Chapter 58 In-Breed

Skin fully covered by hair like a chimpanzee, a tail the ends of which had scales forming on it, like a lizard, a head larger than most humans, and the same for his body too, which almost reached three metres in height.

But the strangest of all were the two pairs of eyes and the large parted jaws, similar to a lizard that emanated an eerie sensation when he talked.

His accent was strange and the words he used, even though they were from the same language, the style of speaking seemed ancient. After all, languages constantly evolve over time due to the behavioural changes of the people from generation to generation.

But on this island, things had mostly remained the same for centuries at a stretch. Due to that, Yihan had a harder time understanding his words. But it was still possible to communicate.

"We're not entirely cut off from the mainland, you see." The three-metre-tall person that arrived said, "From time to time, soldiers and fishermen wash up on our shores. We learn of the outside world through them. And also…"

He let out a smile, which was way scarier than a lizard staring at its prey. He was like a lizard with human semblance, saying, "Thanks to their seeds, we're able to stabilise ourselves better. We're especially thankful to the Fornol Empire for their failed naval expeditions."

The Fornol Empire had sent out scouting ships in various directions, intending to chance upon new landmasses to conquer. And of course, a good fraction of them ended up meeting their end to a storm or some other natural disaster.

And among those, quite a few had washed up the island's shore. The indigenous people captured those people and mated with them, forcefully assimilating with their genetic material.

Thanks to that, the problems originating from their excessive in-breeding regressed a little. Though, it seemed that the in-breeding also sparked quite a few strange evolutionary traits.

"How many among you can still talk?" Yihan asked, aware that the reason the indigenous tribe had attacked them at the start was to capture them and mate with them. Xuna would bear their children while Yihan's seeds would be used to impregnate the women of the indigenous populace.

It would be a living hell for both of them. Of course, such a thing didn't come to pass as Xuna tied them all up easily.

"Less than twenty." The three-metre-tall humanoid spoke, "I can speak the most fluent among them all. It's only because our parents were people from the mainland."

Upon seeing that the other party was actually afraid of them, Yihan smirked in response, 'Seeing Xuna's Klock form seems to have terrified at least some of them.'

He then talked with the three-metre-tall humanoid for some more time, understanding the details of the place.

There were around five hundred people living on this mountainous island, surviving by fishing mostly. And, thanks to their evolution, they had figured out the freshwater stream that reached their island through the sea, obtaining their fresh water supply from there.

And once every year, they actually took care of the Gharials that arrived at the island to lay down their eggs, never disturbing them.

Based on what the three-metre-tall humanoid told them, the Gharials warded of the dangerous predators of the sea that gathered near the island during this time every year.

Thanks to this, the native population of fishes survived mostly as the Gharials feasted upon the predators to gather enough nutrition to lay down their eggs.

Thanks to this, both the races had formed a symbiotic relationship of sorts.

Upon learning of this fact, Yihan and Xuna made eye contact, grinning as the same thought resounded in their mind, 'Jackpot!'

Considering the level of luck Xuna witnessed within the Gharial that they had followed, she could turn it into a Guardian Beast. But as for the specifics, she wasn't sure yet.

Things were lucky back in the West Guardian Village.

So, if she wished to repeat the same, Xuna had to figure out the means to create a Guardian Beast. With that thought in mind, they first accompanied the three-metre-tall humanoid, one named Tuglai. As for the names, they had less than ten names, five for men and five for women in the village.

So, everyone just took similar names.

Their village was situated hundred metres uphill, situated within a massive cave that had formed naturally within the mountain, large enough to house the over three hundred people.

Xuna and Yihan accompanied Tuglai as the rope of her grappling hook carried the other people that she had bound. Currently, they were hoisted up in the air, helplessly carried by her.

As they entered the village, the villagers were startled, having never seen such a mystical scene where one woman carried dozens of men casually.

Though, less than twenty people gave such a reaction. The majority of the remainder only expressed mild fear while the rest charged at Xuna, intending to capture her. their intelligence had regressed completely, inferior to even wild animals.

"Mainlanders?" A two-metre-tall humanoid, named Hukla arrived before her, staring at the rope Xuna used, muttering in surprise, "Are you a…God?"

"Hmm…" Xuna thought for a moment before saying, "I'm the disciple of someone similar though."

As Rhizen didn't wish to proclaim himself as a God, she didn't go overboard either. But, that was only limited to herself. She didn't wish to place her master on a pedestal any lower. In her eyes, he was a divine being himself.

Transforming into a Klock, Xuna unleashed fierce gales that sent the approaching people flying as they hit the walls at the farther end of the cave, injured enough to not move for the time being.

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In just one action, she paralysed everyone that wished to capture her. Following that, she reverted to her human form, staring at Tuglai and Hukla, the two that seemed the most intelligent among the group, "do you wish to reclaim your intelligence?"

"The defects of your bodies would also heal." She spoke.

"Yes, please." Both Tuglai and Hukla prostrated on the ground in response, having witnessed Xuna's power. They didn't have any eloquent mode of expressing their wish, stating curtly, "We'll pray to you daily."

"Then…" Xuna thought for a moment, recalling the scene of the lizards in the snowy mountain from where she obtained her petrifying gun. Recalling what they had done to create that greyish-blue sphere, she spoke, looking at Yihan, "Create a large vat for me."

"Is a stone vat enough?" He asked, transforming into the West Guardian upon seeing her nod, taking flight as he flew out of the cave, found a good enough rock and carved out a concave section within using his scythe blades.

He arrived within twenty minutes, placing the stone vat before her.

Xuna layered the stone vat with a greyish-blue layer before taking out her syringe whose contents she poured into it.

She then looked at the villagers, "Pour a few drops of your blood into this. I'll take care of healing your wounds."

She summoned her healing rod, grabbing the knife that Yihan created as she made a gash on Tuglai's arm, watching his blood drip into the vat. Once enough of his blood dripped, she healed his wound, extracting Hukla's blood next.

Under their orders, the rest of the villagers followed suit. As for those that were unwilling, she forcefully extracted their blood and healed their injuries.

After almost half a day, Xuna managed to extract the blood of everyone as she stared into the vat, seeing the murky blood within, one that emanated a nauseating stench.

Xuna then dropped the healing rod into the vat, keeping it constantly activated as its healing energy mixed into the blood, enriching it. And from the top, she dripped the contents of her syringe, one that allowed her to control animals.

The droplets of this mysterious solution dripped one after another as it mixed into the blood thanks to the healing energy that vitalised the blood, turning it energy rich.

While this was happening, Xuna flew over to the shore and captured the Gharial, repeating the same using its blood in a separate, smaller vat.

She stared at the mixture patiently, adding in new blood daily, watching the old blood evaporate a little over the course of the day as the concentration thickened.

She even kept it under the sunlight, watching the mixture turn harder gradually.

The Gharial struggled at first, but when Yihan fed it with more than enough fishes that it loved to eat, it stopped struggling. Moreover, even after drawing out its blood, Xuna immediately healed it while Yihan fed it until its belly was full.

So, after a week, it stopped resisting, happily providing its blood.

Once this happened, Yihan stopped taking care of it, making Tuglai take over his work while Hukla tended to it in place of Xuna, using Xuna's healing rod as she healed the Gharial, making it seem as if she was the one doing the healing.

The rest of the villagers were also given tasks regarding the Gharial, making them worship it as if it was their deity. Even though it was a beast, the Gharial was gradually able to sense the feeling that everyone was expressing towards it.

Two more weeks passed by in such a fashion when Xuna stared at the vats, noticing the blood in both had dried up completely. And at the bottom was a sphere in each, tiny in size.

She was nervous as Xuna gently picked up the crimson sphere from the larger vat, feeding it to the Gharial, 'Whether I succeed or not depends on it.'