*cwak cwak*

Hanuman hears the familiar voice and his two teammates simultaneously tense their bodies. Hanuman's face is dark as he knows the source of the voice. It comes from the creatures that have wings from thin membranes mixed with some things that he cannot identify yet.

"The flying ones are here!" Hanuman warns his teammates. They look at the sky above the Yellow Gorges. There are a dozen of the flying ones spinning as reducing their altitude.

Then Hanuman sees that something about the flying ones is different from the last impression he has of them. They fly faster and let out voices twice as much compared to normal. Their nests are located on the steep cliff in the Yellow Gorges and that is also their target for this day.

Hanuman grips his wooden stick as he feels the tingling sensation permeate his body. His eyes are focusing on the flying ones and their nest interchangeably. He only knows one idea that can let them have the eggs. The issue is, who is going to be the decoy?

"What should we do? I don't think these are the normal flying ones."

"Hanuman, think of something!"

Hanuman rolls his eyes at his tribe members. They can only beg like this when the situation is grave and when the situation returns to the usual routine, they badmouth him. To be honest, Hanuman is tired of the entire charade but he also doesn't have anything else other than his fellow tribe members.

'Then should you at least try to veer away from them and see the differences?' a soft-spoken voice in Hanuman's ear giving him some suggestion. But Hanuman is a Preaorc that is dependent on his society so he does not dare to think of separating from his tribe ever. But with this soft-spoken voice, a seed of thought is inserted into Hanuman's heart and mind.

That thought is for later as Hanuman has a pressing issue to be solved.

 

"Who is courageous enough to stall the flying ones for some time?" Hanuman asks. His eyes directly stare at his two teammates.

But both of them actually are the kind of beings that relied on others so they tremble with fear and panic written all over their face.

"Why don't you do it?" one of them reply with a question instead. This makes the other add, "You are the one who suggests this so why don't you be the decoy?"

"And what, you are going to run away from this place leaving me alone? Either we do it together or just forget about all this and pick another place." Hanuman does not even entertain their little trick at all. Collective effort is the one his tribe holds in high esteem so even Hanuman also has this as his basic morality.

"Don't judge one being with your narrow perspective!" one of them retorts and Hanuman takes a glance, his eyes now that of a hunter looking down on its prey.

"That words should be applied to yourself and see whether you are the very person who has a narrow perspective then. Your choice! Leave or do the plan together." Hanuman's voice contains a bit of Origin Energy infused but he does not realize it yet. As for the two teammates of it, the moment they receive his energy-imbued voice, they feel as if their entire body is suppressed.

They can only stare at Hanuman for some time and this piss Hanuman to the highest.

'Perhaps I should have veered away from my tribe for some time. A lone journey...' Hanuman thought to himself that since the people of his tribe do not really like to associate with him in a better relationship then he might as well wander the land. Perhaps, he can find what he needs and wants to do.

Without explaining everything else, Hanuman then proceeds forward to get the eggs of the flying ones. At this point, he truly does not care whether the two tribe members are going to help or not.

 

-

 

"Turns out I never have someone to be considered close," Hanuman murmurs to himself as he walks to a cliff beneath the location of the nests. He perceives that his tribe members just left in the opposite direction leaving Hanuman to his own.

'If my mind is not going insane, then please guide me! Guide me to the better direction, whoever or whatever thing that sends me the enjoinment.' He wills for anyone to give him proper guidance because he feels lost now that he is completely alone. He cannot even be sure whether staying with his tribe is correct or not.

'Then O' Hanuman, you need to understand what happens to your body and the relation of the wooden stick you hold.' the soft-spoken voice then gives Hanuman some goal or some direction for him to think.

As Hanuman starts to climb the cliff with his four limbs, he thought about his strengthened physical body that does not feel much pain every time his finger dug to the surface of the cliff, or whenever he holds the wooden stick, there is a tingling sensation flowing from it to his body.

He questions why this is the case. And when he breathes in, something so small in quantity in the air is absorbed into his body and probably resides somewhere. Slowly, he climbs higher and higher but he does not feel the burden of his body. He feels that he can climb about two more times even if he goes down and redo the whole thing.

Then he goes into a 'daze' while climbing. A piece of new information is inserted into his mind. It is about something that the wooden stick, the thing he absorbs, and the effect of his body have in common.

"Origin...Energy." Hanuman then feels as if the gate to the new understanding has been opened for him for the first time. The way it circulates throughout the body, how the quantity of the Origin Energy in the wooden stick is a lot more than ten of his tribe members including him. How his body subconsciously gathers the Origin Energy from the wooden stick to his body, increases his Origin Energy reserves and makes him stronger.

Now he realizes that he has entered the Origin Gathering Realm First Versestage. There should be Nine Versestage and he knew that there will be a stronger being with a large quantity of Origin Energy but for now he has the basic realization of circulating and improving his Origin Energy reserve.

With one final push, Hanuman lands on the nest that is made from some shielding leaves that are familiar to him as well as some other branches of some trees. There, he can see the eggs that he always finds a good delicacy for his mouth. With one swift move, he takes two eggs that are the size of half his body.

*cwak cwak*

"Ah, they are truly offended!" Hanuman is learning the control of his newfound Origin Energy as he wraps the eggs with a thing energy membrane before he circulates his minuscule Origin Energy to his lower limbs. As he takes another move, he finds that the force seems to be greater than usual.

He runs directly parallel to the ground with his lower limbs sticking to the steep cliff. The flying ones are diving straight to Hanuman as he is the only one in the vicinity. Hanuman tries hard not to get hit by their sharp and long beak. As for his wooden stick, he bit it as the wooden stick is still somewhat useful.

 

He then jumps off when he is almost at ground level and heads straight to the area with lots of trees. Even if the flying ones are chasing him from high up, they have to consider the obstacles they are going to face first before getting to Hanuman.

After some time, Hanuman stops at the hole under the trunk of the tall trees. His breath is rough but he is surprised because that kind of physical prowess is something the yesterday Hanuman cannot have even if he trains with his tribe members.

"I need to know more about this if I want to be carefree in the future. Origin Energy is the thing that permeated all things. But the way to utilize it is severely limited. Well, I can try it on myself for the effects. I think that I can increase the quantity of my energy reserve first to increase my overall power." Hanuman contemplates the understanding of Origin Energy. First, he can only increase the quantity because he uses it to enhance his capability but it depletes the energy fast so it is likely the quantity issue.

Well, now Hanuman is taking a look at the two eggs. His saliva drops from his mouth, and he can already feel the taste of the eggs inside his mouth.

"Well, eating these eggs is always a celebration to me!"

And with that, Hanuman has a small lunch and it is something that he cannot forget so he relishes it for some time. After that, he just thought about Origin Energy and its application for most of the noon.

Inspirations, ideas and some are what he gets from his thought but he can only explore them one at a time. Then he inhales a lot of air to his mouth and nose, trying to get as much Origin Energy as possible but it is minuscule in number. Hanuman frowns as he realizes this and then he knows the other alternative is to find objects or creatures with Origin Energy in them.

"The place where the Origin Energy are abundant...right!" Hanuman then remembers his wooden stick that he possesses. He recalls the place where he found the trees where the stick came from.

"If my memory is not wrong, then the direction is where the leader is going. Hmm...should I go? If the leader forces me to go back to the tribe, what will I do?" Hanuman then thought about the possibility where the hunting team leader will forcefully drag him back to his tribe.

"I have to do this! My life is my own and it is made up from my choices." Hanuman strenghtens his mind and belief before he stands up and grabs his wooden stick. He can utilize his Origin Energy better than before. At least, he can use it for physical strengthening and enhance his attack.

But before that, he looks up at the sky beyond the canopy of the trees. He can still sees the flying ones wandering around. They are still searching for his whereabout. Fortunately, his destination is different and the way there are fully covered with high trees all around.

 

-

 

The floor of the forest is invested with many living beings and Hanuman has to move slowly. Even if he becomes stronger, it doesn't mean he can carelessly wander around without caution. There are many creatures and plants with special capabilites that can instant kill most beings including the current him.

For example, the trunk-horned runner that is usually in this area. While they eat the plants at the floor of the forest or the bark of the particular tree, it does not mean they are harmless. Their tenacity when threatened even gives the leader of his hunting team a great headache.

Therefore, other than hunting them for consumption the tribe will not mess with them. Hanuman also hold onto this knowledge and takes a detour when he sees a group of trunk-horned runner.

They are on their four limbs, different from Hanuman and his race where they stand with two limbs. Slender neck, slender limbs, on their heads are horn that looks like a trunk and most importantly, they have great mobility.

Hanuman understands that this time of the day is the one when the trunk-horned runner is having their feast. Then he continues onward.

There are also the voices of the creatures Hanuman and his tribe called six-legged small wings. They let out a loud noise from morning to evening and sometimes the tribe also catches them for snacks.

"Almost there. There are some marks left by the tribesmen..." Hanuman gets closer to the root of the tall tree and notices a familiar carving. This is the usual marking left by the hunting team and any tribe members should recognize it. It is left there so that any of the tribe members know their current location.

 

The marks left there means that one is at the border between the forest of tall trees and the swamp of blackmud. A loud bang noise and disturbance. Then Hanuman feels like his entire body has been petrified. He also realizes something...

"My Origin Energy circulation...is sluggish like swamp water?" the reason for his sudden condition is due to something suppressing his Origin Energy. For some reason, he can only think of one of the biggest possibilities.

'A being with higher Origin Energy reserve!'

Hanuman feels that his emotion fluctuate greatly. Sometimes he feels afraid and then he also feels excited. But he quickly buries those feelings inside his heart for now. Even without his tribe members in trouble, he will go there without hesitation.

The closer he moves to the source of disturbance, the more he can see the peripheral area of battle. Some parts of trees are chipped off unnaturally, recent if he judges by their looks. Then the dismembered fleshes that are hanging among the branches at his eye height show that the encounter is not a pleasant one even if they are a small formation of Preaorc.

Hanuman keeps his head cool and tries to circulate his own Origin Energy but it is much harder now. The suppressive effects of the being's Origin Energy make it like a small domain where it is at advantage.

After some time, it is not that Hanuman can ignore the suppressive effect on his energy circulation but he is adapting and improving his energy circulation. He can channel his energy to his wooden stick and improve his attack power while his entire body is flowing with energy, ready to be unleashed.

"Leader...and the strong being!" Hanuman opens his eyes wide when he arrives. It is at the opening of the forest where the light from the sky can shine through the canopy of the forest. One of the figures is his hunting team's leader while the other is a being with four limbs but it also lays on its stomach with long stout.

 

The leader is heavily injured, the strong being is injured but can retain half of its battle prowess but around them are Preaorcs that are severely injured if not dead. Hanuman also realizes one thing, he cannot hide from the strong being. The pressure he feels shows that the being had detected him at that moment.

"Fight it is!" Hanuman then gives a push with his lower limbs, propelling him forward faster. He channels his energy to the wooden stick and gives himself a physical boost at the same time.

The strong being is on guard against this so it swings its tail and Hanuman slightly tilts his body to the side while still striding toward the back of the being.

*Roar*

Hanuman knows that the opening has been created due to that and he jumps to the back of the being. But then he realizes that the being is moving erratically, trying to get rid of him from his back. With no choice, he form a bit sharp form of Origin Energy at one end of the wooden stick and thrust it into the back of the being.

But Hanuman can see that his attempt has failed and can only grab the back with his two upper limbs. The leader realizes the situation and throws his sharp weapon at the being. The being is slightly aware of the sharp weapon as it tries to dodge and Hanuman who is on the back perceives this.

While still biting the wooden stick, Hanuman reaches for the sharp weapon with his right limb, grabbing it. Without further ado, Hanuman thrusts the sharp weapon into the being's back. This time, some liquid pours out from the attack. Hanuman also infused the sharp weapon with his Origin Energy. His energy is depleting fast but this is also the only chance to slay the being.

"Go in! Kill!" Hanuman controls the Origin Energy that he unleashes as his energy collides with the being's energy. Fortunately, Hanuman coats the tip of the sharp weapon with his energy, directly piercing the energy coat and penetrating deep into the being's body. But that is not enough and Hanuman gives a final burst of energy through the sharp weapon.

The being roared in pain and fear but Hanuman's eyes glinted with ruthlessness. The energy exploded inside the being's body, causing a chain reaction to its own energy, and finally, it dies due to energy instability.

"Hah...hah..."

Exhaustion is what Hanuman has as a result of expanding his energy to almost depletion. Even the wooden stick that his jaw is biting is chipped apart as an aftereffect. But of course, Hanuman forces himself to move his body despite his worsening condition. He approaches the corpse of the slain being and starts to skin and flay its flesh.

Then after some time, Hanuman finds what looks like a small ball filled with Origin Energy inside the intestine. He claws the ball and grabs it with his limbs before taking the breastbone of the being before coming out of the corpse.

"What?" Hanuman is still wary despite his accomplishment. It is because the leader of the hunting team is still conscious and now their eyes meet, some conflict is brewing.

"..."

Hanuman cannot let his guard down. Even if it is someone he respects, he has to get these resources as it is the most important to him. For compensation, the corpse of the being which has some traces of Origin Energy is a tonic for everyone in Blackmud Tribe. This is what Hanuman can do as repayment. From this moment, they are going on separate ways.