Chapter 11

“Here it is,” the native leader muttered, bowing deeply as he guided Rex. Despite his show of loyalty, Rex didn’t miss the tension in the leader’s movements. Surely, the man didn’t want to bring someone who had killed his tribesmen into their village, yet he seemed overly accommodating. Rex’s sharp eyes swept over the leader’s obsequious expression.

‘He’s plotting something,’ Rex thought, noting the fleeting glint in the man’s gaze.

The forest the leader pointed toward was dense with tangled vines hanging heavily from the trees. The ground was choked with undergrowth, a chaotic mix of shrubs and unknown flora. Rex strode forward with large, deliberate steps, his pace showing no caution. He crushed twigs and snapped roots underfoot, the noise bringing a sly smile to the leader’s lips.

‘Why isn’t anything happening?’

But soon enough, the leader tilted his head, puzzled. Such noise should have awakened the slumbering beast beneath the ground. It should have bared its hideous fangs by now, its enormous body and sharp appendages dragging Rex to his doom. But there was only silence.

The leader glanced up. There were vines bearing blood-fed fruits, a sign that the beast was present. So why wasn’t it reacting? He lowered his gaze to the ground, scanning for clues, but the moment he raised his head, he locked eyes with Rex, who was watching him.

“A few days ago,” Rex began, a faint smile curling his lips. It was a gentle curve, but his unblinking eyes remained cold, void of any warmth.

“I came across a presumptuous beast while looking for a place to stay. It was massive, covered in dangling vines. Its persistence in trying to kill me was… amusing, so I spared it after delivering a fatal wound. I was curious to see where it lived.”

As Rex spoke, he knelt on one knee, pressing a hand into the soil.

“Did you know? Even beasts tend to return home to die. They want to end their lives where they belong.”

The leader, watching Rex’s every move, froze as Rex plunged his arm into the earth and pulled something out. The leader gasped in horror.

“Do you know this creature?” Rex asked, his voice sharp as he tossed the beast’s head forward. It was grotesque, its once-large face now disfigured and half-rotted. Vines had pierced through its decaying flesh, growing wildly around it. Rex flung the grotesque remains at the leader, who stumbled backward with a scream.

“It seems like you do,” Rex said, his voice calm but chilling.

The leader quivered, overwhelmed by terror. Rex fixed his icy gaze on the man, his tone slow and deliberate.

“Don’t try any more shallow tricks. If something happens to the woman I’m looking for because of your delays, you and your entire family will die a death more miserable than this beast’s.”

His words were laced with the unshakable finality of a promise.

“A death so cursed you won’t even be able to return home in death,” Rex added, his threat unmistakable even if the leader couldn’t understand his words.

The leader scrambled to his feet, trembling, and began running ahead, signaling for Rex to follow.

‘Is this where we stop?’ Suji thought as she felt herself being unloaded from the boat. She didn’t know how long she’d been on the river, but it couldn’t have been more than thirty minutes. Carried in an awkward position, her body ached, but the sharp pain from her bitten lips seemed to be helping; the numbness hadn’t spread further. Her vision remained foggy, but at least she could still move. She started searching for an opportunity to escape.

‘This looks like a native village,’ she noted.

As they crossed the river, the forest opened into a flat plain dotted with low shrubs and makeshift houses made from reeds and leaves. There were dozens of homes, and Suji noticed many elderly and children about, likely because it was daytime. Her eyes darted around, trying to gather as much information as possible.

‘What are they planning to do with me?’

If they intended to eat her, she had to escape immediately. Feeling the sting in her bound wrists and ankles, Suji grimaced. She couldn’t use her hands or feet, but at least her teeth were still sharp. If they tried to throw her onto a spit, she resolved to bite someone.

The natives dragged her toward a rickety shed near a livestock pen. Suji glanced at the pen and noticed something strange but didn’t have time to dwell on it. Before she could think further, she was hauled inside and tied to one of the shed’s wooden pillars.

“They had no choice but to feed you well before offering you,” Rex muttered softly as he crouched down, loosening the ropes around Suji. His sharp eyes scanned her face, noting the traces of fear and tear-streaked cheeks.

Suji stared at him, her lips trembling, but relief washed over her like a tidal wave. Her instincts told her she was safe now. Rex’s presence brought an unspoken assurance she had longed for in her helpless state.

The ropes around her wrists and ankles fell away, and she flexed her sore limbs, wincing slightly. Rex straightened up, his towering figure looming over her protectively.

“I told you not to leave my sight,” he remarked coolly, though a hint of concern underlined his words.

Suji managed a weak smile, despite herself. “I didn’t exactly choose to be dragged off,” she replied, her voice hoarse.

Rex glanced at the unconscious women slumped against the walls. “They won’t be a problem anymore,” he said flatly, brushing his hands off as if to rid himself of their interference.

Suji’s gaze followed his every movement, marveling at the sheer ease with which he handled the attackers. For a moment, she forgot the terror of her capture, instead fixating on the calm, calculated strength he exuded.

“Can you stand?” Rex asked, his tone softening slightly.

Suji nodded and shifted her weight onto her legs, though they felt shaky and unsteady. She stumbled, and Rex caught her effortlessly, steadying her with a firm grip on her arm.

“Easy,” he murmured, his voice carrying a warmth that caught her off guard.

“Are we… safe now?” Suji asked hesitantly, looking toward the doorway, where the distant sounds of chaos still echoed faintly.

Rex’s lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. “For now,” he said, his gaze sharp as it flickered toward the outside. “But we should leave before reinforcements arrive. This place isn’t entirely secure.”

Without another word, he swept Suji into his arms. She stiffened in surprise but didn’t resist. There was a strange comfort in being carried by him—a stark contrast to the cruel manhandling she had endured earlier.

As they stepped out of the shed, Rex’s eyes scanned their surroundings. His movements were fluid and deliberate, a predator surveying its territory. The oppressive atmosphere of the native village seemed to bow under his presence.

“Hold on,” he said quietly, his voice a low rumble against her ear.

Suji clung to him, her heart still pounding, but for the first time since her capture, she felt a sliver of hope. With Rex by her side, perhaps escape wasn’t just a fleeting dream.

A gentle and soothing voice resonated in Suji’s ears, wrapping around her like a soft melody. She blinked, momentarily stunned by the contrast between his sharp, stark gaze and the unexpected tenderness she could sense beneath it. Even without understanding his words, she could feel the earnestness in his actions, his unwavering effort to help her.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Suji’s panicked heart began to steady. It wasn’t just his sudden appearance, like a savior in her dire moment, that calmed her. It was the kindness radiating from his every action, a stark contrast to the brutality she’d endured moments before. She stayed still, obediently allowing him to undo the ropes that bound her.

Rex worked with measured precision, his focus unwavering as he freed her from the rough bindings. As the last knot came undone, his eyes caught on her reddened wrists, the signs of her determined struggle clear.

“You did well,” he said simply, his voice low and calm. “That couldn’t have been easy.”

Without much thought, he reached out and gently patted her head, intending it as a gesture of acknowledgment. But to his surprise, Suji hesitated only briefly before throwing herself into his arms, clutching onto him tightly.

“!”

The sound of her racing heartbeat filled his ears, thudding rapidly against his chest. What had driven her to seek such closeness? Rex looked down at her, feeling a strange and unfamiliar warmth bloom in his chest. It wasn’t annoyance or discomfort—it was… pleasant. This newfound realization took him by surprise: the quiet satisfaction of being relied upon, of receiving gratitude in the form of her wordless embrace.

Her slight frame pressed against his, trembling but trusting, stirred something deep within him. As though acting on instinct, Rex slowly wrapped his arms around her, his hand resting gently on the nape of her neck. She was warm—remarkably warm—in stark contrast to the damp and filthy surroundings they were in. This warmth felt fragile and precious, something he wanted to preserve.

He allowed himself to lean into her a little, his nose brushing against her hair as he took in her presence. It was a grounding sensation, anchoring him to a reality that wasn’t so bleak after all.

Suji shivered slightly in his arms, her breath hitching as she felt his hold tighten ever so slightly. It wasn’t a constricting grip, but an assurance—firm yet tender, silently telling her she was safe now.