Chapter 82: The King of the Wildmen
Just as Andehoen was preparing to fight the natives at the foot of the slope, a thunderous roar shattered the silence. Every eye turned instantly toward the source of the sound, and from the depths of the forest, a massive shadow slowly emerged.
It was Kong, and seated calmly upon his shoulder was Li Changsheng.
Carl and the others were first startled, and when they caught sight of the figure atop Kong’s shoulder, they were left utterly speechless.
“My God, it’s Li!”
“Beauty and the Beast?”
Their eyes were wide, mouths agape, as if witnessing something impossible.
“And a giant bear!” another crew member added incoherently.
Kong and Little Bear Li’s enormous forms were especially awe-inspiring in the sunlight.
“K... Kong...”
The island’s native savages were so terrified by Kong’s roar that they staggered backward in fright.
Li Changsheng stood up from Kong’s shoulder and waved casually to Andehoen, Carl, and the others, asking offhandedly, “What are you all doing here?”
“We... we’re surrounded by natives,” Andehoen stammered, pointing at Kong and Little Bear Li as he spoke.
“Don’t worry, these two are my pets!”
Little Bear Li curled his lips, itching to smack his master for calling him a pet. If the master hadn’t forbidden him from speaking, he would have retorted fiercely.
“Pets?”
“Is that for real?”
Andehoen froze, disbelief written across his face. Carl, too, was shocked, unable to believe his own eyes.
“How... how did you manage that?” Andehoen finally asked, his voice trembling.
Li Changsheng just shrugged nonchalantly, “Connections, of course! But that’s not important now. What matters is that I can help you.”
“We’re saved.”
“But before I help, you all must promise me one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Everything about Skull Island stays here—don’t breathe a word about it to the outside world.”
“That’s impossible! This is the greatest discovery of the century!”
“Well, then you can prepare to be the natives’ dinner. Have a pleasant day.” With that, he patted Kong’s head. “Kong, let’s go!”
Kong had just turned when Andehoen’s voice rang out, “We’ll keep it secret, absolutely! If Carl doesn’t agree, let him stay and make friends with the savages!”
“Shut up, Andehoen! I was only speaking in the heat of the moment. I’ve thought it over—places like this, untouched by the world, are best left undisturbed!”
“Good, then.” With that, Li Changsheng waved his hand at the natives, signaling them to disperse. Their fear of Kong was bone-deep. Already trembling, they saw Li Changsheng’s gesture as a pardon and fled back in haste.
At that moment, the old priestess among the natives rushed forward, prostrating herself at Kong’s feet. She babbled something while bowing repeatedly, as if in pilgrimage.
Li Changsheng didn’t understand, and Kong sniffed at the priestess, then looked back at Li Changsheng, lifting his right paw and making a pinching gesture—as if to ask whether he should crush this noisy insect.
Li Changsheng shook his head; he wanted to see what the priestess was up to.
The old priestess seemed to hold great sway among the natives. As soon as she knelt, the others followed suit.
Strange. What are they doing?
Li Changsheng was puzzled. With a light push, he leapt down from Kong’s shoulder, landing steadily on the ground.
Carl’s eyes narrowed sharply at this. That must have been a drop of over ten meters—he jumped and landed without a scratch! Could this guy know martial arts?
Li Changsheng was oblivious to Carl’s thoughts. Seeing how battered Carl and the others looked, he guessed they’d suffered plenty.
He said to them directly, “Andehoen, Carl, head back to the ship and wait a few days. Once I’m done here, I’ll come find you.”
Li Changsheng had already started preparing to craft portal runes. In the future, he wouldn’t need a ship to reach Skull Island.
He’d nearly finished exploring the island, and since there was still no sign of the husky doppelgänger, it was time to look elsewhere.
Moreover, his own evolution had reached a bottleneck. Reaching the third stage would take more than just eating.
With the natives now docile, the group cheered in relief, voicing their gratitude and praise while fleeing at top speed, vanishing in moments.
Only Carl, emboldened, approached with his camera, his voice trembling with excitement. “Li! How did you do it?”
Before Li Changsheng could answer, Little Bear Li let out a roar, sending Carl sprawling to the ground in fright. He scrambled up and, despite his bulk, dashed away so quickly he was gone in a flash.
After scaring off Carl, Li Changsheng walked up to the old priestess and cleared his throat. “Speak standing up.”
The priestess lifted her head and said something Li Changsheng couldn’t understand, but the fervor in her eyes made his skin crawl.
Damn, cross-cultural communication was never easy.
Still, the priestess quickly beckoned, inviting Li Changsheng somewhere.
He wasn’t afraid and followed her boldly.
When he entered the natives’ village again, he found them all assembled, their eyes filled with awe and reverence.
Kong’s massive body walked at the front, each step making the earth tremble. Li Changsheng stood on Kong’s shoulder, gazing down at the crowd below. Little Bear Li bounded playfully, letting out an occasional roar.
The priestess, now in new ceremonial garb, emerged. Her attire was noticeably finer than before. She raised both hands and began to speak in an ancient, mysterious tongue, seemingly welcoming Li Changsheng and his companions.
The other natives followed her lead, kneeling in unison. They left a path open, at the end of which stood a high stone throne.
Are they making me their king?
Li Changsheng was a bit surprised. He wasn’t much interested in being king of the savages, but seeing the priestess so earnest, he didn’t refuse. With a leap and a graceful twist, he landed on the throne.
The priestess and the natives grinned with delight, many of them breaking into an ancient dance and singing unknown songs.
Li Changsheng smiled. He had intended to inquire about the ancient incantations the priestess had uttered, but by a quirk of fate, he’d become the king of the savages instead.
Shaking his head at their excitement, Li Changsheng decided to be generous. He took a thunder dragon carcass out of his spatial storage and tossed it onto an open patch of ground.
The natives jumped back in alarm, panic on their faces. They recognized the beast—its strength was terrifying, and a whole tribe couldn’t take down even one.
Li Changsheng then produced a piece of roasted dragon meat, pointed at the thunder dragon, then at his own morsel, and took a demonstrative bite.
The priestess understood and shouted something loudly.
The natives cheered, quickly fetching tools to butcher the thunder dragon.
It was like a festival.
The priestess remained still, looking at Li Changsheng as if he were a god.
Li Changsheng: “Salute the birth of your king! Come, behold, my people!” [Picture: Natives in worship.jpg, The Two Protectors—Kong.jpg, Little Bear Li.jpg]
Mechanical Ascension: “@Little Bear Li, how’s the smart voice assistant working out?”
Mighty Panda: “Perfect!”
A Certain Scientific G-Creature: “@Mechanical Ascension, load up a movie. Feels like something’s missing if I’m not watching something under the covers.”
I Am the Void: “Cartoons +1.”
Erha: “Main body, stop showing off and come find me!”
Li Changsheng: …