Chapter 134. The Mahal Tribe

Kim Do-Joon wondered why the person in this new labyrinth radiated the same aura as Siwelin. As far as he knew, only two people possessed it in the world: Siwelin and Kim So-Eun, who had the former’s mirror.

Moreover, if he recalled correctly, Siwelin’s world had been obliterated by the Immortal Army.

—

Hup!

Phew

...

While Kim Do-Joon was lost in thought, the child called Shura had prepared to leave. She had tied the body of the one-horned beast tightly with a rope, and slung it over her shoulder. She clearly intended to take it with her, perhaps for food or some other use.

Maybe I should approach her.

He was curious about her.

Could it really be the same divine power as Siwelin's? And if it was, why did she possess it? Was she the only one in this labyrinth with that power?

Avoiding contact wasn’t an option. So, Kim Do-Joon decided to dispel his concealment and reveal himself.

“Who’s there!”

Startled, Shura dropped the heavy beast corpse with a loud thud. She quickly drew her gleaming, circular weapon, pointing it at him. It was a chakram.

Kim Do-Joon stepped out into the open.

"A human?" Shura muttered.

Shura's stance softened, though she still held her weapon ready.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"My name is Kim Do-Joon."

Shura didn’t reply.

Kim Do-Joon introduced himself, maintaining a distance so as not to alarm her. He’d long stored his spear in his inventory, and his hands were empty, showing he meant no harm. Shura studied him carefully, her eyes widening when she noticed his head.

“You... you don’t have any horns. Are you an exile?”

“An exile?” Kim Do-Joon muttered.

“No, that can’t be. Even exiles have marks where their horns were cut off. But you... you have none.”

Their brief exchange gave him a lot of insights. The term “exile” implied there were people or groups who could cast someone out. Therefore, Shura wasn’t living alone but was part of a village or a community. It also seemed that those who were banished had their horns cut off.

Come to think of it, I thought only male deer had antlers?

Shura appeared to be female, at least at first glance, but she had horns. Well, she wasn’t a deer, but an entirely different species.

"Who are you, Mister? Are you really human? Why don’t you have horns?” Shura asked.

“I’m just a traveler. I’ve never had horns, even from birth.”

“Oh...” Shura’s eyes softened, as if she were looking at someone pitiful.

Why is she looking at me like that? Are horns really that important?

“If you’re a traveler, you must be looking for a place to stay, right? Do you want to come to our village?”

Kim Do-Joon thought about it.

Her tone was somewhat condescending, which made him a bit uneasy. Still, the offer itself was exactly what he had hoped for, so he nodded calmly.

"Follow me!"

Hoisting the body of the one-horned beast back onto her shoulders, Shura began leading the way to her village. She moved with surprising speed.

“Do you want me to help?” Kim Do-Joon offered.

“What? No! Just because I’m young, you think I’m weaker than you?”

He’d offered out of kindness, but her response was swift and sharp. Instead of gratitude, he received a fierce glare. Kim Do-Joon scratched his cheek awkwardly, realizing that his kind gesture was probably considered an insult in this place.

After a short while, Shura led him to her village. It was a fascinating place. The village was set within a clearing deep in the tropical forest, filled with large tents. There were more tents than the space should have allowed, yet they were expertly arranged among the scattered trees, seamlessly fitting both open grasslands and dense forests.

As they passed several tents, Shura brought Kim Do-Joon to an open area, likely the village square. A large crowd had gathered there.

"She’s back!"

"Shura! You did it!"

“Yeah! I’m an adult now!”

Everyone there had horns, just like Shura. They also shared the same brown skin tone and wore clothes made from leather. The villagers greeted Shura warmly, clearly celebrating her return.

However, as soon as they noticed Kim Do-Joon standing behind her, their expressions shifted. The joyful atmosphere dampened, and they began whispering among themselves, their eyes darting suspiciously toward him.

Although they did it from a distance, Kim Do-Joon could hear every word clearly. They shared concerns similar to Shura’s earlier.

“Who is that man?”

“Isn’t he an exile?”

“Why would she bring an exile here?”

“No, no, he’s a traveler, apparently.”

“He was born without horns.”

“Really? So he’s deformed... poor guy.”

Suddenly labeled as a "deformed" person, Kim Do-Joon remained silent. If he let them know he could hear everything, they’d only grow more suspicious.

“Are you back?”

An elderly man appeared, looking remarkably strong for his age—muscular and towering over most.

“Chief! Look, I brought back a one-horned beast!”

Hmm... A chief?

Kim Do-Joon could see who the leader of the village was. It was a village with a child who has skills that rival an A-rank at such a young age. Others also possessed extraordinary energy. Since they said the village chief was quite strong, he was expected to be a formidable person.

The chief nodded approvingly. "Ah, yes. Well done, Shura. You’ve passed the trial. Are you hurt at all?"

“Of course not! Do you even know who I am? I took it down with one hit!”

Kim Do-Joon couldn't help but smile at her youthful bravado. He had seen Shura struggle, dodging attacks and slowly wearing the beast down before finally defeating it.

"And who is this traveler?" the chief asked, now turning his attention to Kim Do-Joon.

"I'm Kim Do-Joon," he introduced himself.

"My name is Fuad, the priest of this village," said the chief.

It seemed Fuad was not only the village chief but also their priest, making him a person of interest to Kim Do-Joon. If anyone knew more about this mysterious power, similar to Siwelin’s aura, it’d be the priest.

However, Fuad smiled and said, "I can see you’re eager to ask questions, but I’m afraid it’ll have to wait. Today is a special day because it’s Shura’s coming-of-age ceremony."

“Coming-of-age?” Kim Do-Joon asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, the ritual to become an adult. Capturing the one-horned beast passed the trial, but there’s still one more part,” Fuad said.

“What’s that?”

Fuad smiled and said, “A celebration.”

***

Somehow, Kim Do-Joon ended up participating in their festival. Just this morning, he had stepped into the labyrinth filled with tension, and now he was eating, drinking, and watching the village celebrate. Around a central bonfire, the villagers danced and laughed, their joy infectious.

Though intrigued by the festival, he eventually retreated to the guest tent Fuad had assigned him, taking a modest amount of food and drink.

It’s a bit bland...

The stew, made with the meat of the one-horned beast, wasn’t bad, but it lacked any real seasoning. Still, it was edible, and the absence of any unpleasant odor from the meat was a relief.

—

You mean this power? I’m not sure why you’re asking, but it’s simply the blessing of the sun.

As he ate, he heard Fuad’s voice from outside. Someone asked the chief about the power they had. The villagers called themselves the Mahal Tribe. According to Fuad, every member of the tribe was born with a divine blessing, a gift from the sun itself. Their purpose in life was to cultivate and strengthen this blessing.

—

We train and grow this blessing so that, after we die, we can return it to the Celestial Palace and offer it back to the gods.

Though prayer and devotion were part of their practice, honing their martial skills seemed to be a more reliable method of cultivation. Hence why all the children of the tribe were trained in combat from a young age, explaining how SHura had been able to defeat the one-horned beast.

These people are like living weapons.

To pass their coming-of-age ceremony, they had to defeat an A-rank monster on their own. That meant every adult here had accomplished that feat, likely many years ago. The entire tribe was as strong as some large-scale guilds he knew.

The nature of their divine power, in particular, caught his interest.

Based on what I heard from the chief, there are similarities and differences between Siwelin’s divine power and that of the Mahal Tribe.

Both carried the warm, radiant essence of sunlight. However, Siwelin’s world centered on prayer, compassion, and salvation, whereas the Mahal Tribe’s religion was about self-discipline and martial prowess.

Which means, there are two possibilities...

Suddenly, the tent flap rustled as it opened. Kim Do-Joon paused his thoughts and looked up to see Shura standing in the doorway with two large pieces of meat.

“How’s the tent, Mister? Not too uncomfortable?”

She handed him one, and he took a bite. Like the stew, it wasn’t seasoned, but the meat itself was fresh and flavorful, with all the gaminess carefully removed.

“It’s fine. Better than sleeping outside. But why aren’t you still at the festival? It doesn’t seem like it’s over yet.”

“I came to check on you, of course. I brought you here, so it’s my responsibility to make sure you’re okay.”

“For someone so young, you’re quite thoughtful.”

“I’m not a kid anymore! I completed the coming-of-age ceremony, so I’m an adult now!”

Despite her words, she swung her legs back and forth from her seat like a child. Kim Do-Joon smiled at her innocence. He could have teased her more, but there was something more pressing on his mind.

With a chuckle, he asked, “Can I take a few things from here?”

“Things? Like what?”

“Anything that has your tribe’s power imbued in it.”

Earlier, Kim Do-Joon had noticed several items scattered around the village that emanated a faint divine power. The most potent source had been near the village's priest, Fuad, but there were other small trinkets and items that also caught his eye.

If he could get his hands on a few of these, he could ask Siwelin for confirmation.

"Well, you can take them if you ask permission from the owner first," Shura continued, "but what are you gonna give in return?"

"Something to give in return?" Kim Do-Joon asked, slightly puzzled.

It seemed like trade was the norm here. Even for small items, it was rare to just give and take unless it was between family.

"The best thing to give is food!" she answered, her eyes lighting up. "Food's always good!"

Kim Do-Joon smiled at her enthusiasm. Luckily, his inventory was always stocked with essentials, and food was at the top of that list. He pulled out a strip of jerky from his pouch and handed it to her.

"How about this? Try it."

Shura inspected the jerky carefully before tearing off a small piece and popping it into her mouth. Almost immediately, her face scrunched up, and she spat it out.

"

Ugh!

What is that!"

"Not to your liking?" Kim Do-Joon asked, genuinely confused.

He took a bite himself and it tasted as it always did—salty and savory.

"What kind of meat is this? It feels like my tongue's shriveling up!" Shura exclaimed.

"Ah," Kim Do-Joon realized what the issue was. "I guess you guys aren’t used to salty flavors."

Food wasn’t going to work in this case. Therefore, he needed to think of something else. After a moment, he reached into his inventory and pulled out a machete.

"How about this?" he asked, showing her the blade.

It was a well-crafted weapon, made by the renowned crafting guild, Black Maiden. Shura's eyes lit up again, this time with excitement.

"

Whoa,

that looks sturdy!" she said, clearly impressed because her tribe trained in martial arts from a young age.

Kim Do-Joon grinned. He figured a tribe that focused on martial arts from a young age would appreciate weapons.

"I'll take it!" she declared, reaching for the machete. "In exchange, you can have this."

Shura handed him a bracelet that she had been wearing. It was made of a metal that resembled brass, with a small gem embedded in the center. The craftsmanship was simple, but he could feel a trace of divine power from it. This, he thought, was much more valuable than the machete.

— Shura! Where are you?

A voice called from outside the tent. Shura glanced toward the entrance.

"I should go," she said, getting up.

"Yeah, enjoy the festival. It's for you, after all," Kim Do-Joon replied with a nod.

As she stood, Shura hesitated for a moment.

"What is it?" Kim Do-Joon asked, noticing her pause.

"That bracelet... it's kinda valuable.”

Kim Do-Joon tilted his head, wondering if she wanted it back. He had no issue returning it, especially since there were other items in the village. However, before he could offer, Shura clarified her request.

"Could I maybe have... a little more of that meat you have?"

"I thought it made your tongue shrivel up,” Kim Do-Joon said, raising an eyebrow.

"I know, but I feel like I need to give it another try. Just to be sure.”

Kim Do-Joon chuckled. "Sure, why not."

Then, he pulled out a whole bundle of jerky and handed it to her.

"T-this much?" Shura gasped, her eyes wide.

"I ate well at the festival. Consider it a trade for that, too. Share it with your friends."

"Thanks!" Shura clutched the bundle of jerky in both hands like treasure, and with a quick smile, she darted out of the tent. Oddly, she seemed more excited about the jerky than the machete now dangling at her side.

Kim Do-Joon couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm, before settling down to rest.

***

The next morning, Kim Do-Joon found himself at the center of unexpected attention.

"Hey, did you hear? The guest has an amazing weapon!"

"I saw it, and it was quite unique. The shape is ordinary, but the quality of iron is...”

“The forging technique is quite advanced...”

“I want more of that dried meat!”

It seemed like the villagers had all taken turns examining the machete that was exchanged for Shura's bracelet. They were shining with excitement as they looked at Kim Do-Joon, captivated by a weapon they had never seen before.

Even Shura looked a little apologetic as she approached him.

"Sorry," she said, rubbing the back of her neck. "Everyone was really eager to see it."

Kim Do-Joon shrugged. "It’s fine."

While he wasn’t one to enjoy excessive attention, he had grown used to it. After the Giant Woodland mission, his fame had skyrocketed, and it wasn’t uncommon for people to recognize him on the street.

In fact, this kind of attention was beneficial for his goal to obtain items imbued with divine power.

Just then, the crowd quieted as someone approached. At first, Kim Do-Joon thought it might be Fuad, but when he looked up, he saw a different figure.

"Jamel," someone whispered.

The man was tall and muscular, with a presence that commanded respect.

"He’s the head blacksmith of the village," explained someone nearby.