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The plane landed soon after.
Jimmy removed his eye mask, stretched lazily, and got off the plane.
The hotel had already been booked. He grabbed his suitcase, waved down a taxi, and headed straight there.
As soon as Jimmy opened the hotel window, Horus flew in. After shaking out his feathers, he said,
"I hate rainy days."
"Really? Me too," Jimmy replied. "But there's nothing we can do. Even Gandalf can't control the weather. We definitely don't stand a chance."
Jimmy grabbed a towel and dried Horus's feathers. Horus stood quietly, spreading his wings so Jimmy could wipe them down properly.
While drying him, Jimmy said, "Horus, why do you hate rain so much? Your feathers don't even absorb water. They're practically like metal plates."
"The damp feeling is uncomfortable," Horus said seriously. "And you said it yourself, they're like metal. Who knows if they'll rust? After all, I'm the first Dragon-Scaled Great Eagle. There's no precedent. No one passed down experience to me."
"There are some inherited memories," he added, "but unfortunately, none of them explain how to maintain dragon scales or feathers."
"Alright, stop before you bite your own tongue," Jimmy said. "Tomorrow I'll look for a boat. It's the rainy season here, so the rivers have overflowed. The waterways are like spiderwebs now."
"The current's stronger, the danger's higher, and no one goes into the jungle during this time. So either we find a boat, or you carry me in."
"Don't be ridiculous," Horus said immediately. "If I carry you, we'll be spotted. You won't even show your claws, and the fact that I can talk is already pushing it."
"You're afraid of being captured and dissected. You think I'm not afraid too? The more reckless you are, the faster you die. Caution is king."
"You said that yourself, idol."
"If you really can't think of a solution," Horus continued, "I do have a suggestion. I'll guide you, and you can swim in."
"Clear mountains by walking. Encounter water, swim."
Jimmy stared at him.
"I feel like you're messing with your dad," Jimmy said flatly. "That plan is way too father-intensive. Swim in? I'm here for wilderness survival, not to fight nature head-on."
He really shouldn't have trusted a bird brain.
"Then buy a small boat," Horus suggested excitedly. "With your strength, even a duck boat would work."
"Hey! A duck boat is actually perfect. Lightweight, zero pollution, no noise. You can propel it easily."
"And the best part? If the terrain gets bad, you can just pick it up and carry it across."
The more Horus talked, the more enthusiastic he became. He listed so many advantages that Jimmy almost wanted to buy a duck boat.
Almost.
"Enough," Jimmy said. "Save it. I'll look for a small gasoline boat instead. We don't need to carry food anyway, just fuel."
"But keep your eyes open, don't let animals wreck our boat. You watch for people, I'll handle the killing."
"Just don't let anyone see anything supernatural. Everything else is manageable."
"Don't worry," Horus said proudly, lifting his head. "These eyes are inherited. Eagle vision!"
Jimmy scoffed and pulled out a gray hat.
"What color is this?"
Horus answered without hesitation, "Green."
"And the leaves outside?"
"Are you stupid? Obviously green too."
Jimmy fell silent.
You color-blind menace.
Inherited my ass.
If you really inherited Great Eagle eyesight, you'd be sharp as hell. Smaug's bloodline, though? At three meters, you can't tell men from women. At five meters, humans from animals. Even face-to-face doesn't guarantee recognition.
And you're bragging about inheritance?
You're a Dragon-Scaled Great Eagle.
There's literally dragon blood in there.
Luckily, it's just gray-green color blindness. Otherwise, with vision like this, you'd never pass a driving test.
---
The next day, the rain still hadn't stopped.
Rainy season, no way around it.
Jimmy put on a raincoat and prepared to head out.
Horus, meanwhile, insisted the weather wasn't suitable for flying.
"And besides," he added, "even planes aren't allowed to fly in this weather. And you want me to?"
Jimmy…
I'm starting to regret letting you hang around Peter. One day you'll go sunbathing and your tongue will get tanned first.
…
At the docks, Jimmy asked around several times and finally learned about the only person willing to enter the jungle in this kind of weather.
His name was Jin Song.
Originally, Jimmy's plan was simple. Drop the guy in the forest, disappear for ten days or so, then come back to pick him up.
But the moment Jimmy even hinted at this idea, a bunch of people immediately demanded seventy percent payment upfront before they would take him in.
'Damn it.'
'Car, boat, shop, legs, teeth. Even if you're innocent, you still deserve to die. Who do you think you're fooling? You really think I can't tell?'
'Robbery and murder were practically written all over your faces. You're being way too obvious.'
'At this rate, I'd honestly be better off listening to that stupid bird and buying a duck boat, then pedaling in myself.'
'Wait.'
'That… actually isn't impossible.'
…
Once Jimmy made up his mind, he stopped hesitating. Buy a boat, then. Preferably gasoline-powered, not too big, and still usable with paddles.
…
There were plenty of boats like that, but in Jimmy's eyes, they were all just barely acceptable.
If I'd known earlier, I would've ordered two custom-made ones straight from a shipyard.
But it wasn't too late.
"Hey, Damon, do me a favor. Find a shipyard and get me a sail-powered boat. Make it as sturdy as possible. Install a heavy ballista and a catapult on it too."
"And also order me a super-small yacht."
After hanging up, Jimmy let out a long breath.
'Since I've decided to pedal a duck boat No, damn it. I got led astray by that idiot bird.'
'If I'm really going in on my own with a small boat, I might as well buy one properly.'
Jimmy picked a boat that looked decent enough. Fuel was, of course, stocked to the brim.
As for food?
With Jimmy's abilities, was starvation in the jungle even a possibility?
Besides, Elven biscuits and Smaug's meat could last a while. And Jimmy had a feeling that once his Wolverine X-gene reached level four, he wouldn't even need to eat that much anymore.
Lost in thought, Jimmy wandered into a bar.
He hadn't planned to go in, but then he noticed that the same group of people from his flight had entered as well.
Huh?
What are they doing here?
Rainy season. Jungle expedition.
They're not seriously planning to go in too, are they?
Curiosity killed the cat.
Jimmy wasn't a cat, but his curiosity was definitely alive and well.
"Hey! Jin Song!"
"Jin Song?"
After the four people entered, they immediately started asking around about the name Jin Song.
So they really are serious.
Jimmy ordered a drink, found a quiet corner, and watched them inquire everywhere.
…
"Hey, Jin Song!"
"Are you Jin Song?"
"To be precise, my name is Johnson. Bill Johnson," a man nearby said, setting down his glass. "The locals can't pronounce it properly, so they call me Jin Song."
…
Jimmy quietly raised his phone and snapped a few photos of them. He drained his drink in one go, then walked out of the bar.
"Tony, do me a favor."
"You saw the photos on my phone, right? Don't tell me you didn't. You gave me this phone. You even put cameras in my armor. If this thing doesn't have a backdoor, I don't believe in ghosts."
"Help me check who these people are, and what they're doing in Borneo."
"Alright. I'll wait for your reply."
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