The Hunt Begins
The meat sizzled on the frying pan. It was our only meal of the day, doubling as both lunch and dinner. Today's menu was pork belly.
“Corporal Kang Changjae, sir. Can’t we buy some ssamjang dipping sauce and salt too?”
“No. We don’t have the money.”
Seungpil’s bright smile at the mention of pork belly didn’t last long. He had realized it was ‘pure pork belly’ with absolutely no other side dishes.
A portable burner, butane gas, wooden chopsticks, a knife, cutting board, and frying pan. It was a setup designed to minimize coin consumption as much as possible. Even so, it had still cost us over fifty coins. The only edible thing among it all was the three kilograms of pork belly chunk that had dropped when we killed the hyena. I had sliced it into bite-sized pieces, and Seungpil was the one laying them on the frying pan to grill.
“I want kimchi……” Seunghee muttered, glancing at me. She seemed to think that if I just tapped my phone, anything would pop out.
“I already explained how to earn points, didn’t I? If you want something to eat or own, earn the coins yourself and buy it.”
“Tsk. How cheap.”
“If you don’t want to eat, then don’t.”
“Who said I didn’t want to eat it?”
When she realized talking to me was pointless, Seunghee pouted. Then she switched targets to her brother.
“Oppa. You have coins too, right? Can’t you just buy it with yours? Kimchi can substitute for salt anyway. Yeah?”
“Ugh… grilling kimchi with the pork belly would be killer.”
“Right? Let’s buy some, oppa.”
Seungpil was starting to waver under his sister’s coaxing.
“Seungpil. That’s the price of your life. Think very carefully.”
“Ugh……”
My words plunged him even deeper into dilemma. He had earned eight coins by smashing open the wild boar’s head. He got lucky and avoided injury this time, but what if a more dangerous beast appeared next time? Was it really worth spending coins earned by risking his life on kimchi for a single meal?
If he truly believed kimchi was worth that much, then he could buy it. But I didn’t want him making impulsive purchases only to regret them later.
“Ah, seriously! Stop interfering!”
“You’re the one throwing tantrums without doing anything. Do you think coins come out of the ground if you just dig?”
“Ugh~!”
Seunghee was pretty and had a bright personality. She must have been loved by everyone outside. It wouldn’t be strange if she had grown up in an environment where family or boyfriends granted her every wish. But I needed to teach her that things weren’t like that here. Even though there were ways to earn coins, her stubbornness would only put everyone in danger—not just herself and Seungpil, but Mother and me as well, since we were all living together.
Those who don’t work shouldn’t eat. That kind of spoiled behavior couldn’t be indulged.
“Changjae. Mom wants to eat kimchi too.”
“Yes, Mother.”
I immediately operated my phone and bought the kimchi. The smallest size. It cost two coins.
“Ah! So cheap!”
“Almost all my coins were earned thanks to Mother. It’s different from you, who does nothing but mooch off our food.”
“Ughhhh~!”
She could hate me all she wanted. If my attitude made her angry, she could just go earn some coins herself.
“Mother, please have some.”
The kimchi came in a small airtight container. I opened the lid and offered it to her.
“Seungpil. Can you grill this too? You, Seungpil, and Seunghee can all eat it together.”
Mother took it and passed it to Seungpil.
“Nice!”
“Thank you, Mother! I’ll enjoy it, Corporal Kang Changjae, sir!”
Bleh. Seunghee stuck her tongue out at me. Hmph. We could still afford to live like this for now.
“Corporal Kang Changjae, sir. The meat is all cooked. Please eat first.”
“Mother, you eat first.”
“Changjae, you eat too. Seungpil and Seunghee as well.”
“Okay~!”
The pork belly party had begun.
“Mmm~! So good! It melts in your mouth!”
“Corporal Kang Changjae, sir, this pork belly is seriously delicious!”
The Seungpil siblings were making a huge fuss. I picked up a large piece of grilled pork belly along with some grilled kimchi and ate it.
“Yeah. It’s strangely tasty.”
Maybe because I had been starving since morning? The pork belly tasted like pure honey. Oil streamed down the nicely browned slices. The sight of kimchi sizzling in that fat made saliva pool in my mouth.
“Seungpil, eat plenty. After this, you’re coming hunting with me.”
“Mmph, yes sir!”
Seungpil mumbled with his mouth stuffed full of pork belly. He was completely absorbed in the meat right in front of him, without a single worry. Even though this might end up being his last supper. What an easygoing bastard.
“Hunting?”
Beside us, Mother asked with a worried face.
“Yes, Mother. I want to scout the area before it gets dark.”
“It’ll be dangerous.”
“It’s fine. I’ll be careful not to get hurt.”
“If a dangerous animal appears, don’t fight—run away immediately, okay?”
“Of course.”
I spoke that way so I wouldn’t worry her, but in reality it might be quite dangerous. This time I planned to test a special item.
The bright red lump that remained like a drop item where the wild boar had vanished. It was vacuum-packed wild boar’s fresh liver.
◈ Emits a powerful blood scent that attracts nearby predators.
◈ Duration: 1 hour after opening.
From the description, it looked like a bait item meant to lure carnivores. To avoid getting suddenly attacked like we had been by the hyena or wild boar, we needed to turn the entire surrounding area into our territory. To do that, we had to thin out the other beasts that currently held the territory.
This wild boar’s fresh liver was the item for that purpose. The plan was to throw out the liver as bait, then hunt the creatures that came to eat it. It went without saying that actively hunting was safer than being ambushed.
I intended to roam the area for at least a few days, hunting steadily to secure our safety.
“By the way, how did you two know we were here and find us?”
At my question, Seungpil swallowed the pork belly he had been chewing and answered.
“Seunghee said it was weird that there were no bugs in this direction and suggested we check it out, sir.”
“Ah, I see.”
Since there were no bugs within a hundred meters of Mother, it would stand out if bugs suddenly disappeared from a certain point onward. So Seunghee had sharp instincts after all? Seungpil was a guy, so he could handle physical labor. If these two didn’t cause any accidents, they might actually be quite helpful. Labor was important, after all.
It would be nice if Seunghee would just accept earning coins, though. Hmm.
“……What?”
Seunghee, who had been happily munching on pork belly, noticed me staring and frowned.
“You’re thinking something weird again, aren’t you? Ow!”
While she was running her sharp mouth, Seungpil smacked the back of her head.
“Han Seunghee. Is that any way to speak?”
“Hiiing.”
Sigh. Seunghee still had a long way to go.
While Seungpil and I were away, we had at least secured the minimum items Mother and Seunghee would need to live comfortably.
“Mother. Try not to come outside the shelter if possible. Even when it’s dark, keep the door locked.”
“I understand. Don’t worry about us—just make sure you two don’t get hurt.”
“Yes, Mother. Even if we’re late, absolutely do not come looking for us. It’s more dangerous if we miss each other.”
“Okay.”
“Seunghee, you behave yourself too.”
“I got it already.”
Leaving the two women behind made my feet feel heavy. Still, we had to go. Simply staying to guard them was more dangerous. Men go out to hunt, women guard the home. That was the law of survival since the primitive era.
“……Let’s go.”
“Yes, sir.”
I took Seungpil and entered the forest. The plan had been set in advance. I, with my sharp senses, would scan the surroundings with my eyes while Seungpil followed behind me and checked the map on his phone. Hostile life forms appeared as red dots on the map, so even if I missed something, Seungpil could confirm it. As a bonus, we could also check if anything happened back at the shelter.
“Today we’re only checking within a hundred meters of the shelter.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Watch your step. The ground is uneven.”
“Whoa.”
“I told you to be careful.”
There were no bugs within a hundred meters of Mother. That meant small animals that ate bugs would also leave the area in search of food. Then larger animals that ate those small animals would move outward as well. But such a food chain wouldn’t shift overnight. Human intervention was necessary.
If possible, I wanted to wipe out all the animals within a hundred meters, then set up a boundary around that area to claim it as our territory. After that, I could live alone with Mother in a safe place. Seungpil and Seunghee could build their own shelter somewhere and stay there. At the very least, it would be more enjoyable than military service.
“Ah. Corporal Kang Changjae, sir. There’s something over there.”
Seungpil pointed at the bushes to the left.
“Shh. Follow me quietly.”
We silenced our footsteps and crept forward. I held a wooden spear in my hand; Seungpil gripped an iron skewer-like spear. We hid behind a large tree and observed deeper into the forest. A familiar animal’s backside came into view.
Crunch. Crack.
A single hyena was crouched on the ground, tearing into something. Only one? We were lucky.
‘Seungpil. Remember what I said earlier?’
I signaled him with my eyes. Seungpil swallowed dryly and nodded. When hunting beasts, you must never show fear. You must never back away. The moment they sense weakness, they will charge. Conversely, if they realize you are not weak, they will flee. Catching an animal that charges and catching one that runs away—the difference in danger is obvious without explanation.
Even if our prey escapes and the hunt fails, it doesn’t matter. Our top priority is to return safely without injury.
“Hup!”
Just as we had rehearsed, I took the first strike and hurled my wooden spear. The hyena must have sensed something; its ears perked up and it lifted its head from its meal. However—
“Kyaaang!”
The spear flew straight and buried itself in the hyena’s torso with no chance to dodge. The hyena screamed and leaped into the air.
“Got it! Kill it!”
“Uraaaah!”
I drew the machete from my side and charged at the hyena. Beside me, Seungpil rushed forward with his iron spear. It was the moment the two-man military wild-animal abuse squad began its work.