Disaster (2)
I gazed at the yard where everything had been swept away, feeling a mix of frustration and resolve. But I decided to think positively. I'll use this as a lesson and prepare more thoroughly next time. What wouldn't I do to survive in this godforsaken forest? I'd ask the dwarf to rebuild the barricades, stock up on materials for the furnace and oven ahead of time. I'd even made them once before, so as long as I could keep accessing the Gallery, restoration wouldn't be too hard.
That sapling actually survived, though. Everything else was gone, but the seedling from GrowTrees stood firm. I was intensely curious about what kind of tree it was, but I let it slide. Better that it endured.
First things first, I need to prepare for disasters. These weren't just simple climate shifts—they were full-on disasters. Avalanches in a place where they seemed structurally impossible. Like someone said, spring might bring sandstorms instead of yellow dust.
I'll make an emergency escape route and hold off on crafting until winter passes. Facing my first winter here, and in the Four Seasons Forest no less, I had mountains of work ahead. I sighed at the overwhelming task and turned my head.
There, on the side I turned to, was the grave where my senior survivor was buried.
How the hell did that guy survive? He'd clearly lived here longer than me. The sheer volume of his journal proved it. It must detail his experiences right up to his fatal clash with the gorillas.
They've probably finished translating it by now. I'd left the translation to Olfather and SaryeongSul-eun Sarang-ida. But aside from the bits about the Immortal King and the gorillas, there wasn't much useful info. If only it'd warned about winter hitting early—such a shame.
I should ask. I'd be holing up in the cave until the seasons shifted anyway. Might as well inquire now. Starting with Olfather.
Olfather. You around?
Olfather: What's up?
You know that Vulcan Kingdom record I gave you before?
Olfather: Not fully done. It uses vocabulary unique to their royalty, so it's taking time.
Fair enough. I hadn't asked for real-time updates, and rushing him wasn't my style. By now, though, he'd have gleaned some key facts. I jumped straight to my question.
Any mentions of sudden season changes?
Olfather: Yes. It happened to him too—winter hit in an instant, just like you, YasaengGrill.
As expected. My senior had faced the same phenomenon. Proof that even this shithole forest had its rules.
No omens or precursors?
Olfather: Animals migrated en masse the day before, apparently. He wrote that he welcomed them warmly.
Makes me feel kinda embarrassed. But with precedents like that raccoon getting sliced by Ppareumbo, I had no choice. Plus, the pack I met was ready to steal my shelter if push came to shove.
Anyway, now I knew the telltale sign. Next up: how long this winter would last. A few months would be depressing enough; years would be a nightmare. Praying it wasn't that bad, I asked Olfather.
Does it say how long winter lasts?
Olfather: Yes. Winter itself didn't drag on—about five days before it thawed.
Thank goodness.
Olfather: Also, note this: every month contains all four seasons.
Keep that in mind.
What kind of premature ejaculation seasons are these? Ridiculous. Still, excluding winter, the other seasons were livable, so I wasn't too worried.
No wonder dumb animals can't survive here. Either have killer instincts like Wonmo, or brains like the raccoon family. One or the other. Otherwise, you don't last in this forest. The real killer here isn't predators—it's the environment itself.
Olfather: Oh. And here's some crucial info you need to hear. About the jungle gorillas.
Gorillas?
Olfather: Yeah. Seems there's an individual separated from the pack. The one you met just warned you, but the gorilla that attacked him went straight for the kill.
Sounds ominous.
Olfather: No idea about now, but stay cautious. Per the record, unlike the others, it had white fur. Eyes blood-red, too.
White fur and red eyes scream albino to me. Gotta keep that possibility in mind. Albinos stand out, so low survival rates. If one's made it this far, it must be insanely strong.
Might be even more ill-tempered than the leader gorilla. As a mutant, aggression could be off the charts. If it learned martial arts too? Headache. Would be a tough fight.
Problem is, no clue where it shows up. Haven't seen any white-furred ones yet. I nodded at Olfather's info and asked about other risks.
Anything else to watch for?
Olfather: Less a warning, more peculiar. He had mana insensitivity—couldn't use mana at all.
Mana insensitivity?
Olfather: Yeah. Congenital condition; can't accumulate mana. But living in the Four Seasons Forest, he gradually built it up.
Did he evolve too?
Olfather: Not sure. He ate whatever to survive, and suddenly mana use clicked.
Olfather explained: Senior couldn't accumulate mana due to illness; I couldn't accept it as an otherworlder. But the herbs here were monstrous either way.
Know which herb did it?
Seems important.
Olfather: Regrettably, no. He ate random stuff trying to off himself—no proper checks or notes.
Whoa.
Olfather: If you're gonna die, eat a mushroom—such a weird guy. Haha.
Sir?
Olfather: Kidding. Anyway, even weeds here are herbal-grade. Testing random pulls might not be bad.
Weeds as herbs? Hopeful. But with poisons mixed in, caution first.
Got it. Mind analyzing some weeds for me? Got a few to send.
Olfather: Sorry, about to get busy with external stuff.
Ah.
Got it. I'll ask someone else.
Even without Olfather, StarlightPrincess was there. If she's swamped too... guess I'd figure it out myself. Once I ID the effects, straight to Cheonma. Speed up Ppareumbo's meals that way.
I wrapped up with Olfather, idly browsing the Gallery, when—
SaryeongSul-eun Sarang-ida: Save me.
Huh?
SaryeongSul-eun Sarang-ida: Keep talking to Olfather.
Something wrong?
Weird message from SaryeongSul-eun Sarang-ida. No reply when I asked what. Figured maybe ping Olfather again? Nah, let it go. If urgent, he'd post publicly.
What a weirdo. I shrugged it off and focused on reality.
Seasons change weekly, so prep and done. Two days in already—hold out four or five more.
Farming might be tricky like this. Planned to if needed, but doubtful. Plants won't endure weekly flips. Unless like that fast-growing sapling, crops adapt too.
Even stockpiling crops, storage is key... That's the issue. Meat? Salt or smoke it. Crops rot fast if left.
Inevitably problematic.
Need a fridge, but impossible. Ice maybe... wait, ice? The word hit me; I snapped my head up. Checked Gallery time: still 2 PM, plenty left. I bolted up, geared, and dashed out. Wonmo safe with Ppareumbo.
Destination: the river. Frozen solid by the sudden shift. Perfect ice for storage—how'd I miss it?
Can't haul blindly. Need an ice storage or at least a bin first. Ancestors gathered winter ice in icehouses. I'd do the same. Animals sluggish now; guard well, easy pickings.
I peered to check ice thickness. Sharp temp drop turned the river into a crystal sheet.
Max four days. Icehouse or bin by then. Salting's good, but no fridge match. Cooler spots better for produce/fruit—perfect chance.
Mind made, back to shelter. Posted on Gallery.
Anyone know how to build an ancient icehouse? YasaengGrill (photo of frozen river) Thinking of making one like ancestors did. Frozen river right here—should work. └SwordTasteStar Icehouse? Want a well-insulated box? Ice inside, good to go. └YasaengGrill Nice, but wanna build the real deal. └SwordTasteStar Solid choice. But take it slow? └YasaengGrill Journal says seasons weekly. Better do winter chores now. └SwordTasteStar Such flimsy seasons. └PassingDwarf Icehouse—haven't heard that in ages. Dad's era, pre-fridge. └YasaengGrill Can you make one? └PassingDwarf Principle's simple. Just tough to build. Will post guide soon. └YasaengGrill Thanks! └But icehouses still around, right? └In rural spots without urbanization, yeah. Fridges spreading now though.
Dwarf's on it—now just wait. Disaster screwed me hard, but handed opportunity too. Winter not just hunkering down—I realized that much.
Avalanche hit cave back, so new entrance here. Pre-dwarf guide, tackled chores. Logging first. Wood essential to outlast winter.
"Hm?" Mid-chop, something caught my eye behind a felled tree. Snow buried small plants, but this one stood tall. Blue flower like crystallized ice. Frozen or natural? Odd.
What is this? Gallery time. Snapped pic, posted.
Found weird flower. YasaengGrill (plant like ice crystal bloom) Spotted while logging. Know what it is? └StarlightPrincess Whoa, looks like frostflower? └YasaengGrill What's that? └StarlightPrincess Absorb whole, gain cold resistance. └YasaengGrill Oh...! └StarlightPrincess Eat raw? Whole body freezes solid. └YasaengGrill Oh... └StarlightPrincess Melts fast with weather shifts—hard to ask processing. What a pain.