Chapter 2 - Don't drink unboiled water, please!

"Ah! How did this happen?"

Little tears trail down my cheeks as I crouch in front of a tree.

Upon awakening, an urge hit me and I ran as far as I could before giving free rein to my guts. Everything I ate yesterday comes out under pressure causing me the greatest relief and, at the same time, the worst discomfort.

I have no way to clean myself and, although I just responded to the call of nature, I still feel that something inside me wants to go out and see the world. The best thing would be to take advantage of the blessings of nature to solve my current problem. I'm very sorry for this beautiful and soft leaf that's next to me. It's fate will be cruel, but it will not be in vain!

I don't know how much I ran, I don't recognize where I am anymore. But there's no need to mark down the place because there's a huge piece of evidence of my passage through this place, right in front of the tree.

I walk slowly, uncomfortably, barely separating my legs as I rub my belly. It's a cold morning, or early morning maybe, it's dark but I can make out what's in front of me. Sure it's almost dawn.

I manage to see some light in the distance, is it my clearing? i can't be sure but the feeling of being alone in the dark is overwhelming.

I approach slowly, from time to time i can hear branches cracking. Is it my imagination or is there something watching me?

My joints get tense and more than walking, it seems like I'm marching awkwardly.

There's a light source over there and it becomes clearer as I walk out of the forest and a beautiful landscape spreads before my eyes.

It's not my clearing, It's a lake!

A large silver lake shimmers in the moonlight, reflecting a wondrous cosmic landscape on it's calm surface.

I'm finally out of the woods! Well, at least for now.

The lake has a small grassy shore, in some places high and in others somewhat lower. If I look a little further the ground starts to rise and it becomes impossible to traverse the shore, so I discard the idea altogether.

As I get closer, the natural beauty of this place strikes me hard leaving me in awe. I wonder if I i'm the first human being setting foot in here. It feels somehow sacred. Standing on a large rock near the shore i take in some more of this wondrously beautiful scenery.

I can see the other shore, although i can tell that it's actually very far away.

The first rays of the sun begin to invade little by little the terrain of the night, banishing the moon and bathing me with it's heat.

There's no point in trying to retrace my steps, I know this shouldn't be too far from the clearing, but even if it is and I end up abandoning everything I have, to settle in here, I feel like I wouldn't be losing much.

In this place there's an inexhaustible supply of water, I'm sure there will also be abundant food and, as if that were not enough, there are many stones of various sizes, which could be useful.

It's not a good idea to just pick stones at random, as it would only overload me, although stones were previously very difficult to find and I planned to accumulate as many as I could, now I have at my disposal more stones and rocks of various shapes, sizes and colors than I would know how to use. Even so, they remain a very valuable resource. After all, a proper flint can be the difference between life and death. Somehow I feel like I'm rich.

"Hahaha" I laugh at my naive thought, as if having rocks meant anything, they are just on the floor for anyone to use at will.

A thought struck me, since I'm the only person around, is everything around all mine?

"nah, what am i thinking... i just feel lonely"

Time to level up my observation skill. I begin to look at the different stones, especially those that catch my attention because of their shape, size or color.

Stone?, stone, stone?, stone.

Some stones have a question mark next to them and some do not. This is confusing because some of the stones don't really look that different to the naked eye.

This just goes to show how useful my observation skill can be, it's a good idea to upgrade it as soon as possible.

Even though I don't lack motivation, it's a slow process and I can't afford to spend all day doing this.

I put my hands to my stomach, I don't know if it's hunger or discomfort, but it makes my task more difficult.

I pick up all the stones I find, and if they have a question mark after looking at them, I put them aside in a pile.

After getting tired, I start to sort them by color. There are many gray stones, some white, few red, and only one black stone.

At first glance and without more information, there really isn't much I can do so I decide to change my plan.

This time I'll be on the lookout for slightly larger rocks, I'll be taking several oval rocks of a considerable size. After observing them, I place them next to the others that I had previously collected.

These rocks can be useful to make a fire, if I manage to start a fire, they will prevent it from going out with the wind or consuming excess firewood.

And... How do you even light a fire? An icy wind chills my bones and I hug myself.

I get nothing out of complaining, I shake off my clothes, clap my hands twice and start looking around, progressively entering the forest.

It's not long before I find the path that leads to the clearing. Everything is exactly as I left it at night, I pick up my trusty stick and go back to the lake, this time I marked the path so it was much easier for me.

Once in the lake I start hitting two medium-sized rocks together to try to split them, I get a somewhat sharper rock and i begin to sharpen the stick's end.

I keep sharpening it up a bit until I'm satisfied.

I did it! Plus I got a new skill! This is perfect.

With renewed energy, I decide to explore a bit more until it starts to get a little warm. Then I'll try to catch something in the lake with my spear.

I can't even dream of making a fishing rod, but perhaps I have a chance with the pointed stick. Who knows, even if I fail, I might get a spear skill and it will get easier eventually.

I know I shouldn't be spending so much energy, but I have to make sure I have water, shelter, and food. With those three necessities covered I'll be able to explore further afield or maybe even settle in here if need be.

My guts keep sounding like they're going to explode.

I take off my clothes and go into the water since the weather is just right. I take the opportunity to wash my wound, although it's small it could cause problems if it gets infected.

The water is crystal clear, I don't have anything to compare with, as I have no memories of the past, but the pleasant feeling i'm getting, gives me the impression that this is something I should value.

Walking barefoot on the stones on the shore is quite uncomfortable and the water is very cold.

I can't help but groan a bit after submerging myself up to my waist, but once I get it I sigh more relaxed.

With each step I take, a small amount of earth rises from the bottom of the water, the sun is still low, every now and then a breeze blows from my side.

I fidget with my toes a bit for a more comfortable position and start washing myself while I whistle.

It's not a song or anything like that, for a brief moment I had the hope of knowing a song or something that would allow me to remember my past, but they are nothing more than off-key whistles that distract me from the cold I feel.

Walking absentmindedly towards the shore, a sudden movement near my legs caught my attention, and a wild fish appeared!

I stay very still waiting for him to come to me, then used my observation skill.

Not only does it not look dangerous, but something tells me that it will be very tasty if I somehow catch it. The only problem is... I didn't bring the pointed stick with me.

That was a mistake, and a very stupid one, I don't know how common it is for fish to approach people like that, but it's certainly a wasted opportunity.

There's nothing I can do about it anymore and, while I was tempted to try and catch it with my bare hands, I give up before even trying. Not only does it look quite vigorous, which would make it hard for me to catch it, but I also wouldn't know what to do with it even if I did manage to catch it, since I haven't managed to start a fire yet.

I walked towards the shore slowly trying to find the easiest way to get there. My feet suffer a little with every step I take since it is full of stones.

After doing some light excercises on the shore to warm up and dry off, i put on my clothes. It's still early and it's already been a productive morning.

Explore, collect, go to the 'bathroom', observe, collect, I performed my tasks diligently and without pause. By noon my observation ability reached 93%. I'm almost there, still dont know what for, but i'm almost there.

I don't have an accurate method of measuring time, but if the sun is at the zenith, it's clearly noon.

Now feels like a good time to eat some berries, this time I am especially careful with the poisonous ones. Moreover, I only eat those that I know are not poisonous. There are a couple of berries that are deep red, but I dare not try them. Perhaps it was not a good idea to collect them, although they can be useful to level up my observation skill.

What would happen if I tried to use the ability multiple times on the same item? No, I don't think it's convenient. I don't really feel tired when I use my observation skill, but it takes time and concentration. Considering my current situation, I believe that my most precious asset is time. Who knows what kind of dangers lurk, until they come to rescue me, I should avoid taking unnecessary risks.

Will I be rescued? Is someone even aware that i'm here?

I pause to shake off the uncomfortable feeling.

After my frugal lunch I get down to work. I begin to clear the branches, thus crafting as many sticks as possible, setting aside the smaller branches to leave them to dry in the sun.

I don't know how long it will take for them to dry, but after noon it starts to get quite hot, so that should speed up the process. Also since it's hot, it would be nice to take another dip, I don't really have a reason to and feels like just wasting time.

Just to practice a little more I start to look at the sticks I made. Then, by chance, something catches my eye.

Apparently, the difference between a stick and a rod is their thickness. This can be interesting, although it is not very useful, especially considering that due to the shape of the trees, getting sticks is much easier than getting rods. What use could a stick have instead of a stick? If I think about it, a stick is used to defend myself, hunt, fish, it's very versatile. Anyway, just because it isn't useful to me right now doesn't mean it can't be of any use to me so i save it for later.

Although I hadn't thought about it, the forest is predominantly made up of the same species of tree. Instead, the plants are very varied.

So far I have found a great diversity of plants and shrubs, if I could get some more information about them I could completely change my plans. there's all kind of uses a plant could have, from food to shelter, even clothing!

Busy with my chores, the day flew by. I went back to the clearing, which is quite close to the lake, although I can't tell how far it is, it's only a short walk.

I set aside the smoothest, longest sticks I could find to cover top and bottom with leaves. It's a bit more uncomfortable than sleeping on the ground, but it helps me avoid the cold at night, so I won't complain for today.

I closed my eyes and fell asleep immediately, only to wake drowsily before sunrise, it's early morning and dark.

I'm sweating, cold and I really need to go to the bathroom, well, i don't have a bathroom but something similar. This time I was more foresighted and dug a hole at a comfortable and safe distance yesterday during the afternoon, as well as marking the path in advance. It's important to take these kind of precautions, not only for hygiene, but also to prevent rats and insects from approaching the place where I sleep.

Normally I would throw take care of my business in the lake, but this will have to do until I recover, it would be too exhausting to travel to the lake every few minutes.

Nights are not so dark in my clearing, the lack of trees in this sector allows me to move with some freedom, as long as I don't go into the forest I won't be risking getting lost. Having fulfilled my task, I drag myself back to my 'bed' and lie down to rest.

Next morning I woke up feeling miserable. I was cold at night and my belly is killing me. The pain is one thing, but I'm also afraid of not knowing what to do.

I want to focus on my morning chores, they seemed nice and easy the day before, but I'm too tired and just want to lie down and sleep.

At the lake, sun on my back feels great and eases my pain. After a few minutes I regained some energy and staggered.

I'm so thirsty now. Everytime i think i found a solution to a problem, a new one arises.

I keep crafting sticks and using my observation skill, I'm so close to getting to one hundred percent on observation that I can't hold back now. I don't know what will happen and curiosity is killing me. Or maybe it's the stomachache that's killing me.

Every so often I look at the lake water, I'm so thirsty and it looks so clean. It won't be a problem if I drink a little, right? RIGHT?

I continue in my work when an ominous message interrupts me.

It must be dehydration, it sure is dehydration, my mouth is dry and my lips are chapped. My situation is getting more complicated than I thought before.

Then, without thinking, I stand up and enter the water barefoot. I go in until water is up to my knees and take a sip of water.

It's fresh and sweet water, my throat appreciates it and I drink some more in a hurry. I return to the shore feeling better already, the problem was solved, it seems it was dehydration after all.

It's not long before I start to regret drinking as I feel sick again and my stomach growls louder and louder. When I stand up I feel dizzy.

I don't know why, but just talking to myself comforts me a little. I go back into the water to drink some more just to feel a momentary relief. Even though i know its not safe to drink, dehydration kills faster than an upset stomach.

That's how my day went, small moments of work frequently interrupted by breaks to go to the bathroom or to drink water.

I have a very long night ahead of me again.

The next day I can barely drag myself out of the clearing. The only thing that gave me the strength to get out of the primitive bed of leaves was the message I received:

I can't die this way! I refuse to accept it!

I don't know who i was before i lost my memory, I don't know if i was a soldier or a clerk, but dying from stomach issues... where is the dignity in that!?

Sweat runs down my face, I can barely get to the shore to drink some water. Today my stomach hurts a lot. Yesterday I thought it hurt, but I really didn't know how bad it would get. I have difficulty focusing on anything, I can only think about the pain, feel the pain, live the pain, just when I think I get used to it, it comes back stronger than before.

Just staying conscious drains my energy and I have a feeling that if I don't find a solution soon, today will be my last day.

I use my observation skill on the plants one by one hoping to find some medicinal herb.

I haven't even found any berries to eat, not that I'm hungry anyway. Who could think of eating with this stomachache?

Why do I have to be in this situation? Of all the odds, i had to be left abandoned in the middle of a desolate and hostile forest!?

Cursing my fate used my observation skill once more.

After waiting for a little while nothing else happens.

Just that? Is this the fruit of my effort? After all my agony, suffering and, all I get is a message!?

I feel like just letting go and fall into despair, but something prevents me, a single thought.

'Having come this far I am not willing to give up here'

I approach a green plant that has a long stem that starts out thick and gets thinner and thinner until it ends in a long pointed leaf.

Plant: has an edible tuber.

At last! My luck is changing!

Finding an edible plant right now is completely useless, but if I can manage analyze more plants I may find the solution to my current situation.

So I dedicate myself to analyzing all the plants around me.

Flower: Gives off a fragrant smell

It's a fight against time, I haven't found anything useful so far, and it's almost nightfall. My health points dropped to 2/10 during the day and I barely have the energy to move.

In the clearing, I remove the stone from my stash, it's my last chance.

Red berry: has medicinal properties

Overflowing with joy I separate them from the rest, I can't prepare an infusion, I don't know if it would really help me to eat them raw and I only have a handful of them, but even if it is a possibility in a thousand it is better than nothing.

Eating them in one bite, sleep begins to overcome me and I didn't even make it to my bed of leaves.

Next day I woke up with a little more energy, my stomach doesn't hurt anymore and my health points have slightly recovered, now I have 3/10 left. It seems that the red berries had an effect. Arriving at the lake, my reflection greets me with a haggard and languid expression, but a huge smile across my face. It's a new day of life and I still have a lot to do if I want to stay alive.

I start by crafting more pointed sticks, tool crafting skill seems too appealing to me at the moment as it can mean a huge advantage. Tools, knowledge and skills are my only means of survival right now.

I take my sharp stone and start scraping the tops of some sticks that I made previously.

A stick broke in half, it's not frequent, but they do break from time to time. Although I do exactly the same thing, the result usually varies. Sometimes pointed sticks end up with very low durability, other times they just break.

Crafting sticks is easy, fast and safe, but by honing them difficulty, the time it takes to make them and the chance of failure increases.

Best I can do now is to prepare a better quality shelter than the one I currently have.

Perfect scenario right now would be to sleep away from the ground, in a fluffy bed of leaves. Perhaps if I manage to make a small wall of sticks to avoid the wind, my situation will improve.

I prepare as many sticks as I can, this time using my sharpening stone to make all the sticks as smooth as possible.

After carefully preparing and putting them together, I place them on thicker sticks. It doesn't look bad at all, it's a small bed, although it only fits my torso, it's much better than the primitive bed I made out of leaves before.

This time work was much heavier, I'm sweating profusely, and I am not fully recovered yet.

I go to the water to take a bath in what seems like late afternoon. I prepare to get out of the water and drink directly from the lake.