Chapter 69: The Tail

“No, no, no, no, no… wait, wait.”

Nagu hurriedly grabbed Hamoyin’s hand, who was still packing: “If we leave like this, what about Duogaluo? He thinks you agreed to go with him.”

“He’ll handle it himself.”

Seeing Hamoyin’s serious expression, Nagu didn’t know how to persuade him. She indeed wanted to leave this place with Hamoyin as soon as possible, but why did he suddenly change his mind? Didn’t he hate Azuran for deceiving him?

To be honest, she had another concern, which was her current body. What if one day she lost her consciousness again? Could she come back to find Hamoin like this time, possessing a corpse?

Seeing Nagu’s silent and downcast look, Hamoyin stopped packing: “You don’t want to leave with me?”

“No, I’m just thinking about some things.”

“Duogaluo.”

“I’m not thinking about him…” Nagu looked at Hamoyin somewhat reproachfully. “I just feel that if I leave here with you, what if I suddenly lose my consciousness again? And why do you suddenly want to leave?”

“Because if I agree to go to the barren mountain with Duogaluo, then you will have to live back in the village. Things will become more complicated because your current body is that of the previous witch, and they will definitely value your presence.” Hamoyin naturally had thought about Nagu’s issues, including why she occupied certain unconscious bodies. At this moment, Azuran was no longer his concern.

In his view, nothing was more important than keeping Nagu safe and with him, which is why he was so eager to take her away. As for the human who had deceived him, it didn’t matter.

“The last time you had an incident, it was because your original body hadn’t died, and you remembered past events. It was also because Duogaluo kept trying to make you stay in the human tribe.”

“But now this one.” Hamoyin raised his hand to hold Nagu’s wrist. “I’m very sure this body is a corpse.”

“Don’t make it sound so scary!” Nagu looked into Hamoyin’s earnest eyes. “I… I just think, what if? What if the Mother Goddess wants to revive this body, and I just happened to enter it…”

“…”

“I’m not making excuses not to leave with you; I’m just afraid that after leaving with you, I might again…”

“I understand.”

“Huh?” Nagu stared blankly at Hamoyin, who suddenly smiled. “What do you understand?”

“Just go to the ritual. The Mother Goddess might have the power to fix you in this body.”

Nagu suddenly realized, yes, why hadn’t she thought of this before? Isn’t the Mother Goddess almost omnipotent here? Even Hamoyin’s tail could grow back.

“Can we really do that? But didn’t the last ritual just happen not long ago?”

“We can sneak into the water ritual site, I’ll figure out the rest.”

Indeed, if Nagu suddenly disappeared again and left only an empty corpse in front of him, he would go crazy. Duogaluo had pushed him to the point of wanting to take Nagu away without thinking, but now that he had calmed down, he realized he had to figure out Nagu’s body issue first. “I’ll go to the village.”

“Then let’s also tell Duogaluo that we’re leaving? I still think it’s better not to deceive him.” Nagu clasped her hands together and cautiously suggested, “If we explain why we’re leaving, he will understand.”

“Why do we need his understanding to leave?”

“Uh…” That’s true, Nagu scratched her head awkwardly. “I just think that since we’re all friends, it’s better to…”

“I’m not friends with him. If he knows we’re leaving, he’ll only try to keep you here because you’re a human female. He won’t let his fellow human leave.” Hamoyin grabbed Nagu’s arm and shook it. He rarely made such emotional gestures, but now he had to convince Nagu to stop worrying about Duogaluo. “Otherwise, why would he choose to get rid of Gongduo and Azuran? Because they threatened the safety and interests of his people. He’s a good leader, so he won’t let you leave with me.”

“Because he thinks you’re much safer in the tribe than with me.”

This was the first time Nagu heard Hamoyin praise Duogaluo, although the timing seemed off. And according to her count, this was the most Hamoyin had spoken recently. “I’m definitely going with you, I just think… Do you really think Duogaluo can handle Azuran on his own?”

“Azuran doesn’t know his intentions, so when the rainy season ends, it will be easy for him to act secretly. It will be the same without me.” Hamoyin paused. “Besides, this is their matter, I shouldn’t interfere in the first place.”

“Alright, I understand.” Nagu steadied herself. She couldn’t hesitate when Hamoyin decided to leave, especially since Duogaluo had indeed expressed a strong desire for her to stay in the tribe. “So when are we going to the ritual site? Do we need to prepare offerings or anything?”

Hamoyin nodded. “I’ll go to Azuran’s village tonight. The witch under his command manages many tablets, and there should be relevant records on them. I’ll come back and prepare once I find them.”

“Then, should I go with you to the ritual site?” Nagu calculated that they would probably go at night; otherwise, the market at the entrance would be full of people. “Do I have to take off my clothes this time too?”

“…”

“?”

“No need.” Hamoyin coughed lightly. “That was a custom set by the tribe. It’s not necessary now.”

“Oh…” Nagu showed an expression of realization. “By the way, I have another question.”

“What is it?”

“Where are we going after we leave here?” Since coming to this rainforest, Nagu hadn’t seen any other places. Her world was just trees, sunlight, rivers, Hamoyin, and insects. It was hard for her to imagine other places on this continent. Would the mountains be like the ones in her vague memories? What about the sea? Would there be things she hadn’t seen before in the sea? Maybe there were deserts here, too?

A long time ago, she was bitten by a leopard, and Hamoyin said she could go to the sea people’s residence after she healed. At that time, she was filled with fear and anxiety about the future because she was alone and everything around her was unfamiliar. But now, things were different.

With Hamoyin by her side, the once terrifying visions of the future vanished, replaced by anticipation and imagination. She wondered where she and Hamoyin would settle after leaving this place, how they would continue their lives, and whether they would stay in one place or move around.

What Nagu didn’t know was that Hamoyin had the same thoughts. He had lived in a cave since childhood and later joined the human tribe. His knowledge of the world outside the rainforest came only from conversations and records of others. He knew of the distant blue sea, the lush green mountains, and the golden deserts, but he had never seen them with his own eyes. So, the prospect of leaving the rainforest and Duogaluo’s tribe with Nagu filled Hamoyin with an unprecedented sense of anticipation.

“Anywhere is fine.” Hamoyin’s tail swayed slightly behind him.

“We’ll go to many places, and you can live wherever you like.”

Chapter 70: Embrace

Nagu held onto Hamoyin’s tail with both hands, stepping down the stairs in the darkness.

“Do we really have to do this…?”

“Yes.”

Yesterday afternoon, Hamoyin had hurriedly sneaked back from Azuran’s tribe, bringing back a large pile of tablets. He hadn’t had time to look through them, so he secretly brought them back to examine with Nagu, but they still found nothing.

The tablets did not record anything similar to Nagu’s situation, so Hamoyin made another decision. Since there were no records, he decided to ask the Mother Goddess. He knew that the witch and Azuran could communicate briefly with the Mother Goddess, so he just needed to prepare the offerings accordingly.

Preparing the offerings took Hamoyin a whole day. Some items were only available in the chief’s house, so he had to steal them. He also added his own blood and two live animals. Once everything was ready, he quietly took Nagu to the ritual site at night.

Handling the guards at the entrance was easy for Hamoyin, but they encountered some problems on the way to the underground ritual site.

Hamoyin had to carry a bunch of offerings, so he couldn’t hold Nagu’s hand. Nagu’s vision wasn’t as good as his in the dark, making it easy for her to trip.

Nagu quickly solved this problem by firmly grabbing Hamoyin’s tail with both hands. “I’ll hold onto this. You go ahead.”

“Alright…”

The tip of Hamoin’s tail wrapped around Nagu’s wrist, guiding her slowly downwards.

Perhaps because she was about to face the question of her existence’s continuation, Nagu became quiet. Her hands, holding Hamoyin’s tail, started to sweat. Since arriving here, she had always heard about the mysterious ‘Mother Goddess’ and knew that this continent was very different from the one she used to know, which had been confirmed in recent days.

But for some reason, she now felt a real sense of being pushed to the gallows or like a student facing an exam the next day without having studied.

The originally long stone corridor seemed even longer. Hamoyin was also very nervous, not because he was breaking the rules by performing the ritual without permission, but because he feared the result might not be what he hoped for. Until now, he knew he had given up many things and made many irrational compromises to appear more integrated. Now that he had met Nagu, he somewhat understood that he didn’t have to make any compromises. Therefore, he would never give up on Nagu and was determined to take her away, no matter what.

The sound of dripping water grew closer, finally interrupting their individual thoughts. Thanks to the strange plants illuminating the cave bottom, Nagu gradually let go of Hamoyin’s tail, wanting to walk on her own. However, the tip of the tail still wrapped around her wrist, unwilling to let go.

“What should we do now?” Nagu asked as she followed Hamoyin to the edge of the pool. The quiet water surface emitted a faint blue glow. Although it was clear, the bottom was completely invisible. This pool had always seemed strange to Nagu, as if it were connected to something deep within.

“I’m going in,” Hamoyin said, placing the prepared items by the pool, allowing the occasional shallow tide to touch them. “You wait here.”

“Going in? Are you going to soak in the pool like Duogaluo and the others did before?” Nagu remembered when many people entered the pool, but only a few came out. The rest were never seen again. The people in the tribe said they were taken by the Mother Goddess, but Nagu believed they were dead.

Hamoyin nodded, but the next second, Nagu grabbed him. “What’s wrong?”

“If you go in like this and can’t come out, what will happen? I’ll go with you,” Nagu said anxiously. “Don’t leave me here.”

“I won’t,” Hamoyin didn’t know how to explain to Nagu. “I’ll be out soon. Just wait here.”

“But, but…” At this moment, Nagu noticed that the once calm water surface began to ripple. Even though there was no wind in the cave, the water ripples spread to the shore, turning into weak waves. They gradually covered the offerings Hamoyin had prepared, then, like an octopus, carried them towards the center of the pool.

“That time, it was because Azuran and the witch tampered with the ritual offerings, so some people couldn’t come out. It’s different now, don’t worry.” Hamoyin raised his hand and patted Nagu’s head. “Stand away from the water, don’t worry.”

Just saying “don’t worry” wasn’t enough to reassure Nagu, but at that moment, a certain howling sound began to echo in the cave. It wasn’t as piercing as during the last ritual, but it was still very loud.

As the sound started, Hamoyin pushed her back. “Stand back, don’t follow me in. If you come in, we’ll both be in danger.”

“…” Hearing this, Nagu had no choice but to comply. She took two steps back and watched as the man gradually walked toward the depths of the pool. With each step he took, Nagu felt something inside her sinking, making her uncomfortable.

It wasn’t until Hamoyin’s head was completely submerged that the howling sound in the cave ceased, and the previously turbulent pool surface became calm.

The tide had long swept away the offerings. Nagu stood dazedly by the shore, staring at the mirror-like pool. She had the illusion that everything that had just happened was a hallucination.

“Hamoyin?” She took a few steps forward but didn’t enter the water due to the previous warning. “Hamoyin?”

After calling his name several times without a response and with the surroundings still silent, Nagu finally began to think she had made a mistake. She should have held onto Hamoyin and not let him go down, or she should have gone with him.

What now? What now??

Nagu, with red-rimmed eyes, anxiously paced back and forth by the pool, not realizing that it had only been less than three minutes since Hamoyin disappeared into the pool.

Just as she was about to jump into the water to find him, a few large bubbles emerged from the center of the pool. The popping sound was very clear in the quiet cave.

Nagu immediately stood up like a meerkat and looked in that direction. “Hamoyin!? Hamoyin!!”

Soon, she saw his familiar black head emerge from the water. Hamoyin spat out a mouthful of water and then waved his hand as he swam towards the shore.

“Are you okay?” Nagu didn’t even ask if he had seen the Mother Goddess. She just squatted by the shore, eager to pull him up. “Do you feel any discomfort?”

Hamoyin didn’t stand up immediately when he reached the shore. He sat in the shallow water with his head hanging down, wet and dripping, which made Nagu anxious. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry.”

The sudden apology confused Nagu even more. She held Hamoyin’s shoulders, trying to make him lift his head. “Why are you apologizing?”

Hamoyin wiped the water from his face but still didn’t look at Nagu. “It was all my fault that you’re here.”

“What are you talking about? Did you see the Mother Goddess?” Nagu shook Hamoyin anxiously. “What happened?”

“I… I saw her.” Hamoyin looked at his hand resting in the water, unable to face Nagu due to his guilt. “And I learned the reason why you’re here.”

Nagu didn’t press further, just waited quietly for Hamoyin to explain.

“Since I was a child, I’ve always wanted to become human. But now I realize it wasn’t about becoming the same race as my mother. I just wanted… someone to talk to me without seeing me as an outcast.” As he said this, Hamoyin finally looked up at Nagu, his eyes full of guilt. “The Mother Goddess told me that every season during the rituals, she receives a part of me. That part, besides the wishes of the tribe, also carries my own.”

“At first, the cost wasn’t enough to sustain her gifts, but over time, my cost accumulated more and more.”

“Then you appeared.”

Nagu half-opened her mouth, as if she understood but also didn’t quite understand. However, her focus wasn’t on these questions at the moment: “What about my body? Can I stay in this body forever?”

Seeing Nagu’s reaction, the initially nervous Hamoyin could only smile helplessly, “If you want, you can stay in it because… do you want to hear what I’m going to say next? It’s all about you.”

“Say it,” Nagu anxiously grabbed Hamoyin’s arm, “Have you come this far and still want to hide it from me?”

“At first, the Mother Goddess chose ‘Nagu’s’ body to place you in because she thought that body was already dead. But unexpectedly, your appearance revived that body. After that, you were expelled, and the Mother Goddess could only place you in this witch’s corpse.” Hamoyin paused, looking at Nagu, who was listening intently. “As for your original body, it doesn’t exist here. The Mother Goddess said you had been dead for a long time, and your consciousness had been wandering outside. So, according to my long-standing wish, she brought you here.”

So she guessed right, she really was dead. Nagu looked down at her palm, “So I can use this witch’s body forever?”

“Yes, because after the witch died, her body belonged to the Mother Goddess.”

“Great!” Nagu jumped up and hugged Hamoyin’s neck, feeling an immense joy like passing an exam she thought she failed, “Let’s go! Let’s go now!”

“…You don’t mind?” Hamoyin’s hand hovered behind Nagu, hesitating whether to hug her or not, “Just because of my wish, you came here and suffered so much.”

“I think it’s fine.” Nagu wasn’t heartless; she just felt that since she had already died but now could live again out of nowhere, and with Hamoyin by her side, who would care about such trivial things?

“Do you mind? Do you mind that I’m a dead person?”

Hamoyin immediately wrapped his arms around Nagu. “No, I don’t.”