Leveling Up By Surviving Alone - L.U.B.S.A Chapter 91

Yeonwoo’s slipping body suddenly sticks to the cliff face.

Like glue, his torso adheres firmly to the rock.

The Battle Tanghulu’s viscosity had thickened, anchoring him in place.

“Hehe. Used it in time this time, huh? Not like the parasail blunder.”

Proud of himself, Yeonwoo didn’t expect the Watcher to rain on his parade.

—

*– The Watcher points out you could’ve used this skill earlier while climbing cliffs…*

“Let’s not go there…”

Just stop.

Meeeow.

From above, the snow leopard cub peered down worriedly.

Yeonwoo forced a smile and waved.

“Be right up!”

…

Crossing the chasm yielded no further tracks.

The cub became their guide.

It kept darting ahead, then pausing to glance back—

as if saying, This way.

Following it led them to a massive boulder, tilted just enough to form a sheltered crevice.

Inside: clumps of fur, scattered bones—

a predator’s den.

“……”

Among the remains, a fresh head—

the cliff goat’s.

Oddly, its horns were missing. Same with the other carcasses.

The cub padded to the den’s center and—

Meeeow. Meeow.

Meeeeeeeeow.

—let out a long, mournful cry.

A child calling for its parent.

Meeeeeeeeeeow.

“Ah… damn.”

Leaving it here meant certain death.

Even if it didn’t freeze, its cries would attract other predators.

But taking it? Was that the right call?

Logically, killing it for resources was an option.

But—

‘Hell no.’

Hypocritical, maybe—grilling the goat while empathizing with this cub—but so be it.

Yeonwoo stopped thinking and acted.

Meeeeeeow.

He scooped up the sobbing cub.

Its amethyst eyes, glazed with sorrow, locked onto his.

“Guess you’re stuck with me for a while… Jung Yaong.”

……

The cub, usually chatty, fell silent.

Then—

Myaaow.

—it purred, eyes glowing faintly.

…

Yeonwoo headed back—to yesterday’s snow shelter.

The chasm now behind them, he followed their own footprints.

The cub dangled from his arm like a plush toy, swaying with each step.

“Geez… You’re just too innocent, aren’t you?”

—

*– The Watcher agrees—it’d have died if left alone. They admit they’d have taken it too.*

Yeonwoo chuckled.

“Yeah. Honestly… I’m not sure.”

What should he do?

Bringing it to the beach posed risks.

A predator’s instincts would emerge as it grew. It might attack the Ari chicks—or even Kim Kkokko.

And that would force an ugly confrontation.

“Taking it long-term’s not feasible, right?”

Yeonwoo wasn’t reckless enough to act on whims.

But returning it now felt just as wrong.

Nature’s law would’ve left it struggling on that cliff.

Since he’d intervened…

“Guess I’ll care for it until it’s older… somehow.”

Eventually, it had to return here.

Lifting the cub to eye level, he studied its violet gaze—

and his own worried reflection.

“Let’s… head down first.”

Back at the shelter, he set the cub inside.

“Home sweet home. Cozier than that blizzard, huh?”

Myaow?

It tilted its head.

“Stay with me. Just for now?”

Myaaow.

Good or bad answer?

The cub suddenly trotted off—

then flopped onto its back, belly up.

Purrrrr.

“Ah—! Ahhh!”

Yeonwoo clutched his chest, agonized by cuteness.

—

*– The Watcher grips their own chest in shared torment.*

“Hazardous… This thing’s hazardous!”

Purrrrr.

At least it seemed to like the shelter.

Small mercies.

Grrrooowl.

A loud rumble echoed—

Yeonwoo’s stomach.

Right. They’d abandoned the goat hunt for this cub.

—

*– The Watcher reminds you it’s past noon. They’re starving. *

“Ah… We do need to eat something.”

But with no food left, their only option was—

‘Splitting the golden sweet potato.’

Like killing the goose that laid golden eggs.

And the cub must be hungry too.

“Stuck now. What can we eat?”

One answer: *Hunt.*

Scour the area for anything edible.

“Guess we’ve gotta move…”

Just then—

Zoom!

The cub bolted outside.

“Hey—!”

Yeonwoo scrambled after it.

By the time he emerged, it was already far ahead—

a tiny dot pausing to glance back.

Its fluffy tail curled into a question mark—

as if teasing, ‘Aren’t you coming?’

“…You found something?”

Like a quest marker in a game.

Cautiously, he followed.

The cub led downhill, past rocky terrain riddled with icy cracks.

“Where is it going…?”

—

*– The Watcher says to just follow for now.*

“Right. It knows this place better.”

Past the rocks, the snow deepened.

Squelch.

Not the usual crunch—his boots sank.

“Uh… The snow’s way deeper here.”

Waist-high before, now it swallowed him to the chest.

The cub pranced effortlessly ahead while Yeonwoo trudged like he was in quicksand.

The slope evened out after five minutes—

into a gentle decline perfect for sledding.

—

*– The Watcher warns they’ll be mad if you Jawsbar snowboard again.*

“I-I wasn’t even thinking that!”

(Yeonwoo quietly retracted the half-formed cleaver.)

Instead, he sat on it like a sled.

—

*– The Watcher stares.*

“Sleds are easy to stop!”

And indeed, he could stop a sled.

“See? Hehe!”

…Wait.

Couldn’t he have sledded yesterday instead?

—

*– The Watcher stays silent.*

“Huh?”

Regardless, Yeonwoo successfully “sledded” down.

Another snowfield awaited.

Myaow~

The cub glanced back, urging him on.

Squelch. Squelch.

Its tiny paw prints guided him—

until a towering cliff loomed ahead.

Mostly rock, except one section:

A sheer *ice wall.*

Water pooled in the cliff’s hollow had frozen into a crystalline facade.

And at its base—

something encased within.

Yeonwoo leaned closer.

Preserved in the ice like a specimen was…

*[Rift Ice Frog (C)]*

“Why’s there a frog here…?”

Plump and pale blue, it was large enough to feed them both.

Seeing it frozen there, dormant…

“I suddenly really want soju.”

Specifically the brand with the blue frog mascot.

—

*– The Watcher says they had the same thought.*

Yeonwoo eyed the cub beside him.

“You… led me to food?”

Coincidence—or not?

Myaaaow~