Chapter 5 - "The Struggle"
Alpha Date Year(002): 315,848
Day: 268/365
Day 10:
After spending half an hour simply rummaging through my tent and fire pit, they then scanned around the campsite for another 20 minutes, looking for any kind of food. They probably followed the smell of my fire pit and rabbits all the way here. They then left the camp completely, and I was left frozen, clutching a wet branch as if my life depended on it. My grip only loosened after the rain finally stopped, and the nervousness I felt was gone after a few minutes. I then turned to face the sky, realizing I had stuck to that tree for hours, and the sky began to turn blue instead of black like before. I was left gazing up at the sky, where in that brief moment, I began to process what had just happened to me. Every time I think about it, I get the same answer…I was reminded. I was reminded that I wasn't the only one here in these woods trying to survive. I wasn't the only one hunting the black rabbits, and I wasn't the strongest. I was also reminded of a fact that my Uncle told me during training. 'You're not so special that you're above being hunted yourself.' He was right…I was being hunted and had to run away and hide…just like how the black rabbits had to run away from me when I hunted them.
I climbed down the tree with my legs still shaking and have now written until sunrise. I want to go back to the cave to rest for the day, but I need to wait until sunset. I tried to take a drink of some soup while reading this, but I finished the last of the soup while reading the book. I remembered what these animals were called, 'Mountain Hounds.' They were listed as 'E-' class predators with vicious bite and brutal nature. I still don't know exactly what that means, but I'm not going to find out. I'm packing my gear and heading to another safe zone…this place isn't safe anymore. Most of my tent was torn, but I could repair it now, and the rest of my gear was still safe. I needed answers from Uncle, but what was important right now was getting to another safe zone and surviving until then. I only hope I'm not caught by any of those predators because if they catch me, they WILL kill me."
J knew that the only reason he survived was that he got lucky. He was but a hair's breadth away from being detected. Luckily, after a while, the Mountain Hounds fully left the area, and J was able to get his gear back. It was a scary endeavor for J. It terrified him because he didn't understand just how powerful monsters could be. "Monsters aren't called monsters for no reason; they mean that they are dangerous." They were indeed a danger to him, and J knew he could not kill them as he could with the rabbits. He thought he was in the safe zone, but suddenly, the safe zone turned into a danger zone. And now, he has to run right back inside the cave. That would be the smart option. "To survive means being able to live till the next day. I gotta start thinking ahead. That's just what the book told me.". As he reaches the cave and begins to wind down for the night, he then starts to write about his day so far. "I was able to reach my Uncle's cave after a while. Luckily, I found a place to wait until it was dusk again. It was near a peculiar tree. A tree that I honestly didn't expect to appear in these woods.
It was abnormal, to say the least. But what was most abnormal about it was that it didn't look like a tree at all. It looked like it was carved out of steel or metal. What I mean by this is that it had the same kind of shimmer as my knife. It was smooth like a tree. I even touched it, thinking it was sharp, but it was just shiny. I then started to observe how the tree shone, and if you stepped behind it, it almost looked darker than it was. That's because it was striped black and white, but it turned out to make it look very dark gray. It's such a peculiar color. I stood up for the night, and I started to observe the tree, thinking, at least until the afternoon, I should say. But even in the afternoon, I'm still shaken up by the effect of the mountain hounds. How am I supposed to defend myself against them? How am I supposed to survive? Can I survive? Against one of them, they could kill me. But there are many. That many? I don't even know how I can ever face that."
It hit him. It hit him harder than he ever could have expected. Right when he thought he was in a safe zone, and just when he thought the forest wasn't so bad, he realized just what kind of tightrope he was dancing on. He was dancing on a tightrope between literal life-threatening danger and trying to survive. It dawned on him and scared him to his core. So J started to learn and understand what he could about the tree. Observing it, he decided to mark the area as a new safe location. The tree was in a somewhat open area within the forest, mostly surrounded by grass and some bends around it. But overall, the tree was the jewel. He could tell the tree was special, so he decided to note this as a new safe location after observing it for a while. The only thing left in his satchel was basically what remained of his soup. It was just a quick and small serving of soup that he drank all the way through. And although he tried to savor it throughout the day, it was barely a dribble. He decided to ration himself in the meantime, and then, once dusk started to fall, he made his trek up the mountain. The same beautiful landscape, the same stunning heights, the breaks in the clouds, the ivory-looking sky tinted with pastel colors. It was daunting but beautiful. After that, he began to walk after a slight gaze, knowing that he still had time, but he wanted to make it there a bit early, especially since now the safe zone had been compromised. He needed time; that was the most important thing that he needed right now, and if he wanted a safe place to rest his head for the night…then he knew he needed to be with his Uncle.
J made it to the entrance of the cave, and with dusk falling, he entered. His uncle stopped him as before, asking for the core of a rabbit to stay the night. Using this rabbit core, he was able to pay for his stay and get a nice bowl of soup, which helped him, especially since he was quite hungry. But after the big helping of soup, he finally felt satisfied. Instead of thinking about fear, he thought about comfort—how to be cozy for the night, how to rest the most at night. But first, he had questions, and he knew that he couldn't get these questions for free; he had to pay a price. With that, he decided to pay the price. He then used another core, which seemingly surprised his uncle, since in just a week, he had finally managed to catch two after spending almost an entire week catching one.
His Uncle then showed a mark of an impressed look on his face. Almost a smile, even. A brightness in his eyes. The uncle took the core, and he said, "What do you want to pay for with it?" "What can I buy?" J then asked in a very serious and concerned tone. "Well, remember, this rabbit core isn't very valuable. You could pay for another night if you wanted, but if you want actual knowledge, I have some books here that you can pay for." "Really?" "Yes." "What kind of books?" "All right, so…the books I have are as follows: 'Traps and Entanglements', a basic version, which I got for a pretty dirt-cheap price. Then we have 'Plants and Wildlife'. Good for learning about what's on this mountain. Or…we have a dictionary." "A dictionary?"
"Yes. Tell me something, how much were you able to read from that book? I'm just curious, ' he asked while stroking his beard. "Well, some of the words were confusing…why?" "This will help you." "...What?" "This will let you read any kind of book you want." "Wait…what?" "Yeah." "So I can get new knowledge or learn more from what I have?!", J said in a surprised tone. "Yes." "Is there more to learn from this book?" "I can't say. That would cost you another core. "What? DAMN, IT!" Of course, he didn't have words to say the last part, but if he had, he would have expressed himself then. "Do you promise that this can let me learn more from this book?" "It can let you learn from any book. It's written in the universal language of the world. If you learn from this, you might just develop your speaking and reading abilities."
"Wow!" said J in a loud tone, with his uncle responding, "Mm-hmm." "Okay…I'll buy the dictionary." "So, you wish to purchase this book?" "Yes, yes, yes, I accept the purchase." He felt sad that he wasn't able to learn more, especially since the 'Plants and Wildlife' book seemed quite interesting to him, especially after he wanted to learn more about how Mountain Hounds lived.
"Also, you may use the cave, but by tomorrow, I will no longer be here." "WHAT?!" "I need to go get some supplies. More goods. Some that you can buy, and some you may even need. And a good amount will be necessary." "Really?" "Yes. As well as other gear, if you want it. But remember, if you want to pay for something, or if you want to save up for something, you're going to need to ask now." "Damn." Again, he didn't have the words to say this, but he felt sad. He had never really been away from his uncle. He was only a boy, after all. He was the only person he ever knew. The only one he could talk to. And his leaving seemed...cold. But…he did not have the words to say it. "I promise you, you'll get plenty of supplies for survival that you can pay for. By the way, is there any item that you're looking for while I'm out? Any suggestions?"
"Hmm…" he thought for a long time, honestly racking his brain about it, thinking about what he could want. Right now, he wanted to say a knife because he felt it would be even better to have another knife, especially since his current knife looked even worse for wear than he thought. He honestly couldn't think of killing anything, especially those mountain hounds with just a knife like that. Then, an idea struck him. "Could... could I get a world map?" "A what?" "A world map." "What do you mean by that?" "A map of the world. Can't you do it?" "....That's way too expensive, especially for what you can pay for." "Oh….Okay." The map was an idea because he wanted to see what was outside the world.
Morbid curiosity stretched far beyond the woods. It wasn't out of cowardice or wanting to get out. It was out of genuine curiosity and wonder for what lay outside. He'd honestly wondered all his life about what lies beyond. He was comfortable. If he weren't moved from those woods, he wouldn't complain about it. His life, although dreary, was comfortable and pleasant. It was his life. But he knew there was something beyond it when he stared over the horizon. He saw something more. He didn't know where it ended. Does it end? I don't think it does. But if it does, then where is it? Those thoughts always wandered through him.
J was stuck within his borders. He laid every foot along the line. Sometimes, he would step out to explore, but never that far. He kept on thinking about how long his life was. And honestly, it made him feel content staying with Uncle and learning from him. He honestly couldn't ask for more. But just as that disappointing news came from Uncle, he was struck with a sigh, and honestly, he didn't feel very happy. But he knew that now wasn't the time. He needed to ask immediately. His uncle seemed impatient at this point. Angry or something. He didn't know. He didn't have the words to say it. But luckily, he might have the words now that he has the dictionary. "Could I get a coat?" "A coat? Are you sure?" "Yes. I need a coat…something that doesn't let water in." "Ah, I see. A survival coat." "A survival coat…There's something like that?" "Yes. Relatively common for adventurers. But I'll let you know if I find one. I'll try to get it for cheap, too." This news made J feel happy because he knew just how cold the nights in the cold season are, and if he was to survive the cold winter outside, then he needed to be prepared, and the first step was to keep warm.
"How cheap can it be?" "20, maybe 15 cores, if I do strike up a good bargain." "Are you sure?" "Yes, I am sure." "All right, though, don't complain to me because of the quality. Remember, the majority of good survival coats are around 35 of those cores." "What?!" This immediately turned J's mood to the worst. "Yep." "Will the coat even work in the winter?" J asked, concerned that maybe it would've been better to ask for something else. "It is better than nothing." "Okay… Okay. So you'll be gone in a week?" "Yes. However, you're not allowed within this cave unless you pay the appropriate amount. So, for every day you're here, you must pay a core to this plate." Then he pointed to an expertly made and intricate stone plate. Although it was made of stone, it was honestly quite a marvel to see how smooth and well-crafted it was.
"And trust me, if you dare to stay in this cave without paying for the night ahead of time, then you will face punishment. You will not be allowed in this cave for a week for every day you do not pay! Understood?" "Understood." "Good…remember what I said. Because if you break these rules, and if you continue to break these rules, you will be forced out of this cave, and I will regard you as an enemy, do you understand?!" "I understand." The sighs escaping J's mouth were from an honest disappointment for the kind of day he was having. The day was horrible. It was the night before that scared him to his core. How could he continue? He didn't even have the words to describe it. He started to read the dictionary. He rolled the pages forward, trying to realize how to speak like his Uncle. He could speak with an authoritative tone, a certain tone, and a direct tone. He needed to read this book to understand just how many words he could fit in a sentence to make it seem more direct and thoughtful.
These thoughts flowed through his head, and as he read the book, it was basic at first. Small words. Less complex words. It was separated by complexity. Things like cats, dogs, and bears. "Using these simple terms and simple descriptions. I read the description like so, Cat: a mammal with claws, fangs, a tail, on four legs that likes to catch mice and eat fish." He knew from stories about what cats were. He also knew what dogs were, but as of right now, he had a fear of dogs. He thought dogs were like the kind that he drew in the sand. Nice-looking dogs that seemed to help boys when they felt alone. But after that experience, he realized those weren't the dogs in the pictures that he drew. They were monsters. He couldn't forget that they were monsters. He would never forget that they were monsters. And suddenly, he realized just what made those rabbits so dangerous.
They had an abnormal speed that could outrun him even if he were just about to fall on him. It was also abnormal for a dog to turn from something that seemed pleasant or nice to something dangerous. Something that could break you, maul you, hunt you down. It seemed so cruel. He still somehow admired them, though. But now in a different way. He admired how strong they looked, how dangerous they looked. And he admired most that they had people to rely on. Meanwhile, he was shorter, smaller, and weaker than they were, and had no one to rely on. The only advantage he had was that he could hide better.
That was his only advantage. This disappointed him. A lot of things were disappointing him today. He honestly felt so frustrated. But he didn't have the words to say it. So he just sat back in his bed. Basic as it was to provide him with the only real comfort he had throughout the day. His Uncle was also sighing after hitting the bed. "Good night, J." "Good night, Uncle." It was the same response they had done almost every day before his survival training began, but honestly, it was still nice to hear, even after all the times, especially since he had to sleep through so many cold nights.