The Cook of a Perished World - Chapter 115
Episode 115: Jungle (1)
“Commander!”
Captain Lee Sang-ah’s request for salvation.
After confirming this, I immediately led my unit members and returned to the ammunition battalion.
Because we could not stop our activities to expand our territory to Chuncheon.
There were not many unit members brought with them.
The amount of combat rations I prepared in advance is considerable, so that side will probably be returning to its original state.
Moving between cities is not easy.
Fortunately, we secured the subway and were able to return to the ammunition battalion within a few days through a forced march.
‘It’s changed quite a bit.’
I thought while looking at the scenery of the ammunition battalion.
Originally, it was an ammunition battalion that was nothing more than an old military unit except for the large site.
Surrounding it was something like a huge barrier that looked sturdy to anyone.
‘It’s been a few weeks since my unit and I left to raid the dungeon.’
There weren’t many combat-type awakened people left in the ammunition battalion, but there
were quite a few production lines like engineers left.
Engineers with work abilities that surpass those of humans.
It is the result of their tireless work.
“what’s the matter?”
I asked while looking at the soldiers who came to meet me.
Like that magnificent wall.
On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be any problem.
“Well…”
“I think it would be quicker to see it in person first.”
Although I was a little surprised.
We followed the soldiers’ lead and entered the unit.
“Commander? “I’m sorry, I heard you were coming.”
Let’s go inside to some extent.
[Tailor] in charge of managing this unit.
Lee Sang-ah appeared as the battalion commander.
She is holding large scissors in her hands.
Originally, her main weapon was a pair of scissors that she could hold one in each hand.
Those scissors were huge.
Rather than something that she, a seamstress, would use.
It looks like an object that can only be used for pruning trees.
And actually.
“…what are you doing?”
“As you see.”
Snip.
“I’m cutting down a tree.”
What she is cutting with those big scissors is a tree.
To be exact.
“jungle…?”
Inside the ammunition battalion.
Beyond the Ammunition Battalion branch and covering the entire mountain range behind.
They were trees of enormous size.
* * *
Ammunition Battalion ASP.
Due to the nature of the unit storing various explosives, there is a risk of explosion, so the gaps between buildings are wide.
The site of the unit itself is enormously larger than that of a typical unit.
‘The ammunition depots in the rear are several times as large as Seoul National University.’
The ammunition battalion that stores ammunition at the front is not at that level.
Still, the point was that it was a very large site.
It is difficult to defend that wide area.
Our unit was only using a portion of the ammunition battalion.
“Two-thirds of the ammunition battalion site has been eroded?”
“Yes… I’m embarrassed.”
Except for the area we are using, most of the ammunition battalion’s site has been eroded by the jungle.
“How did it happen like that?”
“It’s just that… rather than that. “It would be correct to say that it suddenly became like that one day.”
I shifted my gaze while listening to her words.
Originally, there were low mountains at the end of the ammunition battalion’s territory.
‘It seems like the unit’s scenery has changed a lot.’
Originally, the mountain didn’t have that many trees.
All of the trees were so dry that you could see inside.
Now it’s the exact opposite.
Most of the once shabby mountain was densely filled with huge trees.
“If it had been a slow phenomenon, there would have been no way we wouldn’t have noticed, but it was literally like that when we woke up.”
“That was the day we contacted you.”
Other soldiers also spoke as if they were dumbfounded.
I can’t believe a jungle like that was created overnight.
I wonder if that makes sense.
“Even if there were a monster capable of something like that. “There’s no way we wouldn’t notice while approaching the unit.”
An ammunition battalion base that has been in the hands of engineers for some time.
A reconnaissance system of its own had been completed, but this phenomenon broke through that system.
“…It didn’t suddenly fall out of thin air. “What the heck…”
That moment.
There was one word that passed through my mind.
[As time passes, the enemy will become stronger. It would be good to be prepared.]
These are the words the Pope left before his death.
I understood it to mean that the monsters already on the ground would become stronger.
‘In the first place. The monsters themselves suddenly appeared.’
Doomsday, of course.
The moment the dungeon in Chuncheon closed, monsters appeared as if they were originally there.
It means that it suddenly appeared out of thin air.
‘Even now, if monsters are being summoned from unseen places… there’s nothing strange about it.’
The monsters that appeared on Doomsday do not continue to exist.
Even after that, monsters may continue to appear in places we cannot see.
That phenomenon is also the same.
What if the phenomenon was originally caused by a monster that suddenly appeared in the mountains?
It is understandable that the reconnaissance system was breached.
“I considered burning it down, but I decided it was too risky.”
“That’s right. “Because it was a jungle that swallowed up the entire unit.”
“If we do something wrong, it seems like it will cause damage not only to our unit but also to the villages located around the unit.”
This is a unit and village that has been stabilized over a long period of time.
If even villages are damaged in the process of burning the jungle, it would be a mistake.
“so. like this.”
Snip.
“We were responding by cutting off what was expanding.”
“….”
She has [Scissors Skill].
Currently, he was holding large pruning shears and slowly cutting down the approaching tree.
‘It’s the same when I cut the soldiers’ hair with scissors. Now you can even use it to cut down trees… It’s strangely good at utilizing its properties.’
I looked around nearby.
Other soldiers were also carrying saws of their own and cutting down the trees that were expanding their territory.
“They’re not attacking me?”
“I think it’s okay as long as you don’t go inside.”
Are you saying they will attack you if you go inside?
It’s bloody.
“First of all, please help us too.”
“ah. yes.”
Let’s talk to the troops we brought with us.
The guys’ expressions strangely got worse.
‘ah.’
I felt like I had some idea of what he was thinking.
Now this.
It’s a bit similar to the job I absolutely hated when I was in the military.
“Weeding work….”
“I was awakened, so if it were real weeding work, it would have been easy. “That one.”
What can I do?
You have to hit and run.
* * *
“Phew… this is hard.”
The awakened people were also awakened people, but it was not like ordinary grass that had to be cut down.
The weeding work seems to have consumed quite a bit of stamina.
I could see sweat on her face too.
“for a moment.”
“yes?”
After putting my hand in the shadow.
I took out the one ingredient I wanted.
[Samiran’s Cold Horn]
A variety of monsters brought by the awakeners of the city.
Among them, everything that seemed useful was placed in the shadows.
‘They said this guy was a monster that shot things like ice even though he wasn’t a wizard.’
Not only was the horn as cold as ice, but it was also emitting a strange chill to the surrounding area.
Kwasik.
Let’s hit it with the back of a knife.
The tip of the horn was broken into pieces as if ice was breaking.
I filled the restaurant’s cup with water and put the shredded horn in it.
I added a little syrup on top.
OK.
[The dish is complete.]
[Samiran drink filled with the cool chill of an intermediate chef]
The effects were varied.
Regulating body temperature, increasing cold affinity, reducing fatigue, etc…
“Drink.”
“ah. Thank you….”
Well, there are many things, but the most important thing is.
It’s cool and sweet.
“Whoa!”
I ate it like this a few times in Chuncheon and it wasn’t bad at all.
It would be suitable for replenishing stamina after sweating.
“It’s been a while since I tried the commander’s cooking.”
“I don’t know if it can be called cooking.”
She seemed to feel a little refreshed after drinking the drink.
That jungle is also a jungle.
I decided to first ask about things I was curious about while I was away.
“Is the man still lying down then?”
“ah. yes. “I received reports that my physical condition has improved a lot, but I don’t think I have come to my senses yet.”
A man who escaped from the dungeon and came to us.
It seemed like he still couldn’t come to his senses.
There are a lot of things I want to ask, but I’ll have to do that later.
“The bunker and the village built nearby are also growing considerably. “The number of people inquiring about joining the guild is gradually increasing.”
“I’m glad.”
Besides that, I asked about his current situation.
It seems like things were going well here too.
Until that jungle showed up.
“Hmm. Not a bachelor with a cooking problem. Should I call you corps commander?”
I was listening to Lee Sang-ah about the current situation of the unit.
Someone came up and spoke to me.
A familiar face.
“Uncle Cheolwook.”
“haha. “Now please feel free to call me.”
The reason I remember this person is simple.
He is the person who supplies vegetables to our unit.
Because he was an awakened farmer.
But something was strange.
It’s the same thing to call comfortably and what to wear.
In particular, the village people do not know that I am a corps commander.
“ah. Did I just tell you? The number of people inquiring about membership is increasing. “Is Uncle Cheol-wook one of them?”
“uh. really?”
This is a bit surprising.
If you join our unit, there is a corresponding reward.
Nevertheless, the reason people are reluctant to join is because our unit has to fight on the front lines against monsters.
People wanted to be safely protected even if they had to pay a small protection fee.
The same was true for him, a farmer.
“After being around for a while, my thoughts changed a little.”
Cheol-wook speaks while scratching his head.
“I was very reluctant at the thought of being drafted into a military unit, but as I got older, I realized that the faces of the soldiers were not that bad. “If I join anyway, I’ll just be farming, so I don’t think it’ll be dangerous.”
“Wasn’t there a group you were leading? The people there….”
“Because the village has also stabilized.”
It seems like everyone would have no problem even without him as the leader.
The fact that he, who was quite wary of us, joined us means that the image of the unit has improved significantly.
That’s a good thing.
however.
“Actually… I’m telling you because the corps commander is here.”
I guess it wasn’t just to say hello when he spoke to me.
“That jungle. “It doesn’t seem like any ordinary jungle.”
“Isn’t that something you can tell just by looking at it?”
“no. “More than meets the eye!”
I was wondering what on earth you wanted to talk about.
“My sense as a [lower farmer] speaks for itself!”
“What on earth?”
“Something that will set a farmer’s soul on fire is growing inside of him!”
…That’s a bit much.
“It’s tempting.”
* * *
“Whoa.”
“be careful.”
One of the unit members sneakily pushed his body towards the jungle.
OK.
Kwasik…!
“Uh-huh.”
The movement of tree roots that had been slowly eroding the surrounding area changed drastically.
The soldier, who was almost caught by the leg, quickly pulled away and fell backwards.
A guy looking at the roots of a tree in a cold sweat.
Lee Sang-ah looked at that and sighed.
“I thought about sending someone inside, but it feels like that.”
“Hmm.”
There is no response to tidying up from the end to prevent erosion.
The attack begins the moment you step inside.
“If you dig down and cut down trees, you may be able to advance to a certain extent, but those trees don’t seem to be monsters in the first place?”
“How did you know that?”
“It didn’t say that I had gained experience.”
indeed.
Digging in while cutting down trees only consumes the stamina of the unit members.
then.
“hmm.”
I slowly turned around and took a step back.
I approached the street tree that had originally grown inside the unit.
Quick.
After tearing off a branch from a tree.
“Commander of the Corps?”
“for a moment.”
I threw the tree branch into the jungle.
Give it as much spin as possible.
As a result.
“….”
“What… are you trying to do?”
There was no reaction and was silent.
indeed.
“It doesn’t react to moving objects.”
Next, put your hand into the shadow.
A chunk of meat was taken out from inside.
Swish!
It’s a waste of food, but it can’t be helped.
Let’s throw it by rotating it similar to a tree branch.
Ahhh…!
Tree roots flocking to a piece of meat.
I get it roughly.
It doesn’t react to tree branches, but it reacts to chunks of meat.
“It doesn’t seem to matter whether I’m alive or not. “I think it’s important whether it’s a plant or not.”
“ah…!”
Only then did the unit members seem to understand the meaning of my actions.
That jungle is a way to distinguish between enemies.
“but.”
“Does finding out the attack conditions change anything?”
Because none of our unit members have plants.
It makes sense to think so.
But nothing changes.
‘Assuming they don’t attack everything that moves, they have their own methods.’
[Blue Drop Jelly]
[Would you like to apply the second effect of Absolute Taste?]
[Temporarily gain the attribute – Environmental Assimilation.]
“Ah!”
Lee Sang-ah, who saw the jelly being put into her mouth, was scared and screamed.
“You’re going to do something dangerous again…!”
“That is correct.”
According to Cheol-wook’s words.
It is clear that there is something special in there.
An entity that could possibly be the cause of this situation.
Burning down all the jungle should be reserved as a last resort.
You have no choice but to check it yourself.
[Environmental assimilation]
A body that blends in with the surrounding environment.
Basically, it has the effect of being a hiding skill that makes you less visible.
The name of this trait is [Environmental Assimilation].
It means that my body becomes one with the surrounding environment.
Jerk.
Army boots were put into the jungle.
The trees that ostracized others did not respond at all.
“Old Corps Commander!? for a moment! “It’s dangerous!”
A body assimilated into the jungle.
I walked towards the inside of the jungle.
* * *
Rustling…
They say the trees aren’t attacking.
Moving through the jungle was not easy.
‘Well…I feel like I want to cut it all down and move on.’
Overly dense trees.
Since there was no way for humans to exist, it was quite difficult to get inside.
I thought about taking out a knife and cutting it like a machete.
‘No matter what, that would be crossing the line.’
They say the environment has become assimilated.
Because it doesn’t seem like such a hostile act will be overlooked.
“Huh….”
You have to pass through the large site of the ammunition battalion and head toward the mountain.
Meanwhile, there was no road and everything was blocked by trees.
No matter how much I am, I feel a little tired.
I sat down on a nearby tree for a moment and looked around.
“What a spectacular view.”
Huge trees that you only see in pictures.
A jungle surrounded by those trees.
All the trees on this mountain seemed completely weak.
I can’t believe it has changed so much.
Right now I can just admire the scenery.
‘It’s a monster that can create a jungle this size.’
What a great guy he is.
After taking a short break.
I somehow squeezed myself between the trees and headed towards the center of the jungle.
If that great guy is there, it must be near the center.
How long did it travel like that?
‘performance?’
Far away.
I could see something vaguely like smoke between the trees.
no.
It’s not smoke.
[Combat Power Meter]
The magical power that monsters possess.
The energy that rises as it is visualized.
The moment I saw that energy.
Stop.
I had no choice but to stop.
That’s right.
“…It’s blue.”
The color of the smoke.
It was pretty bloody.