Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part One]

CHAPTER 25: Man's Best Friend(?)

The sun was directly overhead now.

Daisuke looked up through the tree branches, shielding his eyes from the sunbeams. He tried moistening his parched lips, but even the saliva on his tongue had almost dried out.

Barely an hour later, the pup reappeared. Despite its evident fatigue and injury, it had the hind leg of a Horned Rabbit in its small jaws, strenuously dragging the motionless game toward the stranger who had been less than hospitable.

Daisuke's eyes quivered. "You... and even though I... Argh!" he tousled his hair aggressively, utterly ashamed. "Goddammit. I really don't like being indebted to anyone. I guess you can stick around until I pay you back."

The tiny canine barked once, as if in glee, and then it collapsed with a whine.

"Hey!" Daisuke threw himself forward. "Are you all right?"

It whimpered.

"Jeez, you sure know how to guilt trip a poor guy."

The tiny tyke weakly licked the hand that tenderly patted its head.

"I have to say though, it's pretty impressive that you were able to bag this thing in your current state."

"Rawrwu."

"Are you lost? Do you have an owner?"

The canine lowered its head, round, oceanic eyes peeking up from beneath its lashes.

"Mmm. I guess not."

The pup closed its eyes and exhaled.

"We're both in pretty bad shape," Daisuke said over the sound of his grumbling stomach. Then, he glanced at the bloodied pooch. "You brought the ingredients, so I'll go round us up some grub."

Inspecting his ankle, he gave it a cautious tap on the ground before testing it with a bit of pressure. It doesn't seem like it was a very bad sprain.

During the two and a half days of his stranded ordeal, it seemed his injury had considerably healed. After nourishing his body with food and hydration, he felt optimistic that the surge of energy would accelerate the healing process.

While the pup rested, Daisuke hopped around, searching until he found a quartzite stone that fitted perfectly in his hand. Satisfied, he squirreled it away in his pocket before setting about collecting larger rocks and arranging them in a circle.

Next came the task of gathering firewood and tinder, a relatively simple feat at the forest's edge. Once he had a sufficient pile, Daisuke carefully arranged the wood within the rock circle. Finally, he sharpened his quartzite stone into a blade using a large slab of granite, and then took a length of wood and fashioned a spindle.

Applying what he learned as a scout, Daisuke expertly generated coal with the spindle and hearth board. Then he carefully transferred it to the tinder nestled within the house of wood. With a spark and a hiss, the flames ignited, casting a warm glow on his face.

While the flames matured, Daisuke set to work on the Horned Rabbit. He flayed and cleaned the creature, dividing it neatly into two halves before skewering them onto a sturdy tree branch. Finally, he placed it over the fire.

Daisuke chuckled wryly, the crackling flames raging hotter as he added more wood. "Man, it's moments like these that I'm grateful for my time as a boy scout. But starting a fire like a caveman in a fantasy world? Never saw that coming. I'd kill to have some fire magic right about now."

"Rawrwu."

The scent of cooking meat wafted through the air, stirring the pup from its slumber. With a sudden burst of energy, it sprang awake, its nose twitching and eyes sparkling with anticipation. Daisuke couldn't help but laugh at the sight.