Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 103

The God-Given Top Star 103 Thoughtform Hunting (2)

103. Thoughtform Hunting (2)

2022.02.11.

[It was decades ago, but I still remember it vividly. That day, I was dying from the continuous heavy rain for days.] Adrian’s eyes gazed into the distance. Adrian. The reason he became famous as a survival expert was very simple: in any survival situation, he showed how he tenaciously survived. -Adrian! Chief! We’re out of food. At this rate, we’re all going to starve to death…!
-Not if I have anything to say about it. Indeed, Adrian tenaciously searched every nook and cranny to find something to eat. Even if it was…
-…Do we really have to eat this?
-Why? This insect is an excellent source of protein. It’s a great food source to prevent muscle loss in this situation.
-…Even if it means eating plump, palm-sized larvae. Some may feel fear at the greatness of nature, but Adrian was different. He felt comfortable in nature. Mother Nature is not dangerous. Rather, she gives all beings the power to live fairly, whether food runs out, whether it rains, whether the wind blows, whether it snows. When trials pass, rewards always follow. After a harsh and bleak winter comes a spring where life sprouts. When it rains, new shoots sprout from the ground. When the wind blows, fruit that hangs high and is out of reach falls to the ground, delighting the mouth. It’s a life of picking grass, digging in the dirt, and eating insects, but Adrian enjoyed it all. Survival expert. It was the best title given to Adrian. However…
-Adrian, Chief. This rain… is a bit strange, isn’t it? They were commissioned by a broadcasting company to conduct a preliminary survey of an archipelago in the South Pacific. It was to produce a documentary about the untouched nature where people had not yet set foot. Of course, it is natural that preliminary surveys are conducted to produce such documentaries. It would be troublesome if they went to film and suffered an unexpected accident. That’s why Adrian’s team, consisting of survival experts, was hired. An uninhabited island once said to have been inhabited by indigenous people. The island, untouched by humans for a while, was beautiful and eerie.
-It’s strange. Doesn’t it feel a bit creepy? From the time they had explored the island to some extent, Adrian’s team had to feel a strange gaze.
-There are definitely no predators… and there were no animals to hunt in a pack. Strangely enough, this island did not have the so-called predators, that is, apex predators. Thanks to this, even if the documentary filming team came, they could guarantee a certain level of safety, but…
‘What the hell is this gaze?’ The instinct that had saved Adrian hundreds of times was warning him. Something exists here, but there was nothing visible. There were poisonous plants and poisonous insects, but that alone could not explain this tension that made even the fine hairs stand on end. And… Swish-.
The pouring rain was enough to worsen the situation.
-Is it a squall?
That’s what the team members thought.
-We knew that squalls occur in this area, but… this is lasting longer than we thought?
The rain, which they thought would pour down for a while and pass, passed a day, two days, three days, four days, and five days. Everyone thought, something is wrong. Something is terribly wrong.
-What about the signal?
-Cut off.
-Judging by the wind conditions, rescue is impossible… Even now, in remote areas, it is like that, but back then, the environment was even more harsh. The survival experts tried to put their heads together to overcome the situation, but as time went on, even that became difficult. Finally…
-We’re out of food.
-If we continue like this, we’re all going to die here!
The existing food they had prepared had already run out a long time ago. Now, what was running out were all the roots and fruits they had gathered, and various protein sources. Wandering through the cold rain in a weakened state with minimal meals was practically suicide, but there was no other option. Either the rain stops, or they get rescued. If not those two cases, then there was only one thing left.
-Okay. Then we’ll split into pairs and go out. Don’t overdo it, just go around this area. Got it?
Adrian, as the leader of the team, had no choice but to make a decision. And…
-Why haven’t they come back yet?
-Could they be lost? They’re not the kind of guys who would get lost even in the rain… I’ll go check it out.
But that team member didn’t return either. One by one, team members began to disappear silently. When Adrian stepped forward, only one team member remained, trembling at the incomprehensible phenomenon.
‘What the hell is it?’ He took out the gun he had kept because there seemed to be no carnivores and loaded it. There was no way there would be a Krabat [a mythical creature from Slavic folklore] here, which would only be found in snowy fields. Moreover, it was bizarre that several team members, who were experts in survival, were disappearing one after another. ‘There’s definitely something here.’ Adrian tensed his whole body. How long had he moved, aiming in all directions as if he would fire from the muzzle at any moment? [Gurgling…]
Adrian saw it. There were no carnivores. Instead, only a bizarre creature that seemed to be a combination of all kinds of animals was waiting for him. Horrified, Adrian immediately pulled the trigger of the gun. The monster did not die even while suffering. Even though its whole body was torn like a rag and suffering, it succeeded in reaching Adrian’s nose. And, ‘If I shoot one more shot, if I shoot one more shot, I can catch it…!’ Leaving behind only one shot of regret, victory went to the monster. When Adrian opened his eyes again, his body was already gone. *
[That was… hunting.] The expression on Adrian’s face, who had a belated realization, was very eerie. [Without knowing that, I… my team members…]
“Calm down, because you couldn’t have known.”
[How can I calm down? When I think that thing hunted my team members, my blood runs cold!]
“Those kinds of things are beings that living people cannot deal with.” Ordinary people don’t even know that such things exist. Even if they encounter them, they are simply swept away like a natural disaster and face death in an instant. Of course, Yeon-woo himself was an exception. ‘It’s not like that thing has only been eating people for a day or two?’ 50 years is a time when the landscape has changed five times. If it was before now, those guys’ power would still have been a bit stronger. ‘So, what they came up with was hunting…’ Now that they have lost their power and time has passed, they must be hunting, recalling the memories of that time. Yeon-woo’s eyes narrowed. Even if they were once great divine beings, the story changes if they eat people. ‘That ugliness of not accepting reality and struggling.’ I must catch that. The traces of the old gods have long been tainted from the moment they harmed humans. Moreover, if those guys are really doing this to hunt… ‘Tsk. I’m a bit worried about the lack of spiritual power.’ It’s fortunate that the energy here is abundant. If it were in downtown Seoul, I would definitely be struggling with an empty tank right now, but there’s no choice.
“Are you upset?” Yeon-woo asked Adrian.
[Of course, aren’t I? If I had just one more bullet…!]
Gritting! Judging by the fact that he was putting a lot of strength into the hand holding the gun and gritting his teeth, it seems that he is also motivated.
“Then let’s catch them.”
[You’ll definitely catch them with my own hands… Huh?]
“You said you were upset. You have to take revenge, right?”
[Is that true?]
“Is there any reason to lie in this kind of situation?” When Yeon-woo asked back, Adrian’s face changed seriously. With a serious expression, he suddenly knelt down and said solemnly, [Benefactor, you have no reason to do that. If you’re worried that I’ll feel burdened, you don’t have to.]
“No. I really have to catch that to film the movie…”
[I, Adrian McRich, am already a dead man, but I will risk my life to make sure I don’t cause any trouble to my benefactor and catch that guy!]
“…” I think he’s misunderstanding something. ‘Well, it’ll work out somehow.’ What’s important now is to catch those thoughtforms [a being or object that is created when a thought takes physical form]. To do that, Adrian was needed. Adrian’s role was important to fill the void of the depleted spiritual power, but he’s volunteering to work hard. That’s completely thank you. Yeon-woo and Adrian put their heads together.
“Since Adrian is nearby, the guys won’t come close, so let’s keep our distance.”
[Then if I head this way…]
“Good. Then lure them that way…”
[The terrain will be more certain on this side.]
“Good. Then that way…”
[I’ll match the time when the benefactor arrives… But the bullets…]
“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that. If you do this like this…”
[Oh! Then like that…?]
“Yes. Then like that…” Back and forth, they selected a location and established a plan based on Adrian’s advice, who was familiar with the geography of this place. It would be nice to just beat them up, but the problem was the lack of spiritual power. Finally, [If we continue like this, it will be perfect.]
“If it goes well, it will be.” Their plan was completed.
“Now it’s our turn to hunt.” A deep smile formed on Yeon-woo’s lips. It was the beginning of the hunt.

* Even though their status has fallen, the thoughtforms, which are a collection of beings who were once gods, are not to be taken lightly. It was impossible to deal with them simply by burning a few talismans like ordinary thoughtforms. That’s why Yeon-woo dug a trap, to completely eliminate the guys who threaten his precious lifespan supply. [Gurgling?]
“They come out right away because Adrian isn’t here. Why? Is it strange because you’re alone?” The head of the thoughtform, which had not been visible for a while as if it were dead, suddenly popped out. The snake’s head flicked its tongue and looked around. The human who had made it painful until it died, even though it had eaten it, was not visible. [Gurgle…] Only one thing remained here: only a human who smells very delicious. If I eat that, this hungry stomach will definitely be filled in an instant. The thoughtform, with its eyes turned upside down by appetite, called out to its companions. [Karrararak!]
[Gurgling!] Another head popped up. Yeon-woo smirked as he watched it. ‘They only have instincts left.’ That’s even better. If they had even a little bit of reason left, they would have doubted the current situation. As Yeon-woo moved back little by little, [Gurgling!]
[Kyarak!] The thoughtforms began to follow him madly. I don’t know how much time has passed since they started driving the prey according to their instincts. All that remained for them was a very simple instinct: ‘I’m hungry.’ They tried to use their memories to lure the prey, but they were going crazy because the prey did not appear at all. They couldn’t approach because there was a scary human who couldn’t be eaten if they got close. Yeon-woo, who appeared alone in front of those guys without Adrian, was a very delicious prey. I have to eat that. I have to eat that to fill this hungry stomach even a little bit. The instinct made the thoughtforms move even more violently, without knowing where that delicious prey was taking them.