*Slurping sounds*
"Ah!" I exclaimed with relief after I had finished a whole water bottle.
It was now afternoon, and my feet were starting to ache. I had been walking almost non-stop since sunrise and had covered quite a distance.
Looking back, I could see the forest and its massive tree on the horizon. I estimated that I was about 50 kilometers away from the bay.
For the first day, I had covered a significant distance, and I decided to set up my tent here.
Fortunately, I had been lucky with the weather conditions and other complications.
I placed my backpack on the ground and started unpacking its contents. I had set up this tent several times, so I thought it shouldn't be a problem.
First, I sorted out the wooden poles. I needed to make sure they were in the correct order, or the tent would be lopsided.
After a bit of thought, the sequence seemed clear, and I started assembling the poles.
I used a great masterpiece that had cost me a bit.
I had asked the carpenters for a space-saving tent, and they had created a sturdy wooden frame using the trees from the forest. But only after I had done something decent for them and kept my distance.
These were sturdier than the trees in the bay.
However, the special thing about the frame was that it could be disassembled into individual parts and reassembled later. Great right? That was one of my so called silly ideas! I grinned
Then a green flame was created it and dried out the ground where I wanted to pitch my tent.
Next, I spread out the tent cover, which was a large cowhide made from multiple hides, and tried to lay it as smoothly as possible. I had received this cowhide from Phillip on my 15th birthday. Through some techniques and processing mechanisms, it had become extremely water-repellent, sturdy and waterproof.
On inquiry, Phillip had shown me the mechanism, but I couldn't remember it.
"Alright, then..." I murmured because the tricky part was next.
I knelt down and noticed that the wind was picking up a little.
Nonetheless, I had to assemble the frame. To make it easier, I had carved small numbers into the pieces, so I just had to follow them.
"One with two, and... three," I thought out loud.
After a few attempts, I realized I had made a mistake. I was one step ahead. I had connected the outer poles with the inner ones already.
The tent cover was already complete, and I just had to assemble the frame inside it, causing the tent to expand.
This inner frame, as I called it, is then followed by an outer frame with loops that provide external stabilization to the tent.
These were connected from the inside to the ceiling.
After some time, I managed to get it right. Now, I retrieved eight large metal pegs from a side compartment of my backpack.
These pegs were used to secure the tent to the ground. The tent had thick loops on the outside at the bottom.
They were 3 cm in diameter and 30 cm long. The loops were located in the corners and in the middle of the edge.
I hammered them halfway into the ground with my fist and tossed my backpack into the tent.
'Finished!' I smiled.
'Easier than I thought!'
Well, it took an hour, even though I had some practice.
I looked at my 1-meter-high, 2.50-meter-long tent and was satisfied. Despite the slight wind, the tent hardly moved.
To celebrate my first day, I wanted to cook something small.
I created a fire pit with the wood I brought, lit it with my fire magic, and walked down to the creek with my pot because I had come across it. My feet were aching with every step now.
Back at the tent, I placed the pot over the fire with a rack and let it cook.
I opened my mom's clay pot and saw fresh rabbit meat and vegetables floating in seawater.
'I love you, Mom!' I had to say.
I removed the ingredients and let them cook in the pot. While it was cooking, I sat on the ground and looked toward the forest. I was impressed because, where I usually only saw the sunrise, I now witnessed the sunset.
I took the necklace I got from Mom in my Hand.
I smiled slightly and thought about my family. What were they doing? Were they having dinner too?
These were my first moments alone, and it felt unfamiliar.
After a while, my soup was ready, and I took the pot off the fire. I let it cool for a bit and then ate it straight from the pot.
Before eating, I touched my soulstone with my thumb and opened my hands to the sky. Like every evening, we thanked Mephisto.
'Delicious!' I thought after the first spoonful.
Then I quietly ate everything and even drank the broth. With a full stomach, I looked up at the sky where the stars were now shining. I enjoyed the beautiful starry sky and contemplated my first day and everything I would still see.
I was ready!
...
The last hour I sketched with coal on the cow skins, the things I saw and described them a little.
There was the big tree, with his roots extending into the waters, and the beautiful sight out of the forest. I wrote my thoughts about the circles in the forest and what I saw, I did some sketches of some flowers I found and what I did today.
I wanted to draw my friends and family but I couldn't do it.
The fire was out by now, and it was getting chilly, especially with the rising wind. I decided to go to sleep, but before that, I washed the pot.
The moon was shining brightly, making the path to the creek visible.
...
I entered the tent and activated the mana lamp, hanging it on the ceiling like the pot I had quickly dried with my fire.
In this soft light, I took off my shoes and clothes, putting on my sleeping clothes.
Then I slipped into my sleeping bag and closed my eyes. The wind was howling outside, and although my legs were now throbbing, I looked forward to tomorrow.
...
*Yawn!* I was lying in the sleeping bag, slowly opening my eyes.
I stretched and felt my tired legs. I got out of the sleeping bag, reached for the mana lamp, and turned it on.
The tent was still dark.
After I had it, I let some mana flow in, and it illuminated the tent.
I folded my sleeping bag, changed out of my sleeping clothes, and put on my day clothes.
I packed both back into the backpack and put on my shoes. Then I unzipped the tent by opening the buttons and left it.
The refreshing morning air greeted me instantly. Compared to the tent, it was cool outside.
I stood in front of the tent and saw the sun rising in the distance, dew glistening on the grass beside me, and a light mist hung over the fields, albeit only lightly and not on the hills.
Unfortunately, I couldn't see the mountains, but since the rising sun showed me the way, I couldn't really get lost.
I dried a blade of grass and set my backpack there. The pot and the mana lamp hung on it. I slipped back into the tent and took down the frame.
*Boink*
It collapsed while the outer frame fell on my head.
"How foolish," I muttered, as normally, you disassemble it from the outside first, then the inside.
Once I had finished disassembling it right, I shook off the dew from the tent and let it dry a bit while I ate.
For breakfast, I had dried meat.
Done with that, I packed up the tent and was ready to head out.
The fog had slowly dissipated, and I looked once again toward the forest, which I would likely see for the last time today.
"Farewell," I smiled, turned around, and grabbed the backpack straps with my hands.
Then I set off. The first few steps were a bit sluggish due to slight muscle soreness, but I felt better after a few hundred meters.
As I walked, the fog gradually lifted, which had oddly been hindering my progress, making me feel like I wasn't moving correctly.
Perhaps because I was still tired.
So I was relieved when it cleared, replaced by clouds adorning the sky.
I continued to walk, and two days and lonely nights later around at noon, I decided to take a short break in the warming sun as my legs started to feel heavier.
I sat down in the lush green grass and looked into the distance, toward the mountains, although I couldn't see them at the moment.
The landscape had become relatively flat, allowing for an incredible view extending far into the distance.
I took my backpack off, and when I opened the side pocket for rations, I realized that I had already consumed half of them.
I would need to hunt something soon.
I closed my eyes let my face be warmed of the sun, looked at the wandering lazy clouds in the sky and gazed into the distance, but what I saw surprised me.
On the horizon, something large seemed to be moving, kicking up a huge dust cloud, and what made me uneasy was that it was heading straight for me.