15 Survival Skills 2

Either way, the fact was simple.

What I have will not last at all. I needed more.

While they went off, I proceeded with my task, completing the first under a day.

I sewed the crocodile skin on the inside to keep it cool.

When they returned, the suns were already in the process of sinking behind the horizon. Both looked a bit dishevelled but no body parts were missing, at least.

"We have caught a murong," the girl reported in an eager tone.

I found they had secured the murong and stored it.

The girl went on to describe how they had captured it, using herself as bait while the boy delivered the killing blow.

Even if the boy was slight, he seemed to be quite powerful; at least he was not all big for nothing.

The girl seemed to be useful, relatively fast and efficient at being a bait.

She was utilized as bait in her former group, alright what a nitwit. She seemed to have genuinely liked that boy a lot.

Sigh, such a devoted child. If I was a guy and had her as my girl I'd cherish her, she would be supportive and useful as a distraction when I was in danger.

"I need to take your measurements. Stand straight so I can begin making the other suits." 

Meat shields should be carefully cultivated so that they can properly serve their purpose.

If I make sure they are durable enough, everything will be perfect when the time came for them to be sacrificed.

Scanning them I grimaced, thinking to myself that it's OK if I thought ahead but now I felt I have to work harder than I had calculated. For example, the prey I already killed would have been more than enough for just me, but with these two here, I needed triple that amount now.

That would include skins for making boots and hats, just in case we run out of helmets.

Besides, the helmets only lasted a week. What if we could not plunder anymore?

"Hey, you seem to be thinking about something. Everything will be okay." 

I turned and looked at this girl; she was extremely optimistic.

"For me, yes. Both of you are pathetic, so I'm not too sure." I said before returning to my sewing. I can't waste time. I need to focus and continue.

Then take these meat shields to hunt.

If they died in the process, I'd be happy.

*****

Wincu.

Wincu had grown up an elite.

Wincu had everything she ever wanted and was assumed to be among the top five beauties in V City. Wincu's family was known among the top families as the Asientes; nobles who are among the oldest families in V city.

The second daughter of the Asientes, Wincu, had been taught from the age of fifteen how to survive by being bait.

Other than being the perfect first wife, since Wincu was a legal daughter from the first wife, they taught her to be bait, since she is naturally fast.

Introduced to the young master, the only legal son of the Bugkin family, they trained her to follow his slightest command in order to help survive during the entrance exam.

Eventually, they became close and feelings developed; the families believed that they would become man and wife. What woman did not have a dream of marrying the man she liked and becoming the first legal wife?

On the island they had been teleported to, Wincu noticed on the second day that all he said and did was fake.

He... He... Took most of her belongings from her storage ring and kicked her from the pack.

After the number of times Wincu saved them, sacrificed... They kicked her out and left to her to die.

Sure, Wincu had cried a lot, but who would not in this situation?

Wincu had been bitten so many times –  if not for her suit, she could not even dare to count the number of times she would have been dead.

Then she met her and realised that the boy she liked – even if he was a Bugkin –  could not compare to this nameless hero.

Her voice sounded so righteous when she spoke, tossing her three suits and four helmets followed by chunks of meat.

Wincu could not understand why she would give her food, because they all had the wrist bands that fed them, so foraging for food was not something they had to worry about.

Still, Wincu took it and stored it in her ring, followed by the helmets and suits.

"You should focus on surviving and not vengeance," those words were what made Wincu want to survive when she turned and left her sobbing.

Wincu remembered she had leapt from tree to tree and so she had practised, because Wincu truly wished to be able to stand by her saviour's side, even when the six legs had bothered her Wincu ignored them to continue praying as each day passed that her savour returned safe.

Eventually, Wincu was high enough and, as she looked down, she saw a murong attack a lone boy, ripping his suit after a few attempts and eating half of his Corpse before dragging him away.

Wincu tried not to cry, even though her eyes were watering, and her throat burned.

"Survive…I must survive!" 

It was Wincu's mantra until her saviour finally appeared once again. All this time, Wincu had thought her saviour was male.

Finding out 'he' was a 'she'... Wincu felt sad for a few hours then she thought this was better, at least she was aware that girls together are greatly frowned on and she would not disappoint her family by loving one as a woman would a man.

"Can you teach me the lost arts?" 

Wincu asked softly when her savour was making the third suit. Focusing on her, since she rarely spoke, Wincu saw her nod.

After seeing this, Wincu felt excited but frowned when her savour stored the suit and spider silk threat and stood.

"I am leaving. Kill as much as you can and store them, we will need as much food as we can. With that boy, we will need more. It is known a male eats four times more than a female, and as a growing one, it will be more so. I will be back in seven days or nine. Collect leaves and broken branches."

Then she was off, leaving Wincu with this boy.

If Bugkin was ruthless, the way this boy treated her was like she was mere air and therefore didn't exist.

Wincu hoped secretly he didn't find her an inconvenience and kill her off secretly. Wincu sniffed, struggling not to cry once more.