Adaptation 8: Sweet Relief in Orc Territory
Before the blood could spread further across the goblins' bodies, Ga-on left Yi Cho-rin behind and quickly began rummaging through their pouches. He deftly tore away the rags, probing only the spots where items might be hidden. Of course, there wasn't much to show for it. Aside from the goblin archer, the others had nothing but larvae meant for protein supplements. If they were truly desperate for food, he might have taken them, but Ga-on knew there was a lake not far from here. He shook his head firmly.
After searching the two, Ga-on first snatched the canteen from the archer, giving it a gentle shake to gauge the amount before resuming his search.
Is water the only salvageable thing here...?
Less than ten seconds later, Ga-on reached that conclusion, brushed off his hands, and stood up. Glancing back, he saw Yi Cho-rin now fully composed, sitting demurely. As he approached, she dusted off her rear and rose.
"Ga-on-ssi. Did you find anything?"
"No. There were some larvae, but you wouldn't eat those, right, Yi Cho-rin-ssi? That was all."
"Ugh... Really? But shouldn't we take them just in case, for the worst-case scenario?"
Surprisingly, Yi Cho-rin suggested keeping the larvae. She had recovered from the shock of killing quickly, and hadn't overreacted during her first fight. She seemed tougher than expected.
"Would you eat them? If so, I'll grab them."
"Ugh... N-no, sorry."
No matter how tough her stomach, eating larvae was a hard no. When Ga-on looked ready to shove some right into her mouth, she shuddered and shook her head.
Watching her reaction, Ga-on leaned his spear against a tree and brought his nose to the mouth of the leather canteen patched together like rags. Fortunately, no foul smell. It seemed freshly filled from the lake, heavy with water. He shook it once more to confirm the volume, then tilted it carefully to rinse the opening—just in case. He took a sip, swished it around like mouthwash, and swallowed.
The water was lukewarm from the sweltering heat, but it eased his body nonetheless. His starving flesh clamored for more, but Ga-on ignored it and offered the canteen to Yi Cho-rin.
"The water seems fine. Have some."
"Ah, yes! Thank you."
Yi Cho-rin, who had been staring intently as Ga-on drank, eagerly took the canteen... but didn't bring it to her lips.
"Eek! Ugh...."
She alternated glances between the canteen's rim and Ga-on's lips, hesitating. Ga-on asked calmly,
"What's wrong? Won't you drink?"
"N-no, I will... "
Yi Cho-rin bit her lip, staring at Ga-on's composed face. It stung her pride that she was overthinking it alone. I'm a woman too. Does indirect kissing mean nothing to him? Come to think of it, he didn't touch me at all while I slept... Maybe he has unusual tastes? Lost in such delusions, she belatedly noticed Ga-on's persistent gaze and thought, Oh crap! before finally pressing the canteen to her lips.
Gulp! Gulp!
It had been barely 30 hours since her last hydration. Thirst was setting in, but not critically—yet the stress of adapting to this new world had worn on her. She gulped it down mindlessly. Even the embarrassment of the indirect kiss couldn't stop her now.
As she drank voraciously, Yi Cho-rin recalled that Ga-on had only taken one sip and pulled the canteen away. But it was nearly empty already. She shook it sheepishly, glanced at him guiltily, and offered it back.
"G-Ga-on-ssi, you drink too. There's still a little left...."
"Yes. Thank you."
"No... I'm the one who's sorry."
What was there to thank? She felt she owed him an apology, but Ga-on didn't point it out. A few gulps from him, and the canteen was empty. Later, at the lake, he'd stuff it into his pants pocket to refill. For now, he shouldered his spear again.
"Let's go, then."
"Yes! I'm fine now, so we can pick up the pace a bit."
"If you're ready, let's move."
Though they'd encountered goblins, it turned into a blessing in disguise—they'd quenched their thirst. The pair hurried through the forest.
The sun had passed its zenith by several hours and begun tilting west when Ga-on spotted footprints.
They've come.
Much larger than goblins—big enough to dwarf most adult men. Orc tracks.
The lakes divided into three main areas. Two lay northwest and southeast; their destination, the southeast, sat at the edge of orc territory. Orcs outclassed goblins in individual threat by a wide margin. Normally, heading northwest would be wiser, but it was deep in goblin lands—too far for a quick visit. Ga-on could manage alone, but with Yi Cho-rin, he couldn't risk it.
Orcs were huge and rarely ambushed due to their nature, making this edge safer for the pair. The third lake? Far southwest, a solid 4-5 days' march. In his previous life, survivors had camped there. Power struggles were likely raging even now, soon to unify under one banner. Contacting them wasn't timely yet.
After trekking farther and passing several more tracks, Ga-on found a spot for a brief rest and halted. Yi Cho-rin, wiping sweat from her brow, caught up.
"Haaah— Rest time?"
"Yes. But I have something to say besides that."
"What is it?"
To her puzzled look, Ga-on pointed his spear at tracks a short distance away.
"Do you see those footprints?"
"Ah, those? Yes. But... they're pretty big, huh?"
Yi Cho-rin wasn't just following blindly; she pinpointed them instantly, frowning at their size with clear worry. She sensed they differed sharply from what they'd faced.
"I mentioned my ability. Acquiring surrounding information."
"Yes. Psychometry, you said?"
"Correct. Using it, this seems to be another monster's territory, separate from goblins. Orcs."
"That's bad. Goblins were tough enough...."
Impressed by the detail yet darkening her expression, Yi Cho-rin understood. Size didn't guarantee strength, but common sense favored the heavier weight class as more threatening. She deemed herself unable to handle them.
"Those goblins we fought? Thinking back, maybe a scouting party. Seems like territorial disputes."
"Yeah. So the area in between is neutral ground? That'd be safest. What now? Turn back?"
Logically, retreating was smart. Lingering in unknown orc territory was suicidal. But Ga-on shook his head firmly.
"No... Securing a stable water source comes first. I don't think it's far. Orcs must have a drinking spot."
"Hoo... Got it. I'll trust you, Ga-on-ssi. Let's hurry before sunset!"
Treating even rest as a luxury, Yi Cho-rin stood and dusted off. She strongly relied on him for combat—a natural response from what she'd seen.
"Then let's hurry. We can sleep back home, right?"
"Yes! Got it!"
With her spirited reply, they pressed deeper into the territory.
About ten minutes later, Ga-on and Yi Cho-rin had to stop again. They'd found the fruit tree from his past-life memory. The problem? Orcs were right in front of it.
Three of them clung to separate trees, gorging greedily on the fruit. Yi Cho-rin covered her mouth at the sight, locking eyes with Ga-on. Her gaze said it all: What now?
Ga-on observed the orcs, simulating two scenarios: killing them or letting them pass. He weighed the pros and cons. Retreating empty-handed wasn't an option.
Fruit meant hydration and nutrients. After a day without food, failure wasn't acceptable. Even as a regressor, his current body was frail. Two days of starvation would sap their strength; Yi Cho-rin might struggle to move by tomorrow.
Decision made, Ga-on whispered,
"Let them pass."
"Okay...."
No disagreement. They observed from afar. After about 30 minutes, bellies full, the orcs grabbed their weapons and lumbered toward their village.
Even after they vanished, the pair waited ten more minutes in hiding before their eyes met. No words needed. Seizing the moment, Yi Cho-rin grinned, jumped up, and dashed to the tree.
"Ga-on-ssi, hurry!"
"Be careful. They might not have taken them all."
"I don't care, I don't care!"
Like a child, she shook her head, long hair swaying, ignoring his warning. She plucked a plump peach and bit deep.
"Mmm...! So good!"
Just watching her eat conjured the flavor. Juice flooding the mouth, sweet aroma blooming. Relief from hunger and thirst alike. Ga-on swallowed saliva.
He approached at a steady pace, plucked a peach, and bit in. Ripe flesh yielded softly, sweetness exploding—more than mere sugar. Vitality surged as depleted glucose refilled. He gulped it down, repeating voraciously.
Yet even then, Ga-on scanned surroundings warily. Twenty years in the Union hadn't dulled him to complacency. Yi Cho-rin could afford childish glee; he couldn't.
One hand peach, the other spear—he eyed ambush spots. They devoured silently for a while. Only after five peaches each did their frenzy subside. Yi Cho-rin wanted more but gave up, stomach protesting, looking glum.