Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Episode 18. Trip (2)
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Yoo Ji-tae was driving.
"Uwaa! Those are my snacks!"
"Ah, tasty."
"Stop eating them, you red wild boar!"
Gaeul and Yeoreum were bickering in the back seat. Yeoreum popped one of Gaeul's snacks into her mouth whole, chewed it up, and let out a massive buuuurp while muttering, "Damn, twice as good."
"Ugh... So annoying. You wild boar. Red hyena!"
"Yeah, yellow monkey. Hey, lend me your leg."
Yeoreum patted her belly and lay down, using Gaeul's thigh as a pillow. He could feel Bom trembling slightly.
Bom and Winter were watching the two from the passenger seat like they were spectators at a show.
"Uncle! Unni ate all my snacks!"
"Yeah."
"Hiiing. Is that all?"
"...Don't steal other people's stuff."
"Yeees~."
Yeoreum blew off Yoo Ji-tae's words with a giggle.
A peaceful road trip.
Truth be told, they could have teleported there in one go.
And that had been the original plan.
But in some past loop, someone had said something like that.
That the journey itself was part of the 'trip.'
He didn't know what that meant exactly. But he could at least imitate it.
So Yoo Ji-tae had rented a car.
Deep in winter. The car glided forward through the snowy white landscape.
"Aaah, let's play some music! Sing along!"
"What song?"
"I'll pick it!"
Gaeul fiddled with her watch as something came to mind.
BGM started playing from the car speakers. Dung-dung. Drum beats followed by electronic instrument sounds.
Soon, the lyrics kicked in.
-Ji. Ji. Ji. Ji.
A familiar voice.
-Reporter-nim. Wanna fu↗ck (beep-) me↗?
Ah, this one.
He knew it from the time Gaeul had played it for him before.
Yeoreum's interview had gone viral online, and some netizen had made a remix video out of it.
They'd turned her voice into an instrument.
Yeoreum, who hadn't understood the netizens' reactions, had smashed her monitor in half after hearing the remix.
Same reaction now.
"No! Crazy Yoo Gaeul!"
Yeoreum bolted upright from Gaeul's thigh in horror. Then she lunged for Gaeul's watch.
Gaeul burst into laughter and curled up like a pillbug.
-We both know it, so how lo↗ng are you gonna mi↗l k it. Next↗, next↗.
"Ah, nooo! It's funny!"
"Funny my ass! Give me that thing!"
The chick held on for dear life, giggling hysterically.
The car bounced up and down with them.
*
Where the road ended, they used Teleport.
When they opened their eyes again, vast nature stretched out before them.
In the middle of the mountains. A lake shimmered faintly.
There was something curious. Everywhere else was blanketed in snow, but not there. It was like spring. The air felt comfortably warm, too.
This place was about 2,000 km north from the Mongolian border.
'Severobaikalsk.'
Russian soil he was stepping on after a long time.
Tall, endless mountains lined up, and before them lay Lake Baikal, longer than all of Korea.
In real-world time, about twenty years ago. This area had been used as a military facility during the Great War. And that facility had been obliterated by monster attacks.
Now, no one set foot here. But it held one special secret.
"Whoa. It's so pretty..."
Gaeul murmured, entranced.
An incredibly beautiful lake lay there.
A soft glow emanated from the water, along with a warm aura. The temperature felt pleasantly toasty.
Not just dungeons had appeared when the rifts opened. Rarely, terrain treasures like this from other dimensions crossed over too.
Not known now, but in about five years, it would become widely famous in Russia and designated a national park.
Its name: 'Lake of Life.'
"......"
From Bom's arms, Winter stared at the lake in awe.
The Blue Dragon was of the water kin.
She would love it especially.
"Go explore."
With that, Yoo Ji-tae started setting up the tent and camping gear he'd brought. Over fifty years rolling in the field—he pitched the tent in seconds and gathered twigs for a campfire.
As he straightened up after lighting it, clap-clap-clap.
Winter, who'd been watching, was clapping her hands.
Yoo Ji-tae placed a hand on the child's tiny head.
Looking back, Yeoreum and Gaeul were splashing around in the water in their tank tops and shorts, while Bom watched with just her feet dipped in.
"Unni, come in too! It's warm!"
"Don't be a loner by yourself."
The two waved, and Bom waved back.
"I'll come in a bit."
Then she admired the mountain scenery and flopped down in the grass.
A dragon of great nature enjoying nature after so long.
Yoo Ji-tae was feeling this kind of leisure for the first time in ages too. This loop had been leisurely overall. The regressor didn't mind.
So he went over and lay down next to Bom.
Bom glanced at him and made space. Then Winter crawled between them and lay down.
The breeze was warm.
"Uncle. In this setup."
"Yeah."
"This is a family trip."
Then Bom started spouting nonsense.
Yoo Ji-tae just listened silently, so Bom continued.
"You're the dad."
"......"
"I'm the eldest daughter. Those kids are my little siblings."
"......"
"So where's Mom?"
Bom looked at Winter with a 'hmm?' expression.
Winter turned serious too and stared at Yoo Ji-tae, like she was demanding to know where Mom was.
"......"
He felt a bit troubled and didn't respond.
Then Bom leaned in and whispered in his ear.
'Guess I'll have...'
Her breath tickled his ear.
'...to be Mom.'
Utter nonsense.
He felt even more troubled.
As he lay there silently, he could feel Winter and Bom's gazes. Eyes demanding some kind of answer.
So he rolled over.
Bom burst out laughing, snickering.
*
He'd come here in the second loop by chance.
Back then, it was during the war.
He'd lain here with fellow soldiers, gazing at the night sky.
Yoo Ji-tae glanced at Bom sleeping with Winter in her arms.
Back then, another woman had been in that spot.
Morning Star. His lover.
Thinking back, she might have said something while looking at him. Probably whining that the water was scary.
He tried to recall those memories. But like a weathered photo with only faint traces left, they were blurry now.
So he had to mull over the memories that wouldn't come clearly.
*
"Why don't you go play too?"
It was about mealtime, so he asked.
Winter hesitated a little.
"The lake water is warm, and it has a stabilizing mana aura."
It healed wounds and eased fatigue.
He figured Winter would like it.
"......"
But Winter glanced between the lake and Yoo Ji-tae, hesitating.
He couldn't understand why the baby was holding back.
Winter babbled, seeming like she wanted to say something—opening her mouth as if to speak, then closing it like she couldn't yet.
"Then... wanna stay here?"
Winter's hesitant expression didn't change.
Not the right answer.
"Then, wanna stay with Bom?"
No change in Winter's hesitation.
Not that either.
He thought kids' psychology was tricky.
"...Wanna go catch fish together?"
Only then did Winter's face light up brightly.
There it was. Fish.
Having found the answer, Yoo Ji-tae sank into Shallowest Abyss (S) and had his 'hands' fetch fishing rods.
Bait on, and they started fishing.
Winter sat on his leg, watching curiously.
Then, glancing at his face, she suddenly plunged into the water.
She wasn't going in earlier.
But now Winter splashed around excitedly. She seemed to like water after all.
Meanwhile, Yoo Ji-tae reeled in fish one after another. Otherworld freshwater fish. From small ones to thigh-sized beasts. Mostly tasty fellows.
He put them in the colander he'd prepared and stood.
Winter, who'd been in the water till then, floated up into the air and hurried over when she saw him stand.
She could use that magic now too.
"......?"
A 'where are we going?' look.
"Let's go get food."
"Food? Me too!"
Yeoreum, who'd been lounging by Bom after playing in the water, followed. Gaeul grabbed Winter's hand and trailed after Yoo Ji-tae.
"But what food?"
"Mushrooms."
"......?"
Confusion crossed the chick's face.
"Mushrooms? Mush-room?"
"Why."
"I don't like mushrooms. What if we eat a poisonous one..."
She remembered the Amazon poison mushroom story Gaeul had foraged and eaten.
"Don't worry."
He strode up the mountain.
At the base of a large tree. Not visible at a glance, but up close, mushrooms of all shapes sprouted.
He pointed to a white one peeking out from fallen leaves.
"How's that one."
"Hmm. Cute. Right, Winter?"
The blue head nodded.
"Smells good too. Safe to eat?"
"No."
"Why? It's pretty. Smells nice."
It was an otherworld mushroom called 'Yeodre Mushroom.' Uniquely, its poison phase was fixed.
Freshly sprouted, it had no poison. But as it grew and the cap opened, poison formed.
About eight days in. Hence 'Yeodre.'
And this one's cap was open.
Gaeul's eyes widened at his explanation.
"How do you know?"
Decades in the field.
Yoo Ji-tae, Gaeul, and Winter wandered picking more mushrooms. As he gathered a few, he let out an "Oh" of admiration.
"Why? What? What's there?"
"Lucky day."
"What is it...? Eek."
This one was hideous. Black, covered in thorn-like spines. Like it ate bugs in hell.
'Abaddon Mushroom.'
Far more umami and aromatic than similar-looking enoki. Hard to buy even with money.
"We eat that? I-it smells good..."
"Can't eat it raw."
"Why?"
"There was this middle-aged couple I knew. Got lost in the mountains, starved for days, found Abaddon Mushrooms. Famous for vitality and stamina. They ate them raw."
"Yeah. And?"
"...When rescued, both had food poisoning and dehydration. Turns out the filthy gills were full of bugs. Do they know it's tasty?"
Bugs? Gaeul recoiled in horror.
Luckily, this one had no bugs.
Blanch it well, no problem.
Thus, Yoo Ji-tae returned with several types.
And for the first time in forever, he started cooking himself.
Boiled lake water with pre-brought garlic, onions, etc., for broth.
Added herbs picked with the mushrooms—non-volatile scents.
Then filleted fish and prepped mushrooms.
Finally, chili powder, green onions, sliced peppers.
As he thought the campfire heat lacking, Yeoreum caught his eye.
"Make the fire stronger."
Treated like a burner, Yeoreum scowled but silently ignited her fingertip to boost the fire.
Perfectly hot now.
Bubble bubble. The mushroom hotpot was done.
Yoo Ji-tae pulled out Bom's large thermos. It was full of rice.
Scooped rice into bowls and handed them out.
Then unveiled the hotpot.
Abaddon mushroom umami scent exploded outward.
"Waaah......!"
Gaeul clenched her fist.
Bom ladled mushroom hotpot into plates and passed them.
One bite. Two bites.
The eaters let out "Oh shit," "Wow," exclamations nonstop.
Amid it, Gaeul eyed the mushrooms suspiciously. She nibbled the edge cautiously.
Then her face lit up. She shoved the whole thing in and chewed happily.
He took a bite too.
Spicy, umami-rich broth. Tender white freshwater fish. Fragrant mushrooms assaulting the nose.
Revived from hazy old memories, and it turned out decent.
Then, Winter—sitting on his lap, clumsily spooning rice—widened her eyes and looked up at him.
How is it? Tasty? As he asked with his eyes.
The baby's tiny mouth opened slightly.
"...Tasty."
Instantly, everyone's eyes—except Bom's—went wide as saucers.