Primitive Man

Chapter 177: Impact

Yenya, the young woman he had entrusted with the well-being of this village, was in the hot spring area.

Normally she would be smiling as soon as she saw the man she admired, but right now that smile wasn't there instead half of her face was missing, and she was being devoured by the lizard-like creatures with sickening sounds which almost caused others behind Garnt to puke in their masks.

[...]

Eva was also silent, but she quickly wanted to say that Garnt should leave this place but words didn't come out of her mouth.

A tear escaped Garnt's eye, but he quickly wiped it away, his focus unwavering.

"We need to leave now," Garnt said with a determined tone, his voice muffled by the gas mask. "These creatures are dangerous, and the gas has affected the villagers and if Yenya didn't survive, there's no way others would survive. We have to get out before it's too late. I don't want three of you to die because of my selfishness."

As Garnt and his crew hurried through the labyrinthine passages, Eva led them towards what seemed like the safest route to the cave entrance. The tension in the air was thick, and the traumatic sight of Yenya being attacked by the lizard-like creatures still haunted their minds.

Just as they thought they had avoided attracting the attention of the creatures inside the cave, a sudden commotion disrupted the uneasy silence. A lizard, larger and more aggressive than the others, emerged from a hidden crevice. Its scales glistened in the dim light, and a guttural growl emanated from its throat.

"Shit!" Garnt felt like his whole body went stiff for a moment from the jump scare, but as always his reaction speed was phenomenal.

Garnt, at the forefront, reacted instinctively. He lunged forward, hitting the lizard with unexpected force, momentarily stunning the creature. In that split second, he shouted at his followers to move quickly, gesturing for them to follow him.

"Run! Quickly Follow me!" He shouted.

The lizard, recovering from the initial shock, let out a deafening roar that echoed through the cavern. Its cry served as an alarm, alerting other creatures within the cave. The once-quiet surroundings erupted into a cacophony of hisses and growls as more lizard-like creatures emerged from hidden corners.

Fear flashed in Garnt's eyes, but he quickly composed himself. "Follow me! We can't let them catch up!" he urged, his voice urgent through the gas mask. "Don't look back. Believe in your legs and run,"

The crew members sprinted after Garnt, their footsteps echoing off the cave walls. The creatures, drawn by the commotion, began to pursue with alarming speed. Garnt cast a glance over his shoulder and noticed that five or six lizards were hot on their heels.

Eva maintained her focus on guiding them toward the exit. She shouted directions and warnings, her voice cutting through the chaos. The urgency of the situation intensified as they raced against time and the relentless pursuit of the lizard-like creatures.

[Turn right! Garnt, don't slow down! Turn right without any hesitation.]

As they neared the entrance, the cold draft of fresh air provided a sliver of hope. Garnt, fueled by adrenaline and determination, pushed himself harder. The crew members followed suit, their breaths laboured behind their masks.

The team emerged from the cave, breathless and tense, the adrenaline still pumping through their veins. Rona and Ayra, who had been waiting anxiously outside, looked at them with confusion etched on their faces.

Rona raised an eyebrow. "What happened in there, Garnt? Where are Yenya and the other villagers? And why do you look restless?"

Garnt, still wearing the gas mask, didn't waste time on explanations. "There's no time. We need to close the cave entrance. Now!"

Confused but trusting Garnt's urgency, Rona and Ayra rushed to help. The team gathered around the large rock beside the cave entrance, their strained breaths audible through the gas masks.

Garnt's voice cut through the chaos. "We have to seal this cave before those creatures get out!"

With determination in their eyes, they all pushed against the rock. Veins popped out on Garnt's forehead as he strained against the weight, and others joined in, exerting their strength to the fullest.

As they pushed, the distant sounds of hisses and growls became ominously closer. The lizard-like creatures were closing in. Garnt shouted, "Hurry! We can't let them escape!"

The team redoubled their efforts, sweat streaming down their faces. The entrance began to close, inch by inch, but the creatures were relentless, their claws scraping against the rocks.

Just as one particularly aggressive lizard stuck its head out of the narrowing gap, Garnt's eyes widened in alarm. "Faster! It's almost too late!"

With a final collective push, the rock rolled into place, sealing the entrance with a thud. The lizard's head was caught between the rock and the cave entrance, and the gruesome sound of bones crunching echoed through the air.

The team took a moment to catch their breaths, relief washing over them. Garnt removed his gas mask, revealing a mixture of exhaustion and gratitude on his face. "We did it. They won't be able to get out now."

Rona and Ayra, still processing the chaotic scene, stared at the sealed entrance in disbelief. "What were those things?" Ayra finally asked.

Garnt shook his head. "I don't know, but we can't risk anyone else getting hurt. We need to get the villagers to safety and figure out a plan to deal with this. If my guess is correct sooner or later, this place will become a place that nobody can survive."

[You should hold a meeting in the village and explain what is going to happen to all the villagers because they need to know about the volcanic eruption. I don't think it will be able to reach the main village, but it depends on how big the eruption is. Even in my timeline the largest one which was the Mount Tambora eruption was 150 cubic km.]

Garnt nodded his head, but then he heard another question that he wasn't fond of.

"What about Yenya and the other hot spring villagers?" Ayra asked confused, but when she looked at Garnt's face she understood that things were not simple.

Garnt bit his lip, and suddenly another tear fell from his eyes, causing almost everyone to gasp, especially Rona and Ayra since they had never seen his tears.

"She is dead! All the villagers are dead. It's not good for us to remain here, so let's go back to the village," he said, removing his mask and jumpsuit. He then mounted Huta, who felt Garnt's sorrow and neighed as if to say that she was always by his side. Garnt patted her head, and they prepared to leave.

On their way back to the village, Garnt remained silent, his mind consumed by memories of what he had witnessed inside the cave. The haunting images lingered, casting a shadow over the entire journey, intermingling with the recollections of moments he had shared with Yenya.

"She was supposed to be one of my girls. I didn't look at her like that at first, but I grew to like her as a woman. She always spoke to me about how she admired me and our family, expressing her desire to join us. Once she found someone suitable to take her place, she said she would come and join my family," Garnt muttered to himself.

Eva listened intently to Garnt's thoughts, her non-existent eyes twitching and her non-existent heart on the verge of exploding with sadness. It wasn't because she was worried about Yenya; rather, she felt Garnt's sorrow deeply. The current Eva loved Garnt more than anything in this world.

Ayra and Rona were equally upset, but they knew they had to be strong for Garnt's sake. After all, as his women, they should be the ones to share his sadness as well as his pain.

After riding for a whole day and upon returning, the first thing Garnt did was arrange a meeting for the entire village to announce the significant change that had occurred in their society.

The village gathered in the central square, curious and anxious faces awaiting an explanation from Garnt. He stood on a makeshift podium, his eyes heavy with grief but his voice firm.

"Listen, everyone," Garnt began, his voice carrying through the hushed crowd. "We've encountered a grave danger. The hot spring area has been overrun by creatures, and a toxic gas has affected the villagers there. Yenya and the others... they didn't make it."

Gasps and whispers swept through the crowd, and Rona and Ayra stood by Garnt's side, offering silent support.

"The cave, where these creatures came from, has been sealed," Garnt continued, his gaze scanning the concerned faces. "But the danger remains with the mountains that are overflowing with a danger called magma, which is like molten iron that we work with in huge amounts. It has the ability to destroy lands and currently, the whole hot spring village area is under that threat,"

Everyone in the village gasped at what they heard, but some of them couldn't even understand how bad it was. So Garnt explained more about the effects of the volcano and the danger.

"From today onward, nobody is allowed to hunt in that area or enter that area. This is my order, and I won't allow any more deaths. But right now, let's pray for our brothers and sisters who died in a tragic way and hope they are in a better place now," he muttered and acted as if the deaths were all equal to him. However, those who witnessed his tears knew Yenya's death affected him more than anything, and he was really strong for holding back his feelings like that.