The day that followed was all about the same theme: survival. I needed to find additional food and water sources because I couldn't eat peach-mango fruit forever. Also, finding a way to fortify my newfound shack was a priority. At night, I'd generate plans and battle strategies, my mind a whirlwind of tactical diagrams and hypothetical monster encounters.
I explored and thoroughly mapped the vicinity surrounding my shack. Around 100-110 meters south, I found a spring of what looks like a broken well under the rubble of an unknown building. I stumbled upon it while following a Spinesnake—a dark green, caterpillar-like snake covered in bristly quills—thinking of meat, but I'd struck gold instead. I never thought I could be thirsty like a fish, but when I first sipped the water from the spring, I felt like a flapping fish after drinking barrels. It was glorious.
In my exploration, I found berries being eaten by rabboars. They were purplish and the size of a golf ball. It was sweet, but a little sour and tangy, and I'm kidding you not, its name is Golf Berry. It's like this world is reading my mind or something.
On the fourth day, at dawn, I headed out westward, hoping to dive and swim like a mermaid, stroking my elegant hair in a dreamy lake while humming a beautiful melody. After a few hours of sneak strolling, I was able to locate the body of water in-between two colossal labyrinth walls. It was a one-kilometer hike down to the lake, and once there, the waterfall from above created a picturesque view. But the area's shore was littered with bones of different kinds of monsters I couldn't identify, big and small. At that sight, I backed out. I didn't want to risk swimming in a swimming pool of death. I didn't dare to even get close to it. Though, the thought of swimming lingered in my head for days. After midday, I headed back. I passed by a big rock and saw three Raptorbills eating a carcass of something I don't wanna know.
I forgot to sneak, I thought. I tiptoed, but one immediately spotted me and without any warning it dashed head down, beaks open, and cawed a gurgle like a drowning rooster. One didn't bother, eating the carcass faster, clearly not wanting to miss a free meal, while the other came running after the first.
My Heightened Awareness pinged:
Raptorbill: - Status: Aggressive - Speed: 45-55kph, 2-3 seconds before it reaches you - Weapon: Bill, razor sharp claws - Possible Attacks: peck, jump attack, scratch
They were fast. I unfastened my sword, now slightly shiny from the blade due to my constant sharpening using a flint I found lying below my shack—replicating Conan sharpening his sword. I had thought of battle strategies at night on how to deal with creatures. I thought that since this is a game world and I'm a gamer, it's time I should start acting like one. I imagined my moves from my favorite game. I looked at my surroundings.
I ran towards it. I was surprised myself; I really did run towards it, and before collision, I dashed to the right while swinging my sword like a bat to the open mouth of the oversized bird. The jagged blade, slightly sharpened, made a dull clang sound as I passed through, and a crashing sound followed right after. I kept running towards the other. It leaped, opening its claws towards me. I dropped to a forward roll. Its claws hit the ground and it lost its balance as it stumbled forward. I immediately dashed behind it and swung my sword to the stumbling Raptorbill. I did a side slash to its neck while it side-eyed me, trying to regain balance. But it was too late. One, two, three slashes, and it went down. I thrust my sword without any hesitation, but a bitter taste of pity left a mark in my chest. Me or it, I said to myself, a faint bitter memory surging in my head: a former friend that I'd helped to get a job at the company I formerly worked in, who then threw me under the bus when he was caught sleeping, telling them I taught him that and that I do it quite often. He stayed in the company while I was forced to resign rather than being let go. This time, I'm choosing me rather than anyone else, I thought.
The other raptor bill eating the carcass screeched and ran away in a panic, stumbled awkwardly like saying, "Oh, hell no."
I looked back and saw two Raptorbills lying on the ground. I felt exhilarated, but I must move fast; more enemies might be alarmed by the noise the Raptorbills made.
I went to the second Raptorbill. I saw my hacks were more of a blunt trauma to its neck and head, though this time it had a little laceration. Then, I remembered that I needed to butcher the damned thing to get its meat. "Wtf," I exclaimed. I tried to carry it, but it was like carrying an ostrich. Not that I'd carried an ostrich before; I just imagine it would be like that. "This is going nowhere," I muttered. I tried using my sword to slice the oversized chicken, but it wasn't yet in the condition to follow my instructions. It was just making a good scratch to the Raptorbill's skin. Eventually, I decided to leave my meat, again, rather than staying there like a sitting duck. Next time, I thought.
In the evening, I took a shower at the spring using my cup as a dipper. (I'll spare you the grim details. Wink wink.)
At night, while drinking warm water from my metal cup heated over the campfire, the thought of exploring the domed structure I saw previously was just too tempting to ignore. Questions like, what loots could the building contain? or, could I find a unique item in purple lettering? Or, maybe green-named items? "Alright, you won," I said to myself, imagining the gamer Kiko doing a finger heart, winning this internal battle with reason. I also remembered the fight with the Raptorbills, my deeper understanding of how the fighting mechanics of this world worked: Internalize the move and project it with my body. Good thing I had hours and hours of gameplay with different games that I could imagine into reality. My battle with the Raptorbills gave me a new sense of confidence I never thought I could have since I came to this world. I picked up my trusty overgrown knife and sharpened it with a flint, thinking of new ways on how to approach battle with every single stroke.
Basic Blade Sharpening Learned