MDOF | Chapter 1.1

It was incredibly dark. It was hard to believe it was the middle of summer; the mountain was dark and damp as I climbed it. I occasionally scrunched my nose at an out-of-place fishy smell and tried to regulate my ragged breathing.

I stopped to look around for a suitable spot, then continued walking.

“Ha.”

Seon-woo exhaled sharply, his heart beating as if it might burst. His side ached, making him feel his lack of exercise all too clearly. What did he expect with a high school student’s stamina? He thought about taking a break but kept moving out of habit.

The trail, where human presence was completely cut off and traces of the path erased, was like a world separate from the foot of the mountain.

There was no path for people to walk; it was just a mountain covered with broken branches and old fallen leaves. He walked wherever his feet led him. He couldn’t find a spot he liked. Finding a place with an open space, trees at the right height, and the appropriate slope was harder than he thought.

The backpack slung carelessly over his shoulder jangled. At first glance, the backpack looked empty, crumpled, but it held only one bundle of rope prepared for today. Strong and not too hard to tie.

He raised his eyes from the ground he had been watching, wary of tripping over something. Even though the sun should have been filtering through the thick trees, it was stingy, not letting even a speck of light in. A chill ran down his spine, independent of his intentions.

Rustle

The bushes, growing haphazardly and looking almost grotesque, shook slightly.

For a moment, his back muscles stiffened painfully, but as he confirmed what had poked its head out from the bushes, a sigh of relief burst from him, his stomach nearly collapsing.

Meow

“Haah… You scared me.”

The white creature that emerged from behind the bushes tilted its head at Seon-woo, who was now limp. Its sharp ears, lush tail, and pure white fur were of a size that could fit comfortably in one’s arms.

“Come here, Aeong-ah.”

As Seon-woo reached out, making a clucking sound, the cat looked him up and down with a disdainful glance. It thwacked its tail down, seemingly annoyed.

The leaves and twigs of the bush rustled once more. When Seon-woo wiggled his fingers again, the cat, instead of swinging its tail, raised it high. Then, arching its back like a bow, it vanished into the dark underbrush.

Judging by the lushness of its tail, it didn’t look like a common stray. Was it abandoned here because this place is so remote? To abandon such a pretty cat…

Staring blankly at where the cat had disappeared, the purpose of being here became clear to Seon-woo.

Strength returned to his weary feet. His nails dug into the palm of his hand where he gripped the bag strap. Deciding not to waste any more time, Seon-woo straightened up, deciding to choose a spot around the next corner.

“Huh…”

The moment he turned the corner, Seon-woo’s mouth fell wide open.

Was this reality? Was this the entrance to the underworld? Had he died without realizing it? Maybe he had woken up in the afterlife, and if this was the entrance to the afterlife, the scenery was fitting enough to send a small gasp of admiration through him.

The trunk of the giant tree, which would require several men holding hands to encircle, stretched its branches in all directions. There were no other trees around, but this one tree covered the sky, keeping the darkness intact.

“Huh?”

Seon-woo, who had been admiring the tree’s magnificence, had a flicker of caution in his eyes.

The trunk of the ancient tree was wrapped in a rough, thorn-like growth, with yellowed paper scrawled with what looked like blood, ready to crumble if touched. There was no cliché like a spirit dwelling in a tree that protects the village and thus protects the protagonist; this was an ominous sign that would definitely lead to a tragic, mysterious death.

In movies, when such a tree appears, something usually happens, and it’s never good. He had come to this mountain to die, but if he was going to die, he wanted to do it beautifully.

He silently prayed not to offend the tree’s spirit and tried to appeal as harmless.

‘Please, let me die beautifully today.’

Just as Seon-woo was whispering this fervent wish and clasping his hands gently while stepping back, there was a sound of rustling.

Rustle

The silence of the mountain was broken by the sound of bushes being disturbed. Seon-woo, who had held his breath in surprise, muttered.

“A cat…?”

Hoping it was the cat he’d seen earlier, he cautiously turned to look at the thicket where it might emerge when the faint smell of fish from earlier became overwhelming.

“…”

Yeah, it’s a cliché.

Between the trees and bushes that looked insignificant next to the great tree, a pair of yellow eyes gleamed.

“Uhh…”

A wolf? What kind of predator is there in these mountains? A bear?

Grrrrrr

Better if it were a wolf.

Predators usually crawl out of the darkness, staying low, cautious before they pounce. This one didn’t.

Maybe because it knew Seon-woo posed no threat, it looked down at him with its head held high, its eyes glinting arrogantly.

“Ugh.”

The creature slowly approached, reeking of rotting fish. The stench was more nauseating than the killing intent from the large beast, causing Seon-woo to step back further.

His wish for a quiet, harmless death seemed rather grandiose. The reality that wouldn’t even let him choose his way of dying filled him with sudden sorrow.

In the 21st century, even in such a remote mountain, he had never thought of being eaten alive among the many ways to die.

Its large, ashen head had shaggy fur, with apple-sized yellow eyes and slit black pupils appraising him like a late lunch. Its elongated body from the neck to the back, with a tail hanging limply, was thick like a log and covered in scales. It was the size of a large cow, with feet that looked thick and heavy like a bear’s.

Grrr

It twitched its snout again, revealing rows of small, jagged teeth. This twitching was like the warm-up before it would open its jaws wide and lunge.

“Argh!”

Like a bull in a bullfight seeing red, it lowered its head and charged at Seon-woo. Though not fast, the stench was so overwhelming that he had to fight back nausea even while fleeing.

His breath caught up to his chin, the smell of blood rising in his throat. No matter how far he ran, he couldn’t escape the shadowy forest. He was sure of the direction, but no sunlit, heated ground appeared anywhere.

Looking back, it was shaking its massive head, chasing him. Each time it ran, the slender vegetation fell, and the ground shook with thunderous sounds, making his heart ache as if it might burst, but he couldn’t stop. If he slowed down even a little, the thunderous noise would catch up instantly.

“Huff, huff…!”

Running through ups and downs, slipping multiple times, his calves weakened, and his thigh muscles felt like they might tear. His feet felt like they were stuck in mud; even when he kicked hard, he didn’t move far.

“What… why again…

The ominous tree, wrapped with ropes and plastered with charms, came back into view. After running for so long to end up back here, despair surged within him as the stench grew closer.

Whatever, just get it over with. Seon-woo prepared for the pain coming his way and squeezed his eyes shut.

Grrr Grk

“…”

Why isn’t it coming? Instinctively blocking his nose, Seon-woo squinted into the damp air.

“Huh.”

Seeing the red mucus and the lolling tongue right in front of him, he was petrified. Separately, the nausea from the unbearable stench made him check his lunch.

“Uuurgh! Blech, urk!”

After vomiting the sour, acidic liquid for a while, he had to breathe through his mouth, gripping his nose tighter. Even the hot, humid air felt nauseating to breathe, but it was better than smelling that stench.

The creature, which seemed like it was about to devour him, must have left some of its fierceness behind while running because it was now walking around, snapping its jaw, its eyes glancing back.

It looked like a child playing tag, careful not to cross a drawn line.

Every time its feet hit the ground, the sound made Seon-woo’s shoulders flinch. Observing its thick feet closely, it seemed to be moving back and forth along a line about a meter away, as if it couldn’t come any closer.

Its yellow eyes, glancing around, reminded him of a dog watching its owner approach with a stick, which calmed his fear a bit.

“Haah… Ugh.”

He sighed in relief, pinching his nose until it hurt. Even breathing through his mouth, he could feel the fishy smell.

This ugly, smelly creature was definitely wary of the giant tree and couldn’t approach. Seon-woo decided to call it ‘Bad Breath.’

It bared its teeth and stomped the ground, the vibrations making his buttocks tremble, the tension returning. How long had they been in this standoff? Bad Breath decided first.

“Kyaaaaah!”

A scream more beastly than the beast itself escaped Seon-woo’s lips. As expected, Bad Breath delivered thick pain, but it was anything but brief.

His arm was torn apart by teeth like cogwheels, crushed. Bad Breath swallowed it down like an appetizer, smacking its lips as it approached.

“Oh, don’t come!”

Spattering blood like a fountain, Seon-woo backed away. Having tasted flesh, Bad Breath moved faster.

If it was going to tear him apart, it should have done it all at once. The pain came a moment too late, like a lie, as he thrashed on the ground.

His mouth emitted incomprehensible shrieks and gasping sounds. The stench of Bad Breath mixed with the smell of blood assaulted his sense of smell, and the pain from his arm was like being hit in the head by a burning sensation.

“Agh! Ahh! Go away!!!”

Despite kicking wildly, Bad Breath, jumping off the ground, covered him without hesitation.

His leg was sucked into the gaping maw, disappearing into the red mucus. With its yellow eyes glinting, Bad Breath gorged itself. This time, no scream came out.

His leg below the knee was gone, the excruciating pain hitting his spine. He couldn’t even breathe through his silently open mouth.

As his vision darkened, he felt a rough texture on his remaining hand. Even though his limbs were torn off, causing agony, he felt that slight sensation because what he touched was impossibly cold…

Despite the pain, his sense of smell was still intact, and when the foul smell disappeared, replaced by the fresh scent of the forest, he thought, even as he was dying:

‘I’m going to live.’

‘It hurts… I’m cold. It’s dark. Is it over now?’

His fading consciousness sank into some unknown place.