Chapter 332: Savage
The rain had thinned after nearly two long hours.
Luke knew reaching her tribe would take time, so he did not linger. Once the rain eased enough to make traveling possible, he told her they were moving.
Grella had changed back into her old clothes, which had somehow managed to dry somewhat despite the damp air.
Crunch.
The soil remained soft beneath their feet as they made their way through the forest, steadily advancing toward the ocean. If they reached the coast, Grella would have a much better chance of determining where her tribe was located.
Luke kept his senses alert, deliberately avoiding areas where monsters gathered in clusters. There was no reason to waste time fighting through a horde when their destination was already far away.
Naturally, a few still slipped through his caution.
The solitary hunters were the troublesome ones, beasts strong enough to roam alone without relying on a pack.
Krieeehk!
One such beast now lay beneath Luke’s knee, a jaguar-like creature bleeding heavily from its wounds.
It was a Level Two beast, yet Luke had not suffered so much as a scratch.
Perhaps it was the enhancement brought by the moon. Perhaps it was the experience he had gained from hunting. Whatever the reason, he could feel the difference.
Compared to his previous venture into the dungeon, dealing with these creatures had become considerably easier.
"Your hunting skills are remarkable." Grella’s voice carried genuine admiration as she slowly rose to her feet, using the nearby tree for support. "If you ever decided to live with my tribe, you could easily earn a place beside the Chief."
Her ankle had improved considerably, but Luke had still warned her not to put too much weight on it.
That was why she now held a staff in her left hand, using it to support herself as they walked.
"I don’t believe my place is in your tribe."
Luke glanced at her before continuing forward.
"Don’t take it personally, but my home is somewhere else."
There was little enthusiasm in his voice at the thought of settling in some unknown tribe.
His family was waiting for him back home.
In the first place, his visits to the dungeon would always remain limited.
"Well, in case you change your mind." Grella smiled before they continued their journey.
....
"There it is!"
"Don’t jump, woman." Luke warned her as Grella nearly bounced with excitement at the sight of the endless expanse of blue stretching all the way to the horizon.
For a moment, Luke simply stood there, staring at the ocean.
A part of him wondered if Synthia might be somewhere along that shore, perhaps looking out across the water and somehow catching sight of him.
The thought lingered for only a moment before reality settled in.
That was impossible.
Shaking his head, Luke turned toward Grella.
"So, where are we headed now?"
Grella pointed toward something in the distance.
"You see that protruding rock?"
Luke followed her finger. A small outcropping of rock rose from the landscape several miles away.
"Yes."
"I could see that from my hut." Grella announced proudly, placing a hand on her waist and puffing out her chest.
"...."
Luke stared at her.
What exactly was she expecting?
Praise?
And for what?
"Haah. Well, let’s go then."
If she could see the rock from her hut, then her tribe was almost certainly somewhere in that direction.
The two resumed their journey.
Far in the distance, the sun had begun to rise, painting the horizon with the first hints of morning light. At the same time, Luke could feel the effects of Lunar Warden beginning to fade.
The strength that had carried him through the night was gradually slipping away.
Luke’s expression grew slightly more serious.
If something unexpected happened now, he would be pushed into a corner.
Worse still, if he was forced into a situation he could not handle, Grella would be left here alone.
And after everything they had gone through, he had no intention of letting that happen.
They continued along the beach, their footprints trailing behind them in the damp sand.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
The silence stretched between them, broken only by the rhythmic crash of waves and the distant rustling of leaves.
Then Luke heard it.
His expression changed instantly.
"W-What?"
Before Grella could react, Luke stepped in front of her, shielding her with his body.
"Someone is coming."
His eyes narrowed as he stared toward the distant forest.
He could hear them.
Several sets of footsteps were approaching, steady and heavy as they marched through the undergrowth.
Grella’s expression shifted when she realized what he had noticed.
"They... they’re from my tribe."
Four men soon emerged from the shadows.
They were all hulking figures, broad-shouldered and heavily built, wearing nothing more than strips of brown fabric around their waists. Their bodies were covered in intricate markings, similar to the one etched along Grella’s arm.
There was something primitive about their appearance, something that made the word savage seem almost fitting.
The moment their eyes landed on Grella, however, their expressions changed.
They shoved one another aside and began murmuring among themselves, their voices low and difficult to understand.
Luke remained still.
His eyes never left them.
"So, you are here, Grella. The Chief has been looking for you all night."
One of the men stepped forward, a grin never leaving his face. His eyes then settled on Luke.
"Seems you’ve found yourself something to play with. A little hound of your own?"
Grella growled. "Think before you speak, Septa. He is no hound. He is my protector."
"Pfft."
The others snickered.
"Hahaha! Those frail arms are supposed to protect someone?"
Luke’s eyes turned cold.
"Why don’t you find out, ape?"
The laughter died for a brief moment.
Then the men erupted.
"Bahahahaha!"
"Wooooh! I nearly pissed myself!"
"The little fox has fangs after all, huh?"
Septa’s grin widened as he stepped closer.
He stopped before Luke and looked down at him with open disdain.
"I’ll give you one chance. Move aside and let us take her."
Just then, the system’s notification sounded in Luke’s mind.
[Host, each of them possesses intelligence and is classified as a Level Four threat. In your current state, engaging them would be unwise.]
Luke already knew.
Without the blessing of Lunar Warden and with his supplies running dangerously low, taking on all four of them would be reckless.
So he simply shrugged.
"Yeah. You can have her."
Luke turned around and began walking away.
Septa’s grin returned.
But when his eyes shifted toward Grella, he found her staring after Luke with a nervous expression.
"Now, woman." His voice carried a darker undertone. "Before we return to the tribe, why don’t you accompany us into the forest for a hunt?"
As he spoke, he slowly licked his lips.
Grella took a slow, uneasy breath as she glanced toward Luke once more.
Naturally, why would he care enough to stay?
Then came the sound.
SHLINK.
Steel tore through flesh.
Every laugh and murmur died at once.
A crimson spray erupted from the neck of one of the men.
For a heartbeat, no one moved.
Then...
Thud.
His severed head struck the sand.
A moment later, the rest of his body collapsed beside it.