Chapter 146
Chapter 146
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: Coconut
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Thud—!
"What the hell."
A massive thud echoed around me. Looking around, one of the participants was lying motionless on the ground.
A little time passed, and the rescue team the game organizers had mentioned came rushing in, carting off the fallen participant.
As I drew closer, I saw participants gathered and murmuring.
"Looks like someone got too hasty trying to grab palm fruits and fell."
— Viewer Aren't only pros here? — Viewer Can't they pick that? They do it easy on TV variety shows. "This place is different."
I gestured, and the drone hovering nearby shot straight up into the sky, filming the palm tree.
— Viewer What? — Viewer LOL that was close to death. Too hasty.
No matter how much they called the forest and sea a natural treasure trove, this was overly impatient.
Even if the uninhabited island was vast, with over a thousand people crammed together, they must have been anxious about resources running out.
— Viewer Damn, how many meters is that? "Hmm, about 15 meters?"
My neck was starting to ache from craning it back.
The shortest ones looked around 10 to 15 meters tall.
As the viewers said, only skilled folks were gathered here, but that wasn't enough.
Sure, more muscle meant more strength, but muscle was heavy too.
If that was all it took, bodybuilders would dominate climbing sports.
Flick, flick.
"Hoo—"
Nature untouched by human hands doesn't yield its gifts easily, it seems.
"Hey."
The person who approached suddenly was a muscular woman who looked a whole head taller than me.
I twisted to glare at her, and she looked down at me.
"Heh... damn, you're pretty."
"Why start something? Wanna die?"
As she spoke, an unfamiliar script swirled in my mind before unraveling like thread.
"...You speak Russian?"
"Mother Russia, punk."
"Kuhaha! Glorious Mother Russia!"
She suddenly threw an arm around my shoulder.
Is she nuts?
"Friend. Who's the little friend on your head?"
"Why would I be your friend? This is Snowy."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Nella."
"Not curious. I'm Han Ga-eul."
— Bangjang-ryeon What're they saying? — Viewer That rolled R sounds like Russian? — Viewer Bangjang-ryeon knows how many languages? Tongue trrrrill crazy. I slapped the hand off my shoulder, and her eyes went wide.
"Kuhuhu! Soft-looking but one hell of a grip."
"It's hot, so don't touch."
"My bad."
Anyone seeing Nella would think of one word.
Warrior woman.
Muscular build, but that sheepish grin didn't make her seem bad.
"Mind if I bum a smoke?"
"What, didn't bring any?"
I pulled out a single cig from my rain pouch and stuck it in Nella's mouth. She grinned sheepishly again.
"You didn't read what they sent properly, did you."
Flick, flick.
"Suuup, hoo— yeah. Thanks, friend."
"Not your friend."
"Kuhuhu."
I hadn't read it thoroughly either, but I'd skimmed the necessities.
She looked like the type who jumped in trusting only her own body, no prep.
"But... is using a lighter okay?"
"For smoking, yes. But anything else, instant DQ. Even if you sneak it, monitoring catches it. Cameras everywhere."
This felt like an organizer trap.
If you didn't have one, fine—but having it and not using it was harder.
"Friend, I didn't even bring a lighter."
"Show-off."
"Kuhahat."
Her hearty laugh and offering a finger to Snowy gave me her vibe.
True to a nation that runs on booze and smokes, she puffed away boldly.
"Hoo— friend. I bummed your smoke, so in return, I'll grab that for you."
"Huh?"
At Nella's words, I craned my neck again. The palm tree swayed endlessly high in the wind.
"That one? Didn't you see the guy who just fell and stepped toward the afterlife?"
"Pffft. Speak prettier, friend. What a waste of a face."
No matter how I looked, it was over 10 meters up.
Nearby participants stared up blankly, not daring to climb.
"I'll get it, so wait."
No real warm-up—just swung her arms once—and Nella stuck to the tree, climbing slowly.
A hot, wind-laden gust blew in.
"Nella, you fall, it's wheelchair life forever. Got it?"
"Ga-eul. Please shut up."
Nella, climbing steadily, had already reached the top.
"Watch below."
She pulled a knife from her waist and swung at the coconuts.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Nella, get the ones on the side too!"
"Ga-eul works people too hard!!"
One by one, heavy coconuts dropped, and soon Nella descended back to earth.
"Phew! See that?"
"Yeah, saw. Impressive you didn't die."
"......"
Nella, dusting her hands after coming down, gave an incredulous look.
"Good work."
Nella's core strength was obvious, and her body was flexible as hell.
I could see why she'd jumped in blind with no info.
"Let's drink quick!"
"What about the water they gave?"
"Drank it all the second I got it?"
What a blockhead.
Well, it was an amount an adult finishes in a couple sips, so it made sense.
Nine coconuts on the ground.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crunch!
Now eight.
"What're you doing."
Nella, who'd been smashing a coconut on a nearby rock, came back drenched.
"Not how you drink it?"
"Sigh, gimme."
Press the issued knife to the top of the coconut and twist.
Crack!
The tough shell peeled off easily.
"Wow."
"Nella, you didn't toss the water bottle, right?"
"Nah, still got it."
Nella rummaged in the non-woven pouch at her side and pulled out the plastic bottle.
"Hand it over."
I trimmed the open lid sharper and carefully tilted it, filling the bottle with coconut water bit by bit.
"Here, try it."
"Waaah..."
Nella shot me a weird look.
"Drink before I change my mind and toss it."
"Ha. If you didn't yap, I'd have snatched you up, Ga-eul."
"Shut it."
Russia's super conservative on that stuff, yet she says it easy.
— Viewer What're they saying? — Viewer Install voice translator, not perfect but gets the gist. Gulp, gulp.
Coconut water slid down Nella's throat, her neck bobbing.
"Wheek!"
"Puhahaha!"
"Ga-eul!"
"Euhahaha!"
Her face twisted so bad—must've hated the taste.
— Viewer Listen to that evil laugh lol. — Viewer That tastes bad? — Viewer Love it or hate it, but most hate it lol. — Viewer Damn rag water. I took the trembling hand's bottle and poured some onto my palm.
"Snowy, wanna drink?"
"Yeah!"
Snowy hopped down eagerly again.
"If it tastes bad, spit. Got it?"
"Yeah!"
She gave it a tiny lick and tilted her head.
"Not good?"
"Tasty!"
"Phew."
She liked it, finishing what I poured and licking my empty palm.
"Tiny thing eats well..."
"Russian warrior's a picky eater, huh?"
"Tch..."
I dumped Snowy's leftovers into my mouth—a bland sweetness lingered.
Coconut water gets romanticized for castaways chugging it down.
In that spot, even piss would taste good; it's not some amazing flavor.
"Hey, share a bit?"
As I drank, nearby participants started crowding in.
"Scram."
"Ha."
One snorted and kept coming.
Whoosh—!
I swung my knife; a bloody line appeared on the approaching participant's cheek.
"Argh!!"
"Cr-crazy bitch actually swung!"
Nella's eyes widened too.
"Psycho bitch. You're disqualified! Staff!!!"
Gripping the knife, every step I took made the crowd backpedal.
"Don't wanna lose your head, scram."
All wore what-kind-of-maniac-is-this faces.
They muttered and widened the distance.
Only after the crowd fully retreated did I turn back—Nella looked worried, uncharacteristically.
"Ga-eul. That okay?"
"This game's first absolute rule: No killing other participants."
"Th-that...?"
"Cutting limbs versus decapitation are different."
I shook the bloody knife; droplets flew.
"No clue what intent behind these clauses, but that's the game."
"......"
As time passes, participants spotting loopholes will pop up one by one.
"Nella. The later you adapt, the riskier your lifeline. Don't wanna get hacked apart, stay sharp."
Issue is when they catch on.
Sooner means dystopia unfolds.
Humans bleeding out everywhere.
Organizers psycho or genius, but pulling worldwide condemnation easy.
Crack!
Washed the knife with remaining water, split the coconut—milky flesh spilled out.
Stabbed the blade tip in and shook side to side; a chunk separated along the grain.
"Snowy."
Placed the small flesh piece atop her head; Snowy caught and munched.
"Tasty!"
"Yum?"
"Yeah!"
"Eat up."
She liked the flesh, shaking as she devoured it.
Should squeeze oil from the rest later.
Meanwhile, Nella's face grew serious.
"Nella, this time I'll make something tasty for you."
"...Huh?"
"Tasty food. In this brutal environment where breathing's tough, people crash fast. Gotta replenish nutrients. You know that best."
"Uh... yeah."
Starved too long—hunger hit hard.
Secure territory or whatever, fill the belly first.
"But how?"
Nella glanced around, puzzled.
Deep in, trees clustered like forest, but pretty far from here.
"Gotta dive into heaven's bounty."
I flung off my clothes—Nella and viewers lost it.
— Viewer Kyahhh! — Viewer Do that when alone! — Viewer Beat that bastard!! "Ta-da."
— Viewer Whoa. — Viewer Kya. "Whaddya think, pretty?"