Chapter 55 - When a Tiger Dies (2)

Having decided to butcher it, I headed outside.

A little pig came waddling toward me. It was Roundfur, his belly swollen from gorging himself on the tiger's corpse. Judging by all the blood around his mouth, he'd enjoyed quite a feast.

"Roundfur, let's wipe your mouth before you go in."

"Kyuuu..."

"No. You can't go in like that."

I wiped his mouth clean before letting him into the cave. It suddenly occurred to me that I might need to start brushing his teeth soon, too.

Roundfur shuffled inside with sleepy eyes. Meanwhile, I took a thorough look at the fallen tiger's carcass.

'It really is huge.'

How had I beaten this thing? I could hardly believe it. Sure, the speed-sloth had saved my life several times, but this was unreal. Its height alone far exceeded mine, never mind its body length.

'Its body alone must be well over five meters long.'

As Heavenly Demon had said, it truly deserved to be called a "lord of the mountain." I walked around the tiger, feeling equal parts wonder and awe, until I reached its neck and was greeted by a gruesome sight.

'So this is where Roundfur ate.'

The part of its neck I'd stabbed with Heavenly Demon's sword yesterday bore clear signs of Roundfur's feeding. His jaws probably weren't strong enough to damage the tiger's hide. Apparently, he'd found the spot I'd cut and helped himself.

'I'd better hurry up and butcher it.'

The tiger had been dead for at least six hours. Fortunately, the forest was fairly cool; otherwise, it would have started rotting long ago.

'Wait. Has it already started rotting?'

I didn't particularly care. Even if it had, all I needed was to salvage the hide. Roundfur was an owlbear and could eat rotten carcasses just fine, so I didn't need to worry about him either.

First, a forum post. I stepped back to take some pictures of the tiger.

"Speedy, stay next to it a little longer."

"..."

"That's it. Hold up two claws... Oh, can't you?"

I had Speedy stand beside it for a clear size comparison. The speed-sloth readily obliged; he seemed pleased that we'd killed the tiger, too. I prepared thoroughly, even finding the severed forepaw to compare it against my hand.

Pictures of the tiger I killed

Wild Grylls

(Photo of the giant tiger's face)

(Photo showing the tiger's overall size)

(Photo comparing the tiger's forepaw to a hand)

(Photo of the completely wrecked golden shield)

This is the fucker that jumped me in the middle of the night. I seriously thought this bastard was going to kill me.

I'd have died at least three times without the speed-sloth's help.

└Heavenly Demon: I believe it is the largest tiger I have ever seen. Truly worthy of the name lord of the mountain.

└Sword Masta: Agreed. I've never killed a tiger that big either.

└Wild Grylls: But you two kill things way stronger than that.

└Heavenly Demon: I have fought martial artists more often than monsters or beasts. I hunted a beast only once, long ago.

└Sword Masta: I've killed plenty of monsters on extermination orders. That thing looks stronger than an ogre, at the very least.

└Wild Grylls: How strong are ogres?

└Sword Masta: You'll know when you fight one. Still, since you can use aura, it should be easy for you.

└Wild Grylls: Uh...

└Allfather: Judging by those unusually long fangs, it's a saber-toothed tiger. They're notoriously ferocious. You did well to survive.

└Wild Grylls: Sabertooths aren't normally this big, right?

└Allfather: They're half that size. That saber-toothed tiger is unimaginably large.

└Aren't sabertooths and saber-toothed tigers the same thing?

└They sound like the same thing to me.

└Allfather: They're entirely different. Sabertooths merely resemble tigers; their actual appearance is quite different.

└All Hail the Sun: What happened to the shield I gave you? Is it completely ruined?

└Wild Grylls: Yes. The tiger chewed it up. But it saved my life.

└All Hail the Sun: Hmm. I'll have to give you another soon. Let me know when you're done butchering it. I'd like that tiger hide.

└Wild Grylls: This is my first time butchering anything, and the hide's covered in blood. It's not in good condition.

└All Hail the Sun: That does give me pause. Take the shield first and think it over. Just so you know, I'll trade this evening or tomorrow morning.

└Wild Grylls: Thanks as always. If it doesn't work out, I'll give you another mature mandrake.

└Passing Dwarf: I thought it was just big, but it's fucking enormous. How'd you survive?

└Wild Grylls: Got lucky. Oh, and I faced it across the barricade at first. Without that, I'd have been in real trouble lol.

└Passing Dwarf: At that size, couldn't it just smash through the barricade?

└Wild Grylls: Yep, it broke one. Guess it didn't realize it could at first.

└Grylls, be honest. You found it already dead, didn't you?

└Wild Grylls: (Photo of the scars on his shoulder) What was that, asshole?

└Sorry.

└Damn, those scars. I'd believe him on those alone.

└I'd have been suspicious if he didn't have a scratch, but the scars make it convincing lol.

└Now those are honorable battle scars!

└Just need one on your face now. A facial scar is standard issue for adventurers.

└Wild Grylls: Folks, I'm not an adventurer. I'm stranded. You adventurers are supposed to rescue me.

└Actually, no scars is best.

└Agreed.

└Look at that instant backpedaling lmao.

└Anyway, that little Speedy bastard is cute as hell lol.

└For real, sometimes he's cuter than Roundfur lmao.

Everyone acknowledged my achievement. For some reason, earning the forum's approval made me proud.

I closed the forum and looked at the gigantic saber-toothed tiger. All that remained was to butcher it.

'... Where do I start?'

I'd occasionally watched videos the YouTube algorithm recommended of people deboning pigs or cattle. But those carcasses had already been partially butchered; the videos didn't start from scratch. Besides, this saber-toothed tiger was so absurdly large that even the prep work would be difficult.

'Let's post on the forum first.'

Someone had mentioned earlier that if I posted questions about butchering, plenty of people would kindly answer. Something about butchers getting fired if they weren't friendly. With all the beasts and monsters in this world, like saber-toothed tigers, there were considerable advantages to being a butcher.

Anyone want to help me butcher this?

Wild Grylls

(Photo of the dead saber-toothed tiger)

I'm going to butcher the saber-toothed tiger now. Anyone willing to help?

Do I start by hanging it up or something?

└Skin it first. Cut along the belly, then think of it as pulling the hide off. That should make it easier.

└It's so fucking huge that even dealing with the hide looks rough.

└Once you've skinned it, you need to hang it, but can you even hang that thing?

└Wild Grylls: Guess I'll have to build some posts myself.

Skinning came first. I went over to the tiger's belly with the dagger I'd prepared in hand.

'It's still bleeding, though. Is that normal?'

Blood continued to trickle from its split neck, enough that the pool kept growing. I wondered if that was normal. Somehow, Roundfur had managed to dig into the flesh while getting blood only around his mouth.

Anyway, the smell of blood was already in the air, so I intended to clean everything up as quickly as possible.

I jabbed at the hide.

'Wow. This stuff is tough.'

Sure enough, an ordinary dagger couldn't pierce it. I could probably have sold the hide for a high price if I'd killed the tiger without damaging it. Unfortunately, it was covered in blood. In the end, I had to infuse the dagger with aura before it would penetrate.

RIIIP. RIP. RIP.

After making a long cut along the belly, I slowly began peeling off the hide. At first I tried pulling it free, then gently cut with the dagger whenever that wouldn't work.

"Nnngh...!"

Even rolling the saber-toothed tiger onto its other side was difficult. I had to circulate mana throughout my body just to manage it. My body ached a little, but not unbearably, and I managed to turn it over with an effort. Rigor mortis hadn't set in, which made things a bit easier.

RIIIP. RIP. RRIP!

Skinning alone took thirty minutes. Removing the parts matted with blood was especially arduous. I'd have to wash it with charcoal.

'It's heavy.'

Given the tiger's size, even its hide was heavy. My old self would have needed every ounce of strength just to lift it. Now I could simply sling it over my shoulder.

'I'll leave the hide here.'

I looked over the saber-toothed tiger, its pale flesh exposed everywhere except its head. Aside from the half-severed neck dripping blood, it wasn't particularly gross.

'... Come to think of it, I need a wash too.'

I'd practically showered in blood while cutting through its neck. It had dried hard on my skin, and I wondered how long it would take to wash it all off.

As I'd said earlier, the plan was to hang it upside down to make butchering easier, then clean up. If I left things as they were, the smell of blood might attract other predators.

'To hang this thing upside down...'

Even a rough estimate put the tiger's body length well over four meters. As I pondered what to do, the towering trees caught my eye. Couldn't I tie ropes around its feet and loop them over sturdy branches?

For that, I'd need a capable assistant.

"Speedy."

"..."

His eyes seemed to say, What do you want, dude?

I bought some suitable rope through the forum and tied it around the tiger's hind feet. Rather than tying them together, I tied each separately so the legs could spread apart.

"Put this rope over that branch, and this one over that other branch. Got it?"

"..."

"You're better at climbing trees than I am. I'll give you more fasting pills."

Only when I promised extra fasting pills did he begin moving at his leisurely pace. The problem was that he was far too slow. Watching him was so frustrating that I carried him to the tree myself.

In the meantime, I barely managed to drag the tiger into place. It was goddamn heavy.

"Could you climb a little faster?"

"..."

"Ugh. Never mind."

Next time, I'd just throw him. That would be better.

It took a while, but thanks to the speed-sloth's help, I managed to hang the tiger up.

"Wow. It's fucking huge. How did I kill this thing?"

Seeing it hanging upside down brought its sheer size home all over again. I had to tilt my head all the way back to take it in. Yesterday, I'd been too frantic, and it had been too dark, to fully appreciate it.

TRICKLE...

More blood began flowing from its half-severed neck. Seeing that, I hastily bought a large metal drum from the auction house. I'd use it to hold the blood and guts. The guts would become fish food. The fish would have quite a feast.

'I could go for some grilled intestines.'

Thinking about guts had brought grilled intestines to mind, but I quickly abandoned the idea. I had absolutely no desire to catch parasites.

While the tiger finished bleeding out, I started cleaning up. First on the list was washing the dried blood off myself.

'Better get some hot water ready.'

Blood came off better with hot water. I used charcoal instead of soap.

While the water heated, I dealt with the pool of blood. First I roughly covered it with dirt. Once the blood had soaked in enough, I shoveled that dirt into the drum for the guts. I planned to dump it into the river along with them.

"Ahhh..."

With the cleanup mostly done, it was time to wash myself. Sinking into the comfortably heated water was pure heaven. I felt so dazed that yesterday's events almost seemed like a dream. I scrubbed myself thoroughly to clean off the blood coating my body.

'Still some stains left. Can't do much about that.'

There were a few traces left, but they would fade over time. After enjoying my first proper bath in a while, I changed clothes. I set aside the jersey, which was not only in tatters but soaked in blood.

'I can't afford to waste a single piece of clothing.'

I could just wash it reasonably well and keep it. It would do as work clothes.

With most of the cleanup finished, I headed over to the upside-down tiger. Blood no longer flowed from its half-severed neck, so it seemed to have bled out.

'That much came out?'

I'd bought a large drum to account for the size of the organs, but it was already half full. That was a lot, even taking the dirt I'd added earlier into account.

"Hmm..."

Now I had to slit its belly open and remove the guts. I folded my arms and thought it over. Given the height, I'd need a ladder.

'Guess I'll buy one. What choice do I have?'

Not an ordinary ladder, but one with proper steps. I wondered whether they had anything like that, and it turned out they did. The reviews said it worked well, too, so I bought it without hesitation.

With the ladder purchased, it was time to get down to the actual butchering.

└First, cut the belly all the way open and check the condition of the guts. Normally you'd wash them, but if you're not eating them, you can leave them as they are.

└Cut the head off before removing the guts.

└For reference, most animals have really big innards. Keep that in mind.

They really were helpful people. Following their advice, I began taking the carcass apart. First I slit the belly open to fully expose the guts. Just as the forum had said, they were wrapped in a thin membrane. Cutting open the belly didn't make them all tumble out.

'Ugh. Still gross, though.'

After cutting off the tiger's head, I carefully removed the guts. Even the slightest rupture would be a disaster. Thank goodness I had a strong stomach.

Before long, I'd removed the membrane-wrapped hollow organs—the "six bowels" of the "five viscera and six bowels." What remained were the five viscera, the organs clustered within the ribs. This was where the animal's most vital organs lay.

Once I removed these, the butchering would be finished. But the moment I touched my dagger to them...

THUMP! THUMP!

"Aaargh!"

The vibration transmitted through my hand scared me half to death. I nearly fell off the ladder, but just managed to regain my balance.

Utterly bewildered, I stared at the spot where I'd felt the vibration. In any animal, there was only one place where you would feel a beat like that.

GULP.

Swallowing, I carefully placed my hand against it. As if to prove I hadn't imagined it, I felt a distinct heartbeat.

It was definitely dead, so why was its heart beating? I couldn't understand it at all. And if I couldn't understand it, there was only one thing left to do: see for myself.

RIIIP.

I cut through the thin membrane, exposing the grotesque interior. Lungs sized to match its enormous body. And...

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

An enormous heart nestled between them.

The dead saber-toothed tiger's heart was beating.