Tales of the Labyrinth

Translated by: il0vecats

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Chapter 7: The Unexpected Discovery

Following the direction of the emergency ration’s gaze, Hwanin suddenly felt a surge of irritation.

“What the hell am I doing?”

Why was he attributing meaning to a bird’s behavior and following its lead? He should just cook it, eat, and return to his shelter to rest and recover his lost energy.

His meal since the morning had been a mere four corona berries. Now it was past 2 PM, and he felt the hunger and dryness in his throat persistently. Even with his typically stoic demeanor, these conditions were straining his nerves.

Shhhh—

Suddenly, a gust of wind strong enough to ruffle his hair came from the direction he was heading.

“…”

The scent of water brushed past his nose.

Not the foul, decaying smell of stagnant water but crisp, clear water that carried moisture to his nostrils.

Hwanin, initially rooted, found himself stepping forward instinctively, then breaking into a full sprint.

Quack. Quack.

The emergency ration— the one-horned bird—squawked more frequently as their run progressed. Around ten minutes into the sprint, he pushed through a dense thicket, momentarily squinting against the sudden burst of sunlight.

“…Ah.”

Lowering the hand that shielded his eyes, he gasped softly.

The scene before him presented a jade-hued horizon meeting a sky dotted with fluffy clouds and gentle waves crashing onto the shore, spreading a light froth.

He breathed deeply under the open sky, feeling his neglected brain cells awaken as he filled his lungs with fresh, invigorating air.

Taking a moment to relax, Hwanin scanned the area, listening to the splash and hiss of the waves.

The coastline was a low cliff, about 6 meters wide, covered in large and small pebbles stretching roughly 70 meters. But something seemed off regarding the shoreline.

Typically, a beach would transition from sparse trees to flat land, followed by sand or pebble shores meeting the sea at some distance. Alternatively, cliffs or bluffs might directly meet the sea.

Here, the jungle abruptly stopped, giving way to a cliff, with a pebble beach below connecting to the sea.

Even next to him, towering trees stood tall, reaching several meters high.

“…Not the sea?”

Sea air contains salt, which is detrimental to most trees except certain conifers. Generally, trees can grow in such conditions but tend to wither and die.

Yet, these trees stood lush and green, along with vibrant shrubs and bushes.

Feeling movement by his side, Hwanin looked down to see the bound bird fidgeting, as if eager to approach the water.

After a brief contemplation, Hwanin found a feasible descent point along the cliff, carefully using exposed roots to lower himself to the pebble beach.

Despite having spotted no immediate threats, he stayed vigilant as he reached the water. He washed his hands thoroughly and scooped some water from between the pebbles to sniff cautiously.

No visible impurities. The scent brought no alarms to his senses either.

Cautiously, he dipped the tip of his tongue into the water when he noticed the bird drinking copiously, duck-like, at his side.

“…”

Though the sight relaxed him, Hwanin couldn’t help but stay on guard. Ignoring potential microbial threats—after having no choice for days—he took a larger sip.

Pure, fresh water, sans any salt—which meant it wasn’t seawater.

“A lake.”

A vast lake stretched out like a crescent moon, spanning many kilometers, with no land visible on the other side, creating the impression of a sea from its breadth.

Given that the horizon line lay roughly 5 km away, Hwanin estimated the lake’s diameter exceeded that.

“Building a raft or canoe to cross it isn’t feasible.”

Despite the knowledge and craftsmanship required, Hwanin gathered more water, quenching his thirst as the cool liquid soothed his parched throat.

No soap was unfortunate, but he splashed some water on his face and even washed his hair, feeling almost reborn after five days.

“Ahhh…”

The rejuvenation was palpable. As he finished, the one-horned bird continued its excited calls.

Quack. Quack-quack! Quak!

The bird pecking at pebbles drew his attention as it tried to catch bugs scurrying between stones unsuccessfully due to its bindings.

Hwanin noticed something moving in his peripheral vision. Lifting a rock about 50 cm in diameter revealed a blue-green crab scuttling away.

Its body was a vivid jade, legs tipped in sky blue, resembling an Earth crab except with fewer legs and two missing joints. It moved lethargically, leading Hwanin to suspect it had no predators.

Popping the crab’s shell with a soft crack revealed surprisingly tender insides.

Similar to soft-shell crabs, but not quite as delicate, it was easy to dismantle without much effort.

Laying the crab before the bird, it devoured the offering with fervor, its beak snapping away even at the shell, like a woodpecker.

Hwanin silently continued turning stones, gathering six large crabs and some starfish-like bivalves.

Eating them raw wasn’t an option, so he recalled his bushcrafting skills, gathering broad leaves, dry grass, and kindling back in the forest with just his stone axe.

Lighting a fire with his multitool’s fire steel was straightforward – striking sparks onto feathered sticks made from dried branches.

Creating a sizable fire on the pebble beach, he positioned two large rocks near the flames to use as makeshift grills.

“Huff… Huff…”

Close to exhaustion, sweat poured from his forehead and back. Wiping his brow, he waited for the fire to burn down to hot coals.

Deeply cleaning the crabs at the water’s edge, he made sure to scrub them against coarse sand, ensuring thoroughness despite no visible moss or grit on the shells.

The crab’s anatomy closely resembled Earth crabs, allowing for smooth cleaning and preparation.

Back at the fire, Hwanin watched the flames adjust the heat before preparing the impromptu grill with glowing embers.

Using two straight branches as tongs, Hwanin transfered the glowing red coals between two small rocks he had set up near the campfire. He carefully arranged the prepared jade crabs into bundles wrapped in broad leaves and tied them up with plant fibers. While it would have been ideal to use palm leaves, which he did not have, the broad leaves served as a substitute.

He then placed the bundles on the makeshift grill between the rocks, ensuring the crabs were exposed to ideal heat for steaming. The bivalves, on the other hand, were simply thrown directly onto the coals.

After about ten minutes, the bivalves began to open, releasing wisps of white steam, and a delightful aroma emerged from the leaf bundles after another five minutes.

“……”

Carefully handling the now-blackened bundles to avoid spilling the juices within, Hwanin set them near the coals. He cautiously picked up one of the fully opened bivalves using his multitool knife, inspecting the cooked flesh inside.

There were no clear judgments on whether it was safe to consume, but with the dire situation he was in, caution was secondary to necessity. Despite the hunger temporarily staved off by drinking water, his exertion had depleted his remaining energy. His legs trembled, and his arms lacked the strength to lift properly.

“Whew.”

He was all too familiar with making life-death choices. At this time, there truly was no alternative.

Quack. Quack-quack. Quaaack.

The emergency ration kept squawking, likely attracted to the scents of cooking seafood. With tired eyes, Hwanin calmly picked up a fully opened bivalve, separated a piece of flesh using his multitool knife, and held it near the hungry bird’s beak. The bird eagerly pecked at the morsel.

“At least it’s not poisonous to the bird,” Hwanin reassured himself before cutting a thumb-sized piece of the meat for himself. As he chewed, a strong burst of seafood flavor filled his mouth, causing his stomach to growl loudly.

Considering it was freshwater, the bivalve had an unexpected salty and savory flavor, with a delightful chewiness. It was unquestionably the best seafood he had ever tasted.

Silently, Hwanin methodically ate each bivalve, discarding anything resembling internal organs. Even though many flavors come from the organs, consuming it unpurged could be dangerous.

Quack! Quack-quack!

“Do you want some too?” he asked with a faint smile.

Quack!

Not sure whether the quacking was out of frustration for not being shared with or because of the disposed internal organs, Hwanin ended up separating the cooked entrails for the bird, who eagerly devoured them.

Savoring each bite of the bivalves, Hwanin quickly polished off nine of them. He felt a wave of satiety but also a lingering sense of incompletion.

“…”

A sharp pain below his sternum began to make itself known. It wasn’t the kind of pain suggesting diarrhea, more akin to the burning discomfort from eating something too spicy. It felt reminiscent of the times he had overly spicy food from global fast-food chains.

Briefly focusing on the discomfort, the sensation slowly faded, leaving him puzzled whether the pain disappeared or if he had just gotten used to it. Feeling energized from the protein, Hwanin stood and stretched his limbs.

“For now, I seem fine…”

An hour later, the pain was completely gone. Checking his reflection in the smartphone, he found no new blemishes or irritated spots on his skin and felt his body moving normally.

“Who knows…” he murmured, turning his attention to the cooked bundles of jade crabs.

“Hmm.”

Inside, the crabs had lost their vibrant jade hue and were now reddish from the heat. Though an hour had passed, they were still warm, indicating their freshness.

The smell was mouthwatering, an enticing aroma of cooked seafood seasoned just right.

He grabbed a leg and gently cracked it open. The shell snapped smoothly, revealing the tender, juicy meat.

“Hmm!”

Though he had already eaten nine bivalves, the taste of the tender crab leg tempted him. It was delicate yet flavory, a fine balance of subtle and rich flavors, coaxing his appetite.

The legs, each about the size of a thick finger, were filled with firm, springy meat. He quickly devoured all eight legs then, with anticipation, broke open the shell only to be mildly disappointed. The crab’s green-tinged innards mixed with meat, tainting it a light green.

Tempted to eat it, storing the flavor of hepatopancreas and telling his tastebuds to go for it, Hwanin resisted and placed the crab down, opting instead to feed it to the bird.

Quack! Quack-quack!

“If not for you, I wouldn’t have found this place,” he said, considering it a reward as he fed the bird the crab innards while savoring the leg meat himself. The legs were plenty enough, bringing him genuine satisfaction and full of nutrients.

Despite minor belly aches post-feast, similar 30 minutes recovery proved it was nonlethal.

Glancing at his surroundings, Hwanin noted the sense of vitality and accomplishment, something deeply assuring. He had never felt so sustained since arriving in this world.

Packing up the essentials, wiping and securing the multitool, and with darkening skies overhead, Hwanin decided to head back.

“Tomorrow, I’ll explore this area more.”

Following the coastline might lead to signs of human life or at least easier access to sustenance and drinkable water. But the possibility of encountering monsters at the water’s edge loomed.

Still, there was no completely safe path in this jungle.

With his resolve firm, Hwanin set off back into the dense forest.