Chapter 298: On the Way Back |
The morning after we brought the chicks, we decided to return earlier than planned. There was one simple reason for cutting our stay short. We were certain to run out of food if we stayed any longer.
“……Do you really want to come with us?”
“”Meoow!””
Despite having brought more than enough food, it was running out. This was because a family of cats at our temporary base had become overly attached to us and refused to leave.
The cats, typically so protective of their own family, seemed to consider us as part of their family too… with me at the top of their pack. They appeared determined to follow us no matter what.
If we were to take the cats with us, we had to ensure we had enough food for the journey back. Given this, there simply wasn’t time to conduct any further surveys to the east.
“It looks like it’s time to say goodbye to these little ones.”
“Once things settle down, we’ll establish a research base. We can play with them again then.”
“…. I was disliked till the very end, wasn’t I?”
Once we left, the place would no longer be a safe haven, and they would likely disband soon. It had been a fleeting paradise for them.
“Getting used to each other is impossible. It seems they realize we’re distant relatives of their natural predators.”
“At least the cats have become somewhat accustomed to us.”
“Somewhat? You call that better?”
“””……”””
Chris bluntly stated the harsh reality, and I tried to offer some comfort. However, the cats, while not openly hostile, were blatantly wary of Woodsorrel. Even though reason told them they were part of the same group, their instincts couldn’t help but remain alert.
This was a situation that would require patience and time to adjust. I continued to load the still cautious cats onto a makeshift boat made from sand. Perhaps because Woodsorrel was out of sight, the cats began to relax and playfully frolic inside the boat.
This boat was crafted to transport the cats on our return journey. Although the weight of the food we had consumed on the way was less, we had discovered new plants which added to our load. Nevertheless, there was no way it could accommodate the thirty or so cats that had swelled our numbers. That was why I had made the boat to bring them back with us.
“Peep!”
“Chirp chirp.”
“Meow.”
“Purr.”
In the same boat, I had prepared a nest box made of sand for the chicklings. The two little birds stuck their heads out from it and chirped. The kittens gathered around the nest box and playfully interacted with the chicklings.
It seemed that the cats had already accepted the chicklings as members of their pack. It goes without saying that seeing the chicklings and cats getting along so quickly left Woodsorrel with an indescribable expression.
But leaving that aside. We quickly cleaned up our temporary base and then set off to the south. To maintain our speed even during the day, I spread a roof of sand over everyone to shield them from the sunlight.
However, I decided to reduce our speed on the way back to be a little slower than on the way there. This was out of consideration for the chicklings and kittens and, above all, to protect Woodsorrel’s buttocks.
“Meow!”
“Meoow!”
“What’s the matter? Curious about the outside?”
The cats leaned over the edge of the boat and peered out. They seemed to be fascinated by the passing scenery with their curiosity piqued. Occasionally, though, they leaned too far and almost fell so I couldn’t take my eyes off them.
Naturally, I was propelling the boat using spiritual arts. This method spared Woodsorrel from any discomfort in her butt… but since the cats disliked sharing the ride with her, they ended up riding behind Chris. How many years would it take for them to get used to this arrangement?
“Meow!?”
“Hiss~!”
“What’s wrong? Mmm!”
After some time had passed while we were moving, the cats at the boat’s edge suddenly started staring intently toward the right rear. Some of them displayed even more aggression and wariness than when they were in front of Woodsorrel.
At first, I didn’t understand the cats’ intentions but soon I felt a presence approaching from behind at a considerable speed. It seemed that the cats had noticed it before me. They likely detected it through their keen hearing which was possibly as sharp as Mika’s.
However, the location of the presence was problematic. When I looked back, I saw only the gravel desert and the Shumie mountain range. Yes, our pursuer was underground.
“…Impressive. Large and quite strong. Its fighting spirit might even surpass mine.”
There were two troubling aspects about the pursuer. Its size and strength. In terms of size, it was comparable to the giant sea serpent I had fought before, and its form closely resembled that of a serpent, leading me to believe it was a similar type of creature.
It can be said that most large creatures have considerable strength due to the muscles that support their huge bodies. Add to this their strong innate fighting spirit, and it is certain that you would be at a disadvantage in a fight based on sheer strength.
Moreover, as the pursuer moved through the ground, it seemed to be using spiritual arts to convert the surrounding earth into fine sand. Fortunately, it appeared that my spiritual power was superior, so if there was an opportunity to take advantage of it, it would be here.
“What should we do?”
“I’ll handle it. Keep moving forward without slowing down.”
“Understood. I’ll wait for you at a distance.”
Since we weren’t moving very fast, the distance to our pursuer was closing fast. Everyone except Lorenz, who was not a warrior, had already realized this and Chris had asked me on their behalf what to do. There was only one answer. To repel it.
After hearing Chris’s response, I lowered the cats from the edge of the boat and then jumped off myself before landing on the ground. The momentum left two parallel lines etched by my boots in the soil.
“Here it comes… What is that?”
It seemed as if I had entered the creature’s range by disembarking. Just as the ground and even the surface in front of me turned to sand, something emerged from underneath…. It was not the expected snake. Although they looked similar, they were clearly different creatures.
Its skin was completely brown and smooth to the touch. Where one would expect to find eyes or a nose, there were none; instead, there was a round mouth gaping open. If I had to compare it to any creature, it would be a worm, though no worm has such fangs. For now, let’s tentatively call it the “giant earthworm”.
The giant earthworm’s mouth has small fangs that reached to the back of its throat, making it clear that anything swallowed would be crushed instantly. Its mouth was large enough to swallow not only me, but even Shuu whole, so for our future safety, I would have to defeat it.
“The problem is how intelligent it is…”
“Gigigigigi!”
The giant earthworm burst out of the ground and charged at me with great force. I jumped back, and just as I left my spot, it plunged headfirst into the spot where I had been standing and continued burrowing into the ground.
Apparently, it used a spiritual art that constantly turned the ground that the tip of its head touched into fine sand. This was probably an ecology necessary for moving underground. It must be a constant subconscious activation. I would have to explain this to Lorentz later.
“…as expected, it charged. It doesn’t seem very intelligent. Alright.”
As soon as the worm plunged back into the ground from its head, it convulsed violently and stopped moving altogether. The reason was simple. The trap I had set was activated.
The trap I set was not complicated. I had buried several balls of sand that I had compressed to the limit right where I had been standing. I then transformed these balls into sharp spikes that pierced the giant earthworm from the inside out.
No matter how strong a warrior’s fighting spirit might be, few can unconsciously fortify the inside of their belly. And after it was torn apart from the inside, the giant earthworm died instantly.
I could have infused the sand with poison dripping from my poisonous stinger at that moment. However, I deliberately chose not to do so. If the worm were filled with poison, it would become inedible, even if it turned out to be edible.
“I’ve defeated it, but… carrying this will be difficult.”
Although I had managed to defeat the giant earthworm efficiently, when I thought about it calmly, transporting it would be a considerable labor. I was already maintaining a roof to shelter everyone from the sun and constantly operating a boat to transport the cats and chicks.
Adding the transportation of the giant earthworm to my duties would be quite burdensome. However, leaving such a large mass of meat to be wasted was not an option either. Even if it meant sacrificing speed, the value of transporting it would be worth it.
Having made my decision, I conjured two huge hands capable of lifting the giant earthworm and pulled it from the ground. Then, using these hands, I coiled its elongated body like a rope and transformed the hands into the shape of a boat to begin transporting it.
“Guh… this is heavy.”
I placed its body on the boat and began to move it, but the giant earthworm was extremely heavy. I knew it would be heavy from the moment I picked it up, but the real burden became apparent once we were underway. Although it was possible to maintain everything, the excess weight certainly slowed our progress even more.
I moved slowly with the boat carrying the giant earthworm while taking more time than expected to catch up with Chris and the others who were far ahead. They were amazed at the size of the boat and the giant earthworm it was carrying.
Due to the time it took to catch up, it was already evening now and we had not made as much progress as planned. In the end, it took a whole day longer to return than it took to get there.