Chapter 110

Welcome To (2)

The annihilation of an entire group, like what Namu-Ppareumbo had experienced, was a story that could be found not only in the wild but also throughout human civilization.

Foreigners would drive out the indigenous people who had originally occupied the land and claim it for themselves.

History contained many examples of indigenous people resisting to the bitter end, only to be forced to their knees by the foreigners’ overwhelming military power.

’So he really became stronger to survive too.’

After learning about Ppareumbo’s past, I began to see him differently.

He hadn’t been abnormally strong from the beginning. Like me, he had grown stronger in order to survive.

During that process, he must have repeatedly clashed with the gorilla troop that had seized his territory.

’...’

There was a high probability that he had single-handedly caused far more than mere chaos.

He certainly possessed enough strength to do so.

In any case, Namu-Ppareumbo was currently living with me. I couldn’t have asked for a more dependable companion.

Of course, that didn’t mean I could neglect defensive preparations.

An entire horde of gorillas might descend upon us as early as tomorrow.

’Should I move?’

The option of relocating occurred to me, but I quickly discarded it.

That was a last resort.

I would have to abandon the barricade and all the other tools I had prepared.

More importantly, with the river nearby, this base was something I absolutely needed to defend.

’I’m definitely holding this place.’

In that case, how could I defend it easily?

The best method would be to lure them toward the narrow cave entrance.

The gorillas were huge.

Even if they forced their way inside, no more than two could enter at once. That would make it easy to defeat them individually.

’But will they obediently fall for it?’

They were highly intelligent and even knew how to employ tactics.

I didn’t know whether they would behave exactly as I wanted.

Still, doing something was better than doing nothing, so I slowly began designing my defenses.

’If I want to take advantage of a confined space like I did when I killed the owlbear...’

Ultimately, I needed a door—and one sturdier than any wooden door.

The dwarf had once asked why I would bother installing a door when it would only be destroyed.

In that case, why not install a door sturdy enough that it couldn’t be destroyed?

It was an extremely simple solution.

Someone might suggest buying a safe instead, but if I was going to do that, I might as well place the entire safe in front of the entrance.

A small safe was out of the question because the gorillas might simply carry it away.

’There should be something like a CCTV camera, right?’

I would ask the dwarf to make the door and ask Cheonggu Princess about the CCTV.

Cheonggu Princess would probably give me one willingly, but I couldn’t be certain. Someone else might also have one.

Once I had roughly organized my ideas, I immediately uploaded a post to the Gallery.

***

Title: Does Anyone Here Have Something That Can Record Video? Besides the Gallery.

Wild Grylls

I’m thinking about installing a security system after the gorillas robbed my house.

Does anyone have an item that can record video while I’m away? I heard there are broadcast orbs. Can’t something be done with one of those?

I’m also planning to install a door, and I intend to make it extremely sturdy. Anyone have some advice?

└ Heavenly Demon: Would the gorillas not simply destroy the door?

└ Wild Grylls: Then I’ll install a door sturdy enough that they can’t break it.

└ Heavenly Demon: A simple answer, but a reasonably good one.

└ SwordMaster: Why don’t you buy a safe instead? A door would probably break from a single body slam by an animal like an owlbear.

└ Wild Grylls: I’m considering a separate container. Besides, the gorillas might carry away the entire safe.

└ SwordMaster: Are those gorillas really that intelligent?

└ Wild Grylls: I think it would be easier to treat them as slightly dim-witted humans.

└ Passing Dwarf: An item like the one you described does exist. But it’s insanely expensive, so you’ll have trouble buying it.

└ Wild Grylls: How does one kilogram of orichalcon sound?

└ Passing Dwarf: This bastard was filthy rich.

└ Wild Grylls: Heh.

└ A man with an orichalcon vein in the cave outside his house. ;;

└ What if he finds adamantium later?

└ It’s not impossible. But isn’t adamantium found deep underground?

└ Who knows? Maybe Grylls will go mining later.

└ Wild Grylls: Why the hell would I go mining, you bastards?

└ Cheonggu Princess: I have the item you’re talking about, Mr. Grylls. Would you like one?

└ Wild Grylls: Then I’ll trade with you tomorrow after visiting the orichalcon cave. Is it operated similarly to a crystal orb?

└ Cheonggu Princess: I don’t know which crystal orb you mean, but it should be similar. I can also use orichalcon to prevent it from overheating, so I’ll modify it for you.

└ Wild Grylls: Thank you!

└ Cheonggu Princess: If you’re grateful, what should you do?

└ Wild Grylls: Chae-U is invincible, and Kone is a god.

└ Cheonggu Princess: Kyaa! Look at that wit! Absolutely splendid!

└ He’s seriously going to wear himself out doing this. Lmao.

└ At this point, isn’t he genuinely becoming a Cheonggu fan? Lmao.

└ Seems like he’s already been completely Cheonggu-fied. O_O

***

I used the collective intelligence of the Gallery to discuss how I should renovate my shelter.

The first task was to narrow the cave entrance.

I planned to use bricks for this, just as I had when constructing the oven.

’And the dwarf agreed to make the iron door.’

Incidentally, it would be an iron door made with orichalcon mixed into it.

The dwarf said he would modify it so that, just as orichalcon absorbed mana, it could also absorb physical impacts.

Of course, he explained that its impact-absorption rate would be far lower than that of a mineral called adamantium.

’Do I seriously have to go mining for it?’

Mining—the unavoidable chore in that blocky game.

Just thinking that I might have to do it made me dizzy.

However, the Forest of Four Seasons was a place where I had no choice but to do whatever became necessary.

I wrote my plans in my notebook and looked around.

’Fortunately, they only stole the fasting pills. If they’d stolen the elixirs...’

I needed to hide the important items in an obscure corner where they would be difficult to find.

As I continued making plans to renovate the shelter one feature at a time, evening eventually arrived.

I headed up to the river to collect the fish caught in the traps and cooked food in the oven.

I began preparing to bring today’s particularly grueling routine to an end.

Oh, and I fed Namu-Ppareumbo with the fasting pills that remained.

I had brought them as emergency rations, so there was enough to last until tomorrow morning.

’I wonder if the gorillas will come tomorrow.’

Even if they did, I had no intention of going down without a fight.

As I circulated my breathing technique, I recalled the leader gorilla I had fought earlier that day.

Normally, no distracting thoughts should enter one’s mind while practicing an internal energy cultivation technique.

Strangely, however, I felt as though I could concentrate even better this way.

My breathing continued unconsciously while the battle against the leader gorilla replayed inside my head.

’I couldn’t even see the attack that struck my ribs.’

It had been the price of letting my guard down, but I genuinely hadn’t seen the leader gorilla’s final attack.

It had come from outside my field of vision.

I needed to keep that in mind.

It would be nice if I could glimpse the future like in a certain pirate manga, but something like that was probably still beyond me.

I continued visualizing the battle little by little before eventually focusing solely on the breathing technique.

"Phew..."

I finished circulating the technique and slowly opened my eyes.

Tomorrow would mark exactly two weeks since I had fallen into the Forest of Four Seasons.

It felt as though well over a month had passed, yet it had only been two weeks.

That probably meant I had been living every day in a frenzy.

It was also because I had considered every minute and second precious and tried to use my time as efficiently as possible.

’Still, it’s surprisingly manageable.’

The owlbear, the saber-toothed tiger, the orichalcon guardian, and finally, the leader gorilla.

Every one of them had been difficult to face, but I had somehow endured.

Of course, I couldn’t deny that Namu-Ppareumbo’s assistance had played the largest role.

Still, what mattered was that I had survived.

I would continue surviving, no matter what.

"No matter what."

I would escape this hell.

***

The next day arrived.

As soon as dawn broke, I began my daily routine.

My shelter had been raided yesterday, but that didn’t mean I could postpone the things I needed to do.

Moreover, I planned to renovate the shelter today, so I needed to move quickly.

"Ppareumbo, this is the last one."

"..."

"I’ll find more somehow, so survive on grass for the time being."

It was Namu-Ppareumbo’s final fasting pill.

He stared at it with a sorrowful expression before placing it in his mouth.

He looked rather pitiful, but I had mixed feelings when I remembered that I was the one paying tribute to him.

Still, every tribute I gave this creature increased my chances of survival, so it was well worth it.

’The Heavenly Demon said it would take time to make more fasting pills.’

I had heard that fasting pills were made using expensive medicinal herbs.

She said they would take at least a week to prepare. I wasn’t sure whether Namu-Ppareumbo could hold out until then.

If necessary, I would have no choice but to explore and gather medicinal herbs myself.

Since there was an entire colony of mature Mandrakes, a field of medicinal herbs likely existed somewhere too.

’Let’s see... Should I narrow the cave entrance this much?’

I began working on narrowing the entrance.

The owlbear had widened it when it forcibly squeezed inside.

Narrow terrain provided a natural advantage for me.

’Exploring will probably be difficult today. I should only visit the orichalcon cave.’

There was no telling when the gorillas might attack again.

Of course, now that we had clearly demonstrated that this was our territory, there was also a chance they wouldn’t return.

More importantly, Namu-Ppareumbo was here.

Unless they came as an entire horde...

Rustle—rustle—

I was examining the cave entrance when a rustling sound reached my ears.

Wondering if it could possibly be what I feared, I turned my head.

The rustling gradually grew louder.

"..."

Without saying a word, I armed myself as the sound drew closer.

Namu-Ppareumbo seemed to sense something as well and climbed onto my back. Wonmo also approached my side.

Eventually, the rustling became considerably louder.

"...Huff."

A gorilla emerged.

It was every bit as massive as the leader gorilla, but everything about it—from its posture to its appearance—was different.

The gorillas flanking it supported themselves with both arms against the ground, while the one leading them stood upright on two legs.

More importantly...

"Clothes?"

It was wearing clothes.

They were old and tattered, practically no different from rags, but they were unmistakably clothes.

They were yellowed with grime, and the dye had faded until the fabric was nearly white, though traces of black could still be seen here and there.

Then there was its appearance.

Five distinct claw marks ran across its left eye.

Compared to its healthy eye, the injured one had turned cloudy white, making it easy to guess that it was blind.

It wasn’t merely unusual. There was something extraordinary about it.

That was my impression of the newly arrived gorilla.

’Did it inherit those clothes from a human?’

That was certainly how it appeared.

Judging by how old and tattered the clothes were, they looked as though they had been worn for at least ten years.

Normally, that would mean they were a deceased person’s belongings...

But did a gorilla even understand such a concept?

’And they’re carrying spears too? What the hell are they?’

As if that weren’t enough, the gorillas flanking their leader were carrying spears rather than clubs.

They were crudely crafted wooden spears, but they were still spears.

Their evolution was approaching the level of humans.

I assumed a defensive stance as I watched them.

Squeeze!

A powerful pressure gripped my shoulder.

Ppareumbo had seized it with one hand.

I turned my head and looked at Namu-Ppareumbo.

He was frowning slightly.

Since he normally maintained an expressionless face, such a clear display of emotion was highly unusual.

’Could those scars around its eye be...?’

The pieces of the puzzle were gradually clicking into place.

The gorilla I presumed to be the leader glanced to one side and jerked its head.

One of the spear-wielding gorillas then headed somewhere.

It soon returned carrying something and handed it to the leader.

Whoosh!

The leader threw the object toward me.

It didn’t feel like a declaration of war. It seemed more like it was simply giving the object to me.

Thud!

The object landed on the ground shortly afterward.

I stared at it.

It was a long, yellow fruit.

Not just one, but an entire bunch.

"...Bananas?"

The gorilla leader had thrown me a bunch of bananas.

At first, I had no idea what it meant.

But considering what had happened yesterday, I interpreted it this way:

I apologize for what happened yesterday. In exchange, I offer you these bananas.

In other words, it was a peace offering.

I stared blankly at the gorilla leader.

And then...

"Ddui-bbu-chi."

The gorilla spoke a human "language."

I couldn’t even begin to understand what it had said, but it had undoubtedly spoken.

A gorilla capable only of bestial cries couldn’t produce "words" like that.

’...Fuck. This really is Planet of the Apes.’

A rough voice shouting "NO!" echoed inside my head.