บท 17: Camping Trip

Shinon trudged through the dense concrete forest, his feet aching and his stomach rumbling. He had been walking for hours since he left the settlement and had no idea where he was going. But he didn't care. All he knew was that he had been cast out, and he was angry.

As he walked, Shinon thought about what had happened. The Phoenixes had judged him harshly, and Selena had abandoned him. In the strange world, he had no friends, no family, and no one to turn to. He was alone, and he had to fend for himself.

"It's not like this is the first time it has happened," Shinon mumbled, remembering the first and the last time he had entered a dungeon.

He reminisced about a past he had long since left behind. He couldn't help but think about the time he had been betrayed by his kind, left to die in a dark cave filled with monsters.

The memories were still fresh in his mind, even after all these years. He remembered the group of dungeon divers he had been a part of, all of them strong and skilled fighters.

They had entered the cave together, their weapons ready, prepared to get rid of the monsters that had taken up residence there. But then something had gone wrong.

The monsters proved much stronger than they had expected and prepared for. Without a second thought, Shinon's team abandoned him, who had been injured in their previous altercation with the beasts while saving someone.

They had left him to fend for himself, to face the monsters alone and defenceless. Shinon remembered how terrified he had been, nor had he ever felt so alone, so vulnerable.

He had expected the monsters to attack him, to tear him apart with their sharp claws and teeth. After all, it was in their nature. But they ignored him, passing him by as if he wasn't even there.

At first, Shinon had been confused. Why weren't they attacking him? But then he realised that they didn't see him as a threat. He was injured and weak, no match for even the most vulnerable monster in the cave.

And so he had survived, huddled in the corner of the cave, waiting for the rescue party to arrive. Unfortunately, while rescuing him, one of the rescuers didn't make it.

His name was Vlad, and he had a [Whisperer]'s abilities. With his powers, he could control the beasts to some extent. But why did Shinon remember so much about him?

Maybe it was survivor's guilt, or because perhaps Vlad was the reason Shinon didn't give up on trusting strangers to some extent. The trust that the Phoenixes and Selena almost broke.

"I wonder if he could control zombies as well." Shinon smiled. "That would've been a handy ability to have here."

Shinon shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the memories that threatened to overwhelm him. He had left that life behind and forged a new path for himself. And yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape the ghosts of his past... not even in the apocalyptic future.

Shinon's thoughts were interrupted by a rustling in the bushes. He drew his weapon, a sword he received from the weapon chest, ready to defend himself.

But it was just a small animal scurrying away from him. He lowered his sword and sighed. He was on edge and knew he needed to find a place to rest and regroup.

Even then, Shinon couldn't help but admire his weapon. How could he not? The sword was better than something he had ever created.

Called 'The Blade of Eternity' by the system, the sword was a thing of beauty and power. Crafted from the finest steel and imbued with magical enchantments, it glinted in the light like a diamond.

The blade was long and slender, perfectly balanced for speed and precision strikes. Its edge was honed to a razor-sharpness, capable of slicing through even the most formidable armour and flesh.

"If I had this when fighting the Bloater, the fight would have ended without complications." Shinon took a deep breath, trying to forget about what happened earlier.

Soon the cityscape was replaced by that of an overgrown park. He didn't notice the change in scenery as he left the city behind and entered the dense 'forest' on the outskirts.

The sound of his footsteps on the leaves and twigs echoed in the quiet forest, and he welcomed the solitude. The trees towered above him, their branches reaching out like fingers, creating a canopy overhead.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of calmness wash over him as he walked deeper into the woods. A small stream ran through the place, and a few fruit trees grew nearby. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Strategically speaking, there were better locations to build a camp than this one, but it was where Shinon wanted to be.

"Maybe I should give this place a trim,"

Saying so, he summoned three shadow axes to make a clearing in the middle of the forest. While the axes were occupied, Shinon went around gathering twigs.

If there was one thing that could get his mind off his anger, it was forging. And thanks to the system's reward, he got his hand on a utility set that carried everything he needed in a forge.

Thankfully, the set came with a flintstone, so Shinon didn't need to rub wood together to create a campfire, or else god knows what he would have done.

Once that was taken care of, he grabbed some scrap metal he had gathered from the factory, made himself a small jar, and scooped up some water from the stream before boiling it.

By then, the sun began to dip, and he sat by the fire, his mind wandering. He thought about his past, his present, and his future. Remembering the mistakes he had made and the lessons he had learned.

As he sat there, Shinon realised he needed to let go of his anger. It was consuming him, and it was holding him back. He needed to find a way to move on, to find a new purpose.

He also realised that he needed to find a way to improve himself to avoid making mistakes like he did with the Bloater.

But most important of it all was the need to become stronger, faster, and more skilled if he wanted to become a better survivor now that he was alone.

With those thoughts in mind, Shinon drifted off to sleep, his sword by his side and his mind at peace. He knew that tomorrow would be a new day and many new challenges, but he was ready to face whatever came his way.