Chapter 15 Dissection (Thanks to Tianze Law for the reward of the alliance master!)

"Thank you very much."

On the other side, although he didn't wait for a definite reply, Ian didn't mind, "I appreciate your concern."

Contrary to that, he even felt a great weight lift from his heart, relieving much of his tension.

—In no rush? Of course, he wasn't in a rush; whether or not the suggestion came to fruition, at least his safety was assured for the time being!

You must know, the task he was about to undertake in the late-night forest by the lake was exceedingly dangerous... Having the protection of an old knight, who appeared strong and radiated a golden aura, was an unexpected stroke of luck.

At that moment, Ian turned his head, took out a rope, and bound the bodies of the Forest Leopard and the Native to his uncle's corpse. After testing the weight and deeming it manageable, he stepped forward and continued to drag the bodies.

Whether it was the Forest Leopard's or the Native's attack, they were just incidents within expectations; his destination was still the fringe of the lake forest.

And the old Knight remained where he was, not following Ian immediately, but rather closing his eyes in contemplation.

"Ian."

Repeating Ian's name in his mind, the man pondered, "The White Folks from Harrison Port... "

To the east of Whale Song Cliff and south of the Fiery Flame Land, the Bison Mountain Range, where countless redwood giants thrive, is surrounded by a narrow strip of tropical rainforest climate. Over a hundred years ago, pioneers had declared this land part of the Empire's territory, and several port towns were established by immigrants decades ago, Harrison Port being the largest of them.

The strides of Humans thus extended to the southernmost shores of the continent, but beyond these few towns, there should be primarily untouched jungle areas.

The man was well aware that Harrison Port was nearby, and the initial immigrants of Harrison Port were several Felon Families banished from the Imperial Capital or from the borderlands, exiled to this world's edge.

Among them, indeed, was a family of White Folks.

In such a family, the emergence of a Chosen One who awakened Spiritual Power in childhood was not impossible.

The White Folks were a group of Humans that emerged after the Calamity of Heavenly Fall a millennium ago, adapted well to Spirit Energy and radiation. They typically lived around the Furnace Core of towns with the most intense radiation, distancing themselves from the cleanest forests—natural environments could elicit rejection reactions in them, and newborns might develop various abnormalities.

"But even for the White Folks, to awaken Spiritual Power at such a young age, and to be so astute and composed... "

Murmuring to himself, the old Knight said with a complex tone, "When was the last time I encountered such an impressive young person...?"

That was probably over fifty years ago.

When the Empire was strewn with starvation, its vast nation on the verge of collapse.

"My mission... "

Opening his eyes, the man no longer dwelled on the past.

The old Knight could sense that Ian had travelled far, his footsteps never ceasing.

He sighed, then chuckled softly, following the traces, the man continued to trail after the boy.

—After all, those missions and caring for a child were not conflicting.

The forest was humid, full of moss and vines, and the decomposing soil beneath his feet and the faintly visible roots made even skilled hunters find it challenging.

Yet, the greying Knight, who seemed just a weary old man, walked as if on flat ground; he trod on withered leaves and twigs, sweeping through the woods like a ghost, making not the slightest noise, even capable of not disturbing a single insect's chirp.

Listening for the footsteps and traces ahead, the old Knight knew the boy had stopped; it seemed Ian had found a suitable place to dispose of the bodies.

But suddenly, a familiar scent drifted on the wind.

"Blood?"

Feeling confused, the old Knight murmured to himself, "Why?"

"Could it be we've encountered another enemy? But I sense nothing..."

Within the Knight's sensory range, there was no being that could be deemed dangerous or that could threaten Ian.

However, mere seconds later, not far away, the sound of flesh being cut echoed faintly through the trees, leading him to an understanding yet leaving him puzzled, "Are they dissecting a corpse?"

—Since they had already come to the forest outside the city, why bother dismembering and burying the body?

The stench of blood was so strong that even though there weren't many wild animals in the lake forest, it would still draw them from afar.

Even with his promise of protection, such superfluous actions shouldn't be taken.

The old knight felt that the composed child wouldn't make such a far-fetched move—Ian must have had his reasons and purposes.

Therefore, he decided to get closer to take a look.

Following the traces ahead, the man gazing at the lake from the open space then witnessed a scene that was shocking even to him.

Under the moonlight, the shimmering silver waves rippled, and the rising breeze created ripples that slapped against the rocks by the lake, causing a thin mist to ascend.

In the midst of this lakeside nighttime scenery, the white-haired boy was sitting on a rock by the lake, resting, breathing wearily, his grey-brown tattered robe unable to conceal his skin, with holes revealing legs far paler than those of an ordinary person.

At that moment, he was sitting quietly, gazing up at the star-filled sky above.

The slender boy's eyes sparkled like stars, reflecting the moonlight from the sky.

Although there were few stars left in the dim sky, and the remaining ones were fading, those pale blue, aqua-colored pupils still stared intently.

This was a brief rest. Once it ended, Ian lowered his head and resumed the task he had been working on before.

The elf-like child pulled out a knife and swung it at the corpse laid out on the rock, cutting away. It was all a paradox, filled with contrast.

His gaze upon the corpse was placid, meticulous, like an ordinary person staring at a stone, or a researcher observing their study material, even possessing a hint of devoutness.

The sound of flesh being severed filled the air.

…

[Beginning human body analysis]

[Primary dissection sample: Male Ossenna of the White Folks; Auxiliary dissection samples: Male Native Hunter, Female Forest Leopard]

[It can be fairly ascertained that the humans of the Terra World (excluding Elves and other humanoid creatures), in terms of appearance, are completely identical to Earth's humans, having the same bodily structure and features, including hair follicles.]

[Comparing Ossenna with the Native Hunter, it can be roughly inferred that the White Folks are a group with a particular genetic trait of albinism solidified, while the Natives are a race suffering from severe malnutrition and have adapted to jungle life through adaptive evolution.]

[The skin of all three dissection samples is quite tough. Ordinary human skin is thin and soft, elastic but not very durable. Whether it's a special physical trait of the Terra People or if Ossenna is unique, his skin layer is very thick and tough, like a smooth callus, and he has a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, which can store more energy and endure colder weather, losing heat more slowly in water.]

[The Native Hunter lacks these features, but his skin is dry and hard like tree bark. In terms of sheer hardness, it's only slightly inferior to real tree bark and on the same level as the Forest Leopard.]

[While it makes sense for an Otherworldly wild beast like the Forest Leopard to have such tough skin, it's puzzling that both the Natives and White Folks possess nearly the same level of tough skin.]

[Plus their considerable strength, the humans in this world—even with just their physical bodies—are extremely dangerous and are comparable to mid to large-sized predators like the American Leopard or even bears, consistent with my previous conjectures.]

[No, overturn the previous thoughts.]

[Further dissection proves that the skeletal structure of the Terra People is different from that of Earth's humans. Ossenna and the Native Hunter have several ribs on the upper side merged into a thick bone plate to protect the heart. Upon self-testing by pressing, I can confirm I possess the same skeletal feature, which should be a common bodily structure of the Terra People.]

[Even the heart structure is not right; the hearts of the Terra People are much stronger, akin to Earth's military-genetically-modified humans, and despite being deceased for a time, they still retain considerable activity.]

[Why are the muscle fibers so dense? And they actually have this structure... This isn't the form of natural muscles! Natural muscle groups aren't this neat and clean, and aesthetically pleasing; instead, it somewhat resembles the artificial muscle fibers used in space engineering cybernetics... No wonder their strength is so formidable.]

[Wait, why is there another smaller stomach near the stomach area? It's wrapped in muscle, resembling the gizzard of a bird, with a very hard feel, and is not actually in use. But it feels like it could potentially be activated if given the opportunity.]

[If activated, it would enhance digestive capabilities, and the gizzard could digest many things that ordinary people cannot.]

[Skin like armor, a heart with surprising vitality, nearly perfect muscle fibers, and this second stomach...]

[Terra Humans... Are they really natural beings?!]