Chapter 29: Aftermath of that large boulder.
Translated by: Chua
Edited by: TN and ELkassar
Sheyan was closely observing as the urgent footstep resounded relentless towards him. Suddenly, a shadow abruptly broke through the rocks and charged in!
Although he was able to anticipate the impending danger, he never expected this charge to be so swift and nimble.
He rolled wretchedly to the side, barely evading this charge. Without panicking, Sheyan formed his hands to cover his chest. Yet the follow up attack didn’t happened. The shadow suddenly turned with great dexterity, and scurried into the pitch-black gap at the bottom left of the gigantic boulder!
Sheyan released a long breath as he smiled reluctantly and shook his head. That shadow had no hostility, it was obviously just a snow badger. It seemed like it had suffered an immense trauma, and was fleeing frantically. Actually under normal circumstances, Sheyan would’ve been able to differentiate between animals or beasts. But he was lacking in energy, as his mind was trapped within this current strange predicament he was in. Hence, he made such a low level error.
Following that, several other animals started to dash here frenziedly, scurrying through the gap between the boulder and the water, as they hurried through the rocky ravine. They were obviously fleeing from scarlet illumination casted by the great blaze in the sky. Sheyan acted fast as he seized and killed one of the panicking badger to use as future food. He then placed his ladder against the bounder, carried Melody up and ascended up the boulder.
Of course, he didn’t forget to hoist up the wooden ladder afterwards. Although it wouldn’t make a big difference due to the sheer quantity of those orcs; doing something was still better than nothing at all!
The boulder had a broad apex, it extended over 5 metres in width, deposits of sand and mud covered it along with several weeds, their roots infiltrating into the boulder’s surface. As he felt the boulder with his fingers, a rough fleshy feeling could be felt.
Although he knew time was tight, he still maintained his air of caution; seizing the illuminated visibility to survey his surroundings and terrain. Besides after issuing a sudden scream, Reef had utterly vanished right here.
Sheyan understood that based on individual strength, Reef was definitely tankier and stronger in combat terms. It was just that his mind was filled with nobility and chivalry, which could be toxic at times. Something that could cause him to vanish in a split second after he issued a warning scream…..that something must have possessed immeasurable strength!
Under the twilight sky, Sheyan continued to lay prone atop it as he tactfully surveyed the way ahead. From here onwards, the two sides of the precipice formed into a shape of a trumpet. Its narrow sides gradually broadened up into a small valley, even the rocks were noticeably sparser, but it was still rocky nonetheless. It was all normal, no visible signs of danger. But Sheyan knew clearly, if dangers could be so easily spotted, then it wouldn’t even be called a threat. Reef similarly wouldn’t vanish without a trace.
Suddenly, his attention halted over the back of a clutter of rubble. A string of brown was leaking out, like an appearance of half a straw sandal. The visibility was warm but still vaguely unclear, if not for his careful deliberate probing, he wouldn’t have discovered that strange oddity.
Previously back in the harsh winter climate of the snowy peaks, the uruk-hai had provided preferential treatment to their captives. Not only were they given animal hide coats, they were also given thick woven straw sandals. These thick straw sandals would lower the chances of frostbites. Instead, those ordinary orcs didn’t have this luxury, their feet accumulated clumps of pus from the frostbites.
It was because Sheyan was similarly wearing such a sandal, thus he could identify the familiarity from that tinge of brown line. His heart was stirred. Apart from him and Reef who wore such sandals, perhaps there was someone else who had encountered a misfortune?
Reef who was protected by the realm, couldn’t have possibly died here! If that was the case, contradictions manifested in haze of doubts in his heart. He regulated his breathing to a gentler cadence, as he scanned his surroundings again. After confirming nothing was wrong, he then placed Melody by the side, placing the ladder down before leaping off the giant boulder.
After he leapt down, a sudden queer smell whiffed into his nose. This smell was bland. After looking closely, he realized the rocks over here were like solidified oil beads. Sheyan couldn’t be bother to ponder about that, as he sneakily tiptoed towards that pile of rubble.
As he approached, he could already confirm that someone was wearing that straw sandal. Through the openings of the sandal, he could clearly see a toe. The color of that toe was bluish black, indicating its owner had already been frozen solid previously, the life departed from it long ago.
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Sheyan cautiously crept in, his muscles tensing up as he neared in. He was prepared to deal with any unforeseen irregularity of to flee immediately.
His surroundings were quiet, only that patch of glaring scarlet infused darkness behind. The apprehension is his heart rising up to the pinnacle. Even if the corpse ahead was Reef, he was still slightly mentally prepared. But the reality completely exceeding his expectation.
Although the corpse had been frozen, its surface was a mutilated mess, devastatingly tragic. Even its face was indiscernible, it was shockingly….that flayed captive from before!!!!
“Daheck…..don’t tell me a thousand miles above me…it is actually that snowy peak that I escaped from?”
Sheyan couldn’t help but gaze upwards, he could only see the clouds and mist. The winter winds still billowing, yet amidst the fuzzy snowy mist, he could see a horizontal mountain ridge leading to a snowy flatland cliff.
This tremendous mystery had been lingering in his heart for a long time – These uruk-hais had gone through so much trouble, capturing slaves from miles and miles away. On the way, they even treated them preferentially, expanding much manpower on them. After forking up such a price, in the end why did they merely strengthen the captive’s life force; then carving off their skin and flinging them down the cliff?
These orcs and uruk-hais were a brutal and savage race, they weren’t known to be cunning and crafty. Yet behind them was Saruman, an astute and circumspect old deceitful fox. To go through such immense trouble, what he was conspiring was bound to be unimaginably astonishing! As for himself…..he had unintentionally landed himself within the core district, inching closer to the truth!
After many experiences of strange happenings, his inner curiosity and suspiciousness was burning vigorously. Although he knew danger lurks in every corner; in his heart he knew, dangers always coincides with opportunities. Uncovering the truth behind this, the information he obtained would surely be priceless. He closed in to examine, as he discovered the abnormality of this corpse.
This corpse was deformed. Actually, falling down from such a height, it was bound to be deformed. Looking at the surrounding blood stains around it, it seemed like the corpse didn’t die at the moment of impact. The corpse probably struggled in anguish for a long time before withering into death. The rocks around the area in a 10 metre radius were stained with blood, traces of flattening was distinctly obvious. In fact, one of the rocks was still hooking onto a chunk of bloodied flesh!
Moreover, that corpse was originally badly mutilated before it crashed down. Rolling about on the surface, fragments of leaves, rocks, ice and other junk objects would paste onto the warm blood. After the cold winds got to it, the objects would remain glued onto the corpse.
As he wtinessed his tragic outcome, his heart turned frightened. He gazed ahead towards the spacious valley, the same replica of frozen corpses littered the place. Some had their heads smashed into the ground, obviously dying instantly. Some were grimacing in pain, their bodies twisted in bitter desperation; seemingly rolling about several times before giving up to the maddening agony.
It was clear now. That severed finger that Reef and him found in the badger’s stomach, belonged to someone over here!
Seeing this scene, Sheyan couldn’t help recalling that gene-mix he had drank before – ‘Mucus of the Ocean-freak of Moria’. Looking at the degree of fractures of these corpses; these flayed slaves had probably endured several collisions on their way to the bottom of the precipice.
Over 80% of the corpses had died by having their heads crushed by a collision. The remaining 20% had to endure the agony of rolling and wailing in this forsaken valley for a long time, before freezing to death!
Just seeing each of these tragic corpses, Sheyan felt a chill surging in his heart. Strictly speaking, the ‘Mucus of the Ocean-freak of Moria’ though it was superb, Sheyan hadn’t expected it to be so overbearing. It was actually able to squeeze out every bit of potential of a person.
The more severe the injuries, the more effective the gene-mix extracted a person’s potential. Even after being flayed and tossed a thousand miles down, they still had that last breath to wriggle around!
As he carried on further, he discovered the rocks here had a shocking enormous paw prints that had blurred with age. These rocks were incomparably tough, yet it was like a beancurd under the the paw print. Over the ground were also a messy disarray of a dozen artificially made simple stone basins. Most of the stone basins had already crumbled, only 2 retained its basic shape.
(TN: The rocks here are probably not small rocks, but should be boulder sized rocks)