Martial Soul World

While holding the image stone in one hand and the rope in the other, Kim Jae-hoon stepped foot onto the latter and stretched it out until it became a straight line.

With the help of the crystals sharp edges, he was able to cut it evenly in size and obtain four pieces of rope.

”I didn know you could use the image stone this way. Im impressed. ” Park Sun-jae said with an amused look on his face.

”When I was in the military, the first lesson that I learned is how to use my surroundings to my advantage. So, it became a habit of mine to become creative and decisive in times of crisis like this. ” Kim Jae-hoon answered.

”As long as it ensures your survival, I don mind how you use my things. ”

Park Sun-jae thought he might be saying these things because he felt bad for using his precious crystal like this. Hence, he assured Kim Jae-hoon not to worry about it in an indirect way.

Though the young man only said it casually and there was no hidden intention behind those words, the person on the receiving end mistook it for something else.

Since Kim Jae-hoon was quick-witted, he understood what he meant as he responded with a smile. ”Im glad to hear that. ”

Afterwards, he picked out some small rocks with the size of a fist from the sand floor and immediately started sharpening it until the one side became pointy.

At first, he thought it would be difficult in shaping it using the crystal in his hands considering its hardness. But surprisingly, he was able to give it a shape like he was peeling a potato. It was all thanks to the miraculous stone he had.

This crystal is quite useful. I had my doubts but after seeing its sharpness myself, I still can believe it.

When he was done transforming the rocks into sharp objects like spearheads, he went near the entrance of the forest and climbed one of the huge trees he spotted a while ago. Upon reaching the part where its branches were spreading out, he sliced one of the thick branches it had and dragged it to his original place.

The branch he brought back was more like a tree trunk than an average branch, with a thickness of 30 cm and a height of 2 feet in length.

Without wasting any breath, he sliced the thick branch vertically and was able to procure some wooden sticks out of it. Kim Jae-hoon used ropes to attach the pointy rocks at the tip of each wooden stick excluding one. As a result, he was able to create two spears and a normal staff as the final products of his creation.

”Woah! You are like a genius, brother. I never thought one could make weapons out of these raw materials! ” Park Sun-jae said in a shocking tone.

”Why do you look so surprised? Don you know this is basic when it comes to survival? ”

”No. Our blacksmiths mostly use rare metals and crystal stones to make weapons. So, I was shocked to see you make those same things out of materials like these. ” He said in an excitement.

”Remember this. When you are helpless and theres nothing to rely on, make sure to use the nature around you to help you in need. ”

”Oh! Wise words! But as you can see, Im a ghost. So, I can make use of anything. Hehe. ” Park Sun-jae said mockingly.

”Heh! Funny! ”

Kim Jae-hoon was almost done with his preparations but since he exhausted himself too much, he felt thirsty and hungry.

When he checked around his waist, there was a water bottle tied around it to the left side. He pulled it out and tried to drink water from it.

However, not a single drop came out of it.

”Its empty. ” Kim Jae-hoon sighed as he went nearby the shore to fill it up with the seawater.

Although the water will be salty but its better than nothing. He thought to himself.

He drank some of it first in order to appease his thirst when he raised his eyebrows in surprise. ”Hm? ”

”Whats wrong? ” Park Sun-jae asked with a concern in his eyes.

”How the hell the water is so sweet? ”

”What do you mean? Its normally sweet. Are you alright? ”

”Sorry, what did you just say!? ”

Kim Jae-hoon couldn believe what he just heard from him. So, he asked for confirmation.

”I said – are you alright or not? ”

”No, before that. ”

”Before? I just said that the water is normally sweet here. ”

Upon hearing his words, he gaped at him in shock. The usually salty seawater turned out to be sweet that tastes like orange juice which felt so strange.

Not only that, everything was strange from the beginning. Ever since he woke up, bizarre things keep happening to him. First, he swapped bodies with someone. Then, he started seeing a ghost that looked exactly like the body he was in. Now, this! He couldn understand what was going on.

Either Im dreaming or something is wrong with my tastebuds.

Kim Jae-hoon pinched himself very hard which baffled the ghost who was observing him from up close.

”Aaahhhh! ”

”Hey! What the hell are you doing? Have you finally gone insane? ”

”It hurts. That means this is not a dream. ” He mumbled to himself.

”Of course, it isn . ”

Kim Jae-hoon turned around to look at Park Sun-jae who had an annoyed expression on his face.

”Why did you do that all of a sudden? ”

”This seawater is sweet. ”

”So what? ” Park Sun-jae wondered why he was making a big deal out of a mere seawaters taste like its not normal for him.

”You don get it. From where I came from, seawater tastes salty there but its sweet here. Which is a bit strange…if you think about it. ” Kim Jae-hoon said with disbelief in his eyes.

”Oh, really? ” The ghosts eyes flickered after hearing that. ”Then, the outside world is really different from ours. Even their lifestyle may not be similar to us. Im so excited. I want to explore it one day. ”

”What if Im not from this world at all! ”

The sudden words of the young man piqued the ghosts interest as he asked out of curiosity. ”What do you mean by that? ”

”I had this doubt ever since I came here but I was never 100% sure about it. ”

”What doubt? ”

”….that I have come from another world. ”

Upon hearing his theory, Park Sun-jae was stunned and speechless for the first time which made him think of the same, and its possibility.

Kim Jae-hoon didn interrupt his thought process and gave him some time until he could process everything. Meanwhile, he hunted a few small fishes in the sea using one of the spears he made, and placed it on a giant green leaf that he plucked out from the tree branch.

He arranged some firewood with the remains of the branch and started a fire immediately.

Later, he gutted the fish and removed the scales before skewing it on a clean and thin twig he snapped out from the branch. When he was done gutting each and every fish, he roasted the fishes from both sides properly.

”If only I had salt, the food would be perfect. ” Kim Jae-hoon clicked his tongue in frustration.

Since he was nearby the seashore, he thought he could rely on the sea salt for seasoning. Unexpectedly, the sea turned out to be sweet which shattered his plans for having a nice meal today and he sulked for a bit.

”It looks delicious. ” Park Sun-jae spoke who was silent for a while now.

Kim Jae-hoon turned around and said in a sad tone. ”Sorry, brother. I wish I could give you some to eat. ”

Park Sun-jae became a pitiful ghost who couldn interact with objects or any living being. So, eating something which is tangible was out of the option.

Or so he thought….

Park Sun-jae smiled viciously and extended his hand towards the fish stick which was properly roasted and tried to grab it.

Much to Kim Jae-hoons surprise, he was able to make a copy of the fish stick as if he was pulling its soul out as he obtained the fish stick in his hand resembling to the one which he tried to grab.

Kim Jae-hoon watched him do that silently and was flustered at the same time.