Chapter 49: Shoes (1)

Because of the commotion caused by the leech, I quickly uploaded a post to the gallery.

I asked what should be done when a leech bites you. That I accidentally ripped one off that was on the back of my neck.

Then some kind adventurers explained what to do.

ㄴNo way, why did you remove it like that? Are you crazy or what, do you want to get infected?

ㄴWildGrills) I don’t know anything about this…

ㄴDoesn’t matter, if you have a potion, apply it to the area. You might have been infected
with parasites, so take a dewormer too.

ㄴWildGrills) It’s not a potion, it’s an elixir, does it work? Does it disinfect too? I know it regenerates.

ㄴJust apply it;; stop asking weird questions…

ㄴAn elixir is a superior version of a potion lol

ㄴFeels like watching a rich newbie haha

ㄴBut if you pulled off the leech with your hand, you’ve got guts, that’s for sure.

ㄴThe teeth might still be stuck, so remove them first and then apply it.

After receiving those “affectionate” pieces of advice, I was able to take proper measures.

Normally I would have to take a dewormer, but they said that with an elixir it was enough.

Next time I’ll have to cover my neck with something.

‘What a messed up life.’

I sighed. Even so, it wasn’t in vain, so that was some consolation.

When I get back to the cave I have to dry my clothes and wet shoes, cook, and do various things.

I also wanted to install the fishing trap, but with wet shoes it’s going to be difficult.

‘I have to get shoes no matter what.’

The ones I’m wearing now are sneakers. The same ones I had before falling here.

You might wonder why I was wearing them if I was at home.

I don’t know. I only remember that I had been drinking.

‘I don’t know if to call it luck.’

Even so, it’s better to have sneakers than nothing. I kept walking enduring the dampness.

The more I returned, the narrower the river became and the stronger the current.

Finally, I reached the river where the hose was installed, and I felt like I had truly returned.

‘I really went far this time.’

I entered the gallery to check the time.

It was 12:20 in the afternoon. It took less than I expected.

I spent more time walking along the river than exploring the lake.

‘Wonmo will surely ask for food.’

Or maybe he’s worried because I disappeared. That thought made me hurry a bit.

When I finally reached the cave, which already felt familiar, I saw it clearly.

“Kuuh…”

“……”

Wonmo was lying down, sleeping on his back showing his belly.

On top of that, scratching himself with his claws.

He didn’t even care that I had disappeared.

“……”

“What are you looking at, idiot?”

The sloth was there, with his usual dumb face.

I sighed. I worried for nothing.

Anyway, time to organize. I left the backpack with the crabs.

When I looked inside, they were only moving slightly.

‘First, the fire.’

I had a mountain of things to do. I took off my half-dry clothes.

First I had to wash myself before doing the laundry.

I didn’t forget to check carefully in case there were more leeches.

‘I only had one on my neck.’

What a persistent creature.

I opened the hose and washed my whole body well. Soap was mandatory.

I used a scentless one, as the adventurers recommended.

“Huff…”

After washing, I dried myself as best as I could with a towel.

Then I went near the bonfire and finished drying off.

‘First I need temporary shoes.’

The sneakers were soaked, so I needed something provisional.

I entered the auction and bought some simple leather shoes.

I didn’t check the size. Since they’re sandal-type, as long as they more or less fit it’s fine.

‘I’ll leave the clothes here, I’m already dry, time to change.’

I still have clothes from the uniform that DemonPrincess gave me.

But the pants are short.

For exploring I need long pants, so today I’ll wash and dry everything.

I also have enough charcoal, as the adventurers recommended.

‘Now what’s left…’

Cooking the crab.

I put the crabs into an iron container.

I added water to keep them fresh.

That container is very useful, just like with fish.

Now I just had to ask in the gallery how to prepare them.

They say you have to “open the mouth” or something like that, but I don’t understand.

Title) Does anyone know how to prepare crab?

(photo of the crab in the container)

I won’t steam it, I’m going to grill it. Any advice?

ㄴDwarfPassingBy) Wow, it looks delicious. Won’t you give me one?

ㄴWildGrills) I told you tomorrow. Besides, you can’t trade today.

ㄴDwarfPassingBy) Damn;; if I knew I wouldn’t have made the deal.

ㄴWildGrills) Hold on one day. You can’t even do that?

ㄴDwarfPassingBy) Yeah, my hand holding the beer is trembling

ㄴWildGrills) That’s already alcoholism. Stop drinking

ㄴLol

ㄴTelling that to a dwarf, haha

ㄴBetter quit drugs, fr

ㄴDo you take drugs?

ㄴNo no, it was an example, haha

ㄴThis guy is suspicious

ㄴPreparing crab is easy. It has a part in the mouth that opens, there you twist the knife and drain blood and water.

ㄴIf you grill it, don’t put it back in water, place it directly.

ㄴThe inside of the body doesn’t burn easily, so don’t worry.

ㄴRemove the moisture well, otherwise it’ll boil instead of grill.

First you have to twist the mouth. I nodded and took out a dagger.

I took a crab out of the container and inspected it.

Just as they said, its mouth opened to the sides.

‘If I insert the dagger and twist…’

Crack!

The crab’s mouth opened forcefully with a clean sound.

As soon as it opened, I flipped it over.

From its mouth, transparent blood mixed with water began to drip.

“Kyu.”

“Ah, you’re awake?”

While I was preparing it, Wonmo woke up.

The sloth also slowly approached, asking for food.

“Wait a bit. I’ll give you something very delicious.”

“Kyuu!”

“……”

Wonmo’s eyes lit up with excitement upon hearing “delicious.”

The sloth didn’t react, but he was probably expecting something too.

‘I’ve already drained the blood…’

Now straight to the fire.

It was so big it almost covered the entire bonfire.

I added more firewood so it would cook well on all sides.

But without burning it too much, I moved it a bit away from the fire.

‘They said between 20 and 30 minutes.’

Meanwhile, I searched for shoes in the auction.

The ones I need have strict conditions, ventilation, comfort, waterproofing, and above all durability.

Basically, sturdy military boots.

‘Boots remind me of the army.’

When I was a recruit, the first march almost killed me.

Not so much the march itself, but afterward.

Everyone had blisters or wounds, but I was fine.

For me, military boots were a somewhat heavy type of footwear, but they weren’t that uncomfortable.

“No matter how much I search, there aren’t any.”

Even if I searched for expensive items, none met the conditions I wanted.

Also, most of those expensive products were related to sports, like soccer boots or basketball sneakers.

In the end, I had no choice but to post. Before that, I bought a measuring tape from the auction house.

Since I don’t know the units of measurement well, I thought I’d place the tape next to my foot for comparison.

Title) Shoe request.

WildGrills

(photo with the measuring tape next to the foot)

(photo with the measuring tape on the foot)

Just as the title says. I’m looking for suitable shoes for exploration.

But the conditions are strict.

(most important) They must be durable. If I injure my foot, it would be a disaster, so this is the priority.
Waterproof. There will be many situations where they get wet.
Breathability and comfort. Actually, comfort is more important than ventilation, because I might go to high-altitude areas.
Non-slip. I almost died slipping while getting up.
Preferably leather. Same as point 3.

If someone can make shoes that meet these conditions, I will give an adult mandrake.

I would also appreciate it if you upload photos or videos to check performance. I hope many people see this.

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) Can I participate too?

ㄴWildGrills) Huh? Why you, HeavenlyDemon?

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) I’m bored.

ㄴWildGrills) Uh…;;;

ㄴSwordmaster) If you’re bored, do you want to fight me? I’ll crush you.

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) How foolish. Fine. I’ll send you a message.

ㄴDwarfPassingBy) Can it be done through indirect commission? I know someone who makes incredible armor.

ㄴWildGrills) Yes, do whatever you want. Hey, do you need an adult mandrake? To make alcohol again?

ㄴDwarfPassingBy) That too, but a friend keeps asking me for a drink and it’s annoying. Wouldn’t it be better to just give him one?

ㄴWildGrills) Do whatever you want. As long as I get shoes, that’s enough for me.

ㄴDwarfPassingBy) Ok. What’s the deadline?

ㄴWildGrills) The sooner the better. I think I’ll need at least two pairs.

ㄴDwarfPassingBy) Ok, understood.

ㄴIWillBeaDuke) Will you really give an adult mandrake as a reward?

ㄴWildGrills) I don’t have anything else to offer. Or do you want me to give you the crab I’m grilling right now?

ㄴIWillBeaDuke) No, that won’t be necessary. I’ll get it as soon as possible.

ㄴWildGrills) Thanks.

ㄴIWillBeaDuke) If it turns out better than the winning shoe, would you also accept it?

ㄴWildGrills) Actually, this is more like a trade, so if I like it, there’s no problem.

ㄴIWillBeaDuke) Understood.

He has a curiously elegant way of speaking. And his nickname also conveys ambition.

Although it looks like an event, it is actually practically an exchange. A clear deal where both parties gain something.

It’s not like I won’t explore just because I don’t have shoes. There are still many places to explore.

But I’ll try to avoid it as much as possible. After almost dying yesterday, it’s better to be careful.

Tap. Tap.

“It should be ready now… ah, hot, hot!”

As soon as I pressed it with my finger to check if it was done, I felt intense heat.

Good thing I pulled my hand back quickly, otherwise I would have gotten burned.

I put on gloves and took out the perfectly grilled crab.

Even though it’s a normal crab, its size is bigger than a king crab, so it surely has a lot of meat.

“First, the legs.”

The legs, one of the best parts.

I cut one with the knife.

Crack!

It came off with a clean sound.

Then I cut the side and slowly opened it, letting steam escape.

“Wow.”

Look at that firm meat. Just seeing it already made me hungry.

And the taste? I only added salt, nothing else.

Just in case it was too hot, I blew on it a little.

“Mmm… mmm… haa…”

It’s delicious. Just with salt it has an incredible flavor.

It doesn’t even have a fishy smell, you can eat it without any problem.

For a moment I remembered all the crabs in the lake.

Crunch!

“So good!”

Of course, the best part of crab is breaking the shell.

When I opened it, the inside made me exclaim.

For a moment I regretted not steaming it, but I decided to eat it quickly.

“Are the innards good too?”

And yes, they are. An excellent flavor, nothing to complain about.

After eating a bit, I pulled off a leg.

“Wonmo, I’ll give you more later, eat this for now.”

“Kyu!”

“And you, sloth, do you want some?”

“….”

The sloth extended his hand to ask for it. I cut another leg and gave it to him.

He took it without hesitation and then started shaking his arm.

Even his sleepy eyes opened wide. It seems it surprised him a lot.

“Of course, it’s hot.”

I was wearing gloves, but he wasn’t.

After everything he’s done to me, this little revenge isn’t bad.

I chuckled quietly.

Thud!

But that bastard threw it back at me. It hit me right in the face.

The combination of the sloth’s strong arm and the hot crab leg.

“Aaagh!”

This won’t end like this.

***

While Grills enjoyed eating crab.

“I assume you also saw the post in the gallery.”

“You mean…?”

“Go immediately and bring a master craftsman. As soon as possible.”

“Yes!”

A strange tension began to spread throughout the world.