A Horror Novel’s Supporting Character Wants to Live as a Human

Chapter 211

Anutara looked at Shan and Tika, but that was all.

Far from welcoming them, he gave no response and just watched.

As if telling them to speak quickly if they had something to say.

Whether Tika knew of the cold treatment or not, she hesitated before suddenly shouting.

"We, we heard you're going beyond the desert...!"

"......"

"Besides the Arahan, I was wondering if Shan and I could also go with you!"

Anutara gave no answer.

Even his snake, with its black and gleaming eyes, merely flicked its tongue occasionally as if uninterested.

Whether she felt intimidated by the snake or became more desperate because of Anutara's silent response,Tika opened and closed her mouth before desperately babbling incoherently.

"I, you know me, right? I'm really fast at running. I'm probably the fastest in the village? And I have good eyes, so last time I saw the sand shifting before scorpions came up and told the Arahan in advance! And this guy here is Shan. He might seem slow-speaking and blunt, but he's kind and healthy! He's really good at digging earth, so the Shambhala people only ask him to dig swamps! He'll probably dig even better if we go to a new village! And, and."

Tika's face began turning increasingly red.

Shan thought that Tika's face might burst like a smashed fruit soon, so he decided to help.

"I'm fifty-seven, and Tika is forty-three this year. Anutara, if you're going to make a new village, it would be good to take young Shambhala people if possible... I think."

Would Tika be rejected for being just over forty? Was she too young?

Shan recalled that his young and beautiful mother was two hundred and sixty this year.

Perhaps the age Anutara wanted was around that level.

People with some experience, skilled at growing crops or finding springs.

Shan and Tika looked at Anutara with anxious eyes.

Anutara remained still for a moment, then closed the open book, stood up, and approached the two.

Anutara, who was taller than Shan, looked down at the two and said briefly.

"Both of you, your hands."

Had Anutara just spoken? To them, not to the Arahan?

Tika and Shan exchanged glances.

Tika quickly extended her hand.

Only after seeing Tika's clean hand did Shan realize that his own hands still had sand and dust on them.

But he couldn't ignore Anutara's words.

Eventually, Shan also hesitantly extended his hand.

Anutara, who had taken Tika and Shan's hands, remained still for a moment.

As if trying to sense something, Anutara pressed their palms gently, then soon released them.

"Do as you wish."

After Anutara spoke quietly, he returned to his seat and sat down.

The snake raised its head to greet its master and fell back into peaceful time.

Tika, watching Anutara who had instantly returned as if nothing had happened, looked back at Shan with her mouth open.

When Shan nodded once, Tika stomped her feet in place and shouted loudly.

"Thank you, Anutara! We'll definitely be helpful! We'll tell you before any dangerous monsters come!"

Whether Anutara heard those words or not, he showed no movement, but Tika was already excited and throwing punches at the air.

Shan grabbed the back of Tika's neck and quietly moved away from Anutara.

Even for someone as easygoing as him, it would be embarrassing if his close friend acted like this in front of Anutara.

The village soon became chaotic with news that many people would be leaving Shambhala.

The Arahan made sufficient preparations to block scorpions that would disturb the fields and calm sandstorms before leaving the village,

And other Shambhala people gave them plenty of food and wished them safety on the unfamiliar road.

Those like Shan and Tika who weren't Arahan had to pack their own travel gear, but people came to them with concerns.

"Shan, do you really have to go? Mother is so worried."

"Yes, Shan, even though I didn't give birth to you, I think of you as my son. You don't need to push yourself just because Tika is going. That child is only forty years old, at an age full of vigor."

The people who came with Shan's mother all worried about him.

Of course, there was pure concern, but at the same time there was worry about how he could take care of the tomboy Tika all by himself.

But Shan quietly prepared while saying.

"Tika is just a friend. I don't need to take care of her. I'm only going because I'm curious about where Anutara is going."

"But no one knows what's beyond the desert, right? Your mother is so worried like this."

"That's right. Shan, Anutara and the Arahan are extraordinary so they'll be fine, but you have no power. Can't you say you won't go even now?"

But Shan's heart didn't change despite the earnest pleas of people he was close to.

Eventually, a week later, just before the moon began to wane.

Fifteen Shambhala people including Tika and Shan.

Seven Arahan taught directly by Anutara.

A total of twenty-three people including Anutara himself left beloved Shambhala and began crossing the vast sea of sand.

*

"Is everything beyond the desert originally like this...?"

Tika muttered in disbelief.

Shan said nothing, but inwardly thought that Tika definitely lived immersed in fantasies.

How long had it been since they left behind cozy Shambhala where the sun shone endlessly?

In that time, the moon had set and waxed eight times, and having safely crossed the desert, they set foot in damp marshlands.

Though they could find water more easily than in Shambhala as Tika had dreamed,

It was all water full of moss or stagnant and rotted black from sitting too long.

Following the teachings of Anutara who led the group at the front, they cut tree vines and drank the sap that came out,

And traveled eating dried figs and thoroughly roasted beans they had brought from Shambhala.

Even Tika, who had initially been beside herself with excitement seeing the unfamiliar scenery, had long grown tired of the schedule of constant walking.

"How much longer do we have to walk like this? Isn't it just this kind of damp ground ahead? We can't grow anything here."

"Be a little quiet."

"If the world outside Shambhala is all like this, it would be too despairing."

An Arahan who had been walking nearby quietly approached Tika, who was lamenting beside Shan.

"It's not all like that though. Anutara told us that long ago this land was sometimes red, and sometimes there was tremendously large ice."

"Ice?"

"When it gets very cold, water becomes hard. That's called ice."

"Ah, colder than desert nights?"

"Much colder than that for water to become hard, I heard. Conversely, if hard water is in a warm place, it becomes water again. This place is probably where such frozen water melted again."

"Really? Hard water sounds interesting, but it's not fun since we can't see it."

Even at Tika's indifferent words, the Arahan kept smiling cheerfully.

Shan watched the Arahan carefully, but he didn't seem to have improper feelings toward Tika.

The Arahan continued chattering while pointing toward where Anutara was.

"But isn't it interesting? If we hadn't come out of the desert like this, we wouldn't have known that water could become hard, or that such cool air existed."

"That's true, but."

"Who knows what will appear if we go further ahead. There might really be red earth, or we might see hard water with our own eyes."

"But, I'm curious... did Anutara teach you that? Does that mean Anutara actually saw such things?"

At Tika's question, not only the Arahan but even Shan had to blink.

"What? Of course. Anutara has lived longer than us."

"I've never heard grandfather say he saw hard water. Probably all the people in Shambhala don't know about hard ice."

"So?"

"Then how long has Anutara lived to have seen ice and red earth? I mean... Anutara was there when Shambhala was built, right? But among the people in Shambhala now, no one is from that era."

When Shan thought about it briefly, Tika's question made sense.

Until the Arahan told him, even Shan hadn't known of the existence of a substance called ice.

But Anutara knew about it. Moreover, he had told stories he had seen directly.

Anutara wouldn't lie to them about seeing things he hadn't seen.

Tika continued.

"How distant is the past that Anutara saw? How old is Anutara exactly? All the founders of Shambhala have disappeared, but why is only Anutara still there?"

The Arahan hesitated before answering.

"That's... because Anutara is an exceptional person?"

"In what way?"

"He has an animal called a snake. A very large one."

"What else besides that?"

"He taught the Arahan power."

"And? What else?"

"He crosses the desert alone."

"How frustrating. So what makes him exceptional?"

Tika patted her own chest repeatedly.

Shan couldn't stand watching this any longer and pulled Tika behind him.

"Sorry, Arahan. Tika is too curious. But she probably didn't intend to make you uncomfortable."

"No, it was an interesting conversation. After hearing what you said, I want to understand more about Anutara too."

"I hope so."

The Arahan who received Shan's apology smiled his usual good-natured smile again.

"It might be good to ask Anutara later. Anutara must be having a very boring journey too. Ah, it looks like he's going to rest here. He stopped?"

Where the Arahan pointed, ahead of the group, Anutara was standing.

He had been leading the group from the front, maintaining a certain distance so the group wouldn't get lost.

When Anutara stopped, several Shambhala people put down their packs to rest their tired legs.

The Arahan was also about to cheerfully unpack, but Shan muttered.

"No. Anutara... didn't stop to rest."

Shan had noticed that the black snake that had been draped over Anutara's shoulder throughout the walk had come down.

The large snake was lying with its belly on the damp marshland floor, holding its head up stiffly.

Anutara was also watching ahead.

At the somewhat ominous appearance, even the Shambhala people who had been about to rest hesitantly stood up.

"Ah, Anutara. Why are you..."

"Stop."

Someone called to Anutara, but he coldly cut off their words.

He didn't even look back this way.

While the confused Shambhala people and Arahan stood not knowing what to do.

-Hiss!

At the same time as the sound of cutting through air, Anutara's black snake disappeared so fast that even shadows couldn't follow.

Not knowing exactly what had happened, people stared blankly at Anutara.

A time of silence passed.

People who were confused about why the snake had run away and why Anutara had just let the snake go soon realized the reason.

A smooth, thick body appeared and disappeared between the grass.

Not long after hiding, the snake returned carrying a small snake pierced by its fangs.

Anutara said.

"Come here."

Was he trying to feed his hungry snake?

But Anutara directly knelt and examined the snake's prey.

Anutara, who observed the prey's head particularly closely, whispered something only the snake could hear.

Then he slowly stood up.

"You all rest here. And Arahan, come with me ahead. There's work for you to do."

The Arahan nodded without understanding.

Anutara's gaze, which had been scanning the remaining people, suddenly lingered on Shan's face.

"You. ...You said you're good at digging earth. Come with us. Prepare yourself."