-Take this with you. Your mom wanted you to take it.-
-This is from me. I saw you enjoying it before. How is it?-
-Don’t overdo it. I know you’re a warrior, but you still have a long way to go. Others learned since they were kids so be patient and you will catch up soon.-
*
“Ugh.”
“Joonbum! What are you doing? It’s almost here!”
“I’m sorry!”
Joonbum came back from his thoughts and began his watch. Doral cackled at the sight.
“I know what you have been thinking.”
Everyone else began teasing as well.
“I know too.”
“Yeah, you must be a happy man.”
“I assume you’re hot from the thought?”
“Yeah, he must be burning hot. I had to avoid getting close yesterday.”
“Good work. Don’t stay too close or else you’ll see someone’s wrath coming at you.”
Even Tade, who warned Joonbum a while ago, grinned as everyone continued teasing. Joonbum’s face was red with embarrassment and it seemed like it would explode at any moment.
“It’s here!”
Everyone came back to their senses and readied themselves at Tade’s warning.
‘It’s here.’
There were many creatures that gathered around the bait that was placed yesterday. The first were the Odringos, or the fox-like creatures that they hunted in the summer. But its fur was now covered in white instead of gray. The Odringos had gathered around the body of the Gartz and began biting off its frozen flesh. There were also some birds that had gathered on top of it. The Odringos growled in warning but did not fight with each other. A few more different types of creatures came about, but they all left immediately.
A loud roar suddenly came from the forest and there it was. A Gartz moved towards the fallen corpse as everyone watched in silence.
‘It’s amazing.’
It was astonishing to see the monster again. Its careless movement through the forest, not minding anything else, deemed it worthy of its nickname, ‘Ruler.’ It was definitely the ruler of this northwest region of the forest.
A foul smell filled the area at the appearance of the new Gartz. It slowly approached the fallen body of its own species and began ripping apart its frozen flesh to eat. The loud noise of it munching on the meat was heard.
‘It’s ruthless.’
The Ainos who watched in silence slowly rose from the ground. They laid down their quivers in front of them and prepared their arrows by applying the venom on the arrowheads. When they finished, they pulled in unison.
An array of poisoned arrows numbering around fifty poured at the unsuspecting Gartz. A second and third array of arrows were fired and pierced into the monster. It was mesmerizing. Joonbum watched in awe at the groups of arrows being shot in unison and flying toward the target.
The monster let out a roar as it was bombarded with poisoned arrows. It began pulling out arrows from its body, but there were too many. Even so, it was still raining arrows and the monster kept screaming in pain.
The monster roared and waved around without knowing where the arrows were coming from, as a continuous rain of arrows kept piercing its body. Its movement began slowing down.
“The venom is working!”
The wounds had stopped healing as the blood, blackened by the poison, poured out from the various wounds. It became slower and slower.
“It’s slowing down!’ someone shouted. Everyone also noticed that. It was no longer a monster with amazing regenerative ability.
‘That venom sure is dangerous.’
Joonbum realized the potency of the Zyelok venom as he saw the monster fall down to the ground. It was trying its best to resist, but it was now helpless.
‘It’s much safer than yesterday.’
There was no sense of danger with this method.
Another set of arrows was shot. The monster could not even writhe. It seemed like it could barely manage to groan.
A whistle was blown and the bows stopped. A few warriors that had been on standby with spears and a claw charged at the monster.
“Let’s move! We’ll pull the rope with the claw!” Tade shouted and everyone ran toward the monster. Joonbum began to run with them.
The first warrior that arrived threw the claw at the Gartz and everyone pulled on the rope to drag the Gartz out of the arrow-ridden field. When it was pulled out enough, a warrior thrust his spear into the eyeball, penetrating through it and down into the ground. When the second spear penetrated it, warriors with hammers began hammering the end of the spear to pin down the head that was still trying to move.
With the head pinned down, the warriors then began chaining down the monster just like yesterday and began gathering its blood. The poisoned Gartz barely put up a fight; it was almost too easy.
“It’s easy, right? This is our way.”
“Yeah, it seems too easy.”
Joonbum nodded as the warriors grinned.
“Yes. But your method was also amazing. We never thought we would get a chance to create a top-grade potion again without anyone getting hurt. We just can’t afford anyone getting hurt so we changed our ways. Be proud of yourself.”
“I know. Yesterday was amazing.”
“Tell me about it. I thought I was dead when the Gartz was right in front of me!”
“Did you see Joonbum and Doral throwing themselves backward to dodge the attack? Then, Joonbum shooting away with his rifle? It was so amazing.”
“Oh yeah, the monster’s face was destroyed.”
Joonbum blushed, but it felt good to be complimented. There were warriors who went to gather the arrows from the ground. They gathered the collected arrows into a big basket.
“What’s that?”
“We boil all the arrows with herbs to clean the venom and reuse it.”
“Oh.”
Iron was rare. It required a long process to acquire them, so they couldn’t just throw away all the arrows that had been used here.
‘Should I bring in some steel? I can bring it in the form of spearheads and swords. Arrowheads too. Also, I can create what the tribes need with it. I guess I can order arrows too…’
Joonbum began thinking as the people worked frantically. The kegs were filled with black blood instead of the white blood that they had gathered yesterday. When they were done, they did not skin the monster this time and piled up logs before pouring fuel to start a fire.
A large fire began and filled the area with the stench of the burning Gartz. The warriors who started the fire backed away quickly, avoiding the smoke.
“The Zyelok poison is so strong that we have to burn it like that or else the other animals will die after eating the meat. That will result in more animals lured in to scavenge, just to die again. It’s terrible.”
“Oh.”
“Meat leftover from burning is safe. So we will use that as bait this time.”
‘Recycle, eh?’
Joonbum nodded at Tade’s explanation. People watched the fire for a while before they began to return to camp. Joonbum moved with them.
‘What would be more helpful to bring next?’
There was still some time left until the Gate closed in February. He needed to prepare as much as he could beforehand.
‘I have enough solar panels and extra batteries… I bought ten brand-new laptop computers so that will be enough for ten years…’
There were so many things that he had stocked up. There were ten sets of computers and monitors also. He also brought appliances in bulk in case any of them broke down. He also paid to learn how to install HVAC systems. His hard drive was full of helpful videos containing various kinds of different information.
‘I need enough to disguise myself… oh, we’ll also need a few more greenhouses.’
People were asking for greenhouses as they loved how it allowed them to gather fruit during the winter. They valued greenhouses more than the rifles.
‘I guess eating fresh fruit during winter was unimaginable before. What should I prepare to sell to those humans outside the mountains? High-quality dishes? Or porcelain dinnerware sets? Hmm. It would be nice if we could craft those too. I should try to learn how to make those once I go out this time. Hmm? What’s this smell?’
He was already back at the camp when he realized there was a smell coming from it.
“Pumpkin porridge?”
The smell was from the pumpkin porridge that was simmering on top of the fireplace. The aroma quickened everyone’s footsteps.
Sunsook was waiting as she waved at Joonbum at first sight.
“Mom!”
