I Was Kidnapped By The Strongest Guild
Chapter 160: Camping Survival

We built the shelter and set up the tent over it.

Because we worked together, we finished earlier than expected.

"Hmm..."

My arms weren't sore, and I wasn't out of breath.

Despite the hard work, I felt no discomfort, only enjoyment.

The situation was so different from what I knew that I couldn't fully enjoy it.

"Gyeoul, are you hurt?"

Yeoreum knelt to meet my eyes, her soft hands caressing my cheeks as usual.

"No, I'm not hurt at all."

"Really? Your expression didn't look good. If anything's wrong, you have to tell me, okay?"

"Yes."

My worries had caused others concern.

It wasn't right to be like this during what should be a joyful moment.

Slap, slap—

I lightly slapped my cheeks a couple of times to shake off my worries.

I decided to leave the unnecessary thoughts for later and entered the tent.

"Wow!"

Levinas ran around inside the tent.

I liked how Levinas found joy in even a simple tent.

"King! It's a secret base!"

"Yes. A really big secret base. Do you want to be the leader, Levinas?"

"No! The leader is you, King!"

Levinas refused firmly.

It was surprising that she declined a position kids would usually love.

Feeling a bit awkward, I scratched my cheek.

"Don't you want to be the leader, Levinas?"

"I do! But I like it better when you are the leader! You're the best leader, King!"

Her words always made me feel good.

My tail wagged just as it always did.

"Yes. I like you too, Levinas."

I smiled at her.

At the same time, someone tugged at my clothes.

I turned to see Saebyeok standing there with her usual blank expression.

I could tell what she wanted without her saying a word.

"I like you too, Saebyeok."

"······."

A blush spread across Saebyeok's cheeks.

Even without long conversations, I could understand her feelings.

"Kids, come outside now."

At Yeoreum's call, we went outside together.

We all took a seat in the clearing in front of the tent.

"What's up?"

"We're getting ready to eat."

"Oh...! Then I'll show you what to do."

"Okay. Is there anything special we need to prepare?"

Everyone's eyes were on me.

Even though it wasn't anything grand, I felt a sense of responsibility.

"Getting food is the most important thing when you're outside."

"Find food ourselves...?"

Jung Yu-na, who had been silently listening, looked pale.

Living a luxurious life, she wasn't used to the idea of finding food herself.

"In the wild, if you can't find food, you starve. Going without food for a day can be a big problem."

"That... um..."

Jung Yu-na seemed to want to say something but couldn't find the words.

Argo stomped the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

"Hunting! Wilderness! Boss!"

Argo, who loved the wild, was clearly excited.

Usually composed, he was now shouting words instead of forming sentences.

"Gyeoul, what do you usually find to eat?"

Squeezing her staff resting on her thigh, Jung Yu-na waited for my answer.

Levinas, watching her, moved the staff aside and sat on her thigh, looking up at me with a pure smile.

"It depends on the situation, but I usually catch minnows."

"Oh, minnows."

"Yes. And on lucky days, I find animal carcasses to eat. Like squirrels or roe deer..."

"C-carcasses?! Isn't that dangerous?"

Jung Yu-na's eyes widened.

Sophia sighed and rubbed her forehead.

A sigh escaped from somewhere.

They were obviously worried that I might have eaten spoiled carcasses.

I decided to reassure them.

"I never ate rotten carcasses. There are certain things you can eat."

"…You know how to distinguish those?"

Jung Yu-na's voice was filled with concern.

She seemed unable to accept my explanation.

"You naturally learn how to tell over time."

"Naturally..."

Jung Yu-na tightly hugged Levinas, who was sitting on her lap. She covered Levinas's long ears with her hands, then looked up at me again.

"Gyeoul."

"Yes?"

"Actually, Jinhyuk and Arin are bringing food. They'll join us later."

"Oh... I thought we had to find everything ourselves."

Camping had different levels of difficulty.

Some people bought food instead of foraging.

"We'll probably just need to light the fire and set up the table."

"Okay. But can't we use magic to start the fire?"

"Yeoreum said not to use magic while camping."

"I see."

Magic could be seen as a convenient solution.

Overusing it could spoil the camping experience and atmosphere.

"Gyeoul, do you know how to start a fire?"

"I know how to use magic to start a fire, so I didn't bring a lighter..."

"Oh dear, what should we do?"

Jung Yu-na glanced at Yeoreum.

She seemed ready to ask if they could use magic.

"I know how to start a fire without a lighter."

As long as there's friction, you can start a fire.

I'd done it a few times when the lighter fluid ran out.

"How do you start a fire without a lighter?"

"I'll show you."

I picked up a suitable branch and some dry straw.

"Are you talking about friction heat...?"

"Yes. It looks difficult, but it's actually quite simple."

Using the friction method to start a fire was primitive but effective.

Once you know how, it's surprisingly easy.

"Have you done this before?"

"Yes, a few times."

"Uh, okay... Since we're camping, this might be fun."

Jung Yu-na nodded in agreement.

Back then, it was a tough and grueling method.

Now, I felt happy that it could be helpful to everyone.

---

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Shake, Shake-

Gyeoul spun the stick using the palms of her hands.

Even the top adventurers, Yeoreum and Jung Yu-na, were surprised by her speed.

If she kept growing like this, she might surpass even the Master in terms of speed.

Those who considered themselves Gyeoul's guardians felt proud.

Everyone except the children.

Indeed, it was our Gyeoul.

That pride was short-lived.

Seeing Gyeoul looking exhausted, everyone fidgeted, clenching and unclenching their hands.

"Huff··· huff···"

Her drooping ears and tail trembled.

Still, Gyeoul kept panting as she lit the fire.

"Gye-Gyeoul, should I do it?"

Yeoreum crouched next to Gyeoul.

She didn't touch her, fearing she might interfere.

"Ju-just a little more··· this isn't about strength, it's about skill···"

"O-okay···"

Maybe we should've just used magic.

Feeling sorry, she noticed a faint joy in Gyeoul despite her exhaustion.

Starting a fire with friction heat was a useless skill in modern society.

But helping everyone with this useless skill must have made her happy.

She must've felt her life wasn't in vain.

The right thing to do now was to praise, not stop her.

"Gyeoul, you're amazing. Even we can't do this··· can you, Sophia?"

"···With this frail body, it's impossible."

"Wow, so only Gyeoul can do it?"

Yeoreum clapped her hands, praising Gyeoul.

Next to her, Jung Yu-na assisted Yeoreum.

"Knowledge like this survival skill is really essential for adventurers. Gyeoul already knows it all."

"At this rate, I should be learning from Gyeoul."

Gyeoul's ears and tail perked up at the women's praise.

She rubbed the sticks together faster and faster, until Jung Yu-na, who wasn't using magic, could no longer see her hands.

And then.

A spark ignited the dry straw.

Gyeoul carefully transferred the ember.

Whoosh-

With a few gentle breaths, the fire flared up.

She added it to the campfire she had already set up.

"Wow! King! Wow!"

"That's amazing."

Levinas hopped around, while Saebyeok lay down beside the fire like a cat.

She was on something cushion-like, so her body didn't get dirty.

"As expected of Gyeoul. A beast-kin's wild nature is unmatched."

"It's just lighting a fire with wood···"

"Don't dismiss this as trivial knowledge. Such knowledge builds up to create wildness. It's the most important virtue for a beast-kin."

"That's right! Boss!"

Gyeoul blushed at the continuous praise from Encia and Argo.

It really wasn't a big deal.

She mumbled quietly, but her tail wagged.

'Um···'

Something still felt off.

She should be exhausted after lighting the fire, but she felt energized because she was happy.

She knew the reason.

It was because her family was with her.

It was a feeling she couldn't get used to.

"Gyeoul, your expression hasn't been good for a while."

"Yes··· It feels awkward."

"What feels awkward?"

Sophia patted the seat next to her.

Gyeoul sat beside her without hesitation.

They both sat on one chair.

The space was tight, so their bodies had to touch.

"This should be a really difficult situation, but being with everyone made it fun. I understand the reason, but it's hard to accept."

"That's···"

Sophia, looking at me from a nose-touch distance, let out a small laugh.

"Sophia?"

Sophia placed her hand on her shoulder.

She quietly patted Gyeoul's shoulder.

It was a small hand, but it felt bigger than anyone else's in the world.

Gyeoul wanted to ask why, but decided to stay still for now.

She didn't want to spoil the warmth of Sophia's touch with negative emotions.

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