A faint smile appeared on Jinhwan's bloodied face as he began walking toward the slope, each step slow, heavy, blood dripping steadily from his clothes, mixing with the dirt below.
The soft purple light of the cave bathed his figure as he climbed out of the hole.
His breathing was shallow. Every inch of his body ached. But he didn't stop. He just kept walking.
Then he reached the surface as his gaze fell on that monkey.
Standing under the crimson atmosphere was a monkey standing tall on the surface, waiting in silence.
Jinhwan smirked.
"See... told ya I'm strong..."
Thud!
His body gave out. He collapsed to the ground, face-first, the strength in his legs gone. The world around him spun, the crimson sky above twisting like smoke as his vision blurred into black.
Jinhwan opened his eyes slowly. His vision was blurry at first, but shapes began to form, he was staring up at a ceiling made of rough stone, uneven and damp like the inside of a cave. Embedded into the rock above was a purple crystal, faintly glowing and casting a soft light over the chamber.
"I survived, huh..?"
His thoughts were sluggish, but clear enough.
"Now where... am I?"
He shifted his head, scanning the space around him. And then he saw it. That monkey. Sitting a few feet away, quiet and still. Watching.
His posture relaxed, as if it had been there for a while.
Jinhwan let out a breath.
A whisper escaped his lips.
"So you're the one who saved me?"
The monkey gave a slow nod.
Jinhwan rested his head back against the cool ground, eyes closing for a moment in relief.
His left hand rose instinctively.
Wrapped around his forearm and shoulder were strips of cloth, tight, neat, covering the deep cuts he remembered taking during the fight.
He flexed his fingers and didn't feel any pain.
His body didn't ache, either, not the way it should. He was still sore, yes, but it wasn't the kind of agony that comes from broken bones.
Now that I think about it.
I don't feel any pain. I remember some of my bones were broken.
Did he.. use some kind of potion or something? Whatever
He stared up at the glowing stone above, the soft purple light dancing across his face.
With a quiet groan, Jinhwan pushed himself upright, his body still feeling a little sluggish. He sat up and glanced around the space.
The room was mostly empty, just rough stone walls and a cold, earthen floor. It felt like a natural cave, untouched by time. A few large rocks had been shaped into crude seats or makeshift beds, but otherwise, there was nothing else inside.
His gaze shifted to the monkey, still sitting nearby.
Jinhwan raised his hand, miming a drinking gesture with his thumb to his lips.
"Do you have water?" he asked softly.
The monkey gave a small nod, then stood and walked silently out of the cave.
Jinhwan leaned back, exhaling slowly. He stared at the ceiling again, letting the quiet settle over him.
A few minutes later, the monkey returned, this time holding a stone, a crafted bowl in both hands. It offered it to Jinhwan without a word.
Jinhwan accepted it carefully with both hands. The bowl was heavier than he expected.
Rough to the touch, clearly carved from a single chunk of rock. The shape wasn't perfect, uneven and slightly chipped, but it held water well enough.
And the water was clean.
He brought it to his lips and drank deeply. The moment the water touched his throat, he felt a rush of relief wash over him, cool and grounding, like the first breath after surfacing from deep water.
After draining it, he set the bowl down gently beside him and slowly got to his feet.
His clothes were still the same, torn and stained with blood. Dried streaks marked his sleeves and chest, and the faint smell of iron clung to the fabric.
"I need to take a bath," he muttered to himself, brushing dust from his pants.
With quiet steps, he walked toward the cave's exit, the cool stone beneath his feet, and the pale glow behind him slowly fading.
As Jinhwan stepped out of the cave, he stopped just at the entrance. And for a moment, he just stood there, taking it all in. He was still in that underground village.. But it looked nothing like before.
Now, it was alive.
There were more monkeys now, many more. Dozens. Maybe even a hundred. Male, female, young, and old. All of them moving through the village with ease, peace glowing on their faces.
Some were sitting near the lake, dipping their hands into the water or playfully splashing each other.
Children chased one another through the soft grass, their laughter echoing gently off the cave walls.
A pair of elders sat under a wide, fruit-bearing tree, its red and orange fruits dangling like ornaments, quietly sharing a meal, using flat leaves as plates. One of them gestured as it spoke, and the other nodded with a calm, knowing smile.
Further down, a group of females worked together near a fire pit, roasting something over open flames. One of them peeled thick-skinned fruits with a curved bone knife, while another passed food to the young ones sitting in a neat row beside her.
A monkey sat on a high ledge nearby, carving shapes into the wall with a sharp stone, symbols or drawings, simple but full of care.
Above it all, soft light from glowing purple stones embedded in the ceiling bathed the entire village in a peaceful glow, reflecting off the still waters of the underground lake.
They weren't just surviving down here.
They were living.
This wasn't a tribe of beasts.
This was a village. A family.
And Jinhwan stood there silently, watching them… unsure if he should step forward or stay right where he was.
[Episode 29 End]