Chapter 29: The Human Village
"Hey! Norne, look what I found!"
In an inconspicuous corner of the Glimmerwood, a tribe of simply-dressed humans made their home. Thanks to the ancient barrier left behind in this place, they had been able to live and multiply in this sanctuary.
A young man with golden hair, returning from a hunt, waved energetically to a black-haired man in the distance.
"Eirik, don't make such a fuss..."
The black-haired man, Norne, walked towards him, but his words trailed off as he saw the figure slung over his friend's back.
"What is this?"
Norne was surprised to see the unconscious figure, who was clearly human. It was the first time he had ever seen a human from outside their tribe. So Mr. Kraft had been right. There were other humans in the world.
"Where did you find him?"
"In the river over there. I was just about to clean my kill when this fellow came floating down from upstream. He was still alive, so I brought him back."
Norne carefully examined the unconscious man's face. There were some scrapes on his otherwise handsome features. His clothes were simple, but the sewing was far superior to their own. It was clearly the work of a larger, more advanced settlement.
"Let's get him inside for now. We can talk to him when he wakes up."
Norne helped Eirik carry the man into a low-roofed house and lay him on a bed made of animal skins. He left him in the care of his younger sister and went back outside.
Rhodes opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. A sharp pain shot through his entire body.
I'm alive?
He couldn't believe he had survived. To fall from such a high cliff and not be killed on impact... he had been truly lucky. He took a moment to assess his condition. There was pain everywhere, but it didn't seem to be too severe. He cautiously tried to sit up.
"Don't move. You have internal injuries. You need to rest," a pleasant female voice said. It belonged to a cute, black-haired little girl.
But what struck Rhodes even more was her distinctly human appearance. Had he, by some miracle, ended up in the human settlement in Glimmerwood? He had to be sure.
"Hello," he said. "Where is this?"
"Glimmerwood. My brother Eirik pulled you out of the river. Are you an adventurer from the outside?" the little girl asked, her eyes wide. Their tribe was small, with only about a hundred people, so they all knew each other. The man before her was a stranger.
Rhodes let out a long sigh of relief. The pain seemed to lessen slightly. He had been in so much pain before that his face had been contorted into a grimace. He forced a gentle smile, trying to look less intimidating. "Yes, my name is Rhodes. I am indeed from the outside."
The little girl blinked, her interest piqued. "What's it like on the outside? Mr. Kraft said there are many dangerous magical beasts out there. How did you survive?"
Kraft? It seemed this really was the human village he had mentioned. That would make things much easier. All he had to do now was wait for the others to arrive. They had agreed to regroup here before they were separated by the demon's attack. He hadn't expected to be the first to arrive, and in such a state. The price had been steep.
"Yes, it's very dangerous on the outside..." Rhodes said with a wry smile. He remembered the demon that had hunted him, and his final, desperate attack. He had failed to kill it, and its counter-attack had sent him flying into the river. But falling into the river had also been his salvation. Otherwise, he would have been the demon's next meal.
As he was thinking about how to explain what had happened, the door opened, and the black-haired man, Norne, walked in.
"You're awake?" Norne said, carrying a steaming bowl of herbal soup. He handed it to Rhodes. "Drink this. It will help with your injuries."
Rhodes took the bowl and thanked him, then took a small sip of the medicine. It was the first time he had drunk herbal soup since coming to this world. It was a miracle he hadn't gotten sick in the past half a year. He knew nothing about medicinal herbs and couldn't use healing magic. If he had fallen ill, he would have had to rely entirely on his own immune system.
The bitter taste made him wince, but a warmth soon spread from his stomach throughout his body, and the pain did indeed lessen.
"My name is Rhodes. Thank you for saving me," he said sincerely.
Norne waved his hand. "Don't mention it. I'm Norne, and this is my sister, Noryun. But, can you tell me how you ended up here?"
Rhodes was silent for a moment. He decided not to lie. "I was being hunted by a demon. It knocked me into the river, and then I ended up here."
"A demon!?" Noryun gasped, her small face filled with fear. In their tribe, the elders described demons as the most terrifying of all monsters. They were said to have five heads and ten eyes, and they would snatch away any disobedient children who wandered off and eat them. Just hearing the word made her little legs tremble.
Norne's expression also grew grim. "Are you sure it was a demon? What would one be doing near Glimmerwood?"
Glimmerwood was one of the few peaceful places in the world, without a single magical beast. He and Eirik would occasionally venture outside the forest to hone their skills against the beasts in the surrounding area, but they never strayed too far. He had never seen a demon, only heard about them from Kraft, who had said they had a humanoid form, with some exceptions.
Rhodes nodded. "I'm sure of it. And that demon was very strong."
He only knew that his attack hadn't killed it, only severely wounded it. He had no idea what had happened after that. "I have companions," he added. "Mr. Kraft is with us. He was the one who told me about your settlement."
"Mr. Kraft is here as well?" Norne and Noryun said at the same time. Kraft was a hero to their tribe. He had taught both him and Eirik how to fight. The news of his return made them both excited.
"That's right. You might even see him in a few days. He was the one who told me all about your tribe."
The Sky-Winged woman had been the first to tell him about Norne's tribe, but Kraft had given him more details, so it wasn't a complete lie.
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yo guys trying something new for Every 150 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter