Primitive Man

Amid their search for natural materials to create the much-needed antibiotic for tuberculosis, Garnt and Rona, with her flowing black hair, ventured deep into the wilderness.

Their journey was guided by the recommendations of Eva, who had spoken of the medicinal properties of ginger, garlic, black pepper, and mint.

[It might not be as effective as modern pills, but it is the most suitable medicine for primitive people.]

"Well, someday we are going to make that white substance right?" Garnt asked, as he was excited about the future.

[You are, that future is not even close. I also want to see that happen, so let's work hard.]

Eva said with a happy tone knowing that Garnt and her dreams were rather similar, but also different at the same time.

As they travelled through the dense forest, their senses heightened, and they stumbled upon an unexpected sight: a cave and a crudely-built wooden pen just outside of it. Rona furrowed her brow in confusion. "I had no idea anyone lived out here," she mused.

"Is this place close to your original cave?" Garnt asked since he wanted more information.

"I don't really know, but compared to the position of the river, it should be close," Rona answered his question. "And I also know these trees. I saw them close to my previous cave."

But then they noticed the strangest thing about this place: there were humans who looked like they were busy with their own work.

Garnt, with a sense of unease, observed the people toiling around the cave. They looked worn out and unhappy, their faces etched with exhaustion and despair. Most of them were fully naked and bore visible injuries on their bodies, evidence of the harsh conditions they endured.

All the men looked malnourished, while women kept working, even though they looked like they were getting abused. But not all of them looked the same, as some men looked like they were guarding the cave with their healthy-looking bodies.

With a cautious tone, Garnt leaned in towards Rona. "I believe we've found our next target," he whispered. "But this time, things might get ugly. I can sense the kind of person their leader is."

Rona nodded in agreement, her determination unwavering. "We can't let this continue," she replied. "Let's find out who's responsible for this and put an end to it."

Hidden among the bushes, they waited for a few minutes until they saw a new group of people coming from a different direction, leading another group of naked women with their hands tied.

[These people look like they are bandits. Probably, this might be how bandits started to exist, which means these are the ancestors of those bastards.]

"We should kill all of them! Forgiving these people will backfire on us," Garnt muttered to himself, showing he wasn't naive or stupid enough to believe that he could change people who were already rotten.

"There are too many but two of us can-" Rona wanted to suggest fighting, but Garnt quickly objected to her words.

"No! Even if it is possible for the two of us to kill them, I can't allow fighting like that. After all, I'm a leader, not a warrior. I have a responsibility to care about other people's lives as well as my own," Garnt showed Rona why she couldn't become another Garnt when she was alone in that cave.

But then something happened that shocked Rona, as she saw a familiar face among the group.

"Garnet! This is not a strange group. Do you remember the idiotic man who tried to defeat me? This is his group," she pointed at the man who was leading the group of women and children who were enslaved.

"That man was next to that muscular bastard when he attacked me,"

"Ohh~ Then we've really found our prey without even having to search for him," Garnt said, feeling even happier to know that his target was right in front of him. However, it also made him anxious as he couldn't see the muscular man that Rona was talking about.

"This doesn't change any of our plans. We will only attack when we are 100% confident about our win. Let's mark the area for now."

After his words, Rona nodded her head as she learned a valuable lesson and they went back to the village with the natural medicines they picked up.

After Rona and Garnet returned to their village, they gathered the other members of the community to discuss their findings and plan their attack on the Moga's group.

Rona began to speak about the man who had repeatedly challenged her in the past wanting to share her knowledge and experience. "Listen, everyone," she began, her voice steady and resolute. "The man leading that group is a savage.

He'll use any method to win, even if it means resorting to the lowest tactics." She paused, her expression hardening with the memories.

"He once tried to use my own parents against me, but I managed to protect them and myself from his schemes."

Garnt, ever the strategist, reassured the group. "Don't worry," he said confidently. "We have a huge advantage over them now. We've found new weapons and our people are more trained and talented, and they won't see us coming."

He was confident about the gap between the technology and the skills, and he actually did not doubt that they would win this battle.

But as they discussed their plan of action, a man burst into the hut, his body covered in injuries, his face pale with fear. He gasped for breath before managing to deliver his urgent message. "Our mine is under attack! A group of people is trying to take it from us."

The news sent a shockwave through the room, and the people in the hut exchanged worried glances.

Unami had her heart coming out of her mouth, as she worried about her brother's safety.

"Is Baktou okay?" She suddenly questioned with her face looking rather sour, but the man didn't have any answers to her question.

"I-i don't know, He is the one who asked me to quickly run and let our patriarch know about this attack. I wasn't there-" He was hesitant, but answered honestly since he didn't want to lie about anything.

Unami tried to blame the man, but Garnt didn't let her do that. He held her shoulder and asked her to calm down.

"Baktou is not weak, he is my brother too. Let's quickly go and help him. We don't have time to waste arguing with each other," He said to Unami and looked at the messenger.

"What kind of a group can attack us? Were they humans like us?"

The messenger took a deep breath before responding, "Yes, they were humans like us. It was a group of huge, muscular men, led by a man with a massive scar over his eye."

Rona, who had been listening intently, suddenly gasped. "Garnt, I think I know who that is. It sounds like the man we've been searching for, the one responsible for so much trouble."

"Is it because of the scar on his eye?" Garnt questioned, to which Rona nodded.

"I can't say for sure, but he should be the one. Either way, it's do or die now."

Garnt clenched his fists in anger. "That man should die," he muttered through gritted teeth, his determination to protect his family and village burning bright.

Unami, still struggling with worry and frustration, abruptly left the hut, causing the others to exchange concerned glances. Without a second thought, Garnt followed her, catching up with her just outside. He gently hugged her from behind, trying to comfort her as best as he could.

"Unami, your brother will be okay," he whispered, his voice filled with sincerity and reassurance. "I trust him. He's skilled and strong. I won't let anything happen to him."

Garnt hugged her back tightly, vowing silently to do whatever it took to ensure Baktou's safety.

"I know, but as a sister, I can't help but feel uneasy," Unami said while letting her body and heart calm down from the body heat of her beloved person.

Garnt smiled, his heart swelling with affection for the family he loved. He leaned in and gently kissed her forehead. "I'll always be here for you, Unami, no matter what. We'll face this challenge together and come out stronger on the other side."

As they stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, their determination to protect their loved ones burned brighter than ever.

In the next few hours, the whole village got ready to face the impending challenge. The atmosphere was filled with a sense of urgency and solidarity as everyone gathered in the centre of the village with their wooden and bone weapons.

Most of them wore their best quality clothes, which were either made up from the skin of Steppe Bisons or Fang Wolves.

It was a group of thirty to forty men and women, but the energy and the intimidation, they provided was unlike anything someone could imagine.