Welcome to The Crucible

After deciding to take a bite of every beast out there, I calmed down and review my schedule for the day.

I had already made a rope, so that was one thing less to do, the stones still were a necessity since I couldn’t make axes or big enough knives with the ones I had but, for now, I could make a simple shelter with what I had; it wouldn't be something that would last, but I could do something better later when I had the time and the tools.

So, from the original plan, I had nothing to do other than eating drinking and making a shelter.

Since I had discovered the manuals I could use the rest of my time to have some practice at something that may be of use later.

I mulled over the idea and, theoretically, it wasn't a bad one, but I didn't like wasting the time I could work undisturbed by just sitting there and practicing – I could do that later if I built myself a big enough hut or something.

I thought it over again, and in the end, I decided to postpone building a temporary shelter and try to find some rocks to build a more sturdy, and more importantly bigger, place.

The idea was that if I had enough space inside I could just practice what I wanted inside whenever I wanted instead of doing that outside and risking being ambushed by some predator while I was distracted.

To build something bigger though I needed trees, and I couldn't fell them or even clean them off of branches if I didn't have a bigger tool on hand.

So, after thinking about it, I concluded it was best to build an A-frame hut and to do that I had to find the rocks I needed by mid-morning at best or at worst within the day – even if I couldn't complete it in the whole day tomorrow I still would have done a good deal of the work by the end, so I thought it would be worth it.

"Well, now that I decided what to do, it's best to get a move on.." I thought.

So I picked up the stick and put the small knife in my pocket since I could have some use for them and I moved over to one of the locations where I found the fruits.

I didn't want to waste too much time and energy in this, so I didn't move in full stealth, but decided to follow just three rules: small steps, try to find the path with the least obstacles and look around with your peripheral vision – it wasn't easy, especially trying to control my sight, but I believed they were necessary to live here so I kept trying.

As I moved toward the outside I grew a little nervous since out of three times I had done so two I had been killed without even being able to react, but I managed to calm myself well enough – I just had to concentrate on the tasks at hand, all other things were a distraction.

Nothing dangerous came out this time and I managed to get a bunch of yellow fruit that I remember seeing somewhere and I was reasonably sure were edible.

After eating some I went to have a drink on the stream.

"I should try to make some pottery as soon as I can, and a filter too, and now that I think about it I should also make something to hold the stones before going out... too many things to do damn it!" I thought and then noticed I had focused too much on where I put my feet without looking around – luckily I wasn't over the perimeter yet but I had to be more careful.

I kept going until I found the stream and then bent down to take some water with my hands.

After drinking the first mouthful I was going for another when I saw something move a few meters to my right.

I nearly threw myself to the ground expecting something to jump on me, but I held myself back at the last moment when I realized I hadn’t been noticed yet, probably because I was partially hidden behind some bushes.

I was trying to calm my beating heart and keeping my breath slow, and I more or less succeeded to do it, even if with some difficulty.

It was the first time I could really observe one of the animals here, the last two time I had barely more than a glimpse before I was killed.

In front of me was a boar and I could now confirm that it wasn’t my fear that made the previous beasts seem so big since it looked like it could nearly reach my shoulder height.

It also wasn’t too big tough considering that I heard that once existed boars that reached over a meter in height, so maybe this one was young.

I also was pretty sure I didn’t want to be found out since those tusks looked nearly as big as my forearm.

I was just starting to slowly move back when I noticed a shadow falling on the boar.

It was a jaguar and the boar barely had time to let out a whimper before his neck was crushed by his jaw.

I dashed back inside, crashing through leaves and everything, without pausing a second.

I stopped only after I was well within the safe zone.

“Haaa… Haa..” I heaved a little, before catching my breath.

I was a little shaken but nothing too serious; after all, I hadn't died this time.

The experience was useful though since it confirmed that the animal density was really high since one out of two times I went out I met some beast.

"And that I should look up too from time to time... should've thought of that before.." I thought, shaking my head.

After all, while I wasn't an expert about forests or animals I knew that a great number of species lived on trees or were at least able to climb them, it just didn’t occur to me since at first I wasn’t really able to think clearly and then my two deaths were from ground beasts.

“Well… I didn’t see from where the boa or python attacked me so maybe he was on a tree…” I thought.

I still had to make something to hold the stones so I started collecting plants and grasses based on the guidelines written on the manual.

At some point when I spotted some vines on the trees, I realized that maybe I could just use them as they were without wasting time making ropes.

I tested their strength and I found them usable.

Happy with my new discovery I collected them and started working.

I thought for some time then decided to make something resembling a net and then trying to tie the ends to make it work like a sac.

It gave me two manuals, a basic one for weaving, and a more detailed one for making sacs; I was surprised since I didn’t think a weaving manual would have come out.

I made a few quick and useful adjustments and then I had my sac… kind of.

It was ugly and it couldn't be used for anything other than big things since it had holes, but for now, it would suit my purposes.

Now that I was ready I put it on my shoulders like a backpack and then I strolled off to the stream again.

I would follow it until I found a bigger waterway and then see if I could get some rock there.

I tried to meet it a bit further on since I didn’t know if the jaguar was still having breakfast, and it took me a bit longer than I thought since it curved up away from me, and then I started following it.

It wasn’t an easy journey because I had to constantly look around, and also up, and I couldn’t move too fast since I didn’t want to alert any animal around me, moreover, it was hot and humid so was sweating a ton and there were the usual mosquitoes that kept bothering me – at least I had water to drink, though unfiltered.

The air was still so I suppose that if the beast came across my trail they could easily follow me, but I hoped it at least meant my scent didn’t spread too far too fast.

I slowly trod forward for an unknown amount of time.

A few hours passed – I think it was just my impression, due to the discomfort; I really missed my watch – when at some point I thought I saw something move in front of me on the other side of the stream to my right.

I wasn’t sure but I wasn’t gonna risk it so I just crouched there and waited silently.

Sweat trickled down from my hair to my face and neck and the insect buzzed around me.

I very carefully looked up and around from time to time just to be sure nothing was creeping up on me.

I waited for what felt like an eternity while doubts started to show on my mind.

“Is there really something there or am I just paranoid? I can’t waste all my time here if I want to get anything done, so maybe I have to move… if only I had a manual to show me what to do.

…

Maybe I should try to slowly circle around, it doesn’t look like it noticed me whatever it was.” I thought.

In the end, I decided I was wasting too much time here so I very very slowly moved away from the water and made a big circle around that spot.

I didn’t know how much time I lost there but I wasn’t going to beat myself over it too much; I was alive and I was learning, and that’s what counted in the end.

I kept going for a lot more time while my stomach started complaining to me.

Thanks to my extensive preparations, I obviously never thought to bring some fruit to eat, so I was hoping to find something relatively accessible on my way.

At some point in time, which I judged was sometime around midday, I reached the river.

It felt nice seeing so much sky, it was only a little more than a day, but it felt like a lot more time passed while I was inside this forest.

I stood there enjoying the sight and the song of the forest for some time – of one thing I was sure, this forest was as beautiful as it was dangerous.

“Hmm… now, where do I find rocks?” I thought, after coming back from my contemplation.

The river was wide, maybe around 500 meters, but I had never been good with distances so I wasn’t certain.

It also didn’t flow very fast, and it looked shallow.

In truth, I was really wary of going near the river, because I knew that water also had many dangers inside, and I didn't have trees to hide there.

I decided to follow the river for some time to see if I could spot a few.

After a tiring search through the muddy riverbank, many bites from unidentified insects, and a stomach that was trying to kill me, I had only found one stone so I decided it was time to look in the water.

I left my boots a bit further up because at one time I sank in the mud halfway to my knee and had a hard time freeing them and I thought it was better to go barefooted for the moment.

I also wanted to wait to wash them until later, when I finished my task.

So barefooted and with my pants rolled well over my knees I went inside the river; the water was cool but not too much, it felt nice, and I found out I could walk pretty far in.

I was still careful though, so I decided not to go too far in.

After the sun started his downward curve I was getting really tired, and I was sure my stomach was trying to eat itself.

I hadn’t searched for long but luckily I managed to find five stones of various shapes, two roughly the size of my head and three a bit bigger than my fist – my sac/net was holding them well.

I was still searching though since I didn’t plan on making this trip again for some time, and I wanted to have some as insurance, in case I made some mistakes.

I was so focused on my search that I didn’t notice how far I had gone until the water touched my pants.

After I realized how deep the water was I looked up surprised to see where the bank was, then hastily moved back.

“Dammit, I should do something about this habit of focusing too much on things and tuning out the rest, I’m lucky nothing killed me this time.” I thought angrily to myself.

While I moved, I looked down to see if I stepped onto something I shouldn’t; the water wasn’t too clear but I could see well enough where I stepped.

Unfortunately, I detected too late a long shape moving a few meters ahead.

It was moving toward me but it was slow so I tried to circle it to one side hoping to avoid it and head to the shore.

Alas, I was already too late to do anything.

Suddenly a shock went through me and I fell into the water twitching – it was also very painful.

Fortunately, it lasted only a moment but when I tried to push my head above the water another one hit me, and I lost control again.

I got water in my lungs when I accidentally tried to take a breath, so when I was hit by the third shock I was also starting to suffocate.

I shouldn’t have worried though since the fourth shock took me out for good.

And again I saw black.