The Adventurous Life of A Fugitive (I)
Kogure who did not suffer any kind of hardship on Earth is now having a hard time handling things after barely escaping the kingdom. Although he was struggling, he managed to exit the kingdom after he killed the two guards guarding the gate. He managed to hide in a dark forest not too far from the kingdom but knowing that the soldiers will arrive there soon, he has to keep pushing on even if he is having a hard time, otherwise, he would be dead before he can even think of looking for a way to go back home.
"[Warning, the Hero's body is 90% damaged and wounded from the inside, please take a good rest and heal.]"
"Shut up, system. I know."
Kogure has a very tough mental fortitude for a teenager. Although he was suffering from the current wounds made by making direct eye contact with the guardian, he is still holding himself quite fine. Still, it would be a lie if Kogure said he is alright. After all, it is enough for him to scream so badly due to how all the accumulated pain has gathered in him. Thankfully, with the training he did, his pain tolerance is quite high and he can take quite a lot of abuse for now.
"System. Do I have any kind of healing potions pulled from my 10 pull? Any kind that can heal wounds?"
"[The system replies with a no. Your 10-pull did not contain any healing potions or anything that can heal you. You have to seek medical advice from someone or go and rest for 10 days to fully recuperate.]"
"Damn, 10 days? That is hard especially now that I am a fugitive. There is no way I can rest that long without getting spotted,"
"[The system suggests that the hero will use one of the 10 pull items you pulled out for recuperation.]"
"Huh? You said that I didn't pull anything that can heal my injuries?"
"[The system replies that this item is not related to health but it can help you recuperate quietly without being seen by anyone. I would suggest the hero find a place to hide and stay for the night before using the aforementioned item.]"
"I see. So an item that can help me recuperate without being disturbed for 10 days? I think that is good enough I guess. As much as my body pains a lot, I have no choice don't I?"
Opening the inventory, Kogure checked the 8 remaining items he got from the first 10 pulls. Of course, he didn't know any of these items that he pulled since he put all his mind set on one single item and just focused on getting the SSR item and he didn't have any idea what are the uses of these items himself. All he can do now is to check its descriptions and see whether they are good or not.
He looked at the icons and realized that there are 3 items that are just 1 item, it's just that he pulled multiple copies of it. There is also another 1 but a different item but this time, he pulled it twice in one pull.
1. Healthy Food Package: (Rarity: SR)
Info: A bundle of healthy but delicious food that was developed for soldiers. Eating it would help in developing a body similar to how a person is eating pure vegetables and other healthy fruits.
2. Bear Trap: (Rarity: R)
Info: A normal bear trap that can really f*ck up anyone who steps on it. Nothing fancy in here, just a normal bear trap that can be used as long as it is still functional.
3. Camouflage Tarp: (Rarity: R) x3
Info: A tarp that can take the features of an environment it was in. Very useful if used during ambushes or for undisturbed rest.
4. 4 leaf clover (Rarity: R)
Info: A consumable item in the form of a four-leaf clover. Eating it will increase your luck slightly for 5 minutes. Consuming more than one will not stack.
5. Crude Wooden Bat: (Rarity: N)
Info: A very crude and poorly made wooden bat. Good for smacking a few people and a few enemies but not a reliable weapon to rely on on the battlefield.
6. Luck Slip: (Rarity: N)
Info: A paper slip that came from a certain shrine. Reading it can either increase or reduce your luck with additional effects depending on what the current divination looks like.
7. Power Scroll (Rarity: R)
Info: Part of the pieces of parchment that were ripped off from a journal of a powerful magician. If used by a person, the scroll will grant a little bit of power to the user in the minimum of First Magic Circle magic.
8. Kitchen Knife: (Rarity: N)
Info: Yep, a kitchen knife. Just an ordinary kitchen knife. There's nothing magical to it since it is just a commonly found kitchen knife in modern kitchens.
...
...
Once Kogure was done checking the items one by one, he finally understood which item the system is trying to make him use. The three camouflage tarps. He took one of the tarps to see what it looks like. The tarp is just similar to a normal tarp found back in his world but the only difference is that the tarp before him is an item that can change its color and appearance based on which area it was placed. It was indeed a good item.
[Warning: I detected several men armed with weapons and torches coming to the area. Please escape as far as we can as there is a 99.9% chance that these guys are the soldiers from that kingdom]
"As expected, they have indeed caught quite quick. But I still have the upper hand."
"[Sir Hero, overconfidence can cause death. Please be moderate and take precautions.]"
"Hey, I wouldn't be overconfident if I don't know what to do next. I might look like this but I am fine surviving in the wild."
Kogure then started walking while still holding his body in pain. Despite not knowing where he will be going, he is very capable of scaling the dark forest just fine. Not only that, but he was also very careful in leaving tracks. And instead of leaving his own tracks, he uses the chances to make fake tracks that would lead astray the searching people a little bit farther, giving Kogure a good chance to evade.
"[This system does not understand. How come the hero is capable of pathfinding so easily? You seemed to be well versed in survival in the wild.]"
"No, I am not well versed but I know a few tricks here and there that would allow me to thrive in the wilderness without proper food and water. Don't underestimate me just because I lived in the city. I spent one year in the mountains and survived in the past!"
"[This system still doesn't understand.]"
"I doubt you will. However, you can watch and learn how I do it, and perhaps you will understand it if you just try to comprehend a little bit."
Kogure continues to scale the forest and despite his struggles in walking, he still managed to properly walk around. Then, they found a cave.
"[Sir Hero. This cave looks like it is a good place to make your temporary base. Covering the entrance with a Camouflage tarp would make this place hidden from the public eye!]"
"Rejected. This cave is a big trap. If I stay here, I will die."
"[The system seems to be confused. Why would that happen?]"
"Because I doubt some of the soldiers can forget a cave here. This forest is the nearest to the kingdom and several people come here. It only means that some people are aware of the cave. And if they come here and see that the cave's entrance disappeared, They would immediately go suspicious and will try to dispel the effects of the Camouflage tarp, redeeming it useless as a result. You get it?"
The system did not respond. It seems to be pondering on what Kogure just said.
"I take that silence as a yes. I need to look for a better alternative instead of the caves."
Kogure continues to move deep into the forest. Soon enough, Kogure arrived at the center of the forest, in which, a giant tree is growing. It's very large and the branches are quite spread out, creating a natural "basket".
"I think I found the best place to recuperate."
"[Is it this tree? There is a 50% chance that a spirit is living on this tree.]"
"That's fine. If they are harmless, then we will ask them nicely to lend the tree for a few days, if they are evil then I won't hesitate to get rid of them," Kogure begins to climb the giant tree's trunk.
Like a small monkey, Kogure easily climbed up on the tree with ease. Any soldier would not easily think someone would stay above the trees like the giant tree as that is an improbable place to hide but for Kogure who easily climbed the tree like it was nothing, it was the perfect place to stay and recuperate all of his wounds.
The top of the tree is very wide and has a flat surface. Not only that, but the air is relatively fresh and the shade of the tree's leaves made the whole place very suitable for creating a treehouse.
"Good, this place is good enough and no one can see me up here unless I peek out. This will be a good place to hide for a while."
"[Sir Hero, are you sure about this? Isn't it a bit troublesome? You are still at high risk and there is also a big chance that a spirit will be disturbing your rest here.]"
"Dude, I know that you are trying to be reasonable here and try to warn me of the troubles at least but I know what I am doing and I won't do it if I am not even confident. Don't worry about it."
As much as the system wanted to at least be protective of the host, the system can only do just that especially if the host is a hard-headed guy like Kogure.
The sun is almost and the surroundings start to get colder too. There are no signs of Kogure's pursuers and everything is peaceful. Since the night is almost upon Kogure, the boy pulled the tarp out of his inventory, grabbed some of the long branches that has fallen to the flat surface of the tree, and used it to create a makeshift tent that not only it blends into the surroundings, it cannot be easily seen unless someone tried to pass through it intentionally.
"It's a little bit cold but this will do for now. The surface isn't that bad to lay down anyways, so you can say this is fine."
"[Sir Hero, what about food? Humans eat food to live right? I have not seen you eat food for a while since you were transported here.]"
"Well, do you provide food?"
"[Sir Hero, I am a system for guiding the hero candidates, not a fast food chain store. It's obvious I don't serve food.]"
"A shame, but that only means I have to look for my own food. Now that I am in this forest, I have to at least plan when I will hunt and when will I hide. Perhaps a bit of a sacrifice to my daily food will do for now until I can hunt properly."
As the night finally descends, the whole surroundings are now dark. Kogure tried to adjust his eyes from the darkness but it would take a bit of time for him before he can do so. After all, compared to the world he was previously in and the world he was in right now are stark different. Not only that but he is in a forest and not in a city. Perhaps, living in the city will be his biggest concern in the future but for Kogure, his biggest concern is how to survive and how find food until the time his injuries have finally healed up.
That concludes his first day as a fugitive. Now, he still needed to survive the remaining days until he can go and leave.