His stomach was full from the nuts and fruits he had picked up along the way, but he had not found a town, or even a single person.
Mentally, he was wearing down.
"If I die without meeting anyone at all like this, what will I do, huh?"
…???
Right in front of him was an egg.
Its color was slightly dull and there were spots of blood on it, but as far as Qiong Xing knew, this was an egg.
Even if it was about the size of his own head.
"…Why is this here?"
He looked around, but there was no animal that looked like a parent and there was no nest in the trees either.
"Being alone is lonely, so… how about you come with me?"
Normally, he might have left it alone, but he lost to the loneliness of being by himself, so he pulled the egg into his arms.
When he touched it, the cool surface of the shell felt pleasant against his overheated tired body.
Both of his hands were now full, but it felt like he had gained a partner and the motivation to keep walking returned.
While he gently stroking it and walked for about fifteen more minutes, something that looked like a small hut came into view.
"It looks like you were a lucky egg."
Thinking that he might finally find his first villager, he picked up his pace slightly as he approached the hut.
From inside the small hut, he could hear people talking.
"We need to get out of a place like this fast!"
"I know that! It's locked!"
"Hurry up and break the lock! They'll be back soon!"
"I said I know! Then you do something about it!"
From the clanking sounds of chains hitting each other, he could tell they were trying to escape.
"Um, excuse me for bothering you when you're busy. I'd like to ask for directions, if possible…"
"!!!!"
He thought he had spoken carefully, but it still startled them. All the people inside turned their eyes toward him at once.
"...…"
"...… "
What should he do?
All he wanted was for someone to tell him the way.
Seeing them trembling in fear made him hesitate to speak to them any further.
"…Are you one of their people?"
"Their people?"
"The bandits who were outside. We were captured by them."
I see.
It seemed they had been kidnapped by bandits and were about to be sold off as slaves.
When he looking at their condition where they are being crammed into such a small room and treated so roughly, it's now made sense.
Among them was even a woman who looked like a mother who is holding a small child tightly to protect them.