The King's Death

After a long journey, finally the villagers, the Torto, and Shinra had arrived behind the waterfall.

The next day...

“Are you guys ready to go? Looks like your wound has healed, Shinra,” the village chief asked Shinra and the Torto.

“Yeah, Torto and I will go get them. I’ll make sure they’re okay,” Shinra replied.

The village head smiled and said, “Thank you, Shinra, you have helped us a lot. We are praying for your safe return.”

“Okay, we’re off. Come on, Torto, let’s go!!”

“Very well, Young Master.”

They both went looking for Terry, Kenue, Darma, and Roman. They also went down the river to try to track down their scents.

Two days ago…

“Woohoo... Take a look at this. It looks like a border barrier,” Roman said, amazed to see the size and height of the border barrier.

Darma was surprised to see something on it. “Come and see. This part is broken!!”

Terry wondered, unsure. “Did Shinra and the villagers pass through that?”

“It’s possible. Shall we go in? Maybe we can find someone there,” Roman said, looking around.

Seeing the severity of the damage to the wall, Kenue felt strange. “Hmm... It looks like it was smashed in by a blunt weapon, but it must’ve been strong as hell!!”

Darma inspected it. “It sure is. I suppose a monster did it.”

Kong also felt strange. “I don’t smell Shinra here.”

“Yes, because the rain washes away his scent. Let’s just go in. If we stay here we won’t find Shinra, right?” Roman said.

“That’s right, we’ve come this far, so let’s go in. After that, we’ll check if there are humans nearby,” Terry said.

The five of them passed through the hole. There, they rested under a large tree. They spent the night there.

Currently…

“Torto, can you smell them? Are they around here?” Shinra asked.

“There is no human scent at all. Maybe they are still further ahead,” the Torto replied.

“Okay, we’ll continue down this river. We should meet tomorrow,” Shinra said, picking up his pace.

“Very well, Young Master. I am glad you are unhurt. I was very worried when the Rhino stepped in to bring you home,” the Torto said in a trembling voice.

“Don’t fret. Thanks, Torto, you’re a good monster.”

The Torto looked at Shinra and smiled.

“Listen, you must also be kind to my friends and to all humanity, because humans are actually good, Torto.”

“Very well, Young Master. I will be kind to your friends and all humanity. I promise, I will take care of your friends as I take care of you,” the Torto replied, bowing his head.

“Thanks, Torto,” Shinra said as he held out his fist, then the Torto took his fist and smiled.

Since it was getting late, they rested near the river. Then, the next morning they resumed their quest for Roman and the others.

Currently, inside the border barrier...

“Hey, let’s have a contest to see who can take that coconut the fastest. I challenge you all,” Roman challenged.

Darma and Terry immediately shot the coconut down with their arrows. Kenue took one down with his spear. The three of them managed to get the coconut quickly.

Exasperated, Roman said, “Argh. That’s cheating. No weapons. Ah yes, Kong, let’s do it.”

Kong jumped quickly and took the coconut.

Roman was pissed. “Argh! Damn. You’re cheating,” he said, looking away.

“You lose. You should be punished,” Kenue snickered.

“I haven’t even made the rules yet,” Roman said.

“The loser doesn’t have the right to make the rules. In this case, you lost. The one who has the right to decide is the winner,” Darma sneered.

“That’s right, Darma and I took the coconut down at the same time, meaning we both will punish you,” Terry joined in.

“That’s unfair!! You’re all annoying!”

Small chuckles from the other four started to bubble up here and there.

Then, Terry asked Roman and Darma to check the surroundings. “Roman and Darma, you guys go look for the highlands. Please check the area around here. There may be settlements or villages.”

“Okay, we’re off,” Roman and Darma said.

Roman and Darma went to check the surrounding area. They climbed some steep hills. Arriving at the top, they saw a settlement there about 500 meters from where they rested. Even Darma, who has the ability to see far away, did not seem to be able to see clearly whether there were humans there or not. They decided to investigate.

Meanwhile, in an abandoned village by the river…

“They passed here. There was still a trace of their scents. Looks like they came here not long ago!!” the Rhino said.

He checked around the river and if there were any other signs in the village.

He continued to follow the scent of Roman and the others. “Their scent is starting to disappear. Did they cross the river? No!! I should still be able to smell it. I’ll come back and take the Wolfies with me. What a hassle,” the Rhino said, disgruntled. He decided to go back to the kingdom and take the Wolfies with him.

The next morning, the Torto and Shinra arrived at the same place as the Rhino did yesterday.

“Wait, Young Master, I sniffed the Rhino! It looks like comes from over there,” the Torto said, pointing to an abandoned village that Shinra had also visited a few days ago.

“Did he manage to capture them?” Shinra asked, worried.

“I do not know because the scent is faint. It is likely that he stopped searching and then returned. Young Master, take a look at the area around here. There are no signs of fighting. It is impossible for them to be caught without a fight.”

“That’s right,” Shinra said, looking around.

“If he came back without finding your friends, which we did not find on the way here either, it means that after arriving here they probably crossed the river.”

“You mean they managed to mislead him?” Shinra asked, curious.

“But how did they know that he was after them? I assume it is more like they inadvertently outwit him. But to be honest, I do not know for sure either.”

“It’s okay. All right, let’s cross this river, Torto,” Shinra said as he hurried across the river.

The two of them crossed the river, hoping to find them soon.

Meanwhile, inside the border barrier...

Kong whiffed something. “It’s a Sharkin!! He’s around here!!” he said, certain.

“What?! Is it true??” Roman asked.

“What should we do??” Terry asked, a little panicked.

On the contrary, Kenue was actually happy to meet a Sharkin. “Hmm… Finally, we’ll meet again!”

Kong grimaced. He recognized this particular Sharkin’s scent. “This scent belongs to the Sharkin who killed my wife and child!! Finally, after such a long time I’ll able to meet him too!”

“How about we beat him up?” Roman said eagerly.

“No, we have to come up with a plan,” Terry said.

“That’s right, maybe we should wait for the night, so it’s easier for us to hide,” Darma said.

“Okay, I’ll take your advice,” Roman said, somewhat dissatisfied.

“It’s going to be night soon. We’d better find a place to hide,” Terry said, walking away.

Kong then said something that perplexed them, “If it’s okay with you, I’ll be the one to kill him!!”

He still held a grudge against that Sharkin, but he seemed different now. His eyes were different from before. He was absolutely sure and confident. It seemed he had managed to turn his sadness into his strength. He was really ready for this.

They waited for a while, but not a single monster appeared. Roman said, slightly disappointed, “Not a single Sharkin came, huh.”

“Wait a minute, maybe he’s waiting for something over there,” Terry replied.

“We can’t be careless. Sharkin’s movements were very fast. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. One small mistake and it’s game over!!” Darma said seriously.

Kenue suddenly said something that surprised Darma, “Let me be the bait. I leave the rest to you Kong. I’m the fastest in our team.”

Darma called Kenue and they talked in private. “Wait, why should it be you, Kenue?? No, we have to think of a good strategy first!”

Kenue explained to Darma what he was feeling, “Did you see the look in Kong’s eyes? He’s like us. The difference is that when I saw him, he was calmer. It seemed like he was really sure and confident. I believe he’ll manage to kill that Sharkin.”

“But it’s very dangerous, Ken. I don’t want to lose another member of my family!!”

“I’ll be fine. You believe me, right? You believe that I’m fast, that I can surpass Dad? Trust me. If Kong doesn’t succeed, I’m sure you’ll be able to finish off that Sharkin!!” Kenue said with a smile.

They hid among the bushes, awaiting the Sharkin’s arrival.

The Sharkins were dangerous indeed. Not only were they fast, but they also had a fairly high strength, although not comparable to the Rhinos. Their sharp teeth were capable of tearing anything in its path.

Meanwhile, near the border barrier…

The Torto stopped. “I sniffed humans and monsters. There are several humans and one monster,” he said, puzzled.

Shinra was silent for a moment and thought. Monsters?? Could it be Kong??

They got closer to Roman and the others. Since it was getting late, they took a short break around the border barrier.

Meanwhile, inside the border barrier…

“Why didn’t the Sharkin turn up? We’ve been waiting all night. Are they scared of me or what?” Roman said with a laugh.

“Something’s not right. Shall we try to get closer to that village? There’s no sign of a fight either,” Darma said as he peeked a little and looked around.

Kong said, “I smelled something strange. It smells like dead bodies.”

“What happened? Did we miss something last night?” Roman said, confused.

“Impossible. If something were to happen, we’d definitely be able to hear it,” Darma said.

Then, the five of them immediately approached and investigated the village. Sure enough, there was a scene they did not expect. A dead Sharkin laid there, lifeless. Surprisingly, there was no sign of a fight.

Darma was shocked to see him. “What on earth?! He died with just one bruise on his body!!”

Roman looked closely and checked the bruise. “This Sharkin got a very serious injury. He got one very, very strong hit in the right jaw. I estimate the strength is probably more than ten times the power of Kong’s punch.”

“What in the world? Is there a human like that?” Terry asked, puzzled.

“I don’t think a human did it. It’s possible that he fought another monster,” Roman said.

“Worst case scenario, there’s a monster that’s extremely strong and capable of fighting the Sharkin bare-handed. Not only that! He must be very strong because there’s only one bruise on this Sharkin’s body!! Let’s just hope he’s not our enemy!” Darma said, lowering his head.

At the same time they all looked at Kong.

Puzzled, Kong said, “Why? That’s not me. I’m with you guys all the time, right? Besides, I won’t necessarily win against a Sharkin either. Even if I had won, my injuries would’ve been very serious.”

“Could there be another Kong around here? Isn’t it obvious there can’t be a human this strong? If there was, maybe we should call him a demigod because it’s possible his strength is comparable to Hercules,” Darma said.

“Right, let’s check out this village first. Make sure we don’t miss anything important,” Terry said, getting up to check the place.

Roman was happy. “Woohoo... Two Kongs would be better. Let’s go find that Kong. If it was a female Kong, then Kong could have another child,” he said with a laugh.

“Unbelievable,” Kong said, facepalmed.

“What’s wrong with him? In fact, he looks like a gorilla’s child,” Terry roasted.

“Right,” Kenue sneered.

“Agreed. Hmm...” Darma said with a smile.

They went to inspect the village and rested there. They chatted, checking the Sharkin’s body once again. And they found out that he had not been dead long. Maybe half a day before they came. They spent the night there.

The morning before, at the border barrier …

“This wall is destroyed. Did they destroy it? Let’s hurry. It’s possible they came here,” Shinra said.

Roman and the others’ scents were becoming stronger. Then, they tried to follow the scent. Finally, they found burnt marks under a large tree.

“They used to rest here. I’m absolutely sure!” Shinra said as he continued walking.

“So it seems, Young Master. My nose says so. But Young Master, actually, crossing the border has consequences. Especially without permission,” the Torto said, hanging his head.

“I know, Torto, but I promised to save my friends. I’m ready to take the risk. Let’s quickly find them and come back,” Shinra said, leaving hurriedly.

At dawn, near the Sharkin’s corpse…

“Hey, wake up, Roman,” Darma whispered, waking Roman up.

“What is it?? It’s still night, you know!” Roman said, closing his eyes again.

“Shh… Lower your voice. Look at that,” Darma said, moving Roman’s head to a certain direction.

“There are three Wolfies there. Keep your distance as much as possible. Let’s hide somewhere a bit far away,” Darma said as he slowly walked away from the place.

“Look, not only three Wolfies, but also two Sharkins over there,” Kong said from the top of the tree.

“Is it true?? Let’s just go,” Terry said frantically.

Instantly, Terry felt a killing aura from the Sharkins. She was speechless.

Roman walked up to her and said “Are you okay, Terry?”

What?? Roman is able to withstand the killing aura? Terry answered Roman in a low, stuttering voice, “Y-Yes I’m fine.

Seeing Terry, Darma immediately decided to stay away from the Sharkins and the Wolfies. “We’d better get away quickly before anything bad happens.”

“Let’s go! But what are they doing there, huh?” Kong said as he walked away.

The five of them walked away. Looks like the monsters were on patrol because a Sharkin just died, so maybe they were adding guards around there.

In the Sacred Hawk Kingdom...

“King Tertoro, the Rhino has returned. It looks like he did not bring the young master with him. Do we have to attack him?” the royal army said.

King Tertoro, who was furious, said, “We’ll kill him with our strength!! It’s possible that he killed Shinra and he would say that he didn’t meet Shinra.”

“Should we not ask him first? How does that sound, King Tertoro?”

The Rhino entered the kingdom. He looked confused because there were so many royal soldiers there. Perhaps more than 500 soldiers were ready for battle. He walked on and headed into the king’s chambers.

“What’s with all this? You want to destroy an empire with this many soldiers?” the Rhino asked suspiciously.

King Tertoro stood up from his throne and said, “Rhino, where’s Shinra? Did you kill him?”

“What do you mean? I haven’t even met him yet. But when I meet him later, I’ll make sure to bring his corpse before you, the king of the humans,” the Rhino replied, riling him up.

“Unforgivable!! All ready to attack. Kill him!! Don’t be afraid, we can definitely win,” King Tertoro shouted. Simultaneously, all the royal soldiers sprang into action.

“Oh, I see. I had my suspicions. Turned out you really wanted to kill me. Well, if that’s what you want, I’ll take you on, however many. You’ll only die in vain,” the Rhino said fearlessly.

“All this time I’ve been betraying humans. I’m fed up!! If I have to die here, I’ll atone for all the wrongs I’ve done to humans. I’ll sacrifice your death, Rhino, for the human race!!” King Tertoro shouted and the battle began.

The Rhino fought against more than 500 Sacred Hawk Kingdom’s soldiers. He was not alone, there were several monsters helping him.

The monster kingdom is divided into three, namely the Small Monster Kingdom which is located outside the border barrier, the Large Monster Kingdom which is located within the outer wall, and the Central Monster Kingdom which is located within the inner wall.

There is only one Satyr on Earth. He dwells in the Central Monster Kingdom. He is the leader of all monsters on Earth.

On the outside of the wall there is only one small monster kingdom, led by a Rhino. He has subordinates, namely three Sharkins, one Torto, two Wolfies, and three Crocos.

The kingdom within the outer wall is led by a Baramus. He has subordinates, namely three Rhinos, six Sharkins, ten Tortos, thirty Wolfies, and fifty Crocos.

The kingdom within the inner wall is led directly by Satyr. He has subordinates, namely one Baramus, six Rhinos, ten Sharkins, thirty Tortos, one hundred Wolfies, and 200 Crocos.

The Sacred Hawk Kingdom is located outside the border barrier. The area is very small, so only a few monster soldiers are needed there.

Their fight caused a lot of casualties for both parties. The Rhino sustained severe injuries that made him unable to continue the fight. Many soldiers died. The kingdom had lost because King Tertoro was killed in that battle. Several injured monsters ran away and the Rhino disappeared.

Meanwhile, near the village...

“I can’t see clearly from here. I’m going to go a little closer,” Roman said, trying to get closer.

He immediately jumped up and ran toward the Sharkins and the Wolfies.

“Roman, wait, don’t go there!!” Terry shouted.

Darma chased after him. “I’ll go after him. Kenue, you stay here, take care of Terry and Kong.”

“Even if you told me, I’m not willing to go after him. A reckless human like him will die easily,” Kenue said sarcastically.

Darma chased after Roman. Roman did not realize that he was too close to the monsters. He was very curious. Unknowingly, he entered the Wolfie’s olfactory range.

“Roman, you’re too close. The Wolfies can smell you!! Come back quickly,” Darma said, calling Roman from behind the bush in a low voice.

What are they doing there, huh? Are they looking for someone? Why were they sent here? Wait, I thought there were three Wolfies and two Sharkins before. Why are there only two Wolfies now?

“Ah, so this is where you are, brat!!” the Wolfie said.

Suddenly, a Wolfie appeared behind Roman. Roman was startled.

What?! How come?!

The Wolfie howled to his friends, “Arh-woooo…”

The two Wolfies and the two Sharkins rushed toward the Wolfie’s roar where Roman was!!