n

n

nHe could already see, many broken rock debris, massive trees that could be logged, and wet black soil all over the place, and since it is wet soil, that means they don't really need water to build whatever it was they were planning to build;

n

"All that is left now is to find beast carcass, and any source of combustible materials…

"

nHe muttered to himself with a smile as he charged into the jungle…

nMeanwhile…

nBack at the village of sang…

n

"I tell you, she has the roundest and most fertile looking ass in this village…

"

n

"I will definitely talk to her once my shift is over, she will make a perfect wife and mother…

"

n

"Well, I still stand on my opinion; the attitude of a woman is what matters the most to me, I don't like nor want any form of stress…

"

nTwo men who seemed to be in their early forties were discussing at entrance of the village, when one of them suddenly caught a figure approaching out of the misty jungle of the dark lands;

n

"Eh, what is that!?

"

n

"Is it a beast?

"

n

"It had a human structure!

"

n

"I-i-is that an Obun Leader!?

"

n

"Go… Quick, sound the alarm!

"

nThe two guards scrambled their words as intense fear crippled their thinking speed, if that was truly who they thought it was, then only someone in the ranks of the village grand elders can take it down, they stood no chance of survival at its hands…

n

"Hold your horses, it's just me!

"

nA very exhausted voice reverberated off the figure who then removed, the severed head of the Obun Leader he had used as a mask to scare away beasts that attacked him on his way back from their hunt…

nThe guards were initially stunned at the sight of an Obun actually speaking because according to modern earth, it would be akin to a tiger speaking human tongue, but after the figure removed the mask away, they were plunged into an even deeper state of shock;

n

"Y-yo-young master, is that you!?

" One of the guards blurted in shock;

n

"What happened!?

" The other asked as Ji Hai growled at them;

n

"Will you quit asking me stupid questions and let me in!?

"

n

"Oh-no, yeah, I mean sorry, young master… You may enter now…

"

nThe guards lowered a long wooden bridge over the ditch of fire dug around the village landscape, as Ji Hai staggered into the village, chasing away anyone who tried to offer him a hand to help him walk…

nMeanwhile, the village chief was still discussing with his grand elders within what seems to be their makeshift palace, when they suddenly heard innumerable sounds of murmurings and approaching footsteps;

n

"What is going on outside?

"

nThe village chief asked as he and his grand elders walked out of the palace and got the shock of their life; there, in front of them all, stood the battered and bloodied figure of the village chief's only son…

nDrop!

nJi Hai dropped to the ground, unconscious, and face first into the dirt, as the village chief bellowed angrily;

n

"What are you all waiting for, take him to the village healer at once!

"

nEveryone scrambled about as two strongly built men came forward and carried him away;

n

"Chief, is that the head of an Obun Leader!?

"

nOne of the two grand elders behind the village chief gasped in shock at what they were seeing;

n

"I believe so, but that is of little interest to me now…

"

n

"Alert me once he wakes up!

"

nThe village chief spoke as he spun aggressively and returned into the makeshift palace, whilst one of the grand elders told a man to being the Obun head, and place it in the palace…

n

"How long would we have to wait before we can ask him about his mission?

"

nThe other grand elder spoke through quaking voice;

n

"It is my unconscious son we are talking about here, and you are not even concerned about his health and safety, but a stupid cultivation technique!?

"

n

"Show some respect!

"

nThe village chief retorted aggressively, but the grand elders simply relaxed for a bit, and allowed him to cool down before continuing the conversation;

n

"We have only had a meridian opening technique in the history of our village, this would be the first cultivation technique we have ever come so close to having, so forgive our anxiousness and insensitivity…

"

n

"Yeah, it is just as Left had said, this would usher the future of our entire village into a higher level…

"

n

"What I and Left are looking at here, is the potential opportunity to actually become the ruler of the entire dark lands, and even spread our territory as far as the grey lands…

" The other grand elder spoke;

n

"Left, Right, I hear you…

"

n

"Sorry for yelling at you, but if I ever have to pick between my son and a cultivation technique, you know what I will pick…

"

nThe village chief made a sentence with an underlying meaning, one the grand elders understood, and gave a sigh of relief as they reclined into their seats with a satisfied grin plastered on their faces…

nMeanwhile…

nDara had searched for the past one and a half hour and still couldn't find and still couldn't find any combustible materials or beast carcass, thus, he returned to their rendezvous point a little crest fallen…

nAbout thirty minutes later, the couple joined him at the rendezvous point and it seems they must have ran into each other on their way back;

n

"I can already see your good news…

"

nDara said when he saw the beast the size of an antelope that Uncle Min had on his shoulders, whilst his wife also added;

n

"I found a very high plateau about two kilometers to the east of this place, and it is also deep within the jungle, with the huge trees around hiding its presence…

"

n

"What about you?

" Uncle Min added;

n

"I have good news and bad news…

"

nDara spoke as they duo saw their smile slightly dim in intensity;

n

"We will take the bad news first…

"

nAunt Lin spoke first as Dara revealed;

n

"I couldn't find any beast carcass, or any combustible resources out here…

"

nHe spoke with slightly slumped shoulders, but was stunned when the couple in front of him burst out in laughter;

n

"Why didn't you tell us you were looking for such materials?

" The man was the first to speak;

n

"Alright let us have the good news…

"

nThe wife added as Dara understood that the materials he had spent hours looking for might not be so hard to find after all, thus he gave them the goodies;

n

"I was able to find ever other materials we will be needing for our new home…

"

n

"Really… Good… You did good…

"

nAunt Lin giggled in joy as she hugged Dara, squashing his face in between the two globes of boobs hanging on her chests…

nThen, as they were returning home, Dara asked;

n

"Do you know a place where we can get those materials, Uncle Min?

"

n

"Yes I do, and in fact, the two things you are looking for exists in the same location, in a place I discovered about two months ago when I went out hunting…

"

n

"We will first head over to the plateau tomorrow, and then I will take you to the place where you will find these materials…

"

nUncle Min patted Dara on the shoulder as he spoke with a happy smile…

nHe was very happy today because it had been a really long time since he last had a kill this big, and he was sure that it was because of the renewed hope Dara had given him…

nNot only did he have bright ambitions for them, he also backed it up with logical, and sensible tactics, and this was also including the fact that he gave them the first real meal they have had in the last five to six months…

nThis enough was a morale booster for him and all that contributed to his ability to land this huge score today, and now, he was already learning that even Dara's ambitions were already set in stones, especially now that they have found what was needed to make it happen;

nAs if in sync with her husband's thoughts, Aunt Lin joyfully added;

n

"There is nothing truly as motivating as achieving one's aims…

"

n

"What would even be better is if this happens on a daily basis…

"

nDara also grinned slightly at that thought as he felt it wasn't something unachievable, provided they don't set impossible daily goals…

nSoon enough, they returned home and Min Hong went straight to his room whilst Uncle Min and Aunt Lin prepared the kill…

nThey would have to skin it for fur and leather, use its bones, dry roast the rest of the meat to make it easily storable for the future…

nAbout half an hour later, Uncle Min called Dara over, and on getting there, Dara saw a hand size bowl containing the blood of the beast they just killed, and two smooth stones beside it…

n

"What are these for?

"

nDara asked thinking Uncle Min was about to do those integrating Viking rituals, where they use two or three fingers to smear the blood of a beast on the newcomer's face;

n'What in the world is a Viking?'

nDara thought to himself not knowing where the term Viking came from, which was something that freaked him out a little, because these knowledge had been seeping into his mind gradually without him knowing, and it was gradually changing his perspective and orientation about everything around him…

nThen he saw Uncle Min pick up both stones and struck it against each other producing a spark that instantly died out the moment it sparked to life…

nDara watched Uncle Min create a spark, and the moment the spark landed into the bowl of blood;

nBam!

nCough! Cough! Cough!

nThe blood violently reacted to the flames and exploded on contact, as it went up in flames, causing the du to cough from the ensuing grey smoke that billowed out of the explosion…

n

"Take… Place it in your room to light it up, and give you a little warmth…

"

n

"It also works well when you are planning to keep away those eerie grey smoke that keeps coming out of the ground…

"

nUncle Min handed what would be Dara's makeshift lamp to him…

n