Leveling Up By Surviving Alone - L.U.B.S.A Chapter 60

—

– *Bonus: Strength increased by 15.*

– *Bonus: Stamina increased by 15.*

– *Bonus: Agility increased by 15.*

“Hoh…”

Ji Yeonwoo remembered when he’d eaten the bull shark. Back then, his Strength, Stamina, and Mana had each gone up by 10.

This time, Strength, Stamina, and Agility had all risen by 15.

And most importantly, he’d only learned the creature’s name from the Monster Guide.

The text above its head had changed from “????’s Root Vine” to “Root Octopus’s Root Vine.”

‘Root Octopus, huh…’

Was it a plant that resembled an octopus, or an octopus that resembled a plant?

Until now, the world had been populated by creatures that could plausibly exist on Earth—but this was a real monster.

And octopuses naturally have eight legs.

Meaning, aside from this one, there were seven more root vines out there, not just three.

‘Could be even more.’

—

– *The Watcher demands to know what it tastes like.*

Kkok-kkok-kkok!

Peep-peep-peep!

The Watcher, Kim Kkokko, and the five ducklings all clamored, waiting for Ji Yeonwoo’s verdict.

“It tastes exactly like sweet potatoes! No—sweeter than any sweet potato I’ve ever had!”

—

– *The Watcher is thrilled it tastes like it looks. He loves sweet potatoes and starts subtly begging for some.*

But Kim Kkokko tilted her head. She wouldn’t know what an Earth sweet potato tastes like.

“Kkokko, you seemed to recognize this thing earlier—was I wrong?”

Kkok.

She shook her head.

She knew of it but had never eaten its fruit-like produce.

“Then now’s your chance.”

Of course, he wasn’t going to serve it raw.

Ji Yeonwoo knew exactly how to maximize a sweet potato’s flavor.

There were many ways to cook them—candied sweet potatoes, purées, chips—but one method required no extra ingredients and could be done right here.

In fact, it was the best way to eat sweet potatoes, in Ji Yeonwoo’s opinion.

He got to work immediately.

Whoosh!

He lit the oven, and once the flames settled, unsealed a roll of unused aluminum foil.

Aluminum foil—this thin, paper-like metal sheet was a precious resource, so Ji Yeonwoo rarely used it.

But today was different.

He wrapped the pseudo-sweet potatoes snugly in foil and tossed them into the oven.

Big or small, they all went in.

Crackle—

The silver-wrapped potatoes began roasting.

That’s right.

Ji Yeonwoo’s ultimate sweet potato recipe:

Roasted sweet potatoes.

—

– *The Watcher loses his mind over roasted sweet potatoes.*

“Hahaha! Brother, you like roasted sweet potatoes too, huh? But I bet you don’t like them as much as me?”

—

– The Watcher denies it, saying Yeonwoo has no idea how much he likes roasted sweet potatoes, and asks for the biggest one when it’s time to share.

Probably the biggest of the six.

But Ji Yeonwoo wasn’t about to yield this time.

“I love roasted sweet potatoes too!”

—

– *The Watcher goes silent.*

An unspoken battle for the biggest potato had begun.

After a brief silence, the Watcher spoke again.

—

– The Watcher says he has never passed by a convenience store when roasted sweet potatoes are out, that he often goes to buy convenience store lunchboxes but ends up buying roasted sweet potatoes and leaving, and that he eats at least 30 roasted sweet potatoes from convenience stores starting from winter, appealing his love for roasted sweet potatoes.

“Damn…”

Convenience store roasted sweet potatoes are only sold in winter, and even then, not all stores carry them. Eating 30+ a month meant tracking down the right stores and visiting them regularly. And even then, the Watcher wasn’t the only sweet potato fanatic lurking around.

Seeing Ji Yeonwoo’s stunned expression, the Watcher preened—finally, someone who understood his dedication.

But Ji Yeonwoo was shocked for a different reason.

“You paid for those? I always got mine for free!”

—

– *The Watcher scolds him, asking if he stole them.*

“Stole? Pfft—”

Ji Yeonwoo looked up at the moon, now more than half full. Earth’s moon waxes in 15 days, but this one took a full month just to reach half.

Would it take three Earth full moons to reach fullness here?

And then—another moonless night?

Anyway…

That moon brought back memories.

A story from elementary school.

“My mom used to sell roasted sweet potatoes outside the school gates.”

It was one of his fondest memories with her.

When he was in third grade, his mom took on odd jobs while his dad worked outside. Among them was selling roasted sweet potatoes.

Young Ji Yeonwoo loved it.

He got to walk to school with her and meet her right after class. She’d always save the biggest, sweetest potato just for him.

—

– *“Did you study hard?”*

– *“No!”*

– *“Try harder next time.”*

– *“I will!”*

His mom’s sweet potatoes were so good he started bringing friends. Her expression would grow oddly complicated as she watched his bright smile and his friends’ giggles.

Then, the next day, one kid started teasing him.

—

– *“Ji Yeonwoo’s the sweet potato lady’s son~”*

– *“Pfft-hahaha! Sweet potato, sweet potato!”*

– *“Sweet potato boy!”*

Ji Yeonwoo just blinked.

Why were they mocking something so obvious?

—

– *“Yeah! I am the sweet potato lady’s son! That’s me!”*

– *“Huh? You’re weird…”*

– *“Who wants free sweet potatoes? Come here!”*

– *“Wooow!”*

He’d drag the skeptics to his mom and let them eat for free. But then—

—

– *“Don’t play with them. They seem mean.”*

– *“Huh…?”*

– *“Only bring real friends, okay?”*

– *“Okay!”*

So he stopped bringing the bullies.

One of them got mad.

—

– *“Why won’t you take me?!”*

– *“Are we friends?”*

– *“……”*

That shut him up.

He had been mocking Ji Yeonwoo—even if it didn’t work.

—

– *“No friendship, no potatoes.”*

– *“We’re friends! We’re friends!”*

After that, they became inseparable.

Sweet potatoes and a new friend. A happy memory.

But the best moments were the impromptu games of tag.

When Ji Yeonwoo, meerkat-like, spotted the “tagger,” he’d yell:

—

– *“Mom! It’s the tagger! The tagger’s here!”*

– *“Damn it… not her again…”*

His mom would quickly pack up and flee.

The “tagger” was Mrs. Jo, who sold fish-shaped pastries at the back gate.

Her pre-made, stale pastries were so bad even third-grader Ji Yeonwoo stopped going after one try. In a way, she was too good at driving customers away.

—

– *“Anyway, Yeonwoo—run!”*

– *“Okay!”*

Zoom!

Back then, he didn’t get why his mom sounded so exasperated whenever Mrs. Jo showed up.

Now he knew.

“Mrs. Jo was a snitch. The ‘tagger’ was a city inspector. I was the only one who thought it was a real game…”

—

– *“……”*

As Ji Yeonwoo grinned nostalgically, the Watcher spoke up.

—

– *The Watcher concedes the biggest sweet potato to him.*

“Heheh! Thanks!”

But the difference between the biggest and the rest wasn’t huge.

No matter which one he got, it’d be delicious.

Assuming these pseudo-potatoes roasted well.

So far, they’d tasted like the real thing—but cooking could change that.

What if roasting made them worse?

“Huu! Should be done, right?”

He knew the timing by heart.

Ji Yeonwoo picked up the largest one and peeled back the foil.

Inside the charred wrapper, the golden-brown pseudo-potato steamed, its skin now paper-crisp. A light tap made it crumble like a cracker, revealing the flesh beneath.

Not just yellow—golden. The sticky, amber syrup at the tips was clearly caramelized sweetness.

He split it open.

Hiss—

A wave of fragrant steam hit him, pulling a smile to his face.

The flesh had fibrous strands, like chicken breast. Even the blackened, caramelized bits were identical.

But the real test was the taste.

Would it be better than his mom’s? Sweeter? Softer?

Chomp!

He took a bite.

Smoke curled out with every chew.

Munch, munch…!

The more he chewed,

the sweeter it got!

—

– *The Watcher demands details—describe it or share it, now.*

“Hoooh…”

Ji Yeonwoo, misty-eyed, began narrating the symphony in his mouth.

Otaku_Senpai

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Super Card System! the best novel in the universe If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬⏬

• 
• 
•