The Lakeside (1)

It turned out the internal cultivation art really was remarkably effective at relieving fatigue.

Even when I replaced a full night’s sleep with meditative cultivation, I woke up the next morning feeling vigorous and spry. Of course, my mastery was still far from complete, which meant mental exhaustion was another matter entirely. Physical weariness melted away easily enough, but mental fatigue still demanded honest-to-goodness sleep.

“What in the world is all this?”

The moment I logged into the Gallery, an avalanche of pending trade receipts drifted across my view. Had some fresh drama erupted in the brief window I was offline? Just in case, I ran ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a search on my own handle, but nothing particularly shocking jumped out. If anything, yesterday’s ordeal had simply caused my trustworthiness rating to skyrocket.

Apparently, several registered users who had previously hesitated over credit concerns had decided to pull the trigger.

Give me a break, people… I told you I’m fragile as a sunfish.

Or maybe they intended to suck every drop of marrow from my bones before I belly-flopped into an early grave. By all accounts, an Adult Mandrake Root alone possessed staggering alchemical value. Even without factoring in beast inner cores, they must have figured securing just one adult root was well worth their trouble.

If you want to deal, put something on the table that actually tempts me.

I searched up the names of the users pitching trade requests. Some were newly registered accounts, while others turned out to be seasoned veterans with surprisingly long histories on the board. In particular, this user named GonnaBeADuke caught my eye. If memory served, he had sent me a request previously as well. Persistent, to be sure, but right now it just felt like a nuisance.

And he didn’t even bother writing a post explaining his offer.

As I had stated before, anyone who presented an item I genuinely needed would earn an active trade proposal from my end. Clearly, they had forgotten that condition already. Left with no choice, I drafted a quick post to set the record straight.

Living as a decent human being really paid off in the end. After all, having people greet you with warm comments the moment you opened your eyes was no small comfort.

Naturally, it wasn’t entirely free of worry. If the Main Moderator caught wind of this, he might deem it cliquish favoritism. Excessive fraternity was strictly forbidden in the community guidelines, which left things uncomfortably ambiguous.

He must know the Heavenly Demon is cutting me special slack, though.

It seemed this much leeway was permitted—or perhaps they simply made an exception given the utter absurdity of my situation.

Having rung in the start of a new day on the forum, Starlight Princess was naturally the very first to send an invite.

Before accepting, I glanced over toward Wonmo. The little guy was still sprawled out fast asleep. The hilarious part was his posture: arms and legs thrown wide, laid out flat on his back like an exhausted human being. They say when an animal sleeps with its belly fully exposed, it means they feel completely secure in their surroundings. It was an oddly touching sight.

Our brief exchange wrapped up there. I immediately examined the goods she had sent over.

Though she described it as a potion intended for beasts, the radiant golden light shimmering within the vial looked identical to a supreme Elixir in every conceivable way. Frankly, whether an Elixir crafted exclusively for animals even existed in the first place was highly questionable. I resolved to simply treat it as an extraordinarily generous gift.

And then there was the second item—the one she had guaranteed I would love. It left me genuinely astonished.

Cake?

Sitting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠atop an ornate glass saucer decorated with fine patterns was a neat slice of shortcake. Velvety whipped cream was slathered across airy, golden sponge, crowned with a bright, ripe strawberry. With remarkable thoughtfulness, she had even included a dainty fork for easy eating. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Swallowing hard against the sudden rush of saliva, I gripped the fork.

“Mmmph…”

The instant the tiny morsel crossed my lips, an involuntary groan of pure ecstasy escaped my throat. Sweetness exploded across my palate. The distinct, intoxicating bliss of refined sugar electrified every nerve on my tongue. Thanks to sprinkling salt over every fish I grilled, my tongue had never forgotten savory flavors, but this exquisite, tooth-tingling sweetness was something I hadn’t experienced in ages.

She really knows how to treat a guy.

Setting the saucer down for just a moment, I logged back into the Gallery to handle the remaining trade partners. Right behind Starlight Princess was Passing Dwarf. Knowing him, he would want to knock out the business briskly and move on.

Once the trade concluded, I inspected the goods sent over by the dwarf.

Why the heck is this fish trap so massive?

The trap was colossal—nearly the size of my own torso. While caught slightly off guard, I quickly realized bigger was probably better. Considering the titanic proportions of the river beasts I’d hauled in so far, this scale was actually just about right.

Installing this is going to take a while. I’d better leave it until after today’s scouting run.

I set the trap aside for later; wrestling it into the riverbed would devour my entire morning. Next up was the scabbard, which had been packed neatly inside the trap’s frame.

Looks like an ordinary scabbard on the surface.

It was finished in matte black and measured roughly the same length as the Heavenly Demon’s Sword. Drawing the blade from where it leaned against the cave wall, I guided it toward the sheath.

Shiiing—clack!

The blade slid home without the slightest hint of friction, locking cleanly into place with a crisp snap. Though he had dismissed it as a temporary fix, the craftsmanship was remarkably satisfying. It even came fitted with an adjustable baldric, offering plenty of versatility for carrying.

That dwarf acts rough around the edges, but he’s surprisingly thoughtful deep down.

I smirked and opened the next trade dialogue. Waiting on the other end was Princess Chaeng-gu.

I wondered what kind of gifts Princess Chaeng-gu would appreciate. That warranted some serious thought.

For now, I turned my attention to the package she had sent. Just as promised, it contained a long pair of athletic pants alongside the jersey top. The pants were woven from the same magically resilient, hyper-elastic material as the jersey. What’s more, she had provided two pairs instead of one.

Grinning with satisfaction, I pulled on the pants. The difference in comfort was immediate and breathtaking.

I could live in these things forever.

Memories of lounging around my Earth apartment in cozy sweatpants flashed through my mind. Without a second thought, I balled up the rough trousers I’d been wearing until now and tossed them into a dusty corner of the cavern. From this moment on, those were strictly emergency spares.

Trades are all wrapped up, so now back to the cake… Wait.

My joyful anticipation of savoring the rest of the confection lasted only as long as it took my eyes to find the saucer.

I had unquestionably eaten only a single modest forkful. Why on earth was the glass plate completely bare?

Staring at the spotless glass in utter incomprehension, I blinked several times before swiveling my head to survey the cavern. Wonmo was still dead to the world, snoring softly on his sleeping mat. Which left only one suspect…

“……”

“……Hey.”

At my call, the Fast Tree Sloth tilted its head in agonizing slow motion.

Witnessing that shameless, placid innocence made the blood boil straight to my temples.

“You might want to wipe that whipped cream off your face before playing dumb.”

“……”

Only then did the creature slowly lift a foreleg to dab around its snout. It wasn’t just a tiny smudge, either; a gigantic dollop of fresh cream was clinging conspicuously to its fur. The sloth stared at the dollop now clinging to its razor-sharp claw, then proceeded to guide it toward its mouth at a glacial pace.

“Yum.”

“……”

“Chew… chew…”

Could there exist a more infuriating creature on the face of the planet? The most tragic part was that in a physical brawl, I had zero hope of beating him. In the end, there was only one recourse left to me.

“YOU LITTLE BASTARD—!!!”

I unleashed a full-throated Lion’s Roar. The sonic assault proved surprisingly potent, forcing the giant sloth to clamp both paws over its ears.

“Ggyuak?!”

Ah. Right. Wonmo.

Seeing the baby owlbear bolt upright in terrified shock, an overwhelming wave of guilt washed over me.

This is entirely that damn sloth’s fault.

Cursing the creature inwardly, I gently stroked Wonmo’s downy feathers to soothe him. Fortunately, the little fellow merely blinked with wide, bewildered eyes, completely oblivious to what had actually transpired.

“Wonmo. Want some breakfast?”

“Kyuuu!”

Even if he had grasped the situation, the promise of food instantly put an end to the crisis. I tossed Wonmo a generous cut of meat before stepping outside the barricade.

Twisting the valve on the intake hose, clean water surged forth in a vigorous, clear torrent. Regrettably, no errant fish had been sucked in today.

Time to gear up.

For breakfast, I choked down another Inedia Pill. Perhaps because my taste buds were still yearning for the sweetness of cake, the pill tasted far more bitter than usual.

…Should I ask her for another slice?

I discarded the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠thought almost immediately. Taking shameless advantage of someone’s kindness like that would make me a monster. The day had barely begun, yet I already felt thoroughly drained.

Please let today’s path lead somewhere overflowing with edible game.

That was my solitary, fervent prayer. Sighing, I strapped on the rest of my equipment. Annoying as the Fast Tree Sloth was, he remained the only protector capable of shielding Wonmo from the horrors of the forest. Better to think of the stolen cake as payment for his faithful guard duty; it was far better for my blood pressure that way.

“Hey. Bbarmbo.”

“?”

At the sound of his nickname, the sloth tilted his head with deliberate slowness.

“I’m heading out on a scouting run, so guard the cavern properly. Got it? You’d better earn that cake.”

“……”

Swaay— swaay—

The sloth waved one massive arm through the air in a slow, languid gesture that passed for acknowledgment. Chuckling wryly at the response, I completed my final checks.

At my hip hung the scabbard housing the Heavenly Demon’s Sword, alongside my small leather satchel. In my left hand rested the Golden Shield, ready to deflect unexpected ambushes at a moment's notice. My right hand was left entirely free to maintain balance and react swiftly to sudden hazards.

And before stepping into the wild, circulate the internal art.

With my internal energy flowing smoothly through my meridians, everything was set. Bracing my nerves, I set off toward the river bank.

The plan for today was simple: reach the river and follow its downstream course as far as my legs would carry me.

It would be wonderful if I could finally find a clue toward escaping this nightmare…

Whether fate cared for my silent yearning was another matter entirely. Or perhaps whatever twisted deity ruled this realm simply enjoyed mocking me.

“Haah. Holy fuck.”

Having followed the river downstream, I stood frozen in place, an involuntary curse spilling from my lips at the ‘environment’ sprawling before my eyes.

It wasn’t like the cracked wasteland across the river where space twisted and warped in real time. The river clearly flowed continuously into this new expanse. No, what forced the curse from my mouth was the sheer, suffocating absurdity of the terrain itself.

“Is this a lake… or an entire ocean?”

An endless, mirror-like expanse of water stretched out as far as the eye could see.