Chapter 78 Fireweeds

The Hunter devices the group was using were connected to a virtual display in front of them. This feature was similar to the Hunter System everyone awakened has.

Nathan expanded the information from the challenge they received, as seen below.

[The 1st challenge started]

[Survival Game]

[Important notes: food and drinks from outside are not allowed, and only weapons and battle suits are permitted.]

[Rules:]

[1. Gather items and resources from the forest to survive and build a shelter.]

[2. Hunt the magical creatures and monsters for food, materials, and resources.]

[3. Be aware of the environment and weather conditions, as these can affect your health and stamina.]

[4. Stock up on food and water in case of emergency.]

[5. Avoid contact with any unnatural creatures or higher-level monsters, as they can be dangerous.]

[6. Stay alert and aware of your surroundings at all times to stay safe.]

[7. Survive for seven days to accumulate enough points to qualify for the next round. The final ranking will determine which parties advance.]

"This is not bad..." Linda murmured while looking through the information provided by the system. "We're basically hunting here, right? But it's not like the other participants will just let us do whatever we want."

"Yes." Nathan said. "We have to hunt what's available and gather what's necessary. We need to find out if we have anything that we don't have yet, and then make a decision on what we should focus on gathering first. "

Muramoto wore a sad face as he said, "It's such a letdown that we can't enjoy the lunch we made."

Nathan then turned to Yudan. "Do you have any suggestions, Yudan? Which types of plants would you think are worth trying?"

"Well... I'd say fruits are good. I'm not sure any of you guys have ever eaten monster meat?," He replied. "There are also some herbs that are quite effective in curing illness and poisonings, too. Also, there are nuts that you can grind into flour and use as food to replace rice and potatoes."

"Really!?" Nathan asked with surprise. "I just found out that monster meat can be eaten!"

Linda was excited upon hearing this news. "So, how do we prepare it? What does it taste like?"

"It tastes somewhat bitter, but once you get used to the taste, it's delicious and satisfying." Yudan answered. "But when I say 'bitter,' I mean more like salty than bitterness in flavor. It has a sourish aftertaste too."

"Oh..." Linda said while licking her lips unconsciously. She imagined what Yudan had eaten so far and felt a strange sensation rushing down from her stomach toward her lower body. As a result, she shivered for a moment, making Muramoto stare at her with his eyebrows raised high as though he wanted to ask something.

Nathan noticed their exchange. "Hey everyone, why don't we take turns to share our experiences on the matter of the hunting and gathering of items? It might be helpful for us to understand each other's perspectives."

Everyone nodded.

They began exchanging stories and advice on how to best survive in the environment.

"Okay, now I need anyone's opinion on what we will use for shelter for the next seven days." Nathan said and turned to Meriel, who suddenly realized he was staring at her and lowered her face slightly. "Do you have any ideas, Meriel?"

"A tent should be fine... What do you guys think?" she replied timidly.

Nathan surveyed his environment again, consulting his digital map to identify any natural shelters they could utilize. A single, barren tree stood alone, isolated from its neighbors. Its sickly state suggested it had been shunned by the other flora, yet its open space in front provided an ideal spot to set up camp. Nonetheless, it would take a great deal of effort to remove the debris and establish a secure shelter in the area.

"Okay, I need everyone to follow me." Nathan proposed an idea for a spot they could utilize. Without hesitation, he set out with a hatchet slung across his shoulders, guiding them toward the withered tree.

They sauntered through the woods, displacing the decayed foliage, and then strayed further into the forest. Upon arriving at his destination, Nathan halted just in front of the gigantic ancient tree and discarded the hatchet he had been lugging on the ground. "Well, we can start here!" he declared while turning to everyone else.

"Nathan." Yudan said while pointing at some parts of the tree trunk. "There are already lots of holes inside this tree. It would be very easy to make a shelter in these hollows." He said with a stiff face.

Yudan approached the large old tree and, with ease, scaled it and wriggled his way in. He moved aside any obstructing branches until he reached a hollowed-out space in the trunk. It seemed to be purposefully created for those familiar with the idea of taking shelter. He stepped inside and vanished from sight.

"We can use this place as a shelter, but I have other things to worry about." Yudan said from inside the tree. He then crawled back outside and stood in front of another.

"We can use this place as a rest stop, while others take turns keeping watch. However, this won't work if we have to confront other people taking part in the challenge." He muttered under his breath while looking around him again.

"It says in the rules, about collecting points, Nathan-san." Muramoto added. "While we don't have a clear idea how to gather the point."

"Hmmm…." Yudan said. "May I express my opinion?"

"Yes, please do so." Nathan replied and turned towards him.

"It's obvious that hunting is required here," he started and continued speaking softly. "We need to gather items as well as kill monsters. Thus, I believe our points will be based on how many monsters we defeat and the worth of the items we collect. Some people might think they can gain an edge by attacking other teams, so I'm concerned about that." He finished quietly.

Nathan nodded in understanding while thinking to himself that Yudan might be right. He felt like this was something he had to consider seriously when choosing their strategies in this survival game.

"I have a proposal, but I'll let Nathan make a decision." Yudan continued. "We should split the team into two groups. The first should create and prepare the shelter, while the second scouts the surroundings to remove any potential dangers and collect herbs and food for sustenance."

Linda answered with a chuckle. "I believe Yudan is more beneficial than Muramoto, who only expresses worries without offering any solutions." She laughed with amusement and then continued. "Besides, the system will handle all the details, right? It'll keep track of everything and make sure that nobody cheats."

Yudan looked at her and nodded. "I guess so, Linda."

Nathan nodded and said. "I will divide the team into two groups: one that I will lead and one that will follow Yudan's instructions. I will go around killing monsters and searching for food and herbs."

Nathan then looked at Yudan and Meriel. "Does anyone know what is safe to eat in this area? If so, please let me know and I may need your help."

Merial said quietly but did not continue her words.

"Yes Meriel?"

"I'm accustomed to living in the woods and have some knowledge about surviving there. Would you like me to share it with you?" She said.

"Good." Nathan replied while smiling back at her.

***

Yellow-red flowers bloomed from the surrounding trees as Nathan guided Meriel through the forest. They moved swiftly along the tree line until they reached an open space where no branches were blocking their way. A gentle breeze rustled through the treetops, shaking leaves loose and spreading them across the ground.

Nathan stopped by the trunk of an enormous tree whose roots protruded out of the soil and formed a ring of twisted trunks that supported its massive trunk and limbs, creating a large circular clearing with a diameter of several meters wide. As a result of the absence of other trees, the sun cast long shadows that stretched toward him on either side.

Yellow flowers grew abundantly over every part of the clearing, almost reaching up to the very top of the canopy above.

The flowers with thin stems and delicate petals swayed slightly when disturbed, filling the forest air with a pleasant and refreshing scent that was much more intense than what Yudan had described. This fragrance put everyone in a better mood, even Meriel, which relaxed her face after inhaling deeply.

"There are quite a few plants here," Nathan commented. He then pointed at something in front of his nose.

Meriel pointed to some yellow-red flowers. "Those are fireweeds," she explained. "They're said to boost the strength of spells and potions. You can also make tea from their leaves, though I'm not sure how effective that would be. Maybe Yudan can help us find out?" She tilted her head curiously.

Nathan responded, "All right, let's get this taken care of quickly, then."

But before he could turn away, Meriel interjected, "Wait - I should probably help with the herb, since it's delicate and can be easily damaged." She said timidly.

Nathan paused, then nodded.

He rose, strolled to the base of a tree nearby, sat down, and leaned back. Softly, he murmured, "Luna..." and her cheerful countenance with twinkling eyes appeared in front of him.

"I need to upgrade my skills," he declared. "We're in a dire situation; there could be people trying to attack us, so I need to be prepared."