Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: No Such Thing as a Beastly Bitch
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While Yuri's dad was boozing it up with his fishing buddies...
"Look over there, Yuri. That's Dol Mountain! Isn't it cool how it stands so tall and proud?"
"S-so, where are we...?"
"No idea."
"Gasp!"
Han Yuna, that human-disqualified beast spawn, had arrived at Bipa Mountain alongside Yuri and the real deal beast.
The name came from how the peak resembled the ancient stringed instrument, the bipa. It used to be called Noodle Mountain too, thanks to a rock split like strands of noodles. Roughly 300 meters high... nah, not a mountain. A cliff.
Too craggy to call a proper mountain, too massive for just a rock. Yeah, cliff fit it perfectly. Yuna spread out a mat in front of this landmark and wiped the sweat beading on her forehead.
Alright, for folks with no sense of distance between Tonggumi, where Yuna lived, and Bipa Mountain... let me break it down.
There was no normal way to get to Bipa Mountain. It was all mountain. How the hell do you even?
The closest neighborhood was Tonggumi anyway. Take the bus from the Tonggumi stop, ride about five minutes, get off at Namyang-ri stop.
Five minutes didn't sound far, but don't think mainland city terms, where stops are every five to ten minutes walk.
Walking it'd take thirty to forty minutes.
Anyway, from the Namyang-ri neighborhood, look toward that towering peak over yonder—that's Bipa Mountain, more or less.
Even in town, you could only see the back side of the cliff. The front, where Yuna, Yuri, and Burari were, was totally hidden.
Now, the path from Namyang-ri stop to Bipa Mountain... there wasn't one. Hard to explain, but straight-line sprint? About an hour and a half.
If you hiked nonstop uphill, maybe that long. But don't try it.
"Burari, wanna crash nearby tonight?"
"Oink!"
"What?! N-no way!! Here?!"
?? Wait, why not? What's wrong with sleeping in the mountains?
Yuna was genuinely curious.
She'd bunked in places during army training that made winter-hibernating mammals look pampered—huddled together like sardines. Food? Emergency rations past their date because the chow truck couldn't make it up.
Compared to that, springtime Ulleungdo mountains were just a tad chilly. Snuggle up and it was bearable. No venomous snakes or beasts either—pretty safe.
Danger? Bees maybe... but their stings were nothing to Yuna's tough, leathery skin. Even less to Burari, whose tankiness had skyrocketed thanks to her.
"Why not? Mountains are packed with food~! Pile up leaves and it's super fluffy!"
"Eh? Uh, b-but still..."
Dead serious. See? Fragile city folk—they bail before even trying!
Yuna sighed deeply at fidgety, teary-eyed Yuri, then shot to her feet, sniffing the air.
Fresh dirt and grass, crisp clean air.
And a faint whiff of poop.
'It's here too!'
That shit-stink hooked her nostrils just barely, and her lips curled up.
"Yuri! I'll hook you up with something suuuper tasty! Just wait a sec~"
A bit tedious and messy, sure! But one hard haul meant delicious rewards!
"Eh? W-where you going?"
"Gotta snag dinner!"
"??"
Time to show this city chick how badass country girls are.
Dashing toward the poop-scented breeze, Yuna carved finger-marks into trees to avoid getting lost, plunging deeper into the woods... and there it was!
Bzzz~ bzzz~
Small black bugs blanketed in yellow fuzz!
In the future, they'd meme-ify as "Lemme put it in~" and become fetish bait! Bees!
A cluster guarded their tree-hung hive.
Looked gross up close, sure, but blast 'em off one by one, smash the comb... oh man. Sweet honey. Ahh.
Honey~ honey~ sweet sweet honey~
Done for. They're toast.
All the bees bit it.
Muscling up the tree till the hive was in reach, Yuna faced the panicked charge of her bee battalion invading giant alert!!
Hehe. Tickles! So tickly! She knife-handed the comb loose, grabbed stingers aimed at her bod, and bonked their heads till they conked out.
These little lives deserved mercy. Rob the house, sure—but killing? Too harsh.
Steal the home, spare the lives!
Diehard defenders still gunning for giant-slay... sorry, life's over here!
Tumble down, roll on the ground, and survivors wail 'What the—crazy giant bitch?! Ow ow!' fleeing. Duty-bound ones get squished.
With the hive defenders turned homeless bums starting new lives... time to evict the slackers lounging inside, scratching bellies for naps!
Cultivator Grandpa once said smoke from a fire spooks 'em out...
'Can't light fires in the mountains though. How to flush 'em?'
Hmm. Brutal, but no choice.
Scratched her head.
No gentler way popped up, so she gingerly grabbed the comb, shook it up-down, spun it round and round.
Flip midway, add a tumble—360 disco spin! Out burst unemployed bees screaming 'Agh! Psycho roe deer!' hightailing it.
Hope you slackers find peaceful new gigs.
Alright~ hive secured! Now snag sides for honey-pairing?
One hand hefted the big comb.
Washed mulberries, wild berries, baby garlic fruits, and dug-up deodeok at a nearby stream.
Stuffed pants pockets and undies full, returned to Yuri and Burari as the sun dipped low.
Phew~ Made it before dark!
"Whoa, you're back? I-I thought you ditched me..."
"Psh~ As if~ I'm no jerk who abandons friends!"
Not like she had room to talk, dragging a pal into this boonies for mutual stranding. But men got honor! Right?!
Yuri's face softened a bit, then she glanced sideways sneaky-like before piping up.
"Um... got anything to drink? I'm thirsty..."
"Drink? Why hunt for it?"
Stuff to drink everywhere here.
"But we got no water."
Drip. Drip.
"Water? Right here."
"??"
Yuri tilted her head at Yuna tapping a nearby tree, clueless.
Sigh. So tough hanging with city-adapted kids~
Seeing beats hearing a thousand times.
Found a tree with leaves like maples—shallower curves, no serrations. Right in the middle... jackpot!!!
Whack! Drip. Drip.
"?!?!"
"Catch the drips and drink."
"Huh?"
"Good stuff."
Knew it'd come in handy—nabbed an abandoned water bottle on the trail!
Well, picked up roadside trash 'cause it bugged her, but who'd guess it'd prove so useful?
Stuffed a clean smooth leaf in the hole, positioned the bottle below—sap plinked steadily inside.
Thirty minutes to an hour, and half the bottle's full.
Maple sap.
Grandpas went nuts for it this season, chugging like water—bone-health gold!
Sweet, clean taste. Yuna loved it too.
"Ahh~ Starvin'! Let's eat! Food~ food~"
Split the highlight hive by hand... oh yeah. No drones or queen—just pristine wax and honey gleaming.
"W-wow..."
"Hehe. Tasty, right? Here! Ahh~"
"Ah, ahh...!!"
Pinched off wax-honey chunks for her mouth— Yuri beamed, munching happily.
"!!"
"Good, huh?"
"Mhm! Mhm!"
Even chomped the wax like gum. Adorable.
Her teary mug lit up with a grin, cheeks puffed, nodding away.
Sigh. So cute. Way better than sobbing. Yeah.
"Try these mulberries and berries too. Deodeok pairs great with honey."
"Eek. D-deodeok's bitter, hate it."
"Honey's sweet, cuts it. Try. Here, Burari too."
"Snort."
Sharing honey and fruits with one kid and one pig, rinsing with maple water... not bad at all.
...Oh, and late realization.
"Wait, there's a road down below. Just head back, right?"
"Oh."
"Snort."
Common sense, yeah?
We'd climbed like maniacs, lost? Descend like maniacs—done.
Yuna, Burari, Yuri—all idiots for not thinking it. Whatever. Fun times? Honey, sap, healthy deodeok—total win!
Head out now, no wrong turns, and we'd hit home before dawn.
"Snooore~ Hic~ Gulp~ Grunt~"
"......"
"Whoa."
"Snort."
We rolled into Tonggumi just shy of 10 PM, pitching tents by Turtle Rock... only to find drunk uncles crashed out, and Dad smashed too, wedged between 'em.
Wait, why was Dad even here?