Chapter Three: One Must Eat Well to Have Strength...

Page 1/3

Mouth Burrower!

The instant the massive maw burst from beneath the sand’s surface, Oran immediately recognized the identity of the beast lurking beneath the dunes.

This creature could move freely beneath the desert sands, roaming vast territories. Their traces were seldom visible on the surface, making it difficult to determine their habitats or precise range of activity.

In fact, the mission briefing contained no information whatsoever about the presence of the Mouth Burrower.

This was a clear oversight by the guild. If he made it back safely this time, he would definitely demand some compensation from that mustachioed guild leader!

Though Oran grumbled inwardly, his movements remained swift. Pushing off with both arms, he leapt to his feet and continued sprinting toward the rocky shore.

As an apprentice hunter yet to be officially promoted to one-star rank, this was his first time encountering a Mouth Burrower in person.

But his mentor had described their habits.

They lurked beneath the sand, and their sudden burst to the surface for a surprise attack was the most dangerous moment.

Once on the surface, their movements slowed considerably, their attacks becoming straightforward charges. As long as one stayed calm, evading them was not too difficult.

The best defense was to reach solid rocky ground free of loose sand.

Although the Mouth Burrower could walk on land, much like a fish reluctant to leave water, it instinctively avoided leaving the sand.

Once off the soft sand, their movements became sluggish and slow—easy to outrun at a human’s running speed.

So the plan was to run toward the rocky shore; once there, he would be safe!

The Mouth Burrower snapped at empty air, shaking its head and twisting its short body around.

Its oddly misshapen eyes fixed intently on the fleeing figure of Oran, its eel-like tail flicking as it began to accelerate, chasing its prey.

“Hurry! Hurry!”

On the rocky shore, a young man who had warned him waved his arms vigorously.

Running on soft sand was no easy feat, but as a native of the region, Oran was well-versed in desert mobility techniques. He managed to reach the solid rocks before the Mouth Burrower caught up.

Not daring to stop, he quickly got up and ran another several dozen meters before turning back to check.

The Mouth Burrower had ceased its pursuit, lingering reluctantly at the edge between rock and sand before slipping back beneath the dunes, vanishing from sight.

“Phew—”

Oran exhaled heavily, collapsing onto the rocky ground. Only then did he notice the countless stars now strewn across the sky.

How beautiful.

Page 2/3

“Hello there!” A face suddenly blocked his view of the stars.

Oran raised his hand to shield his eyes; he wasn’t really in the mood for conversation.

But the other person clearly misunderstood and grabbed his raised wrist, pulling him up forcefully.

“Hi! I’m Karim, from Barubare. As you can see, I’m a traveling merchant!” The young man introduced himself with easy familiarity.

Oran silently sighed.

At this point, he didn’t want to be rude. After all, this fellow had warned him—arguably saved his life.

“I’m Oran, from Lokrak.”

“You’re a hunter, right? That was incredible! The way you dodged that monster’s surprise attack was so cool!” Karim’s speech was rapid and enthusiastic.

Clearly, this guy was the quintessential social butterfly. Perhaps if Oran were more outgoing, they might get along.

But now, his ears just ached. “Okay, keep it down. That Mouth Burrower hasn’t left yet. If we make too much noise and anger it, it might come up onto the rocks.”

“Oh! Sorry!” Karim covered his mouth and lowered his voice, though he still talked nonstop. “Let’s head back to camp and talk more in the tent!

Oh, by the way, this is your hunters’ camp, right? I was chased here by that thing around noon and got trapped. I’m not a hunter—does using your camp break the rules?”

“No problem. Just clean up before you leave,” Oran answered wearily.

“Good, good!”

They walked together to the nearby camp.

“I was just about to make dinner. Want to eat together?” Karim seemed in high spirits, glad to have a companion.

He sat cross-legged by the campfire, then pulled a flat cast-iron pan from the straps of his large backpack and set it over the fire.

Oran’s expression turned a little strange.

Cooking over a campfire was common for travelers, but carrying a skillet to cook proper meals? That he had never seen before.

Karim hummed an off-key tune as he pulled several items from his bag and returned to the fire.

Using a metal spoon, he scooped something from a small jar into the pan—it looked like some kind of fat, probably rendered animal oil judging by the color.

Once the fat melted and started to smoke, he placed two thick, shiny slabs of bacon into the pan to fry slowly.

After a moment of silence, Oran couldn’t hold back. “You bring bacon with you when you travel?!”

“Haha, it’s a habit!” Karim chuckled, shaking the pan. “I’ve traveled with caravans since I was a kid, doing odd jobs and cooking.

Everyone says I could be a chef in a city, but I prefer trading. My dream is to save up and buy my own big caravan so I can roam anywhere I want!

Page 3/3

Anyway, to earn more money, I left the caravan and became an independent traveling merchant.

But I always keep cooking—people need to eat well to have strength!”

“I can’t argue with that,” Oran said, staring at the pan full of frying bacon, secretly swallowing his saliva.

Karim laughed even more happily. When the bacon was nearly done, he added two thick slices of dry bread to the pan to soak up the dripping fat and juices.

Finally, he placed the sizzling bacon on the now-toasted bread and handed a portion to Oran, beaming, “Here, eat up! This bacon is homemade too.”

Oran hesitated for two seconds but finally said, “Thanks,” and took the food.

He bit cautiously at first, then began eating quickly, making “hiss” sounds as he chewed.

The rich fat and salty flavor of the thick bacon paired with the crispy bread, though simple, was utterly irresistible.

“Delicious, right?” Karim took a big bite of his own and grinned. “Meat, fat, salt, and carbs—no one can resist that combo!”

Oran nodded in agreement. For a moment, he even felt like learning to cook.

The portion of bacon and bread was generous for an ordinary person, but as a hunter, Oran still felt a bit unsatisfied after finishing.

Of course, he didn’t have the nerve to ask for more; just this meal made him feel a bit embarrassed.

As he pondered how to repay Karim, Oran suddenly realized something was off.

Wait a minute—isn’t this starting to feel like a picnic? We were trapped here by a dangerous three-star monster!

“Aren’t you afraid?” Oran couldn’t help but ask.

“What?” Karim took a moment to realize what he meant. “Oh, I was pretty scared before you arrived, but now I’m not.”

“Why?”

“Because you don’t seem scared at all, and you’re a hunter, so you must have a way to deal with that thing!”

“You overestimate me. That’s a three-star dangerous monster,” Oran said, covering his face. “I just finished my assessment. I have to return to the guild to complete the paperwork before I’m officially one-star. I’m two star ranks lower in strength.”

“Heh, maybe so, but I can feel your confidence. I have a sharp intuition,” Karim winked.

Oran fell silent. After a long pause, he sighed deeply. “Though it’s embarrassing... whatever.”

He pulled a signal flare from his waist pouch and fired it into the sky.

P.S. As before, Chapter 1 at noon, Chapter 2 at 7 p.m.