The Tiakau people of Acahuala have always been synonymous with savagery and backwardness.
They worship strength and glory, and are passionate about combat. Even when they leave the Rainforest, like the Tiakau mercenaries Goki and his companions encountered, they only leave an impression of being violent fanatics.
But in reality, the Tiakau people are not content with savagery. They also envy the small, moving towns that occasionally pass through the wilderness outside the Rainforest, and they are equally curious about a radio they have never seen before.
More and more young people are curious about the civilization outside the Rainforest, either learning about the outside world through merchants or venturing out to explore it themselves.
Just as Gavial said, without the "cooperation" of Hyde Brothers Company, other companies would still covet the Rainforest's resources.
Even Tomimi learned Sargon language from books bought through the Inam Merchant Guild. Tiakau culture won't disappear, but it will certainly transform into something new.
And among them, the most curious about the outside world, occupying the most Ore veins, and fond of making weapons and equipment according to external technology, is the Boa Tribe, led by Zumama!
"Gorok of the Ita Tribe has fallen! The victor is Zumama, Chieftain of the Boa Tribe!"
"Chieftain! Chieftain!"
"Boa, marry me!"
Accompanied by the shouts of the temporarily selected referee, a white-skinned Aegir male holding a large wooden club collapsed onto the ground on the competition stage, which was decorated with logs, fur, and feathers.
Soon, hundreds of people from different tribes and races in the Rainforest, gathered around the stage near the dilapidated temple, began to cheer excitedly.
They didn't really care about the position of Chieftain; participating in Mavesotia was mainly to prove who was the strongest fighter!
And this time, the winner, who had defeated many races, was not another burly, strong man, but rather a tall, curvaceous, and athletic Nona.
Her attire was exceptionally revealing; underneath, she wore only two small black tops and hot pants, barely covering her body, while on her shoulders and waist, she casually draped a wide yellow strip of cloth, seemingly some kind of industrial waterproof tarpaulin, making her outfit quite casual.
On her smooth skin, a few sparkling black Originium crystals were faintly visible—in the Rainforest, oripathy infected individuals never needed to hide this.
The tail behind her had fine scales, unlike the protruding crocodile tails of Gavial and Tomimi; it was smoother and more delicate, like Serpent Scales.
Boa!.jpg
In fact, this girl was a small snake.
Or rather, she was a Feranmut—unlike the Feranmut in other countries, who have toxins in their bodies, are small and agile, the Feranmut in the Rainforest are much stronger.
Perhaps, it's the difference between a venomous snake and a python.
Her slender left hand held a shield made of several metals of different colors, and her right hand held a lightweight cleaver that looked exceptionally sharp and was wrapped in tattered cloth.
Besides that, behind her were all sorts of strange and wonderful gadgets.
—Nail guns, electric welders, and even a small storage battery, all welded together from various metal Materials of different textures, purely handmade, looking somewhat dilapidated, but in fact, all were practical weapons and tools.
The tall, beautiful Nona and the oil-stained metal, two things usually unrelated, combined to create a unique aesthetic.
"Gavial, you're finally back. I thought you wouldn't return."
With a flying kick, she sent her defeated opponent off the stage. Zumama calmly looked at her wrench, which had been flung and flattened, then turned her gaze to Gavial and the few strangers beside her.
"Hey, I originally planned to be away for a while, but this time I came back temporarily for something important. But I always have to come back, the tribe is my home after all."
Shrugging, Gavial looked at the black-haired Nona on the stage and smiled warmly.
"It's you, Zumama. I didn't find you when I left, but now you're here."
Seeing her old acquaintance, Gavial was also exceptionally happy, and she patted Goki's back beside her.
"Goki, Skadi, let me introduce you two. This is Zumama. In outside terms, we are—yes, childhood sweethearts. We've been fighting since we were kids, but she later started tinkering with those iron chunks. She didn't even see me off when I left."
"Hello, Nona Zumama, Chieftain of the Boa Tribe."
Goki also nodded to the black-haired Nona on the stage. He was also getting to know this beautiful girl in front of him.
In the future, this Nona, though in a backward wilderness, still loved mechanical engineering, was both violent and cunning, and always liked to ponder things when they happened. She would become the head of Rhodes Island's Engineering Department, codenamed Boa.
She not only had the blessing of Gork and Mork, was strong and powerful, could beat people half to death with just a cleaver, but could also summon a giant Titan mech, Gorkamorka. After getting a skin, she would even unleash three times her combat power due to the red paint job!
Six years ago, the giant mech named "Big Ugly" had not yet been completed, but this super waaaaaagh Chieftain Nona was a lovable and powerful, straightforward and genuine good girl.
Although she was a Heavy Defender Operator who could only block one enemy and couldn't recover skill points without blocking, and would be completely incapacitated if touched by an Assassin, this still didn't hinder Goki's affection for her.
[I will always like Boa!]
[Kind Hunter, if you see a lovely girl, will you always like her?]
[Hmm... maybe? I also always like Nona Puppet!]
[...Hmph.]
Shouting his affection for Boa in his mind, Goki still maintained a gentlemanly demeanor outwardly.
Boa's gaze, however, did not linger on the seemingly unremarkable black-clad man and the other white-haired strange girl, but instead turned her blue-black eyes to Gavial.
"If it weren't for you, Gavial, I wouldn't bother coming to Mavesotia. I want to defeat you using my own methods, not just my fists!"
After a moment of scanning, she sighed in disappointment and shook her head.
"I thought you might have learned something after going out, but you still only carry that one stick—so barbaric, you still only know how to use your fists."
Hearing her words, Gavial rolled her eyes, unhappily slammed her staff onto the ground, and her slender tail slapped the ground with a thud.
"Huh? This is my staff, my staff! I went out to study medicine, to save simpletons like you who don't know how to protect yourselves and end up with oripathy—you just wait, every single person in the Boa Tribe will get a physical!"
As she spoke, she patted Goki's shoulder beside her and showed off to Boa.
"See? My boyfriend. Now I'm a doctor. I don't use violence; I'll just have him deal with you."
"Yes, Big Brother Goki can fight ten people with one hand!"
"Go! Let them see how strong we are!"
As soon as she spoke, Tomimi's eyes widened, and her large tail behind her immediately wagged like a big windmill.
Even if it was just for show, the little crocodile couldn't bear to see Gavial and Goki too close.
"Hmm... never mind."
Skadi, however, was unusually calm this time, not puffing out her cheeks.
After the events of last night, Skadi tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep.
As an Abyssal Hunter who only knew how to fight, she couldn't figure out what the strange feeling was that emerged within her when she pinky-swore with Goki.
However, with Goki's assurance and promise, Skadi no longer felt annoyed by Gavial's intimacy with him—even if she became friends with Gavial, Goki and she would still be the best of friends!
Friends, of course, the more the merrier!
Her crimson eyes fixed on the area near the temple, Skadi carefully observed her surroundings according to Goki's instructions.
Skadi felt that as long as Goki could be with her, other problems were not problems, and all difficulties could be overcome!
"Why did you push me up again? We said we were going to the temple, didn't we?"
Hearing Gavial's words, Goki sighed.
Although Boa was adorable, his mind wasn't on this competition.
Not far away, near the Rainforest temple, which was obscured by withered trees and vines, Goki saw that some white temporary field tents had already been set up.
Around the tents, many large figures in black combat uniforms were patrolling with crossbows and firearms, wary of the festival grounds a few dozen meters away. Occasionally, people in white lab coats could also be seen going in and out.
These were the people from yesterday who came to "research" the temple with Pasha's writ, but compared to their vigilance, the Tiakau people didn't care about these people at all.
It's just a pile of broken stones, what's there to research? Who didn't take apart a few bricks to play with here as a kid? They don't know what these outsiders are blindly researching.
Participating in Mavesotia was just an excuse; Goki and his group's goal was still the temple.
But now, Goki was suddenly recommended to the stage by Gavial, naturally feeling a bit bewildered.
"What are you thinking? If Zumama and I fight, it might not yield a result in a day, and it's easy to delay things."
Leaning close to Goki's ear, Gavial whispered.
"When I left, Zumama liked to tinker with these iron lumps. Aren't the weapons in your hand all such iron lumps? Show her a couple, let her play with them herself, and we'll get to business."
Hearing Gavial's words, Goki rolled his eyes.
"Calling them iron lumps, these are the crystallization of the workshop Hunter's wisdom—and she can't be a child, how could she be so easily appeased?"
To this, Gavial merely flickered her golden eyes, giving Goki a reassuring look.
"Don't worry, no one understands Zumama better than I do. Trust me."
Intimately linking arms with Goki, although it was just for show before, Gavial had now adapted to being so close to this guy Goki.
"Alright, alright, I'll go."
Without further delay, Goki walked to the front of the stage amidst the cheers of the Adaklis people, used his legs to push off, and directly jumped—
He flipped up.
While the Old Hunter of Yharnam could indeed dash and leap, jumping upwards was asking too much.
"You're Gavial's man, hmm, quite ordinary—but it doesn't matter, if she sent you up, it must mean you're stronger than her! Come on!"
Hearing that her childhood friend had a partner, Boa paused for a moment, but still swung the cleaver in her hand, raised her metal shield, and prepared for battle.
[Maybe he'll be your man in the future too—]
Goki was caught between the two sisters, and while he felt a bit exasperated, he still took out his weapon.
Clang—thud!
Whoosh—
His right hand retrieved the folded Saw Cleaver from his back, allowing it to unfurl with a metallic clang, while his left hand drew the retractable cane from his waist, giving it a gentle flick to unfurl a long whip made of countless small blades.
"Uh—wait!"
And the next second, before Goki could react, a scent mixed with machine oil and body fragrance rushed into Goki's nose.
"Please, let me, let me see it, just a look—I'm so curious! Grand Priest Grandpa, hurry!"
With an urgent expression, Boa rushed in front of Goki, grabbed his wrist, and curiously observed the cool equipment, her pointed ears beside her head uncontrollably wiggling up and down.
"Hmm... alright."
Goki shrugged. Indeed, no one understood Boa better than Gavial.
Flap, flap—
And with a flurry of bird wings, without even Goki noticing, a large, blue bird landed on Boa, looking at Goki with a somewhat blank stare, and actually spoke human words.
"Is this Gavial's guest—how interesting."
I reckon this will definitely pass review.jpg
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