Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Debt of the Living
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Hwan-in's group pressed on tirelessly along the ridgeline toward the distant yellow bald mountain, wary of any pursuit from the spotted wolves.
But as expected, there were no attacks from monsters or beasts.
The mountain turtle's movement had scared off not only their path ahead but every animal and beast in the vicinity.
Whoooosh—
As night fell, the temperature dropped and fierce winds began blow.
While traveling along the river, even nights hadn't felt cold, but perhaps due to the higher elevation, Hwan-in sensed a sharp plunge in temperature.
The women were rubbing their exposed arms repeatedly, clearly feeling the chill.
At that moment, Ennel lifted her head, sniffed the air, and glanced around. Then she approached Hwan-in and spoke.
"Benefactor, there's a bear den nearby. I can smell it on the wind."
"It might be best to rest there tonight. Could you lead us?"
"Yes. This way."
The cave wasn't far. It was tucked into the inner curve of a deeply winding section of the ridgeline—a spot hard to spot from above or below.
"No sounds from inside. Is it really a bear den?"
"The smell is definitely bear..."
Hearing Huini and Ennel, Hwan-in slid down the slope to inspect the cave.
The depth was roughly 15 meters—not deep. But the ceiling height was around 2 meters, suggesting the bear was quite large.
"Looks like a bear den, alright."
Hwan-in noted a pile of bones caked with scraps of flesh in one corner.
The owner had probably fled after abandoning the den because of the mountain turtle.
Still, the animal musk mixed with the stench from the bones created an indescribably foul odor.
"I'll clean it up right away!"
While Ryuhi and her sisters cleared the main sources of the smell, Hwan-in gathered firewood from the forest edge near the ridgeline for the night.
His abdomen throbbed with every movement from the wolf-man's kick, but Hwan-in saw it as a good sign.
If the skin were necrotic, he wouldn't feel a thing.
Returning with an armload of wood, he found the cave spotless. Not a single bear hair or bone in sight.
"It's clean now."
"We scraped it all up and buried it in the ground. Lighting a bonfire here should get rid of most of the smell."
With the primary sources gone, the odor was tolerable, if not entirely absent. And a fire would reduce it further?
He had no choice but to light one.
As he prepared the fire and struck sparks with the firesteel, yellow flames quickly rose.
"That's an amazing tool. Not even flint, but it throws more sparks than flint does."
Ephnis, watching from the side, muttered in fascination at the firesteel and multi-tool. As Hwan-in stepped back, she pulled smoked meat from her bundle and began grilling it over the flames.
"Benefactor, shall I mend your clothes?"
"You can do that?"
"Yes. Back in the village, I hemmed wedding outfits for brides-to-be, wove cloth, and did paid sewing."
As Hwan-in began undressing upon hearing Ryuhi, a sudden doubt struck him about their communication.
Terms like weaving, hemming, and paid sewing she used were everyday Korean specialist jargon. In another language, it'd be "make cloth" or "weaving."
Thinking back, he'd never heard English or loanwords from the women, deepening his puzzlement.
"Ahh!"
As he removed the last shirt, Ryuhi let out a small scream. Glancing at her, Hwan-in saw her pale face pointing at his abdomen, so he looked down.
"......"
A dangerously black bruise marred the spot where the wolf-man had kicked him.
Even he winced; how must Ryuhi feel? He understood her scream.
"What do we do... Does it hurt a lot?"
"It's fine now."
"Just wait a moment!"
It wasn't empty words—it truly was fine—but Ryuhi told Ephnis to boil water, then hurried out of the cave with Huini and Ennel.
"......"
Feeling his gaze, he turned to Ephnis, who widened her eyes, quickly looked away, fetched a wooden bowl, poured water into it, and secured it firmly over the bonfire.
Hwan-in watched, slowly stroking his firm abdomen.
He felt the palm's touch, and a slight throb where it pressed. His senses were returning to normal.
Bruises typically change from red → blue → purple → brown before fading slowly. The color shifts with blood from ruptured capillaries and red blood cell states.
Examining the bruise, Hwan-in noted the edges tinged purple.
A massive impact had burst capillaries across his abdomen, turning it entirely black, but the edges were deep purple, not blue. The bruise was in the healing phase.
Normally, it would take days—four or five at least—to reach this stage. Yet it had in mere hours...
'Is the bloodstone linked to regeneration?'
He gazed intently at the bloodstone he'd clutched all along.
The pearl stone from the old sea lion had enhanced attack skills fitting their abilities.
The wolf-man, with its exceptional regeneration, dropping this stone—some of that power dwelling within made sense.
But a question remained.
The wolf-man regenerated a 4cm gash instantly. Even partial power should have erased this bruise in moments...
'Its effect is much weaker.'
The bloodstone was quail-egg sized, less than half the pearl stone, which was slightly smaller than a chicken egg.
If size determined potency, it fit.
Ryuhi returned soon, arms full of reed-like plants and translucent leaves.
"Benefactor, please lie down. I'll apply a poultice."
"Thank you."
No reason to refuse, he lay on the beast hide Ryuhi spread.
Ryuhi immediately pounded reed stems against the ground. Dense brown sausage-like plants began expelling white fuzz.
Finger-thick and two finger-lengths long, they yielded dozens of times that in fuzz—yet she pounded more to gather extra.
"Ennel, blanch the nyasel leaves."
"Yes."
'Not rice paper or anything.'
The thin, translucent leaves turned even more sheer and limp after boiling.
Meanwhile, Ryuhi gathered enough fuzz for bedding, soaked it in the steaming wooden bowl, wrung it with both hands, and applied it to Hwan-in's abdomen.
'Moxibustion or poultice?'
She spread the gray mass evenly over the bruise, then covered it with blanched leaves.
His abdomen warmed, easing the throbbing sting. Adding the bloodstone's gentle heat, his rigid abs relaxed, breathing easier.
'No need for dried golden bell flowers.'
"Benefactor, have some of this."
Ephnis offered well-grilled smoked meat politely.
"Benefactor, time to change the poultice."
Hwan-in rested under the two beauties' devoted care.
It felt luxuriously indulgent.
The cave's owner returned around dawn.
Unaware of intruders, it ran straight into Hwan-in, who was on watch (expecting as much). Resembling a Malayan sun bear but Kodiak-sized, the beast became a cold corpse on Hwan-in's spear tip.
A pristine Malayan Kodiak might have given Hwan-in trouble due to size difference.
But this one bore wounds from a major fight—bites and gashes everywhere.
Exhausted, Hwan-in summoned a spirit, unleashed Spirit Possession, and unleashed a barrage, splitting its skull in under five minutes.
'Mid-lower grade soul.'
Same rank as vampires, but bulkier and stronger than the twin-mountain basin ones.
Rank unrelated to individual strength?
The Malayan Kodiak's soul floated aimlessly, forgetting its death, before Hwan-in possessed it.
"Hm."
Physical enhancement focus: strength and stamina up nearly 40%.
Feeling his muscles bulge, Hwan-in watched the women slowly skin the carcass.
Since leaving the twin mountains, he'd immediately possessed souls from new beasts or animals to test skills/special abilities.
His growing superhuman power reduced soul orb limits, eliminating need to stockpile. Prioritizing species data collection aided efficiency and crises.
Yet post-twin mountains, few had skills or specials.
'The beasts there were special.'
The jungle he'd first entered was labyrinth core territory.
Beasts there naturally differed from outskirts here.
He glanced at Emergency Ration, curled by the fire.
'Met her there too. Flora and fauna differ.'
"Euuung~!"
"Put some muscle into it!"
"Euiii~!"
Watching the women struggle with the near-two-Hwan-in-sized hide, he grabbed the partially peeled edge and yanked.
Tzzzjzzzk—
Flesh tore; the hide peeled off cleanly.
"Wow!"
"Incredible..."
Mid-lower soul strength boost enabled it, but ignorant, the women just admired him.
"Girls, process the meat before it spoils in the heat."
Smoked meat from twin mountains was nearly gone; now mountains of fresh.
Ryuhi suggested replenishing; Hwan-in agreed.
Sun not yet up, shivering cold—perfect drying weather. Women portioned bear meat; Hwan-in helped with multi-tool knife.
"Discard wounded areas."
"Huh? But that cuts a lot..."
"Attacked by other animals. Unknown germs; drying them isn't wise."
The women, convinced, separated wounded parts.
Hwan-in knew little of diseases/germs. Soul Vision showed those areas red/yellow; he phrased accordingly.
"Benefactor, toss this meat too?"
Ephnis eyed the 50kg pile regretfully, absent from slicing.
"Grill some first to check."
"Yes, right away."
"Hm... Needs more cooking."
"More here?"
"Yes. Char it well."
"But it'll get tough..."
"Ennel and I can eat it!"
Ryuhi shouted as Huini split bamboo-like into grill racks, spreading meat.
Wolfkin jaw strength like wolves? Using Soul Vision on meat, Hwan-in advised.
"Better safe charred than tough."
"That side's underdone."
"There, burning."
"Yes, yes."
Meant for discard anyway, Ephnis found Hwan-in's words oddly persuasive, charring without protest.
"That's good."
Meat soul-color fully white, he sliced and tasted: fishy reek exploded, then rubbery chew.
With iron jaw (lowest Spirit Possession), sturdy molars forced it down; jaw tingling, eyes narrowed.
To him, not meat—food waste.
Ephnis, tasting a piece, saw his face and quietly set it down.
"It's fine."
"Doesn't look fine..."
"Safe to eat."
"Ah, yes."
Ryuhi chewed a finger-joint chunk, winced clutching cheek like a cavity.
Emergency Ration flapped wings at charred bear meat ('Get this away!'), so Huini and Ennel devoured it all.
"Whoa, the chew is intense. Ennel, super tasty, right?"
"Yeah. My itchy teeth feel better."
"......"
Fishy smell no issue? Wolfkin seemed human-skinned wolves inside.
Over 300kg meat yielded; they stayed two more days smoking it all, then proceeded smoothly to yellow bald mountain without major threats.
Herds attacked sporadically, repelled easily.
Obvious ridgeline path, but Emergency Ration's aerial vigilance allowed prep; women could now defend somewhat.
Defense by four possessed, Hwan-in sweeping beasts meanwhile.
"Bald mountain's not getting closer."
Day 4 toward it, Ennel wiped forehead sweat.
"Yeah. Did we drift that far from Ort Lake?"
"Maybe wandered wrong in labyrinth forest. Plus dragged by Hob..."
"......"
Bad memories darkened faces.
Hwan-in ignored, fiddling bloodstone in thought.
Four days tested: fatigue relief, slight natural recovery boost.
'If size scales effect, disappointing.'
Pearl-spitter old sea lion, decades-lived.
Wolf-man prime brute, young-ish.
Storage, size variance, age gaps implied: stones grow over time, effects improve.
Not dissatisfied.
Slight regret aside, fatigue relief + recovery highly useful.
Post-beast fights, fatigue clung; two daily left mild soreness, requiring daily stretches/training to prevent next-day agony.
Training added fatigue.
Bloodstone slashed it: routine fights recovered en route; intense ones, light train/sleep = refreshed dawn.
More: he touched abdomen.
Bruise faded to faint yellow trace. No pain on press, no skin pull.
One-to-months healing cut to four days.
Boosted activity limits + recovery: satisfying.
As he pondered fiddling the stone, Ennel and Huini tugged arms from sides.
"Benefactor, I smell water."
"Hear water sounds too!"
"River nearby. Let's refill water."
Snapping reverie, Hwan-in led with Huini-Ennel into forest.