Chapter 53
Even though I knew we were safe now, my breathing still wouldn't settle.
"I wasn't the only one who saw it, right?"
We'd all seen it this time.
When I looked up to make sure, both Yuna and Seoyun nodded, their faces pale.
Then that means…
The theory that I was losing my mind was out.
This island was definitely strange. Grotesque things were roaming around—strange enough for Seoyun and Yuna to see with their own eyes.
Could everything we'd experienced so far be lumped together as the same kind of thing?
My thoughts grew tangled.
Why hadn't it come all the way to attack us?
I wondered why it had disappeared, leaving only the Glyph behind like an afterimage.
"Could we all have been hallucinating?"
Seoyun said.
"I was sure it was going to catch up to us… then it suddenly seemed to disappear."
The Assistant Manager had pretty sharp instincts.
"Yeah."
To put it another way, that was how it had been on the night of the tropical downpour, too.
Those enormous things had been moving leisurely through the downpour, even though there was no way they could easily find somewhere to hide……
I couldn't rule out the possibility that they were illusions.
"Anyway… that was really scary. Yuna, are you okay?"
"Yes… Haa… Haa… Aside from a few scrapes from running around in a panic."
Luka was the first to spot us panting for breath.
"Oppas are back! Huh?"
Her cheerful, waving face quickly stiffened.
We must've looked far from normal.
"What's wrong? Did a super boar chase you, Oppa?"
"A scary deer chased us…"
Even when I tried to force a smile, I couldn't manage it.
Is this island… going to be okay?
Manager Han Jia followed behind her, approaching with concern.
"Assistant Manager Kang, and Mr. Woojin. What happened? You all look so pale—even Yuna."
"Ah, Manager…"
How should I explain this?
Like when we'd come back on the raft, I found it hard to put into words.
Seoyun spoke then.
"We were chased by a dangerous wild animal we'd never seen before, so we had to run…"
"Oh no…! Is anyone hurt?"
"No."
"I was startled when Mr. Woojin suddenly started heading toward it. Were you thinking of catching it?"
"Not exactly… but I sensed something."
Once I'd come to my senses, I realized… what would have happened if Seoyun hadn't stopped me?
What if the afterimage of that Glyph was a trick by the deer monster…?
The thought sent a chill down my spine.
If there was some reason it couldn't make the first move against us, there might be some kind of trigger.
One thing was certain: it wasn't an ordinary wild animal.
So for now, all we could do was be careful.
The only clue we could rely on right now was Miryeong's spirit reading.
When Miryeong appeared, there was something almost philosophical about her distinctive look—her white hair and golden eyes from colored contacts.
She looked so mystical!!
"…Husband."
"Thank you, Miryeong. We avoided danger thanks to you."
"I'm so glad. Really."
Miryeong clasped my hand tightly.
"I saw the thing Miryeong told us about."
Yuna said fearfully.
"The spirits said it's no longer nearby. We should be safe for a while."
"It won't follow us all the way here, right?"
Miryeong nodded.
"Do you know what they are?"
"I don't know what they are either─. But the spirits said they're things that reach for what they shouldn't."
Things that reach for what they shouldn't, huh──
That sounded like another riddle.
Miryeong shed her shamanic air and returned to being a lovely college student before throwing herself into my arms.
"Husband♡ I'm so glad you're safe!"
Miryeong smelled so nice.
"Please give me another spirit reading next time."
"Oh, just speak casually! Hehe."
"……Uh, okay."
It felt like I'd gotten a young wife.
Whew.
I hadn't planned on running at all, but after sprinting at full speed, the physical exhaustion hit me belatedly.
Seoyun was exhausted, too.
"I'll make dinner tonight. The exploring team, rest on the platform!"
Manager Han Jia said brightly.
"Oh, I brought something back today, too."
I took the water spinach out of the sack.
This was the water spinach we'd brought for propagation, its roots wrapped in water pockets.
"Oh my, vegetables?"
"──Ugh. Queen doesn't eat vegetables."
Luka immediately showed her disappointment. Ha. This girl—she'd already eaten her fill, and still…
I wasn't particularly fond of vegetables myself.
"This one's for transplanting…"
Yuna and Seoyun took the ones for cooking out of their bags.
"Hmm, may I try using these~? You three can rest."
"Then… I'll take a breather."
Seoyun accepted Manager Han Jia's kindness and sat down on the platform.
What we'd just seen must've been pretty shocking……
Yuna seemed a little frightened, too.
"I won't be able to sleep tonight. Uu."
"If you're scared, hug Miryeong and sleep."
"I think I will…"
For now, we had to do what needed doing.
To plant the water spinach we'd brought back, we decided to dig a separate shallow pond beside camp.
The Wind Glyph made the job easy.
While I made a small plot, Seoyun came over beside me.
"Mr. Woojin. What are you doing?"
"I'm going to try planting them. I figured I'd make the conditions as close as possible to where they were growing."
That stupid deer meant I couldn't remember the place we saw earlier very well.
"I think you picked a good spot."
Seoyun seemed like she was going to help me.
"A flat spot with sunlight. Let's block the edges with logs and stones."
"How much water should we put in?"
"Should we make the mud a little damp, then add some water?"
Seoyun didn't seem sure, either.
She'd never grown water spinach or anything like it.
We decided to make a few plots, one by one, mimicking the conditions where the water spinach had been growing densely.
On one side, we made a channel to collect water from the water pockets; on the other, a drain for overflow.
Inside, we made a muddy patch wet enough for a thin layer of water to pool over the soil.
"It's definitely nice having water magic. The water looks so clean."
"Now I'll use the water pockets to keep the level steady."
I buried the water spinach we'd brought with roots intact in the mud, then pressed down the soil around it to keep the stem nodes from sticking out.
Once the roots had taken hold, I planned to raise the water level a little.
The wet plot was ready for now.
It didn't look like much yet, but I hoped it would work.
"Hmm, Ms. Miryeong or Ms. Yuna would be perfect for this job."
"Are you going to make them work?"
"Of course. They'd probably feel awkward if we didn't give them work."
Is that so…?
Come to think of it, Yuna had been cleaning the platform this morning, too.
Finally, I used the Wind Glyph to gently circulate the water pooled in the plot.
Guiding the surface water naturally toward the outlet…
I made it flow like a very slow stream.
"Should we make another plot with a different setup, planting them in soil?"
"To compare which one grows better?"
"That's right. We don't know which conditions they prefer."
Hmm, good idea.
Let's make one water spinach plot and another plot with moist soil.
That meant making two growing areas in total.
First, we dug out a shallow, flat space… about 20 centimeters deep.
Next, we needed to make the soil moist, but simply pouring water in would be pointless if it drained away.
Using the <Water> and <Preservation> Glyphs…
Let's make it so the soil can hold more moisture.
Rather than preserving the water itself without loss, I wanted the damp condition to last a long time.
A faint flow of mana seeped into the mud.
Now we'd only need to replenish it occasionally, as much as the plants absorbed.
'A garden plot where the soil doesn't dry out, made with magic.'
It was more convincing than I'd expected.
"The soil feels just right. The edges of the plot we saw earlier felt like this, too."
"I'll plant them here now, too."
"I'll do it."
This time, Seoyun took the lead.
…Phew. That's the work done.
Hope they grow well.
"Our camp's one step closer to self-sufficiency."
Seoyun said proudly.
"Yeah. I never thought we'd get to the point of doing this for real."
I wondered if we might have to seriously consider the farming plan we'd laughed off.
"We don't know how many more days we'll have to stay here…"
The rescue team hadn't come today, either….
But Seoyun didn't look completely despondent.
"Let's get through this time together, Mr. Woojin."
"Yes, Assistant Manager."
Manager Han Jia had laid out the wild boar meat and water spinach on the counter and was preparing to cook.
"I should go help with the cooking, too."
"Are you sure you'll be okay?"
"Don't worry. Do you know who I am?"
Assistant Manager, I feel like you've gotten stronger than before.
It feels like only yesterday you were trembling in fear over a wild boar…
My afternoon's work was over, too.
After washing up, I sat on the platform and watched the Manager and Assistant Manager cook absentmindedly.
'Grilled wild boar and stir-fried water spinach, huh.'
I thought I hated vegetables, but I was kind of looking forward to it.
Vegetables with a crisp texture, soaked in pork fat…
We hadn't had enough of that sort of thing lately.
Manager Han Jia rendered the fat from the pork, then sliced the meat thin and stir-fried it with salt.
A delicious smell spread through camp.
Assistant Manager Seoyun, watching beside her, joined the stir-fry, adding the thick stems of water spinach.
……
Manager Han Jia's figure as she cooked was incredible.
If I married Manager Han Jia, would I get to see this?
"All right, everyone, sit down. It's best while it's hot!"
A generous dinner spread out before us.
A mound of water spinach stir-fried in wild boar fat sat on a wide plate.
The leaves had wilted thoroughly, their tender stems glistening among them, and golden fat coated the thinly sliced wild boar.
Beside it was a clear soup made with small fish and clams.
Even soup to go with it!
Luka was already leaning her face toward the stir-fry.
"Whoa. It smells amazing."
"It's hot, so be careful, Luka~."
"Mm."
Miryeong and Yuna sat side by side below the platform. Seoyun, her hair roughly tied up after washing, took a seat beside the Manager.
After running from something so grotesque…
When warm food was placed before us, it felt like what had happened moments ago had receded for a while.
"Mr. Woojin, hurry and eat. You worked hard today♡"
Manager Han Jia's gentle smile healed me.
With Manager Han Jia waiting at home, how could I not come back?
I absolutely couldn't die in some strange place.
"Thanks for the meal."
I was the first to pick up some water spinach with a piece of meat.
Today was different.
Eating freshly gathered vegetables with fatty meat today… it had a whole different feel.
The leaves had wilted softly, soaked with pork fat. Even without much seasoning, they'd absorbed the meat's salty juices.
Amid all that, the stem crunched crisply.
"Oh."
Oh, shit.
So that's why they talk about texture on cooking shows.
This was way better than I'd expected.
I'd only been disappointed because it was a vegetable, but it felt like a far more refined dish.
It wasn't as aromatic as water parsley. Meat fat and broth had seeped into the hollow stems, bursting with moist umami every time I chewed.
It felt like the water spinach balanced out the heavy flavor of the wild boar.
It wrapped around the grease lightly, keeping it from hitting my stomach all at once.
The lingering oiliness in my mouth went down much more easily, carried by the fresh moisture.
Gulp.
"It's delicious. The texture's great, too."
The Manager gave a small laugh at my words.
"Right? Assistant Manager Kang told me to cook the meat first, then add the water spinach later, stems first and leaves afterward."
"You know how to cook water spinach too, Manager?"
"I've only had it a few times on business trips to Southeast Asia. Still, it's hard to mess it up too badly if you stir-fry it in oil."
Slurp.
This time, I took a sip of the clear soup.
The savory saltiness from the clams and small fish came first, followed by the warm broth gliding gently down my throat.
Maybe because I'd eaten the oily stir-fry first, the light soup tasted especially refreshing.
"Hoo."
The tension drained away.
Luka was eating enthusiastically, too. She'd said, "Ugh, vegetables," and all.
"Luka, is it good?"
"Mm! It's good. This vegetable isn't bad at all."
"We made two growing plots at camp, too. If the roots take, we should be able to keep harvesting them."
"Really?"
The Manager clapped her hands, delighted.
Hehe, I like Manager Han Jia's reactions….
"Assistant Manager Kang and Mr. Woojin, good work. Thank you, too, Yuna, for showing us where the vegetables grow."
Yuna blushed shyly.
"No, I only did what I had to. Um, would it be okay if Miryeong and I took care of the garden? And the cleaning here…!"
"Oh, you don't have to…"
Since they were going to stay in this settlement, they probably wanted to do something.
"So… c-could Miryeong and I stay here?"
Yuna's voice trembled.
She was afraid we might turn them down……
Miryeong was peeking out from just behind Yuna, watching my reaction, too.
"Of course you can."
Seoyun smiled.
"Right, Mr. Woojin?"
"Yes."
Just seeing Yuna's breasts today was enough to make her worth keeping around.
Saying that would make me sound like a total sleazebag, though……
I hadn't been planning on sending them back there from the start.
Anyway, Kim Woojin was in favor.
"Mmm. Yummy."
Luka stuffed her cheeks full and ate heartily.
She looked happy just from her expression.
For a while, the only sounds before the platform were clinking dishes and chewing.
What had we seen just now, and why had it disappeared?
What kind of Glyph was it? We still didn't know anything.
Even so, for now, warm soup was heating our bodies, we'd planted the newly discovered vegetables, and there were more women here with me.
We'd made it through the day safely.
That alone made dinner delicious enough.
After the meal, while Miryeong and Yuna helped the Manager with dishes and other things in the cooking area───
I did nothing but lie around.
With Luka.
Luka was also a master of doing nothing and lounging around.
"Oh, Oppa. Today during the day~ I picked up something amazing."
"Something amazing? What?"
"I'll show you later."
When it was time to get ready for bed, I found out what the 'amazing thing' Luka had picked up was.
"Ta-da!!"
What Luka had found was a bundle of individually wrapped condoms.
………
……Huh?
"L-Luka! Where did you find something like that?"
Seoyun's face turned red.
"Throw them away. Hurry!"
"Eeh! Why would I throw them away? They're essential things Oppa can use. Like sanitary pads♡"
"They're not like that."
They weren't necessities for survival at all, but a strange mood spread through camp.
I glanced up and met Manager Han Jia's eyes.
"……."
Swish.
She calmly looked away, as if nothing had happened.
The rescue team hadn't come today, either.
Tomorrow would mark the seventeenth day without a rescue team───
And I was the only man left here.
"Give them to me. I'm confiscating them, Luka."
"Aww. You want to use them all by yourself, Kang Unni."
"What would I do with all of them?"
"Like, 'Mr. Woojin, you have a lot saved up. I'll take care of it for you……♡'?"
Assistant Manager Seoyun confiscated the condoms Luka had found and slipped them into the bag of washed-ashore supplies.
"Take care of what? Hurry and get ready for bed, Luka!"
Still, she put them in the bag.
Seeing that Seoyun didn't throw the condoms away made me think about a lot of things.