Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: What Hunts Back
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Hwan-in had been trekking toward the direction Emergency Ration was staring for quite some time when a sudden wave of irritation washed over him.
"What the hell am I doing."
Was he really pinning some grand meaning on the whims of a single bird and marching off like this? Wouldn't it be way better for shaking off his fatigue to just roast the damn thing, head back to his hideout, and catch some shut-eye?
All he'd eaten since morning was four Corona Berries. And now it was past 2 p.m.
Hunger gnawed at his gut, and his throat was parched. Even someone as unflappably stoic as Hwan-in couldn't help but feel his nerves fraying.
Shwaaa—
Then, from the direction he was heading, a breeze just a touch stronger than usual swept in, brushing over his head like an embrace.
"......"
A faint whiff of water tickled his nostrils as it passed.
Not the rotten, foul stench of decay, but the clean, fresh scent of pure moisture.
Hwan-in, who had come to a stop, unwittingly took a step forward—then broke into a swift trot, footsteps pattering rapidly.
Quawk. Quawk.
The farther he ran, the more frantically Emergency Ration squawked. After about ten minutes, he pushed through a thick wall of foliage, squinting against the sudden flood of light... and froze.
"......Huh."
He lowered the hand he'd raised to shield his eyes from the sun, letting out a soft exclamation at the sight before him.
A jade-green horizon meeting the sky dotted with drifting cumulus clouds. Waves rolling in relentlessly, scattering faint foam.
Hwan-in looked up at the vast expanse of blue sky and drew in a deep breath.
The jungle air had felt oppressively heavy somehow, but filling his lungs under this endless heaven made it feel like every dormant brain cell was firing back to life.
After a moment of relaxation, Hwan-in scanned his surroundings to the rhythm of splashing waves.
The shoreline formed a low cliff, eroded over time, about six meters high. Below it stretched a bed of large and small pebbles spanning roughly seventy meters wide.
But something was off about the coast.
A typical beach would have trees thinning out into flat ground, leading to a sandy or pebbled stretch meeting the sea at a certain distance—or abut directly against cliffs or bluffs.
Here, though, the jungle just abruptly ended at the cliff, with a pebbled beach below flowing straight into the water.
Towering trees dozens of meters high grew right beside where Hwan-in stood.
"......Not the ocean, then."
Salt in sea breezes wasn't kind to trees. They could grow, sure, but only limited types like conifers—and they usually withered yellow.
Yet these trees were vibrant and lush, the grass and bushes fresh and thriving.
Just then, he felt a wiggle against his side and glanced down. Emergency Ration, wrapped tightly in vines, was nudging at him, as if eager to reach the water's edge.
After a brief hesitation, Hwan-in scanned around and spotted a suitable cliff height. Grabbing exposed tree roots, he carefully descended to the pebble beach.
No threatening creatures in sight. Keeping vigilant, he reached the water, washed his hands clean, then scooped some water pooled in the crevices between pebbles and sniffed cautiously.
No visible debris floating...
'No odd smells either.'
The water looked pristine enough to question if such purity was even possible.
Confirming the scent was fine, Hwan-in was about to touch his tongue to it when a slurping chap-chap came from the side.
He turned to see Emergency Ration, lowered to the pebbles thanks to its leash, bobbing its head like a duck to drink greedily.
"......"
A bit deflated, he steadied himself and dipped just the tip of his tongue in.
Unknown pathogens or diseases? They were off his radar now.
Of course, he'd stick to basics like being cautious with food or avoiding filthy water.
Beyond that—no more fretting over abundant, clean water like this, or obsessing over every breath. That was the line.
Because if it came to that, surviving this world was a lost cause.
Anyway, the water was freshwater, utterly devoid of salt.
"A lake, huh."
He couldn't gauge the exact length, but the crescent-shaped shoreline looked to span dozens of kilometers at least.
And so vast the opposite shore vanished beyond sight, like an inland sea.
The horizon from human eyes was about five kilometers out. Meaning the lake's diameter was at least that.
"No raft or canoe to cross this."
Not that he had the skills or knowledge. Muttering as much, Hwan-in scooped more lake water to quench his thirst.
Cool liquid slid down his throat, delivering a refreshing chill that made his chest tingle.
No soap was a pity, but he washed his face too while he was at it.
No one around to see. After five days, he even shampooed with lake water, and the words "feels alive" slipped out unbidden.
"Hoo......"
He shook out his wet hair, flinging droplets and slicking it back—then Emergency Ration's excited cries drew his gaze.
Quawk. Quawk quawk! Quuwek!
Clack. Clack.
It was pecking at pebbles with its beak, hunting bugs scurrying between them.
But bound as it was, it could only bob its head and kept missing.
Quawk.
Hwan-in caught movement in his peripheral vision too.
He shoved aside a rock about fifty centimeters wide where it had hidden, revealing a crab-like crustacean sidling away.
Its body a vivid jade green, legs tipped in sky blue.
Unlike Earth crabs, it had only eight legs including two claws, missing two joints, but its size and bulk dwarfed them.
Its carapace split into two like cockroach wings, glossy—but jade instead of brown, so less repulsive.
Colors screaming poison at first glance...
But he cracked the flailing Jade Crab's carapace with a pakak, finding it surprisingly soft.
Not soft-shell malleable, but yielding without much force.
He set the bubbling crab before Emergency Ration, whose eyes rolled back in frenzy as it tore in with pababak.
Crack! Clack! Crack crack... pak.
"......"
Watching it hammer the shell like a woodpecker, Hwan-in silently lifted a large rock to hunt more Jade Crabs.
Catching them was a breeze.
No natural predators? They moved leisurely even as he approached, falling into his grasp limply.
Wondering if they were sickly, he yanked a leg off one—it thrashed wildly like a fit.
He released the tiny ones, pocketing six with bodies bigger than his hand. Then, in a puddle under a massive boulder, he spotted clam-like things.
Star Shell Clams, similar to starfish but definitely bivalves.
"Hm."
Couldn't eat these raw...
Eyed the ten fist-sized Star Shell Clams and six Jade Crabs, recalling bushcraft knowledge, then headed back into the jungle with his Stone Axe for broad-leafed plants, dry grass and log chunks for firewood.
Fire-starting was easy with the Multi-Tool's firesteel.
Shave dry twigs thin and feathery into feather sticks, spark with the steel a few times.
On the pebble beach, he built a fire, added fuel to build flames, then dragged two watermelon-sized rocks near the blaze.
"Huff... huff......"
Stamina nearly tapped; cold sweat beaded on his brow and back.
Wiping his forehead, while the wood blazed, he pierced the Jade Crabs' chests with the Multi-Tool's awl to kill them, cleared pebbles by the water, and scrubbed them with coarser sand below.
No moss or gunk on shells, but better safe.
They looked much like Earth crabs, so prepping was straightforward.
Back after gutting six, he saw good coals forming and stirred the fire with a branch to extinguish flames.
Using two straight sticks as tongs, he placed glowing coals between the small rocks atop the larger ones.
Wrapped three prepped crabs each in broad leaves, tied with stems into bundles.
Palm leaves ideal for baking, but these would do.
Laid bundles over sticks bridging the rocks—heat would steam them inside.
Clams went straight on the coals.
Ten minutes in, clams gaped, spewing white steam. Five more, and savory, nutty aromas wafted from the leaf bundles.
"......"
The side nearest the fire blackened; he gingerly tilted the bundle, liquid trickling out.
Sizzle—
Water hitting coals evaporated as he set it aside. He eyed a gaping, bubbling fist-sized Star Shell Clam.
Still unsure if safe to eat.
But his situation was dire.
Starved near collapse, water had been an emergency fix—but hauling rocks, gathering wood, foraging had drained the rest.
Legs trembled; arms too weak to lift.
"Hoo."
When had he last had options?
Live or die. Binary choice. Same now.
Quawk. Quuwek. Kuuek.
Emergency Ration squawked nonstop at the roasting scents. Hwan-in gave it a weary glance, picked a fully opened baked clam, and sliced out only the flesh with his knife.
Speared on the blade near its beak, it went berserk, pecking wildly.
'At least not poison for Emergency Ration.'
After feeding it some, he carved out the thumb-thick adductor muscle and chewed.
"Delicious."
Rich shellfish umami flooded his mouth; a train-whistle rumble erupted from his stomach.
Freshwater, yet briny-nutty savoriness and chewy texture defied logic. Best clam of his 26 years, hands down.
Hwan-in cracked and ate them one by one in silence.
Not all, though—discarded innard-looking bits.
True shellfish flavor's in the guts, but un-depurated, unknown diet? Straight path to death.
Quuwek! Kuueeek!!
"......Want some?"
Quawk!!
Was it mad he ate alone, or at discarding guts? At its angry cries glaring up, Hwan-in chuckled softly, collecting boiled innards from shells for it.
Watching it devour them contentedly, he savored the flesh, chewing thoroughly.
Nine clams vanished in moments. Satisfaction mingled with lingering hunger...
"......"
His stomach—precisely below the solar plexus—ached faintly.
Indigestion, but not diarrhea herald; more like the stinging burn from overdoing spicy tteokbokki with green chili extract.
Like that time with the hot sauce burger from that global chain—sharp, lingering ache.
Focusing on it, the pain gradually faded.
Ignored or adapted? Either way, meat-fueled energy returned. He stood, testing his body.
"Seems fine for now, but......"
Thankfully, after an hour, the burn was gone.
Phone screen as mirror: no skin issues, limbs and body fine.
"......Who knows," he muttered, unwrapping the Jade Crab bundles.
"Mm."
Vivid jade and blue leg tips gone; three crabs stared back, ruby-red from coals.
An hour later but kept warm by the fire, still tepid.
Aroma like aged seafood broth, mouthwatering.
Gripped a claw, snapped with a crack like a rice cracker.
Shrimp and crab shells-on for him usually. Tempted here too, but bashed with pebbles, eating only meat.
"Mm......!"
Belly full from nine clams, yet this ignited appetite anew.
Mild overall, but umami lingered sweetly, nutty richness boosting flavor.
Legs especially—thumb-thick, packed firm; shells cracked easy like crab sticks, tender flesh spilling out.
Devoured eight legs plus claws in a flash. Anticipation high, he split the back... disappointment.
Innards mixed with meat, dyed pale green.
"Eat the head," it seemed to urge with crab paste vibes. Restraining himself, Hwan-in set the body down.
Quuwek. Quawk quawk.
"Yeah. You eat it."
Quuwek!
Without Emergency Ration, who knows if he'd have found this place.
Call it reward: handed it five torsos. He kept legs—each thick; forty sated him fully.
First proper meal since arriving.
Slight stomach twinge post-steamed crabs too, but thirty minutes later, fine like the clams.
Still, hard to believe zero effects. Felt like mortgaging his future for survival.
Quawk. Quuwek—
Shaking it off, he rose from his boulder seat. Stuffed after ages, Emergency Ration hummed along with excited squawks as Hwan-in packed gear.
Cleaned the soiled Multi-Tool, donned his coat, equipped Wooden Shield, Stone Axe, Black Club.
Sunset in hours. Time to head back.
"Check around here tomorrow."
Follow the shore, maybe find human traces. Worst case, easier food and water.
Could run into thirsty monsters, but no path in this jungle was truly safe.
Decision made, Hwan-in stepped into the jungle.