"Phew…"
It was late at night by the time I finished planting the potatoes. The only reason I could work this late was because I'd installed a lamp on a post; without it, I would have definitely been stuck working until tomorrow.
"I'm definitely going to be sore tomorrow."
My whole body already felt heavy and sluggish. I considered buying a low-frequency massager, but I didn't want to spend money on something for temporary pain.
*'I'll just leave the light on while I sleep…'*
Light has been used to ward off beasts since ancient times. With a tiger roaming the area, leaving the lamp on for a while might help keep it away.
"The gasoline bill is going to be pretty high, though…"
My portable generator wasn't exactly fuel-efficient. Running it all day would probably cost a lot in gas.
"What's more important, money… or my life?"
I can always make more money. I was going to farm from now on, and I could just sell all the potatoes I harvest on Conve∞. Until the tiger rumors died down, I had no choice but to burn through gasoline to keep it at bay.
*Glug, glug, glug.*
I poured the rest of my gasoline into the generator and went inside. I grabbed an ice-cold beer from the fridge and bought some dried squid from Conve∞, setting them on the table.
*Psssssh.*
The satisfying sound of the can opening felt like it washed away the day's fatigue. I chugged the cold beer.
"Ahhh, nothing beats a beer at the end of the day."
I popped a piece of the snack into my mouth and tossed one to Haru, who was looking up at me from the floor.
*Woof!*
Haru, wagging his tail furiously, gobbled down the snack I gave him.
"Hey, if you eat that fast, you're going to choke."
*Woof, woof!*
He's a cute one. If he weren't here, I'd probably be drinking my beer in lonely silence right now.
"Haaaah…"
A few days had passed since I started farming. A few sprouts were already poking through the ground where I'd planted the potatoes.
"It's getting a little chilly."
It wasn't that hot right now. I had probably arrived here in winter, and since it had been about eight or nine months, it was likely autumn by Japanese standards. The seasons here didn't seem too different from Japan's. When I first arrived, it was cold enough to wear hiking clothes while doing business, but now it was too warm for that. That said, it wasn't relentlessly hot like in Japan. I didn't even use an air conditioner in the summer, just a fan on a few stuffy nights.
"Maybe I should plant some fruit trees."
Thinking about the seasons made me think of fruit. Planting fruit trees now, with summer almost over, probably wasn't the best idea. But there's a saying: "The best time to start is now." If I planted the trees now, I might be able to harvest them once by this time next year.
"So, what kind of tree should I plant…?"
I was scrolling through the list, debating which sapling to get, when my eyes locked onto one in particular.
"This looks good."
I bought it immediately. Ten young saplings, not yet fully grown, appeared before me. The saplings I bought were none other than peach trees—the same kind under which the three brothers Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei made their famous Oath of the Peach Garden. The *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* begins with that oath. I was just starting my farming journey, too. I felt a strange kinship with the three brothers, which drew me to the trees even more.
"Alright then."
I dug holes with a shovel and planted the peach trees one by one, at even intervals.
"I hope I can harvest them next year."
*Woof, woof!*
"By then, I wonder if you'll be big enough to reach my knees."
Haru panted, wagging his tail rapidly.
"But wait… haven't you gotten bigger?"
As I looked at him, Haru seemed much larger than when I first met him. Back then, he was barely bigger than my shoe. Now, he came up to about mid-thigh.
"Huh… no way."
Just to be sure, I picked Haru up, sat down in my chair, and placed him on my lap.
"I knew it…"
He had gotten bigger. Not just twice as big… maybe two and a half times.
"Hey, you can't get to be half my size. Your food bill will be a nightmare."
I gently booped his nose. Haru sneezed and rubbed his nose with his front paw.
"Well, I guess I can't stop you from growing. I'll just have to train you to earn your own keep."
There were plenty of wild boars around. If he got that big, he could probably hunt one for himself.
Birds chirped in the sky, and fish occasionally jumped in the lake.
"Has it already been half a year since I came to this world?"
Before coming here, I lived a hellish life of all-nighters. But since arriving, only good things have happened. What would have happened if I hadn't decided to go camping for a while? I probably would have just looked for a new job, never finding any peace, and lived an unhappy life. Maybe a god took pity on me, working endlessly in that hellish company with no time to sleep, and sent me here.
"Thank you, God, for giving me this chance to heal."
In ancient times, people offered animals as sacrifices to the gods. When I harvest my crops, I'll offer the first batch to the gods.
*Click.*
The flickering lamp finally turned on fully, and I went inside. As usual, I opened a beer. Tonight's snack was my homemade fried chicken. It wasn't the same as what you'd get at a real fried chicken joint, but for something I made myself, it was pretty damn good.
*Crunch.*
The crispy batter gave way to a burst of juice, and the tender, savory dark meat filled my mouth. Washing down the greasy goodness with a gulp of beer…
"This is the life!"
Giving cooked bones to a dog can be dangerous, so I picked the meat off the bones for Haru. He gobbled it down enthusiastically.
I spent a happy evening eating fried chicken for dinner. A little tipsy, I slowly went to my room and lay down on the bed. I wished I could just fall asleep like this.
*THUD, THUD.*
A sound that had no place here. Even through the alcoholic haze, my eyes snapped open. The footsteps of some unknown beast. I shot out of bed, opened the door, and stepped outside…
*Grrrrr…*
Haru, who had never so much as growled before, was staring at the door with wide eyes, baring his teeth.
*Grrrrr.*
A low growl came from outside. I immediately turned off the lights in the room, lifted the curtain, and cautiously peeked out.
Not far from the illuminated entrance of my cabin, two glowing eyes stared back.
*THUD, THUD.*
The footsteps got closer, the eyes drew nearer, and then, the creature came into view.
"That's… a tiger…?"
That was no tiger. Sharp fangs. A mane around its neck, and claws that looked like they could rip a man in two. And most importantly… a colossal body, twice the size of a grown man, far too large to be a tiger.
This was something more. This was the Lord of the Mountain.
*RAAAAAWR!*
A deafening roar erupted from its mouth, seeming to shake the entire forest.
*Woof! Woof!*
Haru barked furiously. I clamped my hand over his mouth and pulled him back into the room.
*'There's no way I can kill that thing…'*
Neither my crossbow nor the handgun I bought in the city could take down the Lord of the Mountain. My only option was to hide and wait for it to leave.
*THUD, THUD.*
The beast was circling the house; the sound of its footsteps kept changing direction. I dove under the desk, holding my breath, and waited for it to pass.
*Grrrr.*
I struggled to keep Haru quiet as he kept trying to bark.
*Yelp! Yelp! Yelp!*
"Haru!"
Barking wildly, Haru shot out of the room. He ran outside, confronted the beast, and barked defiantly. The Lord of the Mountain roared back. And then, its heavy footsteps began to move away from the house.
"Haru!"
I grabbed the handgun from Conve∞ and burst out of the house. Only the light in front of my cabin illuminated the area. The potatoes I had planted were all dug up. Even the camping chair I'd left by the lake was shattered, its fragments scattered everywhere.
The sound of the beast's footsteps was gone. All I could hear was the chirping of insects. The Lord of the Mountain had headed deep into the northern forest.
*'No, absolutely not…'*
If the house is broken, I can build it again. If the fields I worked so hard on are ruined, I can replant them. But if Haru dies, I can never get him back.
Gun in hand, I slowly stepped into the depths of the forest. The rustling of leaves sounded deafening in the dead of night. I had never ventured this deep into the forest before. I didn't know what was inside, so I didn't turn on a flashlight. I could only hope my eyes would adjust to the darkness quickly so I could see something, anything.
*Yelp! Yelp!*
I heard Haru's faint barks, followed by the roar of the beast and the sound of a tree splintering.
"Haru!"
I shouted his name, but there was no reply.
"Hah… hah…"
My breath came in ragged gasps, thick with tension.
*THUD, THUD!*
The sudden sound of the beast's footsteps made me whip my gun around.
*RAAAAAWR!*
The Lord of the Mountain roared, and in that same instant, I fired in the direction of the sound. A deafening gunshot echoed, as if to wake the entire forest.