Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: The Start of the Disaster (1)
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The problem wasn't just keeping himself safe—it was protecting the entire film crew and cast. If even one person fell behind, the movie's fate would tumble right alongside them.
[First, calm everyone down. Panic in situations like this skyrockets the injury risk exponentially. Worst case... death...]
"Okay, that's enough."
There was that saying about words planting seeds. Yeonwoo swiftly cut off Adrian's words, infusing his voice with spiritual power. If anyone questioned it later, so be it.
*Well, if push comes to shove, I can always play dumb.*
Fortunately, his ability worked like a charm once again.
[This way. Watch out for the branches ahead.]
"How much farther?"
[Almost there. Let me see... At this pace, about five minutes.]
Exactly five minutes later.
"Whoa! We made it!"
"God, Buddha, Allah—thank you. Thank you..."
"Nah, we should be thanking Yeonwoo, right?"
The staff who had barely made it to the cave Adrian described collapsed in unison, sighing with relief. Trekking for over twenty minutes in needle-like sheets of rain, visibility zero, clinging only to the hand of the person ahead and Yeonwoo's directions—it had been grueling.
A path that would've taken under ten minutes normally had doubled in the blackout conditions. And even that had been impossible without Yeonwoo.
"What kind of rain is this...? I knew coastal and mountain weather could flip fast, but this is ridiculous..."
"No rain in the forecast either."
"We're all here, right? No one's missing? Check your teams!"
Once the headcount was confirmed, the relief deepened.
"Thank God for this cave. If not for it... Ugh..."
They might've wandered aimlessly, tumbled down a slope, or succumbed to hypothermia in the worst case. One staffer shuddered at the thought.
"We'd have been in deep trouble without Yeonwoo. How'd you even know about this place? I had no idea it was here."
They'd all walked the same path multiple times, yet no one knew about the cave.
*Well, I had Adrian guiding me.*
Adrian, who'd haunted the area as an earthbound spirit for decades, knew it like the back of his hand. But Yeonwoo couldn't exactly spill that.
"I've always had a good sense of direction."
Surprisingly, that landed well.
"Oh, right. Yeah."
"He figured out the path from the drone footage last time too."
"Now that you mention it, yeah. We've been going without a guide since then."
"The guide barely knew more than the topography anyway—totally useless..."
The local guide, who prided himself on knowing the area, had gotten lost for over three hours once. Yeonwoo had pinpointed that and even identified poisonous plants the guide missed. And now, he'd led them safely through the downpour to this cave. Faith in him had reached near-religious levels.
"Yeonwoo really is... the best casting choice... second-best thing... I've ever done in my life..."
It was faint, but it sounded like casting Yeonwoo was the second-best decision of his life. Nearby staff nodded in agreement.
Then, suddenly,
"Is this place safe, though...? I heard caves like this in the mountains have animals..."
A staffer's wary glance around sparked minor unrest.
"Animals? What kind?"
"This size? Lion, tiger, bear maybe..."
"What? That's bad news!"
"What's the big deal?"
"There might be predators in here..."
"Predators?!"
As the old saying went, three people could conjure a tiger from thin air.
"Tch. Stay calm. We'll check it out."
The local safety and survival guides finally had a job, hauling themselves up with purpose. In theory, leading everyone to safety was their role. But the sudden deluge had rendered even their skills useless on unfamiliar turf after just a couple visits. Huddling behind with their tails between their legs had been their best shot. Now, eager to redeem themselves, they rose—only for Yeonwoo to beat them to it.
"No predators here."
The locals froze mid-motion.
[This place has been abandoned for ages. No animal stench either. Oh, wild animals have a distinct smell modern folks wouldn't pick up on easily. You can tell from how faint it is here. Might've been some back in the day, but not now. Come to think of it, since the monsters appeared, we haven't seen any large beasts. Coincidence maybe... And...]
Adrian's denial followed the word "predator" instantly.
"Huh... Yeah, I've heard that before. Discovery Channel? Saw a doc there that mentioned something similar!"
"Right, right. If there were beasts, we'd have run into them coming in."
"That guide said no dangerous animals on the island, I think..."
"Hard to trust the guy who missed the poison plants, but we haven't seen any big critters in days either, right?"
The initial suppression worked.
"See those cobwebs on the walls? Thick, dangling, clumped ones like that only form in long-neglected spots. You're safe."
As Yeonwoo piled on the reassurance—
*Ding!*
[You have perfectly fulfilled the client's request!]
[Congratulations! You have acquired an additional acquirable ability point.]
[Reward: Emergency Shelter Finding in Disasters [A]]
*Ding!*
[You have perfectly fulfilled the client's request!]
[Congratulations! You have acquired an additional acquirable ability point.]
[Reward: Safely Evacuate Team Members in Emergencies [A+]]
The now-familiar alerts popped up again in this place. Two abilities at once this time.
But...
*Eh, not even surprised anymore.*
Yeonwoo's expression remained flat as he checked his status window.
*Strictly speaking, Adrian did all the work...*
Freebies were always welcome. With ability synthesis as his cheat item, hoarding every extra point was the way to go.
The torrential rain showed no signs of letting up.
"If this keeps up, we might be stuck here awhile..."
The schedule wasn't insanely tight, thankfully. But being stranded together changed things. They'd dodged the rain, but that wasn't the end.
"Ugh... Why am I shivering so much?"
The island's climate was generally warm. Yet soaked to the bone with psychological strain piling on, everyone's body heat had plummeted, triggering chills.
"Rescue team... when'll they get here?"
"Rain'll stop soon, right?"
"Yeah. Storms like this are usually quick hits."
They tried optimism, but pushed to their limits, no one looked good.
Adrian agreed.
[Hmm. This won't blow over easily.]
Adrian, who'd observed while drenched outside, returned to the cave bone-dry and fluffy.
[Leave them like this, and it'll turn bad.]
Some staffers' lips were already turning blue. Squeezing and shaking off water did nothing in their sodden state.
[Best to start a fire.]
Yeonwoo agreed. But *how*?
*This light won't last forever either...*
No telling when it'd be needed, so leaving it on till dead was wasteful.
"Ugh... Brr..."
"Urgh..." Yeonwoo glanced at the people huddling close, seeking his body heat. Adrian stood with arms crossed, waiting for his move.
Decision came in a flash.
"I'll be right back."
***
[No twigs. They're soaked—won't catch.]
"So what do I grab?"
[Thick logs. Dry ones. Over there.]
Adrian zipped ahead and back, pointing.
*Convenient.*
No GPS beat this precision.
How else find dead logs thigh-thick scattered around?
[Don't get any wetter. Drop 'em and come back.]
Arms full of hefty logs, Yeonwoo returned to wide eyes.
"What's with the wood...?"
"Gonna make a fire."
"Fire? But it's wet?"
[Just the outside.]
Adrian's voice, unheard.
"Wait here."
"Wait, Yeonwoo... I'll come too... Alone's tough..."
Director Ji shot up.
"We'll go! We know the area..."
"No. It's fine."
"But alone..."
"Yeah, you got us here—can't send you out alone in that!"
"Exactly. We should..."
Some staff offered help, but Yeonwoo shook his head.
"Faster alone. Don't worry."
"But..."
"It's okay. Director especially—no way. If you get hurt, the movie's dead. You know that."
"Still, sending you alone..."
Yeonwoo shook his head firmly. Other staff aside, Director Ji's bear-like build might help, but...
*Honestly, solo's quicker and easier.*
Less hassle, more efficient. Even now, it was dicey.
*No need to invite suspicion.*
Getting caught wandering together would backfire on him.
As Yeonwoo drew the line and left, murmurs stirred in the cave.
"Aigoo, Director Heo. Why butt in? He said not to follow out of worry!"
A staffer scolded the lighting director who'd jumped first.
"But... I wanted to help..."
"We'd just be baggage. Didn't you see? We were lost coming in, but Yeonwoo navigated flawlessly?"
"True?"
"Getting lost out there ourselves would be the real trouble. I wanna help too... but don't trip up the guy trying."
"Right. Even Director Ji, who'd actually help, turned it down for the film."
"How's he so considerate? Amazing."
Nods rippled. It rang true. "Helping" could hinder him. The intent might even be selfish.
"And Director Heo, your ankle's twisted."
Slippery rain-slick paths in the woods made sprains inevitable, even with Yeonwoo's lead. Scratches from branches too, but minor overall.
"...That obvious? Not that bad. Can walk fine."
"Think Yeonwoo missed it? Guy's hyper-attentive."
"Oh. That's why...?"
"So stay put. We blunder out and get hurt? Yeonwoo's the one suffering."
"Look at him going out for us even now. No one's that nice anymore."
"He was probably freaked too, but calmed us first. Responsible and kind—how?"
Everyone knew: without Yeonwoo, they might not have made it, ending up in horrific overseas headlines.
No exaggeration. Even clear-weather hikes turned deadly. Longer stranded, slimmer odds. And this? Monsoon-level rain.
"Who even is he? Isn't he an actor?"
"Huh? Yeonwoo? Yeah, our lead actor."