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Chapter 04
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It was truly monstrous, a demon opposing the gods.
Faced with the threat of turning divine beast into food, Baekhan and Cheonghan completely surrendered. With a vow to no longer fight, they sealed their reconciliation with a handshake.
“Fine. Baekhan, Cheonghan! From now on, the two of you must find something worthy for my meal!”
“Captain, what do gods eat for their meals?”
“Since it’s my head, I’ll eat something suitable, right?”
“But we don’t have faces, so we can’t eat anything, right?”
“You may not have one, but I’ve got one now!”
“Is that so? Then what does the captain eat?”
It was a conversation of fools.
Connie Heart, clearly defined, pounded the black armor of Heukhan with wings.
[I don’t eat anything. Gods don’t feel hunger.]
Winterwind had many rare sea creatures, but they were all friends of Connie Heart, not prey.
[So, you don’t need to go around finding food just for me.]
If, by any chance, they happened to encounter the boy they barely spared after turning the mountain upside down, it would be a big problem. To prevent any accidents during the journey, it was better to hold onto the favor of the benevolent Heukhan and cater to his preferences.
“Seeing you get angry and hit me a lot, it seems my head is indeed hungry. What do you say? Shall we settle it right away?”
[No, it meant I don’t need to eat!]
It was an unheard cry.
Following orders, Baekhan and Cheonghan each mounted peculiar-colored blue and white horses.
“I’ll be back, Captain. Kekeke.”
“I’ll be back soon, kekeke.”
Encouraged by Heukhan, they left the Stone Cave in the blink of an eye.
Now, only Heukhan, Heukma, and Connie Heart remained in the cave.
“Head, eat a lot and grow well from now on. Short hair is good, but long and lush is even better, isn’t it?”
It was a contented voice.
The hand sweeping over Connie Heart’s round nape was exceedingly affectionate.
[….. The boy shouldn’t have crossed paths with Duraan.]
May luck be on your side.
While Connie Heart was wishing for good fortune, the previously quiet Heukma amiably leaned in, rubbing its cheek against the wings, a behavior that seemed quite joyful with giggles.
Connie Heart swallowed a sigh.
[Now, how do I get out of here…]
***
‘She said she was going for a robe.’
Dhiope raiseed his upper body from the cold floor.
Clearly, just a while ago, his body lacked strength, but now not only had his strength returned, but his mind felt refreshing.
“So, it was true that she infused holy water into my body.”
While evading a dusk outlaw using dark magic, he received a poisoned sword. Moreover, he fell victim to mind-controlling magic, mistakenly marking the wrong coordinates in a stupor.
To commit such fatal mistakes and still be alive.
“Certainly, my mana must have been depleted.”
The Barun Mountain was so far that it took ten days and nights on horseback from the capital. Teleporting required a substantial amount of mana, especially over longer distances.
By the time he arrived at the Barun Mountain with his injured body, his life was hanging by a thread.
He looked down at his own body.
Even if it was in good condition, it was too good.
Moreover, starting from the face, all the way to minor scars, everything was neatly gone; truly astonishing.
“One thing for sure, it’s not an illusion.”
Initially suspected of being ensnared by an illusion, but the clear mind was reassuring.
After forcefully eating even the unidentified fruit, if he were meant to die, he should have died long ago.
This was something that couldn’t be interpreted without holy water. Moreover, the persistent headaches, a side effect of the growth-inhibiting medication, had cleanly disappeared.
“Wait. This is Barun Mountain.”
Come to think of it, even with holy water, it wouldn’t be strange at all. A war had once taken place in Barun Mountain, and there were reportedly so many corpses that they covered the mountain.
Dimensional pockets, holy water—these were once human belongings anyway, in a mountain long disconnected from human footsteps, it wasn’t surprising for evolved monsters to play with holy water.
Relying on just one holy water for a mysterious creature in a mountain where once even war had taken place seemed far-fetched.
Then what about the Lava Fruit?’
The name itself was unfamiliar and strange—an enigmatic fruit never heard or encountered before.
Dhiope swept his disheveled hair back behind his forehead.
‘First, get out of here, and it won’t be too late to take it.’
The northern edge of the Hinyukaon Empire, Barun Mountain.
Among the grand Maxtan Mountain Range, this largest and highest mountain was a sanctuary filled with evolved monsters.
As it was a specialized area for the comfort of monsters, human mana usage was uniquely blocked. Therefore, Imperial citizens never ventured near Barun Mountain.
Originally, teleportation was impossible in places where mana was blocked. However, the reason Dhiope could teleport to Barun Mountain was due to the toxin used by the outlaw. The outlaw used the blood of monsters infesting the nearby Til Mountain Range near the border as a poison. Even a tiny amount of the blood of such monsters posed a serious threat to life.
Dhiope was attacked with a blade tainted with such potent blood. Barun Mountain recognized Dhiope, whose body was permeated with that blood, as a monster.
It was an unfortunate situation, but nonetheless, Barun Mountain was such a place—a terrifying forbidden zone known for harboring malicious and violent evolved monsters.
‘I don’t even know when or where an evolved monster might pop up.’
One couldn’t be lost in contemplation without any weapons.
‘Damn!’
Indeed.
In the empire’s words, if you say something about monsters, they will come.
Something was approaching rapidly from outside the cave.
The scenery in front was a serene forest after the snowstorm had cleared, but the cave floor shook violently, as if an earthquake had occurred.
Thud, thud, thud!
The ground shook as if it had been in a war. The deafening footsteps echoed from all directions.
‘There must be at least dozens.’
He hoped his estimation would be proven wrong.
Giant ogres poured into the cave entrance in an instant.
A spacious interior with a ceiling high enough to transplant poplar trees and nowhere to hide. The limestone cave was wide enough to comfortably accommodate the impressive ogre horde.
Dhiope agilely explored the cave, stepping backward. However, it was already too late. Before he could discern an escape route, he found himself surrounded by the ogre horde.
‘Damn!’
Somewhere, the sound of a thin glass bottle shattering echoed.
One of the ogres seemed to have stepped on an empty glass bottle, but they didn’t appear to feel any pain. There were no screams or agonized monsters; instead, they licked their lips with expressions of anticipation.
“Sniff, a human is in our home. It must taste good. I’ll eat it.”
“I’ll start with the hands.”
“Then I’ll take the legs.”
With each breath, the ogres’ bellies swelled as if about to burst. Savage eyes gleamed with gluttony.
‘They look so eager to chew me up.’
With a discreet gaze unnoticed by the ogres, Dhiope assessed their bodies.
‘No weapons.’
The evolved monsters of Barun Mountain were notorious for their brutality and cunning, enjoying slaughter.
They were said to mercilessly massacre humans with swords and axes, yet strangely, the ogres before him were all unarmed.
‘Even though it’s a mana-blocked mountain, perhaps luck will be on my side.’
In a standoff with the ogres, Dhiope attempted to gather mana. He knew magic was impossible in this place, but it was worth a try, just in case.
‘Please.’
As expected, no mana manifested. It used to feel as familiar as air, but now, he couldn’t detect any energy as if blocked by something.
Dhiope clenched a thread of hope and lowered his hand to his waist.
Originally, he should have had a utility dagger, but all he felt was an empty leather belt. It was because, during an encounter with an assassin, he had plunged all three daggers into the heart of the assailant.
‘Damn. If there’s even a slight chance to escape, I should try.’
The difference in stature was too significant.
The ogres’ bellies protruded like giant loaves of bread, and their steps were as firm as stone. Due to their overlapping formation, even raising his head, Dhiope couldn’t see the entrance.
While Dhiope contemplated a strategy, one of the ogres scratched its forehead.
“But Duraan said our bellies are too big. He told us to fast for a hundred years.”
“That’s right. Monsters are supposed to be beautiful. Our size was too overwhelming; Duraan didn’t want to look at us.”
“No, Duraan said I’m beautiful.”
“Duraan’s aesthetic standards are different. Calling someone beautiful according to Duraan is an insult.”
“Indeed, Duraan’s language is complex.”
“So, do we eat the human or not?”
The ogre’s fangs, protruding above its lips, glistened with saliva.
Desire to devour Dhiope bubbled in its twitching nostrils and flat pupils.
“Just eat. If we eat quietly, no one will know.”
“Right. Humans are small, just a bite.”
I’ll eat, I’ll eat, I’ll eat too!
Just as the excited ogres were about to grab Dhiope, a low voice echoed from the cave entrance.
“…. Don’t move, monsters.”
At the eerie voice, the ogres turned around in surprise. Standing there, mounted on a terrifying horse, was the ruthless warrior-like Cheonghan guarding the entrance to the cave.
The ogres’ spines chilled. They straightened their backs with tense expressions.
“You guys. Our captain told you to eat or not to eat.”
Baekhan spoke coldly.
He had come thinking that if ogres with a strong appetite were around, they might have hidden something to eat.
Was it possible they were actually contemplating what to eat!
“It, it’s said don’t eat.”
One of the ogres stammered, hastily opening its mouth.
“But how dare you, are you thinking of eating something now?”
Like a stern knight reprimanding a squire, Baekhan raised his voice. The submissive attitude shown to Heukhan was nowhere to be found.
“My mistake. Not eating.”
“Bring what you were about to eat here.”
The ogre leader, drooling, pointed at Dhiope and addressed Baekhan.
“…… A little human?”
Baekhan, as if asking when he became like this, lowered his voice affectionately.
“Looks brave.”
Baekhan liked cute and adorable things.
Moreover, he was simple. He didn’t wonder why a child was in the cave; he was just delighted by Dhiope’s cute appearance.
Soft, milky cheeks that seemed like they would smell of fresh cheese. Round nose and lovely lips. He was a child with a clear and transparent impression.
When faced with the densely packed Dhiope, Baekhan’s anger seemed to wash away.
“White and soft, huh? Kekeke. I’m white too, is this fate?”
“Little human is here. Ogres won’t eat.”
The leader of ogre gently placed Dhiope on the white mane of the white horse. His touch was cautious, like handling delicate glassware.
“That’s right. Good thinking. If captain doesn’t feed him as food to his head, I’ll raise him as a pet.”
Baekhan looked down approvingly at Dhiope sitting on the horse. The elongated gauntlet made of metal gently swept through Dhiope ashen hair.
“Hello, little human.”
“……”
“I’m Baekhan, kekeke.”
Dhiope quietly had his teeth sharpened while receiving gentle strokes like a well-behaved child.
‘Me, what…?’
In an era where even dogs and cats were considered family, was I, a human, considered as a ‘pet’?
A ‘pet’ human?
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