"Oh my God, an innocent person died because of me!" Hinako's heart filled with sorrow and guilt.
She kept running beyond her limits, unable to even turn around or look back.
As she passed by Kogan, she truly wanted to warn him about the incoming danger, but she couldn't speak—she could barely move.
"Where should I go now? There's no place… Ah—" Her thoughts were suddenly cut off.
A hand gripped her neck tightly, lifting her off the ground.
Black eyes with a faint yellow glow stared at her in silence.
"What's going on here?" Kogan asked in a calm voice.
"I… don't… know," Hinako grasped his hand with both of hers, her eyes almost bursting.
Kogan looked at her calmly, then withdrew his hand. She collapsed to the ground, clutching her neck and coughing violently, her face turned red.
Kogan stood there naked in silence, waiting for her to catch her breath and explain the situation.
"Where did that monster go?" Hinako asked in extreme fear, unable to forget the sight of Julian's head being crushed.
"I killed it," Kogan replied calmly, as if he had done nothing significant.
"Killed it? You killed that monster?" She looked at him in shock, then noticed his broken hand.
'With his bare hands!!!'
'Doesn't that mean he's more dangerous than that ape?!'
'If he tried to do what Julian did, I wouldn't be able to resist for more than a second.'
She clutched her neck in terror. Just moments ago, she had been running from a giant, savage, naked ape.
And now, she had encountered a naked human—one even more dangerous than that ape.
"What happened since the moment you were transported? And why are you alone?" Kogan asked seriously.
Hinako quickly adjusted her torn shirt from the top and spoke respectfully, "I arrived here with my companion, Julian. We found ourselves in the middle of a vast forest filled with fruits, but they were bitter and inedible. Just when we were about to starve, a handsome young man appeared and guided us to this great tree, full of delicious fruits and fresh water. That's when the giant ape attacked us… it devoured Julian. And so, as I was running away from it… you appeared."
"Wasn't my appearance here because of something you did?"
Hinako was shocked. She didn't want him to know that she was the reason he appeared here. What would he do if he found out? She had no idea.
But she didn't want to hide it from him either. It was better to admit it than for him to figure it out himself.
And so, she told him the truth.
"A handsome young man… and 777 steps. I see."
Kogan understood the situation after Hinako explained it to him, but now, many complicated thoughts swirled in his mind.
"Why didn't I feel the passage of time in that place?"
It hadn't been long since they disappeared before his eyes, yet for them, it had felt like a long time.
He looked at Hinako again, his eyes narrowing.
"What…" She swallowed in fear, looking at him with a complex expression.
"Let's leave this place, then."
He walked away from the tree, heading toward the vast grassy plain.
"Let's Leave?!" Hinako was surprised by his words.
Was that a command?
A man who could kill a giant monster with his bare hands—who would dare refuse his orders?
Kogan stopped walking and slightly turned his head back.
"If you plan to fight the apes for this place, then by all means, you can stay."
Then, he continued walking away.
'If I stay here, I'll definitely become easy prey.'
'But if I follow him, will I be safe?'
'At least I'll be safe from the predatory beasts, but will I be safe from him?'
'Why do I always assume that everyone wants to kill me? If he wanted to kill or abduct me, he would have done it already.'
Hinako sank into deep thought. After all, the decision she makes now will determine the course of her future.
She could stay in a place where she wouldn't have to worry about food—
but she would have to fight for it against man-eating apes.
Or she could go with this strange, naked young man who had killed a giant ape with his bare hands.
She had no idea it was just a slap—otherwise, she would have been even more shocked.
And so, after a while of thinking, she decided to follow him. Being with someone she could talk to was better than being with a creature that relied solely on its primal instincts.
Even if that "someone" might, at times, be more driven by instincts than the beasts themselves, he was still better than a monster.
She started closing the distance between them as he walked in silence. Her shirt was torn from the top, slipping off her shoulder, and she kept adjusting it from time to time.
After a short while, she wanted to break the silence and, at the same time, show that she wasn't a difficult person to deal with.
"This morning, at the base of the Great Tree, a small, cute monkey came to me and gave me a white flower."
Kogan suddenly stopped walking.
'Did I say something wrong?' Her heart jumped in fear. Maybe staying silent would have been the better choice.
"Where is it now?" He looked at her.
"What?" Hinako asked nervously.
"Are you stupid? The flower."
"Ah, right, right! Here it is." She quickly took it out and handed it to him.
"Could it be...?" Kogan held the white flower, his eyes narrowing. Then, he looked at Hinako, and finally, at the endless tree.
Five massive black figures plummeted from the heights, crashing into the ground like meteors.
Boom!
"Looks like your new family is here to take you." He spoke calmly.
"My new family?" Hinako looked toward the source of the explosion.
She couldn't see clearly, but she could feel the danger rising once again.
"The flower you took means you accepted the ape's mating offer. And now, they're coming to claim you. Hehe."
"That little monkey?" Hinako was stunned. She never expected the situation to take such a disgusting turn.
"That little monkey was just a messenger for courtship. Your real 'husband' is one of those giants coming this way."
"Looks like our time together ends here. I wish you the best of luck."
Kogan smiled faintly and continued walking as if nothing had happened.
"Hah?"
Hinako froze in place, unable to process what Kogan had just said. Meanwhile, the crazed cries of the apes grew louder.
"My new family...?"
Just thinking about it made her feel nauseous. To have her purity taken by savage apes—this was the worst fate that could befall a pure girl.
"Wait, wait for me!"
She looked at Kogan, who was walking away, then hurried after him.
"What do you mean by 'good luck'? What's going to happen to me?"
Kogan ignored her as if she didn't exist.
"Please, please help me! They're going to kill me!"
The savage apes were only a hundred giant steps away.
With every step they took, she felt as if a piece of her soul was being torn away.
Kogan stopped and looked at her calmly, completely ignoring the terrifying cries of the apes.
"Who are you? And why would I put myself in danger for you?"
She was about to speak but hesitated. His words made perfect sense. Why would he help her? Warning her and explaining the situation was already a form of help.
She stared at him, unable to say anything. She wanted to scream, "I can help you! I can do anything! Just get me out of this!"
But… he didn't seem like someone who needed help.