#3
Helmut
Episode 3
Helmut was lost in thought as he dragged the rabbit.
Elagaga, a leopard, was intelligent, but not used to conveying knowledge or holding conversations.
When Helmut asked something, he was so annoyed that he had to explain or answer anything, so he ran away.
Because of this, it became a habit for Helmut to be lost in thought. Through Helmut’s meditation, he found and learned answers that no one could tell him.
Helmut was pondering Elaga’s words.
‘If I could get out, why would I be abandoned in this forest?’
It is difficult to reach the border, but as long as you are born with the ‘Sprout of Darkness’, you cannot break through the sacred barrier that burns all demons.
The same bead that was taken out of the rabbit’s body was also planted in Helmut’s heart.
From some point on, Helmut could vividly feel the presence of the sprout of darkness.
The sprout of darkness that had been lodged in his heart from birth grew bigger by eating things growing in the forest, giving him strange powers.
Things like a strong grip, agile body movements, developed senses and extra senses, and language skills.
It was the power that allowed Helmut to survive, but at the same time, it was a constraint that bound his fate.
*
Elaga, a leopard with the intelligence of a monster who has lived for a long time, knew a little about human habits.
When Helmut suffered from colic after eating raw meat as a child, Elaga naturally started a fire with Maggi. From then on, Helmut ate cooked meat.
While grilling meat in front of a crackling bonfire, Helmut opened his mouth after pondering.
“Anyway, I can’t go out of Pahe Forest. Because of the sprouts of darkness. “If you’re not going to be able to get out, wouldn’t it be better to eat a nuke to become stronger?”
That would be realistic.
Elaga said bitterly, looking at the bonfire.
-You can go out.
“Elaga has never been out.”
‘But how do you know?’ At the questioning look, Elaga snorted.
-I’ve never seen those who left, so I assume they’ll never be able to leave. I said I could go out.
“Who said that?”
-Somewhere east of here, the human I met.
Helmut’s eyes swayed left and right. surprised. It was my first time being so surprised.
“Human?”
Since his birth, Helmut has never once seen a human being other than me.
The forest of Pahe was wide, and the locations where humans were sent from outside were also varied.
No matter how much darkness they harbor, most babies die within a day or two. Even the exiled humans only last a little longer.
There were extremely few humans who survived. In particular, the area around Elaga’s territory was full of fierce monsters, making it difficult to survive.
It was pure luck that Helmut survived.
‘Elaga raised me.’
So Helmut also thought of Elaga as family. But still, Elaga and Helmut were not the same. Her roots were different.
Although Elaga belonged to the Forest of Pahe, Helmut sometimes felt disconnected from the dark and rough forest of Pahe. It felt strange to have to stay here forever.
Perhaps it is because he is human.
-You want to go find it? Don’t even dream. That person must have died.
“How can you be sure?”
Elaga became irritated when I asked her questions, so she swung her tail and broke a tree branch.
-Because that person is old.
Elaga let out an annoyed look as she looked up at him.
-He was an unusually strong human being. However, in this forest of Pahe, no matter how strong humans are, they cannot withstand the demon energy and become weaker. Since I don’t have the sprouts of darkness like you, I probably wouldn’t have lived long. I saw him long before you showed up, so he must be dead now.
“Tell me where you last saw him.”
-Why, you raised me and now you want to find a human? What a shameful guy!
“They say you have to live on your own when you grow up.” “Now I’m ten years old.”
He was ten years old, a mature male leopard. However, in Elaga’s eyes, Helmut is a kid who has grown a little more than the size of a pea.
Elaga was shocked.
-You are human. Humans still have a long way to go before they grow up. Anyway, let’s see about that human.
Elaga searched for memories. In fact, she had completely forgotten about it all this time.
-He must have been ninety years old.
“You said humans live to be 100 years old. Where did you see him?”
There was no particular reason for Helmut’s persistence. He was just curious. He is a human who may be alive. A human he had never seen since he fell into this forest.
‘You’re bothering me again. If I don’t teach you, I’ll keep bothering you, right?’
Elaga, who had been snoring whether she begged or not, opened her mouth.
-I don’t know if he still lives there.
“If you don’t have it, just come back.”
Elaga said he was strong. In this forest of Pahe filled with monsters, he is a human strong enough to be recognized by Elaga. I became curious again.
‘A strong human being even without the sprouts of darkness.’
Even with the sprout of darkness, Helmut was incomparably weaker than the monsters in the forest. Helmut was curious about the man’s strength.
‘How can humans become as strong as monsters?’
-Do whatever you want!
Finally, Elaga got angry and told him where he had last seen the human. Three days away at Helmut’s pace. It was a direction I had never gone before.
-Even if I die on the way, I don’t know.
Elaga turned around and sat down. Helmut got up, glanced at Elaga, and started walking in the direction he said.
*
Helmut walked very quietly and without making a sound.
Without Elaga’s protection, he is nothing more than strange prey in this forest full of monsters.
The first thing Elaga taught him was how to kill a ghost.
Fortunately, he had Elaga’s scent on him. There was no monster around here brave enough to touch Helmut, who had Elaga’s scent on him.
‘I said it was beyond the place where the flower vines grew.’
The poisonous flower vine was blooming with gorgeous red flowers. However, in the forest of Pahe, you should not let down your guard just by looking at the beautiful appearance.
Flowering vines were carnivorous plants. I quickly grabbed the body of the creature that came towards me, injected poison through the thorns, and used it as food.
It was a plant as dangerous as most monsters, but fortunately it only grew near water.
As he explored the area, he was able to find a red flower three days later.
Helmut, who carefully turned sideways and passed the flower vines so as not to provoke them, soon ran into a problem.
‘Cliff… … You can’t jump over it.’
The other side was quite far away. Elaga might be able to jump over it, but Helmut doesn’t even have the ability to do it.
Below was a far cliff, with strong water flowing.
‘Go safely.’
Helmut decided to go back a little and cross the water where the cliff lowered.
‘to the left.’
Helmut left a mark on this cliff and turned. The cliffs were getting lower as we went downstream.
After walking for a few hours, he reached a point where he could cross the valley. The valley seen up close was wide and deep.
‘Should I swim across here?’
Helmut approached the water’s edge. The current was not strong. The green transparent valley was so clear that the bottom was clearly visible. The temperature of the water will be as cold as ice.
‘for a moment.’
Helmut, who was about to throw himself into the water, suddenly stopped.
It sent shivers down my spine. It was a sensation that stimulated instinct. That sense had saved Helmut’s life many times.
Helmut took a step back and looked into the water. He feels eyes watching him from beneath the water.
A familiar gaze. It was a gaze aimed at prey!
-puck!
Suddenly, something exploded out of the water. Like lightning, her body flew to the side.
Clap! It violently attacked the spot where Helmut was. It was a green fish similar to the color of water.
A creature the size of Helmut’s torso jumped up, exposing its sharp, dense teeth.
He fixed his gaze on Helmut, opened and closed his mouth, and trembled with regret. Eyes crazy about appetite.
Goosebumps ran up my spine. Helmut grabbed a sharp stone from his belt and hit the guy on the head.
Kwasik! The bastard quivered his tail and died. Although it only has sharp teeth, it is a weak monster.
Helmut heaved a sigh of relief and took a few steps back from the water’s edge.
‘It’s not just one guy.’
I felt faint signs in the valley water. Numerous monsters of the same type as him were targeting him.
‘How should I cross?’
If you go into the water, it will be eaten and you will die. If we went upstream, the width of the valley might become narrower. You may have to go back in the direction you came from so far, but it will be safer that way.
‘But as soon as I leave Elaga’s territory, monsters will come after me.’
If you go a little further that way, you will be out of the area. Considering the width of the valley, it would take a long time to reach a place where the waterway is narrow enough for one to jump over. The risk will be greater.
Helmut’s eyes became serious.
‘But it’s too early to give up.’
If we go back like this, Elaga will laugh at us.
‘There must be a way.’
Clearly, Helmut was just a young boy. However, human strength does not originate from a weak body.
Unlike monsters who are born with strength, humans complement themselves with something else.
As I calmly looked around, my eyes fell on a flower vine nearby. A good idea occurred to me.
The effect of the poison contained in the flower vine is to paralyze the body and cause loss of consciousness.
‘It will still be effective even if it gets cloudy in water, right?’
I picked up a sharp stone and slowly approached the flower vine. In response to the vibration, the thorn vines moved slowly.
No matter how fast it moves, it is still a plant. Before the vines attacked, Helmut moved first.
I grabbed the end of the vine and cut it off with a stone knife. Kwasik! Blue juice flowed from the vine.
The dismembered flower vine twisted its body and retreated from Helmut.
Helmut went through the same process several times and obtained a sufficient amount of vines.
The flower vine, which had drastically reduced in size, quickly withered and died in the corner.
