1-4. Abandoned Village, Skill and Lost Child
"Hello, Suzuki’s here. It’s so lonely, I may die of loneliness."
I truly, genuinely want a companion.
After reaching the highway, I got lost on the route; it’s been 7 days since then and I still haven’t reached a human habitat.
Speaking of which, somehow I got these skills : [Sprint], [3 Dimensional Maneuver], [Jump], [Sing], [Camping] and [Washing].
However, those skills remain grey because I haven’t allocated any points to them.
I seemed to have learned [Sprint][3D Maneuver] and [Jump] after the second meteor shower, but overlooked it due to the confusion.
When I was playing around with the gun, the map got in the way so I changed it and the log to icon view, then I noticed something. From the log it’s written as place with bed and canopy but...
Isn’t that a camping ground? I retorted myself.
◇
Onto 8th day, I finally found a village-like place on the wide area map.
I sprinted to the village. However there’s no presence of people according to the map. I wonder if they’re taking refuge or got destroyed. No, they should’ve gone back if they were taking refuge, since it’s been one week.
Before long I reached the junction road heading to the village.
There stood a crude guidepost on the roadside. A 1.5 meter commonly made stick nailed to the ground. The destination is written with something like ink.
"I can’t read it..."
Something is written there, but I can’t read it at all. At least, it’s different from all the languages I recognize from the real world. In fact it looks like some sort of fictional writing from a game.
I keep the map on maximum magnification, showing wide area.
While feeling slightly irritated for not being able to read the long awaited clue, I hit the junction on the map. There’s no actual meaning to this action, but this time it seems to be a bull’s eye.
"’Welcome to Enikei Village’,’Seryu City 32Km’,’Until Kazo Kingdom 105Km’; I can read it! ...Or rather, it’s in Japanese!"
Pop up displays pile up above the map, each written in Japanese. Is this an effect of All Map Exploration? Cheers for opportunism.
For the time being, Seryuu City seems to be the closest from here, but it’s too plain.
After all this time, let’s go to the village first. I know that there’s no one there, but I feel like I’m losing if I head straight on!
There might be some hidden quests there! If this is my dream, there must be one!!!
The village comes into view on the other side of the field in just about 5 minutes. Between the narrow street extends fields that looks like they have been abandoned for about a year. It’s a world of weeds.
Even from a distance, I can distinguish that many house look burnt down. Every house has one thing in common; the roof is completely burned down.
Judging from the position it seems to be a "Village Abandoned by the Attack of the Dragons".
There are no bones lying around, but many things like harvest baskets, wooden hoes and various farming tools are scattered around as if they were left behind in hurry.
As I stared at the tools lying around, though it’s too exaggerated to call it a revelation, I got a little idea.
"If I got washing skill from doing laundry. Maybe I’ll get something if I dig some farm land?"
I took the hoe and dug the farmland with it.
>[Cultivation Skill Acquired]
>[Farming Skill Acquired]
It appeared on the log as expected. Though I didn’t expect cultivation to pop up.
In order to get better, I’ll try many other things.
Suddenly, I pluck what appears to be a vegetable peeping out between the weeds.
>[Harvest Skill Acquired]
It’s a bit fun.
Even so, it’s easy mode, eh?
Come to think of it, what is this vegetable? Is it spinach, komatsuna?
I stared at it and AR message saying "Hisaya Grass, leaf vegetables. It’s seldom eaten raw, usually processed as condiment or pickles." popped up on over the vegetables.
Yep, it’s convenient alright. Seems like this is a different function than the map search.
Incidentally, I tried pulling out weeds.
>[Weeding Skill Acquired]
I didn’t cut it, I just pulled it.
I went into something that looks like a windbreak, I take out an ax and chop down a suitable tree.
>[Lumbering Skill Acquired]
I wonder what next? I feel like trying some ideas.
I write a mathematical formula on the ground with the hoe.
『1+1=2』, there.
>[Arithmetic Skill Acquired]
Fumu, if this is OK then 『E=mc²』
>[Lost Knowledge Skill Acquired]
The famous theory of relativity is a lost knowledge?
I’d rather get a flying skill or some such...
This time I’m writing some random characters in Japanese.
>[Painting Skill Acquired]
Painter-san would be mad.
Next I wrote ○× alternatively which made it looks like a children’s play.
>[Game Skill Acquired]
Is anything fine?
I begin trying one thing after another.
I tried shaving the burned wood on the back of a house with knife in the shape of a stick.
>[Carpenter Skill Acquired]
>[Weapon Creation Skill Acquired]
In addition, I wrap the stick with a leather I took out of the storage.
>[Leather Craft Skill Acquired]
Making a makeshift broom I sweep it under my foot.
>[Cleaning Skill Acquired]
I’m running out of material. When I tried to find more I discovered a cemetery with a native god shrine.
Since I grew up in the countryside, I inadvertently join hands as if praying for my grandmother.
I offered some jerky and poured some sake cup.
>[Prayer Skill Acquired]
>[Title: Devout Believer Acquired]
Umu, I didn’t intend to get a skill but...
The material is dry already, I began to get tired of the skill acquiring, let’s get out of the village.
It’s sunset just as I depart on the highway.
I’m walking toward Seryuu City, according to the guidepost. After accustoming my eyes under the moonlight, in the dark, I sprint down the highway.
When it’s near dawn, the wide area map showed the whole Seryuu City. Of course, unlike Enikei Village it has a lot of people.
"Finally, finally civilization~~~"
I cry while trembling with expectation of finally talking with people.
....This is such a long dream. Don’t you think so?