Chapter 318
Chapter 318
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 318
>Chapter Title: Stranded in the Frost
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Whiiiiiing…
He had no idea how much time had passed or what had happened. Kang Seol, swept up in the explosion, had no clue how far he’d been flung.
Blink… Blink…
Lifting his eyelids, which felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, Kang Seol opened his eyes.
Something filled his mouth.
“Ptooey…”
Snow and ice shards.
“…Snow?”
Kang Seol sat up and looked around.
He touched cold snow.
All he saw was a vast snowfield.
The snowfield stretched endlessly toward the horizon.
‘Am I dead?’
Kang Seol blanked out for a moment.
‘No, that can’t be.’
He couldn’t stop the Border Stone’s explosion, but it wasn’t enough to kill him.
Of course, that only applied to him. It wouldn’t for someone like Chiu or Seolhong.
‘Someone’s coming.’
Crunch…
Crunch…
Someone approached through the snow.
In such a desolate snowfield, he expected at most a wild beast or monster. Surprisingly, it was a person.
A bright red nose and round eyes caught his attention first. He wore goggle-like protective eyewear.
“Hey, you okay?”
Fortunately, it didn’t seem like a high-level threat.
‘Where did I get blown to?’
It was unlikely, but if he was near Khan, he might be able to return to Seolhong quickly.
“I told you, right? It wasn’t a mistake!”
“Sorry, sorry. But isn’t it weirder to believe you’d run into someone in this snowfield?”
“Well… yeah.”
A blue-eyed woman approached.
Her nose was red too.
“Hey, aren’t you cold?”
“Uh… no.”
“Impressive… Got high cold resistance? What’s your secret?”
“Huh?”
“Oh, not a transmigrator?”
She seemed to be one.
Revealing his own status might build rapport, so Kang Seol came clean.
“I’m a transmigrator. Kang Seol.”
“Oh, a name. Sounds… Korean?”
“You?”
“Japan!”
Whoosh…
Heh.
The man pulled down his balaclava and grinned.
A goatee beard clung impressively to his chin.
“Ishii! Just call me Ishii. Ugh… cold… my tongue’s gonna freeze.”
“Ishii…”
“I’m Yeva. Used to live in Russia… Got some questions.”
Wrapped head to toe in thick furs, they muttered to each other.
“Ask already, quick… before it gets awkward…”
“No, you ask!”
After scratching their heads, they turned to Kang Seol.
“Um… we haven’t had a proper meal in days… Got any food?”
In the pristine snowfield, Kang Seol met new companions.
Nod…
“R-really? Thank goodness!”
* * *
Sharing food was no big deal. In fact, the easiest way to raise cooking proficiency was serving great meals to the hungry, so cooking for them himself would be ideal.
“Keep going this way, and you’ll hit an outpost.”
“How far?”
“Hmm… no idea. We rarely come this far ourselves. Anyway, speak casually.”
“Got it, Ishii. Outpost?”
Kang Seol’s question earned Yeva a glare from her.
“Don’t call it an outpost. He might expect something decent.”
“Really? Well… there’s a crap cave up ahead where you can dodge the snow. Bugs everywhere, so if you feel like puking, warn us.”
Transmigrators Ishii and Yeva.
Just where were they with Kang Seol?
The snowfield suggested one place, but…
‘North for sure.’
Much farther north than Khan.
Even by distance alone, it was a sigh-worthy trek.
“So, where are we?”
“You came without knowing? Just transmigrated?”
“No, that was a while ago.”
“Hmm… well. This place is…”
“Let’s talk at the outpost. No…”
“Not outpost. Junkyard.”
“Yeah. Let’s head to the junkyard, rest, and chat. Opening my mouth now feels like cold wind freezing my guts. But you really have edible stuff, right?”
Nod…
Kang Seol nodded, and Ishii clutched his stomach.
“Haaa… saved. Supplies cut off, and hunting’s yielded nothing edible. Was getting worried.”
“Edible?”
“Monsters here have this insane gamey stench in their meat. Uh… how to explain?”
“Just sniffing it makes you pass out. Tried shoving some in my mouth once—felt like stuffing Ishii’s sock in. Puked it right up.”
“Hey! My feet don’t stink!”
“Anyway.”
Certainty grew that this was the North. Infamous for its harshness, dropping here early meant real suffering.
After a long trek, the group reached the outpost—no, the so-called junkyard.
“……”
“See? Told you it’d disappoint.”
“Nothing here at all.”
An artificial windbreak against the chill wind.
Inside, only crude bedding and fire pit traces.
Ishii and Yeva removed their balaclavas.
Both had striking features.
Ishii had curly short hair brushing his shoulders; Yeva’s fell just past hers.
Pop…
Yeva grabbed a bottle from beside the bedding and uncorked it.
“Drink?”
“Booze?”
“Yeah, it’s cold. Best for honest talk.”
“I’m good.”
Kang Seol barely felt the cold anyway.
Having clashed with the ancient glacier jaw Branca, this chill was nothing.
“Suit yourself.”
Yeva shrugged and chugged. Ishii followed suit.
“Grrruuuh…”
“Ahh… good.”
Ishii scratched his beard and asked.
“Uh… so, you asked where this is?”
“Hic…”
“Hey, move.”
Yeva hiccuped; Ishii shoved her aside.
“Yeva’s a nasty drunk. Best if she passes out like that. Nights get brutal.”
“Hmm…”
“First, finish what we started. How’d you end up here?”
“Don’t even know where ‘here’ is…”
“…Whigeltung.”
Kang Seol’s eyes flashed.
“Whigeltung?”
He tilted his head.
‘Doesn’t match the terrain much…’
As expected, Ishii smiled and continued.
“…right next to the Federation outpost.”
“You’re with the Northern Federation?”
“Oh, you know it? Transmigrated here?”
“Nah… just heard rumors.”
As predicted, the North.
‘Trouble… must be miles from Khan.’
He’d return eventually. But without recovering the oil of friendship, heading back to Khan made sense.
‘Federation expanded to Whigeltung?’
More like extending borders using existing infrastructure, but still.
Pandea’s North had the Federation.
Multiple nations united as one; intel said they swiftly absorbed transmigrators to grow.
Ishii and Yeva seemed part of that.
“Knowing the Federation helps. Who lives in Whigeltung?”
“…Ice moles and trolls.”
“Oho! Good guess. Ice moles is just a nickname—here, they’re Emon.”
“Emon…”
“Yeah, Emon swelling fast, glacier jaws declining. They live in Whigeltung.”
“So you’re Federation border guards watching them?”
Yeva, dozing off drunk, snapped awake.
“Yesh! We’re the Empire’s b-border guard…”
“……”
Ishii stared blankly at her slurred speech, then used a peculiar power.
Shiii…
A foul alcohol whiff brushed past.
‘That power… holy?’
Kang Seol eyed Ishii’s hand; Ishii grinned wide.
“Hangover cure supreme.”
Yeva scowled.
“Hey! Don’t waste my good booze!”
“Then don’t get wasted.”
“…Did I slur? How much?”
“Yeah. One word.”
“Good job then…”
She plopped down and said.
“No secrets. We watch the Emon and glacier jaws in Whigeltung. Our job’s keeping an eye on those bastards.”
“Uh, sorry to interrupt… could we eat first?”
“Oh… yeah. We’ve been starving…”
“Supplies late?”
“Usually prompt, but convoy hit. Escort took heavy losses… Told to survive wild-style.”
Kang Seol pointed at freeze-dried beast meat.
“…That?”
Thigh meat, freeze-dried.
“Yangu Sni meat. Caught in recent hunt, of all things.”
“Can’t eat it?”
“Sniff?”
“Hey, don’t puke…”
“Experience it yourself.”
As suggested, Kang Seol sniffed the Yangu Sni meat.
His brow furrowed.
“Well? Epic, right?”
“Meat? Or rot?”
“Not gamey—pure stink! Haha!”
“Fine. I’ll make something tasty with it.”
“Hahaha! …What?”
“…Joking?”
“Watch.”
Kang Seol flung open the windbreak for ventilation, welcoming the cold gust.
Tss… Tss…
Roooar—!
Soon, a roaring bonfire.
“Whoa… lights fast?”
“What’s that?”
Kang Seol’s cooking gear was top-tier. Fire-starting tools always the best.
He rigged cooking tools to the fire, diced the Yangu Sni meat bite-sized on a board.
Chop chop chop…
“Knife cuts nice?”
Kang Seol smiled, slathered prepped spices on the meat.
Normally aged, but stench demanded instant pan-toss.
Sizzle…
“Urp… smell…”
Rot stench filled the air.
Kang Seol stir-fried, dumping ingredients to mask it—including toxic herbs.
Sizzle…
“Huh? Better…”
Fwoooosh!
Adding pre-refined special liquor via Fire Dragon’s Focus, flames banished the stink.
Sizzle…
Now, even good smells.
Final steps: scoop snow outside, boil with meat and veggies.
Bubble bubble…
Irresistible aroma wafted; Ishii and Yeva drooled.
“Done? Do… done! It’s done!”
“Agreed! Russia approves fully!”
“Japan concurs! Hurry!”
[Cooking completed.]
[Yangu Sni Jjigae completed.]
[Flavor overflows. Successful dish.]
[Novel cooking method.]
[Inspired by polar cuisine.]
[Inspiration awakens.]
[New ingredients will spark recipes.]
[Cooking skill greatly increases.]
Clink…
Portioned into bowls.
“Korean style?”
“Try it.”
“Not big on spicy…”
Yeva swept hair behind her ear and ate.
“…Russia slumbers here. Kremlin palace shimmers.”
“Whoa… stink gone. How…”
[Cooking skill rises further.]
“Grrraaah…”
“Mmmmmm… good.”
- Both reactions kinda lol
Kang Seol asked; Ishii and Yeva explained.
“We hung with a Korean kid before here. Got reassigned elsewhere. Mimicked him eating to tease—stuck as habit.”
“How’s the Federation?”
“See for yourself? Dumped in the sticks to fend alone… Miss Earth a bit.”
“Yeah… we realized too late. Global village… one family…”
“…But won’t bunk with Ishii. Morning breath killer.”
“Yeva’s farts so loud, Whigeltung Emon stop digging, think earthquake.”
“Hey! I’ll kill you!”
“Who started?”
Eating well, then bickering—universal.
Bellies full, they patted them.
“Ah… overate.”
“Sleepy now. Thanks, Kang Seol. Barely heard your story?”
Before checking pre-transmigration rewards, Kang Seol answered Ishii.
“From the East.”
“…Where?”
“Khan.”
“Whoa… no clue! You see it?”
“See what?”
“Yaksha War. Heard one monster shook Khan silly. True?”
“……”
Kang Seol went silent.
Chest stung again.
“Yeah… probably.”
“Wild. Tons died, right? …But half-year past, should be fine now.”
Kang Seol’s face hardened.
“…What?”
“Huh? What?”
“What’d you say…”
“Tons died?”
“No…”
“Half-year ago?”
“Yeah.”
“Yaksha War was half-year back? Or seven months?”
Battle with Yaksha.
Over half-year since, Kang Seol had slumbered.
[Long March uncompleted.]
[Sudden adventure ‘Where Blood Freezes’ occurs.]
[This adventure is extremely dangerous.]