Chapter 6

By the time they reached the lake, it was already night.

This was because it took a long time to bleed and disassemble the Hornpig.

After obtaining the necessary horns and a few chunks of meat, they left the rest as it was.

Animals and insects would come and return it to nature.

Next time, I need to be more efficient.

There was a small, half-collapsed wooden structure by the lakeside.

This area used to be a natural park that also served as a campsite.

There were several small lodges by the lake, and these were the target.

Most of them had been destroyed by the encroaching giant trees, but a few lodges remained intact.

I entered the one in the best condition and put down my backpack.

I planned to make this my base for a while.

I went outside the lodge and replicated a large amount of dry branches I had collected, piling them up.

I took a matchbox from my backpack and replicated it entirely.

It was a lower-quality version, but a match is still a match.

This way, I could start a fire without using up the original.

I threw a match into a piece of dry cloth—replicated from a towel—and blew on it to make the fire bigger before tossing it into the bonfire.

I was glad I had taken survival training.

Most monsters, except for a few, fear and are wary of fire.

They are not much different from wild animals.

Those "few" are the enemies of humanity, the monsters that caused the collapse of civilization.

However, wild animal-type monsters like the Hornpig won't attack if you have a fire.

I set up bonfires in several places around the lodge.

At least, I thought this would prevent me from being suddenly attacked and killed at night.

Most of those "few" monsters are in places where civilization once existed, such as cities from two years ago, so a fire should be enough in a natural park.

I decided to eat dinner outside while looking at the moon.

In any case, I could only handle fire outside.

I replicated the bread I had received, making two C-rank round loaves.

I thinly sliced the shoulder meat from the Hornpig with a dissection knife and carefully grilled it over the bonfire.

Wild game needs to be thoroughly sterilized.

When I replicated the "Cooking: C" skill to help with cooking, I had learned some tips for slicing meat thinly.

I couldn't do it as well as before, but it was surprisingly manageable.

I didn't replicate pork because the original would go bad by tomorrow anyway.

There was no need to eat a lower-quality version.

I filtered the lake water through replicated towels, boiled it in a pot I had brought, and filtered it again.

It wasn't exactly clean water, but with the "Toughness Enhancement: C" skill, it shouldn't be a problem even if it was slightly harmful.

I washed the wild herbs thoroughly to remove dirt, grilled them over the bonfire, and wrapped them in the grilled pork.

"First night's dinner: pork-wrapped wild herbs. I'm really treating myself."

I took a small salt bottle from my backpack.

This was a replication of the salt from the cafeteria at A University.

It was C-rank refined salt. I replicated this salt to use for seasoning.

Salt is a curious thing; sometimes rock salt with impurities is considered higher quality.

For flavor, salt with various minerals is better.

So, what is low-rank salt?

"Salt with fewer minerals other than sodium chloride."

In other words, it is of sufficient quality to use as salt.

The pork-wrapped wild herbs with salt had a wild flavor.

"Hmm... Maybe the meat needs to be aged a bit more...?"

It was above average but didn't quite reach 90 points.

It was a dish that suited me.

I entered the lodge and replicated some candles to light them.

Of course, there was no electricity, gas, or water, so I couldn't use these amenities, but I had the "Replication" skill.

I replicated several candles to keep the room bright. I don't like the dark.

I patched up the broken window with replicated towel pieces and cleaned up the garbage and leaves on the floor to make it more livable.

This took time.

I'm good at increasing things but not at reducing them.

"I really want a camping car."

It would be a dream life.

How comfortable it would be to move with a house.

But considering today's journey, there are probably no drivable roads left in Japan.

The shopping streets in front of stations swallowed by trees, the national highways running next to the natural park, all cracked and uneven.

Everything I saw today had been swallowed by the harsh nature caused by earthquakes and plant roots.

Wishing for something that doesn't exist is pointless.

I replicated a few more towels to use as blankets.

I wouldn't lie down. Until the surroundings were completely secure, I planned to sleep sitting with my back against the wall.

I would keep the boar spear, my weapon, within reach.

I took a hand-cranked radio with a digital clock from my backpack and set the timer for one hour.

I needed to wake up periodically to add wood to the bonfire.

To ensure a good sleep, I replicated the boar fat and candles to create a long-burning fire.

Tomorrow would be busy.

When I turned on the radio, the reception was poor, and only static came through.

I used to listen to the lively talk show "All Night Former Japan" at night.

Disaster information and monster information were essential for survival.

Information about settlements across Japan would also be useful for travel.

But it seemed that wouldn't be possible today.

I tried adjusting the dial, but the static only got worse.

I sighed and turned off the radio.

As I leaned against the wall and let sleep take over, I realized I was thinking about what to name the spear and laughed.

Naming my possessions.

It's like I'm lonely.

That's not true; I came out here half-willingly.

But, ah—thinking about not seeing Kaguya-senpai from tomorrow makes me feel lonely.

I'm so weak mentally.

The handmade weapon, a combination of a cool wooden stick and a horn, cast a long shadow on the wooden floor in the candlelight.

—Right. I'll name this thing "Pork Spear Yasoumaki."

I plan to update daily, so bookmarking it will make it easier to follow.

But just following isn't enough, you know, love is about give and take (huh?).