Of Debugging, Dragons, and Directing

"Binary tree?" Ryuu echoed, tilting his head in that perpetually curious way that Jin-woo was starting to find endearing.

"Don't worry about it," Jin-woo said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "It's a… human thing." He wasn't about to try explaining computer science concepts to a dragon. Especially not a dragon who seemed to be struggling with the concept of a statue.

With a newfound sense of purpose, Jin-woo set off, following the stream with Ryuu lumbering along behind him. "Okay," Jin-woo explained, pointing ahead. "See how the stream splits there? We'll take the left fork, mark it somehow, and if we end up back here, we know we've explored that entire branch and need to try the right one."

Ryuu, bless his scaly heart, seemed to be trying his best to grasp the concept. "Mark… the path?" he rumbled, his voice echoing through the trees.

"Exactly!" Jin-woo said, feeling a surge of pride. Maybe teaching a dragon basic navigation wasn't so different from explaining code to a junior developer. "We can use… uh…" He looked around for something to mark the path. "Aha!" he exclaimed, spotting a cluster of those glowing mushrooms. "We'll use these. They're… distinctive." And slightly terrifying, he thought, remembering the pulsating one he'd nearly walked into earlier.

He plucked one of the mushrooms, which emitted a soft, ethereal hum as he held it. "We'll leave one of these at each branch we explore," he explained to Ryuu. "That way, we won't get lost in… well, you know."

Ryuu sniffed the mushroom cautiously. "It… glows," he observed.

"Yeah, well, everything in this forest seems to glow," Jin-woo said. "It's like a rave party gone wrong." He carefully placed the mushroom at the base of a tree, marking their chosen path. "Alright, Ryuu, lead the way!"

Ryuu, with surprising agility for his size, navigated the left fork of the stream, his massive form parting the foliage like a scaly bulldozer. Jin-woo followed, trying to avoid getting trampled underfoot. He kept his eyes peeled for landmarks, anything that might help them get their bearings. But the forest remained stubbornly uniform. Trees, ferns, more glowing mushrooms… it was all starting to blur together.

"This is hopeless," Jin-woo muttered, kicking a stray pebble. "We're going to be wandering around this forest forever. I'll probably end up turning into one of those crazy hermits who talks to squirrels and eats berries." He shuddered. "Actually, I already talk to a giant lizard and eat berries. Maybe I'm already halfway there."

Ryuu, who had been listening with his head cocked to one side, rumbled softly. "Hermits… are… wise."

"Yeah, well, they're also usually smelly and have questionable hygiene," Jin-woo countered. "Not exactly my ideal career path." He sighed. "I miss my apartment. I miss my computer. I even miss those annoying error messages. At least they were predictable."

He was about to suggest they turn back when he noticed something up ahead. It wasn't a gnome riding a unicorn, but it was definitely… different. A clearing opened up before them, and in the center stood a… structure. It wasn't exactly a building, more like a… hut. A very large, very overgrown hut. Vines snaked up its walls, and moss covered its roof. It looked like it hadn't been inhabited in decades.

"Well, well, well," Jin-woo said, a grin spreading across his face. "What do we have here?"

Ryuu, who had also spotted the hut, let out a low growl. "A… structure."

"Indeed," Jin-woo said. "And possibly… civilization! Or at least, evidence of past civilization. Maybe there's some loot inside! Or… information! Or… maybe just more glowing mushrooms. But hey, at least it's something different."

He quickened his pace, eager to explore the abandoned hut. Ryuu followed, his curiosity piqued. They reached the clearing and approached the hut cautiously. Jin-woo reached out and pushed open the door, which creaked ominously. He peered inside, his eyes adjusting to the dim light.

The interior was dark and dusty, filled with cobwebs and decaying furniture. It looked like it had been abandoned in a hurry. There were overturned chairs, scattered papers, and a half-eaten meal on a table. Jin-woo shivered. It felt… eerie.

"Hello?" he called out. "Anyone home?"

His voice echoed through the empty hut. There was no reply.

"Well," Jin-woo said, turning to Ryuu. "Looks like we have the place to ourselves." He stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room. "Let's see what we can find."

He started to explore, his programmer's brain eager to analyze and categorize everything he saw. He examined the furniture, the papers, the half-eaten meal. He was looking for clues, for anything that might tell him where he was, or how he got here.

Ryuu followed him, his massive form dwarfing the small hut. He sniffed the air, his nostrils twitching. "I… smell… something," he rumbled.

"What is it?" Jin-woo asked, turning to face the dragon.

"I… do not know," Ryuu replied. "But it is… familiar."

Jin-woo frowned. "Familiar?" he repeated. "What do you mean?"

Ryuu shook his head slowly. "I… cannot… explain."

Jin-woo shrugged. "Well, let's keep looking," he said. "Maybe we'll find something that jogs your memory."

He continued his exploration, his curiosity growing with each step. He had a feeling that this abandoned hut held more secrets than he could have imagined.