Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In Chang’an Base City, it had been eight days since anyone had seen the blue sky and white clouds. A mist spread across the sky as yellow-brown sand floated over the city.
To the world after the Cataclysm, this was something unimaginable. The damage to the polluted environment caused by human beings had already disappeared completely after the Cataclysm. The citizens of Chang’an City hadn’t come across this type of environment in many years.
“Therefore, this is absolutely abnormal.” Chen Xuehe shook his head, lightly shaking the glass bottle in his hand that held a pale yellow granular gas.
“After my testing, all this is just normal… sand.” Chen Xuehe frowned.
“All this is normal… sand?” The officer standing in front of Chen Xuehe was completely taken aback.
“But, but there shouldn’t be any sandstorms in this present environment.” Another military research officer standing beside him didn’t agree with Chen Xuehe’s opinion. “There’s definitely something that hasn’t been detected yet.”
“All right. If you don’t believe me, then you can test it one more time.” Chen Xuehe was calm, not angry at all.
The research officer stared at Chen Xuehe directly for a while and snorted from his nose. “How can I not believe Professor Chen? Who else in the military hasn’t heard of Professor Chen’s name?” The research worker seemed to laugh and yet, he wasn’t laughing.
Chen Xuehe lifted his eyelids, his face calm. Then suddenly, he grabbed the research officer’s hair with his hand and pressed him to the ground.
“Stop being funny!”
After that came a beating full of punches and kicks. “I’ve already tolerated you for a long time, so you think that I wouldn’t dare to beat you up?”
“Oh, Chen Xuehe, you must be crazy! You wouldn’t dare to beat me…”
The officers standing by the side averted their eyes and pretended that they didn’t see anything. There was one slightly younger soldier who felt that this wasn’t very appropriate, and he wanted to step forward to stop it, but an elder soldier held his arm, lowered his voice, and said, “Don’t act rashly.”
Then from the surrounding wall, the ceiling, and underneath the desk, numerous iron-teethed golden-backed millipedes crawled out from every corner. Glancing at them, there were at least ten of them, all of which were Commander-tier familiars.
Ten minutes had passed. The research officer who was lying on the floor was bruised and swollen, his spectacles thrown off and his nose bleeding. He was muttering, “Don’t you know who my uncle is….”
“Professor Chen, you’re being impulsive. His uncle is also the vice commanding officer of the military, which is also in charge of the laboratory,” said the officer while he sighed. “Nevertheless, there’s also a way to solve this problem. Commander Liu is always energetic when it comes to matters like this—”
“No, it’s unnecessary,” Chen Xuehe interrupted him.
…
In the Dark Ember Forest, it was another boring day. Deep in the jungle, a gigantic black ape monster was lazing on the rough branch, looking at the sky.
Ever since that old man had died, Black Ba felt that every day was boring and lonesome.
Its furry lower jaw was full of gray fur. From its outer appearance, it was a Black Raging Kong that had been enlarged exponentially. Black Ba sighed. Irritated, its big hands tried to grasp something from the air, but in the end, it caught nothing.
How disgusting. Black Ba sneezed. The choking smell in the air made it rather impatient.
When it stood up from the branch, this tree, which was 650 feet tall, shook vigorously, causing its leaves to drop. Maybe it was because it had been sat on regularly, but the leaves of this huge tree were rather thin… There was the sense that it was balding.
That fellow from the west is here again. Black Ba could smell the obvious choking scent even if they were over a dozen miles apart. Starting from a week ago, this fellow had snuck in and appeared outside the Dark Ember Forest, then spread large amounts of yellow powder into the air.
Although it didn’t sense any danger… smelling it still wasn’t comfortable.
Black Ba’s face was gloomy. Its burly body, like a statue of Black King Kong, was emitting a dangerous aura.
Making a loud rumble, it jumped down from the branch and strode deep into the jungle.
This was the forbidden zone of the Dark Ember Forest; being the core area of the Lord of the Dark Ember, other monsters were prohibited from entering.
Anyone that entered was murdered. In time, no other monster dared to enter.
In the middle of the jungle was a wooden house. The height of this house wasn’t even up to Black Ba’s navel. The pattern of the wooden walls was ancient and covered in moss, the upper section was damaged due to the rain, and the top was covered by a broad leaf.
This wooden house had belonged to the guardian of the forest in the last century. A rusty ax was still hanging on the wall outside; obviously, this house had shown no traces of life for a long time, so no one could tell how long it had been abandoned.
Black Ba just sat beside this wooden house and looked at it dumbly, its fierce look gradually becoming peaceful.
This familiar surrounding scene made it feel as if it had gone 20 years back in time.
At that time, it had been just a one-year-old monkey. In the jungle, its arm had been shot by a poacher, and it hadn’t been able to escape. Lying in the bushes, it had looked at the reflection of the poacher that gradually became bigger in its eyes.
“Woof, woof, woof!”
The guardian of the forest rushed from the other end of the forest with his mountain dog to chase away the poacher. He was an old man with graying hair, energetic and firm in his steps, like the wisest old king of the monkeys.
The old guardian of the forest took the creature back to the wooden house and cared for it carefully. He made herbs and wrapped up its wound with gauze. Sometimes, the monkey felt that living like this for the rest of its life would be rather nice.
Later, it was returned to the monkey gang. After it returned to the gang, it would sometimes sneak out and play with the old guardian of the forest. The old guardian of the forest was also very happy. Every time it came over, he would dig out some delicious peanuts from his pocket. From there, they became good friends.
After that, thirteen winters flew by, and the monkey had changed from a young monkey to the king of the monkey gang.
But one morning when it came over, it didn’t see the old man dressed to patrol the mountain, it saw people carrying a stretcher that transported the old guardian away. The monkey realized then that the old guardian of the forest had grown too old, and he could not patrol the mountain anymore.
After that, one day, probably after a long time, people carried a coffin from the foothills to the mountain top and buried it just next to the small wooden house.
The monkey could smell the scent of the old guardian of the forest.
These people left hurriedly after burying the coffin and burning some stacks of papers. The scenario was similar to the time when the old guardian had been carried away on a stretcher; they were both done very hurriedly.
When everyone had left, the monkey stood before the grave and stared at the tomb. It seemed to remember something, then it crawled into the wooden house through the window. In a room, it found a roll of yellowish gauze and some dry herbs.
When I was hurt back then, you used this to heal me. Now, can I use it to heal you?
The monkey was very happy, laughing like an idiot.
“Aoo, aoo, aoo….” The low and helpless cries of the ape echoed in the forest.
Black Ba blinked its eyelashes, feeling dazed. It opened its eyes, shaking its slightly blurred head; it had fallen asleep accidentally.
Next to the wooden house was a small raised mound, covered in shrubs that flourished. They were just like the old man when he was alive, full of energy.
Thump, thump, thump.
Black Ba hammered its chest with its fist. This is the forest you wanted to protect. Though you’re gone, I’ll help you to protect it forever. This is Black Ba’s promise!
