Chapter 3: Building Rafts and Breaking Dreams
In the forest of an uninhabited island...
Mio was carefully searching for suitable vines, while Warwick, his newly "cultivated" companion, followed close behind with a blank, honest expression—like a big, simple-minded kid.
Although Warwick was a gene fusion of Dire Wolf, Berserker, and Mondo, when it came to intelligence, he seemed to have inherited the most from Mondo. He wasn't exactly dumb—but definitely not sharp either. Like a child, he could follow basic commands, especially when it involved fighting or smashing things, but anything more complex? Not a chance.
Earlier, Mio had asked him to keep an eye out for large, sturdy trees that could be used to build a raft. Then he began looking around himself. When he turned to check on Warwick's progress, he found the guy squatting on the ground, drawing circles in the dirt with a stick, a big dopey smile plastered on his face.
Mio slapped a hand to his face in despair. "This system doesn't just train creatures—I've got to teach them everything too. Can't even leave them alone for five minutes..."
Resigned to his fate, Mio started a hands-on tutorial.
"Look closely. The tall, thick trees—those are the big ones we want. The short, skinny ones next to them? Those are small trees. Got it?"
"Warwick knows. Warwick learned it," Warwick replied seriously, nodding like a student in class. His expression was innocent, but paired with his wolfish face and sharp fangs, it looked more terrifying than sincere.
"Alright, good. Then let's keep going." Mio gave a small nod of approval and moved on, feeling a bit more hopeful.
The two of them wandered the outer edge of the forest, careful not to venture too deep. Along the way, they found several trees that seemed suitable for a raft. Mio wasn't a boatwright by any stretch, but on an uninhabited island, waiting to be rescued wasn't an option. A simple raft would have to do. Plus, he was getting hungry.
It was a good chance to look for some fruit—or better yet, rabbits or wild animals to roast.