Chapter 162
Han Yaseong handed out chocolate bars evenly to the group, then made his request again.
"Not more of these same fruits—bring something different. Something new, not from around here."
He repeated it a few more times, and even Yadori joined in with his gruk gruk calls. Delighted, the wild animals dashed off once more. The critters were just like puppies, thrilled as if they were playing fetch.
Han Yaseong settled comfortably on a rock, stuffing fruits into plastic bags. Back at base, he'd wash them clean in the stream and catalog their effects under Yadori's supervision. Who knew—maybe there'd be something special among them, like those red or white fruits with unique properties.
The wild animals returned one by one, each bearing novel fruits. Han Yaseong sent back any duplicates and rewarded the fresh finds with chocolate bars, urging them to fetch more. Without a hint of complaint, the eager bunch scattered like dogs on a mission.
These bizarre wild creatures here were remarkably docile. Herbivores posed no threat, of course. But the predators in other regions? No telling. They'd surely attack—try to devour him, most likely. He couldn't help wishing for a gun. Sure, he'd grown much stronger, but not enough to tangle with beasts head-on. With his real sword, he might handle a tiger or two somehow. But if hyenas swarmed by the dozens? His life would be in real jeopardy.
Even fleeing to the mountains might not save him—he'd sustain heavy wounds, get chased down, and bleed out. Predators were ruthless like that, they said: pursuing injured prey relentlessly until exhaustion claimed it.
Han Yaseong had no desire to die like some pathetic impala or gnu, torn apart and devoured. And with those massive dinosaur-like footprints around, exploring other forest zones demanded serious preparation. Not full plate armor, maybe, but Roman-style chainmail as a full-body suit seemed wise. If it meant surviving, he'd use any means necessary.
About an hour later, the bartering wrapped up. The animals had started out excited, but the repetitive fruit runs grew tiresome. After munching their chocolate, they sauntered off into the grasslands. Still, dozens of them flitting back and forth like swallows had piled up a bountiful haul of fruits and berries.
He packed it all into bags, waved to the lounging herd in the nearby grass, and called out his thanks.
"Thanks, guys. I'll be back."
Then he and Yadori headed back to Forest Zero. He'd planned two or three days of foraging, but with their help, it took just three hours.
At the stream, he washed every last piece clean and spread them out on large trays back at the shelter. Excluding duplicates and familiar ones, they began sorting with Yadori's input.
"This one?"
He'd hold up a fruit; if Yadori shook his head, it was inedible. No reaction meant safe to eat. Sorting edibles from toxins brought a pang of regret for the three bags of fruits, flowers, and berries he'd gathered before—now lost to waste. It felt like finishing all your research only for the hard drive to crash, forcing a total redo. And back then, the haul had been even bigger: everything edible from Forest One.
But that damn canned coffee discovery had rushed him home, forgetting the fruits amid the panic. No—the bags had sat in the corner, but enemy threats and tension sidelined any testing. No time for leisurely fruit-tasting when foes could strike anytime.
Now starting from scratch irked him a bit. If only he'd done it then...
"Safe to eat?"
One by one, he pinched fruits between fingers, reconfirming edibility. Of over forty berry types, Yadori approved about twenty. For seven fruits, only three passed muster.
Han Yaseong grouped the keepers and jotted everything in his notebook. If only there were instant-stamina restorers or resurrection berries... One extra life would make forest delves fearless.
"Try it."
He split a berry, offering half to Yadori, who lay stretched out with a lazy scowl. No dice without chocolate—he mixed some in, and Yadori chomped down with mouth agape.
What a finicky beast.
Han Yaseong mimicked him, sampling each. Mostly nutty like beans, some sour, astringent, or cloying. Over a dozen down, and nothing special—just peanuts or almonds.
Bored of hand-fed treats, Yadori rose and nudged fruits with his paws, sorting them swiftly into piles. Han Yaseong watched idly; no need to interfere if the little guy was helping.
Soon enough, three neat triangles formed: one hefty pile, one modest, one tiny with just two berries.
Right side: nuts like peanuts. Left: the sour, bitter bunch. Top: those two stood out.
Han Yaseong eyed them closely. These must be the specials, like the red or white ones.
"Safe?"
Pointing them out, Yadori snatched one and munched without hesitation—a black grape-like berry. Seemed fine.
"This too?"
The green one beside it resembled green grapes. Yadori gave no objection.
Notes updated: Black berry: edible. Green berry: edible. Effects unknown.
He popped the black one like Yadori. Chewy, almost gum-like, but it melted down his throat with prolonged chewing. No immediate effect.
"What’s this for?"
Yadori ignored him, chewing his own before bolting upright and dashing outside. Odd—he rarely left the shelter. Something urgent?
Han Yaseong even wondered if it cured constipation. But clean water and detox properties made that impossible; hydration flushed everything naturally.
Why eat it deliberately, though? Must be special. Yet after finishing his, no changes came. He set the green one aside in a paper cup for later, sorted and noted the rest by color and shape.
Running tally: over forty edible berries total, five with notable effects. Fruits seemed mundane—no special sorting from Yadori.
Red Berry: Almond-sized. Body awakening effect. Heightens senses. Strong aftereffects.
White Berry: Peanut-sized. Wound healer. Minor stamina recovery. Nearly no aftereffects.
Yellow Berry: Stabilizer effect.
Black Berry: Chewy texture.
Green Berry: Unknown.
He listed the plain edibles too when a signal rippled through his body.
"What the...?"
Han Yaseong focused inward. His lower abdomen warmed gradually. Heat built in his groin, his cock stiffening. Body temperature rose. It hardened fully, throbbing erect.
Black berry aftermath, no doubt.
Overheated, he stripped off his shirt and stepped outside.
"Hoo... what the hell is this?"
Why the random boner? His breath steamed sweet and hot. Dantian grew heavy, cock straining rigid.
Han Yaseong loosened his limbs, breathing deep in and out. Something's wrong with this berry.