Chapter 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 005
Chapter Title: Wolf (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Think about it later. The stew's gonna get cold.”
Hector said suddenly. He seemed bothered by Woojin sitting there silently for so long.
Woojin resumed his meal. As the old man said, letting this precious food go cold would be a shame. He scooped out a hefty chunk of meat with his spoon and chewed it thoroughly.
'It's delicious as expected.'
It was the kind of flavor that drew fresh admiration. Woojin grew curious about what kind of meat was in the stew.
“What kind of meat is this? It's really good.”
“Lamb. Well, technically dried lamb rehydrated in water.”
Lamb jerky.
That made Woojin tilt his head in confusion.
“Where'd you get lamb around here? There aren't any wild sheep in the area.”
“Bought it with money.”
“Money?”
Woojin echoed dumbly. Instead of answering, Hector rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a worn copper coin.
Ting!
Hector flicked the coin into the air with his thumb. Woojin snatched the flying coin out of reflex.
One side of the copper coin bore an engraved profile of a man's face; the other showed the image of a great wall.
“It's an Alliance Coin. Commonly used inside and outside the walls.”
“I wasn't asking about what it looks like... Isn't trading scraps of metal for food pretty stupid? Food's so hard to come by out here.”
“There are plenty of merchants who travel between the walls and the Demonic Realm. Makes for good business. Folks like me are willing to pay extra for supplies.”
So as long as you had money, getting food wasn't all that hard, Hector added.
Woojin felt inexplicably aggrieved.
'Wait... shit, have I been the only one suffering this whole time?'
Food had been one of Woojin's biggest headaches. Failed hunts meant going hungry all day as a matter of course, and he'd eaten poisonous plants more times than he could count, writhing in agony afterward.
It was a brutally harsh environment for a powerless human. That's why Woojin had assumed there were no survivors in this world at all—or if there were, just a scant few scraping by.
Learning that he'd been the only one living such a grueling life made his stomach turn.
'...But this situation isn't so bad.'
In genre terms, Woojin had always seen this world as some kind of apocalypse. No other people in sight, hideous monsters lunging at him everywhere he went.
But it turned out to be dark fantasy?
Even better.
A world slowly crumbling bit by bit was far preferable to one that had collapsed entirely.
Take right now, for instance.
Just a few hours ago, he'd been gnawing on those disgusting bat wings. Now here he was, luxuriating in delicious stew.
“Thanks for the meal.”
Woojin scraped the bowl clean and offered his belated thanks.
Hector just gave a curt nod without a word. He'd finished eating long ago, cleared his bowl, and gone back to whatever he'd been doing.
Kim Woojin picked up the book as well. Time flew by as he lost himself in the pages.
At some point, the shadows grew thick, making it hard to read. Woojin glanced out the window. The sky was pitch black; the sun had already set.
'...I haven't even gotten through half.'
The book was as thick as an encyclopedia, with tiny, downy letters. It would take days of patient reading to finish.
“Can I keep reading tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
Hector permitted it without hesitation. He'd probably expected things to play out this way.
“I'll come by tomorrow then.”
Woojin prepared to head out. Seeing this, Hector cocked his head slightly.
“...You're going outside? At this hour?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“I figured you'd stay the night.”
The Demonic Realm grew even more dangerous after sunset. Hector must have assumed Woojin would want to bunk down in the cabin.
Woojin waved it off lightly.
“I'm good. Can't impose any more than I already have.”
Reading his book, eating his food, and now asking for a bed? That'd be too thuggish.
Having a stranger sleep inside would make rest uncomfortable for both of them.
No point in tiring each other out, so Woojin grabbed his pack and stepped outside, ignoring the old man's gaze on his back.
He ventured into the forest's sinister shadows. Traps set here and there greeted him.
'No need to go far.'
He could just camp nearby. The traps everywhere would keep the local beasts at bay.
Woojin gathered long branches, wove them together with vines into a clever lean-to, and topped the roof with leaves and moss to keep out the rain.
Not bad for an impromptu shelter. He lay down beneath the roof.
'...Can't sleep for some reason.'
Lying there to rest, all sorts of stray thoughts cluttered his mind. Worse than usual tonight.
His conversation with the old man and the book's contents kept swirling in his head.
Woojin scratched the back of his neck absently. Then he rummaged in his pocket and pulled something out—the coin Hector had tossed him earlier.
'Currency used inside the walls.'
The Alliance walls.
The Church Alliance had built massive walls to halt the southward advance of the beasts.
Many nations had fallen, cities and villages crumbled, but beyond those walls, human civilization endured.
A place where people could live like people. Woojin had dreamed of finding such a spot. Like a wanderer seeking an oasis in a barren desert...
That's why his heart raced.
'...Gotta sleep quick.'
Sleep would bring tomorrow.
The next morning.
Woojin stretched to loosen his stiff body. His condition was so-so. An unexpected disturbance had kept him tossing and turning all night.
'Ah... do the beasts around here not sleep?'
He'd just settled his restless mind and closed his eyes when a pack of stray dogs started barking somewhere.
With his light sleep, Woojin had no choice but to suffer. He drifted off shallowly, waking every couple of hours to repeat the cycle.
'One more reason to head beyond the walls.'
He wanted to stretch out and sleep comfortably for once. In a city of people, he could set up a cozy home.
To take the first step, he rose and headed for the cabin. Since he'd camped close by, it soon came into view.
Just then, Hector was stepping out the door, a longbow in hand.
“You're early. Was about to leave a note in case we missed each other—no need now.”
“Heading out to hunt?”
“Have to. Only way to make real money around here is beast hunting.”
Hector gestured toward the door.
“Read the book inside. I'll just scout the area lightly and be back.”
With that, Hector vanished into the forest shadows. The hunter was gone. Woojin was left alone in the cabin.
Without others around, it was easy to focus on reading. Inside, Woojin sat and opened the book, his eyes swiftly scanning the pages.
Half a day passed like that...
A sound came from outside.
Footsteps, something dragging on the ground. Occasional dry coughs.
'...Hector's back.'
Woojin stood and went out to greet the hunter.
Hector soon emerged from the woods. With each step, the corpse of a stray dog—bound by rope—dragged behind him.
The stray dog was hefty. Easily over two meters long. It was heavy too; Hector's shirt was soaked with sweat.
'Should help him out.'
Woojin approached and grabbed the rope, pulling alongside. Together, they hauled the load much more easily.
“...Thanks. Gave me a breather.”
“Least I can do for the food.”
Woojin shrugged it off and inspected the hunter's trophy.
The stray dog's carcass hung upside down from a tree. Blood dripped steadily from the windpipe pierced clean through its nape.
'Impressive marksmanship.'
Woojin was quietly impressed. Hitting a vital spot that precisely wasn't easy.
Hector approached with a dagger in hand. He began carefully skinning the beast, slicing from the ankle up into the inner thigh.
Clearly experienced, Hector handled it with expert skill. Watching, Woojin asked what came to mind.
“Does dog hide fetch a price?”
“Dog hide? Nah. This is a wolf.”
Hector replied offhandedly. Woojin tilted his head.
“...Really? This is a wolf?”
“Makes me want to ask you the same. Does this big brute look like a dog to you?”
“It's big and a bit fierce, sure... but doesn't it just look like a dog?”
Hector chuckled.
“We call wild dogs that are big, fierce, and untamed by man wolves.”
“...”
Thinking about it, yeah, that was just social convention. Dogs and wolves were practically siblings anyway.
Speechless, Woojin sat and watched Hector finish processing the wolf. The old hunter's skills were no joke. Soon the pelt was off, leaving only dark red meat.
Then Hector scraped away clinging flesh and fat with his dagger. Untreated, the hide would rot fast. Tedious work.
“I'll handle the rest.”
“You know tanning?”
“Yeah. Even the clothes I'm wearing—I processed and made them myself.”
“I see...”
Hector stepped back as if to say, go ahead. Woojin drew his dagger from his belt and knelt before the wolf pelt.
His blade shaved off the fat smoothly, like a razor. Woojin's tanning skills were as swift and precise as any hunter's.
“...Not bad. I can trust you with it.”
Hector slung his bow over his shoulder and stood.
“Once you're done tanning, hang it on the drying rack. I'll go check the traps I set.”
“No rest? Heading out right away?”
“Gotta finish before sundown. Eat if you're hungry—preserved rations by the hearth.”
With that, Hector headed back into the woods. His dry coughs faded into the distance.
'...Something's wrong with his health.'
Woojin stared at the old hunter's retreating back. Hector's complexion was pallid, and he coughed dryly during any hard labor.
He seemed frail for some reason... but since he avoided mentioning it, Woojin didn't pry. Hector showed the same restraint.
'He doesn't ask personal questions at all.'
From Hector's perspective, Woojin was an odd duck right now.
No essential knowledge or common sense. He didn't even grasp currency properly.
Facing someone so bizarre naturally sparked questions.
What's this guy's deal? Where's he from?
Answering truthfully would get him labeled crazy; lying was impossible without background knowledge to fabricate from.
'Hector's noticed something about me, so he's holding back.'
In return, Woojin afforded the old hunter respect. This unspoken mutual regard kept their symbiotic relationship sturdy despite its fragility.
...And so ten days passed.