The silence that followed the fight was broken only by the harsh, wheezing breaths of the rescued survivor. Leo, still reeling from the Quick-Time Reflexes cooldown and the jarring head-butt, leaned against a tree, his new knife—the Solarii's crude, functional blade—gripped tightly..
Lara was already kneeling beside the man, her face a mask of concern and clinical assessment.
"He's hypothermic and dehydrated, but no major bleeds," Lara murmured, gently checking the man's pulse at his neck. "He's weak. We need to get him somewhere warm, fast."
The man opened his eyes, glassy with shock. "The... the ship," he croaked, his voice thin. "The others..."
"It's gone," Leo said, his voice flat. He pointed toward the debris field. "And we can't stay here. The Solarii know we're here now. They'll send more."
He needed to loot the fallen Solarii quickly.
System Alert!
[Host: Leo]
[Trait: Meta-Strategist (Passive) Active]
[Analysis: Loot is a critical resource for early Progression. Prioritize items based on Crafting Potential and Durability.]
Leo moved to the unconscious cultist. He was a ragged man, his face hidden beneath a hood and streaks of black paint. He stripped the man of anything useful:
* A worn, leather utility belt.
* A coil of thin, strong hemp rope.
* A pouch containing five rusty, jagged arrows with crudely fletched ends.
* A small, heavy bag of what looked like scrap metal and bolts.
He also retrieved the rusted pipe that Lara had used, slipping it back under the cultist's belt for now. He'd need a dedicated slot for it later. The second Solarii, swept away by the barrel, was lost to the sea, along with whatever gear he carried.
"Lara, help me get the survivor upright. We have to move inland, away from the coast," Leo instructed, his tone firm and tactical. He didn't ask; he directed, and Lara, focused on the task at hand, naturally deferred.
"Where are we going?" she asked, helping Leo prop the man up.
"High ground, away from the immediate patrol routes, near a water source, and most importantly... near the path that leads to the first major landmark. There's a small, ruined bunker near the cliff face, an old radio outpost," Leo said, once again using his meta-knowledge to sound like a skilled local scout. "It's defensible and might have a first aid kit."
The mention of a radio outpost injected a new wave of hope into Lara's exhausted eyes. "A radio? We might be able to signal for help!"
"It'll be broken," Leo warned, crushing that hope instantly to manage expectations. "But it will be better shelter than this cave."
Moving the survivor—whose name they learned was Reyes, though he was too weak to offer more than a grunt—was brutally slow. They were forced to support him between them, half-carrying him up the steep, muddy terrain..
Leo could feel the strain, but his boosted Stamina (6) held steady. He wasn't tireless, but he was dramatically more resilient than his old self would have been. He focused on the immediate, achievable goal: 150 EXP earned, now it was time for resource management.
They eventually reached the old military bunker, exactly where Leo knew it would be—tucked into the side of a moss-covered cliff, obscured by dense brush. It was a single, rusted metal door set into the rock, almost completely swallowed by the jungle.
Lara used the rusted pipe to pry the door open. It screeched in protest, revealing a cramped, musty interior. It was pitch black, but blessedly dry and sheltered.
Inside, they laid Reyes down on a pile of damp canvas. Leo took the Zippo and lit a small, makeshift torch from a scrap of dry wood he'd salvaged, illuminating the space.
The bunker was small: a single room with a decaying radio set on a desk, shelves of broken equipment, and—jackpot—a dusty, metal first aid box hanging on the wall.
System Alert!
[Sub-Mission Unlocked!]
[Objective: Establish Base Camp Beta-1]
* Secure Shelter (Completed)
* Locate Essential Supplies (0/3)
* Create Sustainable Fire Source (0/1)
* Craft Basic Weapon (0/1)
* Reward: 250 EXP, Schematic Unlock: Improvised Bow.
Leo felt a rush of gratification. The System was gamifying the survival process, guiding his actions with concrete objectives and tangible rewards.
"The radio is useless," Lara confirmed, inspecting the corroded wires and shattered dial. "But look!" She pointed to the first aid box.
Leo moved quickly. Inside the box were three precious items: a roll of adhesive medical tape, a bottle of antiseptic iodine, and a handful of crumpled, unused bandages.
System Notification!
[Essential Supplies Located: 3/3]
Leo quickly cleaned and bandaged the worst of Reyes's cuts, then turned his attention to the inventory he'd just acquired.
He laid out the materials:
* Crude Knife (Primary Weapon)
* Hemp Rope (Crafting Material)
* Rusty Arrows (Ammunition, need a bow)
* Scrap Metal/Bolts (Crafting Material)
* Medical Supplies (Consumable)
"We need food and water," Lara stated, her mind already on the next task. "I'll go look for clean runoff water."
"Wait," Leo said, holding up the crude knife. "First, the fire."
He pulled out the Zippo and the hemp rope. He carefully separated a few strands of the rope and fluffed them into a bird's nest of tinder. He found a piece of dry wood and used the crude knife to shave fine curls. This time, he didn't use the Zippo; he had to conserve the fluid.
He sat cross-legged and, with intense focus, began to rub two dry sticks together. His Stamina (6) allowed him to maintain the grueling, repetitive motion without immediately collapsing, and his Dexterity (6) gave him the control needed to maintain friction.
It took agonizing minutes, sweat dripping from his brow despite the cold, but finally, a wisp of smoke, then a tiny ember, appeared. He gently coaxed it into the tinder, then transferred it to a small pile of kindling in the corner of the bunker.
The fire sputtered, caught, and grew. A roaring sense of satisfaction, the purest form of progression, washed over Leo.
System Notification!
[Sustainable Fire Source Created: 1/1]
"Incredible," Lara murmured, watching the flickering flames. "You have a knack for this, Leo. You knew exactly how to make that work."
Leo ignored the praise and immediately moved to the final objective. He picked up the Solarii's arrows and the remaining hemp rope.
"I need to make these arrows usable. And I need a bow."
He took the rusted pipe that had saved them earlier and, using the crude knife, began to carefully cut pieces of the hemp rope to wrap around the ends of the pipe for grip. It wasn't the ideal "basic weapon," but it was a sturdy, high-damage melee option.
System Notification!
[Crafting Attempt: Improvised Melee Weapon (Rusted Pipe)]
Materials: Rusted Pipe, Hemp Rope (Minor)
Skill Check: Dexterity (6) – Success!
[Basic Weapon Crafted: 1/1]
As the final objective of the Sub-Mission was completed, a cascade of notifications and rewards flooded his vision.
[Sub-Mission: Establish Base Camp Beta-1] Complete!]
[Reward: 250 EXP Gained!]
[Host Level Up! Level 2 Reached!]
[Schematic Unlock: Improvised Bow (Active)]
Description: Allows the Host to craft a functional short bow from local materials.
[New Attribute Points Available: 3]
Leo had to fight a triumphant grin. Level 2! The immediate rush of warmth from the fire was nothing compared to the surge of power from the Level Up. He was gaining power exponentially faster than any normal human, turning every struggle into experience.
He felt the fatigue drain away completely.
"I'm going to look for wood for a bow," Leo announced, standing up. "Lara, stay here, keep an eye on Reyes and the entrance. Don't go outside without me."
Lara nodded, her eyes wide with a combination of exhaustion and renewed energy from the fire. She didn't question his sudden focus or his new, intense demeanor. He was providing leadership and results.
Leo stepped out of the bunker, the harsh light of the morning hitting his eyes. He didn't just see trees; his Meta-Strategist saw resources.
He needed a long, flexible length of wood—preferably yew or ash—and more rope for the bowstring. He followed a slight downward path, moving deeper into the woods, his senses tingling.
His gaze fell on a large, heavy rock resting precariously near a shallow cave entrance.
System Alert!
[Environmental Trap Identified!]
Threat: Solarii Hunting Snare (Tripwire/Heavy Log)
Weakness: Pre-loaded counterweight (Log) can be released manually.
Potential EXP Reward: 50
He grinned. This was it. The kind of puzzle the System loved.
He approached the area slowly. Just as the System predicted, a barely visible tripwire was stretched low across the path. He carefully stepped over it.
The trap itself was ingenious: a massive log suspended high in the trees, held by a rope and tension mechanism designed to crush anything that tripped the wire. It was terrifyingly effective.
Leo climbed a nearby, sturdy tree, using his improved Dexterity to ascend swiftly and silently. He reached the counterweight mechanism—a knot tied around a thick branch.
He pulled out his crude knife. He knew cutting the main rope would simply spring the trap on the wrong side. He had to cut the tension knot that was holding the release mechanism taut.
He paused. If I mess this up, the log swings down and crushes me, or worse, makes a deafening noise and attracts a patrol.
He took a deep breath, focusing his will, channeling his gamer's mindset.
Attribute Allocation Time. He still had 3 points from his Level Up.
To maximize the stealth and precision needed for this immediate task:
* +2 Points to Dexterity.
* +1 Point to Strength.
New Dexterity: 8. New Strength: 6.
The shift was instantaneous. His grip tightened on the branch, his balance felt absolute, and the knife in his hand felt like a delicate surgical instrument. His hand was steady, precise, and utterly confident.
With a surgeon's touch, he slipped the knife blade into the exact tension point of the knot and snapped the last binding fiber.
The rope went slack with a soft thwack. The massive log simply dropped to the forest floor on the far side of the path, harmlessly missing the trap zone.
System Notification!
[Host: Leo]
[Environmental Obstacle Neutralized: Solarii Snare]
[EXP Gained: +50]
Fifty EXP. A small but satisfying gain. And now, he had a massive, flexible log—the perfect source material for multiple bows.
Leo descended the tree, a true Survivor now, his mind buzzing with the thrill of successful progression. He had a shelter, a fire, and the materials for his first ranged weapon.
He was no longer just the 'Meta-Survivor'; he was becoming the true Progression hero of Yamatai.
Chapter End.