I finally managed to open my eyes.
"Ouwh..." (Me)
This time, I woke up in a place far different from before.
And then, that status screen appeared again.
"Congratulations! Player has completed stage 1!" (The writing on the screen)
Wait... stage 1 is already finished? When did I even play it?
"Why is it suddenly over just like that?" (I asked)
The screen loaded for a moment.
"Everything the player has done is part of stage 1."
I could only scratch my head in confusion.
But since I had already finished stage 1, it was time to enter the next stage!
——
"By the way, what kind of game is stage 2?" (I asked)
The screen didn't display a single sentence.
I could only sigh and eventually let the situation drag on for a while.
Until finally, a huge door appeared in front of me.
——
"Is the player ready to enter stage 2?"
What kind of stupid question is that? Of course I'm 100% ready!!
"Don't take too long!" (I replied)
The screen displayed several more sentences.
"Stage 2, survival."
"Here the player must survive for a full 30 days, and the player must remain alive until the time limit is reached."
"Hostages will appear when the player does something, or discovers something."
"If the player dies before 30 days, then the player will immediately be punished according to the rules from the beginning."
My eyes widened in shock.
"30 DAYSSS!?!?" (I shouted)
"30 days in this world is the same as 3 hours in Ulvur."
"So there won't be any problem with the time difference."
"So... I just have to survive for 30 days, right?" (I asked)
The screen showed a smiling emote.
"This time, do I have to rescue the hostage?" (I asked again)
If I followed from the previous test, I thought the hostages were little Mira and that shopkeeper man.
Because, there was no one else there besides me and the two of them.
After a while, the screen wrote something—
"The player will find out when playing."
"WHAT KIND OF ANSWER IS THAT!?!?!" (Me)
——
I walked until I was standing right in front of that big door.
I swallowed hard, feeling a little nervous.
"Player, do you want to give up here?" (The writing on the screen)
I stared at the screen for a moment, then looked at the door again.
"I've come this far... besides, there's no point if I give up here—"
The screen then displayed something that could be considered "decent."
"If the player gives up here, the hostages will be released and the player will only faint for 3 days."
I fell silent for a moment.
That offer wasn't a loss at all, in fact there was a small advantage in it.
——
In this game, I am the player who must rescue the hostages. That means the hostages are my responsibility.
If the hostages could be freed just like that, I should just say "yes" now.
After all, the punishment was only fainting for 3 days—it wasn't a big deal—
Most likely Hime and Yuu-chan wouldn't even care—
"Promise me, Yukito-sama, don't forget me no matter when or where you are... promise?" (Yuu-chan)
(Yuu said this in chapter 11, before they were trapped by Anna)
"Why am I remembering that now...." (Me)
I slapped both my cheeks until they looked a little red.
"Oi, all I need to do is push this door, right?" (I asked again)
The screen displayed a question mark.
"Hah... I refuse your offer, because I'm going home without losing anything." (Me)
The screen didn't write anything else for a moment—
"Just push, then the Player will enter the survival game." (Writing on the screen)
"Farewell, Player."
I pushed the door and found myself in a certain place.
——
After I passed through that door, it immediately disappeared into nowhere.
I tried looking around and there were only trees everywhere.
"Maybe... I have to survive in this forest, huh?" (I said)
CLING (A message appeared in the form of a screen right in front of me)
"Don't let the Player go crazy, okay?"
"What kind of message is this....."
I decided to follow the dirt path right beneath my feet.
And after walking for a while, I saw light ahead.
"That's—" (Me)
I immediately jogged a little toward where the light came from.
—
But what I saw was actually a beach.
"A beach...?" (Me)
"Are beaches really this close to forests, huh? Or am I just lacking in knowledge?" (I asked)
I looked around the beach, hoping to find something that could help me survive for the next 30 days.
But unfortunately, I didn't find anything.
"Damn it!" (Me)
——
The sun was beginning to set, the sky that was once orange now turning dark.
I hurried to gather some small pieces of wood near the trees.
Luckily, I still remembered how to make fire with wood.
I wiped the sweat off my forehead—
"Fiuh~" (I said)
Tonight might be a little warm.
But a few moments later, the beginning of problems started to appear—
GRUUK (My stomach growled)
I must be hungry by now.
If I thought about it, the last time I ate was maybe... when Hime fed me?
Or after that when Yuu-chan gave me food?
I didn't know, but the important thing was that I had to find something edible.
I didn't go too far from the small fire I made, because of the limited visibility.
I looked toward the forest—nothing could be seen because it was dark.
I looked toward the beach—there was only calm water.
What do I do!?
On the very first day I was already struggling to find food, what about tomorrow!?
Should I eat dirt??
Yukito was starting to look distressed. (N)
Uhh.. what should I eat—
THUD
I heard something fall from the forest.
"What was that!?" (I said with great hope)
I quickly grabbed a small piece of wood and lit it with the campfire.
Now I had a little light in my hand.
WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THIS EARLIER!?!?
I immediately went to the edge of the forest, searching for whatever had just fallen.
And I found something round-shaped, like an orange.
GRUUK (My stomach growled again)
I quickly grabbed that orange-like thing and went back to my campfire.
——
What is this? It looks like an orange, the color is also similar... but maybe it's a fruit completely different from an orange?
Besides, is this thing safe to eat? What if it's poisonous?
GRUUK (My stomach growled again for the umpteenth time)
I swallowed hard.
Yukito stared at the orange-like thing, his mouth already watering from hunger. (N)
I don't care if it's poisonous or not, as long as it's edible!!
CHOMP (I bit into the thing)
W-what is this!?!?
The skin isn't hard at all, I can actually eat it!? The inside is soft like cake!?
It tastes sweet and sour, almost like an orange.
I looked at the bite mark on the "fruit," and saw two small seeds inside.
I immediately took the two seeds and put them in the pocket of my pants.
"Maybe this can become my staple food, right?" (I said)
From what I've heard, if you plant orange seeds they can grow into new orange trees.
Although they say it actually takes years.....
But this isn't an orange.
Maybe if I try planting it, it'll really grow into a tree.
CHOMP (I finished the fruit in just two bites)
I wasn't completely full, but maybe that was enough for tonight.
Tomorrow morning, I'd explore this place.
——
I started to feel a heavy weight in my eyes, which meant I had to sleep soon.
But... where would I sleep?
If I used my shirt and pants as a mat, then my body wouldn't have anything to keep it warm.
I looked at the trees, and among them, I saw one with very large leaves.
The tree wasn't too tall, so maybe it would be easy to climb.
—
Nice! I had a temporary blanket.
Now—
I blew on the campfire that had grown smaller, maybe because of the night wind.
I immediately lay my body down on the ground.
And placed the leaf I had taken over my body.
Although... honestly it was still cold.
My wish in this game... maybe I just want to build a house.