Free Web NovelChapter 26: Chapter 25: Making a Friend
The two consecutive questions made the atmosphere awkward. Mumu stared at the Undead before him, speechless for a long time. He felt the questions were so foolish they seemed like a deliberate attempt to mock him. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
"Do you know about Demonized Creatures? Those were Demonized Minotaurs."
After a long silence, Mumu finally spoke again, saying something that left Li Ziyu utterly astonished.
’What the heck are Demonized Minotaurs? Aren’t they just a type of Minotaur?’
He really hadn’t come across any information about Demonized Creatures in the chat channel. It seemed no one else had encountered them, or if they had, they hadn’t shared it. As a result, Li Ziyu knew nothing about them.
’Judging by the name alone, they couldn’t be anything good. His gaming experience from his past life told him that whenever the word "Demonized" was slapped onto a name, it was a Monster eight times out of ten—the kill-on-sight kind.’
Perhaps sensing Li Ziyu’s confusion, the Skeleton Undead in front of Mumu scratched its bare skull in a very human-like gesture. Its Soul Fire flickered twice, mimicking a person lost in thought.
"You don’t know? You really don’t know about Demonized Creatures?!"
This time, it was Mumu’s turn to be shocked. Judging from the Undead’s reaction, it seemed genuinely confused. ’But how is that possible?’ he thought. ’A Race that makes its living in the Wasteland, and they don’t know about Demonized Creatures?’
’Didn’t it just say the Undead lived in the Wasteland? How could they have never encountered Demonized Creatures? Impossible. Or is this thing just messing with me, trying to make me look like a fool?’
Soon, the Undead before him transmitted a message: "What are Demonized Creatures?"
’It actually doesn’t know!’
Mumu snorted, much like a human sighing, and gave the Undead a strange look. "You Undead are truly bizarre. Demonized Creatures are beings excessively corrupted by Magic Energy. They are bloodthirsty and violent. Many have lost their sanity, unable to think or communicate. They attack the Tribes of the Wasteland indiscriminately. They are the enemy of every Race in the Wasteland."
Demonized Creatures appear from time to time in the Wasteland. Because they are extremely aggressive and attack all Races without distinction, the Races of the Wasteland rise up and kill them on sight whenever they are encountered.
Mumu didn’t know the origin of Demonized Creatures, but he knew they were exceedingly dangerous and troublesome. Encountering them was always a headache.
’Just as I thought. Slap the word "Demonized" on something, and it becomes a Monster.’ Li Ziyu glanced at the pile of Demonized Minotaur corpses on the ground, stroking his chin. ’I wonder what materials they’ll break down into. I’m a little curious.’
"Are there many Demonized Creatures in the Wasteland?"
"I can’t answer that. My Tribe’s activity is limited to this area, and we’d never run into Demonized Creatures before."
Mumu found the Undead before him increasingly bizarre. It was completely different from the legends. It didn’t kill mindlessly; instead, it was rational and not difficult to communicate with. If one were to ignore its appearance, they would likely never guess it was an Undead.
Its arrival hadn’t brought disaster to his Tribe; on the contrary, it had lent them a hand, taking care of the Demonized Minotaurs. ’It seems they’re friends, not foes,’ he considered.
Surviving in the Wasteland was always difficult without friends or allies. A bold idea suddenly struck Mumu: he wanted to befriend these Undead.
The moment the idea surfaced, he startled himself. ’Befriending the Undead? That’s a thought no one else has probably ever had. It’s insane!’
Mumu shook his head, trying to cast the thought aside.
Watching him shake his head, the Undead tilted its own in confusion and sent a message: "What’s wrong?"
"It’s nothing. I was just thinking I’d like to be friends with you," Mumu blurted out subconsciously. The moment the words left his mouth, he realized his mistake and looked nervously at the Undead, his bull-like eyes wide. ’Why did I just say that out loud?’ he cursed himself.
’Become... friends?’
Peering out the window, Li Ziyu blinked. He was stunned for a moment, but then it clicked. A look of pleasant surprise spread across his face. ’Making friends is great! I love making friends!’
’Who is he? A Minotaur, a Native of the Otherworld Wasteland! They’ve lived here this entire time. Never mind what resources they might offer; the intelligence alone makes them worth befriending. They’re the locals here! They must know far more than a Transmigrator like me.’
’With Natives as friends, I can get a lot of information directly. I won’t have to buy it or keep my eyes glued to the chat channel. This is great.’
’Besides, since the Minotaurs live in the Wasteland, maybe I can find out how to leave it. If they could give me a map or something, couldn’t I finally get out of this place?’
Li Ziyu quickly had the Undead relay a message. "We Undead are a very friendly Race. We love to make friends."
As the message entered Mumu’s soul, his jaw worked silently and the flesh on his face twitched. ’The Undead, a friendly Race?’
’Skeletons and Soul Fire... what part of that looks friendly? The entire Wasteland is filled with stories of your cruelty and terror—the kind used to scare children into behaving. You guys have a serious misunderstanding of yourselves!’
Mumu fell silent. He glanced over his shoulder at his people, who were watching with worried eyes. His Tribe was behind him. Turning back to the Undead, his fist clenched, then slowly relaxed, then clenched again. Two thoughts battled in his mind. Was befriending the Undead a good thing or a bad thing? This was a gamble.
’If I win this bet,’ he thought, ’we’ll gain protection. If I lose... our whole Tribe will probably join the Undead. Yep, as skeletons.’
Then, his thoughts turned to the Demonized Minotaurs, and his gaze hardened with resolve. He had to find a way forward for his Tribe.
There was some intelligence he hadn’t shared with the Undead. Many Demonized Creatures were extremely vindictive; after a failed attack, they would retaliate, gathering reinforcements to strike again. He didn’t know if Demonized Minotaurs were the vengeful type, but the possibility existed.
They could barely fend off a dozen Demonized Minotaurs. If even more came next time, could they be lucky enough to survive again? Mumu knew the answer in his heart: it was doubtful. There was a good chance the Demonized Creatures would wipe out his Tribe.
He had three paths to choose from. One: wait for the Demonized Creatures to return and annihilate them. Two: migrate and abandon their ancestral land. Three: befriend the Undead and try to win their protection.
Befriending the Undead seemed like the best option. He didn’t want to abandon his land. The Wasteland was a dangerous place where all territory was already claimed. Finding a new, suitable place to settle would be difficult, and land had to be fought for.
Li Ziyu stared intently in Mumu’s direction, awaiting his reply.
After a long while, Mumu let out two sharp puffs of air from his nostrils. He raised his right fist and thumped it over his heart. "Let’s reintroduce ourselves. I am Mumu, Clan Leader of the Minotaur Tribe. On behalf of my people, I am willing to live in friendship with the Undead and become your Ally."
’Success!’
Li Ziyu pumped his fist, a grin spreading across his face as he had the Undead relay his message: "I am the Skeleton Undead Lord, Lord of the Moving Castle of Undead, Li Ziyu. May our friendship last for an eternity."
