91. Eel (2)
My manhood is precious. Not just to me, but to every guy out there. Even those ballsy friends who laugh off broken legs would be devastated if something happened down there. That's the spot that gets sincere sympathy—no teasing allowed. And right now, I was facing the greatest crisis of my manhood.
For some reason, after eating that eel yesterday, my tent refused to go down. I wondered if one eel could really do this, but hey, this is the Four Seasons Forest. Things are different here. Just recently, I ate one fish and spent the whole day burning up with fever.
'Ah. Please. I really don't want to ask people about this.'
I desperately scoured the Gallery for similar symptoms. But the guys there were all the same—just bragging. There were occasional stories about kidney stones, but that was it. Nothing serious like my issue.
'Should I post on the Gallery...?'
I had no choice but to seriously consider it. It was embarrassing—a lot. The Gallery guaranteed anonymity, so you could go full thick-skinned, but not me. Some of my friends are the type who stay polite even in games. I didn't get it back then. But now, in this emergency, I was agonizing over it.
'No. Let's ask Olfather first.'
Olfather was a walking encyclopedia, so he'd help. Plus, as a fellow man, he'd take it seriously. Hoping he knew medicine too, I messaged him.
YasaengGrill: Olfather-nim. You there?
Olfather: What is it, Grills?
Thank goodness he was online. I relaxed a bit. But relaxation wouldn't solve it. Hoping for the best, I described my symptoms.
YasaengGrill: It's a bit... dangerous situation. Especially as a man.
Olfather: Don't tell me your dick or balls exploded?
Olfather dropped some terrifying words. If it were that bad, I'd already be gone. But it was on the verge.
YasaengGrill: Not that bad yet. But since waking up, it won't calm down at all;;
Olfather: Hmm. Must be from that eel you ate yesterday. Especially a Four Seasons Forest eel.
YasaengGrill: For real?
Olfather: Yeah. I woke up this morning and... well... haha.
That hearty laugh said it all. What the hell was in that eel to make it act like a super aphrodisiac? But who cared—treatment was priority.
YasaengGrill: It'll go away, right?
Olfather: Yes. But first, some theory. Okay?
YasaengGrill: Makes treatment easier?
Olfather: It's tied to your body's energy, so your effort matters most, Grills.
No wonder elixir didn't work. I even rubbed it on—useless. Made it tougher, actually. No comeback for the dick god jokes now. I was dead serious, damn it.
YasaengGrill: Hope it's simple.
Olfather: Sure. Everyone has innate gender-specific energy. In Jungwon, it's yin-yang. Medically, hormones.
Was he talking hormones? I listened intently.
Olfather: Yang energy handles muscles, body hair, stamina, etc. Physical stuff. Sometimes linked to baldness, but unconfirmed.
YasaengGrill: So the eel has yang energy?
Olfather: Not exactly. It amplifies it. Problem: in men, yang gathers easiest in the crotch.
Simple explanation: Eel spiked my male hormones. They pooled down there—boom, crisis. Sounded absurd, but fantasy world. My "impossible" was normal here.
YasaengGrill: Cure?
Olfather: You've learned the Internal Power Method, so easy. Spread the pooled energy everywhere.
YasaengGrill: Sounds simple?
Olfather: Key is focusing on the Internal Power Method while it's standing tall.
Ah. Yeah, that'd be hard. Internal Power Method needed total focus. It was starting to hurt, and now this? Daunting.
YasaengGrill: Any easier way?
Olfather: Cut it off or release it yourself. Pick one. ;;;
No way in hell on cutting. I thanked Olfather and started the Internal Power Method. Had to solve this to pass the hurdle.
'Focus on the energy pooled in my crotch, not lower belly.'
Anyone seeing me would call me a perv. But I was serious. Couldn't let my pride explode.
I ignored the distracting spot and gathered energy. "Hoo..."
Not easy. Dantian energy was clear, but there? Tough. Still, push on. Max focus.
Shaaaa—
Maybe my focus worked. The tight energy clump faded bit by bit. Joy was short-lived—then weirdness.
'Huh? Wha?'
The clump spread everywhere, then powdered out. If that ended it, fine. But changes hit.
Mana flow sped up—stronger. Whole body pumped forcibly. Heart pounded wild, breaths longer. Beyond startled—baffled.
'Whoa, run everything first.'
Stopping now risked who-knows-what. Kept focus. Matched long breaths to storming mana, calmed heart.
'Heaven is the supreme that all things revere...'
Chanted Cheonma's incantation just in case. Not calm the storm—ride it. "Adapt," not "control," or it'd sweep me.
Thump! Thump! Thump—
Heart slowed, mana stabilized. Caught breath, ended method, opened eyes. "Hoo."
Shook my head. Felt one with the storm. If I'd tried control with low skill? Failure likely.
'Cheonma's incantations are sneaky good.'
Helped in crises. Curious about next, but I'll wait patiently.
'...It didn't explode, right?'
Checked pants—just in case. Safe. Sorry, crappy owner. Weird morning, but survived.
'Don't post this on Gallery.'
Too embarrassing. Diary material. Figured eel's effects too—perfect entry: pic, effects, warnings.
'Share eels. Solo eating causes trouble.'
Flawless diary. Thus began my eventful Day 12.
First, posted survival notice.
YasaengGrill: Wake-up
YasaengGrill (photo of campfire reduced to charcoal)
Day 12 starts today.
└Cheonma: Up late for once.
└YasaengGrill: Morning issue.
└Cheonma: Dangerous?
└YasaengGrill: Personal all-time crisis.
└Cheonma: Glad you solved it.
└Olfather: Looks resolved.
└YasaengGrill: Thanks to you haha;;
└PassingDwarf: Yo, that eel you gave? Packs a punch lol
└SunForever: Me too lol. Confidence topped up.
└KingLeor: Got nagged by wife all morning...
└SmartMine: Thought it was some drug, not eel.
└Only gave one piece and everyone's like that?
└Four Seasons Forest effect, probably.
└What about Grills? You hogged extras.
└Morning issue = wouldn't go down?
└Lmao if so, real crisis lol
Victim(?) was just me. Excess is no good—solo overeating caused it. Share eels next time. Assuming I catch more.
'Gotta be picky with food from now on...'
Ask Olfather later, but symptoms on me. Sighed, stood. Daily routine start.
First: repairs. As planned yesterday. Not just outpost—full hideout. Detail-oriented.
'Barricades by lunch.'
Adjust barricade spots first. Moat-to-drainage mod put many under. Better outside.
'Gotta push.'
Barricade height: just over eye-level. Mana-free push impossible... grrrk—
"Huh?"
Why's it sliding? Test nudge, and it slid easy. Floor slippery? No.
Dirt shouldn't slide like that.
'What? Hallucinating?'
Pushed harder—no mana. Grrrk!
Slid easy. Not light—scrape marks proved weight. Meaning: my strength surged.
'Same yesterday?'
Eel did this? Only suspect. Eel boosts strength? Four Seasons Forest—shrug off weirdness.
Pulled barricade around, lifted base experimentally. Lifted too easy.
'...Nice?'
Get why athletes dope.