Chapter 208 - 205: Futile Communication

Chapter 208: Chapter 205: Futile Communication

It wasn’t that Hama Pi couldn’t think of an escape plan; he had at least a few viable options he could try.

But what good would escaping do now? He was in a foreign land with foreign people. Was he supposed to live out in the wild?

He was a respectable merchant, not a primitive, blood-drinking Elf (most of them), and certainly not some filthy wild monster.

Besides, since he had stumbled upon this novel new world, Hama Pi—who prided himself on his outstanding business talent that others simply failed to recognize—felt he had to put his expertise to use.

Although he didn’t know how to get back to his own world and had no merchandise, he could figure out the return trip later. If that failed, he could just settle down here. After all, he had a ton of enemies back home. As for merchandise, he could just make promises. If that wasn’t enough, he would use his skills to craft some trinkets on the spot. As long as they were novel, who cared if they were practical?

With these thoughts, Hama Pi no longer felt the urge to leave so quickly. He decided to wait and see.

The transport vehicle drove for several hours. During that time, the escorting Soldiers and dogs had their fill of food and water, but Hama Pi received nothing.

There wasn’t a single sound from the sealed cage, and no one would dare open it even a crack to pass anything inside. Besides, the Soldiers figured the large dose of anesthetic should still be in effect. Given the small frame of the thing inside, it would probably sleep for a long time without a counteracting agent.

When they ate, the aroma of the food wafted into the cage, making the Hama Pi inside itch with unbearable craving. But as he was slowly recovering, he chose to remain silent.

Around three in the afternoon, the convoy of a dozen or so military vehicles, including the transport truck, arrived at a special research base.

Russia hadn’t established a dedicated special department for such matters. Instead, the military had taken direct command, forming a special anti-terrorism unit designated "Guardian." General Lazov was its first supreme commander.

But it was old wine in a new bottle. As the situation grew more complex, the Guardian unit’s responsibilities expanded until it could no longer be described as a purely military organization.

Lazov had arrived an hour before the convoy and was already waiting outside a reinforced experimental cell.

The cell’s construction was no less sturdy than the metal cage. Since the metal cage could contain the small monster, the cell was bound to be even more secure.

The metal cage was pushed directly into the cell on a dolly. Then, without letting Hama Pi out, everyone evacuated the cell and locked the Door.

After a moment, a mechanical arm slowly descended from above and opened the cage’s door, taking the place of a human.

Hama Pi dropped the pretense of being unconscious or asleep and simply walked out, still in handcuffs and shackles.

"Oh..." "So that’s the thing..." "It’s really wearing clothes..."

"So ugly..."

The researchers and experts outside murmured among themselves, while Lazov frowned and observed closely.

The moment he stepped out, Hama Pi knew many eyes were on him, but as he scanned the four walls, he couldn’t see a single person.

He glanced at the cameras in the corners, which swiveled to follow him, then fixed his gaze on one particular wall and stood still.

"Does it know about one-way glass?"

"Very likely. The report said this thing is intelligent, and mutated monsters are always sensitive."

Amid the discussion outside, a screen inside the cell lit up, immediately capturing Hama Pi’s attention.

"Hello, guest from a land unknown!"

An elderly scholar appeared on the screen. He first greeted Hama Pi in Russian, then tried several major languages from around the world, but Hama Pi didn’t respond.

Hama Pi knew the man was attempting some form of contact, but they weren’t face-to-face. With the communication relayed through electronic circuits, he couldn’t understand a thing, even with his Magic Power. Ordinarily, the quality of his Magic Power would have been enough for him to grasp at least a little of what was being said.

Since he couldn’t understand, he decided to give it a try himself.

One on the screen, one in the cell, they began spouting languages at each other. After a long while, it was clear neither could understand a single sentence.

’I’m so frustrated with myself for not practicing harder,’ Hama Pi fumed. ’My control over Magic Power is too weak to use a technical skill like Magic Resonance for language. I know Magic Language, sure, but it consumes too much Magic Power to waste. Besides, it’s so high-level these natives wouldn’t understand it anyway.’

Both sides tried for a long time without making any substantial progress. However, it did lead the behavioral analysts to conclude that the subject was an intelligent life form with a desire to communicate, and not something completely unreasonable.

Since spoken language had failed, they moved on to physical communication. For a long while, they gestured at each other through the screen. The scholar even brought out a drawing board and played animations, which allowed Hama Pi to understand a few things.

For example, he understood that what they most wanted to know was where he came from, and whether he was alone or had accomplices.

However, Hama Pi lacked effective gestures, some of his hand signals were incomprehensible to humans, and his drawing skills were so abysmal that the drawing board was worse than useless. This made it difficult for the human scholars to grasp what Hama Pi was trying to express.

Overall, however, the process was quite harmonious. None of the Guardian unit’s emergency plans were needed, and soon, it was 6 PM.

Everyone had been on edge for hours and was exhausted. Naturally, it was dinnertime.

This time, they didn’t forget Hama Pi.

In front of the old scholar, an attendant served roast chicken, pan-fried steak, toast, juice, and a vegetable salad. As for Hama Pi on the other side of the screen...

From above, layers of metal panels opened, and a large metal tray was lowered by a mechanical arm, placed on the stainless steel table inside the cell.

On it were two large, bloody chunks of raw meat—one of fresh horse meat and one of fresh beef. This was based entirely on the preference Hama Pi had shown when foraging, right down to the crude manner of eating.

Hama Pi stared at the "delicacy" on his table, then at the old scholar’s sumptuous dinner on the screen.

The man even smiled and gestured for him to eat, which suddenly made Hama Pi feel like he’d been fucked over by a Swamp Monster.

He roared and yelled at the screen, demanding they give him that exquisite food instead, but they couldn’t understand him at all.

The easily-agitated Hama Pi mimed putting food in his mouth so fast it was a blur, like a fan blade. Seeing it had no effect, he furiously smashed the screen a few times in a fit of rage.

BANG~

The screen shattered on the first "intimate contact" with his little fist, then went black.

Hama Pi froze, waiting motionlessly and a little nervously for over two minutes. Then, with a dejected look, he returned to the stainless steel table and began to tear into the two large chunks of fresh meat.

’Unfair treatment! These guys don’t see me as a "person" at all!!’

...

Outside, a group of people mulled over the creature’s recent violent outburst.

Ivan asked Lazov in a low voice.

"General, everything was fine a moment ago. Why did it act like this at mealtime? Was it dissatisfied with the food?"

Lazov let out a slight smile at Hama Pi’s actions and Ivan’s words.

"Try giving it some cooked food next time."

Then he turned to a female Officer beside him.

"Notify the people from Hua Country. This kind of communication needs a Perception Type; otherwise, we’re just wasting time."

"Yes, General."

After the female Officer left, Ivan looked at Lazov with a frown.

"General, are we just going to share it like this?"

Lazov’s smile vanished as he stared at Hama Pi, who was eating with considerable ferocity inside the cell.

"Ivan, do you really think that little thing in there is completely under our control? I, for one, can’t confirm that. From a biological standpoint, its reaction is too calm!"

"Besides, do you think Hua Country doesn’t know already?"

Lazov rolled his shoulders and neck, letting out a series of crisp cracks from his bones.

PS: First Chapter for Sunday.

By the way, the name "Hama Pi" was actually suggested by a reader in the cameo character comment thread. I have no idea what it means!