𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑

(3)

The moment Luo’s consciousness awakened, he was struck by a ferocious gust of wind.

Above him, the Rock King Eagle was furiously flapping its wings. It was his first time seeing this demon beast so close. Immensely large. Luo’s body stiffened under its overwhelming presence and pressure.

The Rock King Eagle let out an ear-piercing cry.

Then, the surface of the canopy glowed in iridescent colors, and branches-like structures shot out.

Upon them, the Rock King Eagle landed.

It was a perch.

It seemed the tales that the Rock King Eagle could manipulate the rock walls at will were true.

With the blessings of “Ishigami-sama”, Luo too could slightly alter the rock surfaces. But there were limits to this transformation. He could only create minor indents or protrusions for a short duration.

On the perch, the Rock King Eagle spread its wings in a threatening manner, glaring at him with its faintly glowing red eyes.

Luo realized he had been spotted. With such heightened alertness, even if he dropped a rock, it would likely be dodged.

His strategy had failed.

The demon bird roared again. The canopy shimmered in iridescent colors, and this time, countless protrusions emerged. They resembled spearheads. All of these spikes were shot towards the pine tree where Luo stood. Luo could do nothing but cling to the pine’s trunk.

Fortunately, it seemed the attack missed. From slightly above, Luo heard a grating and distressing cry. He quickly looked up.

It was a rock lizard, about three times Luo’s length. Its limbs and torso had been impaled by the rock protrusions, rendering it immobile.

Judging by their positions, it appeared the rock lizard had spotted Luo first. It had tried to prey on Luo but was, in turn, noticed by the Rock King Eagle.

The Rock King Eagle took off with great force, disregarding the pine where Luo was, and attacked the rock lizard. Grabbing the lizard with its talons, it descended back to its perch.

It seemed it hadn’t noticed him after all.

With its sharp beak, it tore the flesh of the rock lizard and swallowed it voraciously. Despite the lizard’s tough scales, they posed no challenge.

Witnessing this overwhelming spectacle of nature, Luo was in awe.

Then, an idea struck Luo.

With the bird engrossed in its meal, perhaps he could aim for the Rock King Eagle’s head.

With all his strength, Luo lifted the piece of rock he had been clutching. At that moment, the pine that had been supporting Luo’s weight reached its limit. The trunk snapped, and Luo lost his balance.

The Rock King Eagle noticed the disturbance and looked up.

Their eyes met.

Though it had no facial expression, Luo could sense the demon bird’s surprise and confusion.

Its beak opened to roar, sending ripples through the air.

The surroundings became unnaturally clear to Luo, and everything seemed to move slowly.

Below the Rock King Eagle, the canopy gleamed in rainbow colors, and countless protrusions appeared. Luo realized it was the same technique used earlier on the rock lizard.

Unable to resist, he was falling.

Rather than dying like this, he thought, why not. . . . . .

Luo braced himself.

Holding the rock fragment, he pushed off the pine’s trunk.

Luo’s body leapt directly above the Rock King Eagle. For someone without wings, it was a kamikaze move, a leap of desperation.

Rock King Eagle did not attempt to dodge. He might have been fixated on the protrusion’s projection.

Luo’s gaze was fixed on one point alone.

The wide-open beak of Rock King Eagle.

Without showing any excitement or letting out a roar, Luo simply adjusted the position of the rock. The significant purpose of avenging his father seemed to have slipped from his mind.

He tossed a fragment of the rock into the beak.

At that moment, the scenery returned to its original speed.

Luo, who had been carried by momentum, collided with Rock King Eagle’s chest.

The radiant canopy above suddenly collapsed.

Frantically flapping its wings, Rock King Eagle repeatedly crashed into the walls of the Grand Canyon and plummeted into the abyss.

Having exhausted all his strength, Luo fell onto the canopy. Contrary to his expectations, it was soft, feeling almost like human skin, a sensation Luo was well familiar with.

Luo broke through the canopy and collided with the hard surface below. He didn’t have the time or the energy to brace himself. Hearing the sound of breaking branches, Luo lost consciousness.

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When Luo awoke, he was uncertain whether he was alive or dead. Due to the exhaustion and pain, he was almost numb.

His vision was quite dim. However, his limbs still moved, and he could hear sounds. He realized he must still be alive.

Luo then tried to recall the events before he blacked out.

The discovery of Rock King Eagle, his father’s arch-enemy. The purple moss at the base of a white pine and his father’s marker. Days of ambush.

And the confrontation with Rock King Eagle.

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“Where is Rock King Eagle?”

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Luo surveyed his surroundings.

He was in a cavity that looked like a massive vessel split vertically. Familiar views of the Grand Canyon surrounded him. There was no canopy above, and the evening sky was visible.

Piles of dead branches were all around Luo. It seemed he was in Rock King Eagle’s nest. Judging from the state of the sky, quite some time had passed.

There was no sign of Rock King Eagle. If he was unharmed, he should have returned from the canyon’s bottom. Could it mean Luo had avenged his father?

The sense of accomplishment was overshadowed by fatigue.

Luo didn’t even have the energy to stand. He was in the middle layer of the Grand Canyon. It seemed impossible to return to the surface.

“This is where I’ll die.”

Luo resigned himself to his fate.

Strangely, he felt at peace. Perhaps achieving his life’s purpose had brought him some satisfaction.

Then, he noticed a round object before him.

At the center of the piled-up dry branches was a somewhat elongated orb, too large to hold.

There was only one.

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“. . . . . .An egg?”

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The moment he murmured, his stomach growled loudly.

Although he had accepted his impending death, his body craved sustenance. It was still fighting to live.

If he could eat an egg of this size and rest, he might regain the strength to return to the surface.

Luo tried to crack the eggshell with a branch, but it was no use. The shell gleamed, repelling the impact. Some mysterious force seemed to be protecting the egg.

Luo took out flint and a fire starter from his pouch. With trembling hands, he made a spark. By blowing on the faint glow, he successfully ignited a flame.

The branches inside the nest were dry and burned well. Stacking them over the eggs, then placing the blue moss near the flames. When dried and ground, it becomes a spice suitable for meat and stews. Along with it, the red grass was thrown into the flames. Since rock lizards detest its smoke, moss collectors often carry it with flint.

This should provide some peace of mind.

Listening to the comforting sound of the branches crackling, Luo fell asleep.

When he woke up next, it was completely dark outside. He felt weak, but thanks to the campfire, he was warm.

Using a slightly longer branch, Luo scooped out the egg from the fire. The surface of the egg had turned black. Using the weight of the branch, he struck it repeatedly until cracks appeared on the shell.

It seemed like it could finally be broken. Creating cracks all over, he removed the shell piece by piece. What revealed itself was a burnt egg with a surface charred black. After removing the part that seemed like the egg white, a vividly colored yolk appeared.

It looked edible.

The yolk was a semi-liquid consistency, perfectly cooked. When Luo rubbed the dried blue moss between his hands, he sprinkled its powder over the egg. A captivating aroma tickled Luo’s nose. His stomach grumbled loudly.

He couldn’t resist any longer.

Luo took a bite of the egg yolk.

It was sweet, rich, and overwhelmingly delicious. It felt as if warmth was permeating every corner of his body from the pit of his stomach. Forgetting about the mess on his face and clothes, Luo hungrily continued to eat the egg.

Delicious. Too delicious. Perhaps there isn’t anything more delicious in this world.

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“――Ugh.”

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 　At that moment, a sharp pain ran deep in the stomach. It felt like swallowing a needle, an intense pain. The stomach churned, and something hot surged up.

 　However, unable to vomit. As if the contents had stuck to the stomach, it resisted violently. Holding onto the body, Luo rolled around inside the nest. Cold sweat flowed due to the intense pain, and the entire body convulsed.

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“Aaaah!”

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Unbeknownst to Luo, the surrounding rock walls shone in iridescent colors. The light eroded the walls, creating holes like ones made by insects. A metallic sound echoed. After the light disappeared, small round stones the size of fingertips were formed and fell.

They were fragments of the compressed rock wall.

For Luo, this second life-or-death battle lasted until the next morning.