Leveling Up By Surviving Alone - L.U.B.S.A Chapter 28

Of course, he didn’t want his little bay to become a zone of death.

 

“Well, first things first: some seaweed soup.”

 

He harvested only as much **wakame** as he needed. After all, he couldn’t steal too much of the hiding spots from the young fish. Bringing water from the spring to a boil, he tossed in the seaweed, chopped some boiled **bamboo shoots,** and then shredded a piece of **dried Rift Red Sea Bream**—the one that had turned brittle like jerky—to use in place of beef. The boiling water soon turned a clear, greenish hue from the wakame, thickening as it simmered into a proper seaweed soup.

 

He seasoned it with soy sauce, anchovy fish sauce, and salt to taste. He wanted to add garlic, but he just couldn’t bring himself to uproot the **Combat Garlic** that was growing so well. Finally, he drizzled in a bit of sesame oil and let it simmer some more. A fine pot of seaweed soup was complete.

 

Taking a small taste:

 

“Slurp…”

 

While it lacked the full flavor of garlic, the freshness of the newly harvested **Combat Wakame**, the rich savoriness of the dried sea bream, and the sweet finish of **Mana Bamboo Shoots** all melded beautifully with the sesame oil. These layers of flavor more than made up for the missing garlic.

 

“Ah… this is delicious!”

 

Given that Kim Kkokko’s palate resembled his own, Ji Yeonwoo figured the chicken would devour it happily. He ladled a bowl specifically for Kim Kkokko, and right then:

 

—

– This ingredient has a special effect.

– Would you like to use your **Effect Activation** skill?

—

 

A small amount of mana drained from him, causing the **Red Sea Bream Bamboo Shoot Seaweed Soup** in the bowl to sparkle:

 

—

**[Red Sea Bream Bamboo Shoot Seaweed Soup]**

1. Consuming it increases your Stamina by 30% for 2 hours.

2. In a critical moment, an additional 10% of blood is generated.

—

 

“Huh? That’s… interesting.”

 

He understood the first effect, but the second one—‘a moment of crisis’ and ‘10% more blood’—was a bit confusing. Still, extra blood could hardly be a bad thing. No reason not to give it to Kim Kkokko.

 

He approached the sulking chicken, still sitting on its eggs with a grumpy expression.

 

“Kkokko, I made seaweed soup for you! It’s got your favorite bamboo shoots—**Bamboo Shoot Seaweed Soup**—just how you like it!”

 

“Kko…?”

 

Kim Kkokko had been curious about whatever Ji Yeonwoo was up to, dashing off to the beach, but it couldn’t leave the eggs behind. Sure, it could for a little while, but an annoying flicker of maternal instinct made it reluctant. Meanwhile, Ji Yeonwoo had apparently been cooking one of his “transformed foods.” Now he had returned, holding a bowl of steamy green soup.

 

**Kko-gok…?**

 

“Trust me—it’s delicious.”

 

**Kko-ok…**

 

“C’mon, give it a try.”

 

Kim Kkokko lowered its beak toward the seaweed soup. A **sluuurp** followed.

 

Then—

 

…!

 

**Chomp-chomp-chomp-chomp-chomp!**

 

It couldn’t even make its usual *korok-korok* noises because its entire beak was pressed to the ground. Nor could it slump to the floor—it was already sitting! So it just kept eating in silence. Once it had devoured everything, it let out a triumphant crow:

 

**Kku-e-e-e-e-ek!**

 

Ji Yeonwoo smirked and asked, “Want another bowl?”

 

**Kkok!!!**

 

“Figured you would. Got one ready!”

 

He must have ladled it out while Kim Kkokko was engrossed in the first bowl. With a grin, Ji Yeonwoo produced a second serving.

 

“Let’s have a lot of seaweed soup for a while. I’ll cook all sorts of tasty dishes, so you just focus on keeping those eggs warm, got it?”

 

**Kko-ok…!**

 

Given that Ji Yeonwoo was already providing so much good food, hearing him promise even more made Kim Kkokko feel grateful. It could sense the depth of emotion in his words—too big to put fully into speech.

 

Even the eyes of ancient Kim Kkokko—who’d lived countless years—grew a bit misty.

*Maybe laying eggs wasn’t so bad…?*

 

**Kko-kok…!**

 

“Here, have another!”

 

**Kko-ok!**

 

Kim Kkokko hurriedly gulped down the soup while Ji Yeonwoo watched, pleased. Then he helped himself to a hot bowl, too.

 

—

– Your Stamina increases by 30% for 2 hours.

– In a moment of crisis, triggers the production of an additional 10% blood.

—

 

“Ah, that’s satisfying. All right, I’m heading out. I might be a while today.”

 

He planned to go fishing, gather resources for his newly created “vivarium,” and harvest more seaweed for soup. It could take some time.

 

*“Though I wonder why The Watcher is late again today?”*

 

Maybe he was hungover. He’ll be home later, so I’ll have to warm up a bowl for him then.

 

Seaweed soup usually tastes even better the next day, since the flavors soak in with time.

 

*“So maybe the effect gets stronger, too?”*

 

He might test that theory later. Actually, he had an immediate idea:

 

*“I can just pack a lunch.”*

 

He’d be out for a while, so bringing food along was a good plan. Racing to the tent, he grabbed his **hunting mess tin**, known for its excellent insulation. If he remembered correctly, it was made from the underside of a volcanic turtle’s shell—some B-rank monster from a lava-type Rift. Though it was mass-produced, it wasn’t cheap, but the investment had proved worthwhile.

 

He figured if he put boiling-hot seaweed soup in there, it might still be hot by tomorrow.

 

*“Well, maybe that’s a stretch.”*

 

Anyway, the mess kit was a three-tier type, typically meant for things like rice, side dishes, and soup. He had three packs of instant rice left, but those were too precious to use right now. Instead, he put something else in the remaining layers:

 

*“This’ll make a great dessert!”*

 

Sealing up the tiers, he headed for his **Combat Bamboo Raft**. Once on board, it glided smoothly across the water.

 

At this rate, he’d be where he wanted in about five minutes. Ji Yeonwoo’s thoughts turned cheerful:

 

*“So I’m going to be a godfather, huh? Hehe… This brings back memories!”*

 

He recalled letting baby chicks wander around his childhood yard, pecking at ants, worms, and random seeds they found. They’d stuff anything edible into their beaks and grew up healthy—though that story ended on a sad note. This time he’d make sure that didn’t happen. He wasn’t a clueless kid anymore, and there was no father around who’d eventually eat them.

 

*“I’ll protect them this time!”*

 

He sobered up a bit, though, realizing this wasn’t his backyard but a beach of barren, lifeless sand. No ants, worms, or seeds. If those chicks ended up pecking at his **Combat Green Onion** or **Combat Garlic** instead, he’d probably scream even louder than his father did upon losing all his tropical fish.

 

They’d quickly run out of food. *“What do I do?”*

 

Well, it was obvious: If nature didn’t provide, he’d just have to create his own feed somehow.

 

Feeding his “troops”—that was his duty as Captain Ji!

 

“Heh. Looks like my shoulders just got heavier.”

 

Then he’d just work harder. Harvest more kelp, wakame, sea urchins, fish… whatever he could find. The boat arrived at the kelp patch he’d planted. He decided to focus on the present moment.

 

He gathered a bunch of **kelp** first, planning to line the shore with another kelp forest. He collected **sea urchins** and **shellfish** too, prioritizing variety over size. He didn’t capture any medium-size fish, because what he really wanted were fry, and he had no easy way to catch them without killing them.

 

*“Though, I do have an idea…”*

 

A way to capture them alive, but it wasn’t feasible right now.

 

*“Listen, little fish: there’s a safe sweet home back there. If you move in, I’ll treat you well!”*

 

He smiled at the thought, when suddenly a **Rift Filefish** zipped past his face.

 

*“Oh, you dare…?”*

 

Before, he might have let it go. But he had chicks on the way. He had no intention of showing mercy now. He didn’t need mid-size fish, but big ones could be dried and stored. So any that were sufficiently large were going down.

 

The **Multi-Tool Knife** morphed into a spear, gleaming with lethal intent.

 

**Thwip!**

 

He skewered the filefish, and that was the start of a successful hunt. Soon, scorpionfish, horse mackerel, and more filefish, all fish he’d hunted before, ended up in his **hunting backpack**. Whenever the backpack filled up, he climbed onto his raft and stored them in the chimney-like compartment at its center. Admittedly, it was pretty primitive—he couldn’t keep water in there—but it was enough to hold kelp, sea urchins, shellfish, and fish.

 

Once it was about 20% full, he repeated the process, pushing it to 60%. Eventually, the fish wised up and vanished deeper into the kelp. He didn’t mind; he wasn’t trying to wipe them out. He’d just do as before and go farther out to find more. He still needed more wakame anyway.

 

*“Hope I find another jumbo flounder.”*

 

He moved to a deeper part of the sea. Spotting a sizable **Rock Bream** in the distance, he readied his spear. He planned to zip in with **Rapid Swimming**, just like last time, and finish it with a single thrust. He got within a decent range, activated Rapid Swimming, and—

 

**BOOM—!**

 

*“Huh?”*

 

He shot forward at a startling speed, covering more distance than expected. Not only that, the force in his legs didn’t dissipate fully, forcing him to burst forward *again*—twice.

 

**Bang! Bang!**

 

Each burst packed a similar explosive punch, propelling him further until he finally felt the energy drain away.

 

*“What the…? Why did my skill suddenly get stronger?”*
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