Did I Do Anything Wrong?
In the midst of my bewilderment at the sudden alarm, Hoya quickly wiped its mouth from the snack and dashed outside. I followed suit, stepping out to see something lurking there.
“A wild boar?”
The good news was that it didn't look all that big. But then Hoya launched itself at the boar.
“No!”
The small, delicate, fragile Hoya charging at the wild boar... and sending it straight to the great beyond in one hit.
“Huh?”
Come to think of it, Hoya was better than ten humans like me combined. And in this world, it had to be quite the powerhouse. A kid armed with the ultimate killer move called cuteness, plus all sorts of combat skills.
The real surprise came after that.
Level increased.
Level increased.
Level increased.
Level increased.
I hadn't done a thing—it was all Hoya—and yet my level went up.
“Did we form a party without me knowing?”
Or maybe it was because we were companions. That thought crossed my mind.
“Let's check.”
Choi Si-woo (Lv.5)
I first used the unallocated points to bring all my stats to 15. I considered putting some into Dexterity, but since it wasn't a basic stat, I couldn't allocate points to it.
Then I examined the dead wild boar.
Observation skill used.
◈ A wild boar inhabiting the island.
◈ Tender meat, extremely delicious.
◈ First consumption: +5 Stamina.
◈ Subsequent consumption: +1 Stamina per serving.
“What the—? So eating this alone boosts stats? Hoya, did you know about this?”
Hoya ignored my question, staring intently at my hand. It was probably demanding the snack it had left unfinished earlier.
“Here you go.”
I politely offered the snack with both hands like a tribute. Offending this one would cost me my life.
“But Hoya, how did you get in here?”
The question suddenly popped into my head. Hoya had gone missing and then we reunited here, which meant it had been inside all this time. That implied Hoya had crossed through a gate, and the one I'd seen was the only gate—in my room. So which gate had Hoya used to get here?
“Hoya, where's the gate you came through?”
Hoya shook its head at my words. Did it understand? Well, with intelligence several times mine, it probably did.
Nyaang.
Hoya raised a front paw, pointing at the gate I'd come through.
“That one?”
Nyaang!
It nodded. That meant Hoya had come here through that gate, and quite some time ago. So why hadn't I seen the gate all that time?
I approached the gate and stared at it intently.
Observation skill used.
Bidirectional Gate 73A
Owner: Choi Si-woo
The current level of my Observation skill probably wasn't enough to reveal full details. All it showed was the name and owner.
“Huh?”
Something felt off about the name.
“Bidirectional Gate?”
It explicitly said bidirectional. Did that mean there were unidirectional gates too? And when Hoya pointed at the gate, maybe it wasn't pointing at this gate, but at 'gates' in general.
In other words, Hoya had accidentally wandered into a gate without realizing it. Cats and their curiosity, right? It must have crossed via a unidirectional gate and ended up lost. That explained everything—including why all my frantic searching had been for nothing. My efforts were pointless from the start. Hoya had come here through a one-way gate.
“Hoya, that must've been scary, huh?”
Nyaang.
Hoya, raised in my arms since it was a kitten, suddenly abandoned in the wild with no way home. How terrifying and tough must that have been?
“Thanks for staying alive. And sorry I couldn't find you sooner.”
Nyaang.
Hoya rubbed against me, acting all affectionate. The stroke of luck was reuniting with Hoya on this island—and that it was healthy. That alone made me more than fortunate; I was truly blessed.
“But I guess we have to eat this thing?”
It was tricky. I'd never butchered an animal in my life.
After agonizing over it, I hoisted up the island wild boar. The medium-dog-sized beast didn't feel that heavy. Maybe because my Strength was now 15.
Carrying it, I crossed back to the house with Hoya. Thankfully, Hoya could pass through the gate with me.
Nyaang!
Hoya swiftly climbed its favorite cat tower and started rolling around. I hadn't thrown out any of its old stuff. My sister Si-yeon would nag me to toss it when she visited, but I couldn't bring myself to. I clung to the hope it'd come back soon, just like that.
And that hope had finally proven me right.
“Let's take this to Mom and Dad's first.”
I looked at Hoya. “Wanna come with to Grandma and Grandpa's?”
Normally, cats stay home. But given Hoya now, I figured it might be different.
Nyaang!
Hoya hopped down from the cat tower and rubbed against my leg. That had to be a yes.
“Let's go.”
The large cooler Seon-woo had sold me like survival gear fit the boar perfectly.
“How big a thing did he sell me?”
I wondered if anyone could actually survive with this 'survival set,' but it proved useful now, so I loaded it into the car and laid out Hoya's favorite cushion in the passenger seat. Hoya hopped up and began grooming itself.
Anyone seeing a cat loose like this would throw stones. But Hoya was no ordinary cat. Its physical abilities were nearly ten times mine. Better than a cage in the back, anyway—I'd tried that, but it ignored it.
With that, we headed to my parents' place.
My parents lived in a countryside house in Gapyeong. It used to be our family's villa. When Dad's business tanked—not bankrupt, but he wrapped it up—what remained was this Gapyeong villa and the house I lived in.
Mine was your standard single-family home: nothing grand, just cozy. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, small yard.
But this Gapyeong place, built as a villa, was spacious, expansive, and beautifully constructed. Mom and Dad wanted to spend their retirement here, so they settled in. My sister Si-yeon went to high school here now too. Next year she'd be a senior and probably move into my place for college in Seoul.
“I'm here.”
As I entered with the cooler, Si-yeon greeted me warmly.
“Oppa! You found Hoya?”
Seemed more excited about Hoya than me, but whatever.
“Yeah.”
“You little rascal! I've been looking everywhere for you.”
Si-yeon rushed over and scooped up Hoya, who went along with it obediently—though with a very annoyed expression. You had to be a true owner to read a cat's face like that.
“What brings you?”
Dad's gruff tone. I'd misunderstood it as a kid sometimes. But Dad was just bad at expressing himself.
“Caught a wild boar. Thought we'd eat it together.”
“Wild boar?”
Dad eyed the cooler curiously. When I opened it, his eyes lit up with interest.
“Looks like a new breed.”
“You see them often?”
“Mountains are close by.”
“Gotcha. A friend gifted it. For you guys.”
“Tell them thanks.”
“Will do.”
Thanks, Hoya.
“Oh, my boy!”
Mom emerged from the kitchen late, welcoming me warmly.
“Doing well?”
“Of course. What's this?”
“Wild boar.”
“Hm? Dear.”
“Yeah?”
“Can you butcher it?”
“I may look like this, but...”
“So you can't.”
“Ahem.”
Why'd Dad think he could? He was Seoul-born, lived there forever, only moved to Gapyeong a few years ago. More Seoulite than local.
“Ask the Village Head. He worked at a slaughterhouse back in the day.”
“Got it. There goes a good bottle of booze.”
Dad always said rural bonds grew through gift exchanges. Cleanest way, really.
Si-yeon was lost playing with Hoya; Mom doted on it like a long-lost child. Finally, the Village Head appeared in the yard.
I grabbed the cooler and went out.
“Hello.”
“Si-woo, eh.”
“Yes, Village Head.”
“Lemme see.”
I opened the cooler to show the island wild boar. He gave it a strange look.
“Odd-looking fella. Looks like a piglet, but full-grown. Never seen a wild boar this small.”
I wasn't shocked it was full-grown—Observation hadn't said 'piglet.'
“Time to show my skills?”
As he pulled out a knife, I asked, “Village Head.”
“Yeah?”
“Mind if I watch and learn?”
“Butchering?”
“Yes.”
“What for?”
“Nothing's useless to learn.”
“Heh, true enough. Alright, lesson time. First, cut along the grain here...”
The Village Head was a natural teacher. I picked up the basics of butchering.
“Come by more if you wanna learn extra.”
“Yes, sir. Take some meat—it's supposed to be killer.”
“Really?”
“Yup.”
“Wife's in for a feast.”
He chuckled, taking the booze Dad gave him, and left. Then came our family BBQ party.
“Whoa, insane.”
Si-yeon blurted it out like a curse right after tasting the meat.
“You're in high school now—act like a lady.”
“What? Gonna do something about it?”
“Just wait till you move to Seoul. We'll see.”
“Mom! Oppa's threatening me.”
“Didn't even raise a hand.”
Parents laughed at Si-yeon's antics while eating. That's when the notification hit me.
First consumption of Island Wild Boar: +5 Stamina
That got me wondering: if this worked on me, what about my family?