Spirit Taming

Chapter 647: Smelly Jungle

"Wait, you are telling me that we crossed a river, went nearly in to a whole death trap of beasts, ended up with an injured group member, and then experienced the most amazing dungeon we have ever been in… all to just walk out of a deep wilderness area in a day after seeing two beasts we couldn't even hurt fight?"

"To be fair, it was a beast that we couldn't injure by normally fighting and a beast that had an entire nest with it of its own younger kind. We could have won against them separately. Or we could have beaten them both but been hurt." Reese attempted to counter what Brad's blunt words came out as. But it seemed to not make much difference.

"We had to take that route since we should not travel back toward the areas where the jungle spiders were breeding. They would have been a much larger issue if we had encountered them again. We were also able to weave through multiple beast territories safely, compared to the dangers we could have faced by taking a more direct route."

"Now. We are leaving because the area we took for the last leg of the jungle has herbs that make beasts avoid it. All but one." Isa made it sound like the two needed to remain more focused on why the walk through this area was so easy. Not that they had missed what clark had explained.

"And can you tell me that again? I was focused on something else." Ralph was a little annoyed to have missed the run down. But he had spotted a small rock that might be ore trapped in a few tree roots. Luckily, he had easily pulled it out to find that it was just an odd shaped earth crystal. But a surprising find to say the least.

"It's an entire area full of spooked skunks. They live here because this is the only section of the jungle where the mists cool because of the rocky ravine and the rocky area nearby. Therefore, the skunk weed can grow within that cooler mist with proper air flow. However, the potent scents that come with the plants and the beasts make every single beast capable of smelling retreat.

That's why we all retracted our beasts, to look less scary and to not cause them suffering."

There was a lot more reasons that they didn't want their beasts around. The very fact that the beast they might walk in to would cause a smell that the group would struggle to deal with for potentially months. The herbs that removed the smell of a spooked skunk were rare and needed in larger amounts. It took months to gather enough.

"Yeah, so why are we cutting through here still? I don't want to smell like that. I want to get a warm bath and not smell at all when we reach the village we talked about before." This was a simple goal. Grace's point resonated with everyone.

Days on end being within the jungle had not been a fun thing. The beasts and experiences aside, they had been in a humid and warm environment. That meant sweating and mud. Both things that made them feel gross, filthy, and overall dirty inside and out. A warm bath could solve that.

"The mining village is small because it is a hard to deal with mine. The mine is for copper, basic iron, and some earth crystals. I want to go there so that we can get materials for sale. You can also use it for ores. I bet that we will find some rarer ores there as well." Isa's reasons were simple. She could easily boost her inventory by a lot.

She would be able to sell these and make an easy amount of gold when all the money added up.

"But what about the beasts? Shouldn't there be a lot of them in this village that's in the wilderness and a Small village? How do they even defend it?" Since Maria understood that the wilderness was dangerous, she did not gloss over the fact that a small village living near a ravine and only subsisted on mining would have many dangers.

"That's where things get a little harder. It's not that there aren't beasts, it's just that the village is literally carved in to the side of the ravine and the mine is also part of the cliffside of that ravine." the way that isa said this made every sigh yet again. The first time she had explained it, they had all missed it since she spoke too quickly. But Clark had made her repeat it.

Npw she was saying it yet again.

"Oh. so we just fall down off the ravine side and hope it's all fine. I see." Ralph knew that they were literally going to a worse place than the cave systems within Terra city and nearby it. If they fell there, they could drown or be eaten by beasts. Let alone be lost forever. In this village, they would just fall to their death if they messed up.

Plain and simple.

"So, the beasts, Isa?" Clark made Isa tell them more details. She was seemingly avoiding it and he knew that there had to be some form of danger that she wasn't saying right now. Especially since it was clear that she was holding off for more than just that.

"They have a unique relationship with the surrounding cliff goats. And they are slightly defensive of the town and known to maybe kill some visitors that don't follow the guidance of the locals…" Isa smiled a little which made no difference at all for the looks of stunned what's wrong with you that everyone was giving her.

"Ella, you supported her in this?" Jerold looked right at Ella who had been the first ti support that they should go to this village in the first place.

"It will be a valuable chance to learn how people have adapted to live in the wilderness without having to become the most powerful tamers around. especially since many of the beasts in the world will live in some instinctual harmony with those around them."

"We should have seen this coming. It makes sense that Ella wants to learn something about them. But Isa, you are really making yourself go crazy because you haven't been working as a merchant at all this entire trip." The tones of worry in Grace's voice only seemed more real as everyone understood that this was something of an addiction for Isa.

"She came from a merchant family and has always lived as one. She is too focused on it. We should have known that things would come to this. She might even try selling us one day." Reese began a dramatic act right then and there as he walked. The group had relaxed a little as they knew this area was avoided by most beasts overall.

"It's not that bad. But we need more materials and more everything if we are going to be able to do anything when we get home. You should be thinking about it too. I know that my little wind caterpillar will hatch from his cocoon sooner than later. So I am going to get the materials I need from this village if possible. They do have merchants that come to visit.

And they bring all sorts of unique items." Isa huffed a little at this and began giving Reese the cold shoulder.

It led to a very interesting few moments as he tried to get her to look at him after his acting and teasing. But the two had walked a little too far ahead.

"I think you two should stand a little more still. Or maybe just stop all together." Clark's voice had a softer tone. One that was a little out of character for the conversation and moment.

"Why is that… oh." Reese stopped and froze still. Isa was right behind him in this.

Right in front of them, was a little black and white striped beast. This was one of the spooked skunks. In particular, a baby one. Very small and somewhat cute. But this was even worse. They were more easily spooked by unfamiliar things.

They also lacked the control an adult had over the scents that they could release from every pore of their bodies. Hence how the entire group started to smell the slight whiff of toxic rotting eggs and possibly burning herbs. An odd combination that didn't seem real.

"I think it's napping now. We are going to be here forever." Maria felt that they had just ended up in a pretty rough situation. If they moved, it would make everything smell horrible. If they didn't move, then they could wait for it to leave on its own. But they had no idea how long it would take.

"I would rather that than smell like it for the rest of my life. If any one of you don't like this as training, then accept death at my hand." Grace's threat made everyone feel that they also agreed. Waiting it out was the goal. That's how the next hour passed them by before they could keep on the way to the village.