Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: Law of the Jungle: Palau
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“Wow!”
I gaped wide-mouthed.
I knew it intellectually, but seeing it for real... it was an insane jungle. So thick you could believe Tarzan lived there—a jungle through and through.
This [Law of the Jungle] destination: ‘Palau’.
The name might sound exotic, but it’s one of those Oceanic island nations near Guam or Saipan.
Yet even after landing, we rode for ages. They’d picked a backwoods spot so remote even locals rarely visited.
‘With the medical team and experts around, it shouldn’t be too dangerous...’
I’d traveled plenty, but I’d almost never trekked this deep into a forest. The tough underbrush jabbing at my calves felt utterly alien.
“Eek! Bugs!”
The male idol—name was Do-kyung, I think. Probably a stage name.
From our pre-trip chat, he seemed my age. Bugs were clearly not his thing.
But this was the jungle. You had to suck it up and deal with the swarms.
“Hmm. This looks good for camp.”
Veteran Kim Hyung-man scanned the area and staked out a spot. He pulled out his MacGyver knife and asked.
“Anyone bring a knife?”
“Yeah, me.”
I shot my hand up.
“It’s a kitchen knife, but that okay?”
“Doesn’t matter. Need to cut some bamboo for the shelter.”
For the record, Do-kyung and I had sorted out the youngest pecking order before we started. Tch. Mentally, I might even be older.
Not that I was in a position to argue. We’d just been dropped in the jungle.
Pity to dull the blade, but survival didn’t care about that.
“Want me to do it?”
Variety star Han Dong-woo jumped in from the side. He reached out like he wanted the knife, but I shook my head no.
“It’s fine. The knife’s pretty big—I’d better handle it.”
“Huh? How big could it... Whoa!”
I pulled the massive cleaver from my bag, and everyone’s eyes went wide. The broad blade, vaguely like a Chinese cleaver, showed off its heft.
“No idea what meat we’d find. This one cuts through bone.”
Most folks used it for chopping stock meat, but it was so familiar in my hands I could do anything with it.
Still, a newbie swinging it could spell disaster.
“Don’t mess with Chef Song, or you’re toast.”
“Maknae on top.”
“Whoa...”
Everyone tossed out impressed murmurs. It wasn’t that big a deal.
“Perfect. So three of us on the shelter, the other three scout around for fruit or anything edible. Sound good?”
“Yes, chief~!”
“The three of us’ll head out—Jun-hee noona, me, and Derek hyung.”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
The team split naturally.
Shelter crew: Kim Hyung-man, me, Han Dong-woo.
Forage crew: Do-kyung, Oh Jun-hee, An Derek.
‘Hope they manage okay?’
Do-kyung had freaked at bugs earlier, and Oh Jun-hee—who’d cozied up to me about loving eye-flower bingsu—didn’t seem bug-friendly either.
Derek was my only bet.
‘Please let there be animals around. Catchable ones, ideally.’
As if reading my mind, Kim Hyung-man whispered.
“When I pre-scouted, I saw chickens nearby. We’ll hunt ’em at night while they sleep. Heh heh heh.”
He drooled about chicken for breakfast tomorrow. Music to my ears.
“Okay, let’s tidy this up, build the shelter, and scout the area ourselves.”
“Yes~”
“Roger!”
“If Woo-yeon handles this much, we’ve got the rest...”
Schwick schwick!
Before Kim Hyung-man could finish, I started trimming nearby bamboo.
It felt like an extension of my hand, so the speed ramped up fast. In a blink, one stalk gleamed smooth as a factory pipe.
“Huh? What was that?”
“...Nothing.”
“?”
Weird. I could’ve sworn he’d said something to me. I tilted my head but kept my hands flying.
Shh shh shh!
Another bamboo turned sleek in seconds.
“Whoa... Chefs are on another level, huh, hyung?”
Han Dong-woo kept gasping in awe. Kim Hyung-man, who’d been staring blankly, snapped out of it with a loud cough.
With three of us pitching in, the shelter went up quick. Frame the poles, weave on leaves—it actually looked decent.
“Okay, bamboo’s done. Next, fire. Gotta cook and stay warm at night. Plus, it gets pitch black when the sun drops. Gather dry wood, and I’ll light it with this firesteel I brought.”
“I’ll give it a shot!”
Han Dong-woo stepped up, brimming with confidence.
He gathered dry leaves like he’d seen somewhere, struck the firesteel in front of them. He even blew on it, but all he got were a few sparks popping.
“Man, this is trickier than it looks.”
Sweating bullets, he threw in the towel.
“Woo-yeon, you try. Doesn’t catch like you’d think.”
“Sure?”
Hm. Really?
I took the firesteel from Han Dong-woo.
“Yeah, it just won’t...”
Schwick schwick schwick!
I worked it into the dry leaves, and smoke started rising soon enough.
Puff puff. A few breaths, and the ember bloomed into flame, jumping to the wood.
Whoosh!
“Oh, got it.”
“...”
“...”
I shrugged under their stares.
“...You lived in a jungle before?”
“No way.”
Haha. I chuckled softly, and Han Dong-woo’s face screamed, Then what the hell? What else?
“I like charcoal grilling.”
Pre-regression, I camped a lot. Picked up firesteel back then.
Glancing at the close-up camera on my face, I pictured how they’d edit this scene.
‘Perfect adaptability, new chief contender... something like that.’
Not bad at all. I grinned and threw a V-sign at the lens.
Throb!
‘Oops.’
I yanked my hand down fast, hoping the unhealed wound didn’t show.
‘Did the firesteel strain it?’
Sneaking a peek up my sleeve, out of sight. Red was spreading—looked like it’d reopened a little.
‘...This much should be fine?’
I’d disinfect it tonight. Yeah. Just a tiny split.
Only the production crew knew about my injury. I’d asked them not to tell the cast—didn’t want anyone fussing and making awkward shots.
‘Strangers and all. Explaining how I got hurt would be a pain.’
I’d spill if the situation forced it.
I tugged my sleeve down casually, making sure the wrapped bandage stayed hidden.
“Huh?”
I could only blink back at them, my face puffy like a raccoon that’d washed cotton candy.
“None? Zero?”
The foraging team nodded glumly at my question.
“...No ingredients at all?”
“Y-yeah. Palms everywhere. Thought about coconuts, but too high... Tried fishing, total bust.”
Do-kyung mumbled, looking sheepish. His soaked clothes said he’d given it his all, to no avail.
An Derek and Oh Jun-hee nodded behind him, drenched too.
“Come dry off by the fire first. You’ll catch cold.”
“Y-yeah. Thanks.”
I sat the shivering trio side by side by the flames, when Do-kyung’s stomach let out a gurgle.
“Oops.”
“Hungry? No wonder. Been here all day, no food, just burned energy.”
Han Dong-woo grumbled too. The sun was already high overhead.
We’d built shelter, started a fire... but no food.
“What now? Everyone’s beat, and zilch to eat. No fruit or anything nearby?”
“Yeah, we scoured it. Nothing.”
“There was decent stuff on pre-scout.”
“No clue. Animals got it all? Or it fell?”
“...”
Hopeless. Kim Hyung-man’s face hardened, and the cameramen zoomed in tight.
No helping it.
“We need to fill up quick. Let’s do something simple with this.”
“Huh? W-what?”
“That.”
I pointed to a thick patch of broad leaves, like lotus pads, growing in a clump.
Han Dong-woo blinked at the dense grass in confusion.
“Grass porridge? Even for you, that’s... Not wartime or anything. Gotta taste awful.”
“Huh?”
“No, I mean, sure, Chef Song could make it good, but...”
He backpedaled fast after my reaction. As if I’d care about that.
“No, not that. You said grass porridge, but I mean under those leaves, not the grass.”
“H-huh? The root?”
Seeing is believing.
I hopped up. Gripped the base of a broad leaf tight and yanked hard...!
“Whoa whoa?”
“What’s this?”
Chunky roots popped out one after another. Hm, riper than expected.
“Taro.”
“Taro?”
Everyone tilted their heads. No one had a clue.
“The taro from taro bubble tea... Simply put, it’s a taro relative.”
“Ah! Taro!”
Han Dong-woo’s eyes lit up at the familiar name.
“Boil it, and it’s edible.”
“Wow~ All taro? Jackpot. This’ll fill us up! Right under our noses?”
“Rare type in Korea, so normal not to know.”
“Oh?”
Han Dong-woo answered absently, then gave me a strange look.
“...But how do you know?”
“Haha. Hahaha.”
I laughed awkwardly.
...Yeah, I’d skip the part about pre-regression experiments—chewing, slicing, tasting, perfecting taro dishes.
“Got my ways.”
Knowing too much hurts.