As I lay on the sofa, my phone suddenly began to ring. The default ringtone chimed repeatedly, and by the fourth call, I resolved to answer it.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“What’s going on?”
“…We met at school this morning, remember?”
“You sound a bit down. What happened?”
Takumi, ever sensitive to my mood, asked with genuine concern. I couldn’t help but admire how he could pick up on my feelings so effortlessly.
“I’m just completely worn out from dying.”
“Did you accidentally fight a boss or something?”
“No, I was gathering items by the river and slipped, falling into the water.”
Seriously, that was almost fatal. It wasn’t just painful; it was an overwhelming force I couldn’t resist. I felt completely groggy right now.
“What were you thinking?”
“Hahaha, say what you want. When you get hit, water fills your lungs, and you get tossed against the rocks, slowly dying in agony. You should try it sometime.”
Takumi let out a disgusted sound, probably imagining it. Sure, the river had plenty of stones to gather, but it was dangerous. If I didn’t take safety precautions, like tying myself to a rope, I’d end up in the same situation again.
“Where’s this river you’re talking about?”
It’s in the safety area of the forest near the second town. The scenery was nice, though.
Now that I think about it, I forgot to take a screenshot of the view. I really don’t want to go back there for a while; the trauma is still fresh.
“Oh, really? I didn’t know there was a place like that.”
“There weren’t many monsters around, so it was quiet. But speaking of which, what did you want to talk about on the phone?”
“Oh, right. I was wondering how you plan to prepare for the event.”
“Prepare? What do you usually do for an event? I’m just focusing on handling the updates.”
“Handling updates? Are you talking about satiety levels? That can’t be…”
Hmm? I acquired the Cooking Sense.
Could that conversation have been a flag? Takumi chuckled on the other end, clearly amused.
“So, what do you usually do to prepare for an event?”
“Ah, well, leveling up, restocking consumables, and enhancing equipment, I guess. What about you?”
“Not much, really. I’ll just make some potions to prepare.”
“That’s a bit harsh. We discussed it today, and the majority agreed that you’re the best for party balance. It doesn’t have to be right before the event, though.”
While I appreciated the expectation, it felt like a hassle. But I couldn’t just ignore my friend’s request.
“Fine, fine. I’ll take you to a place near the ore deposits. I’ll team up with you for a temporary party.”
“Thanks!”
“Just occasionally. It depends on my mood. And make sure to stop by the shop sometime. We’ve got a decent selection now.”
“Thanks for the tsundere treatment,” I thought, but I wasn’t being tsundere at all.
Well, if I weren’t the producer, I might have found that charm appealing. But right now, I had something I wanted to focus on.
“First, I need to establish a safe method for gathering stones.”
I stretched towards the ceiling of my home.
“Alright, I’m feeling better! Time to cook dinner!”
I said aloud to motivate myself. Talking to Takumi had lifted my spirits a bit. I felt I should be grateful to him for that.
The next day, feeling mentally refreshed, I logged into 【おーそー】 in the afternoon.
What awaited me there was the newly established workshop section and the new alchemy equipment set up within. I gazed at them with satisfaction.
“This is amazing! This is incredible, Kyoko! I can’t stop grinning!”
“Indeed. Now we have at least the minimum aesthetic appeal.”
In the corner of the room stood the mobile alchemy station I had been using, now equipped with windows to let in light and a chandelier for illumination, along with a simple wooden table.
“I want to invite others over for tea here. More than that, I want to show it off!”
Overwhelmed with joy, I looked around. The feel of the stone walls, the larger mortar for alchemy, the wooden windows, and the item box for material storage.
Kyoko continued to smile at my childlike excitement, but I realized I might be overdoing it and cleared my throat to change the subject.
“By the way, I’ll be adding sandwiches to the shop’s menu, so I’ll need you to gather the ingredients.”
“Understood. But if you keep adding everything to the menu, managing the shop will become quite a challenge.”
Kyoko sighed, clearly feeling the weight of the task. I felt a bit guilty for putting her through that.
“Don’t worry! I’ll make sure to increase the number of sellable items! They’ll definitely sell… probably.”
“…Probably? Well, we have a lot of stock right now, so we shouldn’t run out anytime soon. All the harvests will be used for research, right?”
I felt like she was implying that the stock was only left because customers weren’t coming in, but I chose to ignore it.
“I will use them. It would be great if I could utilize the monster meat and other materials that I haven’t used until now.”
“Good luck with that. I’ll head back to the shop.”
As I watched Kyoko head back to the storefront, I began my alchemy. I poured a large quantity of herbs into the bigger mortar and started grinding them down. I recalled how I used to do this alone outside and felt a sense of progress. This time, however, I would put the liquid extracted from the herbs into the new component concentrator.
Even though I could create potions through synthesis using the same materials, I wondered how the effects would differ. I watched the changes with childlike anticipation as the extraction process completed. However, it took longer than boiling in a large pot, so I got bored halfway through and started another task.
With the expansion of my workspace and the enhancement of my equipment, I could now work on creating potions and pills simultaneously.
Currently, I focused on crafting high potions, the superior healing potions, and pills, which were unique healing items.
“Ah, just like cooking, having a spacious area and well-equipped tools makes it so much easier and more enjoyable to create a lot at once.”
Wait, what? Concentrated potions?!
It seemed I had been overworking the component concentrator. Normally, I could make ten potions from the materials, but I ended up with a concentrated version that only yielded two.
Concentrated Potion【Consumable】
HP +300
This potion was registered as a completely different item in the recipe list. Despite being concentrated, its healing effect was on par with a regular potion. I thought that if I diluted the concentrated liquid with distilled water, it should be fine. After diluting it, I ended up with five regular potions.
When I diluted it tenfold, it transformed into a Beginner Potion.
“Well, this turned out to be a bit of a failure, but what can I even use this concentrated potion for?”
I had no idea. The healing amount wasn’t high, and using extra materials seemed pointless. However, I confirmed that the concentrator could be overworked, so I decided to try various materials in it.
Right now, I had detoxification herbs, healing herbs, new spirit herbs, magical herbs, various meats, and drop items.
It seemed that when I concentrated healing herbs that had been previously extracted, the healing amount increased slightly. The effects of detoxification potions and healing potions also improved, resulting in enhanced recovery effects. High potions and MP potions saw a slight increase in effectiveness as well. It looked like production would rely on the concentrator from now on.
I could also concentrate high potions and MP potions, but they took longer to produce compared to regular potions. Additionally, recreating items made with the concentrator through recipes consumed a significant amount of MP, making it impossible to use skills for continuous production.
Using production skills was merely a way to substitute tedious tasks with MP, compressing them to the limit. Necessary tasks could be compressed with skills, while the rest could be done manually in various ways.
Well, I could recover MP while doing manual work. Still, it’s true that potions can also be musical. I realized I could create poison as well.
Extracting components from the Poison Blood dropped by the venomous creatures yielded a 【Minor Poison】. This was a different item from the 【Poison】 category, and as the name suggested, it caused status ailments. If I extracted the components from this poison multiple times, it would transform into a 【Lower Poison】 item, which would inflict 【Poison 2】 status ailments.
Logically, if I concentrated it five times more, it should transform into a higher-grade poison, but perhaps due to item limits, I couldn’t go beyond that.
Using all the leftover Poison Blood I had, I managed to produce a 【Current Poison】 by utilizing the long-unused 【Alchemy】 Sense’s 【Material Transformation】 skill, successfully bypassing the limits of pharmacy through a different route.
It was just a single successful instance, but it marked significant progress for me. However, I needed to gather ten 【Cancer Poisons】 to achieve that, and right now, I had no materials left.
The item I had created had the effect of a bad status: Poison Level 3. It dealt 1% slip damage every ten seconds, continuing for ninety seconds to inflict a maximum of 9% damage.
I began my research into whether I could generate poison from other items related to poison. Starting with toxic substances, I crushed monster meat and dropped items, mixed them with water, and ran them through a concentrator. However, the best I could produce was a minor potion, and even when concentrated, I could only create a diluted version of an old potion.
To further enhance the effects of the six medicines made from Mirror Gold, I needed more Morning Leaves, which led me to abandon the idea.
“Sigh… There are so few items I can create with the materials I have. For the upcoming event, it might be better to focus on items centered around Magic Gems.”
I realized I needed to prepare consumables like potions for myself and the shop, which made me acutely aware of the need for gem mining.
To do that, I had to overcome my trauma associated with the river.
A week had passed since the event announcement, and while there was a slight confusion due to the introduction of the satiety level in the update, it was quickly resolved, likely thanks to the NPC shops also handling cooking items. I was swimming in the river, both to prepare for the official event and to conquer my trauma.
Current SPK:
High-Quality Magic Spell
Bow Level 2 | Hawk’s Eye Level 0 | Speed Increase Level 6 | Discovery Level D | Magic Talent Level
Amu
Magic Power Level Sword | Addition Technique Level 9 | Pharmacy Level 4 | Cooking Level 5 | Swimming Level 5 | Training Level 1 | Synthesis Level 2 | Earth Attribute Talent Level 5 | Alchemy Level 2 | Crafting Level 2 | Production Knowledge Level 2
(There are plenty of gem raw stones to collect!)
In the swift river, I grasped rocks while tossing stones and gem raw stones into my inventory. To safely operate underwater, I acquired the Swimming Sense and dedicated myself to gathering materials.
“Ahh! I’m exhausted!”
I emerged from the water, sat on a nearby large rock, and dried my clothes with a towel I pulled from my inventory.
The Swimming Sense had the characteristic of allowing me to swim while clothed, along with promoting the drying of my clothes. Overall, it was a rather trivial sense.
While swimming, I made two discoveries: one good and one bad. The good discovery was that the effect of the Sulfur Eye applied underwater, improving visibility, and combined with the Discovery Sense, I could spot water flags and hidden fish. This made my underwater activities much easier.
The bad discovery, however, was that I couldn’t speak underwater, which was a critical flaw in combat situations as I couldn’t use skills. But since I wasn’t one to rely heavily on skills or Arts, I didn’t feel it was much of a disadvantage at the moment.
“My Swimming and Cooking Senses are both at level 5. The growth rate is quite decent.”
Taking a break, I checked my sense statuses. While the two I mentioned were growing, the others had barely increased, with only the Hawk’s Eye and Discovery levels rising slightly due to my underwater activities.
With my Earth Attribute Talent reaching level 5, I gained the defensive spell Clay Shield and was able to enchant gems for defense.
Around me, speculation was rife about the first official event. It might be a town defense event since it was held in the first town! Or perhaps a PvP event. While others rushed to level up their combat senses, I remained calm. I quickly realized that if everyone else was leveling up just as fast, then rushing to level up combat skills would be meaningless.
“I don’t have enough item slots.”
With the event approaching, I had gathered my items. I prepared Enchant Stones, potions, and Magic Gems, but I still hadn’t decided on the crucial composition. The item limit for participating in the official event was one hundred. I planned to bring production kits for Alchemy, Synthesis, Pharmacy, Polishing, and Cooking, along with six Portable Furnace items for crafting. I also had six sets of Iron Arrows and three pieces of armor. My weapon items totaled ten.
After accounting for these confirmed items, I was left with eighty-four slots that still needed to be filled. What should I do about cooking? What about recovery items? How many Magic Gems for attack and defense should I bring? Since I didn’t even know what the event would entail, I needed to avoid any situation where I would run short. Thinking about it, one hundred slots felt too few.
As I contemplated whether to prepare a balanced assortment, I was interrupted by a friend request from Magi-san.
“Hello, what’s up?”
“Ah, Yun-kun? Are you participating in the official event?”
“Yes, but I plan to go solo. Most of my acquaintances have fixed parties, making it hard to join.”
“I see! It sounds like you’re going alone!”
“I wonder if Magi-san has someone else with her?” Magi-san quickly replied.
“Yun-kun, why not join our party?”
“Our party?”
“Claude and Lily are also participating. Don’t you want to see what the official event is like?”
“Is it really okay for me to join? There are probably better candidates out there.”
“Oh, stop it! Everyone else is a hardcore event fanatic, while we’re more laid-back. We’re just in it for sightseeing. Besides, we tend to prefer solo play. Group activities aren’t really our thing.”
“Well, that’s true. I’m not planning to participate with too much enthusiasm either. Please count me in.”
“Great! Sorry for the suddenness, but I’d like to discuss our plans, so could you come to my shop?”
“Sure, I’ll head over right away.”
After ending the call with Magi-san, I made my way to her shop, Open Sesame, via the portal to the second town.
Inside the shop, my fellow production class members, Lily and Claude, were already waiting. They greeted me with friendly waves as I entered.
“Sorry for the sudden meeting, but we need to carefully select the necessary items…”
“I understand. So how are the three of us planning to prepare?”
Listening to each of them, I learned that Magi-san was bringing a production kit for blacksmithing and crafting, a set of mining tools, basic food, and consumables like potions. The rest consisted of metal ingots needed for production and heavy weapons.
Lily and Claude, also production class members, had similar basic items, while Lily, as a woodworker, was bringing processed lumber. Claude, as a tailor, was preparing necessary fabrics and leathers.
As for me, I said, “In that case, I think I should focus on Pharmacy and Cooking.”
“Yun-kun, you’ve taken the Cooking Sense! Then I should bring food items, right?”
“That makes sense. If I bring raw ingredients, I can cook them and increase the quantity… But why is Magi-san choosing such heavy weapons?”
While Lily and Claude were bringing raw materials, Magi-san was filling her remaining slots with heavy metal weapons and armor.
“Some of them are for backup. But the rest is the same as you, Yun-kun. If I break down the equipment, I can create multiple ingots. Well, there will be some loss, of course.”
Magi-san’s words made me realize that while it was indeed possible to minimize item slots, it wouldn’t be effective in the short term, so I needed to bring some ingots as well. Finding that balance was tricky.
“My items are consumables, so I need a good quantity… Figuring out the right ratio to bring is challenging.”
“That’s true. High Potions and MP Potions don’t change in quantity between raw materials and finished products.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ve thought of a way to compress the slots based on what we just discussed. If I bring high-quality materials, I can fit them into one slot. Then, after the event starts, I can use the lower conversion of my Alchemy Sense to increase the quantity.”
Additionally, the concentrated potions produced by the newly introduced pharmacy equipment could be diluted fivefold with distilled water. If I brought high-quality materials and concentrated High Potions and MP Potions, I could leave the remaining slots for regular High Potions and MP Potions for immediate use.
The content of the event itself was still unknown. It was possible that chaos would erupt right from the start, leaving no time for production or organization. However, I doubted that such a demanding situation would be expected in an event with various players participating. At least, I hoped so.
After discussing the detailed contents of the items we would bring and aligning our opinions, we spent quite a bit of time just selecting items. Once we returned to our respective shops, we focused on preparing for the event day.
And on the day of the event, after finishing lunch, I formed a party with Magi-san and the others, waiting for the start.
“I’m so excited! When a crowd gathers in one place, it feels like a festival!”
Lily beamed with a smile, while Claude let out a tired sigh.
“I can’t stand it. Crowds are the worst.”
“Then why create a shop that attracts people?”
“Yun-kun, how about you? Are you feeling nervous?”
“I’m not nervous at all. It’s just a game, after all. It’s not like we’re plotting anything serious.”
“Wow, you’re really calm. I’m starting to feel a bit anxious myself.”
“You don’t look nervous at all.”
“Seriously.”
Both I and Magi-san were waiting for the moment to arrive. As the time drew near, an announcement echoed through one of the gathering spots, the plaza of the First Town.
“We will now begin the official event. Participating parties, please remain in your designated areas. Those not participating, please leave this location immediately.”
A few onlookers moved away to watch from a distance. Scanning the crowd, I could see confident players alongside those wearing anxious expressions.
“Now, everyone present will be transferred to a special server. Detailed explanations will follow after the transfer. You may experience a slight jolt, but it will not affect your body.”
A countdown began, and everyone’s expressions tightened with anticipation as they braced for the transfer.
My vision warped and twisted, and I felt a wave of nausea wash over me, forcing me to bend my knees and hunch over, but I quickly regained my composure and looked around.
“…Where are we?”
“Who knows? It looks like an open space within the foundation. What do you think, Kuro-chi?”
“It might be a safety area. But where are the other players…?”
There were about ten groups of players around us, all looking around curiously.
There should have been more participants, and other gathering spots must have players as well.
“Hmm. Looks like we’ve been transferred separately by party. This isn’t a group battle event.”
As Magi-san said this, she reached out her hand to help me up, and I took it without hesitation.
“Thank you.”
“No problem. We’re here to help each other. Besides—”
Just as Magi-san was about to continue, another announcement rang out.
“Thank you for participating, players. I am Yoshino Kazuto, the head of the OSO development team.”
Seeing the 3D hologram projected above, I couldn’t help but think, “Oh great, it’s this guy again.”
“Thank you for participating, Player Sho. I am Yoshino Kazuto, the head of the OSO development team.”
With that announcement, the murmurs among the players ceased, and everyone turned their attention to the speaker.
“This event is designed for many players to enjoy. This time, we present the ‘Forest Camping Game.’ For you all, this means a six-night, seven-day camping experience in this forest.”
From somewhere, a voice shouted, “Are you kidding me? Is this a death game? Let us log out!”
But the explanation was far from over.
“It seems you are misunderstanding something. This is neither dangerous nor time-restrictive. The flow of time in this field has been stretched to about eighty times that of the usual Fuwafield due to the special server. In other words, one week here equates to roughly two hours in real life. This means you can level up intensively during this time. Now, I believe you understand what this means.”
In essence, those who participated would secure a week’s worth of playtime. “What is this, a training room?”
“Of course, players who wish to progress through the game normally can fight monsters and return upon death. In this case, there will be no death penalty.”
After finishing this part of the announcement, he paused. Other parties seemed to be getting pumped up. After all, this was an unknown forest. The prospect of leveling up there seemed like an opportunity not to be missed.
“Now, let me explain the rules for the six-night, seven-day camping event. The area you are currently in is a safety area. There are multiple safety areas established throughout this wilderness. You may move away from this location. This is a floating continent, home to ruins, lakes, and mountains. Naturally, since this is an event, unique monsters and items will be placed in various locations. Trust in your sense and enjoy the hunt for them.”
Excited voices erupted from the crowd.
“Additionally, the forest is home to non-active Young Beasts. If you can build a friendly relationship with them during this week, they can become summoning stones and turn into your very own pets. If you possess the Taming Sense, they can even fight alongside you as familiars.”
Another voice chimed in from the crowd.
“Finally, those who survive this week will have their actions quantified, and the top five parties with the highest points will receive commemorative prizes. Furthermore, all items obtained in this area can be taken back with you. Even if you’re not aiming for the top, searching for Rare Materials can be a fun experience.”
At that moment, excitement reached its peak. While everyone was filled with motivation to aim for the top, I found myself lost in thought.
I see, they’ve imposed item restrictions to encourage camping. I can just obtain Rare Materials back at the castle. My thoughts were completely different from those of the average player.
Amidst this rising excitement, Yoshino Kazuto doused the players with cold water.
“However, there are restrictions. All players are limited to acquiring one Sense during this period.”
Well, that seemed reasonable. During this week, it would be more about how creatively one could utilize their existing skills rather than hastily acquiring new ones.
“And if a player who has not previously acquired the Survival Sense obtains it during this event, there will be a significant negative adjustment to their final day’s point calculation. Based on my estimates, aiming for the top will be difficult. By the way, players who do not meet the conditions for acquiring Survival will still be able to obtain it during this period.”
Lastly, many of the items found in this forest will initially be unidentified. You can identify them either by experiencing their effects or by possessing the corresponding Sense. The identification information can be shared within the party.
Since the field map can also be shared within the party, getting lost shouldn’t be an issue. Under these restrictions, I hope everyone will take meaningful actions. Rushing too much could lead to pitfalls. It’s important to proceed steadily.
As the announcement concluded, everyone stood in stunned silence while I opened the field map.
“It seems we are in the center of the floating continent. The area within a hundred meters radius of the safety area visible to my Keen Eye has been mapped, while the rest remains gray.”
While others ventured into the forest, we took a seat.
“Well then, let’s set up base camp.”
With Claude’s words, we each brought items that we had balanced out through discussion, ensuring we could last a day or two.
“First, let’s conduct an experiment. Just wait a moment.”
Magi-san walked a short distance away and returned with several types of grass in her hand.
“Claude and Lily, can you tell what kind this is?”
“No, I can’t tell.”
“Sorry, Magi-chi. I have no idea.”
“Then, next, Yun-kun.”
She showed me the grass, which could be categorized into three types: Herb, Poisonous Plant, and Herb. In this event, many items existed unidentified, and without the corresponding Sense, they couldn’t be identified. Indeed, Claude and Lily couldn’t confirm anything.
“Um, this is an Herb, a Poisonous Plant, and then a Herb.”
“Oh! Now I can understand too! So, Yun-chi has a Sense related to plants!”
“If that’s the case, it must be the Pharmacy Sense. It uses Herbs.”
Claude nodded in understanding, and Magi-san seemed satisfied that her deduction was correct. This meant that, unlike the general-purpose Survival Sense, I had a pinpoint useful Sense like Pharmacy.
“Alright, since our deductions were correct, let’s split up. We’ll divide into two teams for food gathering and base camp setup. Magi-san and I will gather food, while Claude and Lily will set up the base camp.”
“Got it. I’ll prepare the best bedding.”
“I’m excited! A sleepover sounds thrilling!”
“Ahh… What should we have for dinner tonight?”
I murmured to myself while gazing up at the sky. Oh, the sun is almost directly overhead, which means it will set in about six hours. We definitely need to secure water and food.
“Okay, let’s confirm the precautions. Don’t eat any items you gather recklessly. First, let Yun-kun identify them before eating. If there are any missing materials, just let us know through friend communication, and we’ll gather them while we’re out.”
“Ah! I forgot!”
Suddenly, Claude shouted, causing everyone to turn their gazes toward him in surprise.
“I didn’t bring any dyeing items! Without them, we can’t make scout uniforms or camouflage costumes!”
“Sigh… You’re still the same, Kuro-chi.”
Even in a place like this, his unwavering nerve is, in a way, admirable. Well, even if we had them, I wouldn’t want to wear them.
Claude muttered to himself, lost in thought, “If only I could extract colors from natural materials like in the old days…” His obsession was palpable.
“Well then, we’ll explore the area while filling in the map around here. We’ll be back before sunset,” I said, trying to break his concentration.
“Yeah, be careful, Magi-chi and Yun-chi,” Lily replied, her voice filled with concern.
With Claude still deep in his thoughts, I took the lead, and we decided to start mapping the area in a clockwise direction from the east.
As we journeyed, we stumbled upon a cluster of plants, diligently recording the locations of item gathering on our mapped area. The details were impressively meticulous.
“It’s great having you around, Yun-kun. Look, another item!”
“Magi-san, that’s a Confusion Herb! And this area is a cluster for the Chaos Grass, so be careful not to harvest and eat it, or you’ll end up with a status ailment.”
“Whoa, that’s dangerous! It looks like spinach or bok choy, but I see what you mean.”
“That ugly-looking grass over there can actually be used for a side dish, though.”
We continued to identify edible items and herbs, confirming the presence of the ingredients for High Potions and MP Potions—Spirit Herbs and Magic Grass, respectively.
Surprisingly, more than half of the items we found were inedible plants. Some looked like delicious fruits, yet they were perilously dangerous, inflicting Confusion and other status ailments.
We also managed to gather fruits like apples and bananas, albeit with a distribution that ignored the climate.
The items we could harvest were mostly wild herbs and mountain vegetables, leading to a rather healthy meal plan.
While the nutritional balance in a game might not hold much significance, I still craved some animal protein.
“We’ve gathered quite a bit of plant life, so should we look for other ingredients?” I suggested.
“I’ll leave that to you, Yun-kun. The map is looking good,” Magi-san replied.
As the afternoon sun began to wane around three o’clock, our map coverage was only about ten percent. We could see mountains to the north from a distance, and a river flowed southward in a fox-like curve, leading to a lake downstream.
Since our pace camp was nestled between these two rivers, it would be wise to head to one of them to search for fish.
While mapping, we crossed paths with other safety areas and players, but they seemed more focused on hunting unique monsters than gathering food. I couldn’t help but worry.
“Shall we head to the river to catch some fish?” I proposed.
“Sounds good… Oh, wait a moment. I think I’m getting hungry. Let’s take a short break first,” Magi-san suggested.
I agreed, noticing my own Satiety Level was dipping. It was time for a sandwich to restore some energy.
We found a stump to use as a makeshift seat and took a break.
“Magi-san, you have food, right?”
“Yep! Here, have a bread roll.”
“How does it taste?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say it’s delicious.”
“Then would you like my sandwich?”
I asked, smiling at Magi-san’s wry expression. Not wanting to fuss with item management, I activated my Cooking Skill to transform four ingredients into ten sandwiches, which I then offered to her.
“These sandwiches look delicious! And they have a high rating. You really are different with that Sense of yours,” she complimented.
“I just cut and stacked them. Anyone could make these,” I replied modestly.
As I watched Magi-san gaze longingly at the sandwich I handed her, I took out my own.
In that moment, I felt multiple gazes upon us. I quickly stood up from the stump, scanning the area. Even with my Enhanced Vision Skill activated, the dense foliage made it hard to see everything. However, combining it with my Discovery Skill allowed me to pinpoint the source of the gazes with greater accuracy.
“What’s wrong?” Magi-san asked, noticing my tension.
“I sense something nearby.”
I focused intently on the rustling in the bushes, and soon enough, three Young Beasts emerged.
“Nyaa, nyaa!”
The three Young Beasts were eyeing our sandwiches with hungry expressions.
“Wow, we encountered Young Beasts right away! A dog, a piglet, and a bird? I need to record this! How do I do that again…?”
The round, fluffy puppy with silver fur tinged in light blue looked at our sandwiches with sparkling eyes full of anticipation.
The black piglet, with white-tipped feet, nuzzled against my legs with a sweet whimper.
Lastly, the little bird, adorned in vibrant red feathers, flapped its wings, revealing a tiny yellow beak that opened and closed eagerly, as if begging for a sandwich. It seemed unable to fly yet, hopping around with its short legs.
Faced with these adorable creatures, I found myself frozen in place.
“Yun-kun, what should we do? They really want those sandwiches,” Magi-san said, her eyes wide.
“What should we do?” I echoed, unsure.
As I moved the sandwich to the right, all three pairs of eyes followed. When I moved it to the left, they shifted their gazes accordingly. Oh no, the little kitten just toppled over!
“Well, I guess we should try giving them something.”
I tore off a piece of the sandwich and held it out in front of the three Young Beasts.
The puppy sniffed the piece first, its little nose twitching, before taking a tentative bite.
Once the first Young Beast started eating, I quickly offered more torn pieces to the others. They seemed to love the sandwiches, devouring everything I had in my hands, and even licked my fingers in search of more.
The little bird pecked at my fingers gently, while the puppy and piglet turned their attention to the sandwich Magi-san was holding.
“Hey, you three. You can’t have Magi-san’s sandwich. I still have some left for you,” I said, trying to reason with them.
“Nyaa, nyaa!” they seemed to plead, their eyes fixed on me with an understanding that tugged at my heart.
Wow, their hopeful expressions were almost too much to bear.
Calmly, I reached into my Inventory and pulled out three more sandwiches, placing them in front of the eager Young Beasts.