Survivors of Alterna: Best for Last

Chapter 3: Nakji

Akikta bit into the succulent and warm crab flesh he broke out of the shell. He nearly teared up at how good it was. Or maybe he was just so hungry that the crabmeat was the closest thing to heaven.

Of course, he had cooked it beforehand. He knew the dangers of eating raw shellfish.

At first, he was worried about how he would cook the meat. Luckily for him, the ship's cargo had everything he could've possibly asked for.

Akikta had found an oversized pot the crab claw could fit into. Getting it off the ship was difficult, but he managed.

Shortly after, he discovered sealed barrels of fresh water. After gulping down a few large sips, he rolled them off the ship and used the water inside to fill the pot.

Then, he made a makeshift campfire out of the destroyed chunks of the ship's wooden hull.

All of that proved to be a real workout, but getting the claw inside the pot was the worst part.

Multiple times, he feared the pot of boiling water would spill onto him, which made the task unnecessarily long. He cursed himself for not starting the fire after the claw was in the pot.

Either way, he eventually got the large claw inside without toppling the whole thing over.

While it cooked, Akikta rummaged through the ship's cargo further. He found various clothing that didn't quite match the attire the Wild Claws wore, like a black jacket with a hood, black sweatpants, and large black boots with a blue rim on their bottoms. Coincidentally, they were all his size.

He wore the jacket since he could use the hood to hide his hair. Paired with the mask, he'll be able to adhere to Sal's second warning, something he wished he listened to earlier.

The black boots would provide protection for his feet, so he took those as well.

As for the sweatpants, he didn't really need them. He just liked their style.

Clothing wasn't the only thing Akikta found.

There was an assortment of weapons. At least, they appeared to be weapons. Most were unlike anything he's ever seen before.

Still, he thought it best to protect himself with something, so he searched for an object that didn't look too lethal or unfamiliar.

The weapon of choice was a blunt object resembling a gray baseball bat. There were better options, but everything else was razor sharp, and he didn't trust himself with sharp objects.The baseball bat proved useful for more than just protecting.

He had returned to the boiling pot and blew out the fire before dumping the water out onto the sand.

Admittedly, this was his first time cooking crab himself. He had only ever seen his brother and grandfather make it. But it looked fully cooked.

Steam rose from the crab claw; the wind blew said steam into Akikta's nostrils. The delectable smell caused his mouth to water.

His dinner was ready. All he needed to do was crack the shell more than it already was. Cue the baseball bat.

It took a few strikes, but Akikta eventually split it open. He couldn't quite dig in though, as the meat was hard to separate from the carapace. He'd of eaten it straight off the claw had it not been for the fact that some pieces were teeth shattering hard. So much so, he had to grab a cutlass to cut the chewable chunks of meat off.

As Akikta ate, he found the meat less tender than usual. It was a bit chewy.

Dang, must've overcooked it. He thought, believing that's why some parts were hard to separate and the chewable bits had a rubbery texture.