Of all the things to experience in my life. As if getting smacked in the face by a fish wasn't enough, I'd even kissed an eel.

My nosebleed soon stopped, but the stinging sensation lingered.

Still, looking at the fish filling the metal containers made me proud. Especially that beyond-extra-large eel.

The rain had brought one unfortunate development after another, but this catch made up for all of it.

'Let's see... Something suitable for a drainage channel...'

With the fish trap installed, I spent the remaining time browsing the auction house for my drainage project. All I had to do was fit suitable materials into the trench I'd already dug. That was it.

But I needed to find something the right size, and I might have to redo the earthen walls.

'There's a surprisingly wide selection.'

Drainage channels were essential not just in cities, but in ordinary villages too. In fact, even for a single building, drainage was one of the first things you needed to install. Without it, every rainfall could be a disaster.

'That must be why.'

The forum's overwhelming advantage was that it bypassed distribution entirely. Places that were hard to deliver goods to, especially remote villages, would rely heavily on it.

Even the high prices wouldn't count as a drawback. Time was money, as someone once said. You were effectively buying time.

'And with practically unlimited time on my end, it's a win no matter what.'

After poking around the forum, I found some suitable drainage channels. They had a trapezoidal cross section, came in generous quantities, and even had good reviews.

That settled it. Just to be safe, I fetched a tape measure and roughly calculated the length.

'I'll have to dig a little more.'

After digging out more dirt, I fitted the drainage channels I'd bought from the auction house into place. Once I'd carefully installed every section, I poured in some water to test them.

TRICKLE...

"Mm. Perfect."

The water flowed smoothly along the stone channel. Feeling rather pleased with myself, I took some pictures for the forum.

Drainage complete!

Wild Grylls

(Photo of the painstakingly installed drainage channel)

(Photo of the drainage channel from another angle)

(Video of water flowing smoothly through the drainage channel)

Finished the drainage channel. No more worrying about rain!

└Heavenly Demon How soothing to watch.

└Sword Masta It's oddly mesmerizing. You bought it from the auction house, right?

└Wild Grylls Yes. Making it myself seemed like it would take too long.

└Passing Dwarf Planning to live there for good? You've even put in drainage.

└Wild Grylls Nah, nothing like that. The temporary channel kept collapsing whenever it rained.

└Passing Dwarf Pretty tidy job. By human standards, anyway lol.

└Wild Grylls Is that an insult?

└Yeah, insulting you and putting you down.

└Just dwarves showing off their pride lmao.

└Making stuff is the only thing those dwarf bastards know how to do lol.

└Passing Dwarf And what did you lot do when we went on strike? You couldn't do a thing lmaooo.

└Fuck, I still remember that.

└Pleeease, anything but a strike!!

Apparently, that counted as praise by dwarf standards. That made me even prouder.

The only time I'd done work like this was in the military. Even then, I'd only done it because someone ordered me to, not of my own accord, so I'd felt no sense of accomplishment.

I checked the drainage channel a little longer, then surveyed the cave as a whole.

'Still, I don't think I can just brush off what the dwarf said.'

That question about settling down here had hit a nerve. The dwarf had probably meant it as a joke, but I couldn't easily take it as one.

'Maybe not a permanent home, but I should think of this as my base.'

I absolutely hadn't given up hope of escaping. This forest was no place for a human being. Even ordinary plants and animals grew enormous or developed greater intelligence.

It was full of things that treated common sense as a joke and threatened my life at every turn.

'And with fantasy and martial arts mixed together here, common sense is even less use.'

Of course, the Forest of Four Seasons defied common sense even for the people of this world. I looked around the cave, mulling things over, then let out a long sigh.

'What can I do? I'll just have to call it my lot in life.'

What sin had I committed to wake up here? Had I committed some heinous crime while blackout drunk? Even so, it was strange that I'd been singled out.

'God, this is really too much.'

I knew gods existed here too. The admin had even tried converting me. But believing in them didn't mean I wanted to worship them. What had they ever done for me to deserve worship?

'Still, once I escape, I should at least ask.'

Why had they dumped me in this miserable shithole? What the hell had I done wrong? And could I return to where I'd lived before? That was the most important question.

If I escaped and still couldn't go home...

'No. No. Don't think like that.'

I shook my head vigorously. Negative thoughts ate away at your resolve.

Life back home had been a struggle to get by, but I'd had good people around me. They alone were reason enough to return. I still hadn't repaid their kindness.

"Kyuu."

"... Hungry?"

Just as my feelings grew tangled, Roundfur sidled up to me. He approached cautiously, as if he knew what was on my mind. When I smiled and asked him, he rubbed his face against my leg.

I chuckled and stroked his head. Clever little thing. He seemed to have picked up on my mood.

'Even when I get out, I'm definitely keeping Roundfur.'

Abandon an animal this cute and lovable? Anyone who did that would get eaten by an owlbear.

I petted Roundfur and checked the time. It was nearly lunch. How was his stomach clock more accurate than the forum clock? Amazing.

'The ground's damp. I'd better bring out a hide.'

The downpour had left the ground wet. I dragged over the tiger hide I'd laid on the cave floor, then finished getting ready to cook fish and headed for the metal containers.

One held three fish; the other, a single enormous eel.

'Never had eel before, and this is where I get to try it.'

Why hadn't I eaten eel? It wasn't that I hadn't wanted to. I couldn't afford it. I'd eaten instant noodles for every meal. Eel hadn't even been an option.

Beef was the tastiest thing I'd ever managed to eat. I still remembered it vividly. I probably wouldn't get meat like that for a while, so I'd have fish that tasted like meat instead.

'Some kind of seasoning would be nice.'

I didn't eat fish often, so I wasn't sure what went well with it. What did I need at a time like this? The forum.

Trying something new now and then boosted your motivation and your fighting strength.

Recommend some seasonings for fish.

Wild Grylls

Anything good I can spread on fish? Other than salt.

Don't tell me I'm getting spoiled. I've got money to spare and want to spend it.

└Sword Masta Oyster sauce is really good on fish. Try brushing some on.

└Wild Grylls You have oyster sauce here?

└Sword Masta Yes. It's popular in the Central Plains. Heavenly Demon should know about it, but she isn't here right now.

└Heavenly Demon I have never prepared food myself. Moreover, I no longer need to eat.

└Sword Masta Oh, yes. Of course you don't.

└Heavenly Demon If you desire seasoning, I can bestow some upon you. I need only ask my aide.

└Wild Grylls No, there's no need. I'll just buy some from the auction house.

└All Hail the Sun Rather than cheap oyster sauce, how about something from me?

└Wild Grylls What is it?

└All Hail the Sun Truffle powder.

└Wild Grylls What's that?

└You lunatic, that stuff practically costs its weight in gold...

└Isn't that asking him to get into debt? lmao.

└All Hail the Sun Aw, so close lol.

└Wild Grylls Yikes...

I'd just buy some oyster sauce from the auction house. Heavenly Demon offered me a special oyster sauce, but I barely managed to talk her out of it. She put her aide through hell at the drop of a hat, and even I was starting to feel bad.

She'd said she'd consider giving the aide an inner core, but I had no idea what had actually happened.

'Let's hope Heavenly Demon isn't a nightmare boss.'

Anyway, oyster sauce was what I'd settled on for the fish this time. The auction house sold it in small quantities at a steep price. Counting the eel I'd be eating tonight, I'd probably use it all up.

SIZZLE...

'I just spread this on the flesh, right?'

Unfortunately, I didn't have the proper tool for applying sauce—a brush. I carefully spread it with a spoon instead.

"Oh, that smells good."

The white flesh turned brownish under the oyster sauce. The color alone made my mouth water. I couldn't wait to dig in.

"Nom nom nom nom."

As the oyster-sauce-coated fish cooked deliciously, Roundfur ate his meal beside me. As always, I'd removed the fish's inner core. Watching him enjoy it made me happy.

'Time to eat!'

It looked more or less done, so I moved the cast-iron pan with the fish off the fire. It was best to keep the campfire burning, if only to make charcoal.

Then I picked up my chopsticks and ate a piece of the deliciously cooked fish.

"Ahh!"

If the fish tasted like meat with just salt, it tasted like steak with oyster sauce. Comparing it to an actual steak was a bit of a stretch, but that was how good it was.

Sweet, salty, savory flavor filled my mouth, without a trace of fishiness. Absolutely delicious. I thought it might be the tastiest thing I'd caught in the forest.

'I get to eat all of this...'

THUD!

How wonderful was that? That was what I'd been about to think.

Suddenly, the ground seemed to shake, and a heavy silence descended. Even food-obsessed Roundfur stopped eating his fish and raised his head.

The speed-sloth slipped onto my back, apparently sensing something was wrong too.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The tremors grew stronger. I quietly set down my chopsticks and picked up Heavenly Demon's sword.

I always kept Heavenly Demon's sword and the adaman shield beside me, so I could react immediately whenever, wherever, or whatever happened.

'Something big. Definitely.'

Judging by how the ground shook with every step, it had to be nearly as big as the guardian.

Was it the bear I'd seen earlier? But Sword Masta had told me that four-legged beasts distributed their weight well enough that the ground didn't shake with every step. Only beasts or monsters that walked upright produced heavy tremors when they moved.

For a creature like that to cause these tremors, it had to be enormous.

Tense and alert, I armed myself and stood up.

THUD! THUD!

Before long, the tremors grew even stronger.

THUUD!

Something huge emerged along the path to the river. Just as Sword Masta had said, it walked upright, but its form was utterly alien.

Its skin was a pale gray, its posture hunched. Although smaller than the guardian, it stood well over three meters tall. From the head down, it roughly resembled a human.

But there was nothing human about its head, hands, or feet.

'... A shark?'

Its face looked like someone had stuck an actual shark's head on its body. Its slightly open mouth bristled with pointed teeth. A fin jutted prominently from somewhere between its back and neck.

Its otherwise humanlike hands and feet were webbed like a frog's.

A giant in the shape of a shark. Yes, that description fit perfectly.

"Grrr..."

That terrifying shark face stared straight at me. I immediately took a defensive stance.

Despite its humanoid appearance, it didn't seem to have come with good intentions. Besides, there was the mushroom man to consider. I couldn't let my guard down.

THUD! THUUD! THUD!

The shark man—no, shark giant—slowly approached with ponderous steps. Its hunched posture reduced its height, but the pressure it gave off was terrifying.

Then it came closer to me and...

SNATCH!

Grabbed the fish I'd just been eating. The very fish I'd coated in expensive oyster sauce.

"Huh?"

Surely not?

Before I could even finish that thought...

MUNCH. CRUNCH. CRUNCH. SMACK.

It chewed the fish a few times, then swallowed it down with gusto.

I stared at the shark giant, dumbfounded. What the hell had this bastard just done?

I'd finally decided to treat myself and bought oyster sauce to put on that. I'd only had one bite. And it had wolfed down the whole fucking thing?

"You...!"

I thought I understood how the speed-sloth had felt when the raccoon dog nearly made off with its fasting pill.