Ismile gagged for a while. Because he was struck right in his temples, it felt like the inside of his head was shaking, and he felt dizzy. He raised his head only once he barely managed to settle himself down and looked at Chi-Woo. Naturally, he didn’t look pleased. It was obvious what Chi-Woo was thinking right now after he went on so long about tiers and whatnot.
‘What to do now?’ Ismile racked his brain and burst into laughter with his head hanging low. “Did I make it too obvious? I was planning to go easy on you from the beginning. I just wanted to do a little test—” While Ismile talked, the gazes on him turned more chilling by the second.
“…Ahaha! But you are quite good! No wonder you are related to the legend! As expected of a Choi!” Still, there was no response.
“Uh…um…” Cold sweat flowed down from the back of Ismile’s neck. In the end, Apoline let out a sigh, stomped forward, and extended her hand.
“Oh, thank you. I only have you, Apu….” Ismile said while looking touched and tried to get up by clutching onto her hand. Slap!
“What are you talking about?” Apoline struck his hand away and reached out again. “I want the entry pass.”
Ismile looked dejected. He said, “It was Choi who did the deed. Why are you acting like the boss?”
“Quit your nonsense and give us the pass already. We don’t have time.”
“Ah, really—” Ismile grumbled and pouted while dusting his pants. “I can’t give it to you yet though.”
“What? But you definitely said—umph” But before Apoline could continue, Ismile muffled her with his hand. “Calm down. I’m just following the guidelines.”
“Guidelines? What are you talking about? Ptooey!” Apoline spat on the ground and wiped her lips madly.
“I need to assess individual strength, but I also need to assess the whole team.” Then, with a thin smile, Ismile said, “In terms of the importance, the latter comes first. Even if a couple of strong guys are gathered to form a team, they will die without the proper companions supporting them.” After all, there was no guarantee that a soccer team would win just because they had Messi or Lionel.
“And from what I can see, your team is still incomplete.” As expected of a Nahla, he was able to pinpoint the expedition team’s weak point. “You guys should find a suitable guide first. Then I will give you an entry pass right away.”
‘Tch.’ Hearing Ismile’s response, Apoline clicked her tongue and turned away. Though she seemed unsatisfied by the results, she couldn’t say anything because everything Ismile said was true.
“Anyways, you are in no state to enter right now, so go back for today,” Ismile said and pointed at the path where the expedition team came from.
“Are you coming with us? Or are you unable to?” Yeriel chuckled and asked if Ismile was just a gatekeeper now.
“Hey, it doesn’t matter, Pink Mari. Anyone who knows a little bit about the situation here wouldn’t stay around. You are the only ones to have come here these past couple of days.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s a brutal death battle going on inside the Hala Forest.”
“A death battle…?” Yeriel tilted her head.
“Are you curious?” Ismile smirked like he had been waiting for the question.
***
In the end, the expedition team returned to the outpost base with Ismile. Ismile made a fuss about how hungry he was as soon as he spotted the restaurant and ordered loads of food and drinks. It hurt Chi-Woo to think about the expenses when he saw the table completely filled with food, but he endured. This was a small price to pay in exchange for the experience of someone who came out of the Hala Forest alive after losing one arm.
A part of Chi-Woo also felt worried. Ismile Nahla was the second most famous hero after his brother, and the fact that he lost an arm meant a significant loss in battle power.
“Ah, it really is as uncomfortable as I thought,” Ismile said while hungrily munching on a meat skewer and glancing at his now empty arm. Clenching his teeth, he exerted his strength, and soon the stump where his arm was severed split, and a new arm popped out. Chi-Woo almost spit out the beer he was drinking.
“It really is more comfortable with both arms.” Ismile smiled and rotated his left arm. Chi-Woo glanced around him in shock, but besides Ru Amuh, all the Celestial Lights appeared indifferent. They looked like they knew this was going to happen, and some even looked disgruntled to witness the grotesque scene.
‘This was what they meant when they said he was a new species created with eugenics…’ Chi-Woo thought and rolled his tongue.
“Little Choi.” It was then Ismile raised his beer glass with his left hand and called out to Chi-Woo. “What is the strongest animal in your world—Earth?”
It was a question asked out of the blue. But Ismile appeared serious unlike his usual self, and Chi-Woo replied, “An elephant.”
“Why?”
“Uh…It’s the biggest land animal…and is heavy?”
“Yes.” Ismile clanked his glass with Chi-Woo’s, saying that was the right answer. “In the animal world, the biggest always wins. It can smash anyone with weight alone.” After taking a big gulp of his drink, Ismile asked, “But why is that animal called elephant unable to rule Earth?”
“...because of humans.”
“Yes.” Ismile shoved the rest of his meat skewer into his mouth. “If you consider the physical body alone, humans are weak. In a pyramid of strengths, humans wouldn’t even be considered mediocre, but instead somewhere on the lower tiers. Nevertheless—” Ismile poked his own head with the skewer and continued, “Humans have high intelligence. They use their head to adjust to the environment and survive. With it, they make tools, plans…”
Chi-Woo nodded and wondered why Ismile was suddenly saying all this. As if in response, Ismile explained.
“So here comes the question. What would happen if elephants were to acquire the same level of intelligence as humans? Would humans still be able to rule Earth?”
Chi-Woo blinked hard. He had never thought about this before and had difficulty answering.
“The Hala Forest is a place where you have to think about that.”
Chi-Woo finally realized what Ismile was getting at.
“It’s a forest that makes all conditions equal beside one’s natural weight class, and it’s a place where enemies evolve at astonishing speed. The Sernitas and the Demon Empire sure created an interesting space.” Ismile gulped down his beer.
“What do you mean by ‘evolving’?” Yeriel asked curiously.
“It’s as I said,” Ismile replied. “Animals there evolve day by day. If they used a stone axe yesterday, they will use a bronze spear today, and a steel sword tomorrow.” This meant that they were evolving at an astonishing rate, and Yeriel listened to him in disbelief.
“How?” she asked.
“By eating.”
Everyone looked at Ismile blankly.
“They eat and evolve by taking on only their opponents’ good traits,” Ismile explained.
“Why did the Demon Empire and the Sernitas create a space like that?” Emmanuel asked like he couldn’t understand.
“How do I know? I’m not the one who created that place,” Ismile said and leaned into the chair. “But I think I can guess what they are aiming for. A king.”
Everyone stared more intently hearing this.
“Those guys are planning to make the strongest king on Liber.”
“Are you saying that the one who wins inside the Hala Forest will become the king?” Apoline asked.
Ismile didn’t answer her immediately, and after hesitating a bit, he said, “Have you heard about godeok?”
‘Ah,’ Chi-Woo gasped. As someone who served many masters of various practices, Chi-Woo was knowledgeable about Asian spells. Godeok, or sometimes called mugo, was a practice so old that it could be traced all the way back to China’s Shang Dynasty. It was also a very dark black magic and was considered the evilest curse along with Yeonmae from the Joseon Dynasty. The ‘go’ in godeok stood for parasite, and the oracle bone script of the character from the Shang Dynasty was composed of several insects to portray the workings of the spell. In order to begin this practice, one must gather highly poisonous insects and animals into a pot and close the lid without giving them any food. Hungry, the poisonous insects and animals would begin to eat each other until there was only one left. The sole survivor would be in its most evil and poisonous state, and that was called ‘godeok’.
In short, Ismile was saying the Hala Forest was where such a king would be born. Those inside there would eat each other and evolve until there was only one remaining.
“Hold up,” Emmanuel then said. “If what you say is true, is it necessary for us to act now? Shouldn’t we wait until the king is born…?” Rather than entering the forest in this messy state, they could wait until a king was born and kill just one enemy.
“Are you confident in beating the king though?” Ismile asked, and Emmanuel closed his mouth. Even now, Ismile couldn’t do anything. If a king was born later, the situation could truly be beyond salvaging. Considering that, this could be the golden time to intervene, before the king was decided.
“…You know, I didn’t think much when I came here under Big Choi’s request.” Ismile folded his arms like he had had his fill of food and drinks.
“You were too arrogant,” Apoline said, and Ismile smirked.
“I can’t deny that because of what happened, but if I’d come at the same time as you instead of at the beginning of it all, I would’ve thought differently as well.”
“Well…that’s…”
“Anyways, there’s one definite thing.” Ismile’s expression turned solemn, and his voice grew grave. “Though I went there basically naked, I didn’t let down my guard. I passed the entrance and entered the central area like that…and met a monster. This is the result of that meeting.” Ismile raised his left arm slightly.
“But you were able to come back alive.” Apoline seemed to think she had spoken too harshly before and said in a soft voice, but Ismile responded with a bitter smile.
“I didn’t come back alive. It let me live.”
The entire expedition team flinched. What exactly was it?
“Of course, I don’t know what it was. I don’t even know what it’s called. But from what I personally experienced…hmm, how should I put it? It was like a pure baby that was just born.”
Ismile let out a deep sigh like he was recalling the particular memory. “It was very curious. It caught on immediately that I wasn’t at my full potential instinctively.”
That was why it had let Ismile live. It found fighting with him enjoyable and wanted to battle him again in his best state before eating him. Ismile touched his left arm and said in a low voice, “While there are several more besides that monster, I personally think…it is most likely to become the king of the Hala Forest.” He shrugged and looked intently at Chi-Woo.
“Thus, there’s only one thing that I want to tell you guys.”
Chi-Woo gulped because of how fiercely Ismile looked at him.
“It’s fine if you want to go in. Bring a suitable guide so that you won’t be pushed back right away. But—” Ismile clutched his left arm hard and said, “If you guys happen to run into the one who took my left arm, escape immediately. Don’t dawdle even if it kills a couple of you. You know why I am telling you this, right?”
Chi-Woo flinched. Ismile said the beings inside the forest evolved by eating their opponents. Then the one who ate Ismile’s left arm must have… It seemed the expedition team had reached the same conclusion if the way their expressions stiffened was anything to go by.
“Oh my, did I scare you guys?” Ismile smiled awkwardly and scratched his head as the silence continued. “I’m just telling you not to overexert yourselves. Don’t worry too much even if the worst situation comes to be. When that happens, the Cassiubia League and humanity will step up.”
***
Silence enveloped the table after Ismile left. They sat blankly until Evelyn said that it was time for them to go to sleep, and a couple of them returned to the inn. But Chi-Woo stayed. He found a seat outside the restaurant and dwelled in his thoughts. His head felt full.
A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled.
‘I see. That’s why…’ Chi-Woo realized now what must be the reason Ismile had been acting as the gatekeeper. Because of his carelessness, Ismile ended up giving away a body part to their enemy, and in turn his physical traits. He thus felt responsible for speeding up and contributing to the evolution of the one most likely to become the king of the Hala Forest.
Nevertheless, there was nothing he could do at the present, and thus Ismile had acted as the gatekeeper. He thought at the least, he could stop those who couldn’t beat him in his current state from entering the forest. Then he could at least prevent that monster from claiming more lives. It appeared the Cassiubia League had also realized the severity of the situation and hurriedly implemented restrictions.
‘What should we do…?’ The difficulty of this expedition seemed to be increasing over time as more information came to light. There was truth to this concern, as entities surviving in the Hala Forest were continuously evolving and becoming stronger.
‘We need to get a guide as soon as possible…’ Chi-Woo thought. And while thinking this, Chi-Woo felt a strange new gaze upon him. He raised his head and saw a brightly smiling, freckled girl with pigtails. It was the waitress from the tavern.
‘When did she approach me?’ Chi-Woo thought in shock. Even though he had been focused on his thoughts, he was always aware of his surroundings after awakening his unification ability. How did she elude that and approached him? She was clearly no ordinary person. Chi-Woo recalled what had happened in the tavern and raised his guard against her. But indifferent to his response, the girl strode up to him. Then she bent down and leaned forward. In an instant, their faces were so close that he could count the freckles on the girl’s nose.
The girl inspected his face from up close. Chi-Woo was frozen in his spot, and a sense of nervousness paralyzed him while the girl let out a short breath after gathering her lips. ‘Ha.’
Chi-Woo felt a refreshing scent reach his nostrils and arched his back in surprise.
“Who are you?” he finally asked. The girl backed away a couple of steps and smirked.
“I thought you needed it.” Her eyes curved as she smiled. “You know, my breath.”