Two-Person Galactic Journey: Earth Was Destroyed While Imprisoned in Space Prison-Chapter 199

Chapter 199
The six-legged creature that resembled a weasel turned out to be tastier than expected.
Kait chopped up its fur and bones and scattered them on the ground. They could have gifted it to the Smallfolk of the Central Star Cluster, but to them now, it would be nothing more than a nostalgic ornament from the past. Kait probably understood the dangers of starting such a collection better than most other species in the Federation.
Chewing on some of the preserved jerky set aside for storage with Emotion, they continued through the forest. There wasn't enough left to make smoked meat. Either way, since the smoked Goat-bear meat was still in preparation, there wasn't much point in replenishing it yet.
And apparently, the Pink Tree Forest was primarily inhabited by small animals. They hadn't spotted any large beasts for a while. It wasn't that the animals were wary of Kait and Emotion—this forest simply wasn't built to accommodate large dwellers.
"Times like this, having Professor Gorou around would be handy."
"Biology, huh?"
"Maybe ecology. Why large beasts avoid this pink-colored forest."
'Well, the thing is—'
Rutimi De, who was from the Pink Tree Forest, joined their conversation.
Unlike Adie Ze, Rutimi De had actually lived in this forest, so they seemed to know a fair bit about it. Kait had wondered whether treetop living would offer such insight, but perhaps that was just a prejudice.
'It's because the largest creatures here are poisonous.'
"Poison, huh? That explains it."
Makes sense. They avoid it because of the poison.
And from the fact that Rutimi De didn't seem particularly repulsed by it, it could be assumed that the Smallfolk either had a good relationship with them or had found ways to make use of them in daily life.
'The fruit of trees with these colored leaves often contains toxins harmful to many beasts. So, when such trees grow in ordinary forests, the surrounding animals kick them down and kill them.'
"Huh."
'But in this forest, there are animals that feed primarily on that fruit. That's why other animals stay away.'
So it's a symbiotic relationship with toxic plants. From a survival standpoint, it's highly rational. And the larger the ecosystem grows, the wider the area in which it can thrive.
That in itself might be dangerous, but at least now they understood how the Pink Tree Forest had survived.
'Be careful, okay? They tend to gather in groups, so I think there will be quite a few near their nests.'
"Got it. Thanks."
If they were being told to be careful, the poison must be fairly potent. Kait's body modification rendered most toxins ineffective, and Emotion, being a mechanical intelligence to begin with, was immune to poisons.
Kait was only mildly curious about what kind of shape the creature had, but Emotion was clearly fixated on its taste. Her eyes sparkled as she eagerly urged him on.
"I've heard poisonous creatures taste good, Captain!"
"That's a huge misconception, Emotion."
Yes. The idea that poisonous creatures tend to be delicious is a big mistake. A portion of Emotion's knowledge came from trivia and books that Kait had once requested for reading material. He couldn't help but feel a little responsible for this strange bias, though there was no way he could have foreseen this situation at the time.
Well, if Emotion said she wanted to try it, Kait wouldn't mind preparing a portion just for her. Though he himself had no intention of eating it, even if his body modification made him immune to the poison.
"Captain. I'm detecting signs of a herd over there! Let's go, come on!"
"Yes, yes."
***
When one says poisonous creature, Kait thinks of things like pufferfish or toads, but the poisonous creatures of Ramadite looked far more agile.
"Well, if you called it a herbivore, I suppose that fits..."
With its pink horn, it seemed the poison was concentrated in the horn. If you got stabbed by that, would the poison spread?
'They're fast runners too! They often dash around to drive away animals that try to kick down the Pink Trees.'
"I can see how fast they are. With this many in a group, it's no wonder other beasts stay away."
Rutimi De looked genuinely happy. Unlike the other animals that had harmed them, these creatures stirred a sense of nostalgia.
A skinny water buffalo with a single pink horn. If you tried to compare it to an Earth animal, that's probably the closest match. Its body wasn't particularly large.
Despite being a highly poisonous creature, it clearly showed hostility toward Kait as he approached. The few in front, who had been resting, stood up and pointed their horns at him with a growl.
Do intimidation rituals work the same way on other planets? Kait stopped approaching and quietly created some distance.
"Captain?"
"Emotion, let's not. I don't think we can hunt just one of them."
"......That's unfortunate."
The entire herd was directing hostility toward them. The three at the front looked ready to move first, but even the ones deeper in—the poison cows (a provisional name)—seemed to show murderous intent, as if they'd be next once the front line fell.
Since they ate poisonous fruit, their diet didn't overlap. And since their legs weren't suited for climbing, their habitat didn't either. They had driven out most natural enemies from the region, except for the Winged Snake. No wonder Rutimi De liked them.
"Even so, this area didn't become your safe haven, huh."
'No. Without the Guardian Tree, there wasn't much food around here.'
The six-legged creature that looked like a weasel also seemed to live on non-toxic fruit and small, non-poisonous animals. Large animals struggled to survive, but small ones could manage.
Still, the fact that the Smallfolk struggled to find food highlighted their weak position in Ramadite.
"Weasels can climb trees, so you all could hunt them, right?"
'Yes. The fruit of the Guardian Tree isn't poisonous. They only came up when there wasn't enough food below.'
Apparently, the poison cows didn't show much hostility toward anything other than large beasts capable of kicking down Pink Leaf Trees. Even when they showed hostility toward Kait, they didn't attack—probably because neither Kait nor Emotion had shown any intent to break the Pink Leaf Trees.
If Kait had broken a tree in front of them, the whole herd would probably be chasing them by now. Or perhaps the hostility was because he had snapped some branches earlier while hunting the weasel. It wouldn't be surprising if they could detect a scent only perceptible to them.
"By the way, do you think their poison is in the meat too?"
'Hmm......?'
Probably not. Since their habitats didn't overlap, even if they knew about each other, they wouldn't interact. If only there was at least some information that they didn't taste very good, Kait might've been able to stop Emotion from giving him that pleading look.
Kait, who was thinking that maybe he should distract her with the next prey, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He felt a slight tremor in the ground. Was it an earthquake?
The area began to stir strangely. From the west, something chaotic seemed to be approaching.
When he glanced over, he saw the poison cows standing up. They were on alert toward the west, lowering their bodies slightly as if ready to flee at any moment.
"What the...?"
'No way, is it happening now!?'
'It's dangerous, Kait, Third-Rank Citizen (Enec Lagif)! You need to run!'
Apparently knowing what was happening, Rutimi De and Dolti Mu both shouted in unison.
From the west, they could see animals running toward them. Every one of them was in a panic, showing no signs of caution toward Kait and the others.
He sensed the herd moving beside him. It was likely the poison cows. They had also chosen to flee. That meant they understood what was happening.
"What's going on?"
'It's coming, it's coming!'
'It's emerging from underground. The apex predator of this planet!'
The apex predator of Ramadite.
Rutimi De and Dolti Mu both declared it without a shred of doubt. All the animals, big or small, didn't even consider resisting—they just ran.
In other words, the apex predator was a completely isolated lifeform within Ramadite.
'The ground shakes, and it emerges from underground... the Beast of Despair!'
As if responding to Dolti Mu's words, the ground shook even more violently.
The sound of trees being crushed echoed from afar. Winged creatures took flight, belatedly following the ground-dwellers.
The Beast of Despair. When Kait looked up—
Something towering far above the trees, like a mountain, was emerging from beneath the earth, if the story was to be believed.