Living like cavemen had been an eye-opening experience.But they were starting to get tired of using leaves as toilet paper.
Over these past ten days, they'd been lucky: no poisonous meals, no fatal diarrhea.A real achievement, considering their diet consisted almost entirely of frogs and crickets.
They were exhausted. The insect-and-amphibian menu was getting monotonous.Something they never thought they'd say, but… they craved vegetables.Something green. Anything.
Sadly, even though Joshua was a trained chef and knew tons of edible plants,none of the flora in this forest resembled anything he recognized.Not a single one.
Now that he thought about it…Weren't the frogs and crickets larger than usual?Some frogs even had horns.Maybe they were just bullfrogs?
Maybe.
Maybe they weren't in a forest near the city.Or near their country.Or even… in their world at all.
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They hadn't walked much these past few days.They couldn't help it—sedentary lifestyles don't mix well with hiking.If they weren't lazy, they wouldn't have been so fat to begin with.
The stream nearby gave them water.And frogs.And crickets were always close—probably thanks to the moisture.
They had spent the last three days camping near that spot.They'd explored a bit, but always came back.
Samuel thought that wasn't very productive. Especially after hearing his brother's theory:If they were in another world, they should be looking for other humans.He didn't want to end up as dragon food.
In secret, he even tried whispering "System" or "Fire Bolt."Sadly, other than losing some dignity, nothing happened.
Joshua had started preparing supplies.He found some sharp, black stones—obsidian, flint, or something like that.With the right break, they were razor-sharp.
Using them, he was able to slice frog meat thin enough to dry under the sun.
After a couple of days, they had frog jerky and roasted crickets.They also filled their bottles with as much boiled water as they could.
And then, they set off again.This time, further.
Joshua looked back at the stream with some affection.They might never return.Either they'd find a settlement... or become dragon poop.
With that motivation in mind, day twelve began.
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Becoming a pair of lost explorers again wasn't ideal.So they started marking trees to avoid walking in circles.
Even though their stomachs protested, they began eating less.The frog meat wouldn't last forever, and they didn't have a backpack or even a bag to carry things.
Samuel started complaining.Joshua seriously considered using him as bait to catch a tiger.
Maybe driven by sheer annoyance, Joshua remembered a video about how to make a primitive backpack using sticks and plant fibers—like vines or braided long leaves.
The first attempt was a disaster.It fell apart in seconds.
The third one was better. Ugly, but usable. He gave it to his brother.
The fifth?That one turned out great—so he kept it for himself.
Proud of his new gear, Joshua began collecting everything that looked interesting...
Which led to him carrying way too much and suffering for it.
Samuel laughed and walked ahead.
Joshua responded with a middle finger.
Moments later, Samuel came running back—
He had found a path.