Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

However, he still wouldn't change his attitude towards Tomat's easy recounting of his home's destruction.

Funeral processions are devoid of emotion.

"Ah, I don't think the Ursus people could do that, nor the Sarkaz. Your hometown was destroyed by a natural disaster, right?"

"That's it."

Only Croissant, who had indirectly witnessed Thomas's strength, was able to smooth things over at this moment.

"Natural disaster..."

One moment they were questioning the character of this person who seemed to have no attachment to his home, the next they understood him because of the explanation that he could give it away.

Why would Tomat speak so casually about the destruction of his people and homeland?

Because if it is destroyed by someone else, there will at least be someone to hate or take revenge on.

But if the target is a natural disaster, then where should one go about venting one's anger?

An enemy's revenge will eventually come, but what about natural disasters? Will anyone seek revenge against a natural disaster that destroyed their homeland?

Rather, the fact that the man in front of her could still maintain a relaxed attitude was already admirable. He didn't even have the chance to wallow in hatred, yet he still lived actively. This was something Hongyun had never imagined.

After all, who can forget their homeland? Who would hate a natural disaster without reason?

"It's okay, I don't miss that place at all. Of course, I'll still be upset if it's destroyed, but there's nothing I can do about it since I can't fight against it."

However, Tomat really didn't have much affection for Planet Vegeta and genuinely loathed the tyrant who was like a natural disaster.

Hongyun then realized that her long-awaited hunting trip had unexpectedly run into two strange people.

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Jieye and Croissant found a new topic to quickly end the awkwardness. Of course, Jieye was really concerned about what he was going to ask next.

"Speaking of which, I've never been to any permanent settlement outside of any city-state before, so I don't know where Croissant is going this time."

“An unnamed village, no, it can’t even be called a village.”

When it comes to this topic, it falls into the realm of croissants. Although the undertaker could probably answer on behalf of the deceased, since the question is directed at croissants, the undertaker, who is not entrusted with the question, will naturally remain silent.

"Not to mention the areas that are not officially registered, the actual number of residents is no more than a hundred. Although they live a self-sufficient life, they have become a resting and supply point for messengers of natural disasters who move around the area or occasionally pass by."

Croissant continued.

"This settlement seems to have originated from a caravan's mobile platform, but their vehicles burned out their Originium engines when they arrived here. At the time, there were no other city-states or caravans passing by, so they simply dismantled the platform and built basic shelters. They miraculously survived for several years until the first mobile city-state passed by, but some people still stayed here."

"Why are they willing to stay here? Wouldn't it be better to go with the city-state?"

Jie asked, after all, in his view, staying in the wilderness was an extremely irrational thing to do no matter what.

Croissant, however, explained calmly:

“Employees certainly want to go back, but many of them are bosses and businessmen. The years they spent here have basically deprived them of the capital to make a comeback, and they have even incurred huge debts that they cannot repay. If they go back, they will face an even more miserable situation. So they would rather risk their luck in the wilderness and natural disasters than go back.”

"Can't their homeland accommodate them?"

Hongyun's words seemed to have made the trip somewhat inexplicably heavy.

“If any of them are Laterans, I think it’s necessary to collect the taxes they’ve owed over the years, if the circumstances allow.”

But the emotionless funeral director also chimed in with an unwitting "action plan."

[Main Text] A Guide to Wandering Rhodes Island: Chapter Twenty-Five - Arrival

Hongyun's deep attachment to her homeland stems from her hometown, which was ravaged by Ursus.

But it was precisely because her home was destroyed that she was forced to wander into the wilderness, where she developed hunting skills that were even more proficient than when she was in her hometown.

She honed her skills not only for a living, but also for revenge. The "animals" she originally targeted for hunting techniques were now the Ursus people who had killed her people and destroyed her homeland.

That's why when she questioned Tomat earlier, she specifically glanced at Zi, who was sitting to the side and was also an Ursus.

Fortunately, compared to those living in Ursus, the smell of daily life on Jie was much more pleasant than the smell of alcohol and blood, allowing her to realize that Jie was not a native of Ursus.

Whether her revenge journey has ended is unclear, but the only certainty is that she has been forcibly sent to Rhodes Island by the Undertaker—who was firmly against Red Cloud getting involved in such dangerous matters in order to fulfill the will of a certain Sarkazan.

Unless he is with you.

"It's clear that while you have the skills to deal with wild animals, you lack hunting experience. You don't have the unique scent of a hunter."

Hongyun's words made everyone present, except for the undertaker, sniff themselves and their surroundings. Of course, they wouldn't deny that they weren't hunters, but they still misunderstood the "scent" Hongyun was referring to.

"Smell? It's not body odor, is it?"

Thomas looked at Red Cloud, who was Volper.

"That's just one theory! Besides, how could a hunter with body odor possibly catch his prey successfully? Prey have an extremely sensitive sense of smell!"

Of course, this elicited a reply from Hongyun that was both embarrassed and annoyed.

"To add to that, Hongyun does indeed have an unusually sensitive sense of smell that defies common sense. It is speculated that this is due to Oripathy, because she can even smell the blood when theoretically all the odor molecules have disappeared."

The mourner explained expressionlessly.

"In short, as the most experienced hunter in this hunt, you must all listen to me."

"Yes—yes—" As Hongyun's client, Croissant drawled out her request, "We'll have to trouble you to help us determine which prey is safe to eat."

"So the division of labor is that the undertaker and I help with the hunting, and A-Jie is in charge of butchering the game... So what are you going to do? Come and catch the game too?"

Thomas wouldn't judge the Undertaker's abilities, but as the main force, he naturally had to participate in the hunt—and Croissant had indicated when inviting him that with Thomas on board, she didn't need to take too many risks herself; if she also participated, it would seem somewhat redundant.

“I’m in charge of negotiating with the locals. Even if they don’t own the land, they’ve lived here for many years. They should at least ask permission before hunting here, right?”

That's what they say, but looking at the bundle that filled the SUV's trunk to the brim, and not knowing what was inside, you know that Croissant wanted to do more than just that.

4:00 PM, an unnamed settlement near the Lungmen-Rhodes Island docking area, weather: sunny.

The journey, measured in hours, was finally completed by Sakta in his SUV, a vehicle specially designed for executors who needed to travel frequently. Croissant and Je, who were feeling drowsy due to the overly smooth terrain, were woken up by Tomat's pats on the shoulder before the undertaker's sudden, unannounced braking. Otherwise, their heads would have had a close, invigorating encounter with the chairs from the previous game.

"If we start counting from yesterday, haven't you been without rest for more than 36 hours? I completely forgot about that."

Since taking Tomat to Lungmen yesterday morning, as far as Croissant knows, Tomat hasn't done anything to rest.

Longmen stayed up all night that night, and the next morning and noon he reportedly got into a fight with a newbie. In the afternoon he went hunting with himself. If it weren't for the habit of taking shifts and resting frequently at Penguin Logistics, and subconsciously paying attention to whether his companions were resting, Croissant really wouldn't have noticed these things.

“Ha—has it been that long?” Tomat yawned dramatically after Croissant’s reminder, and then said, “Although it wouldn’t be a big deal to stay up for another 36 hours, it’s already afternoon. We can’t exactly go hunting in the middle of the night. If we really want to catch up on sleep, we might as well spend the night in that settlement.”

"That's right, we originally planned to stay there for one night and then set off the next day."

“That’s right. Hunting requires thorough preparation, including mental state.” Despite her childlike stature, Hongyun, who was resting with her eyes closed in an old-fashioned manner, seemed to have also sensed the change in the scent of the wind as they approached their destination. She slightly opened her eyes and lowered her arms that were crossed over her chest. “Besides, that Ursus guy is the one who really needs to catch up on his sleep.”

It seems that the dark circles under his eyes from working long hours at his stall, and his eyes that are always half-open, have really labeled him as "sleep-deprived," even though he doesn't feel very sleepy because of habit.

It's hard to imagine what kind of devastation it must have endured to leave this vast land with nothing but barren deserts and distant bald mountains.

But this seemingly endless vista began to change slightly soon after the people in the car perked up.

At the foot of a nearby mountain, patches of yellowish-brown green appeared.

A much more orderly and massive object came into view compared to the oddly shaped rocks.

The vegetation and the large, no-longer-moving vehicles brought life and human habitation to this place.

They too have taken on a somewhat desolate appearance due to the encroachment of nature. The greenery is confined to the foot of the small mountain, and the vehicles also appear dilapidated from a distance due to the blowing of sand and gravel.

"A request to stay has been sent, but no response has been received yet."

Despite the fact that this nameless community had no official recognition, and that their stay there had even caused them to lose their registration status in their original country, the funeral procession, who always followed the rules, still proceeded according to procedure.

But just as the mourners said, there was no response.

However, this is not surprising if we take into account that they do not have a transmitter or receiver.

"Strange, there's no sign of human habitation."

However, this was immediately followed by Hongyun's confused statement.

The closer Red Moon got to the settlement with its converted mobile vehicles, the less it could smell the original scent—regardless of its level of development, the distinctive smell of burning flames was always the characteristic aroma of a settlement.

"...strangeness."

The undertaker and Red Cloud noticed the anomaly in their own ways, and Tomat was no exception.

The reason that made him utter those two words was quite simple.

That is "no breath".

[Main Text] A Guide to Wandering in Rhodes Island: Chapter Twenty-Six - The Warm-Hearted Nameless Town

The first explanation, which can be attributed to equipment failure, is plausible.

The second scenario sounds far-fetched, but it also increases the suspicions of those who are aware of the matter.

However, the third scenario, although only Tomat could perceive it, thoroughly illustrates the current problem.

"Are you sure you're not mistaken? That settlement looks completely deserted."

The first person Thomas asked was Croissant, who had decided on their destination.

Croissant, however, denied that this was an unexpected situation.

Although she had led them to the Old Street Casino earlier, the destination was actually not wrong.

Unexpected situations cannot be guaranteed, but Croissant is still certain that she will not lead them astray—even if she is not as professional a guide as Exusiai, as a member of Penguin Logistics, she still has this level of information.

"Nobody? That's impossible. They should have been doing business with the shops in Lungmen before."

Croissant continued to deny it.

"The destination is correct."

The mourners did not stop the car immediately, but continued towards the settlement, talking as they drove.

"Perhaps it's because of...a natural disaster? That giant monster appeared near Lungmen, so they probably retreated from here?"

Jie also put forward his own ideas.

Although their large mobile vehicles are no longer able to move, they should be able to prepare some small manned vehicles over the years.

Because of the giant ape's rampage in the surrounding area, they chose to temporarily drive away. Even though Croissant explained that these people probably wouldn't be able to return home, they wouldn't stay put in the face of natural disasters but would leave—this is the most likely scenario at present.

"The destination is correct, so this is the only possibility. Now we don't have to worry about them when we go hunting, which is a good thing, isn't it?"

Hongyun said to Croissant.