"Alright. Let's get it." My hands clap and rub together for a moment before I quickly drop the bravado and reach for the shovel beside me. I gripped it tightly and used it to push my backpack, which had become an impromptu door to my shelter, out of the way.
And then I waited. One second. Two. Three. Four. Five. And many more before I finally felt brave enough to stick my head out of the shelter. Checking if any wolves or anything similar were around.
`I'm not scared. You are.` Maybe I was. A little bit. But it wasn't conscious fear. It was more primal survival instincts taking over after having to endure the beastly howling all night.
The small, scared caveman part of my brain urges me to be cautious even as I emerge fully from my shelter to look around. Luckily, there is nothing around once again.
I mean, there is. The trees and the snow. But nothing else. No enormous beasts or camouflaged wolves waiting to pounce. Nothing was waiting to attack me while I was vulnerable and exposed. At least as far as I can tell.
"Huhhh." Which finally allows me to breathe easy. But not too easy. After all, the smarter part of my brain knew that the howling must have come from something. Something alive that was stalking the woods.
And while that might be bad news. It might also be good news. Because if I could kill whatever it was that had been howling all night, I might just secure enough food for the rest of my journey.
Although I had my doubts about whether I could take whatever it was on. `There are a bunch of different animals and monsters in the game that howl. Even just up here in this territory, there were like three I can think of just off the top of my head.`
There were probably a few more. But even the three I remember living in this territory would definitely be something I don't want to run into. They were all mid-level threats that could easily tear me apart if I met them right now.
In fact. Even their prey are things I wouldn't be able to take on. Not in my current state. Where I still had no clue how to use magic, and my only real weapon was a shovel and one measly pocket knife.
So the first order of business. Before I begin to explore the forest and set about finding food, is simple. I had to secure another proper weapon for myself. One of the oldest ones in the book. The King of All Weapons. A spear.
Something that should be fairly easy to get now that I was at the edge of the woods. All it would take for me to craft a makeshift spear is a straight, sturdy branch. That's all I needed.
But as per usual, I have horrible luck. `That definitely has something to do with my fate stat being down in the dumps.` I muse to myself before I shake my head and get real.
`Or maybe not. Not like I was ever very lucky back on earth either.` And as for the reason why I was unlucky. Well. That was because the forest I had finally managed to get to after a solid eleven days of walking was, of course, a boreal forest.
A type of forest well known for being mostly or exclusively made up of only a few very cold-hardy species of tree. This one specifically only has something that seems similar to Larches back on Earth.
Meaning most branches I could have used are beyond my reach. Because larches tend to lose low-hanging branches over time. And the few that I can reach are from young trees, so the branches are soft and bend easily, which would make for poor spears.
Leaving me with only two choices if I wanted a spear. And I did want a spear, desperately, since it would help keep any enemies that I stumble upon away from my soft, squishy body.
And those choices were for me to either fell a tree using the shovel, the knife, and a lot of time and energy to bring one down. Or I could start digging around some trees and hope I find a good branch underneath the snow.
But just when I was about to step forward and make my choice, I realized there was one other choice I could make as well. From the crate I had looted the shovel from, I had also picked up some metal climbing stakes
"Those would allow me to climb a tree relatively safely. And it's not like I need to get all the way up the tree to grab a good branch. Only about halfway would do." I hum while scratching my chin. Thinking long and hard about my options.
Though all options required some form of physical labor and certain amounts of danger, it was the climbing option I chose in the end. Because at least with it, I took the chance out of the whole deal.
By climbing a tree, I could make sure I get a good branch. So that is what I do. I walk up to the first mature, sturdy-looking tree and plop down my backpack next to it while stretching.
Then I retrieve the climbing stakes and begin to hammer them into the tree at regular intervals. First, using the pocket knife to carve a small groove into the tree, before then using the flat of the shovel to hammer them in.
Always at a slight upwards angle so that when I stand on them, they only dig deeper into the tree instead of potentially slipping out and getting me killed.
Though even if I did fall all the way from where I was planning to climb, I wouldn't die instantly. It's only about 10 meters, and I had the snow to cushion my fall if I did slip. But getting injured out here would be a death sentence. So I can't afford to risk getting hurt.
So I work carefully. Methodically. Always using two of the stakes to stand on. While working on getting the next four into the tree. Then I use the next two to rest on while retrieving the ones I had previously stood on.
Not that this was easy work, mind you. "Man. This dude, I swear." I huff and puff. Already on my second attempt to make it even one meter above the forest floor.
The problem was that I wasn't flexible enough to reliably retrieve the two stakes I use as a starting point for my ascent. Not with how much distance I currently have planned out between each stake.
So I redo things. This time shortening the distance between the stakes. Which works. Luckily. But it also means I will have to retrieve the stakes more often than I would have liked.
"Eh. Nothing for it." But I was nothing if not determined. So I continue my tedious work. Slowly working my way up the tree as my feet hurt more and more. Standing on the stakes is quite uncomfortable, even through my thick socks and solid boots.
But eventually. After about an hour of tedious and horrible work, I stand precariously just underneath the branches of this tree.
About nine or ten meters above the forest floor. One arm is tightly wrapped around the tree while I use my other hand. The one holding the shovel to swing at the branches above me.
Chopping at the very base of them with the side of the shovel. Which luckily has a sharp edge. Making this job much easier.
And soon enough, four solid branches that could all make for good spears lie below me on the forest floor. My mission completed.
Though now I had the terrible task of getting back down from the tree in front of me. And while I could have theoretically used the rope I had in my backpack to descend the tree, I would have had to either leave a good chunk of rope or some stakes behind if I did.
Since I don't know any special knots that come undone after you are finished descending from somewhere.
I was no professional mountain climber or anything like that. So I'm left with no other choice but to descend the slow way. My whole body is aching and shivering from exertion as I do.
But I hang on. Knowing that I could get hurt if I fall. And also because I know that without the stakes, I would absolutely not be able to climb the mountain that is still waiting for me.
A mountain, I was now unsure if I could climb. Seeing just how much climbing a simple tree had drained me. I was about ready to collapse by the time I finished climbing down from the tree.
So tired that exploring the forest was out of the question now. So instead, I grab my hard-earned branches and retreat to my snow cave. The shelter I had built yesterday.
Which hadn't completely snowed over yet, so I was able to get back inside fairly easily. Not to craft my spears in it. It was too dark for that. But it was perfect to just rest for a moment. Catch my breath. Let my muscles destress. That's all I wanted right now.
It wasn't like I would fall asleep if I wasn't careful. I wasn't tired in the mental sense, just physically exhausted. But it passes.
After about a quarter of an hour, I get back out of the shelter. Check around once again. Something I had constantly been doing even as I was ascending and descending the tree. Just in case.
And then I get to work on my spears. First, roughly shaping them with the shovel and cutting smaller branches off them. Before I pull out the pocketknife and cut the tips into points.
Only two of the four branches I had collected ended up actually being good spears, though. But two spears were more than no spears. And with them, I felt a bit more comfortable and ready to take on the forest.
So I once again grab all my things. Grab one of the two spears tightly with both hands and head into the forest. The other spear is dangling off my backpack for the time being.
Swaying in the wind as the snow underneath my feet crunches with every steady step. The midday sun illuminates the forest beautifully as it dances through the trees crowns.