Surviving the Apocalypse: All I Want Is to Find a Husband
Chapter 221: Convincing Gorillas (1)

Chapter 221: Convincing Gorillas (1)

The fur-covered creatures let out a low growl and made small movements—almost like they were nodding.

Medeia fell silent, caught off guard. She hadn’t expected mutated creatures to still have this level of intelligence. Most of them, after mutating, would lose all reason and act purely on instinct, like wild beasts.

[Most mutated animals that don’t eat meat tend to be more tolerant toward humans, Host.]

[However, in their case, they became more docile because they had been under someone’s control for so long that they subconsciously saw humans as something they needed to protect.]

But their controller was dead.

Shouldn’t they be going on a rampage instead of guarding this place? If she were in their position, she’d be tearing Red Canyon apart just to let out all that pent-up anger.

Because ... who in their right mind would still want to protect a species that had kept them confined for so long?

[Luckily, hey’re not you, Host.]

[Besides, shouldn’t you be happy they’re protecting your base?]

Medeia crossed her arms, her gaze fixed on the creatures in front of her. "I won’t force you to stay here. If you want to leave, you’re free to go."

[Host! What are you doing?!]

[These creatures could be great protectors! Why are you telling them to leave?!]

’They’ve been trapped here for years. If I ask them to stay, they’ll never get to taste freedom.’

If it were humans, she wouldn’t hesitate to use their loyalty to her advantage.

But these creatures?

Soft, cute creatures like these deserved to do whatever they wanted, and Medeia wouldn’t try to stop them.

But then, something unexpected happened.

Instead of running away like she expected, the Snow Gorillas lowered their heads in front of Medeia, almost like they were bowing, like they were asking for her permission to let them follow her.

"What is wrong with all of you?" Medeia waved them off. "I just set you free, and you’re choosing to stay? Even a pig would be smarter than this."

One of the fur-covered creatures pointed toward the rocky walls around them, then at themselves, repeating the motion over and over.

Medeia narrowed her eyes. What the hell are they trying to say?

Lucian, who had been silently watching the entire time, finally spoke. "I think ... they’re trying to tell us that Red Canyon is their home, too."

Their home?

She frowned, trying to make sense of it—until one of the Snow Gorillas suddenly picked up an old, dust-covered flyer hidden beneath a large rock. The paper was crumpled and worn, parts of it unreadable, but the title, printed in bold capital letters, was still clear:

"COME SEE THE TITAN & NALA SHOW!"

Below the words was an image of two gorillas inside a circus tent.

Medeia raised a brow. "What? Are they your idols or something?"

Lucian took the flyer, scanning it before looking back at the Snow Gorillas. After a moment, he pointed at two of them standing nearby. "You’re Titan and Nala."

The two gorillas nodded immediately.

Lucian’s gaze shifted to the rest of the group. "And ... These gorillas are your children? Your family?"

They nodded again quickly.

Medeia, watching the entire exchange, was completely speechless. ’Since when did my boyfriend become fluent in Gorilla?!’

"The circus usually traveled from place to place, so why do you consider this place your home?" Lucian asked gently. "What’s so special about it?"

The Snow Gorillas immediately turned to Titan and Nala, as if expecting them to answer. Medeia sighed and rubbed her temples. ’Why is Lucian even bothering to have a full-on conversation with these monkeys?’

The situation was so simple. She had set them free, so the only logical thing for them to do was take the opportunity and leave.

Besides, wouldn’t they be better off in a lush, green forest instead of this dry, lifeless canyon?

"Did your ... circus caravan crash here, and that’s why you ended up staying after the apocalypse?" Lucian asked. "And what happened to your circus owner?"

The larger Snow Gorilla, who seemed to be Titan, suddenly walked toward a narrow crevice between the rocks and pulled something out.

Medeia’s eyes widened slightly when she realized what it was.

A human skull.

"... Is that your owner?" she asked, hesitating.

The Snow Gorillas nodded in unison.

Great. Now things were getting way out of hand.

Trying to get a proper explanation from a bunch of gorillas, who couldn’t even talk, was going to take forever for her and Lucian to figure out.

’Can you just summarize their story for me?’

[The system can tell you their story, but—]

Before the system could even finish, Medeia cut in, "I have to pay? Yeah, yeah, just tell me how much."

[For just 2,000 C-Points, you can get a summarized version of the Snow Gorillas’ history.]

Wasn’t that basically the same amount of C-Points she had just earned from this mission?

Whatever. She had more than enough C-Points saved up, so spending two thousand was nothing compared to what she’d gain from this.

’I want to purchase it.’

[Ding! Ding!]

[2,000 C-Points successfully deducted from Host’s account.]

[Processing the summarized story of the Snow Gorillas ...]

[Process completed.]

[Backstory of Titan and Nala!]

[Fifteen years ago, just hours before the radiation disaster struck Arcion Planet, Titan and Nala, along with their traveling circus, were on their way to a nearby city. To get there, they had to pass through Red Canyon.]

[But when the radiation hit, they were caught right in the middle of the canyon. At that time, mutated desert beasts and giant insects started appearing on the roads, making it impossible to continue their journey. With no other option, the circus members took shelter among the canyon’s massive rocks, trying to survive.]

The circus owner, Cornelius Duvall, was the man who had rescued Titan and Nala from a burning forest when they were just cubs. Since then, they had seen him as their family.

That was why the gorillas were so fond of humans and naturally became their protectors.

Unfortunately, everything changed when Stormclad decided to take over Red Canyon.

Cornelius and his circus troupe had already agreed to leave, but instead of letting them go, Stormclad’s leader demanded they hand over their circus animals in exchange for their freedom.

[Of course, Cornelius refused and that choice cost them their lives.]

Titan and Nala wanted to protect Cornelius and the others, but they had already been placed under Stormclad’s control.

Instead of saving the people they loved, they were forced to slaughter them.

[The gorillas were devastated, but before his final breath, Cornelius told them he would never blame them.]

That was ... heartbreaking.

Medeia finally understood why, even after everything, they still wanted to help humans. They might have believed that somewhere in the world, there were still good people, like Cornelius.

But ... did they really think she was one of them? Were they so sure she was worth protecting?

No, on second thought, that wasn’t it.

They probably just took one look at Lucian and thought, "Oh, that human looks like an angel. Let’s protect him at all costs."

"Alright, I know your story now," Medeia said quickly, not wanting to waste any more of her time talking to a bunch of furry gorillas.

"Are you staying here because this place was your home with Cornelius?"

Titan and Nala looked stunned the moment she mentioned that name.

Noticing their reaction, Medeia immediately clarified, "I just learned about it from your owner’s ghost."

She stepped closer to the skull in Titan’s hands, pretending to look sorrowful.

"Oh, he told me he’s so happy that you’re finally free from Stormclad’s control."

Medeia let out a dramatic sigh, tilting her head slightly as if she were listening to something only she could hear.

"Oh? What’s that, Cornelius?" she murmured, placing a gentle hand on the skull Titan was holding. "You say... you wouldn’t be mad if they left?"

She nodded solemnly, keeping up the act.

"But ... you would be even happier if they stayed in Red Canyon and helped the kind humans in the base? Because that way, your legacy of protecting others will live on?"

She gasped theatrically, eyes widening as if she had just received the most touching revelation. Then, she turned back to the Snow Gorillas, nodding sagely.

"You heard him," she said, straightening up. "Cornelius wants you to make your own choice, but he thinks staying here would be the best way to honor his memory."

She placed a hand over her chest, as if deeply moved. "How beautiful."

Medeia didn’t want to force the gorillas to stay in Red Canyon just to protect the Red Star Alliance base. But if they chose to stay on their own, without pressure or guilt, then she would gladly welcome them.

Meanwhile, Lucian stood beside her, watching the entire performance with an unreadable expression.

Even though he had no idea why she was suddenly acting like a shaman, he made an effort not to judge her and instead gave her an imaginary round of applause to appreciate her truly outstanding acting skills.