Chapter 69: Meeting Chika Again

Just as they were about to reach the water stream Axe had mentioned—the one he had gone to before going down into the Black Sea Gorge—they saw a limping figure from afar.

Oshan was startled.

Looking at the others’ surprised but not shocked gazes, he knew they knew the person.

"You had another member with you?" he asked.

Then he suddenly remembered that when he first tracked them, there was indeed another figure there.

"Chika," he muttered. "He is still alive?"

"It seems so," Moon murmured.

"He has some tough bones," Axe said.

"And luck," Nox added.

"Should we take him with us?" Ugo asked Moon.

"Let him be inside. He still has a faint slave mark that I can’t remove," Moon said. They stood there for a few moments, letting the limping man come closer.

When Chika saw the group, his eyes lit up.

In these few days, he was actually fattened up. It was just that his leg was somehow injured.

Moon guessed he had been pierced by a needle in his knee. At that time, he hadn’t really checked it clearly.

Chika almost ran to their side.

On his back was hanging a small wild deer he had hunted earlier. After reaching the group, he suddenly put down the deer and knelt before Moon, his voice shaking with fear.

"Ah, master, please don’t leave me again. I have been searching for you for so long."

He had woken up there alone.

After waking up, he found he was somewhat healed, but the group was nowhere to be seen. All these days, he was going around this area. Afraid of losing the mark, he didn’t dare to go far.

In this area, the prey was enough to get food. Though defective, he was still born of a werewolf, so meat and fruit were enough to get by for him.

But what really made him suffer was loneliness. The loneliness was so pressing that it was almost suffocating every day and night.

He could hardly tolerate this loneliness and had almost gone mad. His poison was also not fully healed. Sometimes, it would also flare up in the middle of the night.

He didn’t even dare to take the elixir Moon gave for removing the mark. But the air here was so fine, and after eating his fill and sleeping all day, he had somehow fattened up and gotten healthy.

Moon looked at this old enemy, and his mood was not good. But he didn’t have much hate either, though he despised this man’s nature.

Axe looked at Moon’s clenching jaw and stepped forward. He was the one who had given Chika a chance to live, so he should take responsibility.

He also hated Chika, but he had already castrated him for revenge and then used him to dig all those tunnels.

"Let’s just keep him. He can do the cleaning and mining." Axe said.

Chika’s eyes lit up. "Yes, yes! Just give me a chance, master. I have been so blind in my pursuit of power. I almost—no, I totally forgot humanity. But I swear I have changed after being half-dead from the phantom wolves. I have suffered enough. Let me be your slave and live."

Moon took a step back and signaled Axe to make arrangements. He didn’t know how he would deal with this one.

"Did you take the mark-removing elixir?" Axe asked.

Chika shook his head. "No, I am too weak to take it."

Nox snorted, "I see you have fattened up."

Chika suddenly felt ashamed. His gaze lingered on Moon for a while before he lowered his head. "It’s thanks to the master."

Moon’s voice cracked in displeasure. "Don’t call me master. What happened to you? Weren’t you quite moody before we fell into the gorge?"

Ugo also felt Chika was not a man who would call anyone master in such an amicable voice.

Chika’s eyes flickered, and then he straightened up.

"I don’t want to live here forever alone."

"Oh, now you suddenly grew a backbone?" Nox whistled in amusement.

Chika didn’t feel ashamed at all.

He took out some red stones and spread them on his palm for them to see.

"Fire stones. They are here in one place. You can have them if mining properly. You all need manpower, don’t you? And I need medicine." he looked at Moon again. "Since you don’t want a slave, then at least you can trade. It’s a win-win."

Moon was silent for a long time before nodding. "You are right. I need manpower. But not now. You can only stay here until we come back."

"Okay." After saying that, Chika hesitated. At last, he said in a low voice, "I need medicine to heal the gorge poison. It’s making me feel like I’m dying, and it’s increasing with each passing day."

Moon sneered and spread his palm forward. "Give me those stones. All of them."

Chika didn’t hesitate. He had seen Moon enough to know he would not rob his mere fire stone.

He took out an animal-skin pouch from his sash and threw it to Moon.

Moon caught it in his hand and gave Chika a vial that contained his low-grade Black Sea poison pill.

"Wait here. We will be back. If not today, tomorrow for sure." Axe said.

With that, the group left for the stream where the water was falling into a deep cave.

After reaching there, they found a stone-paved staircase slicing down alongside the rushing water into the darkness. And through this path, they all descended one after another.

Axe in front.

Moon in the middle.

Nox and Ugo watching the rear. And at the end Oshan Dew.

The path was narrow and wet.

Water dripped from the ceiling in slow, steady drops, mixing with the roaring echo of the stream below.

Axe already knew every turn, so he moved faster.

After a long stretch, the tunnel opened into a wider cavern.

The air turned heavier with the stagnant smell of blood and poison.

Axe stopped.

"This is it," Axe said quietly.

The path led them to the same spot where Ugo had fallen, where they had rescued him, and the air was like a sealed place underwater.