Stagnant Water of Apocalypse

Chapter 16

Winter was fast approaching in the forest. It was proven by the fact that piercing cold wind could be felt prickling on my skin whenever I stood on the cave entrance.

“It must be very cold in the middle of winter…” I said while sitting down next to the furnace I had installed to warm myself up. Meanwhile, the trickling raindrops outside seemed to be getting louder and slowly turned into a heavy rain.

Today’s training was over. I also had done every work that had to be done by today. It seems like it would be fine to just return to the other side and go to the market.

However, when I was having those happy idyllic thoughts,

Beep~!! Beep~!! Beeep~!!.

The infrared detector suddenly rang.

“Who is it this time…” I quickly geared up and raised my weapon. All muscles in my body contracted as I knew the only things that could alert the infrared detector from the forest would be monsters.

I walked closer to the door before peeking through the window attached to it. What greets my eyes was a creature with fluffy silverish fur, long snout, and furry tail, walking through the bushes.

A wolf?

I pushed the door open and saw it with my own eyes. Just like what happened to the deer I met when I stepped into this forest for the first time, a system message appeared around the neck of the wolf.

[Silver Wolf]

“Is that a monster, or what?”

The wolf stumbled and collapsed while walking near the fence. Looks like it was severely injured as red blood splattered all around the ground.

“This is a pain in the butt.”

If it’s a monster, the correct thing to do was to observe it for some more time, and if it’s an animal, just don’t touch it. Moreover, as the wolf was way bigger that the wolves I saw in the zoo once, I was very reluctant to get closer to it.

“But if it was that big, wouldn’t it be possible to ride on it?” If I really rode on it, my waist would surely hurt, though.

As my mind starts to imagine myself riding on a silver wolf all across the forest, my eyes keep a close look on it. But the question still remains… Is it a monster, or an animal?

But before I could come into an answer, my train of thoughts was cut off as the bushes behind the wounded wolf suddenly shook. After shaking for a couple more times, a wolf way smaller than the other one finally jumped out from it.

“A husky?” It looks just like a Siberian Husky cub I saw in the neighbourhood one day.

Was the big silver wolf its mother?

The little one whined before licking its mother. But, unfortunately for it, the mother never got up again. The deceased silver wolf and its pitiful cub were buried in the heavy rain.

“…” I quietly looked over at the mother and the cub. If things continue like this, even the cub would soon die. In the corner of my heart, the urge of taking in the little cub and raising it starts to bloom. However, it was such an absurd thought as I couldn’t even guarantee my own well-being in the future.

“I’ll be lucky if it doesn’t eat me once it grows up…” Assuming it would become as big as its mother, I would certainly be in danger.

However…

For some reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off the cub. Perhaps it was my symphaty talking. There’s no doubt that the little guy would become an individual that could withstand any storm in the future. But in order to achieve that, it would have to overcome many difficult obstacles first, and the very first one would be living alone in this dangerous forest.

“It’s just like me.” It’s only a baby now, but it will grow a lot bigger and stronger in the future. I wonder would it be okay to take it in and in the future, bring it to hunt together, eat together, sleep together, and protect each other’s backs?

“Have I watched too many movies…” I shook my head to cool my thoughts off. Nevertheless, even after that, my desire to save the little wolf did not wane at all. If so, It would be better to do it now, before it’s too late.

I walked away from the comfort of my cave and went closer to the silver wolf. Noticing my presence, the little guy instinctively looked at me and growled. It’s definitely a wolf as it doesn’t look like a dog at all while doing it. However, it wasn’t terrifying at all. So, without any hesitation, I grabbed the back of its neck.

“Come with me.

Probably thinking it was its mother who bit its neck, the cub became quiet.

What a cute guy.

With the little wolf in my hand, I glanced over the gaping wounds of the mother wolf one last time. The wounds were caused by a bite from something which had a fairly large mouth. I’m certain it wasn’t the result of an owlbear’s bite.

Anyway, It was not something to think about while being in the rain. I took a picture of the wound with my phone and returned to the cave with the baby wolf.

“This feels surreal.” I immediately realized the fact that a wolf was certainly different from a dog as soon as we arrived in the cave. The little guy was busy scratching the door with its cute paw without even looking at me whereas a normal dog should have looked at me at least once at this point.

I’d heard before that an animal researcher said that wolves didn’t need humans. So, even if I leave it alone, it would probably figure something out by himself, right?

“But it’s dangerous to leave him like this…” Let’s dry it up, warm it up, and feed it. That’s all I could do for now.

Following my thoughts, I wrapped the little guy in a towel and placed it next to the furnace. It rebelled with a growl at first, but soon ceases all its struggle probably because it felt comfortable thanks to the warmth as he kept yawning.

“Hmmmm.” I wiped its chubby body with a towel. Like all mammals’ cubs, this one was incredibly cute. It looks similar to a husky pup at first glance, however, if you look closer, the colour of the eyes between the two kinds were different.

“With that, all the water had dried up. Now, should I start touching his belly?” When I turned its body over, the little guy struggled vigorously and tried to resist. It seems that it instinctively knew that exposing its belly is dangerous. It’s definitely different from dogs.

I ignored the little guy’s struggle and stroked its stomach.

“Looks like you haven’t eaten much.”

Do you have any teeth?

When the little guy opened its snout, I could see sharp teeth lining up. It seems like I could give it a tender chicken meat.

I made a harness to tie it up and return to the other side momentarily. By the time I returned to the cave with a chicken meat in my hand, what greeted me was a tangled little wolf which showed just how much it struggled in that short amount of time.

“I don’t know if this is the right choice or not…” I’m worried about how many accidents the little guy will cause in the future. But since the apocalyptic world was coming, it doesn’t matter if the furniture was damaged.

I lightly grated the chicken and fed it to the little guy.

“Eat it. I know you are sad because of what happened to your mother, but…”

Whoops!

I almost got bitten. The guy swallowed the chicken without even chewing it. Then, it looked at me and my hand alternately, seemingly confused. It probably wondered whether it was me or my hand who gave it the chicken.

“Look here, I’m the one who gave it to you.” Even though I told it that, the little guy didn’t look at me and only looked at my hand. Then it suddenly turned its head to the chopping board as if it seemed to notice that the chicken on top of it was bigger than the one it ate earlier.

“Uh-huh. No way.” When I put the chicken away, the guy barked loudly towards me.

By the way, what should I call it?

But, before naming the guy, I had more pressing things to do. The mother of this guy, who was cooling down at the entrance of the cave, needed to be buried. Or else, it would attract monsters from the surroundings.

“For now, just eat this and wait here.”

When the chicken was cut into small pieces and placed in front of the little guy, it quickly jumped towards it and gulped it down. Meanwhile, I got up with a shovel in hand as the rain outside stopped.

I’m going to have some trouble.

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“Whew…” After fighting hard with the ground for almost an hour, I finally buried the mother wolf. As I was doing this kind of hard work frequently, I unexpectedly got a knack for it. Though, the wet ground certainly makes it easier for me to do it.

When I stopped and looked at the ground I just finished covering up, my heart ached. Someday, I would surely die too, but if possible, I wanted to die where I wanted and when I wanted.

“I wonder if that will happen.”

The baby wolf rubbed the soil in the place where its mother was buried. Maybe because it instinctively smells its mother, the guy didn’t make a lot of commotion.

Now the guy had to choose.

Will it stay here or will it follow me?

I had no intention of keeping it as a mere pet. If it wants to live in this dangerous forest, it has to make some choices too.

“I’m going.” I said. With those words, I walked away from it. While walking, complicated thoughts filled my mind. I wonder if it would be better if I just brought it with me as it was still a cub which didn’t know anything yet.

I glanced behind me and saw the little guy just standing there while staring at me. Once I go a little further, the guy wouldn’t be able to see me anymore and we would be separated as the bushes would cover me.

I thought that if the two of us worked together, we would be able to get along in this dangerous forest.

“Bark!” When I was lost in sadness, I heard something running behind me. The baby wolf was trudging along my footsteps.

I looked forward and spoke.

“Your name is Dingo. got it?”

Woof~!!

Dingo was the name of a puppy I had at home when I was a kid.

“Law of Survival number 1! Get your own food. But because you are young and it will be difficult to do so, I will do it for you. You have to pay it back later, okay?”

Woof~!

What nonsense am I talking about? Can it even understand me?

But one thing was certain. Now, I have a guy who could stand by my side in this desolate forest. I don’t know if it would someday return to the wild and leave me, but for now…

“At least until then, let’s stay together.”

Woof~!

Dingo barked loudly.

I have a companion in the forest.

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An hour after Dingo became my companion, I came to learn a new fact about the small silver wolf; its stamina was endless. It didn’t get tired even after playing tug for an hour straight. Thanks to that, now I was laying down with a towel on my back.

“Aren’t you in great shape?” As I said that, Dingo got on my stomach and barked. This guy didn’t play cute like any normal puppy at all. It just likes to be by my side. It sticks to me everywhere I go, and to be honest, it was a little annoying.

And as I was preparing to go to the other side, Dingo still sticks to my side. I had no choice but to leash him in the cave. However, after several minutes of trying, I completely abandon the idea because it keeps barking loudly.

“Ha… all the monsters in the surroundings will come.”

That’s why I decided to take Dingo with me to Earth. It’s like a husky puppy anyway, so there won’t be a lot of problems. And as we crossed the portal, it made me aware that creatures other than me could also pass through the dimensional portal.

“The ‘Dedicated’ part seems to apply only to humans.”

After that, we went back and forth dozens of times through the portal.

The next day after bringing Dingo to Earth, I packed up my gear and headed out into the woods as usual. I was trying to find the identity of the monster that killed the mother silver wolf.

Behind me, Dingo cautiously followed me. It’s not completely in my back, but it’s not at the side either. It positioned itself nicely, if I were to say.

“It’s much better than going alone.” Even if it wasn’t human, it was reassuring to have someone by my side to protect me. Although Dingo couldn’t fight against monsters just yet.

Then suddenly, Dingo pulled the hem of my pants.

“What’s wrong?”

Grrrrr…

Dingo let out a low growl.

My body stiffened and my heart started pumping as I lowered myself and hid behind the bushes. Looking through the telescope, I saw a rabbit.

Just what…

The moment I thought that It was only a rabbit, Dingo suddenly ran like lightning. Before the rabbit could even react, Dingo was already on top of It.

“Wow!” I unknowingly exclaimed. It was truly a good move.

Is that the same guy who ate the chicken meat like a puppy and played tugs?

Dingo bit the rabbit’s neck and held it tight, not thinking of letting go. However, because they had a similar size, Dingo’s body starts to bounce as the rabbit flails around for its life.

“Wait, wait.”

I quickly moved closer to them and caught the rabbit. When I grasped it, it was quite large and had long claws on its paw. It seemed that it wasn’t a mere pushover animal.

Meanwhile, Dingo growls at the rabbit hanging from my hand before meeting my gaze. I feel like it was asking to be praised and for some reason my heart was happy because of it.

“Good job, Dingo.”

As I walked with the rabbit in my hand, Dingo sniffed the surroundings and followed me. It’s still a cub, and doesn’t even know how to hunt just yet, but from its behaviour alone, I could tell it was a good companion.

After returning to the cave, Dingo took turns looking at me and the rabbit for a long time. I instantly knew what it wanted; It wanted to kill the rabbit and eat it. However, I’d never disassemble an animal other than fish.

“Can’t we just let it go?”

Do we really have to eat this rabbit? Afterall, there’s a lot of canned food and ramyun inside the warehouse… However, I couldn’t turn away from Dingo’s eyes.

Yeah, what’s the big deal with dismantling a rabbit?

I would have to do more extreme work than this in the future.

I made up my mind and returned to my house to search for a way to dismantle a rabbit on the MeTube.

“It’s an animation.” Though, it was pretty sophisticated as it didn’t seem like there was much difference from the real thing.

Anyway, the basics of butchery were the same as I knew. Draining the blood, skinning, removing the skin, and then removing the head and removing the joints.

“Shit, it’s easier said than done.” I grunted and returned to the cave. As I arrived, I moved towards the rabbit and grabbed it by the throat.

Sorry, I have to eat too, so I can’t help it.

I hung the rabbit upside down on the wall and cut off the swollen veins in the back of its head.

Now, I have to wait until all the blood runs out…

Dingo looked at my actions calmly, it was not even excited when it saw the blood.

“Are you some kind of a supervisor?”

Maybe it’s just checking to see if I’m doing it right?

When the blood finally comes to a slow drip, it’s time to dismantle the skin. According to the video I watched, it was easier to do it while the body was still warm.

“I also have to cut the intestines. I really have a lot of work to do.” The intestines had to be cut to keep the meat from smelling bad. It was a very difficult thing to do. As I kept going, blood and soggy liquid clung to my hands, but I didn’t stop moving the knife.

“Once you do it, you have to see it until the end, right?”

Woof!

Dingo lightly barked as if he agreed with me.

Anyway, I succeeded in removing all the intestines. I took what appeared to be the liver, cut a small piece of it and gave it to Dingo.

“Want to eat it?”

Dingo sniffed towards the liver for a moment, then, it inhaled the liver with its snout, and swallowed it.

It was said that when a carnivore kills a prey, it eats the blood and intestines first to get various nutrients which couldn’t be obtained from meat.

“Cut off the head . . . and put the knife in the joint.” After trimming the meat like that, its appearance became quite good. Though, It’s still a little… no, it’s very disgusting, but I have to get used to it.

I cut some meat and fed it to Dingo.

“You did a good job hunting.” I said as I stroked its fur. Dingo then put its head on my leg as if it was satisfied. It felt like the hunt was completely over now.

I had finished butchering. Even though my hands and knife were soaked in blood, I felt proud that I had accomplished something.

Crackle~!! Crackle~!!

The meat on top of the furnace was turning to golden brown with a crackling sound. From what I had read somewhere before, it was said that if you eat only rabbit meat, you will get some kind of disease due to lack of fat.

“Well, it’s probably because there are many other foods…” I cut a chunk of meat and gave it to Dingo. The little guy ate it as if it was starving for days.

“There is nothing left.” It seems like I had to eat the meat on the bones.

What should I do?

When I put it in my mouth after lightly seasoned it with salt, a gamey smell came up.

Shit. I guess I did the trimming wrong.

I endured the nausea and chewed the meat before quickly swallowing it.

I should be grateful for being able to eat something like this.

Afterall, it was all to survive in an apocalyptic world.