I roll each subsequent corpse I search over, using the tip of my boot. Just in case anything dangerous happens. Like that magical fire that seems to burn under any circumstance as long as it has some kind of fuel. Or something gross or scary is revealed when I do.
And I do that for about 15 corpses before I finally find something useful. A pocket knife that I could maybe use to open the supply crates around me.
Most people just had frivolous knick-knacks or personal belongings on them. Which makes sense. Just like how you would find keys, wallets, and phones in most modern people's pockets if you were to rummage through them.
I find plenty of pocket watches. Coin pouches. Handkerchiefs. And jewelry. These are things no self-respecting noble would leave the house without in this world.
Just like the letter I found in most students pockets. It was a letter of admission to one of the prestigious magical academies in Eidralore. The reason they were on this airship in the first place. They were all promising students for one of the famous schools in the capital.
Of course, I had one too. `Even I remember the beginning of the game. I played through it a few times after all.`
Not that I could read what it said on the letter. It was written in the same script as the letters on the storage crates.
And speaking of storage crates. I was just in the process of approaching the first one I was going to try and pry open using the pocket knife.
My criteria for choosing which one was purely random, so I was praying that nothing dangerous or gross was inside. `Please just give me something useful, gang.`
But before I could see what it was, I would have to open it first. And that proved to be quite the challenge. Even after getting thrown quite a distance away from the ship in the crash, the crate was just fine. Even though it appeared to be made out of wood.
`Maybe it's protected by magic.` My thought once again made me pause. Because it was something to consider.
What if the crate was magically secured? Would it include some kind of protective spell against someone trying to steal from it? `Most likely.`
How would that potential spell react to me trying to pry it open? `Would it sound some kind of super loud alarm? Potentially drawing wild animals or magical beasts here. Or just instantly fry me?` Yet another obstacle that could potentially prove to be lethal if I am careless.
Forcing me to rethink yet again. I bite the sleeve of my jacket as I ponder what to do now. Tapping the pocketknife against my forehead.
"Huh." Another deep sigh. "Can nothing ever be easy, gang?" I mutter, annoyed.
`It's still only a matter of time before something happens. I can't afford to waste any more of it. So fuck it. We ball.` Maybe I should have looked for something longer to try to pry open the chest.
Or at least piled up some snow to hide behind as an impromptu shield. Just something. Anything. But I was out of patience. So I just ram the knife into the side of the crate. Right where the lid connects with the rest of the box.
Trying to slip the knife into the small opening between the wood. And to my surprise, luckily, nothing happened. And I mean nothing. No alarm. No disintegration ray. Nada. `Did they not put any protection on it? Or did the protection wear off now that it's been outside for a while?`
Not that it was all good, though. The knife didn't get into the slit very far. Just the tip. If I try to leverage it like this, it would either break off the tip of the knife or splinter off small pieces of the wood.
Luckily, I know what to do here. `I just have to hammer the knife in deeper before trying to pry it open.` Which is exactly what I do. By stepping back and kicking at the knife. Though my kick wasn't very strong. But it did manage to lodge the knife a little deeper into the slit.
`Good. A couple more of these and I should be able to use leverage to try and open the crate.` So I kick the knife again and again.
"Pfff." To my dismay, it's only a half dozen kicks until I'm out of breath, though. Wobbling unsteadily on one leg. Forced to drop the kick I was winding up to plant my other foot back down on the ground, lest I tip over and eat dirt. Or snow in this case.
"Damn." I curse at the pathetic level of stamina in this boy. `Bruh. Did this kid never run around outside with friends or something?` I think while trying to recover my breath. Hands on my hips. Now really regretting that I didn't just reincarnate in my own body.
`Probably not. Right?` Sure. There were all manner of characters in the game. But nobles were no different from how nobles on Earth were in the past. `Especially Noble Brats. I just know they are insufferable.`
"Well, at least the knife is deep enough in now." When I recovered my breath enough to stop wheezing, I leaned forward and looked at the handle of the knife.
The blade was only about 4 inches long to begin with. And three of them were now hidden in the slit. Which should be more than enough for me to get some good leverage.
But I still had to be careful. That knife wasn't a crowbar. It wasn't one solid piece of metal. The blade was attached to the handle with a spring system. And if I bend it too far, it will probably break. `Not that this boy even has enough strength to do that.`
I could exert my weight, of course. By putting my hands on the hilt of the knife and jumping to try and leverage the crate open with my mass.
However. That would probably end with the knife breaking and maybe even cutting me. So instead of doing that just for the off chance to exert more force, I do things calmly and steadily. Working the knife up and down a bit to try and pry open or at least loosen this part of the lid.
Which works. To some extent. When I check the slightly wider slit, I can now see that the lid is still pretty firmly nailed onto the other boards.
"Huh."`Just normal nails looks like.` But at least now I know that the wood is just nailed together. Meaning I can open this crate by doing the same thing a couple more times on strategic points along the lid.
And armed with this knowledge, I gain a second wind. Allowing me to work relentlessly to get this box open. Though my body doesn't agree with that sentiment.
`Time to put some work in, fatboy. Otherwise, you and me won't be eating for a while. Although that might not be too bad for your health.`
I'm so stubborn and resolved, in fact, that I don't even bother to check to try and see if I can see inside the crate before I manage to get the whole lid off.
Which, it turns out, would have been really smart to do. Because what I find inside this crate is nothing but shoes.
"Huh." *Yet another sigh. This one. More defeated than the rest. "Huh." I would like to crouch in the snow while resting my chin on my interlocked fingers.
To take some time to recover from this defeat. But I can't even do that. What with my legs shaking when I try to hold the pose.
So I'm forced to just lean on the crate with both of my hands. I stared down at the various, neatly stacked pairs of shoes before me. "Bruh."`I can't eat that.` I sigh for the umpteenth time.
"Well. Nothing for it." But I was not about to give up on trying to find supplies just yet.
So with another deep breath and some serious determination, I move on to the next crate. Planning on doing this as many times as I can until I find something useful.
Snow was slowly dusting the top of the shoes of the crate I had left open behind me.