Leveling Up By Surviving Alone - L.U.B.S.A Chapter 56

—

*[Rift Fish Cake Stew]*

1. Restores 50% of stamina when eaten.

2. Speeds up physical recovery by 3 times for 3 hours.

3. Grants 50% resistance to cold for 3 hours.

A very ordinary, but in this situation, extremely welcome set of effects had been imbued into the fish cake stew.

He ate heartily.

Perhaps because it was made with fish cakes that he had once thought were heavenly, it was truly delicious. As the warm fish cake broth entered his stomach, his entire body felt warm.

—

– The Watcher’s mouth is watering.

– They teasingly scold him for eating too enthusiastically.

“Hehehe. You’d go even crazier if you saw this.”

Ji Yeonwoo slyly pulled something out.

A white bowl, yellow packaging.

It was the instant rice he had cooked alongside the fish cake stew.

Eating rice with fish cake stew?

—

– The Watcher exclaims that this is cheating.

“Ah, you have to let it slide, right? When else would I eat carbs if not now? Carbs are already so precious here…”

When he first fell into this place, he thought he was doomed.

But now, he had grown stronger, found water, gathered food, and was living well.

The beach was rich in protein, fat, and dietary fiber.

But there was one thing missing—carbohydrates.

In the sea, carbohydrates were an extremely rare resource.

“This is the last pack of instant rice.”

Plop.

Although it had been cooked, the instant rice had lost its warmth due to the rock climbing. But when it met the still-hot fish cake stew broth, it reached the perfect temperature.

Ji Yeonwoo took a big spoonful and bit into it.

Slurp!

“Ah…”

It was truly a heavenly taste.

He had eaten many delicious things since coming here, but after days without grains, the taste of rice hitting his taste buds was a whole new level of satisfaction.

Slurp.

Slurp.

Slurp.

Ji Yeonwoo quietly savored the white rice grains floating in the fish cake stew.

His body warmed up, and his blood sugar quickly rose as the long-missed carbohydrates entered his system.

Looking ahead, he could see the sky. The sun. The half-sun setting on the horizon, casting a red glow, was unbelievably majestic and beautiful.

“Such a view… it’s so beautiful.”

—

– The Watcher says he’s never seen such a view before and can’t help but marvel.

The Watcher’s perspective is always based on Ji Yeonwoo.

Thus, he can see anywhere within Ji Yeonwoo’s radius, and conversely, he can share Ji Yeonwoo’s perspective.

So, right now, the two of them are looking at the exact same view.

Feeling the same depth of emotion,

Ji Yeonwoo suddenly felt as if the Watcher was sitting beside him, sharing the scene.

“I feel strangely proud. Somehow, I ended up showing you, who’s stuck watching someone as ordinary as me, how hard I’m trying to survive. But this view… it’s incredibly beautiful, isn’t it?”

—

– The Watcher says the beach’s mysterious nightscape is also quite stunning.

– He adds that this view is spectacular in a different way.

– He subtly asks if it’s a shame that only the two of them are seeing this.

“Hmm, that’s true. But I think it’s quite meaningful to share this with just you. The others are precious too, but we’re both from Earth, right? So this view, so different from Earth, feels uniquely special.”

—

– He agrees that it’s a valid point.

Whoosh.

The blowing wind feels cool.

Just moments ago, it was bone-chillingly cold, but after eating the fish cake stew with rice, it now feels refreshing.

And then, a sudden outburst.

“I’ve been so indebted to you so far, and though it’s shameless, I’ll continue to rely on you in the future.”

At Ji Yeonwoo’s sudden words, the Watcher also felt compelled to blurt out something. Something he had said many times before. And something the system had blocked many times.

But for some reason, it felt like now was the time to softly convey his words to Ji Yeonwoo.

In fact, the system, for some reason, was relaying the Watcher’s words to Ji Yeonwoo.

—

– The Watcher says, “Actually, I…”

Rumble rumble,

Crash!

—

– …he says.

“Ugh, ugh!”

Suddenly, the entire ground shook. Something burst out from the surroundings, flickering.

Massive, thick tentacles.

At the ends of these tentacles was written, “Root Vines of ????”

This is bad.

Gulp.

Ji Yeonwoo swallowed hard.

Four root vines were looking around.

Exactly four tentacles. The words “Root Vines of ????” written above them kept bothering him.

Last time it was seeds, and now it’s root vines?

Moreover, getting hit by those massive, beautiful vines would probably leave no bones to pick up.

—

– The Watcher tells him not to move.

– He says they haven’t found us yet.

“……!”

At those words, Ji Yeonwoo held his breath.

And he realized why the Watcher had made that judgment.

Looking around, looking around.

The ends of the four tentacles. They were moving in all directions. At the ends of the tentacles were round orbs that opened and closed.

What are those orbs for?

—

– The Watcher says they haven’t found you yet.

– He says they probably emerged due to vibrations or something.

Since the Watcher can see from a third-person perspective, he must be right.

But staying still like an idiot would mean staying still forever.

Hoping they’ll go back in is too optimistic, right?

‘So I need to prepare.’

Ji Yeonwoo calmly assessed his condition.

His stamina had recovered to about 40%.

Unless he slept, he wouldn’t be able to recover to 100% in a short time. The only consolation was that his current stamina was at 42%.

It had recovered 2% more.

This was the power of Korean rice.

The problem was his mana, which was only at 20%.

‘I’ve used a lot of mana.’

Unknowingly, he had used a lot of mana.

But Ji Yeonwoo hadn’t used many skills. He had only used Salt Control and the active skill embedded in Jawsbar while climbing the cliff. Yet, his mana was lower than his stamina.

He could guess why.

‘So it’s true that entering the zone consumes a tremendous amount of mental energy.’

Mana is a higher level of mental energy.

The stronger the mental energy, the stronger the mana, and the higher the talent, the greater the multiplier.

Thus, so-called “zone battles,” which consume a lot of mental energy, also consume a lot of mana.

And if he gets into a tussle with those things, he’ll have to engage in many zone battles.

‘Of course, that’s only if I can enter the zone at will….’

Perhaps because he’s been in one tense situation after another since climbing the cliff? Ji Yeonwoo felt like he could enter and exit the zone at will now.

So the problem is mana.

And to replenish mana…!

‘I need magic bamboo shoots.’

Fortunately, Ji Yeonwoo had prepared a lot.

If nothing else, he had thoroughly prepared when it came to food.

There were four magic bamboo shoots, two each in the second and third-floor lunchboxes.

However, there was a minor problem….

‘The fact that I have to eat them in this situation.’

Ji Yeonwoo let out a long, thin sigh.

Meanwhile, the four tentacles were looking around, searching for Ji Yeonwoo.

Ji Yeonwoo’s hand moved stealthily.

His destination was the second and third-floor lunchbox sets beside him.

—

– The Watcher asks what he’s doing.

But soon, he realized Ji Yeonwoo’s intention and changed his words.

—

– The Watcher tells him to move immediately if he says to run.

– But he wonders where on earth they can run to.

He picked up the lunchbox.

…Click.

A faint metallic sound.

But Ji Yeonwoo thought it was still okay.

Because,

Ji Yeonwoo’s mother, Mrs. Kim, had incredibly sharp hearing.

If he could speak and explain this, the Watcher would probably ask what kind of nonsense that was.

But Ji Yeonwoo’s analogy was spot on.

‘I never got caught playing games secretly in the room next to my mom.’

The act of playing games secretly.

Many mischievous kids get caught playing games secretly by their parents.

Because secret gaming requires more skills than one might think.

Installing makeshift soundproofing (two layers of blankets over the wrist) to catch the clicking mouse sounds. Minimizing the clacking keyboard sounds with light, brushing keystrokes. A strong mentality to not sigh, grit teeth, or slam the desk during frustrating moments in the game.

Anyway, Ji Yeonwoo had never been caught by Mrs. Kim.

Given the family’s financial situation, always teetering on the edge of progressive tax rates, Mrs. Kim couldn’t have deliberately let him off, so he prided himself on his skills.

It’s ironic that the skills honed in his childhood home are now blooming in another dimension’s rift, but regardless, Ji Yeonwoo had opened both lunchboxes and was already halfway through chewing a magic bamboo shoot.

—

– The Watcher marvels at how he can move so quietly.

Ji Yeonwoo responded with a sly smile.

—

– Mana recovers by 20%.

He finished one and was now biting into the second.

Chew chew….

While also observing the root vines.

The massive, thick vines, as thick as five grown men hugging them, tapered to a point at the ends.

At the tip was a round orb.

What is it for? Some kind of sensory organ?

Anyway, those things were looking around for him, but perhaps the darkest place is under the lamp? They didn’t seem to be checking the center from where they had emerged.

—

– Mana recovers by 20%.

‘Still only 60%?’

The second-floor magic bamboo shoots could only fill him up to 60%.

Now he had to open the third floor.

But he hesitated.

The second and third floors are different.

Because the third floor’s entrance is….

‘It’s a snap lid…….’