"What's wrong?"
Ada looked at me curiously, seemingly wondering why my reaction had suddenly become so intense.
I didn't have time to explain to Ada. Disbelieving, I reached out and touched the spot on his neck where the green sprout had grown earlier.
"Batu, what's wrong with you?!"
Ada was startled by my action and retreated two steps.
"Nothing..."
I touched my head with some embarrassment, feeling a sense of confusion.
Had I been too on edge lately, seeing things?
"You're being jumpy. Why don't you go back and rest for a bit?"
Ada had a point. Perhaps I was just too stressed and hallucinating.
I nodded, chatted with Ada for a few more sentences, and then left to return to the tent I had been staying in to rest.
...
In the blink of an eye, it was already noon the next day. After eating, I went to Ada's tent, ready to say goodbye.
"Ah? Brother, the Du'an tribe is your home now. Where else could you go?"
Ada was greatly surprised when I said I was leaving and kept asking questions. I hadn't mentioned any intention of leaving before, so it wasn't surprising he was so taken aback.
"Ada, please don't ask anymore. I have to return to the place where I was born, and now is the best time for me to leave. Once I'm back and settled, there will naturally be opportunities for us to meet again."
Seeing that I had made up my mind, Ada stopped pressing. Despite my objections, he insisted on escorting me to the entrance of the Du'an tribe, still unwell.
"Ada, take care of yourself. Next time we meet, don't be like this, collapsing with a gust of wind."
Seeing Ada's somber expression, I made a joke and casually put an arm around his shoulder.
"Batu, take care!"
Men don't have many sentimental words to say. After bidding farewell to Ada, I set off on the road back alone.
Speaking of the island's climate, it's truly unpredictable. Just a week ago it was freezing, and now it's a scene of all things reviving.
My heart was filled with warmth. Ever since I started the journey home, my longing for Luo Yaqin, Shangguan Yao, and the others had become even more fervent.
I wondered how they were doing.
I moved through the forest, my steps as light as if walking on flat ground, even on the difficult dirt paths.
"Hng...!"
As I walked, I suddenly heard a strange sound coming from the forest ahead. The sound was exceptionally deep, yet it didn't sound like the roar of a wild beast.
Hmm?
I stopped in my tracks, drawing my hunting knife warily.
To my side was a steep mountain cliff. This route was already the fastest way back to the camp. If I had to go around the obstruction ahead, it would add a significant amount of travel time.
Damn it, why did this have to happen now, when I was rushing back to the camp?
I hesitated for a moment, then made up my mind to cautiously investigate what was blocking my path ahead.
If it was something troublesome, I could always detour later.
Holding my breath, I crept closer to the source of the sound. I quietly pushed aside the bushes, and the scene before me made me gasp.
Hiss--!
Although I had experienced many unbelievable things on the deserted island and thought nothing could surprise me anymore, the monster before me was truly beyond my expectations.
A few trees lay scattered on the ground in front of me, clearing a space that could barely be called open. A colossal monster lay in the center of the clearing.
This monster's appearance resembled a greatly enlarged human. However, unlike humans, its skin was purple and covered with strange markings.
This creature was a full circle larger than the tigers I had seen before. Its palm alone was as large as half my head.
When I saw it, it was holding the carcass of some animal and bringing it to its mouth. Its entire face was covered in blood, making it look exceptionally ferocious.
Damn it, what a bizarre appearance. If it didn't only have one head, I would have thought I wasn't on a deserted island but had transmigrated to the world of Warcraft.
This guy looked exactly like the ogres in my memory of Warcraft!
Wait, I wouldn't even be surprised if it suddenly opened its mouth and spat out a fireball to heat its food.
Damn it, if I ever manage to get back to the outside world alive, I'll definitely find an organization and team up to develop this deserted island. We'll eventually open a unique creature zoo and charge people a fortune for entry!
Even when facing the Divine Shepherd and the High Priest directly, I didn't feel this sense of nervousness. After all, although the Son of Man possessed by the High Priest and the Divine Shepherd were very strange, they still had the appearance of ordinary humans. They didn't possess the immense pressure that this ogre, with its sheer size, exuded.
Consider myself unlucky!
I cursed inwardly and then tiptoed backward, preparing to detour. Unexpectedly, my clothes were snagged by a branch behind me, making a tearing sound.
Not good!