Gourmet Emperor: Master Of Culinary World 2 A Cave In The Mountain

I'm not taking the common route to climb instead I take a route through the forest because there's more ingredient I can find there. I've been going to this forest many times so I'm not worry getting lost here.

After entering the forest my eyes start to scrutinize the surroundings. I also came to this forest last year and I still remember when I can find some edible ingredient like mushroom usually grows. Dead trees and stomp are the places where I can find the wild mushroom easily, although there's some mushroom that also grows within the living tree, but easier to find them in the previous place.

Since I still remember where the location of the dead trees and stomp, I just go to that place leisurely. Along the way, I also pick some edible wild berry that I found around. Either eaten directly, or make into a salad, or maybe turn into jams and eaten with bread, that's what I'm planning with the berries.

When I arrive at the place where the mushroom usually grows, I can see many wild mushrooms grow lush fully there. Thank G.o.d! It seems n.o.body picks them up yet, and I am the first person who harvests them here. So, without hesitating, I start collecting the mushroom that I found there. There are s.h.i.+take and matsutake mushrooms that common to be found here. It needs about one hour to clean sweep the mushroom in the area. I took the plastic bag where I put those mushroom with a satisfied smile.

"Wow, I got so much mushroom today. This much mushroom can be eaten for three days"

I look around and see there's nothing left to pick up, so I decide to walk further into the mountain to get more ingredients.

"I wonder what else I can get if I go further in this forest. Maybe I can find some hazelnut or cheery fruits, that's edible and quite tasty too"

So, I go to the deeper forest which I never see before. The sound of birds chirping can be heard from here, its sound like a natural melody in my ears and soothing my minds. I can feel the peaceful atmosphere around the forest. After walk a while I find some hazelnuts and all goes into my bag. Since it's already noon, I search for a good place to take a rest. I found a good place near a small spring, so I put my bag on the ground and take some snack to fill my belly. Actually, I can make a delicious dish from the ingredient that I found but after thinking about it again, I decided to take the snack I brought from home first. The ingredient I have collected seems not complete without some meat, but if I feel hungry again, I will eat them without waiting anymore.

After finis.h.i.+ng my snack and wash my sweat in the spring, I continue my journey in the forest. From what I've seen, this place is almost never stepped by people. The gra.s.s grows everywhere like a green carpet, vines twisting around the tree and some wildflowers also blooming. I'm thinking to pick some for my sister Miyu, she will be pleased with that.

Without I realize and because of the thickness of forest trees, the clouds already cover the sky above the forest and not for long, the rain is falling. I'm a little panicking because I don't bring an umbrella or raincoat with me. While walking under the trees to evade raindrops, my eyes are scrutinizing the area for a place to take shelter. After some time I arrive at a steep mountain cliff and there's a cave on it.

"Lucky! I don't know if there's a cave here. At least I'm not getting wet when I'm taking shelter there".

Without hesitation, I'm entering the cave. The air feels fresh indicating there are air flows within the cave. Maybe the cave has another hole or exit, not just a hollow s.p.a.ce in the cliff. I turn on my lighter to give some illumination to the cave. The soils were dry, means rain did not enter the cave interior or there some water leakage from above. There are also some dry woods, which may be carried inside by some wild animals. With those dry woods, I make a bonfire inside the cave to warm myself and make a light.

While waiting for the rain to stop, I'm inspecting the interior of the cave. The cave I take shelter from rain looks like an ordinary cave from a glance. I see stalact.i.tes and stalagmites sprouting from floor and roof of the cave. My curiosity arose when seeing the cave still in its natural shape. It seems n.o.body ever enters this cave before me. Maybe if I exploring this cave deeper, there's treasure lying there waiting to be picked up. So, I take one of the burning firewood from the bonfire and use it as a torch to illuminate the cave and step deeper into the cave.

The cave is actually wider and longer than I thought before. After walking about half an hour I still can't find other exit or end of the cave. Well, there's no treasure chest either so far. My steps end when the path narrowed and a deep gorge appears in front of me. The gorge has width around two meters and for its depth, I'm not sure because, with this simple torch I carried, I still can't see the bottom. I take a stone and drop it into the gorge. One second, two seconds, three seconds … ten seconds, I still haven't heard the stone reaching the bottom.

"Oh my G.o.d, how deep is this gorge? I think this gorge is not just an ordinary gorge, it's more like an abyss to me"

Somehow my back hair stands when imagining if someone accidentally falls into this abyss. I step back from the abyss' edge and watch my step carefully.