160 Episode 53: Mountains Shake (1/2)

”... it might not taste good, this”

”Right.... I have a bad feeling”

As we proceeded to the back of the mountain, me and Charne, who were observing what was going on in the woods, were all together and raised their voices. Because what can be read from that situation was clearly not good news.

Gakun, on the other hand, tilts his neck to say he doesn't know why me and Charne groaned.

”Is something wrong? It just seems like a forest to me.”

”The fruits of the forest have not diminished at all.”

”... hmm? What's this all about?

Even though Charne tells him in a stiff voice, Gakun tilts his neck even more so that he doesn't know.

”Do you know the nuts are falling and rotting at the root of the tree? Gakkun.”

”Huh? Ah... if you ask me, sure. The branches are still full of edible fruit.”

When I said it with my fingers, Gakun nodded as he noticed the fact, too.

There are trees in front of us that have lowered nuts that look delicious. At its very core, it was too ripe, and countless nuts had fallen that seemed to have fallen and rotted.

”Big Ape uses these nuts and stuff as staple foods. Big Ape is a demon not uncommon in the east, and it's hard to pick grace starting with these nuts because of the herd, isn't it?

”They're nasty, aren't they? But if we get rid of it, we'll escape to the back of the forest, and then the grace of the forest will be restored... Ah”

You said it yourself and you noticed, Gakun raised his voice of satisfaction.

”Well, isn't Big Ape leaning in here? I mean...”

”I think there's something Big Ape's afraid of.”

”Maybe Big Ape isn't the only one who's gone from here. I didn't even hear a bug or a bird from earlier. … too quiet, creepy”

I get an anxiously distorted look as Charne squeezes Keravnos. I certainly don't feel any sign of it since I went into the back of the woods.

The thinness of this sign has been with us ever since we crossed a certain border. Even though the grace of the forest itself is enriching, I can hardly feel the signs of the animals and demons that eat it.

”... a forest with constant signs of life,”

The place we are now is quite auspicious among the mountains. Even the locals may not have gotten this far into the mountains because they didn't see any traces of people stepping in.

And now the mountain continues to be pioneered as a mining site for spiritual resources from the foot. Then it is not surprising that the crowd has been allocated priority over the investigation of the entire forest, such as the escort of pioneering.

Although I don't think it's a bad thing, the best way to explore natural anomalies is to touch nature. That way, for the first time, I can feel a natural anomaly. I would definitely like you to develop such talent in the future.

”But is it possible that there are so few signs?

Sharne groaned pompously as she looked around.... Sure, it sounds a little out of the ordinary, this.

”Assuming the Demon Stone Holder is preying on animals and demons from one end. But naturally some animals and demons escape if attacked. This can also cause stampede... and it's not normal for anyone outside to have any influence.”

”... So you're saying they ate you from one end before you ran away?

”If that's the case, there's a good chance it happened all of a sudden.”

Big Ape was the only thing Monica encountered today in the demonic exorcism. I can still tell if you think Big Ape perceived the crisis and placed his residence closer to people's realm.

But suppose. What if Big Ape wasn't the only one I ran into? What if Big Ape was the only one who could get away with it? That's already changing the story.

”... that all of a sudden, you have a demon stone and it's out of the standard that you can get this far?

It's a story I don't really want to believe, but if I think about it, there's also a tsunami in this inexplicable situation. Except you can admit it or not.

Something strange is happening in the eastern realm. Increased sightings of rare species, demons that were shallower than their original habitats, the everlasting forests of life spreading across their depths. A hunch of demonic stone holding derived from it.... It's getting less laughable over time.

”... what do you do? Her Highness Sister Wang.”

Charne asks me. The confirmation is whether we should continue the investigation or turn back.

Close your eyes and think only a little. Slowly exhaling, I open my eyes and stare at them both.

”Let's do some more research. There's too much information if we keep this up.”

”Isn't it dangerous?

”With your knowledge, yes. If there's a crisis like this that I can do, it's not gonna stop me unless it's Ufi.”

I'd like to think that hasn't happened to the boulder, but things are not right. Having never gone beyond getting ready, we pull our minds together before moving further into the back of the woods.

The trace found there is something completely different than before. But it was a sight enough to frown upon.

”... terrible”

”This, maybe, is Big Ape...?

Charne is keeping her mouth down and shaking her body. Gakun also stared at ”Sole” with a face that looked painful to look directly at.

I thought it was a Big Ape, like I was forced to pull a thousand pieces, and the corpse fell apart. That's burning and burning unbroken. Blood splashes were scattered around the area, making it the scene of a tragedy.

The wreckage, which I find painfully vic ape, is partly absent as if it had been devoured. That's the impression that the area determined to be inedible was abandoned unconstitutionally.

It's too cluttered. It's like ripping it off at your disposal and devouring what you can eat. And I don't even have eyes on the wreckage, and I think he must have left here.

”... the blood is a little old”

It's odd to say that you should be spilling so much blood, but the wreckage stays like this. The roasted meat also seems to rot over time.

Honestly, I don't want to get near it. Charne is about to vomit with tears in her eyes. Gakun is stroking Charne's back like that and calming him down.

”... Dear Anis”

”It's not a normal demon.... I don't know, this discomfort”

I might be closer to saying I killed him and then ate him than I did to eat him.

Anyway, it turns out that something lurking in this mountain is a better opponent than just plain common sense. It was time to tighten my mind and try to find any other traces.

- On the neck, the discomfort ran like it lit a chill. That was killer. The body reacts immediately and pulls through the celestial.