Chapter 5
The winters in the north are harsh.
The chances of surviving after passing out and collapsing while snow piled up over one’s body were close to zero.
But Ivan was certain the man was still alive.
“Wow, what a body···.”
The muscles all over his body were intricately woven together like armor. Could a person really look like that?
If one overlooked his graying hair and deeply etched wrinkles, he could easily pass for a strapping young man.
Nothing would likely happen if Ivan left him there···but even so, he couldn’t quite bring himself to abandon an old man lying there.
The Confucian spirit left deep in Ivan’s soul stirred.
In his hometown, anyone who simply walked past an old man collapsed right in front of them was treated like a worthless bastard no one would even associate with.
However he thought it over, he had more reason to help than to pretend he hadn’t seen the old man and walk past. Ivan carefully carried the old man on his back.
“Damn it. Do these barbarians not know how to bathe?”
A rank stench characteristic of barbarian warriors wafted from behind him. Ivan couldn’t stop himself from cursing.
Confucian spirit or no, he wanted to throw the smelly old man into the water, but barely managed to hold himself back. What if he had a heart attack?
When he arrived home, Ivan thought for a moment before setting the old man down on the floor. The smell was far too awful to lay him on the bed.
Ivan fed firewood into the nearly dying fire, and the embers flared up again, filling the room with warmth.
About two hours later, the old man suddenly sat bolt upright.
Ivan asked out of courtesy.
“Elder, are you feeling all right?”
“Food.”
Surprisingly, Ivan wasn’t fazed by the situation. The memories of his previous life came vividly flooding back to him.
-Customer, I’m sorry, but this product’s after-sales warranty has already expired.
-What the hell? Tsk···I don’t know anything about that···Bring your branch manager here!!
Compared to those days, this sort of rudeness was downright adorable. Ivan did not lose his kindness.
“I thought you might say that, so I prepared some in advance. It isn’t much, but take care not to choke···.”
Before Ivan could finish speaking, the old man devoured the food at a terrifying speed.
In the blink of an eye, a boar’s foreleg was reduced to bones. Could this even be called a meal?
“Is there any more? And, if it’s not too much trouble, a little alcohol too.”
“···Ah, yes.”
Ivan blankly brought over more food. A new interpretation of mukbang was unfolding before his eyes.
If mukbang YouTubers saw this, wouldn’t they feel an insurmountable gap and announce their retirement?
The old man downed the liquor in a single gulp and chewed and swallowed the meat as though he were drinking it.
For Ivan, who had spent three years holed up alone in the forest, living an ascetic life, the scene unfolding before him was intensely stimulating.
It was only after the old man had cleaned out all the provisions in the house that Ivan finally came to his senses.
‘That fucking bastard?’
Ivan felt a powerful urge to destroy something rise from deep in his chest. The old man, meanwhile, contentedly patted his belly.
“Whew, I feel alive again. Thank you, young man.”
“N-no···. Seeing you eat so well makes me···proud.”
Ivan ground his teeth inwardly.
Had it not been for the teachings of the great sage Confucius, his fist would have gone flying first.
“Since we’ve met like this, it must be fate. Shall we exchange names? I’m Ivan.”
“Ah···that might be difficult. I have my reasons.”
His refusal to reveal his identity smelled like that of a suspicious criminal. Ivan raised his internal alert level.
“Still, I ought to pay for my meal. I’m fairly confident in my hunting skills. Would that be adequate repayment?”
So he did have a conscience after all. Ivan softened a little.
The liquor was actually more of a loss than the meat, but it was too late to ask him to spit it back out. What else could he do?
“Well, then, I’d be grateful.”
“You have a refreshingly straightforward personality, just like your looks. Then, shall we loosen up a little?”
The old man gave him a meaningful smile, then swiftly wiped it away as if it had never been there.
***
Ivan roamed the forest in search of game.
After living there for three years, the forest felt almost as comfortable as home.
“Your footwork is quite something. You’re not like young people these days.”
“···You’re quite impressive yourself, Elder.”
Yet the old man kept right up with Ivan without showing any sign of fatigue.
Considering he wasn’t familiar with the forest’s terrain, it was quite remarkable.
As Ivan marveled inwardly, he noticed a large claw mark carved into a tree, along with brown fur scattered nearby.
Judging by the traces, the prey was still somewhere in the vicinity.
“Elder, please excuse me for a moment.”
“Hmm?”
Ivan quickened his pace. The scenery along the path rushed past in a blur, and a fierce wind battered his body.
The smell of an animal grew stronger. Ivan spotted a bear standing on two legs and chewing on a beehive.
It seemed to be stocking up on nutrients one last time before hibernating.
“Grr?”
The brown bear let out a bewildered growl as it watched the unidentified creature rapidly approaching.
Then, realizing it was human, the bear licked its lips, spread both arms wide, and roared.
If one had to interpret that reaction, it was probably something like, ‘What a lucky break.’ Ivan snickered.
The bear swung its arms wildly. A single blow from it would have crushed an ordinary human’s head.
Ivan ducked lightly and slammed his left fist into its side. Crack—the ribs shattered at once.
“Graaaargh!!”
The bear howled in pain.
“Ugh, you’re loud. We live in the same neighborhood, so show some manners.”
Ivan drove his fist hard into its chin, and the bear went limp like a doll with its strings cut. It died on the spot.
He made quite a decent haul right at the start of the hunt. A bear this size would easily last several days.
Ivan smiled in satisfaction, savoring the sensation still lingering in his hand.
Clap. Clap. Clap. A loud round of applause rang out behind him.
“Excellent work, young man.”
Ivan turned around with a start and found the old man standing behind him.
‘I definitely ran at full speed, so how did he keep up? No, more importantly, when did he get there?’
There wasn’t even a drop of sweat on the old man’s body. Ivan’s expression hardened.
“Your strength and speed are both beyond reproach. At this level, you can walk around with your head held high. There is one minor issue, but for someone your age, that’s already quite impressive.”
There was something in those words that Ivan couldn’t let slide. He bristled at once.
“What do you mean, a minor issue?”
“Oops, my apologies. This is the problem with growing old. Forget I said anything.”
The old man tried to casually change the subject, but Ivan had no intention of letting it go.
“No, please. I would be grateful if you told this young man what you think he lacks.”
“Huh, are you sure? I’m only saying this because I’m afraid it’ll hurt your feelings.”
“How could it? I’ll take your teachings to heart.”
“If you insist, I suppose I have no choice. But again, it’s only an old man’s nonsense, so don’t take it too seriously.”
The old man opened his mouth with a serious expression.
“Looking at you, you seem to be getting cocky because you trust in your body alone. You look like the type who’d mouth off somewhere and get stabbed to death.”
“···What?”
What had he just said? Ivan stared blankly at the old man.
“When I was young, I feared nothing in the world either, but looking back now, I was nothing but a green, immature brat. Just like you.”
The old man twisted one corner of his mouth and locked eyes with Ivan. It was an unmistakable provocation.
“Oh my, you said you wouldn’t take it seriously, but your eyes are practically shooting sparks. Are you about to throw a punch?”
Watching the old man’s sly expression, Ivan grinned.
“Of course not. I’ve listened carefully to your valuable teachings. But my understanding is a little lacking. If you don’t mind, could you teach me through hands-on instruction?”
The old man’s eyes widened at those words before he burst into hearty laughter.
“Hahaha, you were going to ask for a fight anyway, so why put on airs?”
“If you’re scared, you don’t have to force yourself. Injuries don’t heal as well at your age.”
“Fine, then. I’ll fix that insolence first.”
Ivan cracked his neck with a delinquent swagger and approached. Despite his words, he had no intention of fighting the old man in earnest.
How could a human withstand a fist that could kill a bear with ease?
‘···Surely the old man won’t die from a hit this weak?’
Ivan held back most of his strength and swung a fist toward the old man’s face.
Then the old man reached out and caught his fist with ease.
“Well, look at this brat. You’re holding back even now?”
“Huh?”
It was the first time in his life anything like this had happened, and Ivan was briefly flustered. Then the old man’s fist hammered into his side.