Since he hadn’t discovered Iron Ore yet, the iron smelting achievement would be difficult to accomplish in the short term.
Natsuyu had made all necessary preparations and was in peak condition; now he could start arming his team.
Natsuyu set aside the newly crafted Stone Axe and Stone Pickaxe, pulled out some Cut Grass and Twigs, and crafted another [Simple Backpack].
Yukino curiously picked up the heavy, nearly one-meter-long Stone Axe, swinging it slowly.
Because it was heavy, her slender arms strained from the effort, her expression dead serious.
Natsuyu carried the second [Simple Backpack] over to Yukino:
“This backpack is for you.
Take this Stone Axe as your self-defense weapon.”
Seeing the backpack, Yukino immediately put down the heavy axe and pointed at herself in surprise:
“Can I also use this kind of magical spatial backpack?”
“I made it specifically for you, so give it a try.”
Those words sounded almost magical.
Yukino instinctively picked up the backpack, eagerly stuffing the Stone Axe inside.
Discovering that it fitted perfectly, a look of pure delight bloomed on her cute face.
Next, Yukino focused her mind, putting the Stone Axe into the backpack and taking it out again several times, playing with it like a little girl who had just received a shiny new toy, overjoyed.
Natsuyu gathered nearby resources, stopping only after both his and Yukino’s backpacks were completely filled to capacity.
Resource summary:
Natsuyu’s Backpack: Stone Block x40, Log x20, Twig x40, Cut Grass x40, Stone Crafting Table x2, Stone Axe x2, Stone Pickaxe x1, Stone Block x40.
(He confirmed that Crafting Tables could indeed stack!).
Yukino’s Backpack: Nearly identical resources, except instead of Crafting Tables, she carried a Wooden Axe.
The weight of the Stone Axe was still a bit too heavy for a slender girl like Yukino.
Extra low-durability equipment was immediately discarded by Natsuyu—a habit he built during his MC days.
When resources were abundant, low-durability tools were just inventory clutter.
The two set off on their exploration journey again.
Yukino slung the [Simple Backpack] over one shoulder, acting nonchalant as she glanced at Natsuyu, asking softly:
“How do you summon items out of your backpack from a distance?”
While asking, she even reached out her slender hand and made a grasping gesture in the air, imagining herself picking up items telekinetically—looking adorably naive.
(This was a classic case of expectation vs.
reality).
With a single thought, Natsuyu could instantly materialize items from his backpack.
Yukino couldn’t do that; she had to physically reach her hand inside the bag and think about what she wanted—an extra, slightly clunky step.
Natsuyu suspected it was tied to his system cheat slots, but he didn’t want to overexplain, so he spread his hands:
“I’m not entirely sure either.”
Yukino nodded, moving her backpack to the front of her chest for easier access.
Her large eyes stared closely at Natsuyu as she parted her lips slightly: This story is hosted at novelping.com.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Natsuyu waved it off.
To stabilize the troubled girl’s emotions and ensure she felt valued in the group, he deliberately said in a warm voice:
“We’re friends, after all.
It’s only natural that I share good things with you.”
Yukino pursed her lips and stayed silent—a tacit acceptance of this friendship.
‘Friends…’
‘Natsuyu-kun is my ONLY friend.’
Yukino’s feelings were complex; she couldn’t say she was ecstatic, and it felt slightly awkward—as if her long-held solitary personal space was suddenly invaded by Natsuyu.
Yet she couldn’t deny the cozy feeling of drawing closer to someone.
Wait…
Yukino suddenly remembered something, her eyes widening slightly.
She had no friends, and her social circle consisted almost entirely of her family.
Doesn’t that mean that, outside of her blood relatives, Natsuyu had become the CLOSEST person to her in the entire world?!
In fact, it wasn’t just among members of the opposite sex—even if you counted women, Natsuyu was still the single closest person to her!
‘This friendship formed way too fast!’
Yukino muttered in her mind, feeling increasingly flustered and awkward.
However, she couldn’t bring herself to reject Natsuyu’s friendship—she wasn’t emotionally oblivious, nor was she willing to push away this sudden warmth.
Yukino glanced at Natsuyu, seeing him focused on the path ahead, seemingly completely unaware that he had just become her #1 closest person outside her family.
Regarding this slightly ambiguous status, she let out a small sigh of relief.
‘Let me just pretend nothing happened…’
“Yukinoshita-san, do you think Emma and the others will find a water source?”
Natsuyu initiated conversation.
‘Why do you call me Yukinoshita, but call her Emma…
Wait, what am I even thinking?!’
Yukino hurriedly twirled the tips of her hair with her fingers, looking down at the ground as she said nonchalantly:
“Hard to say.
The direction they took doesn’t look like a forest.
Don’t place too much hope on them; our chances of finding water here are much higher.”
Natsuyu said softly:
“Then let me lead us deeper in.
If we run into wild monsters or really can’t find water, we’ll turn back and regroup with Emma and the others.”
“Alright.
Natsuyu-kun, you can do it too—”
Why did you stop mid-sentence?”
Facing Natsuyu’s confused gaze, Yukino’s sharp mind spun rapidly as she forced an elegant smile:
“I meant, when we get back, you should craft spatial backpacks for Emma and Kushida too, so our team can gather even more resources.”
Natsuyu nodded in agreement:
“I think so too.
I won’t play favorites—everyone gets a backpack.”
Yukino let out a silent sigh.
She was beginning to accept that Natsuyu was her ONLY friend, but she was NOT Natsuyu’s only friend.
After all, to him, she was probably just an ordinary teammate.
Yukino twirled her hair even harder, suddenly feeling a sharp sting on her scalp.
Looking at the two long black strands of hair she accidentally yanked out, she felt once again that this friendship was far too rushed!
For Yukino Yukinoshita—who had been an overachieving perfectionist since childhood, striving to surpass her older sister Haruno…
In a bond like friendship, which she had never possessed before and thus cared about deeply…
No, it actually bothered her quite a bit…
it was somewhat unacceptable if she was left behind by other women in Natsuyu’s eyes!
‘But this is purely driven by my competitive nature!
It has absolutely NOTHING to do with any romantic feelings!’
Natsuyu suddenly spoke:
“Yukinoshita-san, I really appreciate your understanding regarding my ability spells.
Remember to help me keep it a secret.”
“Mm-hmm.”
(At least you have some self-awareness.)
Yukino’s thin lips curved upward slightly as she replied softly:
“I accept your thanks.”
…
They had clearly agreed to search for water.
They had clearly agreed to retreat immediately if they encountered a monster.
Everything was planned for maximum safety.
So why…
did things end up like THIS?!
The crystal-clear, slow-flowing river water washed over smooth river pebbles, and the rich black soil along the banks was nourished by moisture.
Natsuyu and Yukino stood almost shoulder-to-shoulder behind a large rock outcropping—one tall, one slender—peeking their heads out to stare at the opposite riverbank.
Suspended between three massive oak trees was a gigantic, pure-white silk cocoon!