Chapter 127: Going to the south (3)

It had only been two days, but Joonbum kept looking back. He could not help but think of the Guardians that had left when a smell stopped him.

“How does it taste?”

“It’s tender and good. I don’t like the smell though. We should mask the smell. The intestines especially have a foul stench,” Doral answered as he skinned an animal named Kokun that looked like a small kangaroo. Joonbum thought it was a kangaroo when he first saw it, but its head was that of a rat. The thought of eating rat meat was not great, but after skinning and preparing it, it looked the same as any other type of animal meat.

‘I guess people eat rats anyway.’

Doral began preparing the meat with various spices and salt and began roasting it with the fire. The smell began to fill the area as Doral began preparing other things to eat. Joonbum asked, “What is that?”

“It’s a fruit called Scharlott. It’s very spicy, just like the pepper you brought. It helps mask the smell. It only grows here.”

Doral pointed at a small tree with blue Scharlotts.

“Animals don’t eat it because it’s too spicy.”

It was now the beginning of winter. The area was still quite warm, but a fruit like that should’ve have fallen prey to animals if it weren’t for its taste.

“It is strong,” Joonbum commented as he sniffed the scent. Doral crushed the fruit and began using a brush to spread it over the Kokun meat.

“It did kill the smell.”

Joonbum spoke as he sniffed the meat. As Doral worked on his meat, Joonbum began preparing his pan with his cooking. He sliced potatoes and placed butter into the pan before he sprayed everything with sugar. The potatoes turned brown. He topped it off with some spice and it was now done.

“It’s like magic everytime I see it. I never thought cooking could be more than boiling and roasting.”

Doral shook his head. Joonbum’s way of cooking was much more than anything they had ever done.

‘It’s about time.’

At that moment, there was a scream. Doral and Joonbum turned to the sound.

“It’s coming! Get ready!” Doral shouted as he realized what the sound was for and Joonbum quickly grabbed his equipment.

‘Grenades, rifle, handgun, ammo!’

He then prepared himself with the night-vision goggles.

‘Night-vision, check!’

Joonbum prepared his machine gun and connected the ammo belt from the backpack. He moved flawlessly to prepare as Doral positioned himself and prepared his weapon too. He was holding onto an AK rifle instead of his bows.

The sound of growls began closing in. Something was getting closer.

“Coulders!” Doral shouted as he realized the sound. Joonbum also knew this.

‘Why?’

Joonbum questioned it, but he could not think for long.

“They’re coming! We’re surrounded!”

Gazlow, who appeared through the forest, shouted as he ran quickly. Behind him were the Coulders.

“Get your night-vision goggles!”

Joonbum shouted at Gazlow and poured water over the fire to extinguish it. Doral and Gazlow put on their goggles. The area suddenly fell dark and the Coulders stopped their pursuit. But they began charging again not too long after.

‘They’re quick!’

The first Coulder dropped to the ground as its head was suddenly cut off in the air. A few more Coulders fell dead as their necks were cut off by the iron string that was strung up on the tree. Other Coulders seemed to hesitate a bit at the sight of death, but they began charging again. More of them died as their heads were cut off by the trap. Two Coulders managed to break through the trap and charged toward campsite. More of them came out from the forest.

The Galim neighed at the appearance of the Coulders.

“Right side! Shoot!” Doral shouted as he began shooting his rifle. His AK roared as it exploded in gunfire. Coulders to the right screamed as their head and necks were penetrated by bullets, but their thick skin helped them not die instantly.

“LEFT!” Gazlow shouted as he began firing at the legs of a Coulder from the left. The Coulder fell down immediately, screaming in pain because of its broken leg.

“Right! Three!”

“Left! Two!”

More gunshots were fired. The two calmly fired upon Coulders and made them scream. They seemed to realize that the gunshots were dangerous.

‘They’re smart.’

An angry screech came from the distance and the Coulders began hiding themselves in the forest.

‘The leader.’

There was a giant yellow and red Coulder in the distance. There were tens of Coulders surrounding it.

“Left! Two!”

“Front! Three!”

“Right! Five!”

Coulders from the right came out quietly, unlike ones from the left and the front. They were trying to ambush from the right.

‘We would’ve been dead if we were not ready.’

If they relied on light from the bonfire, they would’ve been dead from the ambush. But they had full vision of their surroundings. Joonbum took out the grenade and threw it at the Coulders to the right.

“Grenade!” Joonbum shouted as the grenade was thrown exactly in the middle of five Coulders that were quietly closing in. The grenade exploded, throwing two into the ground and rendering the other three half-dead. Joonbum began firing his machine gun.

The three Coulders trying to close in became bloodied at once.

“RELOAD!”

Gazlow and Doral began reloading as Joonbum began firing. Coulders began falling to the ground. Joonbum wiped out the Coulders who were hiding in the bushes. They came out from the bush as they were being attacked, but they could not come much closer. Five more Coulders died.

It was then that a loud roar was heard. Coulders began backing away as the leader ordered them to retreat.

“They’re leaving.”

‘No you don’t.’

Joonbum’s eyes were filled with rage. He laid down the machine gun and picked up his sniper rifle.

“Are you going to kill it?”

“Yeah.”

Joonbum looked at the pan that was thrown off by the dead Coulder. The potatoes were now mixed on the ground with dirt and ashes. He pulled the trigger and what followed it was a painful screech. The monster wasn’t dead.

‘It’s not enough?’

He aimed it at the head, but it didn’t seem to work. The monster shrieked in pain, but it led its pack and disappeared.

“It’s gone.”

There were no more signs of the Coulders.

‘Why here?’

All three men had the same question.