Chapter 11: Survival 2
The two Zirkes I brought out called themselves ‘……521513’ and ‘……521107’.
Since the leading numbers were bleakly numerous, I decided to call them by the last three digits of their numbers, like names.
“513, turn left. 107, block the escape route.”
“Understood.”
“Blocking escape route.”
They spoke in short bursts like robots, but they weren’t stupid. They were the ones who had proven their skills in ‘Glackchi’ hunting several times, so I could trust them.
Glackchi.
A large frog that walks on all fours in an awkward posture. Similar in physique and gait to a gorilla, but it was a creature with a height of 5 meters and monstrous strength. To describe its appearance, just imagine a bullfrog with its hind legs and front legs switched, and you’ll get the perfect picture.
When the Zirkes encountered these guys, they said, ‘Glackchi. Discovered.’, which is how I learned their name.
━Whoosh!!!━
“Tsk, we’ve been found out. 513! 107! Cease operation! Just fight!”
“Yes, sir.”
“Yes, sir.”
Despite being frogs, Glackchis have degenerated hind legs.
Instead, as I mentioned earlier, they have long, thick arms like a gorilla, and the punches they throw by folding and extending their arms are technically punches due to their structure, but they’re no different from kicks. The muscular strength of a 5-meter amphibian boasts tremendous destructive power.
“Don’t get hit! It’s instant death..!”
Contrary to my worries, 513 and 107 began fighting the Glackchi, easily dodging its punches. The Glackchi’s thick green blood splattered everywhere, but it didn’t seem like they were landing any fatal blows. They were good at piercing the skin and cutting through the fat, but the Zirke’s sickles were too short to reach the internal organs.
While my subordinates drew its attention, I climbed a tree, and now all that was left was to jump down.
“Get out of the way!!!”
As I swung the two sickles I gained after becoming a Zarack in an X shape, the branches and even the grass were all cut down.
Of course, in the center of it all was the Glackchi collapsing with a ‘Thud’ sound.
“Phew……”
For a while, a fountain of blood showered us.
“Well done, 513, 107.”
When I roughly sliced the meat and tossed it to them, they waved their antennae in a bewildered manner.
“……Redistribution. Are you not doing it?”
“The amount of meat is quite large.”
I said with a sigh.
“Just eat what you’re given, you guys. Individuals who directly participated in the hunt should be given a little more. That’s the reward for labor and a fair compensation. You wouldn’t understand with your tiny brains anyway.”
The Gullak were crazy bastards who had achieved ultimate communism, so they were arguing that even though they hunted it themselves, they had to share it equally with 700 individuals.
I have to make a face like this for them to listen to me.
When they and I had filled our hungry stomachs, I said.
“……We move as before. 107, lead the main force to this Glackchi’s corpse. 513 and I will kill the approaching scavengers and secure additional food.”
“Understood.”
The main force had already eaten three Glackchis down to the bone. I don’t know how much more I have to feed them before they say they’re full. I haven’t even solved the problem of their body temperature dropping yet, so how am I supposed to survive for three days……?
━Rustle━
“……They’re coming again.”
The rustling sounds increased as they smelled the blood of the Glackchi.
If you think this pastel-colored, shining night forest is good because it’s bright, you’re sorely mistaken.
On the contrary, it makes it difficult to spot the pitch-black hunters that don’t shine at all.
The glowing mushrooms and flying insects interfere with the dark adaptation of the eyes with a very subtle amount of light. They don’t particularly illuminate the surroundings, but they thoroughly prevent the eyes from getting used to the darkness.
In the meantime, the jet-black enemies crawl in, and this is driving me crazy.
“513…… Ilsam!”
“?”
“Ilsam, yes you. Cover my back. I can’t see a thing.”
“Zarack-nim. Front. One ‘Ollodos’.”
I told him to cover my back, but he even informs me of the creatures approaching my front. Ilsam seems to be quite a useful guy.
Ollodos.
Ollodos is a wide, flat lizard whose head looks exactly like a toilet bowl. Its skin absorbs light, allowing it to completely camouflage in the darkness, and it’s a relatively silent scavenger.
Of course, if there are other creatures around the corpses, it attacks them. Fresher meat seems to be good for scavengers too.
I saw the light of a luminous mushroom on the ground disappear for a ‘moment’.
“There you are!”
━Thwack!━
Hot blood splattered. It seemed like I was right.
‘……My detection ability, which is worse than Ilsam’s, must be because I rely on my eyesight, right? I guess I end up relying on my human senses when I’m in a hurry……’
Ilsam and I fought back-to-back, taking down the Ollodos group. I don’t know when 107, Ddaengchil, will be back, but it looks like we’ll have to maintain this position for a while.
“……Zarack-nim. Main force has arrived.”
“Oh, Ddaengchil is here.”
“?”
“Yes, you are Ddaengchil.”
I feel reassured with Ilsam and Ddaengchil by my side. Although if those ‘Night Predators’ that Mursheet mentioned appear, all 700 of us, including me, will be screwed, but until then, we have no choice but to fight with all our might.
The corpse of the giant Glackchi that had been lying dead was instantly disassembled in front of the hungry main force’s feeding frenzy.
‘Those guys. They eat well.’
As I was watching with satisfaction, Ilsam asked.
“……Zarack-nim. The Zik are on the verge of freezing to death. What should we do?”
“That’s a good question.”
I started to recall the survival shows I watched as a child, pulling out the flimsy knowledge from my head.
What do I have to do to start a fire? Will the common sense of Earth be consistent with the common sense here? There were so many things to worry about.
In the meantime, I could check the newly updated messages in my head.
‘So the official name of the Flying Nose Hair Potato was Papua.’
Mursheet would have already collected the genetic traits of such trivial creatures. I don’t think I can survive in the Night Forest with these useless skills that I wouldn’t even take if they were given to me.
I turned my attention to the surrounding rocks.
‘It’s difficult to command 700 Legionaries by myself. Shall we divide the roles?’
“Listen carefully, everyone. From now on, I’m appointing Ddaengchil and Ilsam here as commander individuals. In order to survive, you must treat these two individuals as equals to a Zarack, not just Zirkes!”
Judging by the numerous antennae waving incessantly, they seemed to be in great confusion. Sure enough, one of the Zirkes raised an objection.
“……Zirke is. Zirke. Without evolution. Equal.”
“Sigh……”
I chose Ddaengchil and Ilsam in the first place because they were the most reliable ones. Judging from their nutritional state, the texture of their carapace, and the number of scars on their bodies, they are undoubtedly the strongest among these 700, after me.
‘They’re doing this because they’re capable……’
Shaking my head, I spoke to the Zirke who had raised the objection, while simultaneously releasing a wide-range pheromone so that all my subordinates could hear.
“We are currently separated from the Outpost. Individuals who stray from the group are destined to die. The Gullak are strong because they are a Legion, and they exist because they are a Legion. Then, you Zirkes should know that we must use any means necessary to return to the Legion.”
“……That is correct.”
“Now, then, under the premise that we will use any means necessary, I will make a proposal.”
“Order. No, a proposal? Is it?”
“Yes. It seems like you’re reluctant to follow an individual you consider equal. So we will determine the hierarchy by force. If there is anyone among you Zirkes who can fight and win against Ddaengchil, I will reconsider my opinion.”
The Zirkes understood the situation immediately.
“Duel hierarchy…… An ancient method…… Wild Gullak. An extinct method.”
Their reaction was negative, but I seized on those words.
“You said it well. This is the traditional method of the wild Gullak. Are we a Legion now? Or are we wild Gullak? Did the wild Gullak go extinct in just three days? We can survive sufficiently with that method. We will follow the law of the jungle until we return to the Outpost.”
“……”
“……”
Mere Zirkes don’t have the intelligence to rival my eloquence. However, the one who initially raised the objection seemed to have a rebellious nature, as he raised a rebellion. That ‘rebellion’ was expressed by challenging Ddaengchil. He must think that he can change my mind if he wins.
“Good. Ddaengchil, take him on.”
I put Ddaengchil forward to prove his qualifications.
Ilsam had already proven his excellence by fighting alongside me, demonstrating excellent teamwork and detection abilities, so it was proven that he was superior to ordinary Zirkes.
Now it’s Ddaengchil’s turn.
“Krrrk……!”
“Keeek!”
The two Zirkes stood upright and faced each other.
Ddaengchil, like a seasoned fighter, kept his antennae close to his head so they wouldn’t get cut off. It was a natural preparation for a fight involving swinging blades. On the other hand, the rebellious Zirke extended his antennae forward to gather as much information as possible about his opponent.
That was his mistake. Searching between the same individuals is an unnecessary act in the first place. Because in terms of specs, the two were no different.
━Snap!━
The Zirke’s antennae were cut off, and the pain created a momentary opening. Ddaengchil dug into that opening. The Zirke twisted his body with a ‘Keeek!’ sound and barely managed to deflect the sickle attack.
‘Oh?’
But it was only for a moment. Ddaengchil’s attack wasn’t over. He immediately pounced on the Zirke with a movement characteristic of a centipede. Ddaengchil, who had him completely immobilized like a rolled-up sushi, bared his fangs.
“Stop!!!”
As soon as I shouted the stop command, the two individuals immediately ceased their movements.
The drop of venom that had formed at the tip of Ddaengchil’s fangs fell ‘plop’ onto the Zirke’s neck.
“The match is over. Now, our 700 Legionaries will temporarily follow the law of the jungle! Ddaengchil and Ilsam will be treated as Zaracks, and we must not forget that all of this is for survival!”
Only then did everyone seem to be complying.
As long as I roughly construct sentences by including ‘prosperity of the species’, ‘survival’, or ‘Legion’, the response gradually improves.
‘They’re a handful. But I needed to divide and operate the troops this way, even if it meant doing this.’
200 under Ilsam, 200 under Ddaengchil. And I was responsible for 300.
“Ilsam has good detection abilities, so gather the surrounding rocks and minerals. The ones that shine ‘brightly’ when struck with a sickle are the good ones. Leave the lookout to other individuals and focus all your antennae’s nerves on searching.”
“Understood.”
He bowed his antennae and quickly began to move.
“Ddaengchil has high combat power, so patrol widely and engage in vigilance and escort. Secure a safe space so that Ilsam’s group can work without worry.”
“Understood.”
He released an excitement pheromone to increase his movement speed and led his subordinates.
Both of them are talents that satisfy me. Should I call them…… gifted bugs?
“Zarack-nim. We also. Orders.”
They were part of my 300 subordinates. Even though they spoke awkwardly like robots, they had no problem understanding, so I explained to them as detailed as possible.
“We are also a group that prepares for battle. However, in peacetime, we are a group that establishes a base and conserves energy. Considering Ddaengchil’s patrol range, we will position ourselves in the center. From now on, I will call my group the ‘main force’.”
The role of the main force is to be able to quickly join the fight no matter where it breaks out. Think of it as a 5-minute standby force, QRF, or a mobile strike force. As I finished my explanation, positive pheromones were released from all around.
It’s a relief that they can understand even with their bug brains.
“Good. Follow me.”
Mursheet told me to minimize movement, but based on my judgment on the scene, it wasn’t like that at all. First of all, it was better to move because of the cold, and if we didn’t expand our range of activity, we couldn’t possibly feed 700 mouths.
About 40 minutes passed, I felt.
Ilsam’s group returned to the main force and unloaded a large amount of rocks. As I walked towards them, Ilsam quickly jumped out and reported.
“Report. A large number of glittering minerals have been collected.”
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