My stomach growls as I stare at the monster's corpse.
I don't even know what it's called.
It looks like a centipede covered in rock-like armor.
Stonecrawler.
That's what I'll call it. It looks like a stone that crawls.
No... I can't eat that.
I reach into my pocket.
Damn!
The last piece of bread I had is gone.
Bagsshh!
I jump in surprise as a cloud of smoke suddenly fills the area.
Shielding my eyes, I wait for the dust to settle.
When my vision clears, I see a bird-like creature pecking at the ground.
It's eating my bread.
Food...
That is my only thought.
A faint green light surrounds the nearby crushed stones as I store them inside my mental space.
Without thinking, I charge toward the bird.
As I run, I imagine the stones flying out of my storage and hurling themselves at the creature, just like the Stonecrawler and the Mine Mole did.
A stone appears in my hand, just as I intended.
But instead of shooting forward...
It simply falls to the ground.
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The creature startles and bolts away.
It runs so fast that it disappears in an instant.
"Agghhh..." My food...
At first glance, it looks like a chicken. But it isn't.
It has only a few feathers, long powerful legs, oversized feet, and a long, sharp beak.
Ravihen.
That's what I'll call it.
An idea suddenly comes to mind as I notice a tiny piece of bread still left behind.
Using my ability, I begin stacking stones together. Moving them is much easier once they're inside my mental space.
I build a simple trap.
If I make one of the supporting rocks disappear, the large boulder resting above it should come crashing down.
I practice several times until I'm confident it will work.
Then I place the bread beneath the trap and hide.
Hours pass. Nothing happens.
I satisfy my thirst with the water stored in my space.
At least I still have that.
But my hunger only grows worse, and I can feel myself getting weaker.
"Krook... krook... krook..."
The Ravihen returns.
This is what I've been waiting for.
I can't afford to fail.
Even though it's close, it approaches with extreme caution.
Luckily, my hiding place is well concealed.
Slowly, it steps toward the bread.
I wait… Patiently...
The moment it lowers its head—
I wave my hand.
One of the supporting rocks vanishes.
The massive boulder crashes down onto its back.
Boom!
"Yes..."
Success.
I cautiously approach the trapped creature.
To make sure it's dead, I drive my knife into its neck one final time.
Only then do I remove the boulder using my ability.
I begin butchering the Ravihen.
I have no idea what I'm doing.
Still, I remove its blood and organs, pluck the feathers, and cut off the head and feet.
Then I chop the meat into smaller pieces and store them inside my space.
I eat some of it raw. It smells awful, but surprisingly, it doesn't taste that bad.
I drink water after every bite to help force it down.
This should keep me alive for a few more days.
As I rest, my eyes drift toward the Stonecrawler's corpse.
Maybe...
I can still make use of it.
I begin peeling away its carapace.
It's different from what I expected.
The shell covering its head and back is incredibly hard.
Its underbelly, however, is both tough and flexible.
Inside its body is a thick, durable cord that holds its segments together.
I gather the best pieces and fashion a crude set of armor.
The flexible underbelly plates become arm guards and shin guards.
Using the creature's own cords, I stitch everything together.
Surprisingly, it's not very heavy.
Its flat, sturdy skull makes a decent small shield.
Once I'm finished, I begin walking back the way I came.
After several hours, I spot the pile of stones I had left as a marker.
When I reach the puddle, I notice it has filled with water again.
I store more of it inside my space.
I need something better than this.
I begin collecting more stones.
One by one, I stack them around the puddle, building a small reservoir.
If I'm going to survive...
I need a reliable source of water.