Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Fron's Bear Trap Hunters
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“Already morning?”
It had been a week since the bone-chilling cold that felt like it was ripping the flesh from his bones had arrived.
The harsh freeze that hit Fron didn’t spare homes or the outdoors.
Hundreds had already frozen to death, but Dave wasn’t one of them.
“Hot pack, was it? The more I look at it, the more amazing it is.”
It was thanks to the hot pack he’d popped inside his blankets.
At first, he’d doubted that something so small could generate heat.
But soon enough, he understood why the villagers blindly trusted anything from the market.
He felt no cold at all.
In fact, it was even warm.
Stumbling groggily to the kitchen half-asleep, he was greeted by his already awake son and wife, Ellen.
“Daddy!”
“Dave, you’re up? Here, drink this.”
The item Ellen pulled out was something he’d never seen before.
[Instant Coffee Mix 90-Pack]
She opened the black container labeled as such, revealing it packed with high-quality plastic pouches.
Ellen took one out, boiled water over a flame from the market lighter, and dissolved it.
What ended up in the cup was hot, black liquid.
“Never seen this tea before?”
The aroma was incredibly sweet, though.
“It’s coffee. I got some.”
“Coffee? The stuff only nobles drink?”
Dave paused with the cup to his lips in surprise.
Wasn’t coffee worth a common household’s entire monthly income, a luxury for nobles only?
Ellen chuckled softly and waved it off.
“You think I’m crazy enough to buy it myself? It’s from Judak Market.”
“Oh, uh-huh.”
Dave sat back down.
Judak Market.
Oddly enough, even in their remote village on the outskirts, slapping that name on anything made everyone nod in understanding.
No matter how expensive or absurd the effect, “Judak Market” solved it all.
“Here’s breakfast.”
The additional breakfast was a can.
A thin, orange can made of something like sheet metal, labeled “Tuna in Oil.”
He silently shoveled the tuna into his mouth.
The insanely oily richness and the savory tuna flavor spreading through his body drove him wild.
After scraping the bottom and sides clean, he took a sip of coffee and muttered.
“It’s unbelievable.”
“Right? Who’d sell stuff like this to people like us?”
Truth be told, Dave’s family hadn’t been well-off a few years ago.
Dave had been drafted into the Great War but survived by sheer luck.
The reality he returned to was his sick son and his starving wife, Ellen.
The lofty nobles had barricaded the castle gates, too busy feasting among themselves.
Back then, death was the only option for their family—until Judak suddenly appeared in the gallery.
“It’s practically a gift from the gods.”
“Anyway, you’re starting that job today, right?”
Ellen leaned in close to the pensive Dave, her eyes sparkling.
She looked so excited, like she was the one heading out.
“Yeah, something like that.”
“That’s great. Who gets an opportunity like this?”
“Yeah, it was pure luck.”
*Ding.*
Just then, a gallery notification rang out.
Checking it, it was from his workplace.
[Fron Hunters Chat Room]
Judak*: Hi.
I’llBeTheWorldsBestHunter: Hello, sir!!!!!
DeerSpecialistHunter: Good morning!!!
Judak*: As announced, just work today and post reviews in the gallery.
Judak*: Posting usage instructions one last time in case anyone forgot ㅇㅇ
Judak*: (??? Safe Usage Demo Video)
The job was as a Fron hunter, personally recruited by Judak.
Hunt using the items Judak distributed, then record the results.
Surprisingly, Judak had no interest in the hides or meat afterward.
“Alright, I’m off then.”
“Be careful out there. Watch for bears.”
“Come back safe, Daddy!”
Dave stared at his son and ruffled his hair messily.
He slung his hunting tools over his shoulder and stepped out.
“It’s cold, so stay at the village head’s place. That...”
“Portable generator?”
“Yeah. Judak gave us that too.”
The cold no longer threatened the north.
Starting with hot packs, then the generator that pulsed like a heartbeat.
No one trembled indoors from the chill anymore.
Villages gathered around one per community, drinking tea or passing time.
But food was another issue.
- Where’d all the deer go?
- Why Fron Really Skipped Season 142 Premiere...jpg
- Fuck, need to hunt but no game left
As the gallery posts said, the wildlife had mostly died off from the cold.
Only vicious ice bears or magical beasts remained.
But that was the old story now.
“They said to set this up, right?”
Deep in the mountains, Dave unpacked his load and pulled something out.
Following the video instructions, he fiddled with it and soon finished setup.
*Clank.*
“...That looks brutal.”
Judak had provided the hunting tool himself.
Staring at the eerie, finished trap, he let out a hollow laugh.
A monstrous snare that effortlessly caught beasts you’d flee from.
“Its name was... Chalko?”
The trap gaped open menacingly, waiting for prey.
Commonly known as a bear trap.
*
[Title: Amazing!]
Author: Dave
(Ice bear caught and dead in bear trap.jpg)
Fun!
(Ice bear meat harvested thriftily.jpg)
Proud!
[Upvotes 1452] [Downvotes 13]
- Holy shit, how’d you catch that?
- Whoa, what kind of magical beast is that?
ㄴ It’s an animal, not a beast.
ㄴ Bigger than a beast tho?
ㄴ Nothing’s impossible in Fron lol
- How do you harvest the meat?
ㄴ Author) Ice bears are cold-immune
ㄴ Flesh is soft and cuts easy lol
ㄴ They were just too strong to hunt before
- (Scared squirrel emoticon)
ㄴ (Hug me emoticon)
ㄴ (I’ll hug you, beast emoticon)
- How do you even think of something like that?
ㄴ Fr, so ruthless lol
ㄴ (Devil standing ovation.gif)
Fron’s cold problem was somewhat solved.
But food remained the issue.
You couldn’t rely on the market every day, every moment.
So he gave out bear traps—and they worked wonders.
- But how do you harvest the meat then?
- Fr, you don’t have to watch till it dies, don’t you get cold?
- Not just ice bears either
The problem was the cold.
Ice bears had soft flesh, fine—but magical beasts didn’t.
Plus, leave meat out an hour and it turned to rock; knives wouldn’t touch it.
Early on, meat got wasted outside often, but not anymore.
[Title: Cold? That’s Just a Fridge, Right?]
(Hunter prey frozen dead outside.jpg)
(Gathering around carcass with axes and picks to harvest.jpg)
Just use an axe lol
- Lmao wtf
- Meat harvesting? Nah, meat mining
- Just carry it like that lol
- What even is Fron?
To Fron residents who’d felled winter trees, frozen meat was nothing.
They dragged it indoors to thaw or ate it various ways.
Outdoor time increased too.
Hot packs all over, market goggles to block skin exposure.
They adapted to cold like wild animals.
[Title: One Shot from the Back Hills^^]
(Thumbs up half-buried in blizzard.jpg)
Weather’s so mild and nice these days heh
- Mil?D?
- Where’s the OP at?
ㄴ Lmao can’t even see shit
ㄴ Half snow, half person
Of course, mishaps happened.
Adrian’s Northern Territory was least influenced by the gallery.
Isolated from outsiders, steeped in local culture.
In other words, folk faith over church.
[Title: Declaring No Religion]
(Frostbitten sheep with middle fingers.jpg)
(Pissed-off frog emoticon)
Lifelong believer, but no more sheep gods
Prayed like a thousand times, never helped once lol
Might as well believe in the cute girl Judak
(Cute girl Judak thumbs up emoticon)
Any room in Jutak Worshippers?
- Orange Faction) Heh welcome aboard
ㄴ This dude still active??
ㄴ Thought they scattered ffs
- Why cute girl tho?
ㄴ Fr didn’t Judak reveal gender and vanish?
ㄴ Info) For a grand mage like Judak, changing gender’s easy
ㄴ Fr?
ㄴ Makes... sense!
Folk faith shook from the roots.
People drifted from faith, pondering practicalities.
- Prayer gets you nowhere
- We gotta band together ourselves
- Community over individual, right?
Survival loomed at their throats.
Old monarchy-as-answer mindset fading in Fron.
Then, one post burst the questioning mood.
[Title: Ah, For Real Fuck...]
(Market items confiscated.jpg)
(Residents beaten, hot packs taken.jpg)
Always paid taxes in food, now collectors flipping out changing tax method.
Then they ransack homes and seize market goods...
Parents protested, got beaten—what do I do...?
“What?”
Fron internals suddenly changed tax collection.
Some were items I’d basically given away for free.
- Judak*) I never agreed to this?
He commented in disbelief; replies came minutes later.
- DukeProxy) They’re Fron residents first, before gallery.
- DukeProxy) Thanks for support, but please refrain from excessive meddling.