Eugene made the beast nod which elicited another smile on her face. The fear and loneliness in her eyes all reduced as she sat cross-legged and began to rant.
Eugene sighed, he can't understand her but from the bit of the intent he comprehends is that unlike him and other kids, she knew she was coming here and her parents have prepared her well since child.
She even said that there were others like her but most of them died as no one succeeded.
It was from her that he learned that there is fifth taks and that was to Survive the Damned and she also has additional Task and that was to reach the barrier.
Eugene connected the dots and understood that the kid that came back to Ar Land with no eyes were among the lucky ones that have managed to survive somehow.
Maybe he too can survive.
In this situation, Eugene knew that pulling resources would be the best. Even though any extreme control he exerted on the beast reduced the number of days he can stay alive, he has no choice but to prepare more.
This damn place is not easy.
Eugene first pushed a good sentence to make her feel good.
"I'm glad I met you. You are an Angel!"
This made her smile and blush and as if the cave lit up a bit. Eugene desired to ask her how she chased and caught the light, or how she sought the mercy of the divine and got it but he knew those weren't the things he should focus on.
He needed to tell her what he could do first. As a Scion of Miracle Lion, he can choose to amplify a certain nature of him by consuming a day's worth of life.
He then pushed one thing he knew he was good at and can use to aid her. Hopefully he will be helpful.
"I have a strong instinct for tangible danger…"
Her eyes lit up and she smiled as if that was a great revelation.
"Use me however you like," he added.
"No, we will survive together. Don't worry!" Her intention was very powerful and he felt it vividly.
"I felt extreme dread… don't want to open eyes or connect with others!"
The one thing he didn't want her to do was to make him open his eyes under the sky.
She immediately nodded and said.
"Silent Treader has a collective sense. You can follow their instinctual movement without losing your way, right!"
"I did that to reach here!" Eugene answered before he showed as if he was tired and lied down and closed his eyes.
She smiled and rested her head on his huge head, the uncertainty of the future has reduced considerably.
After an unknown time, she recovered and stood. She made her hand glow before she placed it on the beast's flat head.
Eugene felt warmth reach him and the beast shivered. He felt his life has become more robust than before. Like he has more control of his emotions and feelings. The days worth of life didn't increase though.
This also came with a flood of information about the beast he was in. As he was just a life preserved, he was part of the beast and automatically he knew the beast race but nothing else.
But now he knows so much more about it. The information came in clusters of images and action that his brain interpreted into meaning.
It was strange to him, Eugene was told that Gateway communications came in forms of symbols and runes, then translated into meaning but now it was of images and action.
For example, to know the name of the beast race, he saw the full representation of the beast and then its movement.
Silent Treader has four limbs, paws similar to cats and a long tail the same length as the body.
The beast's paws have sharp claws but can retract and become like hooves and can turn soft like a camel.
Its head was large but more oval and flat with a slightly concave center. That was where Zeera sat and balanced.
It has ears that always bend away and make it as if they don't have one but one thing was that, they don't have eyes.
They need to feed on creatures with eyes to develop one and even that as long as they use it under the Realm sky, they will lose it within a day.
The most fascinating thing about their body wasn't all that but their hair.
With normal touch or casual sight, their body will appear smooth as if they have no hair but they do have it but it was so soft and tiny like penguin's.
The hair is their most apparent Nature as it serves so many purposes that Eugene thought this beast can be equal to Miracle Lions in number of Nature.
The hair serves to protect them from heat, cold and also ramming impact and cutting. A type of protection that is close to immunity at the onset of adaptability.
The hair also was the reason they are referred to as Silent Treader because it absorbs sound of their movement, making them move as silent as one can be.
This was just the tip of the iceberg, there are things Eugene couldn't grasp as a whole.
The eyes formed at either side of the head to a degree and it can see through faintest light.
Right now, the faintest light was the girl's hair and skin glow. Any human won't be able to see anything because the light can't be captured by the human eye or majority of beast races.
Did I tell you that it was the hair that protected them from Monster Tree as they passed through unlike Zeera that was pushed to bring or collapsed after just a few distance travel.
From other images Eugene understood their Aspecto.
The image this time was of the beast running around various beasts in the night and day while people carried out their noisy activity but the moment they were in that place the sound reduced.
Aspecto: Silence
As far as Eugene can understand the images, Silent Treaders are creatures that don't make sound, they don't Roar and don't Whimper. Their Roar is at the opposite of sound.
Other images made Eugene understand their Tier and their relative power. They are very strong physically and also have incredible stamina comparable to tiers above them.
Tier 1: Juvenile
But they are also not passive aggressive which made their category within the tamed ones.
Category: Power
This burst of information wasn't from the girl but from being part of the beast. If Eugene was high tier and stronger than what he was now he will have more interpretation of the images.
But if he survives and goes back home, all he has to do is get certain crystals that will hold his memory and he will recall all this back to him.
A palm print appeared on the flat head of the beast Eugene was in.
Eugene might have gained images about the beasts but the beast has gained a special connection with the girl, almost similar to her connection with her own beast.
"We will cross 2 more kilometers before we reach a bridge."
She proceeded to tell what she knew. The knowledge came from the beasts themselves as they live here.
Eugene tried to access that knowledge and he learned that this whole place was cut off from the mainland.
In every direction if one go will meet with dug earth that can only pass using an old worn out ladder bridge made of robes and broken flank stairs.
'Damn. Can the ladder bridge even carry the beast'
Eugene cursed before he focused on his own case.
The speech she made wasn't directed at him alone but at everyone. She seemed to carry hope that among the other 287 beasts there was another person that still held their individuality.
The herd of beasts and a golden girl moved out.
Eugene wasn't ahead of everyone even though he has a role of instinct guidance. There are ten beasts around him in an arrow order that covers him from front to the sides.
'She is protecting me!' Eugene felt warmth in his heart.
Zeera was on the far back, even if she wanted to, she can't be anywhere less safe. The beasts were hardwired to protect her at all costs.
What was amazing was that they showcased their intelligence by understanding that they needed to make sure she was as far away from any Monster Tree as possible.
The place was a jungle and it can't be avoided but what they do since there were over two hundred of them, the beasts rammed at any branch and leaves on her path with their body
Eugene can feel the silence around those became deeper which signified their pain for doing that but they shook away and caught up.
They strategize well after making sure they spread the load of touching the Monster Trees.
But one will hear Zeera commands, "Stop harming yourself." her voice trembling as if about to cry.
Eugene felt the warmth of her heart. Zeera was a genuine kind hearted person sent to this darkness.