Chapter 356: [Day 2 Of Being Stranded]

"…Sunlight.

So it’s morning… finally."

I saw a faint ray of light filtering through the trees, and I nearly burst into tears.

The night had been that terrifying, always brushing against death.

I think it was the first time in my life I truly experienced total darkness.

No artificial lights, no moonlight—only the glow of my smartphone.

"I was scared, in pain, and exhausted…"

I couldn't help but voice my weakness.

Hugging my knees, I curled up, shivering.

An unfamiliar environment, forced to stay constantly alert.

I couldn't get any proper rest, and in just one day, I was already drained.

"Any moment… I could’ve been killed."

The fear clinging to my body refused to go away.

Thankfully, the wild animals had disappeared with the night.

But once night falls again…

I don't know how long they'll keep "waiting."

"Humans are so weak, aren't we?"

Survival of the fittest—that was the one absolute rule in this vast wilderness.

And without a doubt, we were the weak ones.

I tightened my grip, hearing the faint click of metal in my hand.

A handgun was in my grasp.

"If only it were me, not her, who got hurt so badly."

I had borrowed the gun from the female Secret Service agent as a good luck charm.

But from experience, I knew I couldn’t handle it properly.

If it were humans I was dealing with, just holding it might have been enough to intimidate them.

But that logic doesn’t apply in the wild.

They say the most dangerous creature is man—what a joke.

In this situation, there were things far more terrifying than humans. I’d come to realize that painfully.

***

"…So hot."

The midday tropical rainforest was like a sauna.

The unforgiving heat was steadily sapping our strength.

When we crashed yesterday, it must have already been past its peak.

But today’s heat was beyond comparison—it was like a living hell.

"Cough cough… I’m so thirsty."

My head throbbed.

Not from the gash on my forehead—it was deeper, inside.

This might be the early signs of dehydration.

Then I noticed the bottle of Dedecamin in my field of vision.

"!?"

Before I knew it, I grabbed it desperately.

With trembling hands, I tried to twist the cap, but my grip lacked strength.

"Damn it, why won't it open!? Come on!"

Just then, I heard the female agent groan, and I froze.

Startled, I let go of the bottle like it was on fire.

"What the hell am I doing!? Get it together!"

I was losing not only my thoughts but my sense of reason.

If it was this bad for me, it had to be worse for her.

I couldn’t afford to drink the precious fluids.

Besides, the bottle was nearly empty anyway…

"This can’t go on. We’ll waste away at this rate."

I forced my exhausted body to stand, staggering on my feet.

I had to find some source of hydration.

That was the only conclusion my hazy mind could reach.

Leaning against trees, I began wandering through the forest.

"At least… it was good that I stuck with those workout sessions, huh?"

I had kept up with fitness games—

Or rather, I had been under such close watch that skipping wasn’t an option.

Thanks to that, I might have built just a bit of endurance.

Otherwise, I’d have given up long ago.

It felt like my life was barely hanging on by a thread, thanks to them.

"Everyone was so pushy back then…"

Random thoughts like that drifted through my mind.

But sadly, none of those thoughts offered any real solution.

Looking back, I’d realize hours later that my mind had just been muddled from exhaustion.

***

“——”

In the end, I found myself back where I started.

I no longer had the strength to speak.

Sure, talking out loud helps organize thoughts.

Normally, it’s an effective method.

But now, I couldn’t afford to lose even the water vapor that escaped from my mouth.

(Not that I can think straight in this situation anyway.)

I searched around, but I couldn’t find any fruits or vines that might provide water.

Maybe I just didn’t know what to look for.

And I couldn’t stay away from the agent for too long.

I needed to tend to her regularly. And more than anything…

(…That was close.)

Wandering through the forest in my state was reckless.

Not only had I almost injured myself further from a fall,

but I had also nearly gotten lost and failed to make it back.

My ability to make rational decisions was slipping away.

(All I found was this useless rock?)

Leaning against the trunk of a tree, I gazed absentmindedly at the stone I’d picked up.

I couldn’t remember where I’d heard it, but someone had once said:

"Suck on a rock, and it’ll make you salivate, tricking you into feeling less thirsty."

It was just a placebo, though.

(…I’m done.)

I let myself collapse onto the ground.

Wandering had only wasted more energy.

I couldn’t even stay upright anymore.

As my face neared the earth, the overwhelming smell of grass and soil filled my lungs.

It was a stifling, nauseating scent.

(When will they come to save us?)

The rescue was taking far too long.

I fumbled for my smartphone and checked the time.

It had already been over 24 hours since I woke up in this forest.