I couldn’t believe it. Someone actually went after my jerky while we were asleep.

“Who the hell was it?!”

– Tsrrr!

– Kku-kuu! Kkkuuuk!

My rage echoed through the main hall of the abandoned Daoist temple, and the kids immediately rushed toward the hole in the corner and began investigating the area.

Hyang slipped out through the hole to check outside, while Seol and Bing searched every inch of the hole’s interior.

Hongdan began furiously chopping up the pile of reeds nearby.

But of course, there was no way we’d find anything.

Even if we did, it wouldn’t matter.

Whatever took the jerky must’ve already eaten it—and if it was some wild animal or rat, there was no way it’d be safe to eat anymore.

‘Rats carry hemorrhagic fever and...’

I wasn’t sure if hemorrhagic fever existed in this world, but still.

Regardless, rats are filthy. Even if we found the stolen jerky, it wasn’t something we could eat again.

They’re nests for fleas, ticks, and countless diseases.

“Damn it, that was all we had...”

I stared down at the torn oil ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) paper that once held the jerky, my rage turning to blank despair.

There was now nothing left to eat.

This region was where the plains met the mountains, and there were villages along the flatlands. So I’d packed extremely light emergency rations.

If I walked a full day, I’d reach the next village, so there had been no need to carry heavy supplies.

Aside from the jerky, I hadn’t prepared anything.

There was no telling when the rain would stop, but for now, it looked like I’d be skipping breakfast.

I sighed and called out to the kids who were still searching.

“Hey, it’s okay. Come back. We couldn’t eat it even if we found it.”

– Tsrrr! 『Even if we can’t eat it, we still have to find and punish whoever stole Daddy’s food!』

– Kkkuu!

– Ppii!

The kids all agreed with Hyang, who insisted it wasn’t about the jerky—it was about justice.

But what good would punishing a rat do?

It’s not like they’d feel sorry. And we definitely couldn’t eat them.

“Just let it go, Hyang. Rats are filthy. Get away from there already.”

Besides, if they bit a rat and got infected, we’d have an even bigger problem.

Thinking about the fact that rats traveled through the dirtiest places, I called all the kids back.

– Tsrrrrr!

– Kkkuu-uuu!

They returned, grumbling, but kept glaring at the hole.

Hyang and Hongdan’s antennae stood stiff, and the tails of Seol, Bing, and Dong twitched above their backs.

They were still in full alert mode.

Seeing how angry they were on behalf of my stolen food... I couldn’t help but smile.

They really had my back.

‘Such amazing little ones.’

This must be what that proud-parent feeling is all about.

While I was basking in their adorableness and loyalty, I suddenly heard Hwa-eun’s voice.

『So-ryong, do you have enough to eat? It’s started raining here too. I asked Do Sagong, and he said this time of year brings heavy rain.

Sometimes it rains so much that you get stuck inside for days. If you're going to be trapped in that temple, do you have enough food?』

Had it already been two hours? Sounded like she was checking on our food situation.

Not wanting to make her worry, I decided on a little white lie.

『Yes, I’ve got enough to last a few days.』

『Ah, that’s a relief...』

But then—

Hyang’s sharp cry suddenly rang out in the group chat.

『– Tsrrr! (Daddy lied!)』

‘Gyaaaah!’

I’d meant to scream internally, but that scream echoed through the group chat instead.

Cold silence began to spread from the group chat into my very soul.

As the icy pressure surrounded me, Hwa-eun’s frosty tone directed a question at Hyang.

『He lied, Hyang?』

– Tst! Ts-tsst! (Daddy said lying is bad! But Daddy lied!)

When we were in Yizhou, she’d told the kids that sneaking out and lying about it was wrong.

Looks like that memory had resurfaced.

Another reminder to always watch what you say in front of the kids...

Damn it.

‘What is this chill...?’

Her presence felt like my heart had been thrown into a frozen star. I had to explain. Fast.

It was just a little lie! I told her the jerky got stolen by a rat, but I didn’t want her to worry, so I’d said we still had food.

『What exactly did he lie about, Hyang? Tell me everything.』

– Tsrrr. (Yes, Mommy. A rat took all the food, but Daddy said we still had some!)

‘H-Hwa-eun, let me explain. There was a bundle of jerky, but just like Hyang said, I woke up and it was all gone.

I didn’t want you to worry, so I said I still had some left...’

Maybe because it was just a small lie, or maybe because my explanation came across well, but Hwa-eun responded with a slightly calmer tone.

『So-ryong, don’t lie like that again. The kids are watching you.』

‘Yes, ma’am. Got it, Hwa-eun.’

『Still, what are you going to do without food? Should I bring something with Yeondu? Or better yet, maybe I should bring Cho too, and we’ll just all come back together?』

Crisis averted... but the real problem was still there: no food.

It’d be great if Hwa-eun came to get us like she suggested—but with thunder and lightning outside?

Cho might be resistant to lightning, but Hwa-eun and Yeondu weren’t.

『The lightning outside is too dangerous. I don’t think it’s safe for you to come right now.』

『Then what are you going to do? Aren’t you hungry?』

『One missed meal is no big deal. If it looks like we’ll be stuck here for a while, I’ll see if there’s anything around I can forage.』

After a short pause, Hwa-eun replied.

『All right. But you have to keep me updated on everything over there.』

‘Understood, Hwa-eun.’

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

That seemed to settle things—until she turned to Hyang in the group chat.

『Hyang, thank you for telling me. Watch Daddy closely and let me know if he finds anything to eat, okay?』

– Tsrrr. (Got it, Mommy!)

Of course. Hwa-eun never lets anything slide.

***

By around lunchtime, the rain still hadn’t let up.

It was coming down so heavily I started to worry about flooding, and with no other choice, I decided to look around for something edible.

It seemed like we’d be spending another day stuck here, and we needed food.

The thunder had moved farther off, the lightning striking in the distance, so I figured I could go out for a short hunt.

I pulled on my raincoat and bamboo hat and tried to recall the terrain I’d seen on the way here.

‘Let’s see... What did I spot earlier...?’

The first thing that came to mind was the stream.

Streams usually had crayfish, shrimp, or even fish.

But I quickly scrapped that idea.

The water was definitely overflowing by now—there was no doubt I’d get swept away trying to go in there.

You never go near a stream when it’s pouring like this.

‘That’d be asking for trouble.’

If not the stream, then that left hunting.

But what could I possibly catch in this rain?

Just then, I heard Jeokwol’s quiet cry from the wall.

– Chii.

As I prepared to head out, Hyang—who had climbed onto me—translated Jeokwol’s message.

– Tsrut. 『If you're going hunting, she said to follow her.』

“Follow her?”

I glanced at Jeokwol, slightly worried. In this rain, even butterfly powder wouldn’t work, would it?

But she seemed confident—like she had a plan.

I quickly nodded and decided to follow her lead.

“Hyang and I will be back. You four stay and keep the fire going. If it looks like it's dying, toss in one stick at a time. Got it?”

– Kku-kuu!

– Pii!

There was no need for all of them to get soaked, so I left the others behind and headed for the exit with Hyang.

– Flap.

Jeokwol fluttered off the wall and glided toward the temple’s front entrance.

Through the open doorway, she flew up into the stormy sky, circling as if searching for something.

Despite the downpour, she looked like she was swimming through a clear sky.

Then, just as the rain blurred my vision, I saw her glide downward toward one side.

‘Did she find something?’

I carefully followed, keeping a distance so I wouldn’t disturb her. She had attached herself to the trunk of a tall tree.

Then, upside-down, she began to climb down the tree.

From between the thick canopy above, only light droplets reached the forest floor. There, Jeokwol scattered her butterfly powder.

The red-tinged powder shimmered faintly as it fell—then vanished before hitting the ground.

It seemed she had made it invisible on purpose.

When she finished, she flew over and pointed one of her antennae at me.

– Chii.

Even without Hyang’s translation, I understood—follow me.

I headed toward the base of the tree where she’d been.

There, in a shallow depression under the tree, a small brown shape lay curled up.

Drawing my dagger, I approached cautiously—and found a sleeping young deer.

“Ooooh...”

This must be how she hunted.

You don’t even realize it, but sleep-inducing powder drifts down on you from above?

No way you’d escape that.

As I marveled at Jeokwol’s hunting skill, she pointed her antennae toward the deer.

– Chiiii.

Hyang translated for me: Jeokwol was telling me to take the meat first.

But she hadn’t eaten in three days—I couldn’t possibly go first.

If I cut it now, the animal would die and its blood would start to congeal. She’d need it alive to drink the blood properly.

And besides, I was from the land of Eastern courtesy.

“You go ahead, Jeokwol. I’ll wait. You should drink first while the blood’s fresh—if I cut it now, the meat will die and the blood won’t flow properly, right?”

– Chii.

She seemed pleased with my answer, her antennae curling gently in a half-circle.

She must’ve been in a good mood.

Then she latched onto the deer and slowly began to feed, inserting a fine tube into its neck.

After she finished and the young deer—about the size of a medium dog—was fully drained, I slit its throat and began the butchering.

I’d never done this with a deer, but I had some experience from lizards in Haenam. Plus, I’d seen others do it recently.

I gutted the deer, removed the innards, and only kept the heart and liver—the rest would’ve been hard to process properly.

As I brought the meat back, Hyang filed her report in the group chat.

『– Tsrrr. (Mommy, Daddy caught a deer!)』

She hadn’t forgotten to report to Hwa-eun.

Such a meticulous kid.

No doubt she got that from her mom.

***

With the deer caught, dinner turned into a feast.

I cut the meat into chunks, skewered them with sticks, and grilled them over the fire.

There was no salt, but it still tasted amazing.

“Damn, that’s good.”

Back in Haenam, I used to drool every time I spotted a deer or stag.

Now here I was, devouring one like a champ.

The deer wasn’t huge, but I still ended up eating half of it on the spot.

‘This isn’t even fried chicken, and I just ate half a deer in one sitting...’

After dinner, I made ropes out of reeds, tied up the leftover meat, and hung it from the beam above.

Just to be safe, I’d blocked up the hole from yesterday, figuring rats might sneak in.

But the next morning—every bit of meat was gone.

The rest of the deer had vanished without a trace.

“What the hell kind of creature is doing this?!”

Jeokwol had slept deeply after her full meal, and none of the kids saw anything either.

I figured I’d have to go hunting again.

Especially after Hyang once again chirped off a message to her mom about the stolen meat.

But today, the lightning was still crackling nearby.

No way I could go out in this.

As I discussed it with Hwa-eun, she came up with a good food suggestion.

『You said there are wild lilies blooming nearby?』

‘Yeah, a whole bunch. It’s beautiful.’

『Then dig up the roots and roast them over the fire. Lily roots are edible—they’re even used in cooking.』

‘Really?’

『Yes.』

The lily roots were about the size of a fist and looked like giant cloves of garlic. After roasting, they were surprisingly tasty.

A fragrant flavor with a texture like Chinese yam.

But that night, after I’d eaten the roasted lily roots—something strange began to happen.

– CRASH!

Roof tiles suddenly fell from the ceiling. Doors collapsed for no reason. Weird things started happening all around us.

“What... the hell is going on?”

For a second, I wondered—was this place... haunted?