novelraw Chapter 131
Chapter 131
Chapter 131
Crunch, crunch―
The outskirts of the Great Jungle. There, a long procession of people—something rarely seen in the Great Jungle—stretched on endlessly.
Its identity was none other than Ipalim and the 200-man pursuit force under his command, along with fifty elite soldiers of Valaris who had been forced, half against their will, to accompany the expedition into the jungle. They were pushing their way through the forest paths of the Great Jungle under the sweltering heat.
“Ugh, these damn cursed mosquitoes.”
“Don’t even start. I’m dying. Seriously. Ugh.”
It had been twenty-four hours since Gion’s hunting dogs had set foot in the Great Jungle. A full day had passed without pause. All that greeted them was endlessly dense undergrowth, mosquitoes buzzing loudly everywhere, and the occasional cry of wild birds.
At first, the pursuit force had been tense, intimidated by the fearsome reputation of the Great Jungle, but that was no longer the case.
“So this is the cursed land and all that? It’s nothing special. I mean, aside from the damn heat and the mosquitoes swarming like crazy, it’s bearable.”
“This is bearable? Must be nice, having a body mosquitoes don’t like.”
“Heh heh! Then you should’ve washed properly on a regular basis. Ugh, that sweat stinks.”
“Shut it, you bastard. It’s not that. Mosquitoes don’t stick to you because people don’t stick to you either.”
As the march dragged on without incident, idle chatter quietly surfaced throughout the pursuit force.
“Still, who’d have thought it’d be this quiet. Guess the Great Jungle isn’t all that.”
“They say empty carts make the most noise. At worst, it’ll just be a few orcs or something. In times like these, what kind of monster the size of a house could even exist….”
“Right? Those southern guys sure love exaggerating. Talking about protecting the Empire’s south from the Great Jungle and all—what a joke.”
The rude tone sounded as though it was meant for the Valaris soldiers to hear. Perhaps because of that, the Valaris troops, led by Renania, all wore stiff, hardened expressions.
‘Fine. Enjoy it while you can. Who knows how long that’ll last…’
‘Those fearless fools. Even with full tension it wouldn’t be enough, yet they’re leisurely chatting like this… What if something suddenly happens?’
‘They don’t even know honor—just killing people because their superiors tell them to. Do they even understand how terrifying monsters are? Not surprising. I knew it.’
‘If monsters suddenly show up, we’ll have no choice but to cooperate… but trusting people like that—honestly…’
Unlike Ipalim’s subordinates, who had relaxed, the Valaris soldiers remained on edge. And at the very front, Renania, who nominally led the Valaris troops, also wore a grim expression.
‘It’s strange. Too quiet… This is the Great Jungle, where monsters overflow every year and even reach the south. Yet not even a single large beast, let alone monsters, has appeared… This can’t be right…’
Those who had lived their entire lives in the south grew more anxious the quieter the Great Jungle became. Even if they had never ventured this deep inside before, the Great Jungle they knew was not supposed to be this peaceful.
‘…This calmness. It’s unsettling.’
As Renania fell into deep thought with a serious expression, Ipalim, walking beside her at the front, casually spoke up.
“You look quite worried, miss. Is something troubling you?”
During the journey from the south to here, Ipalim and Renania had barely exchanged words beyond what was strictly necessary. It was unexpected for the usually taciturn Ipalim to speak first, but Renania answered coolly, unconcerned.
“I am not a miss. I am the deputy head of the Valaris family. You should remember what position I stand in here.”
“My apologies for the discourtesy… Deputy Head of Valaris. Still, what is it that concerns you so?”
She knew Ipalim’s apology was not sincere, but since he had conceded a step, Renania could not keep pressing the issue. Reluctantly, she engaged in the conversation.
“The jungle… is strange. The Great Jungle isn’t a place that would so readily allow us to pass through.”
“Strange… Rather than strange, isn’t it fortunate for us? We can avoid unnecessary losses before capturing the Fifth Prince.”
At Ipalim’s reply, Renania frowned, discomfort showing on her face. His casual manner of referring to Yuwon without honorifics grated on her nerves. Sensing the change in her expression, Ipalim pressed further.
“It seems you really dislike me calling the Fifth Prince the Fifth Prince. However, the Fifth Prince is a man whose head will soon fall before all the people for the crime of assassinating the former Emperor. Miss… no, Deputy Head, if you wish to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings in the future, you would do well to correct your mindset.”
“I will handle my own affairs.”
Renania snapped back sharply, but Ipalim did not back down.
“You should remember that those ‘affairs’ may place countless citizens of Valaris in danger.”
Gion Tindal, the pinnacle of the traitorous faction, had long since seized power with his handsome appearance, eloquent speech, quick intellect, and superb acting skills.
Knowing this all too well, Ipalim subtly threatened her—implying that if she did not choose her allegiance carefully, all of Valaris could be branded as traitors.
“….”
“Take your time to think it over. Once the Fifth Prince is captured, your thoughts will likely change. Then, if you’ll excuse me. It’s about time, and I need to find a place to rest.”
With that, Ipalim unilaterally ended the conversation and brushed past Renania. Left alone, she clenched her fists tightly, swallowing her anger.
‘Your Highness… please return soon.’
Two hours passed. As dusk settled, the glow of sunset finally descended upon the perpetually dim Great Jungle, darkened all day by its dense rainforest.
‘The sun is starting to set. We should rest here.’
Ipalim, commanding the troops at the very front, ordered the force to halt and take a break.
“I hear the sound of flowing water nearby. We’ll resupply there and rest for the night.”
At Ipalim’s command, the exhausted soldiers, worn down by the forced march with minimal rest, shouted in agreement.
“Yes, sir!”
“It’s late. Unpack and prepare camp before the sun fully sets. And even if it takes time, make sure all water is boiled at least once before storage.”
The well-trained troops moved swiftly, as if accustomed to such routines, and began setting up camp. Hands grew busy everywhere.
“Whew. Saved. Now I can finally get some shut-eye.”
“Hey, stop yapping and hurry up and unpack, then get the meal ready.”
“Oh, who said I wouldn’t? Just give me a moment. I need to take care of something real quick.”
“This guy again, slacking off.”
“What slacking? I’ve been holding it in all day, barely keeping my sphincter clenched.”
“Ugh, then stop with the gross talk and go already. If you show up again only after everything’s done, I’ll kill you myself. Seriously.”
“Come on, squad leader, why so harsh? It’s not like I do this every time. Got it, got it. I’ll go put out the urgent fire first.”
Wherever one went, there were always people who tried to make things easier for themselves. Naturally, such a man existed among the pursuit force as well. Using an upset stomach as an excuse, one crafty soldier abandoned his assigned duties during the break and sneaked off to fetch drinking water first.
“La la la, it’s been forever since I got fresh water like this.”
Clink—
As the man headed straight for the river and twisted open his canteen, a crisp sound rang out as the half-empty container opened.
Just as he lowered the canteen to the river to draw water—
“I’d been holding back from the rotten smell coming off the water, so this works out nicely….”
Sliiide—
A sinister shadow rippled across the calm surface of the water where the man was drawing it. Before he could even sense that something was wrong, a massive snake burst forth from the surface, sending up a violent splash.
Splaash—!
“G-ghk! A snake!”
The snake that emerged with the spray of water swallowed the man whole in the blink of an eye. It was the end of the soldier who had tried to be clever by fetching water early.
“Ghk!”
They said snakes swallowed their prey whole without chewing. But this snake seemed to have no such intention. With a human in its jaws, the monster moved its mandibles as if savoring the taste, chewing the man alive.
Crunch, crunch!
Each time the snake’s jaws worked, thick red blood gushed out from its slightly opened mouth. From its appearance to the moment it began chewing the man alive, everything happened within a mere two or three seconds.
The dying scream and the chilling sound of flesh being chewed alive drew people in.
“What? Is the water in bad shape or something? What’s going—ugh! A mon…! A monster!”
A pursuit soldier who arrived a moment late to draw water screamed at the horrific sight before his eyes. Still, being a well-trained elite, he did not stop at screaming.
“A monster has appeared here!”
After shouting the warning, the soldier immediately drew the sword at his waist and confronted the monster.
“You bastard…! How dare a mere snake lay hands on a human!”
As the soldier brandished his sword, the snake, busy with its meal, did not remain idle.
Gulp—!
Annoyed at being interrupted, the snake swallowed the human in its mouth in one gulp and focused on a new prey.
Slurp—
The snake flicked out its long tongue, licking the blood-soaked edges of its mouth. The first strike came from the bloodthirsty monster.
Hiss—!
The snake moved its tail with lightning speed and coiled around the soldier. It was an astonishingly fast movement for a body easily five meters long.
“Urgh! Where do you think you’re—!”
The soldier, his waist instantly restrained, wrapped bluish mana around his sword and resisted, but it was not enough. His blade pierced the snake’s scales and left a long gash, only for the snake’s counterattack to follow.
Whooom—!
Ignoring the wound on its tail, the snake lifted the restrained soldier upside down and slammed him straight into the ground.
“N-no…!”
That bizarre sensation—sky below and earth above—marked the end of his life.
Bang! Crack—!
The soldier, smashed headfirst into the ground, had his skull burst open and died instantly. The mingled crimson blood and pale brain matter flowed into the river. That stench of blood became the spark that summoned even more monsters.
It was a signal that these unfamiliar humans trespassing into the Great Jungle were not apex predators like Yuwon, Terrien, or Hastings, who had recently stepped onto its land, but nothing more than prey.
Flash—!
Not only the reptilian monsters under Yuwon’s command, but all manner of blood-starved monsters of the Great Jungle opened their eyes wide at the scent of fresh prey.
With wet, slapping sounds, monsters began crawling up the riverbank, while orcs that dominated the land kicked up clouds of dust as they charged toward the prey.
The monsters of the Great Jungle, who had refrained from carelessly attacking unfamiliar humans since the appearance of Yuwon and his companions, were reminded of what they truly were—and that humans were merely food.
‘…It has begun.’
At that moment, deep within the jungle, Yuwon, observing through the monsters’ senses, drew a faint smile at the corner of his lips.
The Great Jungle had begun its attack.