Joys of Life (1)
I figured the trading cooldown vote was underway by now, so I got started on my daily chores. First up: resetting the fish traps in the river, then checking all my tools. I paid extra close attention to Cheonma's sword. That blade made all the difference in my survival odds.
But how often do you really maintain a sword in real life? At best, sharpening kitchen knives. So I put in the effort.
Dwarf, help. YasaengGrill here. Wanna polish my sword—tips?
└PassingDwarf With your bare mouth?
└YasaengGrill You bastard
└PassingDwarf Give me a crab first lol
└YasaengGrill Oh right. Will you give tips if I bring crabs?
└PassingDwarf Tips? I'll throw in oil paper and whetstones too.
└YasaengGrill Whoa;;
└PassingDwarf But no crab, no deal.
└YasaengGrill Fought guardians and otters—cut me some slack?
└PassingDwarf If you're beat, tomorrow's fine. Make it three.
└YasaengGrill Fine;; Guess I'll go.
A bit tired, sure, but grabbing crabs wouldn't be hard. My mana, drained by the guardian, recharged quick with the internal power method. The Four Seasons Forest was mana-rich— a few breaths and I was full.
Never maintained it at all. Better start now. Can't have it break when it counts.
Geared up, I scanned the shelter cave. Wonmo was napping hard after devouring a fish. Ppareumbo stared at me with his usual chill vibe.
"Gonna step out quick. Guard Wonmo."
"……."
I warned Ppareumbo and barred the entrance. Even if Wonmo woke, no escaping.
Elixir. Wall Valley Pills, smoked meat, crossbow... all set.GrowTrees's World Tree gloves and crab backpack too. Perfect. But after two fights today, I'd avoid more. Wounds from the guardian lingered. If beasts cornered me, though... no choice.
Worst case, bait with smoked meat. Salty as hell, but still meat. Lure 'em and sneak away to buy time.
If they spit it out... Eh, better than Wall Valley Pills maybe.
Double-checked gear, sipped elixir. Gut pain eased a tad. Time to go. Just crabs, no exploring. Follow the river down—easy. But who knew what'd pop out? Otters just did. Crocs maybe? I stayed back from the water.
Last time, iguana here. Huge one, croc-sized. Coward bolted at first sight, but later fled with my mosquito kill in its jaws.
I trudged the familiar river path to the crab lake.
Shhhhaaa—
River widened near the lake. Not Han River big, but downstream scale. Gentler currents meant more fish.
Whoosh! Splash!
Even whales, sea-only in my world. Seen 'em before, still unreal. Sharks next? Four Seasons Forest—why not.
"Huh?"
Drifting downstream in a daze, I spotted a deer drinking. Not the spirit deer from morning—a normal one. Antlers meant buck. Big ones.
Gotta make noise. Heard it somewhere: herbivores deadlier than carnivores in wild. They catch you off-guard. Better announce myself.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
No reaction. Glanced my way, kept drinking. Ignoring me? I squinted.
Whoosh!!
Something massive erupted from the river. Gaping maw full of fist-sized teeth, way bigger than the deer. No warning—I froze, then clocked it.
Shit. Sharks for real?!
A monster shark. Deer was a snack. But this was Four Seasons Forest, even Ppareumbo-level wild.
Whoosh—
Deer predicted it, quit drinking. Spun, rear-kicked the open jaws.
Crack!
Hoof nailed shark nose—known weak spot. Shark flopped ashore like a counterpunch victim. Out cold.
Deer? Back to chugging water, unfazed.
"……."
Deer sipping beside knocked-out shark. What a duo.
I crept past, eyes on deer. It ignored me.
...Post to Gallery. Maybe deer strong here. Spirit deer existed—plausible.
I snapped a pic, deer and shark clear.
Deer caught shark. YasaengGrill (pic: deer drinks by knocked-out shark) Shark ambushed from river, deer KO'd it with rear kick. Do deer beat sharks here?
└Cheonma Deep internal power in that deer. Beware.
└YasaengGrill Ppareumbo senses that from pic alone?
└Cheonma Ignoring the shark beside it?
└YasaengGrill Ah.
└SwordTasteStar Wow. Never caught a shark—cool. Aren't they sea-only?
└YasaengGrill River has sharks and whales.
└SwordTasteStar Insane forest.
└Olfather Bull shark. River-sea migrant. Like saltwater crocs.
└YasaengGrill So what's the deer?
└Olfather Just a deer. Stupid strong one.
└YasaengGrill ;;;
└My common sense crumbling. That right?
└Sharks in river ok, but deer?? Lol
└Ppareumbo too—why herbivores OP? Wtf?
└Real mad forest lololol def that deer abnormal.
My sanity intact. I closed Gallery, glanced back. Deer up to anything?
"Purruk."
"……."
Oh crap. When'd it sneak behind?
I stiffened. Eye-level size, but antlers screamed threat.
Fuc... done for?
Backed away wary. Deer stared. Then "Prroong!"—turned, vanished silently into woods.
"Huuu..."
Exhaled hard. Heart-stopping. Deer pressure like that? Would've lost. Shark KO'd by hoof—after dodging ambush. Insane reflexes.
When'll I react like that? Can't even handle Ppareumbo yet. Shield blocks at best—far off.
Sighed at the ever-stranger forest, kept moving.
Boom! Crash!
Near lake—huge noise from there. Demolition-level.
What? First time hearing that.
Arrived, saw source.
Crunch! Boom! Kaboom!
Kaiju movie fans? Oversized beasts smashing everything. Live, real-time.
...What now? Crayfish?
Seen apartment-sized crabs. But apartment crayfish? New. Claws clashing.
Kaiju brawl IRL—absurd.
Thwack!
Staring blank, giant cray claw smacked giant crab face. Shell chunk flew my way.
Eyes wide, shield up quick.
KABOOOM!!!
"Nyuuk?!"
Ringing ears, blown back. Unreal impact. Good guard and roll saved me.
Groaned, staggered up.
"What the..."
Shell like concrete chunk. Really going in there? Dwarf might pity this.
But halfway—can't empty-hand. Milk dwarf for all.
Snapped pics, vid. Gallery fodder. Dwarf's reaction? Gold.
Grab crabs quick, bail.
While giants fought, small crabs munched floor. Shattered shells everywhere—from the brawl. Some crushed flat.
Kaboom!
"Eek!"
Shell dropped mid-grab. Snatched two crabs, bolted. Wanted more, but too risky. Sky shells anytime.
Hellish forest.
"Huff. Huff."
Safe far off, bagged wriggling crabs, caught breath.
Just head home.
Boom! Kaboom!
Ignored blasts. Hard tho—shells reached here.
Checked rear at each boom, snuck back.
Two fights and disaster flick? Drained.
"Uwaaa..."
"……."
Flopped in cave, Ppareumbo patted me. Only you comfort direct. Thanks.
Handed him a Wall Valley Pill, logged into Gallery. Spill the day.
Dwarf. Got crabs. YasaengGrill (giant crab vs crayfish pic) (fallen shell pic) (fight vid) Pushed thru their brawl. Appreciate my grind...
└Cheonma Even this lady's never seen that. What's the crab-fighter?
└SwordTasteStar Crayfish? Looks like it.
└Cheonma First that big cray.
└SwordTasteStar Not just sub-mod—all firsts ;;;
└PassingDwarf Whoa;; wtf those? Same lake?
└YasaengGrill Yeah fought on arrival—territory beef?
└PassingDwarf Mad. Crabs?
└YasaengGrill (bagged crabs pic) Here. No worry for me?
└PassingDwarf Should I?
└YasaengGrill Nah.
└Bigger monsters than that?
└There.
└Not Four Seasons dumbass.
└Exist... legends mostly?
└Dragons maybe—bigger.
└Shark-beating deer, building crabs/crays lol wtf place lol
└Fr onion—peel more wonders pop lololol
Gallery raved(?). My finds thrilled 'em. But I barely survived—couldn't join.
Energy gone. Nothing appeals—less now. Exploring done. No outings.
...Tobacco.GrowTrees' World Tree smokes hit me.
Body wrecked—crave something in mouth. Not food tho. Tobacco perfect.
Thought I'd never smoke... Smokers' vibe? Even skipped army cigs.
Grabbed one from box, inspected. Cigar-like. World Tree leaves? Pricey—wonder how good.
Light with flint.
Flick! Crackle!
Smoke rose. Hesitated, inhaled slow.
Cigars harsh usually. This? Cool rush. Minty x10—pure refresh. Body invigorated too.
...Tasty.
Really delicious.