On the third day of summer vacation, Shōgo boarded a flight to Africa with a farewell from his older brother, Shōten.
At Japan's Narita Airport, Shōgo boarded a plane for a long journey. The first destination was Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. From there, he would transfer to Kenya and enter the area near the Kenyan Mountain National Park for wilderness survival in an extreme environment.
In this extreme environment, Shōgo had to survive for a month. This area was said to be a paradise for lions, leopards, hippos, antelopes, hyenas, zebras, baboons, and more; a forbidden land for humans.
As Shōgo's plane touched down, he saw the organizers who had come to welcome him, as well as his two future teammates.
One was Friedrick Schneider from Germany, and the other was a figure Shōgo hadn't anticipated; Nash Gold Jr. from the United States.
It was unexpected, very unexpected. Among the trio for the wilderness survival challenge, was Nash from the United States. He was indeed no ordinary person.
"Hello! I'm Shōgo. Nice to meet you. You can call me Shōgo!"
"Hello, I'm Friedrick Schneider. Just call me Friedrick."
"Hey there, I'm Nash Gold Jr. Call me Nash."
Both of these individuals were tall and robust, each standing over 190 centimeters. Since Shōgo was around 190 centimeters tall himself, Nash and Friedrick seemed to be of similar height, with Friedrick being even taller at around 210 centimeters.
The three of them arrived at the designated hotel provided by the organizers. As per their request, they underwent a series of medical examinations and vaccinations.
Three days later, after their final meal, Shōgo, Nash, and Friedrick discussed their weapon choices and then got into an off-road vehicle.
Rules for the wilderness survival challenge:
1. Each challenger can choose a cold weapon.
2. Challengers must live in the designated area for a month without any supplies.
3. The organizers provide three items for daily use, which the challengers can choose and combine freely.
4. The organizers have an emergency medical team for support. If a challenger receives support, they forfeit the challenge.
...
Reading through the dense rules manual in the vehicle and signing their names at the end, Shōgo suggested, "You two can choose first, and then I'll add my choice."
Both Nash and Friedrick agreed. Nash began making his selection.
"I'll take a machete and a firestarter. I'm pretty good with these."
Friedrick, on the other hand, picked up a large bow and lazily said, "Here you go, archery is my specialty. And I'll also take a fishing net. Trust me, I can turn it into a versatile tool."
After Nash and Friedrick had made their choices, Shōgo picked up his chosen items as well.
"I'll go with a double-bladed spear and this large pot. I think we can't do without it for water and food."
With nods from Nash and Friedrick, they found that this was the best combination.
With their equipment ready, the organizers provided each of them with a signal flare. Once this was done, there was no more preparation, the three of them were dropped off in the wilderness.
To be honest, the conditions provided by the organizers were already favorable; they had weapons, tools, and three men. It wasn't like some extreme reality shows that demanded participants to survive naked. At the very least, Shōgo, Nash, and Friedrick were each wearing a short-sleeved shirt, long pants, and hiking boots.
Shōgo and Nash glanced at each other, silently acknowledging each other's presence. They looked around, their eyes meeting the horizon as the sunset.
"So, what should we do now?"
"..."
"..."
After a moment of silence, Shōgo spoke up, "Let's find a safe place to set up camp. This area is home to lions, leopards, and other predators."
"Right, let's find a safe campsite. And the sun is scorching right now. We need to stay hydrated."
"Agreed!"
With unanimous agreement, they set out to find a suitable spot for their camp. Having weapons in hand made them feel more secure, and their courage was bolstered, none of them felt fear or panic.
Soon, near a thicket of low bushes, they found a suitable place.
There was a massive baobab tree that could provide shelter, and it was also one of the water sources. Many similar baobab trees surrounded the area, making it perfect for building a camp.
Without hesitation, they set to work. Nash, armed with a machete, began cutting down larger thorns and arranging them in a circle to form a protective barrier around the camp. The thorns would make the African savanna safer during the night.
Shōgo's task was to collect dry wood for the fire and ensure the fire remained lit. This required a significant number of matches, as the fire needed to burn for over 10 hours.
Friedrick, on the other hand, had Shōgo's large pot and his fishing net. He took the initiative to go hunting.
His version of hunting was fishing. Armed with the fishing net, Friedrick was confident he could provide food.
Collecting wood in Africa was an exhausting and risky task. One had to be cautious of sharp thorns, scorpions lurking everywhere, and even black mambas hidden among decaying wood.
As he collected wood, Shōgo was extremely cautious. He waved his spear around wherever he went, attempting to scare off any potential threats.
He didn't want to encounter a black mamba in this place. Black mambas were terrifying creatures, and Shōgo was genuinely afraid of snakes and similar animals.
Fortunately, Shōgo managed to collect enough wood without encountering any danger.
When he returned to the campsite, Nash had already completed the thorn barrier. It formed a circle that was large enough for all three of them to rest within.
Looking at the thorn barrier around the camp, Shōgo and Nash began building a canopy for shade and shelter from the sun.
By the time they finished setting up, the sun was casting a red hue across the horizon. However, there was still no sign of Friedrick.
"Nash, do you think Friedrick will be alright on the first day? The sun is about to set, and the savanna can be quite dangerous at night."
"Let's wait. He has a signal flare with him. If he's in danger, he should use it. Plus, the organizers have people stationed far from us."
"Damn it, he took the pot with him. Otherwise, we could've boiled some water to quench our thirst."
"We are getting a bit thirsty."
As Shōgo and Nash erected the canopy in their thorn-protected campsite, Friedrick returned with a pot filled with water and fish.
"Hey! Check out my haul. Enough to last us a week."
Seeing the dozen or so large catfish in the pot, Shōgo was pleased. But Nash was even more direct as he began preparing to cook the fish.
Shōgo took the pot, allowing the water to settle, and then he filtered out the impurities. He placed it over the fire to boil.