After teaching Evelyn a few basic but extremely important signs, Michael starts to integrate her into his home. Evelyn quickly realizes that Michael might be a perfectionist. The more Michael showed Evelyn his home, the more she thought that Michael prepared for almost everything.
Predators showing up to attack their home, Michael prepared fences and traps.
Are these enough to hold off that dragon-like creature?
Food shortage? Michael already has a stock of dried meat and fish. He has already planted some form of maize, at least according to him. He also regularly fishes some of the serpents in the waterfall’s pool but their meat is a bit tough so he only does so as a last resort.
How did Michael find corn? Wait, it only looks like corn but it’s slightly different. Are there already domesticated plants here? I’ll ask Michael later.
The elevator breaks down and suddenly falls? Michael installed a manual break which could be used to stop the elevator.
He’s very… meticulous.
In the case that a human shows up? Michael created a small room inside the cave which could house another person. Evelyn was given this room the day Michael brought her here.
At least… I don’t have to sleep with him… He’s surprisingly considerate.
Despite being given a room, Evelyn felt uncomfortable. She was in a completely new environment without the luxuries of modern living. She could tell that Micahel did his best to replicate some of those luxuries but he lacked the tools or machinery to do that.
Evelyn’s first night passed with her being unable to sleep well. Eventually, the sun was up and Evelyn stared painfully at the small hole carved into the cave, resembling a makeshift window.
I barely slept but why don’t I feel tired?
Standing up, Evelyn started to stretch. Once again, she felt immense strength course through her veins. It didn’t take long for her barely rested body to operate at maximum capacity.
I feel so strong… I wonder if Michael is like this as well?
Moving inside her room, Evelyn did punches and kicks, with each strike delivering an immense amount of force. While she didn’t hit anything solid, Evelyn knew from a glance that she could knock out most of the male athletes she knew from her previous life.
I feel great!
Feeling pumped, Evelyn wore the leafy clothes Michael gave her. She adjusts it a bit so it doesn’t fall off. After that, she opens her door, and sunlight spills into her room.
The first thing she sees is Michael preparing to go down the elevator with Bob.
Are they going out? Without me?
“WAIT!”
Michael stops and looks at Evelyn. He looked a bit perplexed seeing Evelyn run towards him. Then he remembers that there was another human being living with him. When Evelyn reaches him, she immediately speaks.
“Where are you going?!”
Now that they’re in the safety of his well-fortified home, Michael studied Evelyn. She seemed tense. It was as if she was itching for something to do.
+I’m going to hunt.+
“Hunt?”
Michael nods. He’s glad that Evelyn quickly understood the sign that he taught her yesterday. Thinking, Evelyn immediately replies.
“Can I come with?”
Seeing Evelyn’s excitement, Michael shrugged.
+Okay, you can come but you need to ______ my ________.+
Evelyn's face scrunched up in confusion.
“Uhhh, I don’t know what some of those meant.”
Michael frowns which causes Evelyn to frown as well.
“This is gonna be harder than I thought.”
Michael nods in agreement.
+Let’s go.+
“Even if I can’t understand all of your words?”
+_______ makes _______.+
“I barely understood any of that.”
Michael shakes his head.
+Let’s go.+
“Okay!”
That conversation was a few days ago.
Currently, Evelyn was hidden in the tall grass. She was observing an animal. Michael called them carabiche. The carabiche were like deer except they had an exoskeleton. Due to having an exoskeleton, their insides lacked any bones and were filled with meat and organs. Michael told Evelyn that he liked hunting them because it was easy to clean them and their exoskeleton and antlers were useful.
They’re kind of gross though. They look like giant ants but with antlers and four legs.
Looking around, Evelyn sees Michael hiding in the distance. According to him, this was her training. After all, Evelyn’s first day was nothing but a horrible experience. Due to their language barrier, Michael couldn’t properly command Evelyn. It didn’t help that Michael was used to hunting alone.
Today, Michael wanted Evelyn to learn how to hunt on her own. This was preparation for situations in which Michael couldn’t hunt or was incapacitated or worse, dead. He wanted her to be self-sufficient.
He’s crazy.
Evelyn gripped the spear in her hands. She felt its familiar wooden shaft. After their disastrous first day, Michael immediately created a schedule for them to follow. Evelyn felt like she was being coached again, except that her coach is a monstrous superhuman that can do a standing vertical jump that reaches 7 feet and a running long jump that reaches 8.5 feet.
Will I become that strong as well?
When questioned about it, Michael reassured Evelyn that the reason he’s that strong was not due to drugs or similar substances but rather, the rules of the world. Michael told Evelyn that those rules applied to her too.
Eventually, Evelyn saw Michael signal her.
Enough thinking.
Evelyn skulked forward. The carabiche was still unaware of her. These past few days, Michael trained Evelyn so that her movement barely disturbed the foliage around her. It didn’t take long for her to become good at it.
Closer.
As she got closer to the carabiche, Evelyn remembered Michael telling her about the animal. The carabiche’s exoskeleton was tough but not unbreakable. According to Michael, its evolution wasn’t complete, and only certain parts of its evolved carapace were tough while certain parts were soft.
The back of its ankles. Heh… who knew that deers didn’t have knees.
~Rustle~
Shit.
The carabiche looks around as it hears the sound of foliage moving. Its eyes connect with Evelyn’s eyes.
Evelyn was as still as a statue. The moment she moved, the carabiche would run.
But she couldn’t just stay there so she moved.
Then it ran.
Dammit!
Evelyn started to run after the carabiche but its four legs gave it the speed that Evelyn cannot hope to match, at least not yet.
The carabiche was heavier than a deer but their exoskeletons provided them great strength. It traded off speed for endurance and strength.
Evelyn, with all of her current strength, could only hope to reach a maximum of 25 to 26 kilometers per hour, maybe 28 on a very good day. The carabiche ran at an average of 35 to 40 kilometers per hour.
No!
Evelyn slowly felt the gap between them widen.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
No!
Seeing the carabiche slowly escape from her, Evelyn felt angry but most of all disappointed. Then she felt someone run beside her and quickly surpass her. Turning to look at the creature that ran past her, Evelyn sees Michael run forward. Bob was hanging onto his back with all his might. If Bob wasn’t careful, he would fall off.
So fast…
Within seconds, Michael has caught up with the carabiche. Using his strong body and momentum, he tackles it.
Evelyn watches as Michael’s powerful body tenses when it hits the carabiche. The carabiche’s body seems to shake from the impact and it falls to the ground thrashing.
Michael held it down but he felt his strength losing to the larger animal. After all, the creature was physically stronger than him.
Bob stood on Michael’s shoulder and quickly waved his hands towards Evelyn.
Evelyn never stopped running but she pushed herself.
She came right in time as the carabiche almost got out of Michael’s hold.
Evelyn puts down the spear and pulls out her bone dagger.
She immediately stabs the carabice at a lighter-colored carapace on its chest. The carapace resists but after exerting more force, Evelyn pierces it. The carabiche struggles more but Michael has already managed to fully restrain it.
Blood starts to spurt out of the hole, covering both Evelyn and Michael.
The carabiche’s struggling becomes weaker as Evelyn drives the knife deeper into its body. Eventually, it stops.
Evelyn sighs as she falls to the ground, bloody and tired. Chuckling, she sits up.
“Sorry, I made a mistake… Is it always this hard?”
Michael lets go of the dead animal. He looks at her.
+Not always. But… there are ____ that it is ____ than usual.+
“I didn’t understand two of those signs but I assume it is hard… Also, you’re so fast…”
Michael nods.
+Thank you.+
The two rest for a bit but they prepare to dismember and clean the carabiche.
With a knife in hand, the two hunters carefully remove the carapace. They do their best to ensure that the tough parts of the carapace stays intact.
Slowly, the two hunters are left with nothing but meat and guts. Bob helps the two of them by taking the guts and cleaning them.
+Thank you, Bob.+
“Yes, thank you, Bob.”
Bob signs back his appreciation as he puts all the guts in a small fur bag after removing the detritus inside them.
“What’s the use of the guts again?”
+String. We’ll be ____ it for string.+
“Ah… yes… Ummm why? Can’t we just use fiber?”
+____ is tougher.+
“String? You used another sign.”
Michael thinks. He uses the knife and writes on the ground.
“Catgut? What’s that?”
+Catgut is a type of string created from processed guts.+
Evelyn nods. She finds it weird that Michael has access to so much information. He introduced himself before as a librarian but it felt that he knew way too much.
How can he know so much?
“Hey.”
Michael stops cutting meat for a bit and he looks at Evelyn.
+Yeah?+
“Well, how do you know so much?”
Michael stops for a bit.
+I told you, I’m a librarian.+
“Hmmm, that doesn’t explain it.”
Michael shrugs.
+It’s my gift.+
“What?!”
Bob makes a shushing sound and Evelyn covers her mouth.
+Sorry, Bob.+
Bob shrugs as he accepts Evelyn’s apology.
“Your gift is the ability to learn anything?”
Michael shrugs.
“That’s such a powerful gift.”
Evelyn resisted the urge to scream.
+Your gift is more practical.+
“But my gift can’t make elevators, learn to plant or carve fences. In the long run, you are far more useful.”
+Not useful if you’re ____. I spent a ____ afraid and scared of the monsters in this world. Even the smallest animal could kill me with ______+
Michael continued carving the animal into smaller and more manageable parts.
“I guess that is true… but if we survive long enough… won’t your skills outshine mine?”
Michael smiles.
+Then make sure to protect me okay?+
Evelyn smirks.
“I’ll do my best.”
Michael nods. Bob nods as well. Evelyn chuckles and she nods as well.
Then the three worked in silence.
It wasn’t long and the three finished processing the carabiche. They removed all the useless parts and stowed away all the important ones.
Looking up, Evelyn notices that it was afternoon.
“It’s afternoon, let’s go home?”
Michael nods.
While walking home, Michael reminded Evelyn of the rules.
“Yes yes, any engagement must end with death, or else a dangerous evolution might occur which will bite our ass in the future.”
+Yes. What’s a superspecies then?+
“It’s a creature you deem to have evolved in a way that makes it extremely dangerous. If put in our previous world, it would not only upset the ecology but completely destroy it.”
Michael nods.
While walking, Evelyn uses a clean fur rag to wipe the blood off her tools.
Michael does the same. Bob helps Michael by keeping watch while on his shoulder.
When they reach the river, Michael takes out a few chunks of carabiche meat and throws them at the river. Noticing this, Evelyn asks about it.
“What’s that for?”
Michael stops throwing meat for a bit which causes some serpents to pop their head out of the water. They wait expectantly and stare staring straight at Michael.
+An __________+
“Yeah, still getting used to this.”
Evelyn makes a circle sign which indicates their interaction. Michael takes out his dagger and kneels to write on the ground.
+It means E X P E R I M E N T+
“Ahhh, an experiment?”
Evelyn repeats the movement. Bob mimics it as well which causes Michael to smirk.
“Wait, what’s the experiment for then?”
Michael throws a piece of meat at the waiting serpents.
+Not sure yet but I’ll tell you when I figure it out.+
Evelyn watches as the serpents devour the meat greedily. Bob goes to Michael’s hip pouch and takes out a piece of meat. He throws it at a serpent as well.
Bob celebrates as a serpent devours the meat.
Michael rubs Bob’s head.
+Let’s go home.+
Evelyn nods.
The three of them continue to follow the river. After eating their fill, the serpents eventually leave Michael and Evelyn.
Evelyn was silent while Bob was checking to see if Michael had ticks. Unfortunately, Michael prioritized hygiene the moment he learned how to make soap. Bob hated baths but Michael explained to him that they would smell like family, so Bob regularly took baths.
Evelyn was also very fond of baths but she had a hard time finding privacy. She knew that Michael had an insane hearing range and could probably see through walls.
Maybe the last part isn’t true but it doesn’t make him any less crazy when compared to other humans. I’m weak compared to him and I’m confident that I can out-bench male Olympic athletes.
Eventually, they see the bottom of the waterfall. Michael throws meat in the center basin which is quickly devoured by the serpents.
Evelyn carries her haul towards the elevator.
“Come on, let’s go. I want to take a bath already.”
Bob makes a noise and goes to the elevator. He jumps up and down in excitement.
Michael shakes his head in amusement. He quickly feeds the serpents and he goes towards the elevator.
The elevator was still manually powered but with the two of them, moving up wasn’t really a problem. While slowly going up, Evelyn looks at Michael.
“Ummm, can I ask a question?”
Michael nods.
“So… we have a shared bath, the one where we store boiled water, right?”
Michael nods again.
“Soooo, I was thinking… How difficult would it be if I created another bath? At the edge of the waterfall? So you know, I have a nice view while I bathe.”
Michael doesn’t stop pulling the pulley.
“Ummm? Michael?”
Then they reach the top.
Once Michael lets go of the pulley, he can finally reply with his hands.
+It depends. How private do you want it to be?+
Evelyn blushes a bit when she realizes that Michael knows her intentions.
“Well um… thick walls would be nice?”
+Okay. I can’t use stone yet. I’ve been learning to make cement or something similar. I want to make tough walls.+
“Are you learning it with your gift?”
Michael nods.
“What are you learning now?”
+Well, I’m trying to learn how to forge… Although, it’s far more complicated than I expected. Movies and books make it too easy.+
“True. Movies do that a lot. Also, forging? I assume it’s for tools?”
+Yes. We need better ____+
“I’m gonna assume that last part was tools.”
Michael nods.
“So, are you gonna prepare the meat, guts, and tools?”
Michael tilts his head. He realizes that Evelyn wants to bathe.
He nods.
Evelyn beams as she walks away with a skip in her step.
Bob signs to Michael.
+What's wrong with Evelyn?+
Michael replies to Bob.
+There’s nothing wrong with her. Everyone loves baths.+
+Bath make family?+
Michael smiles and he nods.
+Yes, it makes us smell like family.+
+Is she family?+
+Hmmm… I guess she is. She has to stay here or she might get hurt.+
Bob frowns.
+No, me protect family.+
Michael pats Bob’s head.
+I need to teach you better grammar.+
+Teach me what?+
+Nothing.+
Michael and Bob go toward a large log table that’s leaning on a stone wall. Michael pulls out his stone knife and puts the meat bag by the side. He looks at the top corner and removes the woven basket hanging from a small stick that was pinned on the wall.
Michael frowns as he realizes that he’s almost out of salt.
Bob climbs on Michael’s shoulder and he almost puts his hand in the salt basket but Michael lightly taps his hand.
+We’re almost out of salt.+
+Salt gone? Salt yummy+
+Yes, salt makes the food delicious.+
+What do?+
Michael frowns.
+I’ll need to go underground again.+
Michael remembers going underground to look for salt brine. He unconsciously touches his chest. The wound has healed but he still felt a form of phantom pain.
Michael sighs.
Bob sees that and asks.
+Problem? Sigh is problem?+
+No, it is not a problem. I just don’t like the caves. I haven’t evolved to survive in those conditions.+
+Then no go cave. Salt not yummy.+
Michael smiles but he remembers the first time Bob ate his salted meat. The little rascal loved it so much that whenever he opened the salt basket he tried to take a taste.
+It will be fine. Who knows. I might develop night vision.+
Bob tilts his head. He didn’t know what night vision meant. Michael didn’t bother answering him.
Michael and Bob continued to work silently as they prepared their tools and evening meal.
Evelyn was alone in the bath. It was a small pool of water that was connected to the river. Fortunately, serpents belonged to the bottom of the waterfalls and there weren’t any on top of the waterfalls. In addition, there was a large wooden tub nearby that Michael created for her a few days ago. It was new and could fit a person inside it. Near the wooden tub, Evelyn could see a large rock basin.
Evelyn smiles as she observes the rock basin, which was used to boil water.
“It’s impressive that he made that… He used the waterfall and smaller rocks. Again… impressive.”
Evelyn enjoyed the natural bath and used the heated water to wash off any of her remaining filth. She made sure to use the soap that Michael provided. It didn’t feel smooth or similar to her soap in her previous life but at least she felt clean. She was lucky. If Michael wasn’t here, she would probably be full of grime and unwashed filth.
After bathing and cleaning, Evelyn dries herself. According to Michael, she should throw away the dirty water. With only the two of them, they would not be able to produce enough waste that would impact the environment.
If more people came, they might have to change the way they act but for now, it’s fine.
Ugh… so much blood. I’m used to sweat and grime but the blood is still new.
Evelyn cleans the bath and wears her clothes. During their hunts in the past few days, Evelyn demanded fur clothing. While the leaves camouflaged them, it was irritating and not nice to wear. Michael eventually took her to hunt large furry animals. After a painstakingly long hunting day, Michael finally comes home with a large amount of fur.
Evelyn would have helped but she didn’t know how to sew or prepare fur. Michael spent the next day cleaning and preparing the fur then using his other tools, he created Evelyn’s fur clothes.
I only have one set of clothes but beggars can’t be choosers.
Evelyn goes out of the bath. She silently thanks Michael since he created some form of dividers through the use of string and leaves.
Opening the divider, she sees Michael slowly approach the bathing area.
“Hey, I’m done. Thanks for your hard work.”
Michael nods.
+You should rest. We’ll talk later.+
Evelyn nods.
Yeah, some rest would be nice.
Once inside the warm cave, Evelyn goes to her room. She lies on her bed and waits for Michael.
I wonder… What will we hunt tomorrow?
It didn’t take long and Evelyn heard Michael’s tapping on the other side of her door.
Ah, he’s quick.
Evelyn stands up and goes to her door.
“Michael?”
Opening it, she sees Michael who signs toward her.
+Come, let’s eat dinner. I have something to tell you.+
Evelyn felt a bit weirded out by that but she followed.
Once seated at their stone table, they start to eat. Their dinner was a collection of fruit, mushrooms, vegetables, and dried meat.
If one compares the evolved fruit of Teremarae to the domesticated fruit of Earth, their nutrition values are very different. The evolved fruit also did more things than just fill their eaters.
The other portions of food on their plates were equally nutritious. The meat of the evolved creatures is very efficient due to how their bodies work.
Halfway through his plate, Michael looks at Evelyn. Evelyn looks up.
“Yeah? Something on my face?”
+No, nothing. I was just going to tell you that I will be leaving tomorrow. And I won’t be bringing you with me.+
“Huh?!”