The silence that followed was absolute. Even the forest sounds seemed to stop.
Liu was the first to speak, his voice carefully controlled.
"Are you telling me we have to... roll around in that giant beast's s…?"
"Or you could say 'bathe ourselves,' whichever option you prefer," Ren decided to clarify, though he knew the other option wouldn't sound much better. "Just... apply it generously to our clothes."
Taro made a grimace of disgust that seemed physically painful.
"Please tell me there's an alternative…"
"There isn't," Ren shook his head. "Golden Noses can detect smells from kilometers away because they smell for their only prey underground, which are root sprouts and larvae. If we enter a cluster without the protection of the scent, they'll attack us en masse. And believe me, we don't want to face hundreds of furious Golden Noses when we're trying to rest."
Min raised a trembling hand.
"Exactly how... 'aromatic'... is the smell of a Giant Cat Bear?"
