Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Fry-pan (Part 2)
Yamiru realized he was lost because... he hadn't seen a single sign of human habitation for over a week.
Wilderness. Wilderness. And more wilderness.
Forests, grasslands, mountain paths. More forests.
"This map Tights bought must be a bootleg!"
Walking through the desolation with a weathered face, Yamiru casually vented his frustration, feeling more like a wild man than he had during his initial trek through the primordial jungle.
Yet, his mindset was now vastly different from before. Resolute and unhurried, he pressed onward. Even if he ended up lost at the Five Elements Mountain at the edge of the Earth, Mount Paozu would still be somewhere on this planet.
As for whether he might miss Kakarot's arrival in a year? Yamiru hadn't given it much thought. He felt both urgency and calmness—a curious balance. He pondered this mindset. The urgency was rooted in his awareness of how daunting and unattainable the path of the strong in the Dragon Ball world was. The calmness came from knowing that worrying wouldn't help.
Taking a brief rest by the roadside, Yamiru studied the map while reflecting. Was this the same state of mind Goku had when he emerged from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber and went fishing or camping with his son on Mount Paozu?
Comparing himself to Goku... was he getting ahead of himself? Yamiru chuckled to himself, exhaled, folded the map, and patted the dust off his pants as he stood.
Looking up at the clear sky—blue, pristine, and cloudless, without even a hint of wind—he thought to himself:
"With weather this good, it'd be a shame not to go fishing!"
With a cheer, Yamiru cast aside the fatigue and frustrations of his journey, excitedly heading off to find materials for a fishing rod. After some searching, he found a tree branch over two meters long, straight and sturdy—perfect for his needs. The hook and bait were easy enough to figure out, but what about fishing line?
Breaking off the smaller twigs from the branch, Yamiru kept brainstorming. Roadsides often had discarded trash. After walking another seven or eight kilometers, he came across a pile of old, discarded clothes. Pulling out some threads, he tied them to the top of his makeshift fishing rod. Now all that was left was to find a river.
Sniff, sniff... Yamiru mimicked Goku's method of sniffing out water sources, only to discover he lacked that animalistic, dog-like sense of smell. Laughing at himself, he hoisted the fishing rod over his shoulder and continued searching for a stream.
By nightfall, he had found neither a river nor even a puddle.
At his campsite that night, Yamiru lay on his back with the tree branch fishing rod and map resting on his stomach, snoring loudly, as carefree as ever. When the morning sun kissed his face, he woke up, stretched lazily, and rubbed his eyes, grinning. "Good morning, you hardworking guy."
After splashing his face with the sunlight's warmth, Yamiru folded the map, shouldered his fishing rod, and resumed his journey.
Drip... drip...
He shook his water bottle, licking the final droplet hanging from the rim. Only then did he confirm: it was empty.
"Well, this is bad."
Smacking his lips, Yamiru stowed the bottle, mentally preparing for the next challenge.
For the past few days, the fishing rod he'd crafted had remained unused. He started the morning on an empty stomach, had wild fruits he'd gathered from the roadside for lunch, and fortunately, they didn't upset his stomach. As night fell, Yamiru chose a tall tree, climbed it, and lay down in his clothes, taking a brief rest until the night deepened. In the heavy darkness, he suddenly opened his golden eyes.
Yamiru scanned the surroundings in the dark, licking his lips... He could clearly see the animals moving about.
Day after day...
Yamiru hadn't had a single drop of water for four consecutive days. However, he was able to get by with the occasional wild fruit, which provided some moisture. He had lost interest in studying the map, deciding to wait until he encountered a settlement where he could confirm just how lost he really was.
This day, with his drooping tree branch fishing rod in hand, Yamiru stumbled along the desolate road. Suddenly, the path before him cleared, and he found himself at the edge of a cliff. Beyond it was a beautiful scene of lush green mountains and clear waters.
"Finally, I can smell the water..."
He smiled lightly, his body relaxed, and he swiftly slid down the slope, heading toward the clear river at the foot of the mountain. The water was so clear that the white foam crashing against the rocks looked like something out of a comic book. Yamiru tossed his makeshift fishing rod aside, then dove into the river, drinking greedily and happily, gulping down the cool liquid.
Hmm?
Suddenly, while drinking, Yamiru's eyes snapped open. He vaguely heard sounds coming from nearby, thumping rapidly as if something was flying toward him.
In an instant, his black eyes glowed gold.
Yamiru tilted his head, still submerged in the river. Through the flowing water and earth, he could make out two figures, one tall and one short, about several dozen meters away, rushing toward him in a hurry. They looked like they were fleeing, panicked.
"Splash!" Yamiru pulled his head out of the water just as a loud thunderous voice echoed from further away.
"Who dares touch my treasure and think they can run? Stop right there!"
Yamiru immediately recognized the two figures. They were the same fools he had encountered outside the Rabbit Legion's forest—one calling himself the Bull Demon King and the other the Horse Bull Demon King. Just as Yamiru focused on the fleeing duo, he turned his gaze towards the direction of the thunderous shout, and saw a massive, human-like energy coming fast from behind them. This figure was even more powerful than Blue's energy, a force to be reckoned with. The person was enormous, covered in facial hair, wielding a massive axe, wearing armor and a steel helmet, and looked like a giant warrior.
"Run, and I'll chop you down!"
The giant rushed forward with the earth trembling beneath his feet, as if a herd of wild buffalo was charging through. Yamiru observed from the riverbank, quickly realizing where he was. He had wandered into the realm of the fire Mountain, or rather, it was the fire Mountain before it had caught fire. The giant in front of him was none other than the Ox-King!
"Help!"
"Run for your life!"
The Bull Demon King and the Horse Bull Demon King were now sprinting for their lives, shouting toward the "dazed" boy at the riverbank. But before they could get far, the Ox-King grew impatient and enraged. With a great roar, he threw his massive axe. Yamiru watched in shock as the giant axe flew through the air like a green streak, cutting through the wind with a whirlwind, passing them and smashing into the ground just a meter away from Yamiru. The size of the impact was almost as large as Yamiru himself.
The air around him seemed to snap, and for a moment, he felt a sharp pain in his chest—almost like a blade had grazed him. The danger was real.
"That's pretty strong... Come to think of it, I don't think Ox-King ever really fought in the comics... I wonder who's stronger between him and Son Gohan?" Yamiru mused, but before he could continue his thoughts, the Bull Demon King and the Horse Bull Demon King had already soiled themselves, trembling and kneeling in front of the massive axe, crying uncontrollably as the heavy footsteps of the Ox-King drew closer.
"Please! Spare us!"
"Great Ox-King, please show mercy!"
Suddenly, the Bull Demon King pointed toward Yamiru by the river, shouting, "It's all his fault! He told us that your castle is full of treasures!"
Yamiru froze, then immediately became furious. He stormed over and kicked the two unlucky bandits away, sending them rolling all the way to the Bull Demon King's feet. The Bull Demon King stopped, stepping on them one by one, before looking at Yamiru with an unfriendly gaze and asking, "Is that so? Kid... you want to covet my treasure too?"
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