Barbarian Quest

In the Sky Mountains, there were many wild animals. For every tribe, the mountains were a forbidden area, and even the most experienced hunters did not venture deep into them.

"Huff, huff."

Urich leaped about the rocky mountains like a mountain goat. A misstep could easily lead to a fall down a slope or a broken ankle.

"Shit."

Urich spat out a curse as he looked back. His breath stretched out long in the cold air.

'My ankles and knees are aching.'

He leaped back and forth between the rocks with his heavy load on his back.

"What a joke."

Urich scratched his head and fished out some raw meat from his pocket.

Chomp.

He ate the raw meat even while hopping about. It felt like fresh life seeping into his body.

'Chased by a deer, of all things. Not a wolf, not a bear, a deer.'

It would be laughable to anyone who heard it. Urich, who could hunt even a bear all by himself, was being chased by a deer.

‘Should I have left this thing alone...?'

Urich continued his descent down the rocky mountain, only to find that below was a cliff.

"Fucking fuuuuuuuck!"

Urich cursed, drawing his sword and thrusting it into a crevice in the rock.

Clang!

Even the Imperial steel sword wobbled and swayed. A regular iron sword would have broken by now.

"Phew."

Urich narrowly avoided falling off the cliff. He awkwardly reached out his arms, climbing back up the rocky cliff. He started running along the edge of the cliff again.

‘Goddamn Sky Mountains.'

Though he had passed the roughest terrain with Regal's expedition team, the rest of the way below was just as harsh.

"Oo, ooooooo!"

A low howl came from a distance. Urich pricked up his ears and looked back.

"There he is. Were the ones I killed your mate or your kid?"

Urich complained to himself. He had grown tired of dried food and craved fresh meat. All he did was hunt for what he wanted, as always. He chased a herd of deer and shot one with his bow.

Since he couldn’t eat the whole deer by himself, he only cut off the fatty and tasty parts. While he was butchering the deer, a white deer was watching him.

'It was him.'

Urich watched the white deer easily leap up the rocky mountain. Its entire body was covered in clean white fur that seemed to glow from a distance. Its solid antlers were longer than any ordinary knife.

‘That thing is massive. It’s bigger than a bear.'

Ordinary deer he could catch with his bare hands, but this one was extraordinary.

Thump!

The deer leaped, kicking a large tree with its front hooves. Its muscular front legs shattered the tree in a single punt. A human would certainly die from one kick.

"Ooooo!"

The white deer stared at Urich and kicked the broken tree with its hind legs.

Boom!

The log flew right toward Urich. He lay flat on the ground to avoid it.

"This is insane."

Creak!

Urich quickly pulled out his bow. He took a few shots at the deer, but power wasn’t the white deer’s only strength.

'Arrows aren’t going to cut it.'

Urich clicked his tongue.

This deer was bigger than an average bear. Even bear skin couldn't be easily penetrated by arrows. The white deer's skin was thicker than a bear's, and its long white fur tangled the arrows before they could even reach the skin.

'This is the strongest beast I've ever encountered. It’s stronger than any bear.'

The white deer was persistent. It chased Urich for half a day, even leaving its own territory as if he were its sworn enemy.

This deer was different from any Urich knew. Deer were usually timid creatures. But this white deer he encountered now was a predator itself.

'Is this one of those monsters of the Sky Mountains...'

There were occasional legends and stories about monstrous creatures in the Sky Mountains. Urich had mostly thought them to be exaggerations. Older warriors tended to embellish their exploits and hunts to impress the younger ones.

"Humans are two-legged animals. We can't move quicker than these four-legged ones."

Urich shook his head, throwing down his load. He drew his sword and axe and faced the white deer squarely.

Schriiing!

The sound of metal echoed as the blade of the axe and sword crossed. Urich steadied his breath, looking at the white deer.

"Do you hate me?"

Urich murmured. He wasn’t expecting the deer to understand what he was saying.

'But I can see its emotions.'

Urich closed and then opened his eyes. The white deer had gotten closer. Its large eyes were not innocent by any means. They were the eyes of a warrior, not prey.

Clang!

The deer's antlers tangled with Urich's sword. Urich tried to split the deer's head with the axe in his other hand.

Whoosh!

The white deer violently twisted its head. The force of its neck alone flung Urich's body out of striking range with ease.

"You little shit."

Urich exclaimed as he sprang to his feet.

"Keeeeewww!"

The white deer stretched its neck out long and roared.

'Tears?'

Urich noticed the deer's eyes moistening. The white deer was indeed shedding tears. The roar was tinged not just with anger, but also with sorrow.

"Are you crying?"

Urich rummaged in his pocket. He took out the raw meat he had left over from earlier.

Chomp.

Urich slowly chewed the raw meat in front of the white deer. Fresh blood from the meat dripped down his mouth.

"Mmmmm it tastes so good, very good."

It was a clear provocation. The deer Urich had hunted must have been special to the white deer. Even animals unable to speak had emotions.

"Oooooo."

The white deer lowered its head in rage.

"You're clever. This is truly remarkable."

Urich swallowed the raw meat. He took a stance, extending his sword forward.

The white deer, blinded by rage, charged straight at him. It intended to push Urich over the cliff with its antlers and bulk.

'You're smart enough to understand my provocation, but too immature to restrain yourself… That's why you lose.'

Urich leaped high in place. He jumped over the charging white deer, spinning in mid-air. The blade of his sword pierced the back of the deer's neck as it dashed through.

'I got it.'

He felt the sensation in his fingertips. In that instant, Urich severed the deer's neck with his sword blade.

"Phew."

Urich landed and turned around. The white deer, who was darting toward the cliff, collapsed. It lay there, panting, its eyes rolling to look at Urich.

"You think I’m cheap?"

Urich approached the head of the white deer.

"Forgive me, survival is inherently despicable."

Schluck!

Urich struck down with his sword, completely severing the white deer's head.

"If I bring this back to the tribe, everyone’s going to freak out."

Urich grabbed the deer’s head by the antlers and lifted it. It was as big as Urich's torso. The tribe's warriors would look at Urich with envy when they learned of such an impressive hunt.

Urich was tired, but his steps were light. He could already see his homeland below.

'I've always missed it.'

He never forgot the scent of his homeland. Part of his heart was always here. Could anyone live away from their roots? That had to be the reason why Sven despised the Sun Warriors because they had abandoned their roots.

* * *

It was common for shamans to live outside of their villages. They pursued something spiritual and maintained a sense of mystery by keeping a distance from the tribe members. The shaman of the Stone Axe Tribe followed this tradition and lived alone in the forest.

Creak.

The wind blew. The door made out of wood swayed.

The old shaman woke up from her nap. Still groggy, she lit her dried herbs, producing smoke. As soon as she inhaled the first mouthful of the smoke, her mind felt refreshed and clear.

"Oooh."

The shaman trembled her lips, closing her eyes. Her wrinkled face was dotted with liver spots.

Grrrrr.

She cast a stone divination to help her boredom. Well-shaped stones were thrown on the ground to glimpse the flow of the heavens.

Suddenly, the door burst open. The wind blew in fiercely, scattering and flipping the thrown stones.

"Eek!"

The shaman hastily gathered the scattered stones.

"Put it away, old lady."

It was a familiar voice. The damp stench of a warrior filled the shaman's house.

"U… rich."

The shaman slowly lifted her eyes. She had heard the rumors. There were tales that Urich had been captured by the spirits of the mountains. The evil spirits that live in the mountains punished warriors who violated the taboos of the Sky Mountains. The warriors who had gone up to the midway point of the mountains with Urich had been punished.

"So, the one who violated the taboo has returned. Are you an evil spirit? Or a person?"

The shaman's hands trembled. She couldn't be sure of Urich's identity. Shamans move between the spiritual and the material world. Sometimes, they couldn't distinguish if someone was a worldly or spiritual being even after seeing them with their own eyes.

"A person, obviously."

Urich answered as he tapped the shaman's wrinkled cheek and sat down in front of her.

"What punishment did you receive for violating the taboo?"

"Even if I tell you, you won't believe it. What the world beyond the mountains is like... This is a gift."

Urich took out a shiny pearl. The shaman's eyes widened at the sight of the sea gem.

"What trick is this, you scoundrel!"

The shaman hit Urich's head with her staff. Urich looked at her incredulously.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Such an ominous object! Oh, oh!"

The shaman was startled by the pearl. It was an enchanting orb, but its beauty felt ominous. Shamans were beings who trusted their intuition and emotions over anything.

"Well, then screw it."

"You, once a warrior of light, have brought back a curse! To return unscathed after violating the taboo!"

The shaman started an incantation around Urich, lighting incense. Urich yawned, watching her silly actions.

"Do you think I’ll be welcomed if I go to the village now?" Urich casually asked.

"Everyone thinks you've been taken by the evil spirits for violating the taboo! You'll surely be driven away as soon as you step foot into the village if you go now!"

"But I have to go back to the tribe. Soon, the evil spirits that took me away will come crashing down on us."

The shaman's eyes reddened with veins.

"You've brought disaster upon us, Urich!"

The shaman slapped Urich's body with a dry twig.

"Stop it, you old hag. I don’t have time for this nonsense."

Urich grabbed and snapped the shaman's twig. The shaman fell on her bottom, staring at him.

"I-I see an evil spirit behind you! Oh! Protectors of the mountains, please calm your anger!"

Urich looked at the burning incense in the corner of the room. He had been feeling high from the smoke for a minute now.

Thump!

Urich picked up the incense burner and chucked it outside.

"Uuuuurich!"

The shaman hurried outside to retrieve the incense burner.

"Eh, at least I know you're healthy. That's good enough, you old hag!"

Urich laughed heartily. He walked toward the direction of his village.

"You could have been a great warrior, Urich! A warrior of light! A chief who would lead the tribe to prosperity! But you ruined everything! Cursed for violating the taboo! Disaster will follow you!"

The shaman, holding the incense burner, shouted at Urich's departing back. Urich did not turn back but simply waved his hand.