Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Cloudy had a very restless sleep, with faint cheers coming from outside throughout the night. The uncomfortable feeling of sleeping squeezed in between crevices made her long for her cozy little cave and the dry grass mat inside. Despite the interruptions, Cloudy eventually drifted off, only to be startled awake multiple times.

Oh, how she missed her cool mat! This was Cloudy's first thought upon waking up early. Her face was half stuck in the mud, requiring some effort to pull free. Stiff from sleeping face down, it took her a while to wriggle out of the crevice, with her joints crackling as she moved. After nibbling on some snacks from her pouch, she cautiously began her day as dawn broke, not wanting to draw too much attention.

After confirming her direction, Cloudy discreetly marked her path with a small stick and set off. She first approached the cliff face and continued forward along it.

Perhaps due to just waking up, Cloudy's mind wasn't fully alert. However, she felt neither fear nor confusion at this moment. Her sole focus was to locate the "courtyard" from her memories as quickly as possible. Stripped of unnecessary emotions, she moved swiftly and cautiously. Once in the forest, she crafted a leaf garment and wielded a bone stick she had found as a weapon. Under the cover of the forest, she circled back to the woods opposite the settlement gate and then, guided by memory, headed southwest.

Every five hundred steps, she left a visible marker with a stick or wedged it in a tree. To her surprise, Cloudy remembered this stretch of the journey because the locals had trodden paths in the forest near the gate, creating distinct trails. Encouraged by her intuition, she quickened her pace.

After ten sets of five hundred steps, Cloudy decided to take a brief rest. The trails had vanished, and she needed to be more diligent in finding her way from here. The "courtyard" was the place she had found on the third morning after being cast out of the tribe.

Yet, this didn't mean it would take her two days to find it now. Back then, she had spent most of her time hiding, sometimes for hours. If she kept a straight course now... Cloudy encouraged herself, she might just reach it before sunset.

Before continuing, Cloudy organized her belongings. She spread out two animal hides, wrapped her down jacket and yesterday's findings from the material factory inside them, creating a large bundle. Securing it with vines she had gathered, she left the ends free and tied it around herself, freeing her hands. This way, she could be prepared for any sudden animal attacks.

With her preparations complete, Cloudy set off again, moving faster now that she was far from the settlement and could afford to be less cautious, even breaking into a jog in some sections. Her endurance had improved...
For a long time, she didn't feel very tired.

In the end, she saw the tree from her memory, a large tree with rectangular leaves. She knew she should head east from here. She had chosen to go east after encountering this tree because she had been attacked, panicked, and strayed from the path.

The attacker was a strange animal with long fur, mottled colors like tree bark. It lay motionless on a tree, almost invisible if not carefully observed. Recalling that situation made Cloudy break into a slight cold sweat... nervously observing the nearby tree trunks, she didn't want to be pounced on by a strange animal a second time!

Gripping the large bone club in her hand, after marking her spot, Cloudy ran eastward. Her exploration progress was good; it had taken her a whole day to reach the square-leaf tree before, but now it had only been two or three hours? There was still a long time until noon.

Cloudy felt very satisfied with her increased efficiency, even a bit inflated with confidence. Though still at the bottom of the rainforest food chain, she could now explore the rainforest alone. She knew what kind of thickets or vegetation to avoid because they surely housed large insects, and she knew which trees to steer clear of as they might hide lurking beasts.

Satisfied, very satisfied... she had truly made progress in these two months. However, she didn't continue blindly confident and didn't rule out the possibility of not finding the "clearing." Along the way, she kept an eye out for tree hollows or natural root caves that could serve as temporary overnight shelters, marking each one specially to ensure she could find her way back when needed.

When exploring the rainforest alone, Cloudy was mentally prepared for an attack. So when she heard strange noises to her right while marking the stick, her first reaction wasn't panic or screaming, but releasing the mark and gripping the large bone club tightly.

The footsteps were slow, gradually getting closer. Cloudy slowly turned her head to the right, currently only seeing broad-leaved plants and curled ferns, not ruling out the possibility of mishearing.

Should she run forward? Or stay put? Gripping her weapon tightly, she felt her heart rate quicken. If she ran forward and the attacker was faster, she might be tackled from behind, losing the initiative. Maybe better to hold her ground.

This decision was correct; about a minute later, the rustling footsteps in the thicket drew nearer, and several black and white intertwining slender tentacles emerged.

It was a bug. Cloudy instinctively frowned.

After the tentacles, a greatly enlarged centipede head appeared, with a pair of pincer-like mouthparts, but overall, it didn't seem taller than Cloudy, not a giant bug, at least not as big as the one Titus killed yesterday.

Should she run? Fight? Can she outrun it? Can she win in a fight? Cloudy anxiously licked her lips as the bug finally exposed half of its body from behind the thicket.
The enlarged bug was truly disgusting, it hesitated as it saw Cloudy make no move, gently swaying its body from side to side, making a strange crackling sound.

Instead of lunging at Cloudy, it slowly inched closer. It was an unfamiliar prey in front of it, something it had never seen or smelled before... The bug observed, and so did Cloudy.

How did Titus kill bugs yesterday? He grabbed and tore them apart frantically... Not much of a reference, but any bug should die as long as it's not a roach that can survive headless, right? Cloudy waited for the bug to come closer, the distance gradually shrinking. The bug, seeing no reaction from her, boldly took the final few steps rapidly, its tentacles pointing downward, its disgusting bug mouth only about a meter away from Cloudy's head.

At that moment, Cloudy tightened her grip on the weapon in her hands, aimed at the center of the bug's mouth, and thrust with all her might.

The chilling sensation instantly reached her brain, like puncturing raw meat wrapped in plastic. She didn't have time to recoil and swiftly pulled out the bone rod to stab forcefully beneath the bug's head, but this attack wasn't successful; she didn't anticipate the jaw part of the bug's shell to be so tough, and the bone rod didn't pierce through. This mistake gave the bug a chance to retreat.

What happened next even surprised herself... It wasn't a command from her brain but rather surrendering her entire body to adrenaline. She took two quick steps forward, grabbed the bug's tentacle firmly with one hand, and forcefully stabbed the bone rod back into the bug's mouth, this time deeper and harder.

Dark brown bug fluid, accompanied by a nauseating stench, gushed onto Cloudy's arms and cheeks. She didn't slow down but withdrew the bone rod and stabbed again. The bug struggled desperately, but she held onto the tentacle tightly, keeping the bug's head in place.

Die quickly. That was the only thought in Cloudy's mind; the bug's mouth was now like a burst firework. Eventually, the bug slowly ceased its movements and lay lifeless on the ground.

"..." She stared, raised the bone rod, and thrust it into the motionless body of the bug to prevent any revival. After confirming its complete demise, Cloudy crouched down, scooped up some soil, applied it to her arms, and rubbed it to wash away the foul-smelling bug blood.

Once done, Cloudy began examining the bug's carcass; without Titus nearby to introduce her, she wasn't sure if this thing was poisonous, so she disregarded the bug meat, but those tough tentacles were quite nice. Cloudy yanked them a few times, pulling out the tentacles entirely.

After collecting her spoils, she hurriedly hit the road, not daring to linger near the bug's corpse for too long, afraid of attracting more predators. This small victory was undoubtedly worth celebrating... Cloudy walked lightly, a smile on her face.

And so, she left.

Titus crouched at the material factory, last night Cl
In front of the gap where Cloudy rested. Although he had hurried to finish the work in the settlement, it was almost noon. He searched the material factory for Cloudy's figure but only found the stick marks left by Cloudy.

The marks led southwest, and at his pace, Titus could catch up with Cloudy quickly. Titus didn't waste any time and ran into the rainforest following the marks. Cloudy's marks were very discreet, probably to avoid being noticed by his tribe, which significantly slowed Titus down.

After returning to the settlement last night, he was not surprised to be punished... Titus missed the evening fire worship and wasn't given any of the food blessed by the flames. It was a bit unfortunate; Cloudy would probably have wanted the food blessed by fire. However, no one noticed anything happening on the hillside; that place didn't hold much value.

Titus spent the whole night thinking about Cloudy, regretting leaving him outside the settlement. He wanted to sneak out and check on Cloudy several times, but the gate was closed and guarded. Not wanting to cause more trouble for Cloudy, Titus had to go home, sleep, and pack some things to bring to Cloudy the next day.

In the morning, Titus was called by the hunters in his team. The hunters resting in the village were preparing for the next hunting trip, as the previous team would be returning in ten sunsets. Their team would be the last to go out before the rainy season, with the heaviest task ahead.

With more newborns in the settlement, the demand for food during the rainy season increased. This was the most critical time... In previous years, Titus was always very focused at this time, bringing back the most food and hunting information. But now, while preparing, all he could think about was what Cloudy was doing.

"..." Titus lost Cloudy's mark again. He searched for a long time in the same place but couldn't find the small stick that should have been inserted into the ground. Did Cloudy forget to mark? It seemed unlikely, as there had been marks along the way.

Titus panicked, imagining various scenarios. Was Cloudy taken by a wild animal? Or had someone else found him? But there were no signs of a struggle around. He hurried back to the previous mark and retraced his steps in the right direction.

This time, he made a new discovery: a dead insect. The head showed signs of deliberate damage, while the body had marks of animal bites. Was it done by Cloudy? Titus couldn't be sure, so he continued forward along the insect's body and soon found the next stick.

This discovery relieved Titus; the stick mark here indicated that the insect from earlier hadn't harmed Cloudy.

The place was just a short distance...
The settlement is already very far away. Cloudy probably understands the distance, so the next markers start to become more obvious and dense. Approximately every hundred steps or so, you can see a long stick standing on the ground. Titus, upon seeing these sticks, immediately pulls them out and tosses them aside to prevent others from discovering Cloudy's markers.

Originally, he thought he would intercept Cloudy halfway, but by afternoon, besides the markers, he hadn't even seen a strand of Cloudy's hair. However, as long as the markers continue to appear, it proves that Cloudy is safe, and during the search, Titus doesn't feel as anxious.

The markers eventually disappear in front of a stone covered with moss. No matter how much Titus searches around, he can't find any other signs. It's nearing sunset, and he feels that this stone in front of him should be the destination, but how did Cloudy get in?

This place is similar to what Cloudy had built with small stones before. In front are two stones overlapping each other, covered with thick moss, with long grass growing all over, almost completely concealing the stones. Behind these two stones is a towering cliff similar to the one near the settlement. Titus bends over, looking up at the cliff, which almost breaks through the canopy and likely connects to the mountains behind.

"Cloudy...?" Titus hesitates, trying to see if Cloudy can hear him, "Cloudy—?"

After calling out several times without a response, just as Titus is about to walk along the cliff to explore further, a voice suddenly comes from behind the thick moss, followed by a head popping out, saying, "Titus! You're here!"

"Cloudy, Cloudy!" Excited, Titus rushes forward, grabbing Cloudy's shoulder as she emerges from the moss, pulling her out from underneath, which earns him an angry kick and pushback from Cloudy, "Don't pull me!"

Nevertheless, she is pulled out and embraced, with Titus exclaiming, "Cloudy, did you find it? Amazing!"

Indeed, this time was truly amazing. Cloudy, despite the pain in her shoulder from being pulled, urgently wants Titus to evaluate if this place is suitable to stay because it's just too good inside! Better than she remembered!

She struggles to break free from Titus's embrace but ends up being held tighter. Titus rambles on, and she doesn't understand a word, "Slow down?"

"I was worried about you! Now that I see you're okay, I'm so happy! I want to hold you close!"

Cloudy feels her cheeks start to blush. She's never heard such pure and direct words in her life, except for the message from her landlord demanding this month's rent.

She coughs a few times, still being swayed by Titus. Her face pressed against his chest, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
"Titus, why have you been helping me all this time?"

"I don't know!"

Well, that was an unexpectedly direct answer. Cloudy couldn't help but roll her eyes, but Titus, being a simple local, might genuinely not know, just acting on a whim.

"Cloudy was abandoned, I find it very pitiful." Titus slowly placed Cloudy back on the ground, cupping her face in his hands. "Cloudy is very talented; she shouldn't have been abandoned. Perhaps that's why I'm helping Cloudy."

"..." Cloudy felt her eyes welling up with tears if Titus said a few more words. She quickly changed the subject, leading Titus to the entrance of the courtyard.

"Let's go in." Cloudy lifted the thick moss covering a stone, revealing a triangular passage formed by overlapping stones underneath. She had measured it before. Titus tightened his shoulders slightly, managing to squeeze in.

"This is very hidden..." Titus had explored this area many times but never noticed this passage beneath the moss. Cloudy entered first, and he followed, struggling a bit due to his tall stature but managed to get through.

"Give me your hand; I'll pull you out." Cloudy reached out from outside and pulled Titus out with effort. As Titus emerged, he was greeted by a spacious cave with a high ceiling and a large opening above, letting sunlight illuminate the space.

Some plants sparsely grew here, with a shallow water puddle in one corner.

"What do you think?" Cloudy was very pleased with the place, slightly larger than a basketball court, with only two entrances. The first was where she and Titus entered, and the second was the opening in the cave's ceiling, too high for beasts to enter easily.

"The best part is..." Cloudy pointed to a natural high mound on the left side of the cave. "We can build our home up there; even during the rainy season, water won't flood in." She needed to confirm with Titus how heavy the rainfall was during the rainy season.

"This place is very good!" Titus promptly affirmed. "The upper part of the slope has denser vegetation. The water level won't rise high."

With his reminder, Cloudy realized why the surface vegetation in the cave was sparse; it was due to flooding. She marveled at how the cave she had rushed into in a panic had become her official residence.

"What are you doing?" Before Cloudy could continue her reflections, Clo
udy saw Titus running around in the cave, touching things here and there, and then he stood directly under the skylight, looking up.

"I want to confirm if this is a breeding cave. However, I haven't found... *%$"

Cloudy didn't understand the last word, but after Titus gestured, she learned a new word: "Eggshell?"

"Yes, no eggshells." Titus returned to Cloudy's side, and they both went to a small hill. It was spacious enough, and after setting up the tent, there was plenty of space for items. "At night, there might be small flying animals resting here."

"I came here for shelter before, and no animals attacked me at night." Was it just her luck that night? Either way, it was getting late, and they had to stay here for the night.

On the hill, Cloudy had set up half of the tent frame. When Titus arrived, they worked together, and the speed increased. After a while, Titus suddenly stopped and looked at Cloudy with confusion, "Cloudy, the tent is much smaller now. I can't fit in."

Cloudy, puzzled, stopped adjusting the wooden sticks and looked at Titus, "Aren't you going home to sleep?"

"I want to go home, but the tent is too small for me to get in."

"Because this is my personal tent."

"It's too small, I can't get in."

Titus spread his hands, sounding urgent, "Last time, the camp had such a big tent. This time too, it should be the same."

"If you want a big tent, we have to take it down and start over," Cloudy didn't understand why Titus insisted on being able to fit in the tent. "This is my tent."

After saying that, she saw Titus's ears droop. Was he upset? She looked at the tent frame she had painstakingly set up and then at Titus's disappointed expression.

How could she make Titus happy?

"Let's take it down!" Cloudy grabbed a stick and started pulling it out. "Let's redo it, making it as big as the one at the camp." As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Titus's ears perk up.

Ears really are a convenient way to identify emotions...

"Cloudy!" Titus cheered, raising a stick. "Today, we rest together."

"Rest together again? Let's go home!" She poked Titus's shoulder with the stick, remembering she forgot to boast about her achievement. "Today, I killed a bug! A big one, on the way here, I pulled out its antennae and brought them back."

Titus joined in enthusiastically, "Cloudy, that's amazing! Did you eat the bug meat?"

"No, I was afraid it was poisonous."

"What a shame, it's very delicious bug meat."

End.
Alright, it seems like everything is delicious bugs to you...