The world was dyed white as far as the eye could see. Everything was covered in a blanket of snow, with each piece of snow glistening like a gem. It perfectly reflected the sun, blinding the eyes. Occasionally a fierce snowstorm would arise, picking up the snow and obscuring ones vision.
In a thick cedar forest, against the base of a cliff, was a large open cave. Inside were over a hundred apes huddled around a large campfire. They had hunched backs and were covered in a thick coat of hair. For clothes they wore the pelts of animals. On the cave walls were various paintings, and on the ground lay a few thin and feeble apes.
The howling of the wind could be heard from the entrance of the cave, along with the occasional stomach rumbling in hunger. The faces of the apes were full of expression. Looks of sadness and desperation, pain and loss.
An ape with a scar running along his chest stood in the back of the cave with a spear in his hand. Next to him was a smaller ape. The smaller ape looked up. ¡°Father. Hungry.¡±
The ape with the scar grimaced. He pointed at the entrance of the cave with his spear. ¡°Look. Snow. No hunt.¡±
¡°Me know¡¡± The younger ape replied in low spirits.
Soon the sun passed over the horizon, dying the land pitch black. The moon was covered by clouds. Even at night, the snow didn¡¯t let up. It continued to pour down, and by morning, it was several feet deep.
¡°Father! Father!¡± The young ape called out anxiously.
The scarred ape woke up with a start. His son tugged on his arm as he looked around. After seeing no danger, he frowned. ¡°What wrong?¡±
¡°Bad thing happen! Grandpa is gone!¡± The young ape pointed towards his grandfather''s bed.
The scarred ape jumped up and ran around the cave, trying to find his father. Seeing him nowhere, he ran towards the edge of the cave and looked down. Just barely visible were footprints leading into the forest. His son was at his side. ¡°Father, why he leave? He weak! Sick!¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
¡°I not know.¡± The scarred ape grabbed his spear before following the footprints into the forest. He had to hurry before the footprints were covered by fresh snow. His son followed behind, calling out ¡®grandpa¡¯ repeatedly.
Soon, they came across a corpse. The young ape tugged on the corpse¡¯s arm, tears in his eyes. ¡°Grandpa! Wake up!¡±
The scarred ape shook his head. ¡°I see now.¡±
¡°See what? Father, why did grandpa leave?¡± The young ape didn¡¯t understand.
The scarred ape turned around to hide the tears in his eyes. ¡°He sacrifice himself. He no want us to waste food on him.¡±
¡°Sacrifice?¡±
The scarred ape and his son traveled back towards the cave full of sorrow. The young ape complained. ¡°Father! This snow, when it stop? It been long time now.¡±
¡°I not know, but I hope soon.¡±
It has already been three years since the snow started to fall. Their tribe numbered one hundred and forty three at the start, but now they lost their first member due to hunger. With the forest covered in thick snow, it was hard to scavenge for food.
When the duo returned to the cave, the other apes were filled with worry. After being informed of the old apes sacrifice, they fell silent and grieved.
As the snow continued to fall, a new tradition was born. Whenever an ape was starving and weak, they would leave the cave to die off. It was a sacrifice meant to increase the tribes chance of survival.
The years continued to pass, and as they did, they snow continued to fall. More and more members of the tribe sacrificed themselves for the sake of the tribe. As the tribe grew smaller, a new emotion was born. A wish. A wish for the snow to stop falling, and summer to come once again. This wish turned into hope.
A few years later, the young ape had grown up. He held a knife in his hand as he carved away at a block of wood. The block slowly transformed into a recognizable figure; it was an ape, except that it stood tall and was full of confidence. It wasn¡¯t weak and feeble, but full of strength and vitality.
¡°What that?¡± Another ape walked over and asked.
The ape with the carving showed off his creation. ¡°It is strong ape. Full of food. He never know hunger.¡±
¡°I wish we look like this ape. I like.¡± The carving was passed around the tribe and soon became something of worship.
Finally, after ten years of unending snow, warmth came. Animals of all kinds rejoiced and sung happily. The forest was once again filled with life, and therefore, food. The tribe of apes now only had forty-five members. When they woke up to see the snow gone, they cried tears of joy. Their wish, and hope, had become reality.
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
I don¡¯t know when I started to think. All I know is that the world is cold. It seeps into my bones, sapping away my strength and life. Wait, what are bones? Do I have bones?
I know not. All I know is starvation and hunger. I have not eaten for weeks, and I barely have enough strength to walk. Wait, have I ever eaten anything? Do I need to eat?
I hate the snow. Even with my hair and clothes, I still freeze. I wish the sun would come out soon. I want to eat meat. I want to listen to the animals. I want to bath in the river.
Wait, whose thoughts are these?
That was when I realized. These aren¡¯t my thoughts, but nonetheless they continue to flow into me. Who am I? Where am I?
Every time someone sacrifices themselves, I feel profound grief and sadness flow into me. Where is it coming from?
At this thought, vague figures of creatures covered in black hair appear within my mind. The creatures are staring at me, I can feel it. Strange. Are these where the thoughts are coming from?
Suddenly, an explosion of color enters my mind. For the first time, I can see. I¡¯m in a dimly lit cave surrounded by creatures. I can¡¯t move or speak, but I can sense everything in the cave. I feel like I¡¯ve known the creatures since I started to think. Are they family?
But where am I?
I look inward and see that I¡¯m a block of wood. I look just like the creatures, except that I¡¯m stronger and healthier. I guess we are family, except that I¡¯m a little different.
I¡¯m continuously passed around the cave. Sometimes I¡¯m hugged, sometimes I sleep with someone, sometimes I eat with them, but never am I forgotten. A feel a deep bond with them, something on a fundamental level.
I look over them as they sleep. Even though I can¡¯t do anything, or even communicate with them, I still watch the cave for any enemies.
One day, something opened up within me. It was on the day the snow disappeared. I felt joy, pure joy, coming from the depths of my being. I cried tears of joy and laughed gleefully. That blasted snow was finally gone. Now my family could be free. It was their deepest wish.
I sit there as they rush out of the cave. The world in my mind rapidly expands. I can see a variety of colors; green, blue, yellow. As my family travel through the forest, I too travel with them. I see what they see. Hear what they hear. This is our bond.
After awhile, a thought creeps into my mind. Am I going to be forgotten? Will I sit here, alone, forever? I feel conflicted. I¡¯m happy for my family, but sad for my existence. But then I think of the sacrifice so many of my family members had to make. Perhaps I too must be sacrificed.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
That was when one of them returned. He carried a spear in one hand while dragging the corpse of a deer with the other. He dropped the corpse at my feet. I watched as he carefully cut open the deer and extracted the meat. Then he placed a piece of meat in front of me.
How foolish of me. I thought I had been forgotten. Was the relationship between me and my family so shallow? No, of course not. We went through hell together. I was so happy. I wish I could partake in this wonderful offering, but alas, I couldn¡¯t eat, much less move.
Would you like to accept this offering?
Yes / No
A foreign voice rang in my mind, but I knew that it came from within me. For some reason, I wasn¡¯t surprised, but felt that it was a matter of course. Strange.
Seeing that I could eat the meat, I gladly accepted.
To my shock, I started to emit a dim yellow light. The light covered the meat before disappearing together. As the meat disappeared, I felt stronger. Like I was filled with boundless strength.
You have gained 1 influence.
The family member who gave the offering staggered backwards in shock. Seeing that I scared him, I wanted to speak out and tell him everything was fine. At that thought, I felt the connection between us grow stronger momentarily.
You have spent 1 influence.
During that brief moment, I learned that the family member who stood before me was an ape named Do. Do looked at me with increased shock, but he quickly calmed down after receiving my feelings. I tried speaking again, but I felt much weaker than a moment ago. It was like my increased strength was an illusion. Somehow, I knew that it was because I didn¡¯t have enough influence.
Do spun around and ran out of the cave, hallowing and shouting. Not long after, all of the apes returned to the cave at Do¡¯s behest. I could sense their disbelief and confusion. Do once again stood before me, this time with a look of confusion himself, like he couldn¡¯t believe what he witnessed.
Slowly, he cut a chunk of meat and placed it in front of me. The same voice appeared in my head, asking the same question. I wanted to tell my family that I was there with them, so I accepted.
With a dim yellow light, I consumed the piece of meat. The apes jumped up and down in shock and bewilderment. For a time, the cave was filled with a cacophony of screeches. After they calmed down, the apes left the cave and hunted like crazy. They dragged back all sorts of animals and food to place at my feet. I didn¡¯t decline, that would be rude, so I accepted them all.
I felt my strength increase every time I did, a strange feeling. What exactly was being increased?
As I partook in the offerings, so too did my family members. For the first time in years, a bountiful feast was held. Joy and happiness, long lost emotions, surfaced. I could sense my family members grow stronger just like I had.
Suddenly, a loud roar came from the mouth of the cave. There, a big black bear stood fiercely. Everyone turned and froze. I could sense fear and horror well up within them. Only one stood strong, the ape who gave me the offering. He held a spear in his hand and stood in front of his tribe.
For some reason, I assume because of my increased strength, I was able to tell the difference in power between the bear and the ape. The ape was no match for the bear. If they fought, he would be killed. I didn¡¯t want that to happen.
Level 5 - Black Bear
Level 2 - Do
Afraid for Do, I thought about if I could do anything. Suddenly, a torrent of knowledge flooded my mind. It came from within me, just like many things before.
Just as the fight was about to start, I cast a skill. I felt all of my strength drain away as a dim yellow light shot out of me and landed on the bear.
You have ''feared'' the black bear!
You have spent 10 influence.
The bear roared, but this time there was no power behind it. Its eyes widened as it turned tail and fled. The apes watched in surprise as the bear fled before turning towards me. All of them had seen the yellow light shoot out from me.
They slowly walked up to me, surprised and curious. They poked and prodded me, but I didn¡¯t have the strength left to respond. I was only glad they didn¡¯t fear me.
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Now that spring had come at last, the forest was full of life. All of the creatures and animals that survived the harsh winter left their homes in search of food. Do had taken the role of chief from his father, and as such was taught how to hunt animals. He used his spear to kill any wildlife he came across.
The other apes scavenged for food in the forest; bird eggs, berries, fruits, and the like. The apes stuffed themselves full, quickly growing stronger. The last decade had been one of hunger and starvation, but now, their stomachs were finally full.
After the encounter with the bear, Do realized he alone wasn¡¯t strong enough to protect the tribe. He found long sturdy branches and used his knife, a sharp narrow rock, to craft the branches into spears. The other apes watched curiously as he crafted. When he was done, he stood up and commanded. ¡°Go, Po, Bo, take spear.¡±
The three apes that were called out were young males full of vigor. Excited, they each took a spear. Do walked to the entrance of the cave. ¡°Come.¡±
Go, Po, and Bo followed their chief to an open clearing in the forest. There, Do began to instruct them on how to use a spear. Do was taught one thing from his father: a thrust. Do had used this one move to kill many animals. It worked perfectly.
With Do as the chief, and Go, Po, and Bo as his soldiers, the ape tribe gained confidence and began to travel further into the forest. Their territory increased, giving them access to more food. There seemed to be no challenge for them. There was plenty of food, allowing the tribe to give offerings to the statue.
The years continued to pass, and soon the next generation of apes was born. Do now had a son, leaving him very happy. Do had one hoppy: carving. He passed this down to his son. The harsh winter that seemed to last forever had long been forgotten by the apes. Their future was now full of hope.
One day, Do and his soldiers were traveling along the edge of their territory. Do raised his nose and sniffed. He smelled the scent of blood. The four apes grew cautious and slowly followed the smell to its source. Awhile later they found a small clearing. Do saw the carcass of an ape laying in a pool of blood.
Flesh was torn apart as a big black bear ripped through the ape, chewing down chunks of flesh. Bo shivered. ¡°Bear!¡±
Go, Po, and Bo, staggered backwards and prepared to flee. Do stood strong. He could see that the ape on the ground was not one from his tribe. Did that mean there were more tribes out there?This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
Do held his spear firmly. ¡°Fight!¡±
¡°Fight?¡± The three apes paused.
Do felt his heart pounding in his chest, but he didn¡¯t let it show on his face. ¡°Bear threat to tribe. We kill.¡±
The three apes looked at each other before looking at the dead ape. Do continued. ¡°Bear alone, we together. We win!¡±
The three apes nodded hesitantly. Do pointed forward. ¡°Surround!¡±
The bear was busy stuffing itself so it didn¡¯t hear the apes approach. When Do was ten feet away from the bear, he gulped. The flank of the bear was facing him, so ran forward and stabbed. The spear sunk into the bear¡¯s flesh without much resistance.
The bear roared in pain as it spun around. It swiped with its paw, knocking Do¡¯s spear to the side. He stood there, frozen in fear as the bear prepared to swing again. At this time, the other apes ran forward with fierce shouts. Three spears sunk into the bear, causing it hollar in pain.
Do took this chance to grab his spear. When he turned around, he saw the bear swipe its paw across Go¡¯s chest. Blood sprayed into the air as Go fell to the ground. Do felt his heart leap into his throat. Seeing that the bear was about to finish off Go, he charged forward and rammed his spear into the bear¡¯s neck.
The bear¡¯s roar was muffled as blood poured out of its mouth. The light in its eyes disappeared as it slumped to the ground with a thud. Suddenly, Do¡¯s body lit up with a flash of light. He felt himself grow stronger, but he wasn¡¯t happy in the slightest. He spun around and ran up to Go.
Crouching down, he saw blood pouring out of Go¡¯s chest. It wouldn¡¯t stop. Go glanced up at Do. ¡°Chief. I dying. My son¡¡±
The other two apes stood next to Go, tears in their eyes. Do shook his head. ¡°Not dead yet!¡±
He picked up Go and carried him over his shoulder. For some reason, Go was as light as a feather. Do didn¡¯t know why, nor did he have the time to question it. He ran back home as fast as he could. The other two apes followed, but they were soon left behind.
Around an hour later, Do entered the cave and ran up to the statue of the strong ape. He gently laid Go in front of it. Do saw that Go¡¯s eyes were closed, so he thought he was already dead. When he pressed his ear against Go¡¯s chest, he was relieved. His heart still beat.
When Do saw a puddle of blood start to form, he grew anxious. He glanced at the statue and begged. ¡°Save Go. Please.¡±
Before his words could finish, a dim yellow light flew out of the small statue and covered Go. Before Do¡¯s eyes, the lacerated muscles and skin slowly grew together. In less than a minute, his wounds disappeared, leaving not even a scar.
¡®
When Do entered the cave and laid Go down, the other apes surrounded him, full of concern. When they saw the wounds close and Go¡¯s eyes open, they looked at the statue with awe. ¡°It save Go!¡±
¡°What going on?¡± Go slowly stood up before looking down at his chest. It was covered in blood.
Do pointed at the statue. ¡°It save you.¡±
Go slowly walked up to the statue before bowing his head. ¡°Thank you, statue.¡±
Po and Bo arrived not long after. When they saw that Go was fine, they let out relieved sighs. Go left the cave with Po and Bo and returned with the corpse of a giant bear. Instead of eating it, they offered it to the statue. Go once again thanked the statue.