Chapter 17: Someone lurking in the forest

I flew hurriedly to my destination as fast as I could without looking back.

After a few glides through the sky, I arrived at the hidden spring.

The spring was located near the summit of a huge mountain. It was surrounded by a thick forest and huge rock formations, and one could only enter or leave the spring by flying above, climbing the huge trees, or passing through a small dog hole gap between the two huge rock formation walls covering the area.

I removed the shawl wrapped around my body and placed it on the ground along with my bow, quiver, and bag.

Soaps and shampoo were still nonexistent in this world. We only used a variety of flower essences and ointments made from herbs and applied them to our bodies and hair, then used stones to scrub the dirt off our bodies while rinsing them with water.

I was still in the process of studying how to make soap, but I got so focused on fabric production and on sewing dresses that it got delayed too much.

I already brought a bucket and basin and placed them near the secluded area of the spring so that I can take a bath and clean my body first before soaking in the spring.

I soaked in the secluded part of the spring so that if ever any beastman entered the spring, I wouldn't be seen easily.

I felt sleepy after soaking in the spring for a while, so I started to thoroughly clean up my body before I could fall asleep and prepared to go back to the tribe.

I dried myself using a cotton towel I brought along in my bag, and I wore the shawl like a dress and put on the cloak and gloves. I tied the quiver at my waist, then picked up my bow and bag.

It's almost time for Dillon and Lindie's turn to check their compatibility in front of the altar. I wanted to take a peek at how my sister looks wearing the dress I made, but I dared not show up to not ruin her mood on her special day.

I decided to walk back while checking on the trees along the way. I am currently looking for rubber trees to produce some elastics that I will try to add to the dresses and clothes I am going to make.

I was also studying the process of melting and molding metals to produce a sleeker set of needles and sturdier arrows. The current needles we were using were all made of hard, pointy fish bones drilled carefully on one end using a porcupine spike and a small stone hammer. The arrows were all made from wood, making them ineffective against prey with thicker skin like the huge boar.

I was also wondering if ceramic arrows could be a better alternative in the meantime, but to do so, I have to go to the Bear Tribe and ask them directly to make them for me. I wanted to ask my father for a favor, but I wasn't able to do so because he was so busy dealing with so many tasks at hand. I kind of regret making the fabrics because it made my father totally busy and sometimes sleepless.

I wish I could travel to other areas to find more useful stuff, but my father will probably scold me if I do so since he is so overprotective of me.

I crawled out of the dog hole to exit the area, but upon standing up, I realized that I made a big mistake. My whole body was covered with dust from the dog hole. I looked like I was covered in powder and dirt all over my body, as if I hadn't taken a bath.

"Gosh, you're so crazy, Ari, what a mess," I scolded myself as I tried to shake the dust away.

I suddenly heard the loud laugh of a male beastman at a distance. I tried looking around, but I couldn't see him.

I can faintly sense a presence in the distance, as if someone were watching me.

I asked cautiously as I raised my bow and arrow, "Who's there?" while looking around before demanding, "Reveal yourself—don't hide yourself like a coward laughing at someone's miserable appearance."

No one answered my demand, but I could hear his soft chuckles while moving in every direction as I tried to find him. "Such rudeness—where are you?" I shouted, provoking the stalker.

I went to the locations where I could sense his presence and hear his chuckles in haste, but he suddenly disappeared as I approached the exact spot, as if I were just hallucinating.

He taunted while laughing, "Yow, you're too slow—find me if you can!"

I shouted back as I got furious and tried searching for him, hoping to catch him: "Stop laughing—are you a crazy hyena?"

However, he was so good at hiding and was very agile, so he disappeared every time I searched for him on the spot where I heard his voice.

"Wow, you have a good pair of ears, but sorry, I won't let you catch me because I don't want to duel a beautiful winged beastman like you," he teased.

I raised my left eyebrow upon hearing his words, but he just laughed as if he could see me.

"Anyway, what are you?" he asked with a tone of confusion. "I believe that Chimera beastman tribes don't have any territory around the area."

The Chimera / Ancient beastman tribes were tribes of beastmen with multiple animal characteristics, such as the Winged Lion beastman that symbolizes the ancient generations of beastmen that existed in this world.

I was so baffled because this was the first time that my sense of smell failed me.

A normal female beastman has the ability to smell the scent of a male up to two kilometers away, except in some minority who were born with a sensitive sense of smell such as myself. Their sense of smell will intensify during their estrus.

A male beastman also has a sharp nose, but they can smell both female and male beastmen up to 10–30 kilometers away, depending on their race.

The forest was damp due to the rain this morning, so I can smell the moss and wet branches around the forest. Maybe his scent got mixed up with it, making me unable to recognize his exact location.

I gave up searching, so I decided to fly back to the tribe to prevent being caught in some incident since there was someone lurking in the forest.