CHAPTER 22: CHAPTER 21: CONTINUING THE JOURNEY

Through the dense forest, the masked man led the group.

Behind him, the rest followed silently, their feet sinking into the mud.

Beside Oliver walked Lemur, occasionally lifting his head to gaze at the tangled branches above.

Despite the forest’s eerie atmosphere, the group’s eyes weren’t focused on the surroundings as much as they were fixed on the small gray creature.

Even Tell, from within the masked man’s coat, couldn’t hide her unwelcoming look.

She tilted her head slightly toward him.

"What’s that little monster doing with us?"

The masked man replied without turning, as he checked his bag and the weapon at his waist.

"Maybe you should ask your soft-hearted friend over there."

Tell glanced at Oliver with clear annoyance before retreating back inside the coat.

They kept walking, the darkness around them deepening the further they went into the forest.

The deeper they went, the less sunlight managed to pierce through the thick canopy.

Without warning, a serpent-like creature lunged from above, its mouth wide open.

No one moved only the masked man reacted. He caught the creature midair with one hand, then crushed it until the sound of breaking bones filled the silence.

Some stepped back; others froze in place.

The scene was swift and brutal, leaving no one with words.

Their surprise faded quickly. After seeing him face the Great Spirit of Autumn, nothing he did could truly shock them anymore. Everything had become expected.

Only Lemur kept staring at him, eyes filled with admiration.

Throughout the journey, small confrontations like that kept happening.

Wild creatures would burst from the trees, and every time, the masked man killed them instantly.

None of the group members ever got hurt, and with each fight, Lemur’s admiration grew stronger.

At the rear, the old man walked beside the one-eyed man, speaking in low tones about who the masked man could possibly be.

After hours of marching, exhaustion began to show on everyone.

The one-eyed man moved closer to Oliver.

"Hey kid, could you ask that guy to stop for a bit? We’re going to collapse if we keep this pace."

Though Oliver wasn’t as tired as the rest, he immediately went to the masked man.

"We need to rest a little."

The masked man didn’t reply at first he was scanning the path ahead.

Oliver waved a hand in front of his face.

"Hello? Can you hear me? I know you’re not deaf. We’re tired. We need a break. Hello?!"

The group stared at him in disbelief. None of them had ever dared speak to the masked man like that.

Finally, the masked man responded.

"Look, I’m trying to find a suitable place to rest. Could you be quiet for a minute and let me do that?"

Oliver stepped back and returned to Lemur’s side.

Lemur leaned toward him and whispered in astonishment,

"How dare you talk to him like that?"

"What do you mean?"

"He’s the leader of the group. Aren’t you supposed to speak to him respectfully?"

"I was speaking respectfully."

Lemur tilted his head.

"Is the concept of respect different among humans? Because your friends don’t seem to agree with you."

"What? I said it in the most respectful way possible."

Lemur frowned, his short tail twitching.

"You really need to learn what respect means. In my clan, we never question the leader. We follow orders without argument."

"And what if the leader makes a mistake?"

"Leaders don’t make mistakes. If you do, then you don’t deserve to be one."

"I completely disagree. But anyway, in human society, we prefer discussion over blind obedience."

He turned to the sage walking beside them, who looked both tired and annoyed.

"Right, Sage?"

The sage raised his head with effort, resting one hand on his swollen belly bloated from all the food he’d eaten before the trip.

"Yes, that’s true. And now, can you please stop talking to me for the rest of the day?"

Oliver looked back at Lemur.

"See? I’m right."

Lemur gave him a long look, muttering,

"You humans are really strange."

Oliver moved closer until their shoulders touched. He placed a hand on Lemur’s shoulder, leaning in to whisper while gesturing toward the masked man ahead.

"Look, don’t overthink it. If we don’t speak up sometimes, that guy won’t let us stop walking for a whole month without food or water. I think he assumes we all have his freakish stamina."

As they walked on, the forest began to open slightly, letting more moonlight filter through the branches.

The masked man raised his hand, and the group stopped immediately.

He scanned the area.

"We’ll rest here until morning."

Relief spread across everyone’s faces.

Some sat down; others lay beneath the trees.

Oliver sat beside Lemur, who gazed up at the moon shining faintly through the leaves.