Merman (1)
A day passed where I did nothing—no, couldn't do anything. The rain poured down like a torrent, trapping me in the cave all day. With no smartphone, just the Gallery, it felt like I'd spent the entire day scrolling. In between, whenever I had a moment, I practiced the Internal Power Method or basic training and such. But I couldn't shake the boredom.
But that's over now.
I gazed up at the cloudless sky and took a deep breath. The earthy scent was stronger than usual after the rain—refreshing. Thanks to yesterday's drainage work, there weren't even any puddles around the cave. If I hadn't done that, it would've been a muddy mess. I felt a swell of pride for no reason.
Rain's stopped!
YasaengGrill (photo of clear sky without a cloud)
(photo of damp wet ground)
Looks like I can get back to exploring! First, time to prep and reset the traps...
└Cheonma You've worked hard. This lady shall provide Wall Valley Pills soon enough.
└YasaengGrill Thanks! Roughly how much?
└Cheonma Enough to last one or two months with ease. This lady would love to give you a full year's supply, but my aide says materials are short.
└YasaengGrill That's more than enough to be grateful for! Could you pass on my thanks to your aide? If they want, I can give them an inner core.
└Cheonma Understood. Since it's your request, this lady shall consider it.
└SmartMine What inner cores do you even have left? When'd you catch those?
└YasaengGrill They come out every time I catch fish?
└SmartMine So how many have you collected so far?
└YasaengGrill Like 4 or 5? But they lose power over time, so I'll eat them soon.
└SmartMine If I give you a container that can store them properly, can you give me one?
└YasaengGrill As long as you don't scam me, sure, one is fine.
└SmartMine ok, hold tight.
└Cheonma You needn't ask that fool—ask this lady directly.
└YasaengGrill What's wrong with it? Builds my network, right?
└PassingDwarf Am I being ignored?
└YasaengGrill You only need fish or crabs anyway.
└PassingDwarf You know me well. So hurry up and bring those traps so you can offer up some fish.
└YasaengGrill Ugh, you're pissing me off lol
└PassingDwarf ?
└YasaengGrill Of course I'll bring 'em.
└Every time I see this guy lololol
└Grills is locked in as dwarf slave until he escapes lol
Even with the rain stopped, there was plenty to do. Especially reinstalling the traps. That alone would eat up the whole morning. Even without traps, there was work piling up.
Gotta check the drainage ditches again too.
Yesterday was just a quick temporary fix—shoveling dirt and calling it done. But the downpour caused some walls to collapse, forming puddles. At minimum, the ditches need proper shaping.
Materials? I can grab 'em from auction.
PassingDwarf has registered a trade item.
PassingDwarf One fish, got it? Squeeze every drop outta that flea liver, you bastard.
PassingDwarf ok two. Spare me, bro.
PassingDwarf Kidding, send when you got extras. I got a conscience.
What's that in your right hand rn?
PassingDwarf At the mine now, you punk. ok trust ya.
I restocked traps from the dwarf too.
Cheonma If you need more Wall Valley Pills, just say the word. This lady will tell my aide right away.
Isn't this crazy expensive?
Cheonma Probably. But money matters are for my aide to handle.
Here's an inner core to help cover costs...
Cheonma Understood. I'll tell my aide at once.
I got the Wall Valley Pills from Cheonma too. The moment they appeared, the happiest was none other than Ppareumbo. A sack full of them popped out of thin air—his half-closed eyes went wide. I could guess his feelings, since the guy was always squinting.
"How 'bout that? The power of this body."
"……."
"……Yeah, I'm the idiot bragging to a tree."
Ppareumbo obviously saw me as a tree anyway. One that spits out food on command. This probably cemented it.
"Ppareumbo."
"……."
"Just don't gut the goose that lays the golden eggs."
That goose being me. I didn't bother saying it. No way he'd understand, and it was just venting.
Anyway, I'd gotten everything from the high-nics. Time for work.
"Chomp chomp chomp. Salty, so salty."
"Nom nom nom nom."
But first, breakfast. Smoked dishes today. Just warm 'em lightly over the fire and done. All the salt-cured meats were already smoked. With enough food for a month plus Wall Valley Pills...
But no people around.
What can you do? Only way out is escaping this place.
I ate breakfast and tackled the drainage again. Scooped out pooled water, smoothed walls to prevent collapses.
Lay processed stones at the base?
Stones from auction or the dwarf, obviously. Not doing it right now—traps first. Takes 30 minutes just to set traps, so better prep ahead.
Should catch some frogs too, it's been a while.
Haven't poked the golden frogs lately, so who knows if they're okay. Got meds from Olfather, so no real need to hunt.
Need work boots too.
Dwarf's friend's boots are waterproof, but the openings let water in. Can't go barefoot, so tough it out today. Dry by fire if needed—not bad.
"Alright. Let's go."
"Kyuu!"
With Ppareumbo on my back and Wonmo, off to the river. Wonmo seemed full of energy, bouncing around me. So damn cute. I smiled warmly as I walked.
Whoosh!!
The river's flow had clearly shrunk since the rain. But something else caught my eye.
Flop! Flop!
"Huh?"
"Kyuuu!"
While I blinked in surprise, Wonmo's eyes lit up and she charged. Too fast to stop, but it didn't matter. The riverbank was littered with fish.
Stranded from yesterday's flood, probably couldn't swim back.
Jackpot.
Over five fish flopping weakly nearby. Three were Four Seasons Forest extra-larges. Others smaller. But one stood out uniquely.
"Eels in the river too?"
I muttered to myself. Among the flopping fish, one eel. True to the forest, huge—over a meter long.
A bit gross.
Snake-like, creepy. But eels? Famous for men's "vitality." No outlet here in the forest, but still good. Redirect the energy elsewhere.
"Nom nom nom."
Wonmo skipped the big ones, starting small. She'd just eaten, so snacks.
I slipped on World Tree gloves, bagged the fish in traps. A little unexpected joy lifting my mood.
Splash!
"Guh?! Pwah!"
But the eel caused trouble. As I grabbed it, its head jammed toward my mouth. Quick dodge saved me from a kiss—deep one at that. Still gross. I shoved it in the trap fast. Slippery body plus gloves made it easy.
"Phew! Puha!"
Ew, nasty. I wiped my mouth, glaring at the eel. You're dinner tonight, pal. Don't know how to prep yet, so spared for now.
Scooped the rest, decided to head back. Need iron kegs to keep 'em fresh. Eel in a separate wide one—just in case. Who knows if it'll try the others too.
Got an eel.
YasaengGrill Went upriver and found one on the riverbed. Don't these live in the sea?
└Cheonma Extra-large tonic food. Eels are quite rare, I hear.
└SwordTasteStar Isn't that a snake? How's an eel that big?
└YasaengGrill Four Seasons Forest, duh. But don't eels live in the sea?
└Olfather There are freshwater eels. But not that huge.
└Usually farmed in freshwater. Sea eels can't be farmed.
└Whoa but that size is wild. Bet it has an inner core?
└Grills gonna be rock hard tonight lololol
└What good's that? Nowhere to use it lololol
└Gallery girls as substitute.
└Nope, time to drop those pics lololol
└Shit
└Stop.
└Head mod! Here! Terrorist incoming!
└PassingDwarf Eel tasty? Too pricey where I am, never tried.
└YasaengGrill Save you a bite later. Wanna try it myself, can't give away.
└PassingDwarf ok curious about the taste.
└YasaengGrill Oh right, Olfather. It headbutted my mouth when I caught it—is that normal?
└Olfather Extremely dangerous. Eels burrow into dark narrow spots. People have choked to death on 'em.
└Holy shit;;;
└That's why they're used for torture. Shove in lower holes.
└Ugh;; so gruesome.
└StarlightPrincess Eels good for stamina—is that true?
└YasaengGrill Yup. Want some later?
└StarlightPrincess If not too much trouble, just a bite...? I'll give you ice cream!
└YasaengGrill Deal.
└Deal my ass lololol
└Trading eel for ice cream lmao
The Gallery exploded over the eel. Most had never seen one that big, called it a python, etc. Pride swelled briefly, but prepping methods first.
Later for that. Upstream for traps now.
Back at the river with animal pals, prepped to set traps.
"Ribbit. Ribbit."
"Ribbit ribbit."
First, clear the golden frogs. Stubbornly guarding turf even in flood. I backed off with Wonmo. Ppareumbo's turn.
"Ptoo!"
"Pew!"
"Fwoop!"
Purple sticky venom launched at Ppareumbo. But he dodged effortlessly. Venom spent, frogs plopped into the river. Prime time for traps.
Splat!
"Ow!"
Almost done, a fish leaped and smacked my face. Pinched my nose in stinging pain. Tears welled—hurt like hell.
Drip—drip—
Worse: nosebleed started. First time ever. But no time to care.
Thud thud thud!
Dozens of fish swarmed, smelling blood. Like last time tossing tiger guts. Feared getting swept, rushed out.
"Phew..."
Relief. Nosebleed after traps set—lucky. All done, back to cave for drainage. But plug nose with cloth first.
Elixir for this?
Tempting. If it won't stop, yeah.
Drip—drip—
Even plugged, it leaked, staining the ground.
*****
After Grills left and some time passed...
Splash!!
A hand burst from the river. Webbed like a frog's, but structured like a human's.
Tzzzz—
Soon its owner surfaced. The face was just like...
"Grrr..."
A great white shark from the sea.