Food for Thought

As he journeyed towards the shoreline, he laid his gaze upon a flock of birds that appeared to be easy prey. Regrettably, he had neglected to bring his recently crafted bola, leaving him unable to make a catch. He would still eat them if it was the only food available.

As he approached the beach, he noticed a group of crabs scurrying along the sand. Eager to capture one, he decided to use his wooden spear. On his first attempt, he missed.

"Well.. that's suck.."

With an unyielding spirit, he tried again and again, until finally, on his third attempt, the spear found its mark and impaled one of the crabs.

The perk that he got from [Tool Time] played an important role just now.

He initially lacked the knowledge to use a spear, but after his first throw with [Tool Time], he learned how to properly wield it. His second and third throws were then executed with ease and precision, as the motion became natural and effortless.

Having become adept at handling the wooden spear, Nakami was able to successfully catch three more crabs. He then skewered the crabs on the end of his spear and carried them with him.

Nakami pondered for a moment, considering whether to return to his hut to eat the meat or to cook the crabs near the spring for convenience, as the fresh water supply was readily accessible there.

"I really need to make a water container.. This is so inefficient.."

Nakami ultimately decided to return to his hut first, as he realized that he needed a container for the water.

It took Nakami 15 minutes to make the journey back from the shoreline to his hut. Upon arriving, he placed the skewer of crabs on the ground in front of his abode and promptly set about chopping down small, slender trees with his newly refined stone axe.

The wood would be used to create temporary water containers until he was able to obtain clay at a later time.

While constructing the water container, Nakami also prepared the crabs he had caught. Thanks to [Tool Time], cutting down the smaller trees became easier with each attempt. Although he had gathered a multitude of small logs near his hut, Nakami felt that it was time for a break as the roasted crabs were now ready to eat.

"Ahh, it's so satisfying to enjoy a warm meal," Nakami said to himself as he finished the crabs. This meal gave him a renewed sense of motivation to continue his efforts to improve his survival skills.

After finishing his meal, Nakami set his sights on creating a stone hammer and weaving multiple ropes from fibers to complete his wooden water container.

He collected an abundant supply of fibers, which he twisted into a 3-meter rope. Although he had made more rope than was necessary, he decided to keep the excess for future use, as ropes were a valuable resource for many of the tools and objects he planned to make.

Using some of the newly made ropes, Nakami then crafted a stone hammer, the process being made easier as it was similar to the creation of his stone axe.

Nakami began by breaking logs into smaller planks using his stone hammer to cut them. Once he had acquired enough planks, he arranged them in a way that created a hollow in the middle. He then secured the planks together with the ropes he had made earlier. To prevent any water from leaking, Nakami closed the bottom of the container with a stack of leaves. After several hours of work, he now had a total of five wooden water containers.

"No new achievements huh?" he thought disappointedly, as he had hoped to earn at least one more, given the valuable rewards they provided.

It was nearing noon, and Nakami had completed all of his tasks. He decided to head to the spring to collect water, his five wooden containers hanging from his waist and secured by ropes, and a wooden spear slung across his back.

The journey took 15 minutes for Nakami as he had learned to properly use the Compass app, avoiding getting lost. He noticed his trekking skills had improved. He surveyed the area before drinking from the spring and filling up his containers. A few animal footprints were near the spring, but they didn't appear to be from big or dangerous predators.

Nakami felt safe and drank from the spring using his hand. He filled the containers with water but one leaked and was beyond saving. Despite feeling sad, he still had 4 containers left. He suspected the leaked one was the first one he made before mastering container-making.

He hurried back to his hut without spilling any water. He still had 6 hours before sunset and needed to make more things. His daily tasks included gathering wood and ropes from now on, but securing food was a priority because he needed energy to work.

Upon reaching the hut, he decided to learn how to make fish traps using twigs, fibers and ropes he had. He aimed to make at least 3 to 5 traps. After researching, he began weaving the materials to make the traps. He also made cages from wooden sticks to store extra fish near the shoreline for emergency use.

As evening approached, he finished crafting the traps and cages. He also made a large log cart, using sticks, to easily transport everything in one trip.

Two hours later, as the sun set and the sky grew darker, Nakami sat by the campfire he had made. During his trip to set up the traps, he practiced throwing a spear and caught fish at the same time. He felt confident in his skills, having improved in using the spear for hunting.

"This is exhausting... I wish there was a way to improve my physical ability."

Nakami felt exhausted. Despite not doing much, he was completely drained. Doing everything alone was taking a toll on him.

"Sigh... I can't give up. Tomorrow may bring success or my downfall, but quitting without trying would be foolish."

Nakami sat inside his hut, making a simple wooden stick bed. It wasn't difficult to make, but it took time as many ropes needed to be properly tied.

After an hour, an unattractive wooden bed was made. Although practical, it lacked smoothness. Nakami realized he needed a saw and chisel for better carpentry results.

Finding iron wouldn't be hard, but processing it into usable metal was impossible without a forge or a container to mold the molten iron. A clay forge is necessary to make better items.

So, tomorrow he must find clay. Clay minerals usually form where rocks are in contact with water, so springs and shorelines are good options since he hasn't found any rivers or streams.

Nakami had just learned how to smoke fish, hoping to make it last longer than burnt meat. As he worked, he couldn't help but reflect on his past.

"Funny how I used to do this so easily. It was a happier time back then," he murmured.

Nakami's hometown was Takayama, a city in the mountainous Hida region of Gifu Prefecture in central Japan. The area was isolated, with fewer people compared to urban areas and limited job opportunities.

Before leaving for university, Nakami spent most of his time fishing, camping, trekking, and even farming horseradish for wasabi. He remembered feeling happier and more alive in those days, before university drained the joy out of his life.