Ch.292292. Mountain Lord (1)

After subduing the group of monsters blocking our path, how much time had passed?

Naturally, less than a hundred low-grade monster weaklings were no match for two high-grade beings like us.

Honestly, if we wanted to kill them, we could have massacred them all with just basic mana manipulation attacks, but seeing monsters that were natural enemies fighting together made us want to capture them alive to understand why.

So using magic—specifically, a binding spell with vines that’s considered basic druid nature magic—Sophia and I captured them without a single injury and shared the same thought.

“…Why are they so amateurish?”

“They just seem to lack fighting experience overall….”

These creatures were certainly too clumsy and inexperienced to believe they were simply out hunting for food, and they didn’t seem to have any particular will to kill us in the first place.

Having been frequently exposed to the wild mysteries of primal magic and developed animal-like senses, I had become able to detect what should be called “killing intent,” but despite my heightened senses, I couldn’t feel any killing intent from them.

Most decisively, the attacks they launched were clearly far from attempts to kill us.

Their magical and ranged attacks were noticeably aimed at limbs rather than vital points like the torso or head, with carefully moderated power.

Even the low-grade monsters that engaged in close combat tried to subdue me by using their body weight rather than their claws, their intentions to restrain rather than kill me painfully obvious.

To be frank, in such a moderate approach, I felt more curiosity than anger or irritation.

Therefore, although they were technically “enemies” who attacked us both….

‘Hmm…. Sophia, what do you think?’

[I don’t think… we need to kill them?]

Since their intentions were clearly visible and it seemed there must be some circumstances behind their actions, we decided to set aside our usual punitive approach and… use a more druid-like method for once.

“Which one of you is the leader?”

[….Huh?]

[Wh-what…!?]

[A human… speaking?]

Perhaps it was quite shocking that I spoke to them in a language they could understand, considering they were technically monsters.

While the others showed various reactions—reactions that revealed their inexperience—a bear monster with a black crescent mark on its chest, who seemed unusually composed and experienced among these lightweight creatures, spoke up.

[I am… I am the leader.]

“Good. Then what’s your name?”

[Woong-jin… sir.]

A crescent-marked bear monster with an impressive scar over one eye and a deep, dignified voice. I guessed he was probably at the stage of transforming from an ordinary bear into a monster. He quieted the others with a glance and addressed me calmly.

“Well, Woong-jin. What kind of reaction do you think we should have to you attacking us?”

[Retaliation…. I suppose.]

“Hmm…. Yes, that’s right. That was our original intention.”

[…?! Could you… could you explain in more detail?]

A ray of light in an environment where everyone expected death.

As Woong-jin desperately asked for clarification, unable to ignore this glimmer of hope, Sophia and I, seeing our plan proceeding as intended, smiled wickedly and immediately continued.

“Actually, I was curious. Why would creatures of different species, who don’t seem to have much systematic combat experience, form a group specifically to attack us?”

[That’s…!]

Perhaps it was incredibly surprising to this frog-in-a-well that someone had accurately perceived their intentions.

He didn’t even try to hide the fact that he had some intention, showing outward signs of confusion—an emotion that shouldn’t be revealed so carelessly to an enemy….

“So, Woong-jin. By now you understand what I’m asking, right?”

[…Pardon?]

“Haaa…. I’m telling you to explain why you attacked us. Since you didn’t seem intent on killing us, I’m giving you one chance.”

[Ah…!]

Though relatively composed, at his core he was still a beast that had lived in the wild.

The bear man, whose expressions were completely transparent, only understood my words after I explained everything in detail….

[First, I would like to apologize.]

‘….Oh?’

As I admired this bear named Woong-jin who bowed his head respectfully in apology, I nodded to indicate he should continue, and only then did he speak….

[My lord… the Mountain Lord is ill. So…]

‘Oh? Is that so?’

[This is quite interesting.]

The answer that came from Woong-jin’s mouth was quite fascinating to us.

※ ※ ※

The Mountain Lord (San-gun). This tiger monster, famous for inhabiting the mountainous regions of the peninsula where the Kingdom of Korea is established, is a powerful monster that reigns like a monarch in mountainous areas, as its name suggests.

They are naturally mid-grade monsters with the potential to rise to high-grade, and naturally possess abilities that are incomparable even among other mid-grades.

Their solid muscles, which can easily deflect large-caliber direct firearms (hand cannons), embody the principle of unified offense and defense.

These muscles, which even the official “Victory Hand Cannon” cannot penetrate, exert maximum power when wrapped in mana and swung at enemies.

Moreover, the yellow and black fur covering their skin not only resists easy penetration by aura-wrapped blades but also possesses the extremely rare ability to nullify substandard magic—a magic nullification ability.

The most fundamental bodily organ that forms the foundation and root of these biological tissues is their skeleton, made of a material as solid as adamantium-steel alloy, which firmly supports this body.

Additionally, the Mountain Lord complements these unparalleled physical abilities with special powers: enhanced senses and mystical abilities.

Senses so transcendental that when fully activated, they can detect the entire mountain they rule from a sitting position, and when this output is fully concentrated on themselves, they achieve a sensitivity approaching future prediction.

And mystical powers that are strange and heterogeneous, impossible to define by specific standards, closer to primordial magic than anything else.

In particular, the Mountain Lord, as master of an otherworld, gained mysterious and special powers that could be exercised more powerfully when taking control of that otherworld.

These characteristics naturally contributed to making the Mountain Lord reign as a legendary predator and ruler of the wild, to the extent that almost all mountain-type otherworlds within the Kingdom of Korea have Mountain Lords reigning as masters.

The apex of the ecosystem, the pinnacle. Considering the high-grades that are virtually exceptions, there would be no living being in the Kingdom of Korea’s ecosystem that could challenge them….

“….The Mountain Lord is sick?”

[Y-yes, that’s right.]

“Was it attacked by someone?”

[What? Oh, no! Actually, it’s an ill-illness…]

Since it was difficult to imagine such a Mountain Lord being injured by someone and unable to recover easily, Sophia’s question was answered with the fact that the Mountain Lord had fallen ill.

And… there was something else I could discern from this process.

Judging by the guilt in Woong-jin’s voice as he revealed the fact that his lord was ill, it seemed that the character or personality of his lord, the Mountain Lord, couldn’t be too bad.

Despite the grand title of “Lord of the Mountain,” a Mountain Lord is actually not much different from other otherworld masters, and therefore the way they control their otherworld varies according to individual tendencies.

Most don’t behave beyond being the ecosystem’s top predator, but among Mountain Lords, there are occasionally those who possess what might be called sociability or political acumen, separate from their bestial nature.

Considering that the mysteries of the wild simplify the subject’s thinking and reduce the ability to read emotions or minds, monsters mostly think simply even with high intelligence… such characteristics were unusual enough to be considered exceptional.

Anyway, while Mountain Lords’ thinking patterns typically vary according to individual tendencies, seeing how this subordinate considered his lord’s well-being, it seemed that his lord wasn’t a particularly bad character either….

‘Sophia, what do you think about going to see?’

[…I’d like that. It sounds interesting.]

Since we had come without any specific timeframe and there weren’t many entertaining things to do, we both agreed to hear their circumstances and meet this Mountain Lord they spoke of.