C58 (1/2)
Our camp, halfway up the mountain between the Lost Sea and the Great Fog Mountain, faced Lake Chilhoe, with the forest at its back.
Like all national park campgrounds, no signal towers had been built here to protect the ecological environment. If we were to call the police, we'd have to drive forty minutes to the nearest town.
”Do any of you know when M went out?” I asked.
Darwin and Fatty both shook their heads. Sayaka, who was sleeping on the outermost side, thought for a while and said, ”I remember when I vaguely remember she opened the tent and went out. I thought she was going to the toilet at that time …”
”Did you notice when she opened the tent that the camp lights were off?”
”... At that time, it should have been completely dark outside. ” Sayaka recalled and said.
”The lights in the barracks are usually out at ten o'clock, which means that M left after ten o'clock.” I thought about it.
”Dick, take out the map of the camp,” Darwin said as he took out a pen from his bag. ”An adult's average walking speed is 3 kilometers per hour, so the place that she can go to within 2 hours is within this range —”
Dick spread out the map. Darwin drew a semicircle on the flat road, and then drew another narrower semicircle in the areas covered by the forest.
”It would be more difficult to walk in the forest. You could only travel one kilometer an hour.”
”But this area is still very large! We don't have the ability to search such a large area... ” Dick frowned.
”But we can use the elimination method first …” Sayaka took a pen and drew the line of the forest surrounding the campsite.
The camp was a clearing the size of a football field, covered with light sand and stones that made it easy to camp, surrounded by trees.
”It's raining now, and if M really goes into the forest, he'll leave footprints in any entrance to the woods at the edge of the camp.”
The rain was getting heavier and heavier. Sayaka and I were in a group, while DickPound and Darwin were in a group.
The soil in the forest was very soft. Even a light step could leave a clear footprint after absorbing the rain.
”No footprints and no other marks.” When we met up with Darwin, we spoke at the same time.
”Not into the woods! She went down the road! ” Dick said as he started the car.
Dick turned the throttle out of the camp and stopped at the intersection of the road.
There are two paths in front of us. Up is the Great misty mountain, and down is the Lost Sea at the foot of the mountain.
The rain hit the glass, and it was dark except for the headlights.
”Go where?” Dick turned around and looked at Darwin.
”Did you hear anything?” I opened the window and shivered as the rain splattered my face.
”Tap.” Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. ”Da …” It sounded like an animal running in the rain, treading on pine trees.
”Animals are running …”
Before I could finish speaking, Darwin shouted at Fatty, ”Go down the mountain!”
”Is there a horse in the forest?” I asked, puzzled.
”I'm afraid it's not a horse …” Dick frowned and said, ”But this isn't scientific …”
”What is going on?”
”Do you know the lake at the bottom of the mountain?” the fat man asked me.
I nodded my head. It was that so-called Lake Qirhaoyi. It had a weird name.
”Rumor has it that Chilhowee was translated from the appellation of the natives of the Early Rise, meaning 'the Valley of the Deer King.'” The fat man thought for a moment. ”But that was more than a hundred years ago …”
”Brake!”
Sayaka screamed, causing the fatty to suddenly stop. My entire body nearly flew out.
One, two, three, ten. Countless male stags, transnational shrubs and pine needles swarmed out of the forest from all directions. They crossed the road and ran down the mountain.
Not ten meters away from the car was a snow-white male stag.
The white deer was larger than the average deer, with two enormous horns on its head.
It did not show any signs of panic as it leisurely took two steps forward and turned around to take a look. There was no fear in its eyes. Instead, it calmly stared at us.
It was as if it represented the forest, standing on this wide, quiet earth, looking at each other as equals, not as humans and animals.
For a moment, its aura oppressed me to the point where I couldn't speak.
After a few seconds, it leapt forward and disappeared into the dark forest.
”...” ”Damn, the legend of the Deer King is actually true …” It took Fatty half a minute to regain his senses.