No way...
I used to do that daydreaming thing in my old life, where I would just get lost in my thoughts while walking on the street, effectively ceasing to even notice the world around , sotis for hours.
I would never have thought that that habit would follow here in a wasteland filled with monsters.
This might cost my life soday if I don’t get over it.
I snap back to reality the mont I hear a low growl, freezing on the spot. Still a bit far away from , I can see a big thing exactly in the direction I was going.
Yay! (sad)
It looks like an overgrown hyena, around three tis bigger than the ones I saw yesterday, with a mandible that could fit my whole head inside. Its fur has shades of greenish-brown, as well as black and yellow.
But the eyes... those bright red eyes have a tint of malice and hunger. And they are already trained on , as it starts slowly walking in my direction.
Thanks to Mimby, I know that they are called maracay and are smarter than hyenas but don’t have good eyesight. I might be able to fool them using the right approach, but they have a good sense of sll, so I won’t be able to avoid a confrontation.
I quickly cast the strengthening aria and prepare myself.
:::
If this were Earth, this guy would be the apex predator of an ecosystem like this. But here, it’s considered the lowest tier of monsters of the Barrens.
It’s strong when compared to normal animals but less of a threat than the henchn from yesterday.
It charges at in a straight line, its maw open, ready to rip apart. But its charge is slow and clumsy, giving enough ti to prepare an aria and dive to the side.
I roll, casting the aria and putting my hand on its body while it passed . The taser has the expected effect, rendering it immobile.
The monster falls, incapable of stopping its run, and I quickly close in on it, unsheathing my sword and thrusting it into its neck with all the might I can muster.
The blood spills out, spreading through the dirt.
I did it.
My first kill!
Before I have ti to process what happened, I hear a voice.
[Level 2 reached. Register on the Adventurer’s Guild to unlock the benefits.]
WHAT THE HELL?
What was that?
I look around; there’s nobody on this part of the plains.
The voice sounded like an AI voice from those apps back on Earth.
"What do you an by level two?"
The voice doesn’t answer.
Is this the leveling system my mother, Lillian, told about? So I can start leveling up even without registering, but to use the benefits of the new levels, I need to register?
Well, if that’s the case, it explains why people like Mom first registered before going out killing monsters.
Okay, Aurea, FOCUS.
There’s no guild out here. There’s only and the corpse of a monster.
:::
I look at the sky; there are still two or three hours before sunset. It should be enough ti, I think.
I take out the knife from the backpack and cut through the monster’s hide. Mimby told that the at from its front legs and breast tastes less awful than the rest, so I go straight for it.
When the strengthening magic starts to wear off, I cast it again.
After around half an hour, I manage to produce a couple of chunks of at. I certainly made a ss of it, and any adventurer would be laughing at , but what matters is that I have food, okay?
I quickly go around gathering all dry sticks, grass, and so shrubs and make an improvised campfire. I use the flint and steel to light a spark on the dry grass.
It takes longer than I expected, but in the end, there’s fire.
I got one tougher stick and put the chunks of at on it. Dinner tonight is maracay skewers. Delicious, and I’m not even in a dungeon.
In the process of taking the at, I also took a piece of the hide, so I also put it to dry near the fire.
Suddenly, noises.
A group of hyenas and so vulture-like birds are already closing in on the carcass. That was already expected, so I took the precaution to make my campfire at so distance from it.
After all, if there’s free at, they won’t go through the trouble of trying to get mine. Both the one on the fire and the one on my body.
:::
The at tastes horrible.
It’s hard to chew, stringy, and tastes funny. But it’s edible, and without salt or condints, hunger is the best seasoning.
I eat a reasonable portion, and then when I’m satisfied, I wrap the rest in the dried hide and put it in the pack.
To be honest, the hide sll is... well, hideous. I think I know now where the word ca from, maybe?
My entire body must have a really bad sll at this point. Oh, how I want a bath. I desperately need a bath, nice clothes, and a bed.
But there’s no ti to complain. I still have around one hour of sunlight, and I need to put it to good use.
While the food was cooking, I had gathered more sticks and so whole bushes. So, before leaving, I feed them all to the fire.
When the night falls and the nightly monsters roam, the fire will hopefully still be lit, and I’ll be far away from here.
:::
I walk straight north for a whole hour, pausing only once to harvest another barrel cactus and drink its water.
It tastes as bad as always, but I’m getting used to it.
I want a cola-flavored soda, please. With a lot of ice and so lemon.
I hate this place already.
When the sun lowers on the horizon and colors start to change, I proceed to find another burrow for the night.
At least I should be able to sleep the whole night and co back to the natural sleep cycle. And that also ans that tomorrow I’ll be able to walk for the whole day and cover even more ground.
It doesn’t take long to find a good burrow. It’s empty and even a bit bigger than the one from yesterday.
My eyelids are insisting on closing, so I think that I found it at the right ti. This body is not used to long walks, so the activities from the last two nights and one day took a toll.
I only managed to walk this much today because of the strengthening magic. Every ti my body was reaching its limit, I cast it again to be able to keep pushing forward.
The place with the fire and the carcass should be at least ten kiloters from here. This is the safest I can be in this wilderness.
The burrow is not a comfortable bed, but for my body, the simple act of lying in a dark place and closing my eyes is a blessing.
The burrow has the sa safety asures as the other one, with the bush and the unsheathed sword. I quickly doze off to sleep.
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