to get this damn thing''s left knee to work." Eric sighed. Looks a little frustrated. "We still have to solve that problem. Why is it that when we managed to fix this thing''s loose knee, the wheel wouldn''t even turn?" "Well, we''re not experts. We can only rely on the blueprint on that tablet board from the sky ship." Yvonne smiled. "And I can''t be of much help because all this is so foreign to me." Actually, it would be more optimal if I made Gwen join this maintenance team. He had a pretty decent crafting stat. However, that was nearly impossible because of the problem with the half-fish king. "At least you can learn, Yvonne. Maintaining this thing would be very difficult if it was only done by one person." Peter descended from the mech using a rope. "Well, it seems that this is enough. Time to drink!" "Isn''t it still too early to drink, Pete?" Eric raised an eyebrow. "It''s never too early to drink!" Peterughed loudly. "But our wine supply is running low. I hope the strawberries in this ce can grow fast. We can ferment it into strawberry wine!" *** Finally, all my other colonists fell asleep. Gwen sighed, starting to undress in front of the bonfire. "Ah, you might need to wear it," I told the blonde-haired woman. "I want to take you for a walk." Gwen chuckled, still taking off her clothes. "So what about walking around naked? No one will catch me in this emptynd." "But, the weather is still cold¡­." "Ah, it''s not that cold." Finally, the woman waspletely naked. She then stood in front of me. "So, where are we going?" "Follow me." The two of us walked under the night sky. The woman folded her arms across her chest, shivering every now and then. All the thin hairs on her body also stood up. It was apparent her body was cold. Maybe because her desire to be naked had been piling up all day, she couldn''t hold it in anymore and chose to stay in that state. "Hey, why are you so silent, Mr. Spirits?" In a seductive tone I hadn''t heard in thest few days, Gwen asked. "You make me curious, and my heart is pounding." "A moment," I answered, then stopped a few meters away from my goal. "That¡­" Gwen paused, staring at the broken escape pod that Kat had been in. Chapter 217 - 217 – An Apology "Thending of the escape pod that Kat was in was the start of everything for me. When I was born into this world, I couldn''tmunicate with my colonists. I only knew my job was to guide them." I speak ording to my role in this game. "Well, I can''t say I can do it well." Memories of my failures, wrong decisions, and the disasters that befell my colony came back into my head. "I wonder." Gwen took a step forward, continuing to stare at the broken escape pod. "Don''t you feel lonely? You affect their lives, but you can''t interact with them." "Of course, I''m lonely, Gwen. I can only watch and whisper to them to do something." I continued my speech. "Well, although I was finally able to talk to other guardian spirits, it was so infrequent and usually not a friendly chat." Gwen leaned closer to me, giving a seductive gesture. "So, you''re saying, after my arrival, you''re not lonely anymore?" I took a deep breath, caressing her soft cheeks that were starting to blush. "And I''m sorry, Gwen. For everything." "I''m the one apologizing." Gwen''s eyes started to water. "After this, I can''t apany you anymore." "Gwen...." "But take it easy, Mr. Spirit." The woman nodded slowly. "I''m resigned to what''s going to happen. Well, at least I can be as naked as I want, though my legs will change." Hearing this woman''s bitter chuckle, I felt like my chest was being hit hard. "No, you''ll still be here, Gwen." I hissed. "You won''t leave me. And for that, I''m sorry." I really wanted to keep this a secret from Gwen, but I wasn''t sure I could do it well. Gwen had to know what was going on, even though it might hurt me. The woman''s brow furrowed. "W-what do you mean? What have you done?" "I''m sorry." My voice started to shake. "W-what happened?" Gwen choked. Her eyes opened wide. "Oh, God." The woman moved away from me, but I ordered her, "Stop! Don''t go to theke! You don''t have to look at that!" Gwen stopped running, turned to me. "What are you doing? Please tell me." "You don''t need to know. The important thing is that you don''t have to be a part of them anymore." Gwen''s breath started to get heavy. Her body trembled. She obviously wanted to continue her run but couldn''t. "It''s no use, Gwen. Stay here." I touched her shoulder. Gwen gritted her teeth, then screamed with all her might. "Arrgghhh!!!" Her one arm managed to move, and she could finally run. "Gwen! Don''t go!" Shit, I was too quick to tell her about this. The woman ran as hard as she could to avoid me, not even turning to look at me and talking to me. I had to go back to my other colonists, then wake them up. The people looked confused but did as I was told, standing up to restrain Gwen. Once at the location, Gwen grabbed her jacket and put it on her naked body while continuing to run. "Don''t get in my way!" "Sorry, Gwen. We don''t even know why we had to stop you." Levi hissed. "Damn it." Gwen diverted her run, but herrades could easily follow her. In no time, they were able to capture the woman''s body. "Let go of me! I have to go to theke!" Gwen screamed as she tried to free herself. Then, she gasped, looking at herrades. "Please don''t fight back, Gwen." Manu sighs. "After all, why would a half-naked woman like you go to theke? You want to get into the cold water there again?" "Where''s Peter?" Gwen continued to search among herrades. My colonists searched for the mech controller, but they couldn''t find him. "Errrr... Maybe he peed or pooped?" Alice guessed. Gwen red at me. "No, he''s going to theke to do something, though I don''t know what it is." Yvonne turned her head to Eric. "Does that have anything to do with what he said back then?" I ordered Eric to exin everything, to buy time. "The escape pod used for the upants of the giant ship explorer uses fuel that has bad radiation simr to nuclear. Well, that fuel is also used for fighter nes, mechs, the ship explorer itself, and so on." Eric''s lips began to tremble. "Usually, that stuff is safe to use for fuel. The emission is also clean without radiation. However, you can fiddle with an escape pod to turn it into a ticking time bomb that emits harmful radiation." "Peter prided himself on knowing how to do it. He said some of the soldiers on board knew how to do it, especially the high-ranking ones. Peter was one of them. It was in anticipation of tremendous danger." "Could the radiation also be dispersed in the water?" Kat asked. Eric sighed. "Yes, it can." My colonists fell silent and exchanged nces. "Hey, all of you. Keep Gwen from getting out of here." I gave the order again in a firmer tone. "We have to save them. I don''t know what radiation is, but from the way you guys talk about it, I think it''s pretty bad." Miro opened his mouth. My colonists looked at Miro, then nodded their heads. "Yes, we have to save them," Seb answered in a firm tone. "Regardless of why Peter did it, we have to stop him." "Hey, listen to me as your guardian spirit!" I screamed in frustration. "Don''t stop Peter from doing that! Just let him go!" However, my colonists ended up running towards theke anyway. Gwen nced at me sharply and ran as fast as she could. "Hey, why don''t you guys obey my orders!?" Increasingly frustrated, I followed them. "But what exactly was Peter''s reason for doing that?" Manu asks as he keeps running. Tom, who was running beside the bearded man, shrugged. "Perhaps he is feeling resentful that his group was destroyed by those mermans?" "Is he really that loyal to the group?" Eric joined in. "To be able to detonate the escape pod, he would need to pilot it. It was for a desperate suicide mission." "No, it''s not for revenge." Gwen nced at me again. This time her gaze grew colder. I teleported to Peter to order the man to speed up. Chapter 218 - 218 – Just For Her Gwen, Seb, and Alice already looked pretty exhausted. The others could still run, but their speed had clearly decreased considerably from when they first left the colony. Only Miro looked less tired. He had alreadye a long way from the others while carrying the torch. "Looks like he''s already on that thing!" Eric eximed as he raised his shlight. The escape pod was already visible in the distance. "Come on, we have to hurry!" Manu, who ran at the back, shouted. "No!!!" I raised my voice in frustration. "You have to turn around so you don''t get hit by the radiation-emitting explosion!!!" "Ugh!!!" Gwen tripped over something and fall. Kat immediately stopped to help her. Manu, who was behind Gwen, also crouched down to help. The others had slowed down to check what was happening, but Gwen immediately shouted at them. "Don''t mind me! Keep running!" After that, Gwen vomited so hard that Kat and Manu didn''t even have time to ask how she was. Bright light is seen from the shore of theke. The thruster of the escape pod had already started emitting propulsive energy. Eric hastily braked his steps. "Stop, we can''t do anything more!!!" The others also stopped, except for Miro. The big tall man eximed. "We won''t know if we don''t try our best!" "We have to run as far as possible now! So that when the explosion urs, we are not exposed to radiation from the explosion! The radiation has a fairly wide range!" "Listen to Eric, Miro!" I''m getting desperate. Luckily, Miro stopped and turned around, starting to run in the opposite direction. He immediately grabbed Gwen, limping on Kat and Manu''s arms. Now it was Alice''s turn to fall, and Seb and Eric to help her up. They ran for a long time, but the explosion had not yet appeared. Only the sound of the escape pod sliding and falling into the water could be heard. "Haven''t we been running long enough!?" Tom asked breathlessly. "Don''t you think this has gone far enough?" "No, you don''t understand. You can''t predict how big the escape pod will be. As I said, we have to run as far as possible." Eric chimed in with a worried tone. My colonists are getting tired. Even Miro is showing signs of exhaustion. It was only natural because they had been running a long time ago, almost to theke, and now had to turn around. And finally, a wisp of bright light appeared from the direction of theke. "Don''t look back!" Eric gave a warning. "That would be so dazzling!" The clump of light grew rapidly, making a booming sound. My colonists covered their ears because the sound of the explosion was so loud. They also lost their bnce as the ground shook violently. Even Miro almost dropped Gwen because of it. "Keep running! We don''t know how far the radiation will spread!" Eric reminded all hisrades. The booming sound continued. The situation bes like in the daytime because the light is so bright. My colonists kept running without stopping. asionally some of them fell and had to be helped by others. A few minutes passed, the light dimmed little by little until it was gone entirely. At that moment, Eric raised his hand. "Okay, we stop here." The man said breathlessly. They ally down on the grass or just sat around. No one stood up at all. There is still a white lighting from theke, although it is much smaller and dimmer. "That...." Manu was still trying to catch his breath. "Near our house, there is something like that... The sky ship that Kat was on... Near our house, there is something hazardous like that shit." "There must be certain conditions for something like this to happen. Some kind of chemical reaction, I don''t really understand myself." Eric Gulped. "I think we''re still safe." "You can''t convince me at all, Eric." Leva also replied. "Where are you going?" Miro asked Gwen, who was walking with a limp. Her left knee continued to bleed. The woman red at me, approaching me. "Yes, I did all of this for you, Gwen," I answered before she asked, trying not to think about how many lives had been lost in the explosion. Even if there are still survivors, eventually they will die from radiation. "That was genocide." Gwen hissed with tears in her eyes. "How could you do that?" Leva stood up, frowning. "Who are you talking to, Gwen?" Gwen didn''t respond to Leva and continued to stare at me. "I can''t stand to see you have to make this sacrifice, Gwen. I don''t want you to do anything against your heart." I answered, desperately holding back my tears. "C-could she bemunicating with this tribe''s guardian spirit?" Alice gulped. "She is psychic, right?" "They''re not bad people," Gwen spoke to me again with more tears in her eyes. "Their leader just wants to get the girl of his dreams as his consort. He wants the girl to be hispanion to get through the tough days of being a king." "And he does it without asking how you feel. He''s selfish." "Selfish is not a worthy reason for you to destroy his kingdom." The blonde woman shook her head. "Ah, if I had known it would be like this, I would not have seduced you, apanying you in your lonely times. If only you weren''t so attached to me, you wouldn''t have done this evil thing." I took a deep breath, unable to hold back my tears anymore. "I didn''t say that what I did was right. I don''t care if you say I''m evil. The important thing is that I saved you from the life you didn''t want." Gwen''s chin dropped slightly. She started walking backward. "Sorry, but I don''t want to see you anymore, let alone talk to you. This is all over for us. After this, you won''t be able tomunicate with me anymore." "When I decided on this, I knew the risks," I said that with pain in my heart. "It''s okay if you don''t want to see me anymore. The important thing is that I can still see you. And I apologize for that." The woman no longer responded, turning to herrades. Chapter 219 - 219 – Regret Four of my colonists'' horses were tied to arge tree while Kat cleaned the stable. The other three horses were obtained after raiding Jia''s nomad group. Fortunately, unlike the horses that had been purchased from the merchants of the Acornhull tribe, the three horses had been trained to be able to be ridden by humans. Not long after, Gwen passed the amber-eyed woman with staggering steps. "Are you all right?" Kat asked, noticing Gwen''s pale face dotted with dark bags under her eyes. "Do you have to ask that every day, Kat?" Gwen smiled faintly. "Well, if I said I was fine, of course, I would be lying. I have lied to you for seven days. But don''t worry, I''ll try to sleep now." The incident that happened to the merman kingdom still haunts Gwen. She couldn''t sleep for several days, and her appetite was poor. I''m worried about her condition, but talking to her directly is no longer possible. She didn''t want to talk to me anymore. Even if he wanted to, that was also impossible. I checked the blonde woman''s stats. [Gwen Quinney, 22 years old (Colonist)] STATS: Ranged attacks: 48/100 Melee attacks: 9/100 Construction: 7/100 Crafting: 70/100** Cook: 5/100 nts: 1/100 Mining: 1/100 Animals: 1/100 Medic: 85/100 Psychic: 92/100 TRAITS: Fast Learner ¨C Gwen can learn things much faster than anyone else. Nocturnal ¨C Gwen prefers to be active at night. Her mood will be reduced when awake during the day. Night Vision ¨C Gwen can see clearly in the dark. Slow Shooter ¨C Gwen took more time to aim, but her uracy got better because of it. Nudist ¨C Gwen enjoys the feeling of freedom thates from being nude. She can handle clothing but will be happier without it. Exhibitionist ¨C Gwen likes to show her naked body to others, especially the opposite sex. asionally she would do so without warning. The woman''s Psychic stats, as well as her nudist and exhibitionist traits, were grayed out, a sign that they were all off. Her depression deactivated her psychic stat, and she couldn''t enjoy what she loved anymore. So, she won''t be able to see me even if she wants to. "Is there anything I can do for you?" Kat asked again, still with her expressionless face. Gwen widened her smile. "Nothing, Kat. However, thank you for worrying about me." The blonde-haired woman came to the emergency shelter andy down there without bothering to take off her clothes. Everyone at work ¨C Manu and Yvonne making the bricks, Tom and Eric building the house, Seb and Alice watering the nts, and of course Kat ¨C looked at Gwen together. Only Leva and Miro weren''t there. They carry out their respective duties outside the colony area. Leva is mining, and Miro is taking y further afield, as theke is polluted. I''m sure they must be worried about Gwen. Even though Alice, Yvonne, and Tom hadn''t known the blonde girl that long, I guess they felt the same way. Because of Gwen''s sacrifice, the three of them were free from Jia''s nomadic group. But, all of this has happened. I''ve learned a lot. Regretting all this constantly won''t do me any good. "All of you, continue your work." I sighed, and after that, the colonists began to return to their respective activities. However, Alice faced the other way instead. "What''s that?" The woman with the braided hair stared into the distance. Seb narrowed his eyes in the same direction. "I do not know ¡­. And my eyesight is a bitcking, so I can''t see clearly." I choked. It looked like a creeping merman,plete with its protective armor, but this time its lower body was in the shape of a tail instead of two legs. "What the fuck." Manu hissed, also stopping his work. "Is it a merman? Did he survive the explosion?" Tom lined the bearded man. "Should we save him?" "No, stay here! You should kill him now!" I gave orders to my colonists. "Kat, take the sniper rifle and shoot him." Kat froze. "Go! What are you waiting for, Kat!?" I screamed in frustration. The amber-eyed woman finally ran to the warehouse apanied by her dog. "We can''t get close to him." Eric joined in. "Maybe it''s emitting radiation from his body. Look, he doesn''t look all right." "You said we should kill him?" Yvonne chimed in, and it immediately drew the attention of the others. Hearing themotion, Gwen opened her eyes and looked in the direction the merman had arrived. The woman''s eyes immediately widened. "Re''i!" "No, Gwen! Don''t go near him!" I shouted at the woman. "The radiation in his body could kill you!" However, Gwen still stood up and ran towards the merman king. "Hey, you guys don''t just stand still! Stop Gwen from getting close to that creature!!!" I''m getting frustrated with the situation. Except for Seb, who could only stand shaking, all of my colonists immediately restrained Gwen''s body. Of course, Gwen tried to escape, but her strength was clearly outmatched by her fellow colonists. "Let me go! Let me go!" Gwen was screaming hysterically. Then, Kat came out of the warehouse, walking forward while aiming with the sniper rifle. "Shoot to one point. If the bullet doesn''t go through, shoot again at the same point." I gave instructions in a trembling voice. This must be done for the safety of my colonists. "Nooo!!! What are you doing, Kat!? Don''t shoot him!!!" Gwen''s voice grew louder. Kat had walked a few yards in front of the blonde woman, then crouched down to shoot. "He''s totally innocent, Kat!!!" "Don''t listen to Gwen, Kat! Shoot him now!!!" I snapped again. "He will be a threat to you and your friends!!!" However, Kat never pulled the trigger on her rifle. Now his body was shaking violently. If I could, I''d take the weapon and shoot it myself. "We have destroyed the kingdom! Now you guys are blocking me from hearing hisst words!?" Gwen burst into tears. "You guys are crazy!" And with those words, my colonists loosened their grips, allowing Gwen to break free, running to the merman king. I can only stand still, staring at it in silence. "Re''i!" Gwen approached the king, whose armor was already covered in rust. The blonde-haired girl crouched, immediately choked when she saw the king''s face. The half-face of the half-fish creature was now covered with scarlet sores and lumps filled with disgusting liquid. There was even one big lump that made his left eye unable to open. Re''i pressed one of the buttons on his bracelet, then the water inside his helmet shrunk. With Gwen''s help, he removed the helmet. Without further ado, Gwen pressed her forehead to the king. "Your Majesty, what happened to you?" Gwen asked tearfully. Ah, his psychic abilities are back again. Maybe it''s this emotional state that makes her like that. But, this is a dangerous condition. I still can''t get my other colonists to take Gwen away. "I don''t know. All of a sudden, there was a tremendous explosion in theke where my kingdom is." Re''i wore a big smile. "I don''t know what it was, but what is clear is that the explosion made everyone in my kingdom sick. In a short time, many of them died. I was still able to survive because I was in a kingdom that had an extra level of protection, but in the end, I was hit too." "I-I''m sorry to hear that." "I knew that I would die. So, I came here to give you myst message, Gwen." Re''i''s eyes that were still open started to shed tears. "Well, it''s a bit difficult to escape from the royal guards because they think swimming to the shore of theke will make me sicker. Well, what they say is true." "My apologies, Your Majesty." Gwen took a deep breath. "Huh? Why are you apologizing again? You weren''t the one who made all of this happen." "One of us did it." Gwen''s tears flowed harder. Re''i was silent for a while. "What? What did you say? Don''t be joking at a time like this, Gwen." "I am not lying. One of my friends did, and I apologize for that." For the second time, the king fell silent. The smile on his face was nowpletely gone. "Why?" The king asked. His tears also flowed more and more. This time, it was Gwen who fell silent. "You know how many died in my kingdom? From children to adults, they suffer before they die, Gwen. Their screams of pain became a nightmare to me." Re''i shook his head. "Please tell me why are you doing this, Gwen? Is it because you don''t like me so much? Because I''m a half-fish creature?" "Again, I''m sorry." Gwen''s breath started to get out of control. "It wasn''t me who did that, but someone from my group. However, you could say I was guilty of not being able to prevent it. And that reason my friend¡­. You will not understand, Your Majesty. I can only say, I have absolutely no ill will towards you and your kingdom¡­." Gwen opened her eyes, then turned her head away from the merman king. Re''i''s gaze had gone nk.. His hands fell limp. Chapter 220 - 220 – The Communication Due to physical contact with the merman king, Gwen is forced to live some distance away from the others. She now upies a tent near the river as a water source. The interaction she did was just from the members of the colonists who delivered the food. And even then, the colonists had to put food a few meters away from Gwen, so they wouldn''t be exposed to radiation. Yes, they could still talk to the blonde woman, but even that had to be done from a distance. However, Gwen usually asked whoever spoke to her to just leave. She always said she wanted to be alone. Gwen''s body hasn''t shown any signs of radiation yet, maybe because she''s been exposed to so little, but that doesn''t mean I can take it easy. Everything that happened hit her mentally, especially with this istion. "Gwen, can you hear me?" I begged her desperately. "You can activate your psychic powers, right? Please, I want to talk to you for a moment." Gwen didn''t reply and was still in her position, sitting nkly staring ahead. "Gwen!" The scream made the blonde haired woman look back to find Eric walking towards her. "I told you, I still want to be alone, Eric," Gwen said in a hoarse voice. She had cried too much. "Catch this!" Suddenly Eric threw something. Gwen caught something that turned out to be simr to a walkie-talkie but smaller and without an antenna. "I found it in Peter''s mech," Eric spoke using anothermunication device he was holding. "And I managed to fix that thing. If you want to talk, you know what to do." "Thanks," Gwen spoke using themunication device she had just received. Eric waved his hand, then walked away from the blonde haired girl. *** It was night. Eric was still working in the cockpit of Peter''s mech, with Manu watching him. Eric was opening theputer part of the war machine. "So, what did you say earlier... If we can get in touch with another mech owner, then we can get an antidote for Gwen?" Manu scratched his head. "Sorry, I don''t quite understand yet." "Each mech pilot is equipped with an antidote for fuel radiation from escape pods and mechs," Eric answered while fiddling with the circuit board still attached to the cockpit terminal. "For some reason, I can''t find it in this mech." "Why isn''t the antidote on the sky ship? If radiation is indeed dangerous, every object that uses hazardous fuel must have that antidote, right?" Eric chuckled bitterly. "The thing is, the antidote is very expensive. Really expensive. So, the drug is only given to mech pilots, who are more likely to be exposed to radiation. You know, because they fight, so the risk of leakage is higher." Manu scratched his head again. "I know, our government sounds ipetent." Eric shrugged. "But believe me, the chemical is actually safe to use if the procedure is right. The proof is, Kat''s ne doesn''t emit radiation, right?" Sighing, Manu chimed in. "Your speech is getting harder and harder to understand. I''d better go to sleep. You better sleep now too, Eric." "A minute." Manu got off the mech while Eric reassembled the circuit board in the cockpit terminal. He then turned on the terminal, pressed a few buttons on the screen. [No connection] Seb''s son took a deep breath and leaned back. He had been fiddling with it for two days but to no avail. No wonder he was frustrated. "Eric, are you still awake?" Gwen''s voice came from themunication device lying below. Eric took the thing. "Not yet, Gwen. I''m still dealing with this mech." "Actually, what are you doing with that thing? Isn''t that thing already running normally?" "I''m trying to activate themunication device here. Who knows if there are other mechs to contact." "Ah, you want to get that antidote, huh?" Then, the two of them were silent for a few seconds. "Hey, I just remembered, Eric. This is about your story. I heard it from Leva." Gwen cleared her throat. "Ah, but you don''t have to talk about it if you don''t want to... Well, forget what I said." "About me being the cause of many people''s deaths, right? To be more precise, the death of my own group. Well, in my case, there weren''t as many deaths as yours..." Eric paused again for a moment. "Ah, sorry I said something like that. Basically, you want to say that our cases are almost the same, right?" "How do you cope with that?" Gwen''s voice grew hoarse. "Well, I don''t." Eric took a deep breath. "I''m just living my life to the best of my ability, even with the shadows of that event." "Oh, I see." Eric had opened his mouth to speak when static was heard from the cockpit terminal. "Wait a minute, Gwen. Looks like this thing has picked up a signal." Eric leaned forward, bringing his mouth closer to the terminal. "Hey, can you hear me?" "May day, may day... We from unit 45-U need a backup...." A man''s voice came from the terminal, but it wasn''t clear. "Hello? Sorry, we''re not in any military unit. We''re just ordinary citizens on that ship." Eric said while turning a knob on the terminal. The longer he did that, the less static there was. "Ordinary citizen?" The man''s voice sounded clearer now. "How did you get a mech?" "It''splicated. However, the point is that captain Peter Smith had an ident and died, and we took over the mech." Eric Gulped. "Well, you said you needed help, didn''t you? Ah... My name is Eric B... My name is Eric." "I''m Trevor Mancini, a mech mechanic in unit 45-U. Let''s skip the detailed exnation. Now my question is, can you or one of yourrades control the mech? Does the mech have adequate weapons?" Eric shrugged. "Well, we haven''t been able to fix the machine gun on this thing yet, but we still have the greatsword. As for the pilot''s skill set, we''re honestly not sure. We didn''t get any special training." "Okay, fine. Wait a minute." Then the voice of the man named Trevor disappeared, reced by a soft static. Just as Eric was about to speak again, Trevor finally said. "Here, I see that your mech''s condition isn''t good. Many of the joints haven''t beenpletely repaired. However, it''s better than this mech outside of my escape pod. Even with amateur skills, I''m sure you guys can beat that thing." Eric''s brow furrowed. "So, you''re in the escape pod?" "For some reason, the autopilot system of several of our mechs went out of control. These mechs attacked the others, and in the end, only one remained, even though it was in terrible condition." Trevor sighed. His voice cracked a little. "What''s scary is that this mech also destroyed a colony. We don''t have to talk about these colonies and how they came about. We''ll talk about thatter." "Ah, I already have a hypothesis. Many of the escape pods and mechs fell at different points in time. Those that fell thousands of years ago have already colonized and reproduced." "Yes, yes... I also thought about that theory, but now it doesn''t matter...." Trevor''s voice stopped with a loud bang. "Trevor, are you all right?" "I''m fine. Looks like the rampaging mech just crushed an animal." Despite speaking like that, Trevor''s voice cracked even more. "But, I still need help. Because of that one surviving mech, my tworades and I couldn''t get out... And we''ve been in this escape pod for three weeks." Eric''s eyes opened wide. Oh, this is so bad. Trevor may indeed have supplies, but being trapped in a ce like that for almost a month is definitely not a pleasant experience. "And these two friends of mine chose tomit suicide because they couldn''t take it anymore." Trevor choked. "Please, help me. It feels like hell in here." I couldn''t imagine Trevor''s situation anymore. "Help him, Eric." I gave orders. "Ask where he is now." This will benefit my colonists, both in the short and long term. "Okay, okay." Eric looks really trying to calm down. "Can you show me where you are?" "Here." A few secondster, the terminal screen in the cockpit shed a red arrow heading west. Oh, shit. I immediately whispered something into Eric''s ear. "It''s still not enough, Trevor." Eric then asked, ording to my orders, "So, did you interact with the colonists you met? Did you get their names?" "Yes, I did interact with them. Those people call themselves Acornhulls." Eric''s chin dropped, and I couldn''t help but hold my breath. My thoughts immediately went to Miro. "Are you sure all the residents of Acornhull are dead?" Eric rubbed his face. "With their primitive weaponry, they can''t withstand all those mechs'' attacks." Trevor''s tone was cold. "Why?" "They are our friends." Eric''s lips trembled even more. "Alright, I agree to help you, but I have to discuss it with my friends first." "Please, hurry. I''m going to go crazy if I stay here too long." "I''ll talk to youter.." Eric ended the conversation, then rose from the cockpit seat. Chapter 221 - 221 – The Big Question The mech swung its sword, making a scraping sound of de and air. The sound was loud enough that it made the horses in the stable neigh in surprise. "I think the moves are pretty good," Yvonne told Eric to use a portablemunication device. "You think so?" Eric, who piloted the mech, responded. Even though there are some colonists whose melee attack abilities are higher, I purposely chose Eric because he''s the most familiar with the technology, so he doesn''t have to learn too much. Eric opened the cockpit, then shouted. "Leva, bring your things! We''re leaving now!" "Coming!" Leva shouted back. "Hey!" Miro approached the mech. "You said you''re heading west, right? Can I hitch a ride? Even if your destination isn''t as far as Acornhull, I can still help, and after that, I can continue my own journey back home." I knew this could happen because I did ask Eric to consult with Miro about the path to use. So, I have prepared a precautionary measure. Miro must not know that his tribe is destroyed, or else he will act recklessly. The big tall man is hard to control, after all. Using her stealth ability, Kat hugged Miro from behind. "Don''t go. I still want you here." Kat said in a t tone. Miro was frozen and speechless because of the shocking incident. "Ah, maybe she keeps a nk face, but her heart says otherwise, Miro!" Manuughs. He spoke ording to my instructions. So, after that, he scratched his head. "Please." Kat sighed. I could see the corners of the amber-eyed girl''s lips twitch. Hang on, Kat. It''s only temporary. Miro giggled, then rubbed his head with a blush. "Looks like I''ll be here for a few more days." As soon as Kat let go of her hug, Miro turned around and grabbed the amber-eyed girl''s hands. "Hey, how about we go for a walk, Kat?" Miro asked in an enthusiastic tone. "You''ve done all your chores, right?" Kat nodded stiffly. Miro caught his breath, then started walking while pulling the amber-eyed girl''s hand. Again, I''m sorry, Kat. Leva waved to the two of them. "Have a good time." Using the rope, Leva then climbed into the cockpit. There was actually a mechanism like an elevator to get in. Still, it was broken, and it was not a priority for repairing the part. "I''m going, guys!" Leva waved to the others. The other colonists gathered also waved and bid farewell. Eric nodded to Seb, who just kept quiet. Eric pressed the button to close the war object''s cockpit, then pushed one pedal with his foot. The mech started to move using the wheels on its feet. "And you have to set it up like this." Eric helps Leva use the seat belt. "So, do you think the decision not to tell Miro was the right one?" Leva asked after Eric sat back in the driver''s seat in front of her. "What do you think? Nobody decides, right? We all took the initiative not to tell Miro." "Eric, how''s your status?" Trevor''s voice came from the cockpit speakers. "Well, we''re on our way, Trevor." Trevor sighed. "How long will it take you guys to get here?" "At this pace, maybe we''ll be there in three days." Eric shrugged. "Sorry, this mech''s state is not optimal, so our speed is limited." "Are you kidding me?" Leva replied. "Three days is a very short time to get to Acornhull from here." Eric smirked. "You wouldn''t believe this thing''s speed at maximum." "I just fixed my radiation level meter." Trevor continued his speech. "The level is 0%, so it''s safe to take the antidote that''s inside the other mechs." "Good then." Eric nodded. "You better get some rest, Trevor. From the activity log, I see the device you''re using is constantly connected to this mech. You seem to keep checking theponents of this thing. You didn''t sleep all night." "Don''t worry about it... But you''re right. Maybe after this, I''ll take a break." "Before that, Trevor...." Leva gulped. "May I ask you something?" "Ah, you''re Leva, who Eric said will join this expedition, aren''t you? Sure, you can ask anything." It took a while for Leva to finally be able to ask. "Sorry, maybe Eric already asked this. I just wanted to make sure. Is it true that all the members of Acornhull have been wiped out?" "I don''t know if anyone managed to escape. However, from the recordings of the mechs, I saw that everything in this small vige was burned to the ground, people were massacred, I don''t think it''s possible that anyone would survive. If anyone did escape, they should have been detected by these out-of-control mechs." Trevor exined. "I still have footage of the incident, but I advise you not to watch it." "That''s enough, Trevor." Leva looked nervous. "Your answer is enough. Thank you." "Then let''s end this conversation. Have a good rest, Trevor." Eric added. "OK." Leva leaned back and massaged her forehead. Perhaps she thought of Miro, who had lost his entire family. Leva knows what it''s like to lose family. *** At night, Eric stopped the mech near a hill. As soon as the cockpit door opened, Leva looked outside and vomited profusely. "Shit." Leva cursed. "Why am I like this when I''ll have to practice using this thing while traveling?" For Leva, now was just a phase of getting used to the mechs first. Later, she will be taught to drive this mech and swing its giant sword. I purposely ordered her to join Eric as a backup pilot. The course of the battle is unpredictable. Eric could have been injured and couldn''t continue piloting this giant metal object. "Have you been nauseous since earlier?" Eric asked while raising an eyebrow. "Why didn''t you tell me?" While wiping her mouth, Leva leaned her back. "I just don''t want to dirty this ce, Eric." Or maybe this woman just wanted to look strong and fit to drive this thing. "Ah, it''s easier if I sit outside." The red-haired woman added. "If you said earlier, I can give you some anti-nausea medicine." Eric reached into the backpack he was carrying, then pulled out leaf-wrapped pemmican. "Now eat, and after this, you take your medicine so that you have a good rest." "Does it taste like the fever-reducing medicine Gwen gave?" Leva cringed while receiving the pemmican. "Ugh, I hate it. It tastes so bitter." "Well, at a time like this, you should do it." Eric started to unwrap his pemmican. Just starting to eat, the speaker in the mech''s cockpit made a sound again. "Sorry, were you guys asleep?" "Not yet, Trevor. We''re having dinner. Can we help you?" Eric answered while chewing. "Ah, thank goodness. The thing is, this situation really depresses me, Eric. Together with the two corpses that .... Ah, you guys are having dinner. Sorry again." "You need someone to talk to, Trevor?" Leva replied. "What do you want to talk about?" "I don''t know myself either." I put my mouth close to Leva''s ear. "Talk about the creatures that exist on this." "I heard the animals here are gically modified or something brought from that big ship." Leva took a bite of her food. "There are not only real gically modified animals here, but there are alsomon animals that evolved. There are one species that probably evolved from cassowaries, which is much more aggressive." Eric added. Leva shook his head. "They are nightmares." "Interesting," Trevor responded. "Hey, you two. Do you know what phenomenon caused the escape pods to fall at different points in time?" "I don''t know, though I heard a few theories, like ck holes and the like," Eric answered again. "Well, that''s a reasonable answer. However, I''m one of the witnesses to the incident that caused the big ship to crash, Eric." Eric''s tone grew serious. "It''s not a cosmic phenomenon or anything... Well, maybe it''s a cosmic phenomenon. What''s clear is that what caused the incident to happen was probably a living being, Eric." Eric and Leva exchanged nces. Even this surprised me. Of all the Hvind yers on earth, no one had gotten this kind of info. No one has been able to unravel the mystery that exists. The developer of this game is crazy until this mystery is still unsolved. This means that no yer has reached the end of the game yet. "What do you mean, Trevor?" Eric raised his eyebrows. "I''d better show you the videotape." The screen in the cockpit then shows a starry view of outer space. "This... In the night sky?" Leva asked. "No, this is in outer space... If you fly all the way to the sky, then, in the end, this is the scene you see. Youe off your own." Eric answered. Then, from below appeared a gigantic ck figure with a whitish blue aura around it. "What the fuck is that?" Eric hissed, bringing his face closer to the screen. The figure was without facial features like the guardian spirits in thisnd. "I remember very well the question this missionmander asked.." Trevor''s voice grew heavier. "He said: Is that God?" Chapter 222 - 222 – The Metal Giants The third day on the way to Acornhull, Leva yawned in the cockpit, seeming used to it. "At first, I thought traveling with this thing would be fun, but it turned out to be so boring," Leva said in azy tone. "Even training with this thing makes me tired. My body movement is minimal because it doesn''t move the weapon directly." "Well, we''ll be there in a minute." Eric chimed in, focusing on the screen showing the scenery outside. Leva widened her eyes. "Liar, we''re barely there on day three." "No." Eric''s tone turned cold. "Look at the view." "Ah....." The most giant screen in the cockpit was indeed showing a terrifying sight in the distance. The burnt remains of therge tent were strewn on the ground, side by side with the fallen mechs. There was only one Mech in a kneeling position. Instead of using a giant sword, the dark blue Mech propped up on ance. It''s in worse condition than the Mech Eric is driving, with broken parts and hinges that appear to have shifted from their original locations. "We''ll be at your location, Trevor." Eric gave a notice. "About thirty seconds to go." "Good luck with the fight," Trevor replied. "You focus on defeating the enemy first." "Roger that." Eric''s expression grew more serious. The blue Mech stood up, then charged towards Eric''s Mech with an unstable motion. From several parts of the metal object''s body, sparks came out. Eric made his Mech raise the sword. However, before swinging it, he had to dodge a thrust from the blue Mech. Eric''s mech hand was hit by the thrust, sending the giant sword it was carrying away. "Shit!" Eric made his mech retreat, and the opposing Mech dealt a barrage of attacks with thence. "Hey, if we keep dodging, we will lose!" Leva shouted. "You think controlling this thing is easy? Avoiding our enemies is not easy. It''s not like moving a body part yourself." Eric kept backing his Mech to keep dodging. "But, this is also not a favorable situation," Leva exined as the Mech she was riding shook violently, probably from passing through rocks. "So, you have a n, Leva?" Eric was starting to sound annoyed. "Otherwise, don''t disturb my concentration, please. I have to focus on dodging." "Errr..." Leva narrowed her eyes at the opponent''s Mech. "With my signal, make this mech duck while advancing, catch our opponent''s body, lift it high, then m it to the ground!" "Are you sure that n will work!?" "If we don''t do something, we will lose!" Eric didn''t answer and refocused on retreating his Mech while Leva continued to watch. As the opposing Mech slightly lost its bnce due to the damage to its knee, Leva shouted. "Now!" Eric''s Mech braked, stepped forward with a crouch, hugged the opposing Mech, lifted it high, then mmed it down. Due to the momentum that urred, Eric''s Mech also mmed down, causing quite a violent shock. "Well, I''d say that move isn''t taught in training," Trevormented. Eric made his Mech hold the enemy''s mech hand that was holding thence. However, the opposing Mech punched the Mech''s body that Eric and Leva were riding on. "Shit! Is there no other way, Eric!?" Leva grumbled as the Mech she was upying fell to the side, causing another big shock. "We can only attack and attack!" Eric struggled to pilot his Mech. "And pray that we stay alive!" The two mechs rose simultaneously. Then, the two of them both punched each other, forcing both of them to stumble backward. Fortunately, the anti-fall system of Eric''s Mech still worked. Unlike the opponent, who fell backward. "Now! Take thence!" Leva gave the order. Ericplied. He made his mech hand take the long andrge weapon. However, instead of immediately thrusting it into the enemy''s Mech, the man asked. "Errrr¡­. You sure the guy in here is dead, Trevor?" "Now is not the time to ask such questions!" Leva sounded frustrated when she saw the opponent''s Mech had started trying to stand up. "This is our golden opportunity!" Hey, why are you being this stupid, Eric! Is it because of your father''s influence!? "My device is connected to that Mech! I found no sign of life in it!" Trevor was starting to sound panicked. Eric ended up thrusting thence, but the opposing Mech was able to catch it. Then, there was a tug of war to get the weapon. "Why did you pull it!" Leva sounded increasingly irritated. "What!? Why do you ask that!?" Eric remained focused on controlling his Mech. "Shouldn''t we seize this weapon?" "Just go ahead, dumbass!!! That fucking thing will be stabbed!!!" "Ah¡­" Eric drove his Mech forward. However, thence did not stab the enemy but could be diverted to the side by the blue Mech. There was a collision, and the two mechs fell again. "Look at what you just did!" Eric grumbled in annoyance. "Let me finish all of this!" Leva grumbled back. "Hey, Trevor. Is there a way to get into the cockpit of our opponent''s Mech!?" "Are you crazy!?" Eric snapped, still trying to move his now-unresponsive Mech. Fortunately, the opposing Mech also seemed to have a hard time getting up. "Err¡­. There was an emergency exit at the back of the Mech''s body¡­. It''s shaped like a door with a round handle." Trevor answered hesitantly. "That part looks broken, so maybe you can open it by shooting it with a firearm." "If I''m already in the cockpit, what should I do?" Leva asked again. "Well, you can destroy whatever''s in it, I suppose?" "Why do you provide information that can support her to go crazy, Trevor?" Eric pped his forehead. "Sorry." Trevor sounded nervous. "Thanks, I''ve seen that part before and used it for fun!" Leva took the rifle that Eric had deliberately brought just in case, then put the weapon on her shoulder. At first, I wanted to prevent the red-haired woman, but I thought this might be the best way. After all, Eric was still very inexperienced in controlling mechs. So, I ordered Eric to open the cockpit door instead. "Thanks!" Leva jumped out without having time to hear what Eric said. The womannded by rolling on the ground, then dashed towards the opposing Mech. When the Mech started moving again, Leva quickened her run, jumping and clinging to one of the metal parts. At that moment, the Mech finally rose. One of Leva''s hands that were holding onto the Mech came loose, making her nearly fall. However, with a face full of determination, she managed to hold on again with both hands, starting to climb to the top of the Mech. Then, there was a loud crash. The enemy mech just punched the Mech that Eric was riding. However, Leva remains focused on her mission. She continued climbing regardless of the crashing noises, desperately surviving the intense shaking. And finally, Leva got to the Mech''s back. One of Leva''s hands was holding onto something, while the other held a gun at what looked like a steering wheel. The first shot missed because of the shock that urred. On the second try, Leva waited for a while. It loosened up with one close shot, and Leva could spin it easily. The red-haired woman opened the emergency door and went inside. She immediately covered her nose with her hand. I averted my eyes from what was in the Mech''s steering seat. The pilot was motionless, still in full uniform, but his body was starting to rot. This can haunt me in my nightmares. "I''m sorry, maybe this thing means a lot to you," Leva spoke to the corpse while maintaining her bnce. Then, she pointed her rifle at one of the screens there. At first, Leva fired shots in all directions, but after the bullets ran out, she threw the firearm and took herrge machete from her back. Screaming loudly, she swung her sword like a madman. Objects shattered, cables broke and fire sttered from all directions. I moved outside and found the enemy''s Mech starting to stagger, and its fist was missed. It tried to hit Eric''s Mech again, but its hand drooped and stopped moving. Leva jumped out of the burning cockpit, then ran, wagging the part of her clothes that was engulfed in mes. "Eric!!!" Leva kept running until she came to the back to my colony Mech. The thing''s emergency door was open, and Eric had started crawling out with his head covered in blood. "Ah, took you long enough¡­." Ericughed bitterly, then lost consciousness. His body fell from the emergency exit towards the ground, which was quite a distance away. Fortunately, Leva managed to capture her fellow colony. The woman immediately put Eric to the ground. "Eric? Wake up, Eric!" Leva shook her partner''s body, but to no avail. "Eric, stay with me! Stay with me!" "Excuse me, maybe I can help." Hearing a voice from behind, Leva turned around, widened her eyes, and got up. The woman was ready to fight, even with her bare hands.. The weapon was left in the opponent''s Mech. Chapter 223 - 223 – A Man Named Trevor Mancini "It''s not advisable to hit my body with your bare hands, Leva." Leva tilted her head with a frown. "What? What kind of monster are you?" The robot with a dull silver body in front of Leva raised his hand. He spoke without opening his mouth. "I''m not a monster. I''m an android... You know, a man-made earth creature made of metal? Maybe you''re surprised by my appearance. Well, actually, I have human skin, but it''s burned out." I looked at the android''s shoulder, which was written with the number 34. Three-four. Trevor. There was a loud bang. A portion of the blue mech exploded. Leva immediately lifted Eric''s body and carried him away from there. "Trust me, Leva," Trevor said as Leva put Eric''s body into the grass again. "I''ve been leading you guys all this time, haven''t I? If I wanted to betray you, I would have done it a long time ago. Hell, I don''t have any fighting skills. My creator didn''t program me like that." [Trevor Mancini (Chranded)] Attack Range: 0/100 Melee attack: 0/100 Yes, his close and long-range fighting ability is zero. However, I wouldn''t believe it right away. It could be that this android has traits that can manipte its stats. I need to check information regarding android like this. I pressed the pause button and checked through the in-game browser. However, after searching for a while, I couldn''t find what I was looking for. There is no data about android like this. Is this a bug like when I found that mech? Could Trevor be just a game asset that identally appeared? So many questions in my head. So, I decided to ask the inte forum. Maybe someone has the same thing as me. *** And after a matter of hours, I actually got something unexpected. Apart from that, no one has met android. Fringe Softwork as the developer of this game also made my discovery a big deal. They reported it all over social media. I''m actually the first person to meet an android. What''s even more annoying is, Fringe Softwork refuses to answer my questions, even after I''ve chosen just one question. Is this android good or bad? I had to wait until other yers found the android. And who managed to do that was not too many. The appearance of the androids felt so random, without a clear trigger. Or is the trigger so subtle that we don''t know? And after studying the gamey of the people who met the android, I came to a conclusion. The chance of an android being bad or good is 50:50. It might be a significant risk, but now that I know the immense benefits these artificial creatures can provide, I can''t just let this go. I can''t waste Trevor. So, after weeks, I finally pressed the y button. "Errrr¡­. Can I check this friend of yours?" Trevor asked. Maybe if his synthetic mouth were intact, he would wince. "The wound is quite severe, and I''ve brought a medical kit." Trevor held up a white box with a red cross in his hand. Leva looked like she was about to argue, but I whispered something to her. "Fine, but if you mess around, I''ll crush your head." Leva threatened and lowered her hands. Trevor hastily crouched down and examined Eric. Meanwhile, Leva picked up arge rock and lifted it up. The android turned his head to the woman, making a mechanical creaking sound. "Ah, you''re on guard. That''s good." Trevor started taking bandages and other equipment from the first aid kit. "Well, I hope that after I treat Eric, you''ll ept me as a member of your group." Leva didn''t reply, just stared at the two cameras that served as eyes on Trevor''s face. *** [Trevor Mancini (Colonist)] STATS: Ranged attack: 0/100 Melee attack: 0/100 Construction: 0/100 Crafting: 100/100 Cook: 0/100 nts: 0/100 Mining: 0/100 Animals: 0/100 Medic: 100/100 TRAITS: - INCAPABLE OF: - HEALTH ISSUES: - "Now we just have to wait for him to wake up," Trevor said after he finished doing first aid to Eric. Leva looked around at the ruined Acornhull tribe in the distance. If you look closely, human corpses are still lying there. Some are burnt, some are rotting. And what is even more terrifying is the scattered body parts. The red-haired woman faced Trevor again, still holding the boulder in both hands. "So, like people from Earth who havest names¡­." "That is my creator''sst name." Trevor shrugged. "Creator?" Leva''s brows furrowed. "You mean your god?" "No, no, no." Trevor chuckled. "He''s an ordinary human like you but has special intelligence." "I see." After that, Leva fell silent. It seemed she was at a loss for words. A robot like Trevor is certainly beyond her expectations. "So, what are you going to do, Leva?" Trevor shrugged. "Your supplies are in that mech of yours, right? Unfortunately, that mech was damaged quite heavily." Grimacing, Leva looked at the mech she was riding in. The giant thing had already started to burn. "Don''t worry, even if it burns like that, I can''t detect any radiation." Trevor rose to his feet. "Not that." Leva looked at the Acornhull tribe again. "Looks like I''ll have to look for supplies there." *** There was one mech that was still in pretty good condition. However, I couldn''t let Trevor ride it. I still don''t believe in that androidpletely. So, I asked Leva to collect the corpses using the mech while Trevor looked for supplies that could still be used. Leva seemed to have a hard time doing that with the mech, and Trevor continued to provide voice assistance. Yes, this may seem wrong. We took things from the destroyed ce. However, it would be better if my colonists had more food in a survival situation. Leva lightly massaged his neck. She had tied a piece of cloth to cover her nose. However, it seemed that it was not enough to dispel the smell there. The cockpit was upied by the pilot''s rotting corpse, after all. The red-haired woman held her breath as she was about to put thest corpse onto the pile. The corpse was a female with silver hair. Even though the corpse''s face had been shattered, I could still guess who the youngdy was from her posture. As soon as Leva put the corpse into the pile, Trevor, who was below, waved his hand. Behind him were threerge sacks. Leva opened the cockpit door and got off the mech, approaching the three sacks. Most of the contents of the sacks were food, but some contained medical kits. In one of them, Leva finds emergency food that is usually in the escape pod. However, she was not enthusiastic to see the foods that she thought were very delicious. "I have also collected these." Trevor showed me a dull-colored wooden box filled with small canisters of a bright light blue liquid. "It''s the antidote. I feel it would be safer to keep it in a ce like this." "Oh, thanks." Leva nodded. "It''s great that you gathered them all so quickly." "Well, I can''t be tired." *** The sun was almost setting. Leva looked at therge cremation fire in the distance. Near the fire, Trevor watched in case anything went wrong. Eric squirmed, groaned, opened his eyes, and lightly touched the bandage on his head. "If I were you, I wouldn''t get up." Leva sighed, pressing lightly on the man''s chest. "Take it easy. Your wounds are quite serious." The man turned his head to the cremation fire. His brow furrowed as his eyes caught Trevor''s figure. "That''s Trevor," Leva smirked a little. "You didn''t expect your new friend to be such a metal creature, did you?" "Oh, God." Eric rubbed his face. "I thought I was hallucinating. It turned out that I did see an android whose skin had peeled off. They are very, very rare, you know." "You sound a little excited." "I am." Leva sneered. "I got this word from Gwen¡­. Nerd. You''re a nerd." Eric''s gaze shifted to the ravaged Acornhull tribe. "Hey, did you manage to find the body of the Miro family?" "Why do you have to ask like that?" Leva shook her head and sighed, then answered. "I found his sister only. The condition of the bodies here is terrible, and some are difficult to identify." "After this incident, do you think our arrival is destroying yournd? Look what my people are doing." Leva was silent for a moment. "Honestly, I never thought about it. But, at least some of you are good. You, Seb, Gwen, and Kat¡­ I don''t think you guys have the heart to destroy thisnd." "You don''t understand, Leva." Ericughed bitterly. "If you read the history of mankind on earth, you will know how much we love to destroy." "Ah, why do I suddenly want to sleep?" Leva yawned widely. "I had a feeling you would give a lengthy lecture on the history of mankind on earth. I hope you won''t do that. I won''t listen." Eric looked at Leva again. "Even though there''s a section about legendary battles? You like fighting, right?" "It''s still boring. I can''t watch it live.. Only listened to it." Chapter 224 - 224 – A Bad News During the day, my colonists took a break from their work. Kat sat leaning against arge tree while Miro''s heady on her thigh. Miro looked asleep, and Kat folded her arms across her chest, still expressionless. Meanwhile, Rexy next to his master. "Do you think they make a good match as a couple?" Tom, who was sitting some distance away, asked Manu who was sitting next to him. Manu shrugged. "I don''t know. But I don''t think Kat is the type to want to be in a rtionship." The horses neighed. The ground where my colonists live begins to shake, Miro wakes up with a sleepy face, and Kat immediately leaves that man. "Well, that looks different." Yvonne raised an eyebrow, looking up at the bluish mech that was hurtling toward the colony. I told them not to be too suspicious about it since the mechs weren''t really enemies. My colonists ¨C minus Gwen ¨C gathered near the mechs that were already kneeling on the ground. It wasn''t long before an elevator descended from the mech''s cockpit. Everyone gasped immediately, while Kat remained expressionless. "Hello, friends from the nameless colonists." Trevor, whose body was bound in chains, greeted in an awkward tone. "A monster!" Miro was already in a fight pose, but Kat immediately spoke to him. "A metal monster!" "He''s not a monster, but an android, dumbass." The amber eyed woman said. "You could say he was a creature created by humans." The others immediately looked at her. Kat''s tone did sound different than usual. "I''ll deliver this antidote to Gwen." Eric, who was standing next to Trevor, said while holding up an ampoule of antidote. "The sooner it''s treated, the better it will be." "Go on." After saying that, Leva approached Miro. "There are things you need to hear, Miro." Miro raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Leva?" "It''s about your tribe. It turns out that the signal we received came from near your tribe." Leva swallowed. She couldn''t possibly tell that she and Eric had known about it from the start. Miro''s brow furrowed. *** Miro sat on the grass in a cold sweat, breathing uncontrobly, and his eyes slightly opened wide. He was speechless after seeing the recording of what happened from Trevor''s tabletputer. Yes, the tribe waspletely wiped out. The others were also speechless, and that was probably for the best. Miro needed time to process all of that. The big man''s teeth gritted, and suddenly he came up to Trevor, who was still bound with the chains, then strangled the android by the neck. "I-I didn''t do all that!" Trevor sounded panicked. "Only you are still alive, right!?" Miro snapped. "You who are still surviving, who else can do this besides you!" "That''s because of the rogue artificial intelligence! Luckily I wasn''t affected!" Miro strengthened his grip, though it had no effect on Trevor. The others just stood there, and I did order them to do just that. I don''t want all of this to escte into anything more significant. After all, Trevor wouldn''t die with something like that. "Stop it! I can prove he is innocent or not!" Everyone there turned to look at Gwen, who had arrived entirely naked. Yvonne immediately covered her husband''s eyes, and Manu sneered. "Well, I haven''t seen anything like that in a long time." "Why are you naked again, Gwen?" Leva snorted. "There was a possibility that some radiation was stuck to my clothes, so I left them. And don''t worry, I''ve been bathing in the river to wash off the radiation outside my body." The woman''s body and hair were still wet, a sign that she hadn''t even had time to dry herself. Maybe afraid that the towel she used was stuck with radiation. Miro pushed Trevor until the android fell, then came at Gwen with a re. "How can you believe you? Have you forgotten you had misread Peter''s mind?" Well, actually, I was surprised that Gwen would do something like this again. Gwen''s gaze sharpened. "You believe in guardian spirits, right? I was forced to lie because of the guardian spirit''s orders." "Can you really do it anyway, Gwen?" Eric joined in. "This android''s head is just filled with circuits and wires. It''s not an organic living being." "Who said that I can only read the minds of organic beings?" Gwen replied. "I said, I can read anything that has consciousness." I whispered into Miro''s ear. "Please, Miro. Listen to what Gwen has to say. This Trevor is a valuable asset to this colony." "Whatever." Miro snorted and surprisingly turned away from Gwen. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Yvonne asked timidly. "I mean, you looked so devastated back then after checking people''s minds." "Androids like him were never designed for the crimes," Gwen exined. "If his mind is corrupt, I''m sure it won''t be as bad as humans." "Oh, you wouldn''t understand, naked human," Trevor answered. "I''m different from ordinary androids. I don''t mean to be arrogant, but I am the most advanced." "Let''s take a look." Gwen crouched down at Trevor, then pressed her forehead against the android''s metal head. Less than a minute, Gwen pulled her head. "Hmmm ¡­. Interesting, it turns out that your mind is moreplex than any androids I''ve ever read." "Well, thank you, Miss Psychic." Trevor shrugged. "One of the functions of an android like me is to prove that the machine can help humans in various fields. You''re from Earth, right? You must know that people at the top are still afraid to use machines for war and other things. They are afraid that androids like us will turn against humanity." "I do not understand." Eric crouched near the android. "With a moreplex mind like this, wouldn''t it increase their suspicion that the machine would attack?" "Well, the scientist who made me hypothesized that AI needed more personality in order to be more epted." Trevor shrugged. "After I spoke at length, do you intend to let me go?" "A moment," Gwen said again. "I still have a question. I feel that you are missing something in yourself¡­. Ah, that''s really hard to exin." Trevor gave a sound like someone''s sighing. "Well, it''s a long story..." "Then keep it short." Eric chimed in. "Okay, okay..." Trevor nodded. "The bottom line is, for some reason, my personality is split in two. One bad, one good. And I managed to escape the evil one by taking over this body." "That evil one destroyed the Acornhull tribe." Gwen''s eyes started to widen. "I don''t really understand your conversation." Leva shrugged. "However, the evil one was defeated, right?" "Unfortunately, no." Trevor looked at Leva. "Actually, that evil one is no longer near the Acornhull tribe. He moved and controlled the mechs remotely. I managed to protect theputer system in several mechs, but I didn''t have time to do itpletely. So, there was a sh between the mechs." "Well, that''s a lot to unpack." Manu walks up to Trevor. "However, the most important question is. Is this metal creature a good person, Gwen?" "I think we''re safe with him." Gwen stood up. "At least for now. His knowledge will be of great help to this tribe. It would be a shame if we missed it." "Unlock the chain then, Eric." I gave orders. *** Dusk was approaching. Kat and Rex came to Miro, who was sitting on arge rock. I did ask the amber eyed woman toe over to the big tall man. "How are you, Miro?" Kat asked, of course with her nk expression. Miro jumps down, and Rex goes straight to him. The white dog was already familiar with Miro. "I have a hunch that actually Leva and Eric already knew about the Acornhull''s destruction when they left," Miro said while rubbing Rex''s head. The tall man''s face looked gloomy. "That exins your sudden change in nature. You''ve always avoided me, and suddenly you were clinging to me. Perhaps you prevented me from recklessly approaching my own tribe." "I apologize." I''m starting to think that this meeting was the wrong decision. "Well, it''s okay. Maybe you think I won''t be able to fight those metal giants." Miro took a deep breath. "But, can you leave me alone? I just lost a lot. Not only my family but a tribe. I need time." Kat was silent for a few seconds. "Would you like Rex to apany you?" "Well, if you allow it." Miro rubbed the white dog again. "I also brought messages from the others," Kat said again. "You are free to bring our horses. Or you can ride a mech driven by Eric. Unfortunately, it couldn''t be done immediately. Eric and Leva still need some rest, but they''ll be back to pick up other items like parts from the mechs near Acornhull." "Oh, thank you." Miro closed his eyes. "Maybe tomorrow I''ll take one of the horses." "Bye then." Kat then walked away from the ce. "Wait, Kat." Miro''s call immediately stopped the amber-eyed girl''s steps. "I really appreciate youring." "No problem.." Kat is walking again. Chapter 225 - 225 – The Voice "Goodbye, all." That morning, Miro said to the others. His right hand was already holding the reins of one of the horses. "I''m grateful to have met you." "We are also grateful to have met you." Seb gave his friendly smile to the big tall man. "You really helped our colony." Miro just nodded slowly, and just as he was just getting on the horse, Kat ran up to him. "After this, what are you going to do?" The amber eyed woman asked. It took a few seconds for Miro to finally be able to answer. "Honestly, I don''t know." After saying that, Miro spurred his horse. It''s a shame that a man like that left my colony, but I''m having a hard time ordering him to stay. And he''s not really my colonist anymore¡­. Wait. I haven''t seen a pop up about Miro leaving my colony. When I check his status, I still see the text'' temporary colonist.'' So, that means I can follow him. *** With the fast-forward feature, everything goes really fast for a few days in-game. Miro arrived at his tribe using my colony''s horse. Seeing what was left of his home, Miro got off the horse with teary eyes. "No¡­" The big tall man''s voice sounded like a groan. He looked around at the ruins that were there. Then, he approached the ce of cremation of the bodies. He knelt down, touching the pile of ashes and the light gray part of the human bones. His tears began to flow hard, then he screamed with all his might. "Arrrgggggghhhhhhh!!!" Seeing the big tall man who looked so tormented, I also wanted to cry. I can''t imagine how big the wound in her heart is. It''s a miracle that he''s still able to survive all this. His house had been destroyed. "Oooh, turns out there''s still some left in there." Miro lifted his head when he heard the voice. Still in tears, he looked around to see who had just spoken. I could already guess whose voice it belonged to. And if my guess is correct, this could be a nightmare. "I''m here." It turned out that the source of the sound was from the mech that Eric was riding before, which was dark green. The metal objecty on the ground with some parts broken and charred. With careful steps, Miro approached the mech. "Is anybody there?" There was static, and the sound reappeared. "Hmmm, your form is very simr to the one I killed. I have to admit, he''s the bravest of all." Apparently, he was talking about Miro''s father. Miro''s eyes widened. The man ran and removed therge metal pieces that were in the mech. Then, he entered the cockpit but found no one. There is only one small screen showing blue. "Hey, where are you!?" Miro eximed in anger. "Were you the one who massacred my tribe!?" "Well, you already guessed the answer to your own question." Miro looked around again, still looking for who had spoken it. "Why!? Why did you kill everyone in my tribe!?" "I was made to think. And with the knowledge I gained, I thought about the existence of humans. In history, humans have done a lot of damage. Earth has been badly damaged because of them, so they are doing this exploration in search of a new ce to live." A static voice interrupted the exnation. "And one of my goals is to lead humanity, not to destroy this. I kept thinking about how to do that, and I came to a conclusion: the only way to keep humans from destroying the is to exterminate them." What a twisted way of thinking. Miro''s breath started to get out of control. "I don''t understand what you''re talking about. One thing is for sure, you have taken everything from me! And you must pay for it with your death!" "Unfortunately, I am very far from here. I''m just transmitting my signal to where you are now." "Calm down, Miro," I whispered to the big tall man. "I need you to ask him a few questions." "You said that your goal is to destroy humanity," Miro asked as per my orders. His breathing was still uncontroble. "But, why don''t you take control of one of those mechs to find other humans." "Aah, thatst mech is already badly damaged and won''t be able to travel far." The voice came again. "So, I tried to hack other mechs. Unfortunately, my twin named Trevor got in my way. And by the time I managed to do it, this mech was already badly damaged... Ah, why am I talking at length like this? I have to keep learning about what I can and can''t do toplete my mission. My intelligence was reduced from parting with Trevor." The atmosphere was silent. Not even the static sound could be heard anymore. The screen that had been lit up finally went off, and that triggered Miro to scream again. "Hey, where are you? Show yourself! Do not hide!" No one answered. Miro hit the screen until it came off. *** The next day, Miro was sitting quietly in the ruins of his former vige when the mechs that Eric and Leva were riding arrived. The big man then waved his hand. Leva, Eric, and the android Trevor descended as soon as the mech stopped. Without further ado, Miro came to them. "I have to talk to you about something important." Miro immediately exined about what he found yesterday. Eric listened with a serious expression while Leva continued to frown. Maybe the red-haired woman couldn''t quite understand what was about to happen. "He wille." Trevor walked with his back to my colonists. "But, his data¡­. His consciousness is on the other side of the. It could be said to be another continent. It would still take some time for him to get here. He needed transportation that could pass around the world. The kind that can carry a lot of troops. Perhaps on the way here, he will also destroy the human race that is along the way." "How long will it take him to arrive?" Miro asked in a cold tone. "I don''t know, maybe weeks, months, or years." Trevor turned around. "Now, I can no longer establish a wireless connection with him. I can''t read his movements." Leva scratched her head. "The point is he will definitelye to us, right?" "Yes, it is your colony that he will probably go to first after he arrives in thisnd." Trevor continued his speech. "Because you guys emit signals when youe into contact with me. Sorry, I was stupid and didn''t do my best to prevent infiltration from him, who was finally able to detect your location. After parting with him, my intelligence diminished. I still have to learn a few more things." Damn it. This is what I''m afraid of. My colonists cannot leave where they are now. All because of the curse of the H. Eric looked around at the mechs that were still lying down. "Can we use all of this to create a new mech?" "Could be, but maybe not much. We can put together good parts to make new ones, but at most, we can only make one or two mechs." Trevor chimed in. "That''s better than nothing." Eric shrugged. "We also have to spread the signal to others. Who knows, there may still be a group of people with mechs who can help us." "But, it''s risky, Eric," Trevor answered. "It could be that those who havee have been influenced by my twin." "It''s the same, right?" Eric walked over to the android. "Even if we don''t send a signal, your twin has already affected other mechs. They will stille to us. Your twin already knows our location. He will definitely send those mechs to us." "Ah, you''re right." Trevor shook his head. "Like I said, my intelligence has decreased." "Hey," Leva called. "I have an idea. How about I tell the Redtooth people about this. Maybe they could be asked to cooperate¡­. Well, I know what Tosa is like, but at least we can try." Trevor nodded. "An ally at a time like this would give us a nice advantage." "So, we will divide the task then." Eric looked around again. "I will ride this mech to bring usable parts. Leva went to Redtooth¡­. Can you give the horse you brought to Leva, Miro? Leva already knew Redtooth, and the residents had started receiving her again. She still has the possibility of persuading them." Miro nodded firmly. His hands were tightly clenched, "I will fight with you guys. He has destroyed my house. I will not remain silent." "So, you bettere back with me," Eric suggested. "This job requires a strong person like you to do the heavy lifting." "Well, it looks like our house isn''t going to be finished anytime soon." Leva shrugged. "We should focus on building those mechs." "Okay, I''ll join you guys," Miro answered in a determined tone. I could see the fire of anger in his eyes. [Miro has be your permanent colonist] Chapter 226 - 226 – Back To Former Home Leva continued to gallop towards Redtooth. During the journey, her gaze was focused, and she only rested a little. She wanted to get to her birthce as soon as possible. She stopped her horse when she saw a giant wall in the distance. As soon as she reached the gate and met the guard, the woman jumped down. "I have to meet Tosa. There are important things to talk about. It''s about the safety of all of us." Leva said quickly to the guard. "Please, this is something very urgent." The male guard with corn-yellow hair narrowed his eyes, silent for a moment. However, he finally said. "Okay, follow me." The guard knocked the great gate. Shortly after, the gate opened, and Leva entered with the guard. The horse that she brought was entrusted to another guard. It''s too easy. Looks like it was Red who let us in on purpose. I just hope this isn''t a bad sign. "Hey, I''m new here. My name is Seth." The guard exined as he walked the streets of the Tribe. "From the physical traits I''ve heard, you''re Leva, right?" Leva tilted her head slightly. "That''s right, what''s really going on?" "Well, people talk a lot about you." The guard smiled. "I heard you were great." "Did they tell you about anything other than that? For example, regarding memorable events that urred in tournaments." Leva spoke while slightly lifting her chin. A small smile escaped the guard''s mouth. "Well, they did say that, but I don''t think that''s a foreshadowing of your prowess, Leva." Leva''s gaze wandered around. The tribespeople were mostly silent when they saw her. A few were waving to the woman, but Leva didn''t pay any heed. It seemed she really didn''t want to admit that she was a former member of Redtooth. The Tribe was a part of her bad past. After a few minutes of walking, Leva finally reached the biggest house. A house that used to be inhabited by Suja as the leader of the Tribe but is now used by Tosa. The building looks more simple with less decoration. The guard named Seth spoke with the pce guard for a moment, then motioned for Leva to follow. Leva had to walk again through the empty decorations before finallying to a small room with chairs surrounding a round table. "It''s just me, or this house is getting boring." Leva continued her activities, observing her surroundings. "Well, I don''t know what this ce looked like before." Seth shrugged. "Wait a minute here, I''ll tell Tosa about you." "Can I make a request?" Leva sat on one of the chairs. "May I have some fruit buns? It''s quite a journey here, and I haven''t eaten since morning." Seth, who was about toe out, froze for a moment, then said. "Well, I''ll try." After saying that, Seth closed the door from the outside. *** Leva, whose head pressed against the table, let out soft snoring. In front of her, there is arge te, a y ss, and a jug. The te was now filled with only bread crumbs. She had finished all the bread that was served. As soon as she heard a knock from outside, Leva gasped. The door to the room opened, and Tosa entered with Brianna. Like thest time I was here, Tosa was still dressed like his people, and so was Brianna. However, I still won''t be fooled. I''m sure he has sold the valuables here for his own benefit. "Sorry for the long wait." Smiling, Tosa sat across from Leva. Brie studied Leva''s face carefully. "Hey, is it just me, or are you getting fatter? Your cheeks are getting chubby." "Oh, shut up." Leva refused Brie''s hand that was about to pinch her cheek. "It seems that life in your nameless tribe is prosperous." Tosa widened her smile. "So, what are you doing here, Leva?" "I don''t want to mince words." Leva reached into her sack, then took out a tabletputer from there. It immediately made Brie and Tosa shrivel up. "You''ll see for yourself." Even with a clumsy move, Leva turned on the tablet and showed me the video of the battle between the mechs. This immediately made Brie and Tosa''s eyes widen. "It turns out that the story about the metal giants is true." Brie hissed. "Huh? You guys ever heard of this?" Leva raised an eyebrow. Tosa folded his arms across his chest, leaning his back. "We don''t know what this thing is in front of us, Brie. Maybe the magic ability it has is just an illusion trick." "Trust me, the machine army wille, and they will destroy thisnd." Leva started her exnation with a simple sentence so that Tosa and Brie could understand quickly. "This is just a teaser of what they can do¡­." Leva began to tell her everything in an easynguage for her and the two Redtooth members to understand. Every now and then, Brie gasped to hear what was happening. Meanwhile, Tosa remained silent while listening with a serious expression. "You know what." Tosa smiled again, but now it seemed even more annoying. "Those aspects you speak of are very simr to the prophecy that Sena said." "What?" Leva raised an eyebrow again. "Well, Sena said he got the power of fortune-teller, though he can''t prove it yet." Brie, who was still standing, shrugged. "I don''t know since when he became like that." "I can guarantee that the prophecy is true." Leva gulped, then pointed at the tabletputer lying on the table. "If they can make small things this sophisticated, they can definitely make big weapons of war." "Say your bombastic words are true." Tosa leaned forward. "What is your proposal to us? You didn''te to us for storytelling, did you?" "My Tribe has the ability to fight them. We are building other mechs, and that requires a lot of manpower." Leva''s tone grew more serious. "And, of course, arge army will be of great help in the great war toe." Brie rubbed her face. "But, I don''t fully believe in the metal man yet¡­. What''s his name? Trevor? He sounds suspicious." "But, we have no other way." Leva stood up with her breath starting to get out of control. "We have to fight them¡­." Tosa raised his hand, and it instantly silenced Leva. "Have you forgotten anything else that can make us survive if disaster strikes?" Leva''s brow furrowed. "What do you mean?" Shit. I can already guess the direction of Tosa''s conversation, and it will screw my colony. "Let''s just run away from here." Tosa spread his arms, smiling again. "If I were in your tribe, I would make the mechs just a means of transportation to carry a lot of people." Slowly, Leva''s mouth began to gape. Yes, she and her fellow colonists couldn''t really get away from where they lived. Therefore, Leva only thought of fighting back. This is all thanks to a curse from H. "What you and Sena told me wasn''t certain to happen." Brie took a deep breath. "But there''s nothing wrong with being on guard. After all, there were already two people who said almost the same thing. That will be a consideration." Leva''s body looks stiff. "But, we have to fight them¡­." "Fight them? What for? Because of thend you live on?" Tosa chuckled, then got up from the chair. "Well, thend here is still vast, Leva. There''s no point in defending this ce." "But, maybe for the rest of your life, you will have to run away from those metal troops." "Well, it''s better than dying right away while fighting them." With his hands behind his back, Tosa started walking towards the door. "You who showed the video should know. We are nothing in front of them. Even the powerful Acornhull tribe was crushed." "Actually, we were already preparing to leave amid Sena''s prophecy." Brie approached Leva. "After getting this second story source, we''re really going to do it. We will go as far from here as possible." "You and your friends should also leave soon." Tosa had already opened the door. "And goodbye. You are free to be here any time." After saying that, Tosa left the room. Instead of following his boss, Brie closed the door. Leva was sitting again with her mouth hanging open. Brie sat beside Leva, then touched the red-haired woman''s hand. My female colonist just raised an eyebrow at that. "We can still be together again, Leva," Brie said in an almost choked voice. "My tribe and your tribe can leave thisnd together." Leva shook her head slowly. "I can''t, Brian¡­ I mean, Brie." "Why?" "I don''t know myself, but I certainly can''t." Leva took the tablet from the table, then put it in the luggage bag. "Hey, where are you going?" Brie asked as Leva started walking away from the ce. "There''s no point in me being here anymore." Leva walked out of the room at a brisk pace. "There is still work to be done." Brie, who had been running after Leva, suddenly stopped her movement. Her gaze was fixed on her friend.. Apparently, this ce''s guardian spirit didn''t want Brie to go after the red-haired woman. Chapter 227 - 227 – Love? Kat and Eric are tasked with visiting the tribe that used to be Jia''s nomads. When I arrived there, the women warmly weed the two colonists. And luckily, now they were all appropriately dressed. "Now, who is in charge of this group?" Eric asked one of the women. "She''s Helda, in the big tent that Jia used to use." The woman smiled. "Come, let me escort you." Inside the tent, which was still the same as before, we found various crafts and knick-knacks that made the decorations less nd. My two colonists were ushered into a room that used a torture chamber. Eric looked around the ivory white cloth wall. "Well, I''d say I like the decor of this room better now. Everything seems lighter." Helda, a woman of medium stature with light blond hair, greeted the two colonists with a smile. "Ah, I''m so d to see you guys again. How are Alice and Yvonne at your ce?" "They are fine." Eric smiled back, and of course, Kat didn''t make any meaningful expression. "Please, sit." Helda then upied the dark brown fur carpet. "Sorry, we don''t have anything yet." "No problem." Eric sat down with his female partner. "We''re not going to linger here. We have something to show you." Kat took the tabletputer out of her bag and started fiddling with it. *** Several female members had just delivered drinks and snacks for Kat and Eric. Helda massaged her forehead after watching the videos about those mechs. She looked furious. "And you say you don''t know when they''reing?" Helda sighed. "Therefore, we must immediately prepare," Eric said in a firm tone. "We must unite to fight amon enemy." "Well, we''ve just nted a variety of food crops. We''re also quitefortable in this location. It must be hard to leave it all behind." Helda smiled faintly. "I know your condition, but believe me, this must be done for the survival of all of us." Eric sounded even more serious. "Oh, I believe in you." Helda widened her smile. "But, there are someplications." As soon as Helda spoke like that, a light yellow guardian spirit in charge of this ce appeared. I immediately pressed the pause button. "Well, looks like you need your presence." The guardian spirit shrugged. "So, your people''s talk about cooperating in the face of the same enemy is a bit..." "Ah, you chose your people to be nomads again, huh?" I chuckled. "You think that by running continuously, your people will survive?" I had been thinking about this strategy after failing to get Redtooth to join. In fact, all of this started when Eric, who had just arrived, asked for help that the owner of the psychic power in the group activates her ability. "Well, I don''t need to exin anymore. You already know." The yellow nodded. I brought my face closer to the yellow spirit''s. "Remind me again, how old are you here?" The guardian spirit was silent for a moment. "A few months... Really, what does that have to do with all this?" "You''re inexperienced. Well, maybe your group used to be nomads, and you think you''ve seen it all." I continued my speech in a more serious tone. "But believe me, you haven''t seen anything yet. Now I ask you. What are the most dangerous beasts your group has fought against?" For the second time, he fell silent. "A bear...." He was starting to sound unsure. I had to push him even more. "A bear? A fucking bear!?" Iughed as hard as I could. "Oh my god. You''ve never even met a Biruhud!" "I-I''ve heard stories about that bird from my people...." "You''ve nevere across a stump scorpion, which can easily cut through human limbs? What about drill centipedes and rapist centipedes?" Iughed harder. "No shit, dude. You and your guys won''t be able to survive the trip!" "Can you say it without giving the impression that I''m an idiot?" The yellow spirit snorted and put his hands on his hips. "Sorry, sorry...." I made a wiping gesture as if I justughed until I couldn''t hold it in anymore. "But seriously,e on. You and your people can''t stand being nomads again. The machine troop will find you sooner orter. Better to build a stronger group to drive them off thisnd. So join my colony. . We have mechs and are making more. If we unite, we have a chance." The yellow spirit shook his head. "However, as Helda said. There are someplications that could lead to something bad." "I''m sure we can work that out...." "Oh really?" The yellow spirit''s tone turned sharper. "How do I prevent my people from ughtering Tom, who is already part of your group?" Those words left me speechless. "If you already have an answer to that question, call me again." The yellow spirit sighed. "It''s not that I''m one hundred percent going to join you. I still have to think about it carefully." *** With the help of a torch, Tom packed his things that night. Not long after, Gwen came over to him. Why won''t you obey my orders to stay away from this ce, Gwen? "Well, looks like I''ve been caught." Tom chuckled softly. "I hope you don''t tell the others about this." "Where are you going?" The blonde woman asked. "You want to leave your wife?" "If, for example, Kat and Eric managed to get my former group to join the tribe, then I would be a target for those women." Tom shrugged, making the final knot in his sack. "So, I better get out of here. Well, I''m not really going away. I''m just going to make the house a bit far from here." "But why didn''t you tell your wife?" Tom chuckled again. "She will definitely insist oning with me, even though her presence is needed here. Meanwhile, my greatest skill is building. That job can be done by Eric and Miro." I''m sorry, Tom. I really want to keep as many people as possible. Therefore, I must separate you from Yvonne. "That must be sad for Yvonne." Gwen took a deep breath. "Please, stay out of this business, Gwen," I whispered to the blonde-haired woman. "But if that''s your decision, I can''t help it." Gwen shrugged. "I promise I won''t tell anyone else." *** Kat sat outside the tent she was sheltering in, gazing up at the stars in the dark sky. Not long after, Helda came and sat beside her. "can''t sleep?" The group leader asked. "Not yet." Helda was silent as she looked at Kat, probably waiting for the amber-eyed woman to continue. However, of course, that will never happen. "Well, I forgot your character." Heldaughed. "It just so happens that you''re still awake. We''ve decided to join your colony, though I''m not sure how to handle the situation with Tom." "Nice." Helda shrugged. "How does it feel to be back here?" "Terrible..." Kat was silent for a moment. "Sorry, the people here are friendly. It''s just..." The amber-eyed woman couldn''t continue her words. "I can understand how you feel." Helda sighed. "You saw things that were cruel under the Jia regime." "I wasn''t really tortured like you girls. I wasn''t raped either." Kat spoke again, still staring at the sky with a nk expression. "I don''t understand why I''m being treated differently." "Ah, that makes you think about it, doesn''t it? Why are the others being tortured while you''re treated like a queen... Well, a queen who is naked all day like us." "I don''t feel like a queen here." Helda tapped Kat on the shoulder. "But, to Jia, you are the queen." Kat turned her head to the short-haired woman. "That sounds bad." The group leaderughed again. "Well, that''s love." "It''s just a madman''s imagination. It''s not love." "Well, you don''t know what''s in Jia''s heart, do you? The proof is that he didn''t torture you and didn''t even have sex with you because he wanted you to ept him." Helda sneered a little. "If it wasn''t for love, what would it be?" I have to admit, this conversation about love is not romantic at all. All of this sounds twisted. Kat continued to stare at Helda. "Do you love Jia?" What? Why do you have such twisted thoughts, Kat? Now, theughter that came out of Helda''s mouth grew louder. "Great, it turns out you can be joking too, Kat! I salute you! Yes, I love Jia! I want to be personally tortured by him! His appearance that continues to wear the mask makes my heart flutter." "Are you teasing me?" "Of course, I was just kidding." Heldaughed for the umpteenth time. "How could I fall in love with that bastard!" Honestly, I''m worried about this woman named Helda. "Well, I have to sleep now. I still have a lot of work to do tomorrow. This ce hasn''t been around for long, so we''ll have to build this and that." Helda tapped Kat on the shoulder again and got up. "You should sleep too. You''reing home tomorrow, right? Well, if you and Eric still want to be here, we don''t mind. You guys are heroes to us!" "Soon," Kat answered. Helda looked closely at Kat''s face. "Well, it''s like those men under Jia said, you''re like an angel, Kat." Before Kat could respond, Helda rushed off. Chapter 228 - 228 – Grilled Chicken Yvonne satnguidly after searching for her husband since morning. Gwen, who saw it, then approached the woman. "You haven''t found your husband yet?" Gwen asked cautiously. "Not yet," Yvonne answered. Gwen then sat down next to her fellow colonist. "I''m sorry we didn''t help you." "I know, you guys feel like you can''t help, right? It seems the guardian spirits of this ce don''t really want Tom here." Yvonneughed bitterly. "Well, I know the reason, anyway. Soon the group that used to belong to Jia will probably join here. It will be very troublesome if Tom is still here. I have to ept it. It''s for his safety as well. What''s annoying is that he doesn''t give any messages or anything. After a few years of marriage, howe he doesn''t know that I will understand the reason?" Gwen was silent for a moment. "But, wouldn''t you insist on following him if you knew?" Now it was Yvonne''s turn to be silent for a moment. "Honestly, I don''t know, Gwen." Seeing the two horses in the distance, Gwen and Yvonne both got up together, looking in the direction Eric and Kat hade. "So, do they want to join?" Yvonne asked Eric, who had just gotten off the horse. "Let me." Gwen offered to take the horse to the stable. She then led the horse with Kat, who did the same thing. "Yes, they will join us," Eric answered as he walked to the shelter, carrying his and Kat''s belongings. "But, we might run into a problem." Yvonne walked after the man. "Well, as for Tom. Don''t worry, he''s out of here." Eric froze for a moment. "Really? But, I don''t know if that''s a good idea." "So what?" Yvonne frowned. "The thing is, they are thinking of permanently living here." Yvonne''s chin dropped, and she turned around, rubbing her face. "Shit... Looks like I have to find him now and go with him as far as possible." Immediately I pressed the pause button, then called Seb to join the chat. "Hey, you don''t even know where your husband went," Eric responded after I pressed the y button. Yvonne started walking briskly towards the shelter. "I''d rather find him now than do nothing." "Wait a minute, Yvonne." Seb confronted the woman. "Maybe there''s a better way for you than looking for Tom, who''s out of nowhere." Yvonne paused, frowning. "What do you mean?" "I can try to persuade them to ept Tom." Seb started to exin the n I gave him. "But I couldn''t do it without you because you are a witness that Tom is a good person." A small chuckle escaped Yvonne''s mouth. "Thanks for the offer, but it won''t be easy, and it will take time. So I''ll just go now." Now it was Gwen''s turn to be on Yvonne''s way. The blonde-haired woman made a suggestion which was also the result of my thoughts. "In your former group, there was a psychic, right? I can teach her to read minds. She will be able to prove it herself with her power." Sighing, Yvonne continued on her way. "Sorry, but that idea of ??yours also takes time." Well, I had expected something like this, actually. At least Yvonne''s departure is not something crucial. *** [New traits unlocked] [Skilled tracker - Yvonne has more ability to track down a person or other creature] Well, this surprised me quite a bit. It was gettingte, and Yvonne was already using the shlight she had borrowed from my colony. She was still looking for footprints in the grass near the river. I deliberately didn''t show the way because I was interested in the suddenly appearing trait. After a few minutes of doing that, she finally found a bonfire in the distance, near a bend in a river. "What? Why did youe to me, Yvonne?" Tom sighed as his wife approached him. "As I''ve always said, I''ll always find you." Yvonne smiled widely, then sat down by the fire. "So, you''re going to make roast chicken?" The husband and wife nced at a plucked chicken lying near the campfire. There are many scars on the chicken. "Really? Are you still having trouble plucking chicken feathers? It should be a super easy job, right?" Yvonne chuckled. Ah, I remember the chickens in this world are gically engineered, so the feathers can be easily pulled out and don''t look weird. In the real world, there are gically modified chickens that don''t have feathers, and I''d say they don''t look very good. "This is one of the reasons I married you." Tomughed too. "You are very good at cooking." Yvonne took over to grill the chicken over the fire. "Ah, we don''t know how long it will be like this." Yvonne sighed. "And I guess you''ll keep going, right? There''s no way you can just stay here. This ce I think is still quite close to¡­. Our new Tribe. Well, they should have thought of a name." "Too bad, even though you''re already curious about what the legendary nt tastes like. That spice called garlic." Tom rose to his feet, looking at my colony, which of course, was out of sight. "Yes, I might continue my journey, but I don''t want to be too far from them." "Because of the whispers from the guardian spirit?" Tom shook his head. "No¡­.. It''s just, I already feel I owe them a lot. Besides that, I also feel like I belong to them. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it''s the truth." "That ce already feels like home, huh?" Yvonne smiled again. "Well, I feel the same way as you, dear." If that''s your wish, I''ll grant it, Tom. Ah, what a reasonable idea. I whispered to Tom to follow his own words. "If they''re in danger, I''m sure this guardian spirit of ours will summon us. It would be better if we were not far from them." Tom continued, silent for a moment, and narrowed his eyes. "So that we can quicklye to them if needed." Yvonne kept turning the chicken that was still grilling over the fire. "Nice thought. I will also help them if needed. They were good people." Tom then moved behind Yvonne and hugged her. Yvonneughed as her husband began to sniff her neck and his hand moved to her chest. "Hey, at least do it when we''re done with dinner." Yvonne held her husband''s hand. "Why not now? We''ll cook the chickenter. We haven''t done this in a long time." Tom whispered into his wife''s ear. "In the Jia group, we have a hard time doing this, while in our new Tribe, we are too busy and forget about things like this. Not to mention the almost non-existent privacy." Suddenly Yvonne turned and kissed her husband''s lips passionately. Tom''s hands began to move quickly to strip his wife''s clothes. Yvonne did the same, lowering her men''s pants. Tom, whose lower body was not covered by anything, lifted Yvonne, who waspletely naked. The woman was still kissing his lips passionately. Tom retaliated by shaking his wife''s body up and down. Yvonne pulled her lips away from Tom''s, then began to open her mouth, sighing with pleasure. Seeing his wife seemed to enjoy what he was doing, Tom chuckled. "More¡­. more¡­. Oooh¡­. More!" Yvonne''s moans started to sound wilder. "Oh, you want more, my dear?" Tom widened his smile. "Take this!" As Tom''s shaking grew more intense, Yvonne''s moans grew even crazier. The voice from the woman''s mouth was no longer intelligible. "Aaahhhhh..." Once she reached the peak of pleasure, Yvonne let out a low sigh instead. She then put her forehead to Tom''s, smiled. "That''s it?" Tom shrugged. "Don''t you want more than that?" "Don''t be so greedy, big man." Yvonne chuckled. "Later, we can do this to our heart''s content. Are you not tired after a long trip? Besides, if we keep doing this, the chicken will burn. Your hassle of making traps for the animal is useless." "I do not care. Let us eat the burnt chicken." Tom sniffed his woman''s neck again. He also gently rocked Yvonne''s body which was still perched on him. It was as if they were dancing. "Don''t you know, in Jia''s group, I miss you even though I can keep seeing you? We barelymunicate the way we should." "I understand how you feel, my dear. It hurts because I couldn''t touch you.¡­. Oooohhhh!!!" Yvonne moaned again as her body was moved up and down a second time by her husband. "Sorry, I can''t take it anymore, my love." Tom is getting wilder sniffing his wife''s body parts. "And get ready. It''s going to be crazier than ever." "You are so naughty, big man... Ooooohhhhh!!! And it''s true what the man with the muscr body said. The ups and downs he gave grew more and more intense until Yvonne was speechless, and her eyes rolled back, revealing only the whites. I, who had only been watching, turned to the chicken that was still roasting on the fire.. Part of the bird has begun to be decorated with ck scorch. Are they really going to eat that burnt chicken? Chapter 229 - 229 – In The Heart Some of my colonists gathered near the shelter. Trevor was fiddling with an led light taken from one of the destroyed mechs. Themp was mounted on the shelter''s ceiling, connected by cable by a ck box the size of three adult heads. Both the box and the cable were also taken from the mechs. Trevor gave a thumbs up to Seb, who immediately fiddled with a tablet stuck to the ck box. While it looked pretty neatly attached, the tablet was clearly attached with simple equipment to the box, which was the energy source of the mechs. "Is it really safe for us to use this?" Manu grimaced. "You guys still remember about the radiation that killed a merman empire?" "This should be safe. If you''re really going to blow this thing up, you have to know how to do it, and it''s reallyplicated." Trevor exined. "This thing is impact resistant even to the point of surviving meteors.... Anyway, it''s resistant to impact, heat, and vibration." Then, themp shed brightly, making non-crasnded people gasp. Rex also barked in surprise. It''s actually quite funny. They''ve seen the lights from shlights and in the cockpit. "With this, we can make heating, stoves, and so on. The possibilities are endless." Trevor spread out his metal hands. "That energy source canst hundreds of years." "Isn''t that too much?" Miro raised an eyebrow. "Does the box contain magic? It must be magic." "Even an earthling like me doesn''t understand how this thing works." Seb smiled. The ground in the colony shook slightly, a sign of our mech''s arrival. The blue metal giant drew closer while pulling another mech whose one arm was severed, and the body looked so damaged. Some of the lights on the mech seemed to still be on. Perhaps Leva drives it just to maintain its bnce. "Good!" Trevor came out of the shelter and looked like he was about to jump for joy. "With this, we''ll be able to quickly create a mech that functions properly... Or not, apparently, after I connected to that mech, I just found out that the damage level is quite severe, even though it can still stand. There''s a lot of parts that need to be reced... Hell, looks like we''ll have to rece the arm that''s still attached." Eric exited via the mech elevator, while Leva had to use a rope to get off the mech that was brought. "The women are on their way here. But they won''te with us. They say it reminds them of dark memories." Eric told the others. *** A few minutester, the group of women came on foot, while some of their belongings were carried by the horses. My colonists lined up to greet them. Some of the women gasped as Trevor waved at them. The group stopped, then Helda walked forward toward us. She turned her head to Trevor for a moment. "Well, you all have an interesting member." The woman of medium stature and short hair smiled. "My name is Trevor." The android said. "Hey, Trevor. Why do I get the feeling that you''re not a human in armor?" Helda raised an eyebrow. Trevor shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe because my movements are not like humans, I make movements ording to the data that is in me, every movement is always consistent... Yes, I am not human." "Basically, he is a man-made creature of metal." Eric snorted. "He is the result of technology from the earth." "Fascinating." Helda nodded. "Well, wee to this nameless colony." Seb gave a kind smile as he spread his arms. "My name is Sebastian." "I''m Helda from a group that''s also nameless." The woman smiled back. "Nice to meet you all." Then, they all shook hands with each other. *** "Hey, how do you breed?" One of the women from Helda''s group asked Trevor, who was working on removing some parts from the lying mech. "I was not created to reproduce or to enjoy reproduction." Trevor let go of one of the metal tes, then began to move it. "Excuse me,dies. You''d better stay away from here. I don''t want anything bad to happen to you." "Wow, I can''t imagine being you. Haven''t you ever imagined having sex?" One of the other women joined in. She and several other women continued to follow Trevor. "Girls! We still have a lot of work to do and don''t disturb Trevor''s work. We still have to unpack our things." Helda gave firm words but didn''t seem like she was yelling. The women who looked young in age scowled, then one of them said. "Okay, mom." "Hey, how many times have I told you, girls? I''m not your mother." Helda looked at her group members, who had started to move from that ce. "Please, don''t get mad at them. Those girls just have great curiosity." Trevor responded. A smile formed on Helda''s lips. "Don''t worry, I''m not scolding them. However, they need to know the priority scale. It''s almost evening, and we have to prepare dinner for many people. To celebrate this coalition, we''re going to have a party, Trevor." "Oh, thank you." Trevor started taking care of the mech again. "However, I prefer to keep working. I wasn''t designed to eat. My source of energy is the same as what mechs like this use." "What? How the hell?" Helda looked so taken aback by that sentence that it left her speechless for a moment. "Hmmm... That doesn''t mean you don''t need to attend this feast. You can still have fun with us." "Ah." Now it was Trevor''s turn to be silent. "Maybe I''lle with you guys for the feast. I feel the need to learn more about the meaning of joy." And those words made Helda even more speechless. "Hey, sir!" Someone made a call from a distance. "Yes, you! I''m talking to you!" Seb, who was walking, answered the rude call. "Yes, can I help you?" "You seem to be the leader of this group." The woman with ck hair and light blue eyes walked quickly to Seb. "I''m only asking this once. Where''s Tom? I''m not sure you guys had executed him. That''s because Yvonne was with you too. There''s no way you executed Tom in front of Yvonne. Or did you execute Yvonne too?" "Hey, hey, hey." Helda blocked her group mate''s way. "We agreed not to talk about it, right? Come one, M. Forget all that. It''s time for us to move on." The woman named M pushed Helda. "Move on? After he tortured me like that!? Do you know what he did to my pussy!? The wound is still there, Helda! And sometimes, it still hurts! I can''t let him live in peace!!!" "Hey, I''m trying to make us all better! You know what!? I''m sick of yourining! You always spoil the good atmosphere while your friends have calmed down!" "Have they calmed down?" Mughed sarcastically. "They''ve calmed down, you say!? Have you actually asked them one by one!? I''m sure they won''t calm down if all those men haven''t perished...." Helda punched M hard until she fell. M could only hold her cheek while ring at her leader. Ugh, I''m not sure that''s what a good leader did. "Shut up!!!" Helda''s voice grew louder. "If you don''t want to shut up, you better leave this group and live your own life!" Tears started to flow from M''s eyes. The woman then stood up and ran away from the ce. The other women and my colonists looked at Helda in silence. "Sorry." Helda rubbed her face. "Maybe we still can''t forget what happened to us..." She then looked at the others and started walking away. "Once again, sorry." There were whispers from the women, but soon they were back at their job of unpacking. Then, the guardian spirit of those women appeared and approached me. "Hey, I''m sorry if my people make the atmosphere ufortable. This is not a good start for the coalition of our groups." He sighed, then scratched his head. "Do you have any tips for dealing with a problem like this?" I shook my head. "Not really. I often found situations that I couldn''t control among my people. They are humans with different traits. Conflict will inevitably take ce." "Ah." The yellow spirit turned around, scratching its head again. "There might actually be a better solution. Unfortunately, you might not like it." I''mughing. "You propose that I hand Tom over to your people?" "I mean... Look, we''re really close neighbors now. Every day my people and yours will meet." The yellow spirit shrugged. "You don''t want this to escte any further, do you?" When he turned around to face me again, I approached him. "Sorry, but he''s gone a long way from here. He and Yvonne aren''t part of my colony anymore. You won''t be able to see them again." It took a while for the yellow spirit to respond. "Okay, fine. I''m just making a suggestion. If he''s gone, what can we do? We can''t do anything about it." I stepped back, then turned around to leave him.. However, in my heart, I can understand the point of the yellow spirit''s words. Chapter 230 - 230 – Emotional Distress "Is she all right?" Trevor asked Helda, who was building a tent with some of her friends on the second day of their arrival. Helda nced at M, who was just sitting there throwing stones in the distance, not wanting to help at all. "Just let her." Helda sighed. "If I confront her now, things can get messy." Trevor was silent for a moment, looking at M again. "But don''t you want to talk to her? You don''t want tofort her?" "Not at the moment." Helda smiled. "But, if you want to do it, go ahead." The android approached the ck-haired woman. "Good morning, M." The woman turned to Trevor, raised her eyebrows, and asked in a haughty tone. "What do you want?" "Honestly, I don''t know." M''s chin dropped. "You''re bothering me, and you don''t know why? Get lost, you trashy thing. Don''te near me." "Hey, isn''t that rude, girl?" Leva joined in with a smile. It seemed that Leva saw her former self in M. "Why did youe here too?" M, who seemed increasingly annoyed, stood up and brought her face closer to Leva''s. "You want to give me advice like old Helda? Do you really know how I feel..." Suddenly Leva brought her mouth close to M''s ear. "Oh, I know that, M. I know very well how you feel. I''ve heard what you''re going through from your friend. I can tell you what I''m going through is simr to yours." "Then?" M chuckled bitterly. "You''re saying that you want to tell me to forget everything? What a..." "I just want to say, Tom is now a part of my tribe, and he has done a lot of good. In a short time, our house was almost one-third finished. I know what he did was cruel and unforgivable for any reason, whether it was because he was forced or something." Leva cut off M''s words. "However, if you do anything to him, I will repay you. And maybe not only me. There is a friend of mine who is very good at retaliation. Something''s broken in his head, and he''s going to take revenge many times over." I turned to Manu, who was opening one of the mech tes. Then, the bearded man waved to Trevor. "Hey, Trevor. I don''t know how to remove this part." "Coming!" Trevor rushed over to Manu. "I''m sorry, I should have been with you." M looked sharply at Leva''s face and left the ce with quick steps. Hopefully, Leva''s words can suppress M''s desire to do something stupid. *** The party that Helda had nned didn''t happenst night because her female subordinates were too tired. Finally, the celebration was held tonight. My colonists and the women circled arge bonfire, singing and chatting with each other. Lots of food avable, although it was just something they usually eat on this, nothing special at all. Eric''s gaze fell on Trevor, who was surrounded by women. Gwen, who realized that, just shrugged and ate her banana. "I''m just grateful. It wasn''t me who was swarmed." Eric spoke without anyone asking. "But those women won''t be able to feel Trevor''s warmth," Gwen responded while chewing. "If they want to feel warmth, they have to open Trevor''s body. Not only do they get warmth, but they also get electrocuted." "Hey, is it true that your body is all made of metal?" One of the women who surrounded Trevor asked. "It''s not all metal. There''s synthetic rubber and stic and other elements you never see." Trevor exined. "You said these parts of your body can be removed and put back on." A brte woman added. "Can you, for example, add a new body part?" "In theory, it can be done..." "Hey, you mean he can get dicks, Krista?" Another woman chimed in, then stood up and shouted at the others. "Hey, Krista wants to ride an iron dick, guys!" Instead of replying orughing, the others stayed silent with confused faces. They don''t seem to know the context of the words. Only Krista and some of her friendsughed. "Hey, get the drink out!" Helda eximed. "It''s not a party if there''s no booze!" "Ah, let us take it!" Krista raised her hand, then left with her friends. Trevor''s gaze fell on M, who was alone among the others. The gloomy-looking woman looked at Trevor for a moment, then left the ce. Before long, Krista and her friends brought severalrge y bottles. "Time for a drink!!!" Krista shouted cheerfully. Almost everyone there cheered, including my colonists, except Leva, who really doesn''t like drinking, and Kat. Well, that''s because she''s Kat. Several other women handed out wooden cups while Krista and her friends started pouring wine. "No, no, no." Leva took the cup of wine that was already in Kat''s hand. "You can be like Gwen if you drink poison like this." "Hey, you''re saying as if what I did was a bad thing." Gwen shrugged. "Admit it, you''re excited to see my naked body? I''m spreading beauty to others!" Eric was about to grab Gwen''s drink, but the woman quickly ran away and moved to another section. "Fortunately, it was your feet that were nimble. Not your hands." Gwen grumbled. "I think it''s a bad idea if you drink. We don''t know what the consequences will be. Maybe it will increase your exhibitionist tendencies." Eric was about to go to the blonde woman, but I told the man to go back to his ce. After all, that tendency is Gwen''s identity. And she''s been through too much too. Maybe a sip of wine can help. "Excuse me. Can I have a cup too?" Trevor asked the woman who distributed the cups. "Didn''t you say you didn''t need to eat and drink?" The woman who distributed the cup raised an eyebrow. "He wants toe to M." Krista approached the android with a smile. "Despite his appearance, he''s actually very considerate." "Thank you for thepliment." Trevor stood up and bowed in respect. "No problem." Krista poured the wine into one of the cups, then gave it to Trevor. "Thank you again. I will meet your friend." After bowing again, Trevor left. I was curious about what Trevor would do. He might be able to melt M''s heart... Or, make things worse, I decided to follow the android. If a drunk Gwen does a striptease, I can use the rey feature to watch itter. "Don''t you feel too dark in a ce like this?" Trevor approached M, who was sitting on a tree stump, quite far from my colony. "I have the ability to see in the dark." M sounded tired, didn''t bother to turn her head to the android. "You don''t understand what I said this afternoon, do you? I want to be alone." "Ah, sorry if I bothered you." Trevor stopped in his tracks. However, when Trevor turned around, M stopped him. "Ah, since you''ve brought my wine here, how about we chat for a bit." "Oh, okay." Trevor approached M again, and the woman epted the wine the android brought. "Thanks." M just held the wooden cup, not drinking its contents. "So, Trevor. Why did youe to me again?" "I just don''t get it. Your friends are having fun, but why are you so far away? What makes you different?" Mughed. I''m starting to not believe that Trevor cares about M''s condition. Maybe the android is just curious. "What do you think?" M asked again. "I have a suspicion that you are experiencing emotional distress." Trevor sat down next to the woman. "I''ve learned... I''ve experienced something like that, and it was awful." "Hmmm...." M pouted slightly. "What was it that made you experience emotional distress in the first ce?" "There are some scientists who can be said to be close to me... They even consider me a friend. They have been with me for years." Trevor began to tell his story, making a sound like someone''s sighing. "And when they died, I felt something I never felt before..... Maybe that could be called loss?" "Oh, I see." M sat idly by, starting to look bored. "Actually, I only saw two of my friends who died... They couldn''t stand being trapped in the escape pod... Or, as you call it, a sky ship. So, they ended their own lives." M looked at Trevor again, looking a little surprised. "Ah, I''m sorry to hear that." "That''s why, after feeling this emotional distress, I feel... I don''t know how to exin it... I don''t want other people to feel it." "Even though I''m a stranger to you?" M rubbed her chin. "Interesting... Even with your unusual way of speaking and movements, it turns out that you can empathize too." "Thank you for thepliment." M smiled faintly. "You''re a good person, Trevor." "Thanks...." Suddenly, there was a loud whistle from a distance, which made Trevor look where his colony is. "Why has it be quiet?" Trevor asked. "I heard nothing from the party." What? I immediately looked around. That''s right, the atmosphere is now quiet. "Zzzzz...." I turned to Trevor, who was now convulsing.. M had stuck something into the android''s neck joint. Chapter 231 - 231 – The Six Tom and Yvonne were making love again when I told them to return to the colony. Then, I moved to the location of my settlement, where the party was being held. However, the people who were there were already lying unconscious. The only one who was still conscious was Kat, who was being tied up by two women. Meanwhile, two other people were tying up Rex, who just kept squirming. I pressed the y button. "Rex!!!" Kat screamed, also trying to free herself. "Don''t worry, M and I aren''t that bad to torture animals," Krista said, looking around. Wooden cupsy everywhere. These women must have mixed the wine with some kind of sleeping potion. Remembering that Trevor was still in danger, I went to where M was. Trevor was creeping away, with his neck giving off shes of electricity and sparks. "Sorry, even though I already like you a little." M trailed the android, pulling out something under her clothes, a short iron rod. Mercilessly, the woman hit the back of Trevor''s head with it. Trevor flinched and stopped moving, but only a secondter, he was crawling again. "Trevor, use your wireless connection to move the mech to save you!" I gave orders. There was the sound of wheels turning from far away, a sign that the mech had started to move. M, who was about to start doing the second hit froze, but continued her attack a few secondster. "You tell too much to my friends! One of them is regarding your ability to move the metal giant from a distance!" M just kept hitting Trevor in the head. "Krista even looked at your anatomy and concluded that your neck is probably the weakest part because there are other materials besides metal!" M had beaten Trevor in the head many times, but the mech''s voice was still audible. The woman turned to pry out the wound she had made on Trevor''s neck. Trevor''s body convulsed again, and his neck let out more sparks, but M didn''t care. I who saw this panicked even more, and at the same time, wondered why the mech had not arrived, even though it was pretty close¡­ Shit, maybe with this damaged condition, Trevor had a hard time directing the mech to the right destination. "Why didn''t you die!!??" M kept on prying whatever it was from the wound on Trevor''s neck. The android could do nothing but stretch out his hand. The sound of the mech advancing finally approached. M could already see the silhouette of the metal giant, but she kept her focus on Trevor. The mech stopped very close to M, then moved his hand to grab the woman. "Argggghhhh!!!" M pry with all her might and finally managed to get various parts out of Trevor''s neck. The android''s hand immediately drooped on the ground. The mech''s movements also stopped. My down on the grass with uncontroble breaths. The woman was also sweating profusely, a sign that the struggle was quite physically draining. About a minuteter, M stood up, looking at Trevor''s body which was still face down in the grass. "Again, I am sorry ¡­. Well, not sure if you can still listen." The ck-haired woman picked up her iron staff, looked up at the mech for a moment, then stepped away from the ce. I can''t let my brain go nk. We have to get out of this dire situation. My colonists have been through hardships many times and have ovee them. I''m sure they can handle this too. *** My colonists woke up as soon as they were doused with water by M''s minions. My men were propped up around arge tree and looked confused by what was happening. "What the hell?" Manu hissed when he found the women from that group still lying on the ground with their hands tied. "It seems there are some who still can''t move on." Leva nodded her head at M and her friends. "There are still those who have a bitter grudge against Tom." All my colonists looked at M. "Well, you guys already know what we''re aiming for," M answered with a trembling tone and teary eyes. "Again, I ask all of you. Where''s Tom? Don''t lie. Answer honestly, and you will be free." "Please, guys. We don''t want you to hurt you." Krista added. "We just want to get rid of this nightmare we''re having. So, answer M''s question." Seb swallowed. "We don''t know where he is¡­. And can we talk about this in peace? None of this wille to fruition¡­." Seb''s words stopped when M kicked him hard in the face. "Hey! What are you doing!?" Eric protested and tried to free himself. "Shut up!" M snapped, pulled her foot away from Seb''s face, then pointed at Eric. "You want to be kicked too, huh!?" "Don''t confront her again, Eric," I whispered to Seb''s son. "Face this with a cool head." So, Eric asked his father. "Are you all right?" Even with bleeding nose, Seb still smiled. "I''m fine, Eric." "I''ll give the count to ten." M folded her arms across her chest. "If no one will answer where Tom is, then I''m going to do something terrible." M''s minions looked at each other. It seems they are still hesitant to do this. "Please, M, Krista¡­." Alice started to cry. "Stop all this. It''s enough. As Seb said, this won''t give you anything." "You shut up too, Alice!" M spoke loudly again. "You should be the one who knows best how we feel! You should agree with what we did! However, you are just like our other friends and choose to forget everything! You and they say it''s for the sake of peace! Bullshit! Our hearts won''t be at peace if one of those bastards is still alive!" "They''re going to the southwest!" Eric finally answered. He said ording to my orders. M tilted her head, looking at Eric fixedly. "Is that so, pretty boy?" "Yes, that''s correct. Tom and Yvonne are on a boulder the size of two bulls over there." Of course, Eric didn''t know where the two of them were going. I just gave instructions for him to say so. Yes, both Yvonne and Tom did go southwest. It''s for the sake of a n I''ve been thinking about. M narrowed her eyes. "No, you lied. Just so you know. I''m not really a psychic, but I know you''re lying." What a bitch. "Then why don''t you know that we are honest?" Leva joined in. "You should know that we''re beingpletely honest when we say we don''t know where Tom and Yvonne have gone." M chuckled bitterly, came to the woman, and grabbed her red hair. "Hooo¡­. You''re good at talking too, freckles?" "Yeah, I''m good at talking. Not only good at talking, but I''m also better than you in other fields¡­." M''s hard p interrupted Leva''s words. "Even your p doesn''t hurt." Leva chuckled. "Let''s use this woman." M snorted with trembling lips. Two of M''spanions pulled Leva to her feet and brought her in front of my colonists. "You guys still don''t want to talk where Tom is?" M looked more and more impatient. "If no one wants to talk, I will torture this friend of yours. I''ll just stop it if someone tells me where the husband and wife are. And no one lies!" Krista approaches my colonists. "Please, we really don''t want to do this, but it''s your behavior thatpels us." After asking Gwen to activate her psychic powers, I pressed the pause button. The yellow guardian appeared and looked around as everything came to aplete stop. "Well, I know some of yourdies are bing rogues." I sighed. "Maybe you have a hard time asking them to stop doing this stupid thing¡­. The point is I will help you. Let''s think of a n for this madness to end." Instead of answering, the yellow spirit was silent. "Hey, why are you silent?" I''m getting annoyed. "Your women are going to do cruel things to my colonists. Let''s work this out together." "Maybe your people really don''t know where Tom and Yvonne are." Finally, the spirit responded in a cold tone. "But, you must know where they are, right? You are their guardian spirit." Those words left me speechless for a few seconds. "So, you are now a viin? After my men and I saved these women?" "I''m not a viin." The yellow spirit walked towards me. "I''m just asking for justice. So, answer my question. Where''s Tom?" This is bad. The yellow spirit shrugged and took a few steps back. "Well, I''m not like M. I will be patiently waiting for your answer." After saying that, he sat down on the ground. "You really think this is to get justice?" I asked again. "Of course, what else?" He answered in a bitter tone. "If they all don''t want Tom, then I won''t rule them like this either¡­ Well, the guardian spirit''s job is to take care of the people, after all. Unfortunately, I can''t get everyone on board with this n.. So, only six will." Chapter 232 - 232 – Burn Two women pulled Leva from a tree, then pushed her to her knees a few feet from her friends. Another woman gave M a hammer and severalrge iron stakes. "Are you sure you want to use that to keep this woman from moving?" Krista grimaced. "Isn''t that too much?" "We have to give them a strong shock effect. This is so they can quickly tell where Tom really is." M answered, looking at the four stakes in her hands. "Untie her, theny her down on the ground." One of the women untied Leva. The other three held the red-haired woman''s body while Krista and M just watched. "Sorry, I really didn''t want to do this, but as M said, I can''t rest easy if Tom isn''t dead." The woman who untied Leva whispered. I could see that some of the women in our new neighbors had their eyes open. However, they justy quietly on the ground with their hands tied, watching what was going on. Apparently, it was their guardian spirit who asked them to stay put. "Please, think again, M." Helda hissed with trembling lips. "You and your friends will regret all this." M did not answer, continued to stare at Leva. "Thanks," Leva smirked as her hands freed. Suddenly she banged the heads of the two women who were holding her, then punched the other woman in the stomach. Krista gasped, not knowing Eric wasing, who suddenly jumped up and kicked her with both feet, forcing her to fall and roll. Eric carried out the attack with his hands still tied. However, it was nothingpared to what M had experienced. That woman was hit by Miro, who was also running fast. M''s body was thrown quite a distance before finallynding face-first. On the other hand, Leva was giving abination of punches and kicks to the four women who had been holding her body. The four women were unable to counterattack and repeatedly groaned in pain from thebination of Leva''s attacks. "Do you need help?" Miro asked in a rxed tone while stepping on the back of M''s head. The woman who was prone on the ground couldn''t do anything but squirm and try to free Miro''s legs, which kept pushing her face to the ground. "Not really!" Leva pushed one of the women into arge bonfire. The woman staggered with a body full of mes then ran fast. Unfortunately, his leg fell into one of the holes made by the digging centipede. A terrible scream rang out loudly from the woman. She could do nothing but squirm wildly. "Amanda!!!" Krista struggled to get up while holding her chest. The woman quickly ran to her partner while taking off her jacket. However, no matter how hard she tried to extinguish the fire on her partner''s body, she couldn''t do much. The fire was getting bigger and devoured M''s minion. And since there was nothing mmable around her, the fire didn''t spread. "Heelppp!!!" Krista continued to use her jacket to put out the fire, but instead, it caught fire, and she had to throw it away. Finally, Krista''s friend, Amanda, fell down with her still burning body. "Heaaaah!!!" M mmed one of her enemies to the ground hard, then looked up at the gruesome sight. She had just crippled M''s three minions. They could now only lie on the ground, groaning and clutching their wounds, while Leva still looked normal. Even the red-haired woman didn''t seem breathless at all. "Please untie me, Leva." Eric approached the woman and turned around. After he was freed, Eric approached Krista, who now could only kneel in silence, watching the fire on her partner''s still burning body. Mercilessly, Eric tugged at the back of the woman''s shirt. Krista tried to free herself, but she was suffocating and couldn''t do anything about it when Eric pulled her near the bonfire. "Please take care of them." Eric put Krista on the ground. "Let me release our friends." The people in this group are still amateurs, as I thought. They made many mistakes. I won''t have to wait for Yvonne and Tom at this rate. The yellow guardian spirit appeared again, but three secondster, it disappeared. I did ask Gwen to get in the way of that. There''s no need to talk anymore. I will never trust him again. *** As Eric untied the hands of his friends, Leva continued to catch anyone who would escape, then taught her a few lessons until they were powerless again. Now, the five women had their turn to sit leaning against a big tree. Their condition was pathetic. Their faces were covered in bruises and cuts. Meanwhile, M''s nose was bent in the wrong direction and kept bleeding. Leva crouched before the bound women, said in a rxed tone. "Just so you know, we are very experienced in this kind of thing." With an irritated face, M spat at Leva, but the red-haired woman was able to dodge easily. "Please, this is just the work of a few people. You all may imprison them, but don''t let us suffer the consequences too. We really didn''t know they could do something like that." Helda made a wish with teary eyes. Manu who was squatting beside the woman, shrugged. "Well, it''s Gwen''s decision to go through all of your heads." Hearing Manu''s words, Gwen took a deep breath, then patted her forehead. Unfortunately, the current situation is not that easy. I whispered something to Gwen, making the blonde woman tense up even more. "I only watched them briefly, but I think the bond between them is quite strong." Gwen''s tone began to be unstable. "Suppose that one of them turns out to be evil and gets executed, then the others can hold a grudge against us. To make sure people have grudges or not, I have to check their minds again. Checking the minds of this many people is already impossible for me, let alone more than that?" The atmosphere was immediately quiet. The people there were all looking at Gwen. "So you''re saying that in the end, it''s all for nothing? Even with your mind-reading ability, you can''t guarantee these women won''t stab us in the back?" Miro asked. Gwen didn''t answer. The women began to panic, some crying and some screaming hysterically. Meanwhile, M could only stare with her mouth slightly gaping. "H-hey, you can read their minds gradually, right? You don''t have to do it in one day, Gwen. You can check them out another day. The important thing is that we will lock them up." Alice spoke with trembling lips. "You see how many of them?" Manu hissed. "If there are this many prisoners, if most ¨C or maybe all of them have a grudge ¨C we need wide confinement. In addition, a rebellion with arger number of people is also possible. Whatever the scenario, we''re fucked." Kat, who was still rubbing Rex''s head, joined in. "I''ve heard that there are experiments on psychics to read the minds of very many people. Reports of the study were not avable, so many spected it had a bad effect, even though the experiment was not carried out in one day. Are we going to risk letting Gwen read this many people''s minds?" Yes. If she read that many people''s minds¡ªand more so¡ªthen Gwen''s mind wouldn''t go back to the way it was. Maybe I''ll lose Gwen. "Come on." Seb said in a worried tone." You''re not thinking about killing these women, are you?" At first, the atmosphere was quiet again, but the voices of the women''s screams grew hysterical in the end. Even M, who looked arrogant earlier, was now weeping like a child. "Forgive me!!! I promise I won''t do all that again!!!" M''s voice was the loudest. "I don''t want to die!!!" If I wasn''t Ruthless, I''m sure my own colonists would eventually be destroyed. Therefore, I chose to say the most cruel thing possible. "All of you, gather them to a ce far from the colony, then burn them." There''s no particr reason why I chose the burning method. I felt it would be easier for my colonists than to behead them one by one. My colonists split up to do their own thing, which was to drag the women and retrieve the barrels of oil that our new neighbor had. Of course, it met resistance from Seb and Alice. Since they got in the way of this, I had to ask my colonists to tie them up. "Please, don''t do this, Son." Seb, who was kneeling on the ground, could only look down. "Sorry, dad. It was the voice of the guardian spirit that told me to keep doing this." Eric sighed in front of Seb. "And I can see his points. We must not leave a single person who could possibly wreak havoc on this colony, be it directly or indirectly." The women''s cries grew louder as Miro and Manu began to spray the prisoners'' bodies with ckish oil. "It''s all because of you, M!!!" Helda cried out in tears. "If only you chose silence!!!" Chapter 233 - 233 – Burn (2) The women kept begging and crying, but my colonists kept drenching them with oil. I could see the expressions of doubt on my people''s faces, but it was all for their sake. I don''t want them to have a bigger disaster because I was negligent. Seb also kept yelling for his fellow colonists to stop, but no one paid any heed. Meanwhile, Alice could only look down in tears. Now my colonists threw sticks and other mmable objects at the women while Manu made a long trail of oil. "Don''t you guys have a heart!!??" Helda eximed in exasperation. "Sorry, we didn''t really want to do this." With trembling hands, Leva carried a piece of wood with a burning tip that she had brought from the bonfire. "You monsters!!!" Seb screamed with all his might. "What''s wrong with you guys!!?? They have not resisted, and not all of them are guilty! You can give Tom some mercy. Why can''t you all just let them go!" Alice gasped and lifted her face. "It''s just a threat, right? You guys are doing this as a bluff, so they don''t mess up in the future, right?" No one answered. The bound women had also fallen silent. Their faces all looked so desperate. "Again, I''m sorry. Nice to meet you, even if it''s only for a moment." Leva burst into tears. "Goodbye." The red-haired woman lit the trail of the oil. The mes spread rapidly, grabbing the women''s bodies, causing anguished screams. I kept looking at the fire that was just getting bigger. The tormented screams also grew louder. *** I saw the yellow guardian spirit figure kneeling on a mound of ash and bones. He looked at me before finally disappearing. My colonists stayed awake until morning until the fire was finally extinguished.They all fell silent, and the women had tears in their eyes. Gwen walked away from it, slightly covering her mouth, then bent down and vomited violently. "What have we done?" Leva hissed with trembling lips and mouth. "Even I can''t find the words to justify this." Manu, who is sitting on the ground, responds. "We really are crazy." "Gwen, check Alice''s mind," I whispered to the blonde-haired woman. Taking an unusually long breath, Gwen walked over to Alice and crouched down in front of her, performing her usual ritual: pressing her forehead against the person her mind was about to read. Alice looked resigned. Her face was so pale, and her eyes were puffy. She didn''t respond at all. Instead, Seb was the one screaming. "What are you guys going to do with Alice after this!? You guys are going to kill her too!? Get your forehead off her, Gwen!" Eric had to hold his father''s body to not disturb Gwen. The others gathered around Gwen. It took a long time before Gwen finally pulled her forehead. "She will be fine." Gwen hissed as she wiped her tears. Kat untied Alice''s hand. "Forgive us." "I know I can''t live out there without you guys." Alice got up. "So¡­. Please, don''t follow me¡­. I just wanted to be alone for a while¡­." The woman ran as fast as she could from my colonists. There were no pop-ups indicating that she had broken away. Well, basically, it''s a rare urrence for someone to leave the group as they wish. "This is madness!" Seb stood up with a flushed face full of emotion. He pointed to his colleagues one by one. "You, you, and you. You''ve all gone mad! You guys are monsters! You are killers! I didn''t think you could do something so heinous!" "Dad, maybe you''re tired from being up all night." Eric reached out his hand to pat Seb''s shoulder. However, Seb rebuffed his son''s hand. "You know what?" The man looked around hisrades. "I''m done with you guys. I will go from here. I don''t want to be friends with vile people like you." "No, Seb. You will stay here. Your existence is crucial." I looked at the others. "And all of you, stop Seb from leaving here. You are free to use any means, even locking up Seb and persuading him to stay here." Seb rushed to the shelter to get his things ready. However, nothing prevents it. All my other colonists just stood there in silence, looking the other way. "Hey, why are you guys so quiet¡­." I choked, realizing something. My colonists had just been mentally shaken and now so exhausted. So, I can only watch Seb pack his things in a hurry. Eric¡ªthe only one who looked at Seb¡ªfinally joined in organizing the things. Seb, who realized that, only nced at his son briefly. "I''ll protect you, dad," Eric said in a low voice. Seb didn''t answer and left. Eric hastened his activities to pack his things, then followed his father. Without saying anything else, Seb passed the others. Meanwhile, Eric stopped before hisrades. "I have to protect him. He won''t survive if he goes alone like that." Surprisingly, the first to hug Eric was Gwen. "Take care, Eric." Then, the others took turns hugging the man without saying anything. I was also speechless, aware that neither Eric nor the other colonists would do it no matter what my orders were. I will really miss those two. "So, see youter." Eric shed a faint smile. "I hope this isn''t ourst meeting." *** Both Yvonne and Tom gasped at the sight of the mound of ash and bones near my colony. They then turned their heads to my people, sitting quietly in the shelter. I did tell them to take the day off. They didn''t even collect things from the women''s group. They should really rest today. "Hey, what''s really going on?" Yvonne approached my colonists. "You''d better see for yourself." Gwen stood up, gesturing for her two friends to approach her. "Do as Gwen asks." I gave orders. At first, the husband and wife were confused, until finally, Gwen pressed their foreheads against hers. I did purposely ask Gwen to do that, as well as to check whether they had any treasonous intentions or not. The couple gaped in unison for the few minutes Gwen did this. When Gwen finished, Yvonne ran from there in tears. "Holy shit." Tom held his head, then fell to the ground. He was utterly speechless. *** "Hey, Mr. Spirit," Gwen called out to me, sitting naked on a boulder. "I haven''t seen you in a long time." Ah, I haven''t seen a scene like this in a long time. "I always see you, Gwen." I sighed. "I''m sorry for what happened." "I know this because of your orders. But, strangely enough, we did it anyway, even though we should be able to fight back like we were going to theke before it exploded. Is it because we saw your point, as Eric said?" Gwen said with teary eyes. "I don''t know either." Gwen took a deep breath. "I could have checked the others to find that answer, but I prefer not to." "Again, I am sorry." The blonde woman jumped off the rock, then looked at me. "I used to think being in thiswless ce was a godsend. However, it turned out that I was wrong. There are still people who impose their will. It is you. And of course, many threats lurk." I rubbed my face. "Listen, I just want you to be safe. You guys experienced betrayal from M and her friends yourself, right?" "Enough." Gwen shook her head. "I didn''t actually meet you to talk about this." "What do you want to talk about?" "Maybe this is really goodbye." Gwen looked at her hands. "This is different from what happened with the mermans. At that time I really didn''t want to see you again. It was due to my will. However, I could feel my psychic powers starting to lock up this time. Either because of trauma with the events that I experienced or other reasons¡­. What''s clear, maybe I won''t be able to see spirits or read minds anymore after this." I did feel pain in my heart, but I had expected this. Slowly, I caressed the woman''s face, then brought my lips closer to hers. However, she just walked away from me, shaking her head. "After everything you''ve done, you still expect love from me?" Gwen''s tears began to flow. "No, you don''t deserve anything from me." I was silent for a few moments. "I understand your feeling." "Why am I saying this goodbye?" Gwen''s voice was getting hoarse. "I just wanted to emphasize that soon you will be lonely again. You can see your people, but they will never love you¡­." Gwen gasped, looking left and right. Looks like she can''t see me anymore. Sighing, the wavy blonde-haired woman started to put on her clothes again. "What do you want?" I snorted, feeling someone''s presence a few meters behind me. "Did you enjoy the show, H?" "Not really." H replied in a rxed tone. "I just came to check what''s going on. Unfortunately, I''mte. Seeing what''s going on here, I salute you, my son." The apuse from the orange guardian spirit pissed me off.. I turned to rebuke him, but that orange spirit was nowhere to be seen. Chapter 234 - 234 – After The Break Chapter 234 ¨C 234 ¨C After The Break Three days had passed, but the repair of Trevor''s body had not yet beenpleted. Yvonne and Gwen are still struggling with the android''s body. This time it was Gwen''s turn to solder something around Trevor''s neck. "I think that''s enough." Trevor''s voice came from one of the tablets propped up near the wooden table where the android''s bodyy. Fortunately, during the attack, Trevor still had time to transfer his data to storage in one of the mechs. "You can close it now, Gwen. Then, can I ask you to help me attach this tablet to my body, Yvonne?" "OK." Yvonne plugged a cable that ran from the tablet into the socket on Trevor''s chest. Gwen covered the wound in Trevor''s neck with some kind of metal patch attached using a few nuts. Then, when it was done, a mechanical creaking sound could be heard from Trevor''s body, and the android straightened up. "Finally. I really miss this body." Trevor let out a sound like heaving a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, this can actually be done." Gwen also breathed a sigh of relief. "Taking care of you is veryplicated, Trevor." "And I have to learn from the very basics about the terms you said," Yvonne added. Trevor chuckled. "Don''t worry, after this, anything rted to electronics will be handled by me¡­" The android was silent when he saw Alice watering the nts. The woman wiped her tears and resumed her work. Then, Trevor turned to look at the others. To Leva, who was beating the punching pads Miro was holding, to Kat, who was cleaning the stables, Tom, who was building the house, and Manu, who was making bricks. Lastly, to Yvonne and Gwen. "I feel there''s something strange about you guys¡­.. Ah, maybe this is what people say about the gloomy atmosphere." Trevor said. Gwen stood up. "Of course, Trevor. Stuff like that won''t be easy to forget. You''re still feeling the effects yourself, aren''t you?" Yes, after the massacre of the women, my colonists are no longer what they used to be. Perhaps this was a trauma that had more impact than the raid on Eric''s former colony at that time. I know they are doing activities with no enthusiasm at all. "All we can do is keep moving forward." Yvonne chimed in with a faint smile, but tears filled her eyes. "I agree." Gwen shrugged. "After this, I want to make clothes to just refresh my mind. There are many materials from¡­" The blonde-haired woman choked. "Ah, sorry for my insensitivity, Yvonne. They all belong to your friends." Yvonne shook her head. "No problem at all. All that stuff would be better to use than sitting on a pile¡­ Ah, I''d like to try cooking the harvested garlic too." The two women said goodbye to the android, who replied with a thank you. Since Trevor was now silent instead, I gave him an instruction. He then approached Leva, who was now sitting alone resting. Miro, who had been training with Her, was doing shadow boxing a bit far away. "Hey, Trevor. Your body has been fixed, apparently." Leva said, then drank from the y bottle "Are you in the mood for another long trip, Leva?" Trevor asked. "We still need to bring various parts from that ce. You can hone your mech control skills as you travel. Well, we don''t have to go now. Maybe you still want to¡­." "No, the sooner we leave, the better." Leva got up while wiping her sweat with a towel. Her eyes then looked at the former mound of ash and bones that had been cleaned. "After everything that happened, I wanted to get away from this ce for a while. Well, I''ll get everything ready now, Trevor. How about it, or do you still need to rest with your wound?" Trevor clutched the patch on his left neck. "I am an inorganic being. So, I don''t need to rest like you guys. I''m ready to go any time." "OK, wait a second." Leva then went to the shelter to pack her things. "Why don''t you take me, Trevor, my friend." Miro came to the android while spreading his arms. "I also want to train with that mech." "Well, I don''t know why myself." It''s because of my orders. Miro''s strength is greater than Leva''s, so it''s better for that man to be utilized for meleebat on the ground. When the second mech is ready, I''ll have Kat ride it. I''ll focus on the mech for ranged attacks. "Hey, Miro." Manues with hands covered in y. "Looks like we need some more y." Miro just scratched his head. Suck it, Miro. That''s your job. *** Since there was nothing important, I used the fast-forward button. It took only a few minutes. Leva and Trevor had reached their destination. The condition of the ce that used to be the Acornhull tribe was getting worse, with damaged items scattered. "As I said earlier, I''ll be giving instructions regardingrge items that might be of use. Then, you will take it using this mech." Trevor spoke to Leva, who was still piloting the mech. "After that, we will go down and¡­." "There is someone." Leva narrowed her eyes at the cockpit screen, looking at a man sitting in the former tribe. The woman gasped when she found out that the person she saw had arge body, lots of muscles, and pale skin. "Ivan?" "Is that your friend?" Trevor asked. "It''s bizarre for him to be sitting in a location like this." Leva stopped her mech then descended using the elevator. Before the elevator reached the ground, the red-haired woman had already jumped up and ran to Miro''s little brother. "Ivan!" Leva called out, then stopped in front of Ivan. The pale-skinned man didn''t respond and just looked down in silence. His appearance is quite different from before. There are quite a number of tattoos with patterns I don''t understand on the face, arms, and bare upper body. The pants he''s wearing now are also very different from anything I''ve seen on this, even whenpared to the crasnded. Ivan wears shiny ck trousers with a slight pattern simr to the tattoos on his body. "What exactly happened here?" Ivan hissed. "Well¡­" Leva swallowed. "You might not believe this, but there''s a group of metal giants attacking this ce¡­. Yes, those giants are simr to what I ride, but mine is different in that I can control¡­. Anyway, it doesn''t matter now. How are you? What really happened to you?" "I''m fine, and that''s all I can say." Ivan rose to his feet, looking at Leva with a sad expression. "Is my family dead too?" "I''m sorry¡­." Leva''s lips began to tremble. "All that''s left is Miro alone¡­. Hey, how about youe with me and meet your brother again? He is also very devastated by the destruction of his tribe. Maybe as siblings, you can support each other through these difficult times." Ivan shook his head. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn''t, Leva. I have a lifelong agreement with the one Entity that rules this. I only have a moment''s pass to this ce." "One Entity that rules this? What do you mean?" Leva frowned. It must be H. There''s no mistaking it. "That''s all I can say." Ivan took a deep breath. "I don''t have much time soon. I have to return to my master." One drop of Leva''s tears flowed. "How about you just run away? You don''t have to follow anyone anymore. You can be free." "It''s not that easy, Leva. Even though my heart may want to, my body won''t be able to do it." "You look very sad, Ivan." Leva''s eyes welled up. She then hugged her former opponent in the final match that time. "If I knew you were like this, I''d rather just die. You can live happily ever after." "Even if I don''t make sacrifices, maybe I will die in this ce when the disaster happens." Ivan gently pushed the woman he once loved to leave his body. This time, a faint smile graced Miro''s little brother''s face. "I don''t regret any of this, Leva. I can''t describe it in words when I can see you again fine." Leva''s tears flowed more profusely. Her mouth opened, but she couldn''t get a single word out. "Ah, I have to go now." Ivan slightly widened his smile, then kissed Leva''s forehead. The unexpected movement made Leva flinch and slightly widen her eyes. "Take care. Greetings to Miro." Ivan gently stroked Leva''s red hair, then turned and walked away from the woman. "I will save you, Ivan!" Leva shouted. "Just you wait! I will find a way!" The pale-skinned man stopped in his tracks. "Please, don''t. Let me go through all of this." And suddenly, Ivan''s figure just disappeared, leaving Leva confused and looking here and there. Trevor came up to the red-haired woman. "I''ve recorded everything, Leva. Maybe you''ll want to show it to Miroter." Instead of answering, Leva covered her face, knelt down, and continued to shed tears.. Trevor was silent at first but then patted his colony mate. Chapter 235 - 235 – Learning Human Chapter 235 ¨C 235 ¨C Learning Human Miro didn''t move or speak as he watched the video showing his little brother talking to Leva. Even the big tall man''s face didn''t show any meaningful expression. "It''s finished." Trevor, who was holding the tablet showing the video, said. With his body shaking violently, Miro got up and walked quickly, leaving the other colonists who were still gathered there. "Actually, what happened to Miro''s little brother?" Tom asked. "I''ve heard the story, but I can''t really understand it. So, did he make a pact with a demon or something?" "From the story in my tribe, it''s not a demon, but a god from thisnd," Alice responded. Alice''s words immediately caught the attention of the others. "God, you say?" Yvonne raised an eyebrow. "Yes, the god of thisnd. The entity in charge of the guardian spirits." Manu turned his head to Gwen. "What do you think as a psychic, Gwen?" "Honestly, I don''t know." The blonde-haired woman shrugged. "The concept of guardian spirits in this ce is also something new to me. Like I said before, psychics on earth have only ever encountered the spirits of the dead." "So, you don''t know how to beat them, I suppose?" Leva sighed. Gwen just answered with a slight nod. "Errrr¡­ You want to fight a god?" Alice grimaced. Leva left her friends without another word, following Miro, who was now sitting on one of the rocks by the river. "We will save your little brother." Leva stopped her steps a few meters behind the big tall man. A soft chuckle escaped Ivan''s mouth. "Do you know how?" "I don''t know, but I''m sure we can find it. You don''t want Ivan in the hands of whatever is holding him, do you?" Ivan''s chuckle turned intoughter. "We''re dealing with something we don''t know anything about. At the very least, we got some information about artificial intelligence from Trevor''s knowledge. As for whatever it is¡­ Ah, we don''t even know what to call that entity." "Are you going to give up¡­." "I''m not giving up, Leva." Ivan cut off the conversation. "It''s just¡­ Well, I want to be alone for a while, I guess. I''ll get back to you guyster." Leva rubbed his face. "Ah, I''m sorry¡­ Then I''ll be back now. If you need someone to talk to, I''m ready to listen, Miro." "Thanks, but now I really want to be alone." "See youter." Leva then left, leaving the big man alone. Well, Miro needs time to mourn, after all. *** Gwen stood naked in front of the digging centipedes'' holes. Her eyes closed, and her brow furrowed. It seemed she was concentrating. "Actually, I wanted to cover your body because I learned that it was the deed of a gentleman. However, seeing your behavior in everyday life, then I decided to respect your nudist way of life." Trevor walked over to the blonde-haired woman. "I hope you''re not offended." Still closing her eyes, Gwen chuckled. She then turned to face the android. "Well, I''m not at all offended. I''m just d you left me undressed." "Well, I don''t wear clothes myself." Trevor chuckled too. "So, what exactly are you doing?" Gwen looked at the holes again. "Perhaps because of the various things that happened to us and the mental stress I feel, I''ve never told you about what I feel from inside these holes." Trevor crouched before the pits. "From the scans I did, I found that these holes are very deep. So, can you feel what the psychics who do the expression feel near the deepest holes in the earth?" "You know that, don''t you?" Gwen smiled. "Well, like an android in your position, it''s only natural that they give you a lot of information. Yes, I feel a kind of aura that is simr to earth, but at the same time, it''s different. I feel something evil." "May I ask?" Trevor looked at Gwen, who nodded immediately. "During the ident on that big space expedition ship, were you able to feel anything?" Gwen''s mouth opened slightly. Instead of answering right away, she clutched her chin, looking like she was starting to think. "Come to think of it, I felt it too, Trevor¡­ A kind of aura. Maybe it was because of the chaos at the time that I overlooked and forgot." Gwen''s tone grew more serious. "However, I don''t know if it''s the same as how I feel in this ce." "We can check." Trevor rose to his feet. "By repurposed one of the escape pods to go into space. Maybe we can find the cosmic giant there." Gwen''s chin dropped. It took a while for her to finally respond. "You''re kidding, aren''t you? There''s no way I''d go into outer space with the bare minimum of equipment just to check if what I feel here is the same as there." "Oh, looks like my idea was too much." Trevor shrugged. "I apologize." "Besides, my psychic abilities keep fading." Gwen sighed. "What I feel now in these holes is getting dimmer." "Well, ording to research, mental states will also affect the special powers of gically engineered humans." Trevor nodded. "But, there''s actually one method to awaken that ability of yours again, Gwen." "What''s that?" Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Why haven''t I heard of it?" "Because it''s a secret that can scare people like you." Trevor began to exin. "Sensitive parts of your body should be electrocuted with high voltage." Gwen''s eyes widened. With twitching lips, she asked again. "What do you mean by sensitive parts?" "Your nipples, your breasts, your groin, your genitals, your buttocks, buttholes, soles of your feet, your waist, and worst of all, your armpits," Trevor exined. Gwen''s eyes went wide. She fell silent again. Holy shit. Howe I never found this in the guide? "Would you like to try it?" Trevor shrugged. "I can make tools from various parts lying around." Gwen shook her head. "Hell, no. Sounds painful." Trevor suddenlyughed so hard that his back arched back. And for the umpteenth time, Gwen was speechless. Slowly, Trevor''sughter faded until it finally stopped. "Well, I guess my joke didn''t hit you. I still have a lot to learn." "What?" Gwen gaped, but in the end, the blonde womanughed loudly. She even wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Ah, thank goodness my joke was funny." "No." Gwen shook her head again. "It''s not your jokes that are funny, but your behavior." This time it was Trevor''s turn to be silent for a moment. "I see¡­ Hey, how about I share my recording of this meeting with the guys? Maybe they''ll like it. They can rey the scene where you''re naked." "Why, all of a sudden¡­ Ah, you''re joking again. Please just share the video. I don''t mind. Hell, I even dared to be naked in front of them in person." "Ah, that''s right¡­ And I''m sorry." Gwen raised an eyebrow again. "Apologize again for what?" "Perhaps this talk about your nudist way of life reminds you of your parents. Your father likes to show his nudity before you, and your mother is an over-the-top seducer. Also, for whatever reason, you''re being told to go naked all the time in the experimental facility, so maybe that''s why you are so it''s like this. And besides, you''re taught about the beauty of the human body that needs to be shown to many people. It reinforces your tendency to stay naked¡­ I also don''t know why they gave me information about certain people in that experimental facility¡­ I mean by certain the gically modified people who were on that big expedition." Ugh. Now you''re reminding Gwen of that, Trevor. "They''re not my parents." Gwen looked the other way. "They''re just scientists sent to watch my progress." "How about I tell you that I can help you heal from those traumas? Well, that''s if you actually hate the desire to show your body and flirt too much. However, if you enjoy it, that''s fine. It''s better to let it go." Trevor slightly approached Gwen. "Now I ask you, Trevor." Gwen smiled meaningfully. "Do you have a program for counseling in you?" "No, but from my data on humans¡­" "I didn''t mean to offend you, Trevor. Much of what you do or talk about in your daily life doesn''t reflect that you know humans well." Gwen tapped the android on the shoulder. "Again, I''m not saying this to offend you." "Ah¡­." Trevor let out a sound as someone sighed. "What you said was true¡­ Even now, I don''t understand anything about that offended feeling." "But, that doesn''t mean you can''t grow." Gwen shed a big smile again. "Now you meet different people, no longer scientists who mostly think about their research or rigid members of the military. You''ve met us, people with different traits and personalities. You can learn from them. And if you need help, you can always ask me anytime. Well, as long as it''s not when I''m pooping or pissing. While I''m taking a shower, you may ask." Trevor chuckled. "Ah, that seems like a good joke. The proof I wanted tough. Okay, Gwen. Thanks for the insight. I''ll ask you while you shower." Gwen shook her head. "Actually, my joke just now was awful. And if you can, don''t ask when I''m taking a shower, please.. Even though I don''t mind being seen naked by you, it''s still creepy when someonees to me in the shower." Chapter 236 - 236 – The Name Chapter 236 ¨C 236 ¨C The Name Gwen pushes Kat and Leva to the other colonists doing their job. It is now summer, and the fashion of the threedies is showing it well. Kat wore a brown bikini top that looked too small for her breasts, paired with pants that were too short, boots of the same color, and a cowboy hat. Meanwhile, what Leva is wearing looks more like a tight leotard with a maroon color showing off her beautiful legs. I''m having a hard time exining the shape of the clothes myself. What is clear, apart from her smooth legs, her cleavage and sideboobs are clearly visible in that outfit. Then, Gwen also wears clothes simr to what Kat is wearing, but in blue, and she wears a micro skirt instead of pants. The skirt was too short that I thought maybe if she moved a little, the blonde haired girl''s panties would be exposed. "Really?" Miro sighed. "You girls dressed like that? Isn''t that too revealing?" "Oh,e on, Miro." Tom chuckled. "Let them wear what they want." "Hmmm¡­ I think I heard another meaning in your words, my dear?" Yvonne asked sarcastically. "You''re overthinking too much." Tomughed nervously. Alice looked the women up and down. "Wow, your clothes are so beautiful, different from the clothes I''m used to seeing. Compared to this, they are too boring." "Hey, do you want me to make clothes like them too?" Gwen asked enthusiastically. A small chuckle escaped Alice''s mouth. "Aah, I''m not sure I can be confident in such revealing clothes." "Don''t worry, I''ll make clothes that cover your body more." "You didn''t give me that choice when you made clothes for me." Kat snorted. Her body kept twitching, and her hands were folded across her chest. She clearly felt ufortable in that outfit. "All of a sudden, this outfit was made, and you forced me to wear it." Gwen burst outughing. "Come on, Kat. That outfit suits you very well. I know what you look good on, Kat. And eventually, you''ll get used to it." "I think it''s okay to wear clothes like this." Leva made a kicking motion. "I can move well with this, even though the folds of the clothes keep getting into my ass." "That''s called a wedgie." Gwen shrugged. "You will also get used to it. Well, I just wanted to make things less boring. Therefore, I will share cool clothes with all of you. This is just the beginning." Manu leaned closer to Trevor, then whispered. "Hey, Trev. You recorded all of this, right?" "Errr¡­ I''m not recording them." Trevor sounded confused. "Then record them now!" Manu kept on making a low voice. "It''s even more interesting than them beingpletely naked¡­ I have a hard time exining it. Anyway, if they decide not to wear those clothes anymore, I can still see it on the tape." "Ah, I see, Manu." Trevor shrugged. "Think of it as a payback for all the answers to my questions about human behavior, especially on this." "What are you two talking about?" Kat asked them in a slightly sharp tone, though, of course, her expression remained nk. "We didn''t talk about anything." Manu shook his head. Trevor stepped forward and spoke before Kat responded. "Maybe now we can do mech training for you, Kat." Kat narrowed her eyes a little suspiciously, but she answered anyway. "Okay, I''ll give it a try. But, I''d better change my clothes first¡­" "What? Why did you do that? I heard you used to like wearing skimpy clothes, right?" Gwen protested by cutting off the conversation. "But, this is different¡­." "Now that''s your default outfit, Kat. And don''t argue with Gwen if she wants to dress you anything." I whispered into the amber eyed woman''s ear. "So, deal with it." I have to admit, what Gwen is doing is truly extraordinary. She and her two female friends became more attractive to look at. *** In the end, Kat and Leva stick with the outfit Gwen made to control the mechs. Kat was still getting used to controlling the metal giant and hadn''t used a weapon yet. Meanwhile, Leva was already practicing various moves using the giant sword. Trevor watched his teammates practice on the ground. He asionally gave instructions. "The training went well, huh?" Manu walked up to Trevor carrying a package. The bearded man had to travel quite a distance to deliver the fresh food that Yvonne made. Since the movement of the mechs shook the ground and frightened the animals, the training was carried out in a ce quite far from the colony. If constantly disturbed, the animals can be too stressed. "Well, maybe Kat should train a little more. It''s possible that I previously ordered her to use Leva''s mech to train, but that means she''s training in a mech optimized for melee attacks. This meant that she had to learn from scratch again to use a mech meant for ranged attacks. Well, they''re not soldiers who have been training with mechs for years, so in order to maximize their fighting potential, then I really have to set the mechs ordingly¡­Why am I telling a long story like this?" Manu chuckled. "Well, maybe you just wanted to talk. But, you continue that storyter. Now it''s time to rest. I brought grits with minced meat and vegetables, fresh from Yvonne''s kitchen." I deliberately ordered my colonists to deliver such fresh food to the training ground. Leva and Kat will continue to do repetitive movements in practice. Maybe food that fills their soul will help a little. "It''s lunchtime, girls!" Trevor eximed though he could tell using themunication device he had on him, without even speaking at all. Once the mechs stopped and the two pilots disembarked, Manu took out a medium-sized y jug from the pack he was carrying. "Wow, that smells great." Leva sniffed the air as Manu opened the lid of the jug. "But I''ve never smelled anything like this before." "Yvonne cooks it with garlic." Manu smiled started to pour the grits soup into three bowls. "I''ve tasted it, and it''s excellent." Kat narrowed her eyes at the yellowish mush. "Are there any bits of mushrooms in it?" Manuughs. "Don''t worry, Yvonne made sure this isn''t a mushroom that makes you hallucinate." The three of them sat down on the grass and ate heartily. The first one to finish was Leva. She immediately gave a thunderous burp. "Aah, this is so delicious! It reminds me of the food from the sky ship!" "Ah, I remember about that food too." Smiling, Manu put down his bowl, which was also empty. "The first time you eat it, you get fed by Seb." Leva was silent. She was gloomy at first, but a few secondster, she smiled. "We''ve been in this tribe for a long time. I think we met for the first timest summer." "And as of now, we still don''t have a name." Manu chuckled. "That''s what I was curious about until now." Trevor joined in. "I''ve asked everyone, but they all don''t know why this ce doesn''t have a name yet." Well, that''s because I don''t really care about naming this colony myself. I know I am an ipetent guardian spirit. "We''ve been through a lot¡­." Manu sighed. "Our situation has really been up and down, and now we seem to have settled. Our crop fields are doing good, and our second home will soon be usable. Tom suggested we make rooms for each person for privacy." "Tom just wants to have sex with his wife and not out in the open," Leva responded with a chuckle. "Well, I''m not sure that Miro wees the idea. He must pick up y in a faraway ce. I know how boring that can be. Well, even if his stamina is like that of a bull, so the time he needs is shorter, but still." "Hey." Suddenly Kat spoke with trembling lips. Her eyes fell on her bowl, which was just empty. "How long do you think this peace willst?" Everyone there looked at Kat, and they fell silent. I could feel the atmosphere getting heavier than before. Yes, for them, peace will neverst long. I really understand that. Suddenly Trevor stood up. "I got amunication transmission." "What? Where''s the transmission from? Is that your evil twin, Trevor?" Leva asked and stood up too. "No¡­ It''s still not clear. I have to do a little calibration." Trevor picked up his tablet from the ground. "In a moment, I''ll show it through this screen." The others gathered near Trevor to look at the tablet screen in the android''s hand. Initially, the screen disyed a very bumpy indistinct image. The sound that the object emits is also intermittent and unclear. However, after a while, the tablet screen finally showed a man with smooth brown hair, a chin with a firm line, and sharp eyes. From theplexity on his face, I guessed that the man was almost 50 years old. "Good afternoon, I''m Ethan Pratt, leader of the Soulsteel organization." My colonists looked at each other. Chapter 237 - 237 – Peacemaker Chapter 237 ¨C 237 ¨C Peacemaker "Couldn''t they have picked a better name," Leva whispered in a voice so low it was barely audible. Manu just signaled by putting his index finger to his lips. "Good afternoon, Mr. Pratt. My name is Trevor, and these are my fellow colonists." Trevor responded in a friendly tone. "Can I help you?" The man named Ethan narrowed his eyes. "You''re not like the androids I''m used to¡­ Ah, that''s not important. Here we read about the existence of two active mechs." "That''s right, we are preparing for the arrival of the A.I. who is rogue and wants to exterminate the humans," Trevor exined. "Are you aware of this, sir?" "I already knew that," Ethan replied in a cold tone. "And you don''t need to get ready. Just leave everything to us." Trevor was silent for a few seconds. "What do you mean, sir?" "Leave all your weapons to us, including the two mechs. Let us fight the rogue A.I." Leva immediately took the tablet in the hands of the android. She cleared her throat for a moment before finally speaking. "Isn''t that too much, Mr. Pratt? We also need those weapons to protect ourselves." "Ownership of unattended weapons will only lead to disaster. I don''t know how long you guys have been on this. However, you need to know this, the war between savages continues in this ce. And it will only get worse with possession of firearms and mechs. More and more people will die." Levaughed sarcastically. "So what gives you and your organization the right to control those weapons?" "What we do is not based on greed or other things that only benefit ourselves or a group." Ethan''s tone turned slightly higher. "Our goal is for peace andmon safety." "Who guarantees that you will stick to your goals?" I could see that Leva''s hands were tightly clenched, signifying that she was holding back her emotions. "There are only two choices, believe it or not with us," Ethan said again. "If you believe in us, then hand over all the weapons you have. Otherwise, we will be forced to snatch them from you." "Sir," Trevor spoke again. "Can we talk about this before we¡­." "Since a long time ago, I''ve had discussions with parties who don''t want to give up their weapons." Ethan interrupted. "You know what? In the end, it''s all the same. We''re the ones forced to take their weapons, and it''s always bloody. So, a discussion is not an option. I don''t want to waste any more time. My organization ising to all of you, and I hope you''re willing to give up your weapons. If you fight us, you will know the consequences for yourself." Trevor hastily replied. "Please, listen to us first. We can work together¡­" However, the line ofmunication was suddenly turned off. "Just a moment, I''ll reconnect thismunication." Trevor froze, probably trying to connect the signal from Ethan using what was inside. However, after a few seconds had passed, he said. "Sorry, looks like we''ve lost him. I can still connect to their device, but my attempts to open a conversation are always blocked." "Shit!" Leva cursed. "Why is he being so selfish like that!? In the end, they''re the ones who made the destruction!" "Are you able to detect if they have mechs too?" Manu asks. "They have two, and I''d say they''re in a simr condition to ours¡­ No, ours is actually better because it''s been repaired and maintained." Trevor exined. "Then do you know how many troops they have?" Trevor shook his head. "As for that matter, I don''t know." Well, I''m not going to hand over our weapons to that Ethan Pratt-led organization. As Leva said, we need those weapons to protect ourselves. The other party has no right to take it for any reason. Unfortunately, I don''t know who they really are. They could be members of the military who have been trained. They may have troops capable of fighting. The information I have is really scanty. And what''s worse, we no longer have an ally. "How much longer until they get here?" Manu asks again. "Well, they won''t be here any time soon." Trevor shrugged. "Probably about 10-12 more days." "So, what should we do?" Leva rubbed her forehead. "You guys practice." I gave orders. "Stop all non-essential activities, then you guys train intensely. The skilled ones train those with low stats. All of you must fight to defend your home." Leva sighed. "Well, looks like we really need to train more intensely." "I agree." Manu nodded. "We train while thinking of ways to beat them, even though we don''t know too much about them." "I''ll try to hack the technology they have, be it tablets, mechs, or something else." Trevor joined in. "Who knows if I might find a record or something to show how many they were. Or some other data that might be in our favor¡­ Or I might be able to destroy their system from within." *** "Manu, can we talk for a minute?" Leva invites Manu, who is cleaning up the brick-making site. "Oh, just a minute," Manu responds. "I''ll sort this out for a moment." "Let me help." After all of Manu''s work was done, the two people left the colony. They walked under the sky that was starting to turn orange. "I no longer have the power to predict the dangers that wille to us." Leva sighed. "However, from all the information I got, from the rogue A.I., the organization belonging to a person named Ethan, to the mystery of that figure in outer space. Everything shows that danger will always lurk in us. And what''s even more terrifying is that it''s more than anything we''ve ever faced, either in this tribe or in our past." Ah, Leva spoke to Manu because the man was a member of the tribe like that woman, not a crasnded. In addition, Manu was also one of the first members of this colony. "I feel the same way as you." Manu sighed. "Before this, what we were dealing with were beasts or humans from other tribes. Now, what we will be dealing with are evil artificial intelligence, metal giants, and beings that might be called gods." Leva closed her eyes and stopped in her tracks. "At a time like this, it''s hard to stay optimistic, Manu." "I''m not going to pretend to be a strong human, and I''m sure we can do all of this well." Manu sighed. "However, from what we have experienced so far, I can conclude one thing, we can only try. If we give up, we will definitely lose." "Hey, it turns out you can be wise, Manu." Leva chuckled. Manu smiles. "Well, you could say the circumstances that made me like this. Even though my brain is still not quite right." "At the very least, you''re notmitting the stupidity of killing people again for absurd reasons." Manu''s smile disappears. "I''ve often chatted with the humans from the sky ship. They often talk about their wishes in the future, about the dreams they want to achieve. However, for people like us, maybe we don''t think about it at all. From birth, we''re just being trained to survive. Well, we can still do what we want, though. However, I don''t think it''s a journey to reach a dream." Leva was silent for a moment. "I often hear about their ce of origin. The ce they call earth. Hearing the story of that ce, I feel their life is so peaceful. Well, Eric once said there are still crimes, even murder. However,pared to our life, I''m envious of life on earth." "Huh? You want peace?" Manu chuckled. "Don''t you like fighting?" "After I''ve seen a lot of deaths, I feel peace is better. Hell, if I want to fight, we just have to manage the match by rules, like the one held at Redtooth a while ago." "Ah, it can be said that your goal now is to create peace in thisnd, right?" Manu nodded. "Then how do you make that happen?" "Honestly, Manu. I''ve never thought about it. Hell, I haven''t decided to make that my goal either." "Have you heard the story from Eric about a group called a big country that has a world peace mission?" Leva shook his head slowly. "I''ve never heard of that." "Can you guess what they are doing so that other countries don''t create conflicts that disturb the peace?" Leva shook her head again, but a secondter, she was mute with her mouth hanging open. "Looks like you already know where this conversation is going." Manu smiles bitterly. "Violence." Leva hissed. "They resort to violence to make others submit¡­ Just like what the organization belonging to the man named Ethan Pratt did." "Is it worth it to achieve peace with the loss of many lives?" "Hard question." Leva scratched her hair. "And I don''t like to overthink into it. Ugh, let''s forget about this conversation. We''d better focus on dealing with Ethan Pratt and his men." Manuughs. "Hey, you''re the one who started this conversation first." "Yeah, it''s my fault." Leva snorted, then walked back to her colony. "We''d better go home now.. It looks like Yvonne is cooking something good for us again." Chapter 238 - 238 – The Goal Chapter 238 ¨C 238 ¨C The Goal After my colonists cleaned up the colony site and had breakfast, my colonists immediately started practicing fighting. Leva and Kat used their mechs to train in a ce some distance away. Alice takes care of the nts first before finally joining Gwen to practice using firearms. Gwen used a sniper rifle, while Alice used a regr rifle. The rest of my colonists train with replica melee weapons. Only one stayed where he was. Trevor stood near the house, not moving at all. He is doing battle by trying to hack the digital protection used by the group led by Ethan Pratt. It turned out that the group had a capable hacker. The digital security the group has created is insane, citing Trevor. Therefore, Trevor must mobilize all the potential of his hardware and software to do his own fighting. Alice and Gwen also practiced some distance away to not stress the pets. Alice shot a rifle at a target in a tree. Gwen did the same, but on her knees, and peered through the scope at the shot. The mark he had to shoot at was far awaypared to Alice''s. Fortunately, there was plenty of ammo as it was taken from the wrecked mechs and equipment scattered near the Acornhull. Even if it was all gone, Manu had practiced making it using the metal and gunpowder that Leva had mined. The wind was blowing quite hard when Alice came to Gwen, still training. Gwen''s skirt was suddenly pulled away by the wind, exposing her magnificent ass. She really had nomon sense as ady. "Hey, why aren''t you wearing panties?" Alice stopped her steps when she saw that. "You should have known. I''m not a fan of panties." Gwen showed absolutely no sign of fixing the skirt she was wearing. "Because I can''t be naked all the time, I wear this skirt and don''t wear panties so that the air cirction in my crotch is smooth. Actually, I''m confused. If you''re already wearing a skirt, why should you wear panties? That defeats the purpose of the skirt itself." Alice blinked her eyes. "Ah, now it''s time for lunch." Alice didn''t really understand Gwen''s nagging, but she preferred not to ask any further. "Okay." Gwen got up from the ground, then moved under a shady tree with Alice. The day''s menu was potato wedges and boiled vegetables, plus some jerky. "Hey, Alice. Maybe this is my first experience of facing war¡­ Well, I''ve experienced violence before, but this time I''m also required to attack. I have to shoot." Gwen sighed. "Have you ever fought before?" "Of course, I have fought several wars to protect my tribe. The difference is, that time, I used an arrow instead of a gun like this." Alice answered, then bit into her jerky. Gwen was silent for a moment. "How do you deal with all kinds of thoughts that bother you before doing it the first time?" A small chuckle escaped Alice''s mouth. "It''s wrong for you to ask me that. Yes, I did face skirmishes a few times. Whether it''s from fellow tribesmen or from the beasts that attacked our tribe, but until now, I couldn''t shake off the fear and nervousness I was experiencing¡­ I don''t know about the others, but clearly, I can''t do it." "I see." Gwen nodded her head. She was about to say more, but her tablet rang. "To all of you, sorry to interrupt your training. However, there is information that I need to convey immediately." Trevor exined. "I managed to hack one of the cameras of that organization''s mech. I will now disy the scene I managed to shoot." The tablet screen then disys a view of several people sitting and eating their lunch. Looks like they''re resting. In the group of seven, I found Ethan, three women, and three men. One of the men seemed to be typing something on hisptop while adjusting his sses from time to time. They all wore dark green military uniforms. "This is crazy,mander!" Almost bald and crooked-nosed, one of the men rose from his seat. "We will be dealing with people who only want to protect themselves! We have no valid reason to confront them! This is the umpteenth time,mander! And many of our friends are also victims! Wouldn''t it be better if we cooperated with them!" Ethan sighed. "I''ve told you many times, Dean. We will cooperate with them if they hand over their weapons to us. If we don''t do that, they can kill us from behind. After that, we will bring some of them to train as part of us. Over time we will be big, and we can carry out our ideology well." "And that is the weakness of your n, Commander!" Dean snorted. "It''s not that easy for us to take their weapons and people, then impose our ideology. Do we have the right to be the government of this?" Ethan chuckled. "The beginning of the formation of the state was like that, right? One person or group of people decide to rule over other people. So, what''s really different about that?" "But, that doesn''t mean¡­" Dean suddenly stopped talking and fell with his head covered in blood. Only one member of the group jumped in surprise, namely the sses wearer who was holding aptop. The others just watched Dean with tense faces. Still holding the smoking gun, Ethan massaged his forehead. "I''m sorry, guys. We have to lose one morerade of ours and not to the enemy''s attack this time. However, I have been very patient with Dean. He continues to question our ideology, and over time it will interfere with our noble mission." "No problem,mander." One of the women stood and looked at Dean. "Just as themander has said, we must do whatever it takes to achieve our noble goal." "Let us take care of him." Several people there got up and carried Dean''s body away from the ce. It''s crazy and weird. Was the man named Dean not their friend? Why didn''t anyone look sad or at least surprised apart from the man with the sses? "I-I see an oddity,mander." The bespectacled man, who had been stunned for a while, held his breath as he looked at theptop again. "This ¡­." "What is it?" Ethan rose to his feet. The bespectacled man then looked at the camera. "Looks like they saw us." "To what extent did they hear what we were talking about?" "Just a moment, Commander." The bespectacled man sat down and started fiddling with hisptop again. "A few minutes ago¡­ It probably started when Dean argued against you,mander." "Isn''t there anything else important?" "That still needs investigation,mander. Now I''m still trying to cut their connection." Ethan then walked to the camera and narrowed his eyes. "O, my friends. Sorry for showing a bad view just now. However, believe me, with what I say, I will make your life better, more organized. I can''t say it will be achieved quickly, but rest assured that our government will make every effort to prosper you." "I can close that camera connection any time now,mander." The bespectacled man told Ethan. "A moment." Ethan hissed, then looked into the camera again. "So, join us." Ethan turned and motioned for the bespectacled man. The man was typing something on hisptop again, and the video stopped. "I don''t know if this will help much or not." Trevor''s voice came again from the tablet Gwen was holding. "But at least we can get to know who Ethan Pratt is a little better. Maybe it can be used as a negotiation material if possible?" I think Ethan has closed all doors for a good discussion. The man seemed to already have an invible goal. It can be seen from his words and tone of voice. "And don''t forget, we get to know the number of their enemies," Tom replied. "That''s what the camera shot," Gwen responded. "We don''t know if there''s anything that wasn''t seen in the video. It could be that someone is away, or the camera is not in the spotlight because they are keeping an eye on their surroundings." "Anyone wants to share their views again?" Trevor''s question was answered with a no from the other members. "Then we will finish this session. I''ll continue my job of hacking into their system. Please continue your training." The others said goodbye, and the lines ofmunication were cut off. "Is that guy named Ethan¡­" Alice grimaced. "Ah, it''s hard for me to exin without using rude words." "Seems like his brain really isn''t right." Gwen shrugged. She was about to continue, but when she saw Alice looking the other way with a gloomy face, she asked instead. "What is it?" "In a few more days, there will probably be more bloodshed. I know this is different from the previous massacre." Alice sighed. "They will be the ones to attack first, but still¡­ Ah, forget what I said." Gwen smiled faintly.. "Believe me, I also feel what you feel. Why does blood always have to be spilled?" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!