9 Preparations

Zanir felt relaxed after talking with his family throughout the evening. They had each discussed what they were going to do the following morning. Some snacks and the tea he drank earlier seemed to work their magic on Zanir as he crawled into bed after a long day.

He slept peacefully and without issue until morning.

Zanir had agreed that he would meet up with his parents later tonight. They were eager to help him finish gathering up the materials and excited to see what would happen. He had the entire day to himself so he wanted to see if he could get some work done on the Environment subroutine.

Beautiful sunshine greeted Zanir as he strolled out his front door. It was a nice day out and there was a very gentle breeze blowing. He raised out both arms in front of him and tried to absorb some of the air itself.

The amount of air Zanir was able to absorb didn't even set off a system notification. He was even using both hands to absorb at the same time but it didn't seem to be very effective.

'Maybe it's not working because it's only grabbing the air that is in direct contact with my hands?'

After consulting the system Zanir was able to confirm that his previous thought was correct. If the wind wasn't blowing he could only absorb a minuscule amount of it. The best place for collection would be somewhere that had consistent and strong winds. The gentle breeze around here would take forever.

He recalled a location that fit the description perfectly.

There was an old abandoned canyon in the area that had once held a mine. The locals had dubbed it 'Ghost Canyon'. The name had been given because people thought the canyon was actually haunted by evil spirits. Stories were told that the miners who had became trapped inside would forever haunt the old mines.

The sound of the wind blowing through the old mine shafts and narrow canyon walls became distorted and eerie. Combined with the the decrepit mineshaft entrances and the occasional growl of animals taking shelter inside it really did give the canyon a certain ominous presence.

Zanir knew where the canyon was located but had never ventured inside to try and explore the area further. Even if it wasn't haunted there were plenty of mineshafts which had been taken over by animals and used for shelter. Luckily he wouldn't have to go inside since he only needed to collect some of the wind.

He could stick to the entrance and could even hide away if he needed to.

Grabbing a few supplies Zanir prepared to head out to Ghost Canyon. He kept his favorite canteen with him and a grabbed a machete to clear out any overgrown debris. Zanir wasn't a trained fighter but he could use the machete for self defense if it came down to it.

Zanir absorbed the rest of the adventuring supplies he thought he might need. A few of the items triggered prompts from the system.

[Material analyzed: Fabric (woven)

Name: Gauze

Type: Bandage/Dressing

Rating: Level 1

Description: Made from a material nearly identical to cotton this fabric has been woven into a gauze structure. When used as a medical dressing it is especially useful for dressing wounds where other fabrics might stick to cuts or burns.]

[Material analyzed: Hemp (woven)

Name: Climbing rope

Type: Three-strand twisted fiber rope

Rating: Level 1

Description: High tensile strength makes this climbing rope ideal for dragging and lifting. Three strands means a high fiber count ensuring load bearing stability. Just make sure your knot tying skills are up to par. Always make sure to inspect rope for damage before use.]

[Material analyzed: Plant

Name: Bodaberry

Type: Berry

Rating: Level 2

Description: Does not fully match any known samples in database. There are partial matches to the following: Rambutan, Avocado, and Kiwi. Further analysis required.]

That last one was a fruit he'd never seen on Earth before. It had a deep red color and spikes just like a Rambutan fruit but was much larger. They easily grew to be fist sized and some could even exceed that.

Wrinkly and slightly fuzzy outer skin peeled off the bodaberry to reveal dark blue flesh beneath. There was a single large seed in middle. It had an interesting taste that was rich, creamy, and sweet. Zanir was hesitant the first time he had tried them but they quickly became of his favorites.

After double checking that he had everything he thought he might need he set out with his destination in mind. The system worked while he slept to further merge his memories so he was familiar with the direction.

It was several miles away but Zanir felt great to be outside and walking around in the open terrain. Having memories of something and then actually seeing the rolling hills and beautiful forests sprawled out in the distance were two totally different things.

As Zanir walked through the surrounding fields he greeted the farmhands who were tending to them. The sun rose higher as the day went on and Zanir noticed that it was going to be a very warm day today. He was glad to have his canteen with him.

He could port water in from the system directly and it was cold and refreshing. Zanir knew that it was best to remain discreet and brought the canteen to maintain cover. It wasn't worth the risk to have someone see him directly controlling water.

'Sunscreen would have been nice for a day like today.' Zanir thought.

Then he remembered that he needed sunlight for his system.

*Ding*

[System will absorb excess ultraviolet radiation from the Host]

Zanir saw a small sun icon congeal in the corner of his vision. Consistent with the icons his focus would bring up details. He could see a percentage that was very slowly going up. When he looked away it became transparent and faded away so it didn't obscure his vision.

Zanir smiled as kept walking along. The system had taken care of his water needs and now it solved his need for sunscreen. He wondered what other amazing things he would unlock once he actually activated his world.