Chapter 158
Hanyaseong tore into a chocolate bar and asked, “Has anyone shown up? I mean outsiders from somewhere else.”
The wild animals were too mesmerized by the chocolate to even respond. Their carefree demeanor suggested no enemies had come snooping around.
Hanyaseong crumbled the chocolate into bits and tossed them to the animals before heading to the stream. There, he drank his fill and began his detox routine. After several rounds of relieving himself, his body felt refreshingly light. Coming here really does wonders—makes me feel alive and invigorated.
After a quick warm-up, Hanyaseong started jogging toward the forest boundary. No sign of intruders; the woods were just as he'd left them. At the edge, he peered beyond—everything unchanged. Nothing had shifted.
But he couldn't let his guard down. Who knew when the enemies might show? Next time they portaled in—roughly every 150 days in this world's time—they might have already claimed the place. Two days of rest here meant nearly 300 days over there. Plenty of time to overrun everything.
Hanyaseong strolled along the boundary, then ventured inward just a bit. Having poked around once before and made it back, he felt little fear. Deeper in, those bizarre animals from last time appeared, staring at him. All herbivores, no aggression.
Hanyaseong regretted not bringing more chocolate. These guys could be allies too... Nothing bonded animals like food.
“Stay put. I'll get you something to eat.”
He bolted back to Forest 0, dashed to the lodge, grabbed a whole box of chocolate bars, and raced back. In Forest 1, he broke them open and scattered pieces. The wild animals sniffed curiously, licked tentatively, then went berserk, devouring them. They shoved and jostled, fighting over scraps.
“Hey, hey, no fighting—plenty to go around.”
Hanyaseong kept crumbling and tossing chocolate everywhere. These creatures, used to foraging fruits and berries, lost their minds over the sweet treat. Their eyes glazed over like puppies piling into chocolate for the first time, scrambling in a frenzy.
By the end of the day, he'd burned through a full box, securing plenty of allies. Just holding a chocolate bar made their eyes sparkle with anticipation.
Watching them, Hanyaseong finally understood why ancient natives fell to invaders. So innocent, so trusting.
He shook his head and lectured the animals like kindergarten kids. “If any enemies show up here, you have to tell me right away. Got it? We're guarding this place together. Don't eat anything strangers offer—it's a trap. Only take food from me. Never from unknowns.”
He shattered the remaining bars and distributed them. The bizarre wild animals scarfed them down in a chaotic frenzy. Over thirty of them swarmed in, battling it out until every crumb was gone.
Hanyaseong glanced toward the spot where he'd once found canned coffee, then returned to Forest 0 and his lodge. Stomach rumbling, he fired up some ramen.
As it cooked, he pondered his next move. Training had grown tedious, honestly. Hanyaseong wasn't the grind-it-out type—just mildly persistent. He'd always preferred light, fun practice over slaving for world-beater status.
It was enjoyable when it stayed casual, but now it felt grueling. Time for a change. Forcing it wouldn't yield better results anyway. Daily survival drills lost their spark too.
“Yadong-ah, let's cut training in half. Eight hours of half-assed work, eight hours of play.”
Yadong-i, clearly uninterested, just sat by the pot waiting for the ramen to boil.
Hanyaseong slurped noodles with Yadong-i first. Then he grabbed his true sword, Yageumgi, and stepped outside. Holding the real blade calmed him somehow—heavy in his left hand.
At the temple ruins, he took his stance. No more brutal sessions. Back to the fun he'd had upon first arriving.
Drawing Yageumgi, he swung freely—pure enjoyment. The sword no longer felt burdensome.
“Yeah, empty the mind.”
Classic wuxia wisdom: greed weighs down the blade. Let go, and it floats like a feather.
Hanyaseong swung Yageumgi without form or rules, left hand on the scabbard, right on the hilt—pure, liberated swordplay. This was the thrill. Imagining foes before him, slicing them down in a survival game of the mind.
The whoosh of the blade filled the air as phantom enemies fell, one by one.
He swung for over thirty minutes—formless, rule-free, greed-free. Just fun. Sweat-drenched and satisfied, he stopped. In his imagination, he'd slaughtered a hundred invaders.
Not real, but the rush was. Hanyaseong had always indulged such fantasies alone—picturing himself as Earth's hero, triumphing over foes. Now, he was a lone warrior defending this world from hordes.
Swinging at nothing was dull; conjuring enemies made it exhilarating.
“Whew, yeah. This is living.”
Too much striving lately had sucked the joy out. Obsessed with training, he'd forgotten to enjoy the place. Back to basics now—life here would be fun again.
He sheathed Yageumgi and headed to the stream for a bath. Stripped down, rinsed in cold water, then back to the lodge.
Yadong-i, ramen-stuffed and sleepy, sprawled out snoring.
Hanyaseong changed into fresh clothes, lay back on the bedding. With greed and fixation gone, time here felt leisurely. This was a retreat, not boot camp.
It started that way. But pushing hard for deeper forest scouting bred pressure, turning visits into a chore. No wonder it dragged—like Spartan academy endless.
Now, light training, play, relaxation. Invaders? He'd handle them. The chocolate-fed beasts would help too.
Arms behind head, drowsiness crept in. Eyes closed, he drifted off.
Next morning, life in this world resumed. Light walk and stretches first, then breakfast with late-sleeping Yadong-i.
Post-meal, he lounged around. Mid-morning, crossbow and Yageumgi in tow, he scouted nearby woods.
Forest 1 was familiar now—free rein. Untouched areas got a quick dip, just a taste.
So many unexplored forests... training crept back unavoidable. Deeper ones demanded strength to survive and return.
Swinging Yageumgi, Hanyaseong sighed. Trouble I brought on myself. Skip scouting, skip training. But no—he'd committed.
Felt like grueling dive prep for ocean depths. His skills could handle any Earth jungle now—this place's Forest 0 made them look tame.
Except... no venomous bugs or snakes here. Amazon? Crawling with them. This was paradise comparatively.
But safety zone only. Unseen forests hid real perils—man-eaters, swarms, beasts.
Why chase that? Not mere curiosity. That wouldn't justify such survival grind.