CHAPTER 39: CHAPTER 39 TAKING A BREAK

Chapter 39: Taking a break

Lin Mu turned to face the Lang brothers and their henchmen, his patience finally thinning. "You know," he began, his tone sharp, "for people who were just saved from becoming rat chow, you’re awfully ungrateful."

it couldn’t be called an insult because Lin Mu was technically right, these Serinerians really were arseholes.

The wiry Serinerian’s eyes narrowed. "Grateful? To you? Don’t make me laugh. You’re only here because of the chief’s pity. Don’t act like you’re our equal." and here comes the inferiority complex.

Lin Mu raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a smirk. "Equal? Oh, no, I wouldn’t dream of it. After all, it takes a special kind of genius to stand there screaming while someone else does all the work."

A few nearby Serinerians stifled their laughter, but the wiry one bristled. "Watch your tongue, outsider!"

"Why?" Lin Mu shot back, crossing his arms. "Afraid it’ll hurt your fragile ego? Or is it that deep down, you know I did more in five minutes than you’ve probably done your entire life?."

" Pffthahahahahahaha"

" Hahahahahaha." A few Serinerians couldn’t hold themselves back and instantly broke into a fit of laughter.

" You b@stards!" The Wiry Serinerian who was non other than the other Lang brother, Lang shen, glared at them.

Another Serinerian trying to turn the situation around, stepped forward, his face twisted with disdain. "You think you’re something special because you swung a weapon a few times? Don’t forget the fact that you’re still an outsider. A parasite clinging to our tribe."

’ Geeze, what’s with these guys and their outsider crap. Can’t they just give it a rest?’ Lin Mu thought then chuckled dryly, replying to the Serinerian.

"Parasite?, Funny, coming from someone who’s been leeching off the chief’s goodwill while doing absolutely nothing productive. Tell me, when’s the last time you actually contributed to this tribe? Oh, wait, don’t answer. I already know. Never!"

The tribesman’s face flushed red, but Lin Mu wasn’t done. He turned to the group as a whole, his voice rising. "You want to call me weak, useless, an outsider? Fine. But at least I’m not standing on the sidelines, hoping someone else will clean up the mess while I complain about it."

" When was the last time you idiots actually used your heads for once?! If I hadn’t intervened, most of you fools would’ve ended up crippled, or worse, dead!"

"You—!" Lang Shen’s voice cracked as he tried to respond, but Lin Mu cut him off.

"Shut it!" Lin Mu snapped. "You stupid lot can keep your insults, your pride and your self-righteous nonsense to yourselves. But never forget, if it weren’t for me, some of you wouldn’t be here right now. So maybe, just maybe, instead of whining about how much you hate me, you could focus on being less of a liability next time."

The silence that followed was deafening before a series of uncontrollably laugher surged forth. The Lang Shen’s face turned a metaphorical green, then red, then blue, as if he couldn’t decide whether to be embarrassed or furious. Some of the other tribesmen who had been on his side at the beginning, exchanged awkward glances, clearly unsure whether to side with him or acknowledge Lin Mu’s point.

Finally, one of the younger Serinerians, who had thanked Lin Mu earlier, stepped forward. "He’s right," the young man said quietly, his voice breaking the tension. "We wouldn’t have made it without him. I think it’s about time we stopped judging him for what he is and started seeing what he’s done for us, don’t you agree?

"Indeed"

" Yes, your right"

" We at least owe him this much"

The Lang brothers growled but didn’t respond. Lin Mu urged Autumn Wind to take a step closer towards the two till he was towering Infront of them, his smirk fading into a serious expression.

The Lang brothers were alarmed and turned vigilant, expecting him to attack but Lin Mu only continued to speak.

"A word of advice, I don’t care if you like me or not. But if you’re going to keep acting like children while lives are on the line, then you’re not just a problem for me, you’re a problem for everyone in this party."

’ Like grandpa said, the stubborn sheep will eventually end up as food for the wolves’

With that, Lin Mu turned and walked away, leaving the group in stunned silence. Behind him, he could hear a few whispers and even a stifled laugh from a few of the tribesmen. For once, Lin Mu felt a small sense of satisfaction. If they wanted to hate him, fine. But they’d think twice before underestimating him again.

As they regrouped and continued their journey, Lin Mu couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that lingered in the air as if he was still being watched by a pair of unsavory eyes. The system’s voice returned, confirming his suspicions.

«[The commotion has likely attracted attention. The possibility of another beast encounter has risen.]»

Lin Mu glanced at the horizon, his grip tightening on the reins. "Great. Just what I needed."

Unbeknownst to the group, a dark shape moved beneath the surface of the sand, its movements silent and sneaky. The shark-like creature, similar to the one Lin Mu had seen before, was drawn to the scent of blood and the vibrations caused by the battle. It stalked them from a distance, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Lin Mu’s unease grew as they pressed on, the desert around them eerily silent.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that they were still being watched as if hunted. The tribesmen on the other hand seemed oblivious, their spirits lifted slightly after their small victory over the mutated rats.

By dusk, the hunting party found a suitable spot for rest, a flat plateau of sand and sparse vegetation that seemed relatively safe from predators.

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[1] Game: in the Chapter, the type of game being referred to is something akin to a hunted wild animals meat.