Chapter 71

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Chapter 71

At Lee Jaehun’s words, Kang Mina, who had been staring at him, hesitated before responding.

“But you haven’t been awake for long…”

“Why are you so against me using my own body as I see fit?”

“…Just a moment, I’ll get ready.”

True to her word, she immediately picked up a hammer that was nearby. Considering she was an office worker who rarely used a hammer in her life, it seemed surprising how naturally it fit in her hand.

As she moved, a faint smile appeared on her face, making Lee Jaehun narrow his eyes slightly.

‘…I felt this before, but Kang Mina is surprisingly…’

She was not quite average.

In the novel, she was killed off in one go early on, so he hadn’t paid much attention to her. But now that she had survived against her original fate, her thinking seemed a bit different from that of a typical person.

Of course, that didn’t mean she wasn’t timid. Her curiosity was still awkwardly strong, making her prone to causing trouble. Nevertheless, there were times when he felt a strange sense of déjà vu. Like the expression she had when they reunited after the chase with the green algae monster.

“Director, I’m sorry to keep bothering you with questions, but are you really going to move? Really…?”

“…Remember we moved together before I fell asleep? I moved then, so why wouldn’t I now after so much time has passed?”

“But…”

Kang Mina wore a very dissatisfied expression, but Lee Jaehun waved her off.

“Enough, let’s just go. It’s not like anyone died, I just slept for a long time. What’s the big deal?”

“Isn’t that the problem…?”

“How dare an intern interrupt while the director is talking?”

“I-I’m sorry…?”

Look at this guy, jumping in to support the person he likes.

Lee Jaehun’s expression soured on its own. He couldn’t help but feel that mentioning the subtle tension between the two was necessary to strengthen her fragile mentality. Honestly, while everyone else was struggling to survive, it was annoying to see him alone acting like he was in a romance.

‘Still, I need to try moving with Kang Mina at least once.’

He wasn’t sure yet what exactly was different, but the sooner he figured it out, the better it would be for him.

He needed to reduce the variables in his plan.

“…We’re not going to the small lake right away, so don’t bother packing anything.”

“Oh, then…?”

“We’ll gather some wood and set up a simple trap. Something to catch fish.”

“Fish…”

“Don’t you think we’ll catch something?”

Well, they needed to eat anyway.

“Director, I heard something strange.”

“Oh, come on.”

“So, where are we going?”

* * *

They came to the park because it was relatively safer than other places, but it wasn’t completely devoid of monsters. They just appeared more docile compared to those inside buildings.

“…This should be enough.”

“Can we really make a trap with this?”

“It’s more like a fish trap, but yes.”

The typical monsters in this park can be roughly divided into four types depending on the area.

The most obvious one is the green algae monster in the large lake to the right of the main gate. It’s the final boss of the park episode, but it doesn’t appear early in the episode.

The protagonists of the novel had also entered through the main gate, but it seems they managed to avoid encountering the green algae monster because there was no one leaking the scent of blood and they hadn’t settled near the large lake. There was a reason for them being harassed by the algae monster right after arriving at the park, different from the novel, as Lee Jaehun himself had partially guided them to check the possibilities of death.

Now, since they had set up a shelter away from the large lake’s territory, they wouldn’t be bothered.

“Nothing strange attacked while I was gone?”

“Uh… come to think of it, things have been quiet lately. Occasionally, vines approach, but we handle those ourselves…”

“Yeah, you guys are growing. I’m so proud.”

“…I’m sorry…”

“…Did I insult you?”

There are many exceptions, but most monsters stay within their territory during the day.

At night, they become more active and hunt survivors, but during daylight, it makes sense that the green algae monster, which rarely leaves the water, would be quiet. The park’s center, where they were, wasn’t any monster’s habitat, making it relatively safe.

Unlike them, it was worrying for those who had set up shelter in less safe places.

‘There were stray dog monsters near the pavilion, right?’

The stray dog monsters that Kwon Yeonhee encountered were one of the park’s typical monsters.

“Have those dog-like things shown up?”

“…I thought you were swearing… um, no. We haven’t seen them lately. Even when you were asleep, they didn’t come.”

“Good thing I didn’t get eaten while sleeping.”

“……”

“…Just kidding.”

“Is that a joke…?”

I don’t remember well, but there was a description that after the two survivor groups merged, they were often attacked by stray dog monsters. It’s uncertain if they only lived near the pavilion, but it’s undeniable that many monsters were around there.

And another typical monster…

‘The centipede monsters in the flower garden.’

Monsters that swallow people whole if they touch a single petal.

In the novel, without Doctor Ha Sungyoon, who originally died, there was no professional medical staff, and an old lady with various knowledge took his place. She mentioned that the flower garden had many useful edible plants and herbs.

“Director, enough with the pointless jokes. Let’s finish our work quickly.”

“Ah, you scared me. When did you get here?”

“Since you started your nonsense. I’m keeping quiet because you’re the only one who knows how to make fish traps, but will I stay quiet afterward?”

“It’s hard to make a living.”

“Why don’t you realize it’s your doing that makes it hard?”

“Do you think I want to do this?”

Luckily, Ha Sungyoon was alive and they knew where his hospital was, which wasn’t the case in the novel. There, people needed to go to a hospital without knowing its exact location.

So they often went to the park’s flower garden for herbs based on the old lady’s advice, but exactly three people died there.

‘They said it was the shortest record.’

In the end, they couldn’t get herbs from the flower garden, and the place they accidentally found medicine was the small lake. The monsters there weren’t too threatening, making it an easy place to gather supplies.

But the problem was, it wasn’t entirely free of monsters either.

‘The water snake monster.’

The last of the park’s typical monsters.

“……”

“Honestly, I’m against going to the small lake. You know that, right? If I could, I’d get a handcuff from that detective we met last time and tie you up here.”

“…Why do you say such scary things…”

“If this were my hospital and you were my patient, I wouldn’t let you go like this. Even if you weren’t my patient, I’d intervene, risking the backlash. Given the unique situation, I’m letting you go, but remember, if anything happens, I won’t let it slide. If you’ve changed your mind, stay put, and I’ll go instead.”

“…….”

“If you come back injured again, or if you sleep for another three days or cough up blood, remember that I backed off this time because you didn’t cough up blood.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Why do you only keep it in mind?”

Lee Jaehun averted his gaze, pretending not to hear.

Anyway… the water snake might sound dangerous, but it’s much safer than the previous three monsters. In the novel, it never caused significant harm.

The green algae monster communicates with plant-type monsters to suck blood until its prey dies, the stray dog monster drives people mad with its nauseating affection, and the centipede monster in the flower garden swallows anyone who touches its flowers. Facing these monsters, one should be prepared to suffer.

‘In comparison, the water snake monster in the small lake is quite well-mannered.’

Most monsters are either completely hostile or overly friendly towards survivors, but the water snake monster is very neutral. It neither stops those who come nor those who leave.

Considering the dangers, it goes green algae, centipede, stray dog, and then water snake in descending order.

“…Do you really have to go?”

“Do you not trust me?”

“Doctors inherently don’t trust patients, unfortunately.”

“…….”

“Especially patients who don’t listen…”

“I’m sorry for being a non-compliant patient.”

When dealing with the water snake monster, there’s only one thing to be careful about.

‘You must have a clear purpose.’

This is because it has a talent for mesmerizing people.

The water snake monster doesn’t eat people. It doesn’t attack to make them bleed, and it doesn’t inflict any direct harm. Its status as one of the park’s main monsters stems from its powerful allure.

Those who fall under its spell develop an intense obsession with the water snake.

“Ahjussi, there are pebbles under the lake, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Could they be jewels? Should we take them when we escape from here? We’d become rich.”

“…I’m guessing you’re joking, but I applaud your willpower, Dayoung.”

“You’re praising me, right?”

“…Let’s say I am…”

While the water snake itself is quite beautiful, it’s still a monster from the shadow world. Normally, people feel instinctive disgust or repulsion, but under its spell, they throw away all such feelings and become entranced.

If it were a hostile monster, it would have devoured or torn apart those it mesmerized. If it were friendly, it would have escorted them out of the water, but the water snake monster is neutral. It simply swims around the lake, avoiding humans who show obsessive greed towards it. Those ensnared in its illusion might suffocate without realizing it, but they could easily escape if they tried.

Obviously, it’s best not to fall into the illusion in the first place. One way to avoid this is to focus solely on what you want from the small lake. By fixating only on that, you can avoid the water snake’s illusion.

“…….”

Of course, this information could be wrong.

‘It’s uncomfortable being in the protagonist’s perspective.’

The novel he read was entirely from the protagonist’s point of view. Reading it was simple, but in reality, he had to question everything.

Lee Jaehun handled various branches and sturdy ropes.

“Using plastic bottles would be easiest…”

“Oh, should I fetch some? We have some we used before.”

“Forget it. Unless you have a knife, you’ll just be wasting your energy.”

If we had thin thread, we could set traps for other land animals, but right now, the safest and easiest option is a fish trap. Just submerge it underwater and wait for fish to swim in.

While weaving thin branches together with some discarded string, Lee Jaehun continued speaking.

“The point of a trap is to let something in but not out, right?”

Team Leader Kang gave him a curious look as if he were an expert.

“You always sound like a professional in these situations….”

“Team Leader Kang, have you ever taken your niece to a stream?”

“Oh, no?”

“When kids see fish, do you know what they say? They ask me to catch them. I’m probably the closest thing to an expert here.”

“Oh….”

Leaving Kang Mina’s uncertain exclamation behind, Lee Jaehun continued weaving the branches tightly. Soon, he had made a large funnel and a smaller, stubbier one.

After securing the ends with string and sturdy vines, he nested the smaller funnel inside the large one, aligning their openings. The end of the large funnel was closed, while the smaller funnel’s end was open and round.

After securely tying the entrances of the two wooden funnels together, Lee Jaehun let out a sigh.

“Ta-da, it’s done.”

“Ooooh…!”

“Amazing.”

Clap, clap, clap.

A small crowd had gathered, and it was clear to anyone that the loudest applause came from the Park siblings.

With a tired expression, he looked at the finished trap and spoke.

“It’s done, but we don’t have suitable bait. Even if there are fish, they might not get caught.”

“Should I catch some bugs or something?”

“You spoke well, Inho. Go find some worms or larvae.”

“…Larvae?”

“I was thinking of using fruit, but bugs might work too.”

Remembering some unpleasant experience with blood-drinking larvae, Jung Inho’s face paled, but Lee Jaehun pretended not to notice, feeling his stress melt away.

He continued nonchalantly.

“Small fish eat maggots, and larger fish eat larvae or worms. There are even specific worms for fishing, but we won’t find those here.”

“…So, you want me to catch them?”

“We could just put it in as is, but the chances of catching anything would be lower.”

“…….”

“I’m tired, so why don’t you go fetch some? Okay?”

Jung Inho, rubbing his temples in thought, finally nodded, realizing he couldn’t refuse. His face was as pale as his expression was tired.

“Okay. I’ve seen some under tree bark.”

“…Shall we go together?”

“…….”

Judging by the pale face of Kwon Yeonhee, it was clear she suggested it out of sheer politeness. Jung Inho seemed to ponder thousands of thoughts in that moment.

After a long pause, he slowly shook his head while staring at her.

“…No, it’s fine.”

“Oh.”

“Seeing you so relieved is a bit disheartening, but it’s still bright out, so it’s better if I go alone.”

“I wasn’t happy about it! You misunderstood!”

“I’m sure….”

Deputy Jung disappeared into the bushes with a wistful smile, having thoroughly teased Kwon Yeonhee. The rest of the group watched Jung Inho’s retreating back with sad eyes, but to Lee Jaehun, the situation was rather amusing.

He thought to himself, ‘You all would have ended up eating bugs if it weren’t for me…’

Yes, in the novel, the protagonist and his group survived on insects at the beginning. They didn’t have the time or skills for proper hunting. Their primary goal was survival, not luxury.

Lee Jaehun silently chuckled at the stark contrast to their current situation and then spoke up.

“But, Director…”

“Oh, yes! Go ahead.”

“Before we came here, do you remember the size of the fish in the small lake at the park?”

“The size?”

“This fish trap is for bigger fish.”

The fish trap he had made was almost the size of an adult man’s torso. It would trap larger fish, but minnows would easily slip through.

Lee Jaehun had made it based on his memory of the novel’s descriptions, but you never know.

‘They did say you could catch them with both hands… but maybe they caught small fish with both hands.’

If so, Lee Jaehun’s effort would have been in vain. If the fish were small enough to easily swim through the funnel’s opening, the trap would be useless.

Yoon Garam shook her head and replied, “No, it’s fine! There were some koi in that small lake… Sure, there were small ones too, but most were pretty big. From what I remember.”

“That’s a relief.”

Indeed, it was a relief.

‘It took hours to make this.’

Although it was still daylight, it would soon be evening. Jung Inho had the sense to return before dark, but…

Lee Jaehun muttered as he looked at the fish trap he had made.

“We should set this up in the evening.”

“…Huh?”

“Not all fish, but some hide at night.”

Fish that are active during the day sometimes hide at night to avoid predators. It was a survival instinct.

Of course, the opposite was also true.

“It’s been a while since we had meat. Do you think fish will get caught as soon as we set the trap? This takes patience.”

“…”

“Kwon Yeonhee, think about it. Won’t you be hungry tomorrow? Can you live on those mushy things? Don’t you miss chewing real food?”

“…Those are tasty too.”

“Really? Do you think you won’t miss the taste of grilled fish with the juices dripping?”

“Stop it, Director!”

Unable to bear it any longer, Kwon Yeonhee collapsed to the ground. Given how long they’d been in the otherworld, it made sense to crave meat.

Their company was located near many great restaurants, and Lee Jaehun remembered that Kwon Yeonhee’s marketing team often had team dinners. The team atmosphere was great, and marketing naturally involved many meals, so Kwon Yeonhee’s appetite would be quite large.

Here, she had been surviving on snacks and filling up on water. Recently, she’d finally eaten some fruit with sugar content. Initially, she might have been too preoccupied with survival to care, but now, she was starting to crave meat.

Kwon Yeonhee banged the ground in frustration.

“Ugh, I’ve been craving tripe! And here you are, teasing me…!”

“…”

“I want meat…! Grilled pork belly with ssamjang, wrapped in lettuce!”

To be honest, Lee Jaehun had intentionally provoked this reaction for his amusement.

‘This little chick.’

Smiling contentedly, Lee Jaehun continued, “Hey, teasing? I was just kindly helping you recall some memories. Remember the army stew place in our alley….”

“La la la, I can’t hear you!”

“Thinly sliced beef… spicy hotpot…”

“Aaahhhh!”

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