Chapter 9

EP.9 Old Habits Die Hard

Sunlight does not reach the abyss.

In the deepest ground cursed by the Earth Mother, a space filled only with pitch-black darkness, the only thing that signals morning is the loud alarm clock. Instead of the warm sunlight that tickles my body, the sharp, ear-piercing sound forces me up.

The blue sky, the cloud boats floating in it, the warm sunlight, and the refreshing breeze... these are things you can naturally enjoy on the surface.

But in the abyss, there are only square buildings that dream of squares, hard concrete, artificial noise, and lighting that mimics the sun.

Things that come from the sky bring peace to the heart, but everything that comes from humans only irritates the nerves. Perhaps all the works created by humans are nothing but waste.

The best thing is to take in and filter out the unpleasant parts, then spit out the waste.

That's why we avoid artificial things even as we live among people.

"...Damn. Can't the alarm clock be a bit quieter?"

I grabbed my stiff shoulders and got up. My body, which had been overworked by the King of Dogs for two days, screamed in pain, but if I left it alone, the alarm clock would devour the rest of my strength. This is a type of noise that damages the body.

The alarm clocks made by the military are all wall-mounted models. It means you shouldn't lie down again after waking up. It's fitting for a state that doesn't tolerate laziness. I got up with a groan, climbed onto a chair, and turned the alarm clock's gears in the prescribed order.

One notch to the left, four notches to the right, and two notches to the left again.

With a whirring sound, the alarm clock shrank like a dying cricket. Even though my head was still ringing, I didn't want to sleep again, so I combed my hair and walked around the room.

The performance is reliable, you bastards.

The room was small but had everything. To put it nicely, it was an efficient layout of furniture; to put it bluntly, it was a cramped space with everything crammed in. If I stretched out my left hand to the storage cabinet and my right hand to the sink, I could touch both. The water from the tap could be used to wash my body or drink, but the ration was insufficient for both.

But the next room is empty. The daily water ration from the next room will still be there. I drank the tap water and planned to wash my hair in the next room.

A room so small that I could embrace it with my arms spread wide. Tantalus, originally a place for prisoners and laborers, was narrow and poor. Although it wasn't divided by walls, this only made the stifling air even heavier.

But what we need to remember is that, thanks to the large-scale prison break a few days ago, there are very few people left.

"Let's knock down the wall and combine it with the next room."

What is a good place to live?

The answer is simple.

A place with abundant resources and few people.

The reason large houses are expensive is that the population is low relative to the space.

Surprisingly, the current Tantalus... meets the conditions for a good place to live.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

I will knock down that wicked concrete wall and combine five rooms to live like a king. Five times the daily water ration. With this, I can shower every day.

No, there's no need to be obsessed with the ration. I should go to the water tank and take a bath. A life no different from that of an emperor!

I laughed wickedly and left the room. As I roughly closed the door without a lock, I was designing my upcoming happy convalescence.

"Arf arf!"

At that moment, a familiar shadow appeared at the end of the corridor.

...Why is it here?

Aji, who ran down the corridor, sniffed around as if confirming my identity and circled me. He looked like a killing dog. I shook my head in fear.

"A, no. Aji, hold it. Really, no more, it's too much..."

"Arf! I'm hungry!"

At Aji's words, I somehow felt relieved.

"Military, you bastards... this is the food storage?"

To survive, you must eat. You must put food in your mouth, digest it in your stomach, burn the calories, and move your body. It's a natural law that's so obvious it doesn't need explaining.

And the military, which exploits everything in the world, even exploits this law.

Tantalus, the re-education camp, is not a place to keep people alive. It's a place to kill them.

People who can't be killed by the military's power, or whose aftermath is feared, or who consume too many resources, or who pose a political burden. Tantalus is the place where such people are swept away like leftovers.

And the method chosen to kill isolated people is similar to what strategists have done historically.

"Damn. There are only a few cans of food left..."

There is food, but not much. There were prisoners who, like the first ancestor Tirkanchaka, wouldn't die of hunger, and if food wasn't provided, only those types of prisoners would survive. That's not what the military wants.

"Is this a one-square-meter food storage for a prison of this size? Their intentions are clear."

They don't want prisoners to 'stockpile' food. The intention was clear. If prisoners rely on the supplies that come in, they will be desperate and anxious. And they will hunt each other to obtain resources.

"Probably, they give just enough food to avoid starvation. If you want more, start killing each other now."

But didn't I say earlier that a good place to live is where there are resources and few people?

The food storage is much smaller compared to the large prison, but now there are only four of us, including me. Moreover, the vampire doesn't eat. I just need to make dog food for the dog. In reality, it's just me and the regressed person.

There's more than enough for two people. Moreover, in the abyss, there are no busy workers of the Earth Mother like insects or fungi, so there's no worry about spoilage.

"Sorry, Aji. I'll have to reduce the amount of meat you eat from now on."

"Arf?! No! No!"

Stop barking. It can't be helped. Humans come first, not dogs.

Three cans of meat, twenty-three cans of beans, starch, and flour... it's dry, but I can somehow survive. And if they know there are people here, they won't stop the supplies, right? If I think about that, I can have a luxurious meal.

"Since I have to meet the vampire tonight, let's have a hearty meal."

On the first day, I just had a quick meal, but since I'll be here for a while, I need to take care of my diet. I haven't cooked in a long time, so I'll make a meal. I opened a can of compressed beans and poured it into a pot.

"Aji, do you like beans?"

"Arf! Yes! I like beans!"

"Well, is there anything you don't like?"

When I turned on the tap, water flowed out. The makeshift kitchen has only one stove, but the water supply seems to be working. I soaked the dried beans from the compressed can in water. The dry beans quickly swelled.

The beans were cooked with vegetables when the can was made. If you boil them after soaking, you get something like baked beans, but the taste can get boring. I don't want to end it here.

I made a dough with the flour I scooped up and spread it out. I took out enough for a pie and put the rest in a pan.

"Arf! Arf! Arf!"

During this time, the beans, which had absorbed a lot of water, swelled up. Aji was excited and kept circling the pot.

It was hard to imagine that these beans had been in such a small can. It was as if I had planted seeds and harvested beans.

"Arf! They've grown! The food has grown!"

"Yeah, yeah. That's good."

The military is terrible at many things, but their military rations are amazing. This small can contains enough beans to last for days. Indeed, a country that is always serious about war is different.

Spices are a luxury. There's no way they'd be in a prison. The only things available are salt and dried cabbage. Although it's not ideal, I should be grateful for the cabbage. The military might seriously consider putting even bulky, low-calorie vegetables in the luxury category.

I washed and placed the vegetables. Aji, who dislikes them, said,

"I don't like grass!"

"Don't worry, I won't give you any."

Good. Let's start cooking. I put salt and vegetables in the pot with the dried beans. Meanwhile, I put the dough in the oven next to the stove. I adjusted the consistency with starch water and added it to the boiling pot. The seasoned water gradually thickened and transformed into edible food.

Now, all that's left is to wait.

It was a boring wait. As I watched the boiling pot, I heard a thumping sound from the side. Aji, who has ten times less patience than me, was chasing his tail and spinning around.

Each time, dust rose and fur flew. I frowned and scolded him.

"Hey, hey. Fur is flying. Go outside."

"I'm hungry! I'm hungry!"

"Even if you're hungry, you can't eat your fur."

Why does he shed so much fur when he's in human form and doesn't have a tail or hair? Aji stopped for a moment but soon started again. He seemed restless and was about to stick his face in the pot.

"Wait!"

"I'mhungryI'mhungryI'mhungryI'mhungry!"

I can't take it anymore. He's looking at me with eyes that say he's about to eat me. I quickly took a ladle and stirred the stew.

The mashed beans and floating vegetables swirled. The dregs that mixed in when the can was made gathered in one spot. I scooped them up with the ladle. A ladle full of stew with remnants, floating debris, and bean peels.

I poured it into an empty can. Then I took a bell from my pocket.

Ding ding.

Aji, who now perfectly understands the meaning of the bell, lowered his stance with wide eyes. His lips glistened with saliva. I put the can of dog food on the floor.

"Here, eat."

Aji immediately lay down and ate the dog food with relish. I watched him with a warm gaze.

Dogs are really good animals. They can eat what humans leave behind.

Feeling good, I hummed a tune and continued cooking.

The thickened broth had a sweet taste. The starch that stuck to my tongue gave a sense of fullness just by holding it in my mouth.

Good. Now, let's eat.

I wiped the dusty table and placed the pot on it. I also took out the baked dough from the oven, which hadn't quite turned into bread. There were only canned beans and a lump of dough, but who cares? If I like it, it's a feast.

Let's enjoy it. I sat straight at the table and prayed to the Earth Mother. Thank you for the daily bread, and please watch over me in this cursed land.

Now, let's eat.

"Arf."

When I opened my eyes, a dog was sharing the table with me.

What is this?

"Hey, Aji. What are you doing at the table?"

"Arf! Give me food!"

Seeing him extend his front paws, he seemed to be asking for a bowl. I had clearly given him a can of dog food earlier, but when I looked down, it was already empty. This shameless dog had finished his share and was now eyeing the human table.

Well, they say old habits die hard. He's trying to sit on top of human heads. I sternly said,

"Get down now. This is where people eat."

"Arf."

Bang!

When his front paws hit the table, the metal table rose 3 cm. I saw cooked beans flying in the air. My bowl and dishes were floating in the air.

Clang, clang.

The falling pot and dishes created a unique harmony. It sounded like a symphony played only with percussion instruments. Beyond that, the dog was staring at me, licking his lips.

I picked up the empty can from the floor with trembling hands. He had licked it so clean that it looked like it had just come out of the factory. I used it as a dog bowl, filled a ladle with bean stew, and...

"Beans."

I added a lot of beans. I rang the bell once and slowly pushed the bowl full of beans to Aji. Aji immediately buried his face in the can and slurped.

After a while, Aji lifted his head, smiled brightly, and shouted,

"Arf! It's delicious! The beans are delicious!"

"Hmph. This is the last time. Don't expect it next time."

Dogs are really despicable animals. They eat what humans eat, literally living off humans. Dirty, stupid furballs.

Damn dog. Does he think he's above humans?

We'll see. Even if he's the King of Dogs, his essence is still a dog. Someday, I will definitely train you. When all this is over and I finally break you, I'll make you act like a dog.

I'll show you what it means to be the lord of all creatures!

The beans taste ordinary.