Chapter 195
He'd dug up a lot of earth, but it still wasn't enough, so he had to grab the shovel and toil alone again. After about an hour, his shoulders and back ached, forcing him to stop. Thinking it over, this wasn't a one- or two-day job. He'd need to plan for at least a month or two. So he called it quits for the day, headed to the stream to wash up—but then considered heading to Forest 1 to hunt gems. He rinsed his hands, filled his canteen, and made for the cabin.
He roughly packed his backpack and set off into Forest 1. He'd planned to bring Yadongi along, but with no clue where the little pest had fled, he went solo.
As soon as he entered Forest 1, the familiar bizarre wild animals appeared, chittering excitedly in greeting. They'd met a few times now, so they acted friendly enough. Or rather, they were eyeing his chocolate bars. With a sigh, Hanyaseong pulled out his last few and tossed bits to them, asking,
"Has anyone else come through here? You know, to this spot?"
They gobbled it up with gleeful kya-gl-kya noises, too busy eating to respond. These Forest 1 Yadongis looked different from the others—their forests shaped them that way. The ones with three eyes protruding like twitching antennae still creeped him out; he couldn't get used to it.
"No one's come?"
A few lifted their heads with ga-gl-ga-gl chirps. That seemed like a sign someone had come.
"Who was it? Here?"
Hanyaseong's face hardened as he pressed them. His gut screamed that someone had made it this far. Damn it—that can-coffee-ditching bastard for sure. He'd figured the guy was an explorer type. Not military; they'd have overrun huge swaths by now, probably seizing even Forest 0 and his cabin. No, this was a lone wolf.
A few led the way with more ga-gl-ga-gls. Hanyaseong drew the hand axe from his belt, gripping it in one fist. He'd only come for gems, so he'd left the wild sword and wild bow back at the cabin.
Trailing them briefly, he soon spotted signs of a camp under a massive tree.
"Fuck! You son of a bitch!"
Hanyaseong spat curses in fury. The animals, thinking it was aimed at them, startled and fled. He was livid at the intruder's traces. A campfire pit right under the big tree—not one he'd made. Someone else had built it. And deliberately left it obvious, like a taunt. A message: I've been here. The bastard knew he wasn't alone.
"You motherfucker—this is my world."
Tears of rage welled up. This was his space, and some outsider had invaded it. It felt like coming home to find a burglar squatting inside—pure, seething outrage. This place was sacred; he hadn't even told senior Choi Yujin about it. He could lavish her pussy and ass with devoted tongue work, but sharing this? No way. Yet here this prick was, lighting fires and camping like he owned it. It infuriated him beyond endurance—like watching some other guy force his tongue into Choi Yujin's holes.
He could not let that happen.
"You fucker—I'm killing you!"
In his peak fury, Hanyaseong vowed it. Whoever entered here would die. This was his world. No one else could claim it, or it'd be nest stolen. How he'd found this haven—the first true happiness of his life—he couldn't lose it to another. He had zero intention of sharing. Hell, he figured the intruder wouldn't either. This was a new world, worth trillions—no, quadrillions—maybe infinitely more. Priceless beyond Earth itself.
No air pollution, no environmental filth, not even fine dust. Terminal patients would heal here. It was that pure, that perfect. But if outsiders trickled in, it'd ruin everything—like how whites polluted pristine America. He couldn't allow it. Screw the rest—this was his. No one else could live here. It'd be as infuriating as getting caught mid-jerk-off.
This belongs to me alone.
"I'm killing you, you fucker."
Staring at the fire pit with murderous eyes, he stomped it to oblivion. For the first time, his territory breached, Hanyaseong revealed a psychopathic ferocity.
"At least a few months ago, then."
Calm settling as time passed, he examined the ashes again. The wood was weathered; definitely months old, not yesterday. Axe in hand, he backtracked the intruder's path without hesitation. No sign of him today. But tomorrow? Or tonight via portal? If he showed, Hanyaseong would end him. Tracking mud into my house—unforgivable.
Pressing on, he found more campsites. The guy was cautious, probing slowly, never pushing far in one go. Seemed he'd only reached Forest 1's midpoint before retreating. No traces in Forest 0 yet, so not that far. But he'd come eventually, passing through. His cabin could be exposed. If the bastard spotted it from his side first, game over—no counterplay. The guy could torch it, set traps.
Urgency spiking, Hanyaseong jogged, hunting signs. At Forest 1's edge, the boundary appeared. The intruder hailed from beyond—call it Forest 2. He'd dubbed the cyclops monster zone Forest 3. He'd found the can coffee in nearby brush. Definitely him.
Hanyaseong hesitated.
"Fuck—what now? Go check it out?"
Still in that violent headspace, curses flowed freely. Quiet types turned terrifying when enraged, and mild Hanyaseong had transformed, eyes blazing with wrath and killing intent. If he bumped into the guy now, he'd cleave his neck with the axe in one stroke.
Gazing into Forest 2, he wrestled, then steeled himself. No choice.
"If he came from here, it must be safe enough."
No way from a hellhole like Forest 3. He'd have barreled straight to Forest 0 otherwise. Coming from a safe spot like his own Forest 0 explained the caution, the slow scouting. Just like Hanyaseong himself. A flicker of kinship stirred, but he shook it off. Gems here were priceless bait. Betrayal lurked—who knew when a backstab? This world held monsters and men to fear. Better kill first than die betrayed later.
First, find the bastard's base, ID him. Cautious type, probably American—armed for sure. Had to be; guns were as easy to grab as smokes at a US convenience store. Scout his lair, gather intel. Delay, and he'd be the prey, charging a gunman with a hand axe. Strike first to win. He might bring friends later, or a group. Best eliminate quick.
Clenching the axe, Hanyaseong advanced into the unknown of Forest 2.
Forest 2 was another realm entirely. Nothing like safe Forest 0 or gem-rich Forest 1—this forest sprawled alien and wrong.
"What the hell is all this?"
Hanyaseong's jaw dropped in shock. Some plants floated midair, drifting and undulating like jellyfish. It tricked the eye into thinking he'd plunged into ocean depths. He'd barely crossed the border, and already the unknown swarmed.
He froze, unable to press deeper.
"What do I do?"
Zero intel on this forest. One wrong step, and something might strike. Yadongi could've helped, but even it had balked at Forest 2 before. The critter sensed danger like a pro. Something lethal lurked here, no doubt. Fear gripped Hanyaseong; he couldn't budge inward. Those drifting jelly-plants looked primed to attack on contact, pinning him in place.