With his physical abilities forged in the crucible of tribal training and his understanding of the island's wild energy slowly growing, Jiraiya knew the time had come to move beyond the known territory of the Olwatu. Though he appreciated the relative safety and knowledge the tribe had provided him, the island was vast and mysterious, and Kong's ancestor, Father Mountain, would not be found staying in one place. Furthermore, the cosmic entity had brought him here for a purpose, a purpose that likely required a deeper understanding of this world and his own capabilities within it.
The decision wasn't easy. Kael and the Olwatu had become his family in this new life. They had given him shelter, food, and a sense of belonging when he was most vulnerable. He explained to Kael his need to "follow the call of the Great Spirits beyond the known mountains," using tribal language to describe his restlessness. Kael, with his ancient wisdom, seemed to understand, albeit with an underlying sadness. He had seen the restless nature in the Wanderer's eyes from the beginning.
"The world is large, Farstrider," Kael said on the morning of their departure, handing her a travel bag made of lesser beast hide and filled with provisions. "And dangerous. The wild spirits of the forest do not welcome strangers. Great Spirits do not show favor easily."
"I've learned from you, Kael-san," Jiraiya replied, bowing in a gesture of respect he'd adopted from the tribe. "I've learned to read the jungle. And my spirit... my spirit is old and knows how to find its way, even in the darkness." He couldn't tell him the full truth, but he hoped the old man understood the depth of his words.
The farewell was emotional. The children he had grown up with looked at him with a mixture of admiration and sadness. The women offered him blessings and small protective amulets. Jiraiya, despite his adult mentality, felt a genuine pang of sorrow at leaving the only people who had accepted him in this world. He promised, both to them and to himself, that he would not forget their kindness.
He left the Olwatu camp at dawn, heading west toward the mountains that loomed in the distance, a territory the Olwatu avoided, considering it the domain of fiercer spirits. The air was cool and damp, filled with the scent of earth and vegetation. He moved with the silent efficiency he had honed, his senses on high alert, scanning the surroundings for signs of danger or interest.
The first new biome he encountered was a sprawling field of giant grass, where individual blades were taller than him and swayed with a constant rustle in the wind. This open terrain was dangerous; it offered little cover and attracted different kinds of beasts than those of the dense jungle.
He faced his first challenge in this new territory: the "Grasscutters," creatures resembling giant praying mantises, perfectly camouflaged among the tall stalks. They were swift, and their sharp forelegs could slice through the thick grass with ease. He detected them thanks to his enhanced ability to sense disturbances in the surrounding energy, a skill that was becoming more instinctive.
Instead of direct combat (still aware of his body's fundamental fragility against these beasts), he utilized his stealth and speed. He moved through the grass stalks like a shadow, using the plants themselves as cover. He disoriented the creatures with evasive movements and small stone throws (infused with a minimal amount of wild energy to give them an extra "oomph") to distract them. It was a dangerous dance, but he managed to traverse the grassy field unharmed.
He continued his journey, encountering new biomes: a giant bamboo forest where sound echoed strangely, a swampy area filled with bubbling mud and foul odors, and finally, beginning to ascend toward the foothills of the mountains, a rocky, barren terrain with caves and crevices.
Each new territory brought new beasts. In the bamboo forest, he encountered monkey-like creatures with sharp claws that moved through the bamboo with incredible agility. In the swamp, amphibious beasts with powerful jaws lurked beneath the murky surface. On the rocks, giant raptors with leathery wings nested on the cliffs, and creatures with hard exoskeletons hid in caves.
He adapted his tactics to each encounter. In the bamboo, he used his agility to climb and evade. In the swamp, he relied on his ability to move silently along the bank and avoid the water. On the rocks, he used his infiltration skills to navigate the steep terrain and find hiding places.
His energy abilities, though still developing, were useful to him. He could sense the concentration of energy in certain locations (possibly connection points to Hollow Earth) or in the proximity of powerful beasts. He used the energy infusion in his blows to increase their impact when combat was unavoidable (usually against smaller or injured creatures). He experimented with short bursts of energy (a highly controlled form of his Rasengan attempt) to stun or repel attackers.
One afternoon, while resting in a cave, he felt an unusual vibration in the earth, deeper and more resonant than the footstep of a normal Titan. He crawled to the cave entrance and looked up at the sky. He saw an enormous shadow, a winged creature of monumental proportions flying high above, its silhouette obscuring the sun for an instant. It was a Flying Titan, one of the beasts the Olwatu described in their legends. The energy emanating from it was immense, a force of the wind and the sky. The experience left him awestruck and with a renewed determination to become stronger.
His trip was also an opportunity to continue his "perverted research." Although he didn't find "material" in the jungle like he did in the villages, observing the mating rituals of certain species of giant birds or the courtship patterns of reptilian creatures provided him with a strange new set of data for his future (and theoretical) novels. He mentally documented everything, an inalienable part of his learning process and his personality.
As he ascended the mountain foothills, the air grew fresher and the terrain more challenging. The plants grew tougher, the rocks sharper. He felt he was approaching a different territory, a place that resonated with an older, more concentrated power. The echoes of the energy he felt were stronger here, perhaps closer to the Hollow Earth or the abode of powerful Titans.
Jiraiya reaches an area of the mountains where the terrain becomes strangely geometric in places, with rock formations that don't seem entirely natural. The air is thick with energy, and echoing sounds can be heard coming from deep within the mountain. He feels a powerful presence nearby, one that makes his skin crawl in a way no lesser beastman ever has. He has reached a threshold. A place that might hold secrets about the Titans, the island's energy, or perhaps... the Mountain Father himself. The journey into uncharted territory has brought him to the brink of a significant discovery.
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