Chương 3: How Vagabonds Live
In a land where the soil is too barren to grow anything in a short span of time, where people had to fight against beasts that are struggling just as much they are, one had to face a harsh reality…
People would come and go.
After offering their respects to the grave that was no more than a pile of rocks, the vagabonds began to move once more. They have already depleted the resources in that particular area. Even beasts and faros could no longer be seen around.
Traveling had never been an issue to their community. For generations, they had been doing such, in order to survive their circumstances, and they had been doing well with the efforts of their forefathers. The generations before theirs had left them with the knowledge to preserve food, a cultivation technique, and a map. Marked on their poorly drawn map were the areas known to serve as temporary havens.
They would travel to these areas, search them one by one, and identify which could provide for them at that point in time while at the same time, determining where they could go next.
Though there were also times when the areas they searched showed no signs of life at all or were already being inhabited by people, leaving them clueless about their next destination.
That was exactly their current dilemma.
Just like any other morning, the surroundings were dark and gloomy. Dust and dirt blew along with the wind forcing the people to wear masks. By the side, Phen stood quietly together with his parents. Whenever they were on the move, the two would stop working.
Phen stared at the person they recognized as their chief, and their strongest warrior, Yna. The two were debating whether or not they should explore beyond the map given by their forefathers. And it seemed like they were considering the possibility given that the population within their bounds began to increase through the years. The only problem was that they would have to start from scratch until they could go back.
There was one more problem that arose alongside the problem of overpopulation: many of these people were hostile. A small percentage were even cannibals.
Once more, Phen began to question where he was now living.
He was born in the Heavenly Plane, a place rich in history documented by their greatest historians who could cross planets. At that point in time, people were suffering, affected by the wars that raged in the plane above, but not as much as his current people were.
Phen looked at the dead soil underneath his feet. As a person who had lived for a millennium, he found himself having no knowledge about his present world that also depends on World Essence as its source of life.
Was he reborn in another world with the same laws, only poorer?
Was he living in the lower planes?
No.
Not even the Abyssal Plane, the plane that receives the least amount of World Essence, would be in such a condition. He knew because he had been there before during his reign.
"You have an idea?" the man standing beside Phen, Gan Morroc, finally asked after staring at him for a long period of time. Though his voice was a bit muffled by his mask, it remained clear. "You've been thinking too hard the past few minutes."
Phen finally snapped out of his daze. "Dad! Nah. I was just thinking about what to cook next."
Gan sighed. "Why don't ya have that passion for medicine? Come to think of it, how'd you get so good at cooking anyway?"
"He was probably inspired by my cooking when he was eight," the woman next to Gan chimed in.
"In your dreams, Linda. You were never a good cook," Gan grumbled.
"It's not about the taste! It's about the nutrients you put in the food!" Phen's mom, Linda, said defensively.
The two adults quarreled, though it was obvious that none had taken what each other said to heart.
Phen burst out laughing when his mom slapped his dad across the face.
This is what he liked about their world despite being full of suffering and death. The people he lived with were bound together by love.
The old man that he really was didn't get to experience that before…
Leaving behind a memory for the people who he had been with would be enough for him, even if he dies early. At least he knew that was his, and not just something that was a part of a script written by a higher being.
"Oh it...urgh...seems like they have finally reached a conclusion," Gan said while being choked by his wife.
With a clap of Yna's hands, the people started gathering towards her and the chief.
….
"...so we'll be searching for other areas to live in. We'll add these new areas to the map in our journey. Do not worry, we will continue to stick together," the chief said, ending his message.
They all saw it coming.
After their conflict with another group of vagabonds a few months ago leading to many people's deaths, they knew that it was inevitable. Avoiding other people was the best choice in order to preserve their own lives. They could only hope that they encounter fewer people on the way to their new haven.
So they all continued heading east.
In four days, they would be able to reach the new lands.
Phen decided to stay a little behind the others just to be alone in his own thoughts. He wanted to learn more about their world as they traveled.
He didn't realize that there was one more person behind him.
"Whatcha doing over here?" Rem asked with his usual sleepy attitude.
Phen turned towards Rem and replied, "Well, nothing. Just want to be alone in my own thoughts which you are clearly disrupting, thank you very much. What about you?"
"I took a piss. Next thing I know, the people were leaving," Rem said with a shrug. He was still trying his best to peel his eyes open.
Phen sighed. With Rem around, he knew that he wouldn't be getting the peace he was hoping for.
"Are we leaving for the new lands?" Rem asked.
"Yeah. They say we'll do it to avoid conflict and to expand the map's coverage," Phen answered.
"What do you think?"
"Why ask me? I know just as much as you do about this land."
"Really? Something tells me you know more than that. I don't know."
Phen snuck a glance at Rem. He was walking with his shoulders drooped, seemingly tired, as always. His back was also a bit hunched making him look like an elderly man from a distance.
What Rem said surprised Phen, though he knew that his friend had always been sharp.
The two continued chatting as they walked.
….
Time flew and three days passed in a blink of an eye.
A few kilometers more and they would reach a forest of dead trees. Past that is the new lands.
Thankfully, just before they entered the forest, they found a small oasis with water enough for all of them. They refilled their supplies then took a quick rest.
Phen was checking how much spices they had left when he suddenly felt something was off. At first, he dismissed it as his imagination. Maybe it was just the heat messing with him. But after he reached the small pool of water, he confirmed that his senses were indeed correct. The essence around them was a bit thicker. Just a bit, making it barely noticeable.
It felt like the aftermath of a battle between low-level cultivators. The World Essence still lingered in the air and had yet to dissipate.
He immediately stuffed the bottle he was holding inside his bulky bag and walked towards the front at a fast pace, following the trail of the essence. He was moving urgently, but the people that came across him didn't pay him much attention. Everyone else just continued resting and minded their own business.
Phen kept on staring at the ground, trying to find any hint that a battle ensued.
After a few moments of searching, he found what he was looking for, but it wasn't what he had expected. He found a few footprints that didn't belong to humans.
Faros!
Faros, as the locals call it, are beasts capable of absorbing World Essence, just like any other cultivators. At a high level, they were capable of manipulating the laws of the world too. In Phen's knowledge, they were known as Mystics.
Phen wandered around to find out more of the tracks, but it seemed like it only appeared in that area because the ground there was quite wet and soft.
He immediately rushed towards Yna.
"Warrior Yna, I found beast tracks!" Phen said as he approached. He intentionally left out the part about it coming from Faros because a normal person like him shouldn't be able to discern it. He just knew because of the essence that remained. He didn't think much about it because they should be able to recognize that the tracks came from Faros the moment they see it.
Yna immediately stood up along with the other warriors. In a sense, finding beasts was a blessing because it meant that there was more meat for the people. Yna beamed. "Really? Show us!"
Phen nodded and started heading back to the tracks. The others quickly followed.
It didn't take long for them to get to the scene and they all saw it clearly. It looked like it came from something that belongs to the dog family, only a bit bigger.
"It doesn't look like it came from your typical wolves or hyenas," a warrior said.
"Faros," Yna replied with certainty. "But why would they leave the area where there's water?"
"That's right. It doesn't make sense," another warrior replied.
By the side, Phen listened to their conversation. He was wondering about that too. It wasn't only them who suffered from the scarcity of food and water in the barren lands. So did the animals and faros. And, typically, dog-type beasts were known to settle in one place.
Maybe they already settled somewhere and just happened to pass by.
They didn't know.
"We better keep moving in case they come back. I don't want to engage with faros with our people around," Yna said as she started walking back to the spot where the others gathered.
The people picked up the pace and began to move again.
….
There wasn't much to see inside the forest.
However, Phen was still keen on observing the area. He might be able to discover something of interest. After all, it was an area they have never ventured to before.
Phen was now near the border of their formation, at the very back. He was only around 8-10 meters away from the two warriors who were watching their rear.
Here and there, he would spot some beast tracks, meaning there were some around the vicinity. Fortunately, they weren't at a number that was alarming, so they still proceeded.
It did pique Phen's interest that there would be creatures willing to live around that area. It was a signal that there were some resources there, they just couldn't pinpoint where. It wasn't hard to dismiss the idea that they would have to go looking for it though. The chief thought the same. Not only do they not have the manpower to search for these resources, but it was also not a good idea to stay in an area that was not well lit.
The ideal environment would be one with a large open space, preferably, at the top of a small hill, so they can overlook the surroundings and spot anything that comes and goes.
Phen was lost in his own thoughts when a certain scene by the corner of his eye caught his attention.
It didn't take long for Phen to recognize one of the two figures.
It was Rem.
Of course, it had to be him.
Phen did not dare intervene. If possible, he would like to stay as far away as he can from Rem so he could enjoy some peace. So he just watched the scene unfold.
From a distance, he could tell that Rem was pestering one of the warriors about something, and it seems like it wasn't going his way. Phen didn't know why, but he was enjoying it, so he kept watching.
But all of a sudden, things took a weird turn.
Rem was arguing with words before, so he was still within the realm of reason. However, he seemed to have snapped because he started groveling at the feet of the warrior as if he was begging for something. The warrior had a duty, and he did not have time to cater to Rem's childish behavior.
Ultimately, the warrior gave up.
Phen lifted a brow as he watched Rem exit their formation.
Seeing this, Phen began to move towards the warrior without him realizing it.
"Excuse me," he called out to the warrior at the rear. The latter heard Phen and acknowledged him.
"Yes?"
"Why did that guy split up with the group?"
The warrior grunted in annoyance. "He said he wanted to piss badly. I had to let him go because I can't focus."
Fuck!
Phen couldn't believe how irresponsible Rem was. He didn't know if the guy was fearless or just plain stupid.
The warrior was still complaining about Rem's behavior when Phen went past the cordon and started running. He heard the warrior calling out to him, but he showed no signs of stopping.
The area was dim, so it was not easy to find another person there. It wasn't ideal to yell too loud either, or else they would catch unwanted attention.
Phen grit his teeth. In a low hushed voice, he kept calling out to Rem, but the guy didn't respond.
Time was ticking for Phen.
In the current environment, it was stupid to be away from a large group because you would become an easy target for creatures lurking around.
It was only after three minutes of looking that Phen was able to track down Rem. The guy was humming a low tune while crouching behind a tree.
Phen felt elated when he saw his friend alive and well.
But the feeling did not last. It disappeared the moment Phen heard some shuffling…
Then, a couple of more.
A scream reverberated through the air.
"Faros!"
….
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