CHAPTER 44………………………………………….
My proud white fur was soaked, sticking uncomfortably to my skin.
It felt like wearing an old, stinky raincoat turned inside out.
From a distance, anyone looking at me would see a pitiful creature, drenched like a wet dog.
But the western forest was eerily silent, with no signs of life.
The only sounds were the rain and, occasionally, the rustle of leaves in the wind.
Whenever a psh-psh sound made me think someone was nearby, I turned my head, only to see empty bushes swaying.
After several such trials, I had become so desensitized that most noises no longer startled me.
‘The wild in the rain… I’ve really lost my fear. Walking through this gloomy place without hesitation.’
I couldn’t remember the exact date, but it must have been about two weeks since I became an animal in this world.
Compared to the first day, trembling at unknown creatures and fleeing into trees, I was now like a brave warrior.
Killing and eating animals had only been difficult at first. Repeated experience had made me indifferent and even confident.
‘Humans really do adapt to circumstances, huh.’
I was surprised by my own flexible and productive mindset.
If I returned to my human life with this mentality, there would be nothing I couldn’t do.
Compared to fighting beasts with bared fangs, everything else would seem easy.
‘Of course, that’s only if I can go back.’
Growl… My stomach growled relentlessly.
Worrying further might only make me hungrier, so I decided to stop overthinking.
Finding food was the priority.
‘It was called Ujunghwa, right? A Chinese-character name? Somehow stiff and complicated-looking.’
I wondered if there was a system or law to naming things or the language in this world.
‘Language…’
I didn’t understand why I could communicate with Leaf, Eve, and other animals.
Did they actually speak Korean? Or was it some magical form of communication I didn’t perceive?
‘Until now, I never questioned it.’
From what I remembered of conversations with Leaf, most animals probably didn’t understand human speech.
Yet, I understood them as if it were natural.
Of course, it seemed the reverse wasn’t true—they didn’t understand me.
‘So not everyone speaks the same language. How does this even work?’
Whenever I thought I was starting to figure it out, the world seemed to mock me, stepping away just enough to stick its tongue out.
‘Well, language and words aren’t really important to me right now.’
I needed to prioritize.
On a deserted island, survival requires identifying and addressing the most urgent tasks first.
Wasting time fretting only burns calories for nothing.
I imagined a chalkboard in my mind and wrote the first item boldly: SURVIVAL.
It was natural that preserving my life was the top priority.
‘The second priority is probably the World Tree fruit.’
The ultimate fruit that grants overwhelming power to whoever obtains it—something out of stories and myths.
I didn’t know exactly what it looked like, how it tasted, or what precise effects it had.
Yet from the moment Eve mentioned the fruit, a heavy weight settled in my chest.
A fruit I had never seen felt like destiny.
It was as if my DNA or cells themselves were urging me to claim it.
Instinctual attraction, like a first love—whatever you want to call it.
‘Alright, second goal: World Tree fruit. What about the third?’
I pondered. Only abstract ideas like self-realization or happiness came to mind.
‘For now, two goals will do.’
I didn’t know how long this life would last, but there would be time to think and imagine.
Feeling the immediate danger resolved, I emptied my mind like draining a bathtub.
Water dripped from my damp fur.
‘Now, where’s the lake or stream? Did I come out too blindly? No other animals in sight.’
The thick clouds made it dark, but it was still bright enough to see.
That must mean the sun was behind the black clouds.
‘During the day, at least a wildling or a horned hare should be visible.’
Yet, no living creature was in sight. Except for the falling rain, the forest felt frozen.
I felt like I had the whole area to myself.
‘Where did everyone go?’
I glanced around.
My feet sank into the soft, ankle-deep water.
If the water rose further, this would surely become a mangrove-like swamp.
‘They said there wouldn’t be a flood… but from what I see, it’s hard to believe.’
Suddenly, a sharp sting pierced my ankle.
I lifted my leg, thinking I had stepped on a hidden thorn, and saw something flopping on my back leg.
—Ouch. What are you?
I asked instinctively, but got no answer.
It was a colorful fish, palm-sized, with scales like a mix of piranha and tropical fish.
‘Fish in a forest? Did the rain flood the rivers or streams?’
I grabbed it and pulled it free. Despite its small size, it thrashed with surprising strength.
I almost dropped it, but held firm.
—Fiiish…
It gaped, making wind-like sounds. Its spiky teeth were intimidating even to my hardened senses.
‘No, ugly fish are supposedly tastier.’
I’d heard somewhere that this was true—anglerfish being an example.
Hungry and unwilling to let it go, I bit into its body.
It thrashed wildly in my paws, but I didn’t intend to release it.
The meat was surprisingly delicious.
—Fiiish…!
It made a sound I couldn’t tell if it was agony or breathing.
I tore the scales off with my claws.
—If you bite, you should accept being bitten back.
With a serious expression, I devoured the small fish, leaving only bones and head.
‘Fish tastes good. Any more?’
I scanned the water around my feet.
No other fish were visible; the rain and mud had turned the water opaque.
I splashed my paws, trying to catch another piranha-like fish, but nothing bit.
The first one must have been a lucky catch.
‘Wish I had a proper fishing rod.’
I promised myself to have Leaf make one later.
As I splashed forward, leaves and branches shook above my head.
—Trying to catch fish?
—Ah! You scared me!
A voice startled me. I almost fell into the muddy water.
I looked up: piercing blue eyes stared down.
Partly hidden by leaves and branches, it was huge—comparable to the three-eyed wolves I had encountered.
It was crouched, but if it stood, it would be even larger.
Its face was somewhere between a cat and a tiger.
More precisely, a large cat-like creature, cute in appearance—but its mouth stretched unnaturally, almost to its ears, exposing rows of sharp teeth.
—Trying to catch fish?
Its mouth stretched, revealing countless shark-like teeth.
—What… are you?
According to Leaf, no beast usually roams on rainy days. Stalkers are the ones that do.
—Are you a stalker?
—Hmm… I suppose so.
Its thin voice sounded sometimes like a boy, sometimes like a girl.
—You should use your tail instead of paws to catch fish. Watch.
It lowered a long tail from its rear to the water. Several meters long, strong and thick like a sturdy rope.
—Like this, you dip it.
It flicked the tail into the muddy water.
‘What’s it doing?’
I assumed it was an enemy, staying alert, but it ignored me, focusing only on the tail.
It showed no hostility.
—Ah, here we go.
With a splash, the tail emerged with a piranha thrashing at the tip.
—See? Like this.
It swallowed the fish whole, crunching bones and scales grotesquely.
‘How did it do that? Bait on its tail?’
Some trick or uncanny skill beyond comprehension.
I looked at my stubby tail like a rabbit’s and shrugged.
—I don’t have a tail.
—Ah, I see.
Its deep blue body blended into the branches like a chameleon.
Only the eyes and the stretched mouth were visible.
It circled me, sniffing.
—Interesting creature. No tail, four-legged, with spikes on your back… Is this a porcupine?
It ran its tongue over me, closing distance. I shivered.
—What… are you?
—Tastes like wet dirt… You’re from the south, huh? What brings you west?
It rubbed against me subtly like a scent-marking cat.
A small cat might’ve been cute doing this, but a giant predator? I felt like it was sizing me up as food.
—So you’re not a stalker.
It blended back into the branches.
When I looked up, it was perched again, hiding.
—Right, I’m not a stalker. I’m Laohu. Who are you? Do you have a name?
—Ah.
The name Laohu reminded me of many things—first among them, the taste of roasted magpie.
