Leveling Up By Surviving Alone - L.U.B.S.A Chapter 99

 

 

The texture of the meat pressing against my teeth is pleasantly thick.

As the flesh gives way, something rises to fill the void.

Fat. Juices. And the distinct flavor unique to the Cracked Snowfield Boar.

The more I chew, the richer the taste becomes.

The boar’s peculiar scent is unfamiliar, yet not at all unpleasant.

It doesn’t burst with juices right away.

But with each chew, the accumulated juices, like a rising tide under the moonlight, seize control of my tongue. Ji Yeonwoo was already floating adrift in the middle of an ocean of savory juices.

Before drowning in that sea, he grabs a lifeboat.

The lifeboat takes the shape of a pine mushroom.

Sssk—

His teeth sink in, and the playful texture gives way. The mushroom’s hidden sap mingles with the meat’s juices, keeping Ji Yeonwoo buoyant atop the sea of flavor.

Chewing another piece of meat, then another mushroom, creates waves that rock him gently in this ocean of juices.

“Huh, huuuh…!”

Trapped—no, unwilling to escape—this sensation, the system notifications begin to chime.

– You have consumed [Rift Snowfield Boar (B+)] from the Monster Encyclopedia.

– Bonus: Stamina +15.

– Bonus: Strength +15.

– Cooking Satisfaction: 100%.

– You may learn one of the Rift Snowfield Boar’s skills.

1. *Sharp Tusks Generation (C) (Passive)*

2. *Fat Accumulation (B) (Passive)*

3. *Weakness-Induced Rage (B) (Passive)*

4. *Powerful Charge (B+) (Active)*

A grin spreads across Ji Yeonwoo’s face.

Among the skills, there’s one that catches his fancy.

Obviously, it’s not *Sharp Tusks Generation*.

He had no desire for his teeth to suddenly grow sharp and mess up his bite.

*Fat Accumulation* was also out of the question.

In a place where food was scarce, maybe—but Ji Yeonwoo wasn’t lacking in food. No, he couldn’t afford to create a situation where food was scarce. He had to hunt and eat to grow stronger, so accumulating fat was absolutely out of the question.

Sure, it might help absorb shock, but if it made his body sluggish, wouldn’t that just be a disadvantage?

The skill *Weakness-Induced Rage* made him tilt his head slightly.

Does it mean getting angrier the weaker I become?

Combining that with what he knew about boars, he interpreted it as the weaker I get, the more frequently I’ll fly into a rage.

Getting weaker is frustrating enough—now I have to get angry on top of that?

Absolutely not a skill worth learning.

That left only one option.

In fact, it was a skill he had wanted to learn back when he hunted the goat but couldn’t because of *High Altitude Adaptation*.

– You have learned *Powerful Charge (B+)*.

“Heh heh heh… What kind of skill is this?”

Probably something like a body slam, right?

But without horns, could he even use it properly?

The best way to find out was to try it.

Ji Yeonwoo smirked as he looked at Jung Yaong.

“Should I test it on Geumjjoki?”

Myaaooou?

Of course, he was joking.

Not that Geumjjoki was around to hear it—she had already vanished.

She had taken advantage of Ji Yeonwoo’s momentary distraction, staring blankly into space as he processed the skill, to make her escape.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Myaou?

Jung Yaong only tilted his head in confusion.

His expression seemed to say, Why would I? Weren’t you letting her go?

Truly, such a cat-like response.

If it had been Kim Kkokko, she would’ve held onto Geumjjoki with an iron grip.

Actually, it was for the best.

“Otherwise, I’d have to say ‘let her go’ and deal with the hassle.”

That’s right. Ji Yeonwoo had simply let her leave.

Unless he was planning to hold a knife to her throat and play hostage games, there was no need to keep her around.

But,

“Guess I’ll have to grill some more.”

No big deal.

There was plenty of boar meat left.

—

Pii, piiiiii!

Geumjjoki fled as fast as her little legs could carry her, her tail nearly falling off from the effort.

Clutched in her mouth was a hefty chunk of meat.

How could that dim-witted ape-like creature be so absentminded that he didn’t even notice me running off with this? That species really seemed a bit lacking.

Piii…!

That’s exactly why she had to protect him.

Now that she thought about it, he wasn’t so bad.

So this wasn’t stealing.

She was just collecting the remaining balance from the tribute he owed her last time.

Though nosebleeds were the ultimate humiliation for a snowfield rabbit, the food he made surpassed even that shame.

She would share this with everyone.

She’d let them taste it and convince them.

That ape might be a bit slow, but he knows how to make delicious food. He might be a necessary asset. That’s what she’d tell Grandpa.

Piiiiii!

With that, she dashed out of the cave and past the hot springs.

Just last month, on a moonless night, she had bathed warmly here—but now, the meat in her mouth was far more precious.

Was it because the thought of feeding this to the adults made her heart swell?

Geumjjoki wasn’t using her nose.

Or rather, she was so focused on the meat in her mouth that she lost awareness of her surroundings.

Which is why she crashed into something.

Thud!

What was that?

There were no obstacles like this on the path she knew.

Only then did her sense of smell return, and she realized—

The stench of a predator.

A low, rumbling growl.

A massive shadow, so vast it blotted out the moonlight, loomed over her.

She looked up.

Coarse, wire-like white fur. A towering frame nearly ten meters tall. A face reminiscent of a bear, yet with antler-like horns sprouting from its forehead, evoking a deer.

And embedded within it—piercingly blue, round eyes, glaring down at the tiny Geumjjoki.

Squeak…!

Her entire body froze.

She couldn’t move.

As if fully aware of this, the massive beast—neither bear nor deer, but something in between—reached out a claw toward her.

Five talons, each capable of splitting her belly open with the slightest scratch.

But fortunately, its target wasn’t Geumjjoki.

It was interested in the meat she held in her mouth.

Squeak…!

Her mind snapped back to attention.

She didn’t want to lose it.

She realized—whether she stayed still or let it take the meat, she’d die either way.

Only then did her tiny, delicate legs finally obey.

Just before the massive claws could reach her, Geumjjoki leaped upward!

She stepped on the blade-like talons, then scrambled up the coarse white fur!

Groooaar!

The defiance of such a tiny creature?

The beast’s eyes burned with even deeper bloodlust.

Like swatting a mosquito, it began striking at its own body.

BAM! CRASH! BOOM!

Squeeeeeeak!

Dodging left, dodging right—true to her nimble nature, Geumjjoki barely managed to evade each blow before sprinting away like mad.

She thought it was pure luck.

No matter how fast she was compared to her peers, that speed shouldn’t have been enough to escape this situation, right? So it had to be luck.

But something felt off.

If she thought it was luck, where did this sudden courage to flee come from?

What’s happening?

Did something inside me change?

Of course, right now, running was the priority.

This kind of cold, rational thinking was something the old Geumjjoki wouldn’t have been capable of.

She also refused to let go of the meat in her mouth.

Letting it go might have spared her life—but the aroma bursting in her mouth right now was impossible to ignore.

BOOM!

CRASH!

Behind her, pillar-like forelegs slammed down relentlessly.

She barely avoided each strike, pressing forward.

The monster was growing annoyed.

It wanted to just kill this pesky rabbit, but doing so would crush the meat she carried, rendering it inedible.

There was an easier way—but it would wound its pride.

Still, letting her escape would wound its pride even more.

Grooooooar!

The prey exposed to its *Fear Aura* should have frozen in place.

Whoooosh…!

Compressed air spread out, attempting to overwhelm the pitiful creature.

Countless prey had stiffened under this aura—snowfield rabbits were no exception. The moment exposed, their bodies would lock up, if only briefly. A full-grown adult might survive, but a runt like her could die on the spot.

And yet—

Squeeeeeeak!

Instead, terror made her tiny legs move even faster.

…….

Now, it had to give chase.

Rooooooar!

It pursued, closing the distance.

This was no way for the “Rabbit Prince” to behave.

Tears welled in Geumjjoki’s eyes, snot dripping from her nose as she ran for her life.

Squeeeeeeak!

Rooooooar!

Chased, and chased.

This meant the colossal beast was getting serious.

In fact, it no longer intended to simply kill Geumjjoki.

Grrrr…

It would keep her alive as long as possible—to torture her.

Its speed increased, reaching the point where a single swipe of its claws could end it.

The delicious leg might be ruined, but that was better than losing the meat in her mouth.

Just as its hand reached out—

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Its claws were sliced apart.

The monster jerked its head back.

A sharp blade grazed the space where its head had just been.

As it retreated, it looked ahead.

There was Geumjjoki, tears streaming down her face—and beside her, a rather plump snowfield rabbit supporting her.

The monster’s lips curled into a smirk.

You’ve crossed into my territory.

The plumpest rabbit’s expression darkened.

It was the child’s doing. Please show mercy.

The monster raised the back of its paw.

Unlike the clean, unmarred palm, the back was bleeding from shallow cuts.

Not a severe wound—but thin, sharp cuts hurt plenty.

What do you want?

The monster’s claw pointed at the rightmost rabbit.

The chosen sacrifice stepped forward—but was stopped. Because the monster’s talon didn’t stop at one. It dragged across, marking every rabbit in line.

As if to say—all of you must pay.

None of you will leave here alive.

Squeak… Squeak…!

I’m sorry, Grandpa…!

Huff…!

The elder rabbit pushed Geumjjoki behind him.

The beast before them had been acting like the master of this place since last month.

They had avoided it until now—but they never thought they could do so forever.

So this was simply the inevitable.

Snap!

The elder rabbit’s drooping ears shot upright.

Snap! Snap!

Snap!

The other rabbits’ ears also stood straight, sharp as blades.

A standoff.

Neither the snowfield rabbits nor the monster dared move recklessly.

—

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle~

Not that he knew for sure, but wasn’t it about time for the Watcher to wake up?

Which was why Ji Yeonwoo was busy grilling meat over the heated Jawsbar.

……!

His hands suddenly stilled.

Ji Yeonwoo looked at Jung Yaong.

Jung Yaong looked back.

“You felt it too, right?”

Myaoong.

The fur and tail of the seated cat puffed up even more.