The most crucial water source had been secured.
Now, Rena had a three-week grace period.
Of course, interpreting that as an actual three weeks without food was strictly forbidden.
A person needs energy to move.
Three weeks, that’s only if you’re lying around doing absolutely nothing. For Rena, who was wandering through the forest, her remaining time was far shorter.
“Ah, I’m hungry.”
Was it from the easing of tension?
Her stomach growled loudly.
“I want ramen.”
The azure sky, the chirping of birds, the refreshing breeze, the babbling brook.
What a blessed natural landscape!
If only I could eat ramen here, it’d be paradise.
Ramen eaten against a magnificent backdrop always tastes twice as delicious, doesn’t it?
It was a futile wish.
Rena gave up drooling and kicked a nearby rock out of frustration.
Here she was, dropped into a strange world, and all she had was her body.
Coveting modern conveniences here was impossible.
Unless the system helped her.
“Shop! Auction! Oh, I knew this would happen.”
With that, any attachment was neatly severed.
Rena hopped from stone to stone, landing in the middle of the stream.
Finding a water source had meanings beyond securing drinking water.
Fish! Clams! Crawdads!
Various aquatic creatures lived here.
Even if she just caught and ate them, she wouldn’t starve.
‘This is all thanks to careful planning.’
She congratulated herself on making the right choice.
Right then, it happened.
Splash!
Rena’s eyes widened as a fish leaped up right in front of her.
“Wow.”
Without thinking, she blurted out in amazement.
What fresh water fish has this much energy?
Is it related to flying fish or mackerel?
If it’s grown so well-fed, the sashimi would be phenomenal.
Pointless thoughts filled her mind.
Suddenly!
Instinct and reason acted independently.
Rena’s sharp eyes caught the splash and the sparkling droplets as they reflected sunlight.
And, the instant the fish reached its arc’s peak…
Rena’s hand shot out quicker than thought and clutched the fish’s body.
Plop! Plop!
“What?”
It was pure reflex.
Like how one instinctively catches a ball flying towards them without thinking.
Still, there are limits.
Catching a slowly moving ball isn’t hard, but reacting to a baseball thrown with full force is usually impossible.
In this scenario, with her original reflexes, Rena would’ve just watched or maybe fallen in trying to catch it.
But right now, the fish was squirming in her grip.
Confused, Rena blinked.
「You have acquired Dexterity (Lv.1)!」
「Survival Instinct (Lv.1) and Dexterity (Lv.1) synergize to create agile movements…」
The system message helpfully provided the answer.
“Alright, got it.”
Though Rena couldn’t see the system message herself.
“TS does improve physical ability. I see.”
The irrelevant professional gamer who never played TS would become a monster and dominate world tournaments once they started; it’s a trope.
It made sense why she hadn’t broken a sweat despite walking through the dense forest for so long.
Well, the system, knowing only her body existed in this world, had given her these enhancements.
“I could only rely on myself.”
The system message blinked unhappily.
What can I achieve with this body?
I tried it out briefly and managed to climb a tall tree effortlessly without any tools.
That’s enough for a physical test.
I was hungry.
Though she wanted to tear into the fish like a savage, Rena restrained herself.
It came back to her that freshwater fish often contain parasites and should not be eaten raw.
So, no raw fish.
That meant a grilled fish was the best option.
To do that, fire was necessary.
“What do I do?”
Helplessness hit her hard.
No lighter, no torch, not even knowledge to distinguish flint from roadside rocks.
Fortunately, Rena knew one final way to start a fire.
Friction. Rubbing wood together to generate heat.
Even if the technique wasn’t great, failure wasn’t an option.
“Let’s go! I can do this!”
With determination, Rena began rubbing the wood.
Not long after:
“Ah.”
Smoke began to rise.
“Is it this easy?”
Seriously, how simple.
The encouragement she gave herself turned hollow as immediate results appeared.
Does anyone really need skill to start a fire?
Just do it.
That was ignorance.
「Dexterity (Lv.1) is being displayed!」
If it weren’t for the perfect synergy of monstrous physical abilities and skill, she would’ve struggled for hours.
Rena moved the embers onto dry twigs and started a small fire.
On it, she cooked the skewered fish and took the first bite.
“!”
Rena’s eyes widened.
The savory taste, the elasticity of the flesh, the clean flavor without a hint of fishiness — all of it was amazing.
Even though all she had was this, it was delicious.
She quickly consumed the meal ravenously.
“You’ve ingested a mana-filled trout!”
“The trout’s mana is being absorbed into your body!”
Her hunger somewhat faded.
This felt invigorating.
Is the fish here good for energy?
Energy, good energy…
She absentmindedly glanced down and realized.
“Aah, of course, it’s gone.”
Her lower half felt empty.
The weight that was once there was missing.
Sure, if it made her lighter, that was good, right?
She couldn’t shrug this off so easily.
“Ugh, never mind.”
Rena shook her head to clear the gloomy thoughts.
What’s gone is gone, and wishing for it back wouldn’t bring it.
People must look to the future.
Lingering regrets only hindered progress.
Indeed, the status window applauded her correct mindset.
—
[Survival Rules (2)]
With great wisdom, you’ve successfully secured water and food.
But remember, the lush forest harbors unknown dangers.
Secure a safe dwelling place…
—
“Too talkative.”
Too long, too long. What’s the point?
Rena waved her hand to dismiss the blurry text.
No summaries, no long reads.
There was a more pressing task at hand.
“I’ll just catch and eat five more.”
Rena was still hungry.
People say the sun sets fast in the mountains.
Although not exactly mountains, similar feelings could emerge in forests.
Before she knew it, the surroundings grew dim.
The chirping birds disappeared, and now only the sound of the stream broke the forest’s stillness.
“Creepy…”
The night forest felt alien compared to the morning.
A cold shiver ran down her spine as the wind brushed her skin.
Rena absentmindedly rubbed her arms.
“Wow, where did the time go?”
Catching, roasting, eating — she lost track of time in the repetition.
Her full belly indicated she could stop eating, but beyond that, she hadn’t accomplished much.
There was much to do.
Scouting the area, contemplating her situation, crafting tools, planning for the future.
When in survival, assuming safety today guarantees tomorrow is unwise. Handling urgent tasks swiftly was key.
“Huh, I’m sure it’s fine.”
Rena didn’t dwell on it too much.
Tomorrow comes another day.
Today’s unfinished tasks can be done tomorrow, right?
“Yawn…”
Thanks to the warmth of the campfire and the full stomach from eating fish, her eyes began to close, and yawns surfaced.
There was no nighttime entertainment anyway, so sleeping seemed wise.
But was it safe to sleep?
Alone in an unfamiliar place, the landscape dark beyond the campfire’s glow.
Suddenly, anxiety crept over her.
“Ah, it’s camping. Didn’t I always want to try it?”
Rena adjusted her mindset positively.
No tent was the only flaw. This was all experience.
Roughing it, sleeping under the sky with the earth as her quilt.
Amazingly romantic.
If the camping stretches out, it’s simply extended wilderness living practice.
No need to sink into gloomy thoughts prematurely.
Her makeshift bed was created by tamping down the ground with the soles of her shoes and covering it with leaves.
A freezing prevention technique learned from YouTube.
This would help maintain body heat.
Since the campfire would go out if not regularly fanned, this measure was necessary to avoid freezing in the morning.
It also served as a makeshift bed, much more comfortable than lying directly on the hard ground.
“Yawn…”
Her eyes grew heavier.
She wondered if she would quickly go to sleep given the change in sleeping environment, but exhaustion from the day made her consciousness sink deep.
Waking up to a crisp morning would be nice.
In the best case, all this was just a dream, and she’d wake up in her room on her bed.
Her wish was simple.
Faint chimes of the system’s messages seemed to linger in her hazy consciousness.
—
[Survival Rules (3)]
You chose to face danger rather than rest in safe comfort, embracing adventure and romance.
While survival’s journey may have no absolute rights, tough decisions come hand-in-hand with fitting risks.
As does the reward for such daring.
Note: A high probability of danger will occur during the night.
Reward: Growth Points…
—
