A few days passed in the blink of an eye.
Due to the bountiful harvest of the previous days, they had obtained enough dried fish and meat to sustain Shōgo and his companions for two weeks. In these few days, the three of them didn't go hunting but rested at the campsite to recover their strength.
Moreover, in these days, Friedrick's traps set around the camp were triggered to some extent, yielding two spotted hyenas.
Nash dealt with the hyenas' innards, preserving the meat by smoking it as a food reserve.
Though it was food, none of the three attempted it. They continued to consume dried mutton and catfish soup.
"We've barely passed two weeks, and our food should only last until the third week. We need to go hunting once more to complete the extreme challenge mission."
"Indeed, our food won't last until the mission ends. Shōgo is right. We need to go hunting again, and it would be great if we could hunt a gazelle once more. Then we can complete the mission smoothly."
"Brothers, let's go hunting today. I've been bored out of my mind."
With these final words from Friedrick, he suggested and expressed his wish to go hunting today.
Shōgo didn't respond immediately. Instead, he turned to Nash and asked.
"Nash, what do you think?"
"No problem, it's good to go out and look around. We won't have food if we don't."
"Well then, let's go!"
And so, the three of them left the campsite once again, with Friedrick bringing his fishing net. They headed toward the pond.
After several days, the once clear little pond was now half-dried, with only a bit of water left in the center and mud around it.
In the center of the pond, a large number of catfish were swimming around. Seeing this scene, Friedrick's eyes lit up.
"Brothers, do you see? Food is right ahead."
Seeing so many catfish, both Shōgo and Nash were also excited. The three of them worked together, using their hands to hold the fishing net and catching a large batch of catfish.
With the catch of catfish, their food supply was ample. Then, Shōgo came up with an idea.
"Hey, what if we build a small pond on top of this mud, toss a few catfish in, lure other animals to come for drinking or hunting, and then we can hunt them? What do you think?"
"My goodness, Shōgo, you're a genius!"
"I think we should give it a try!"
Friedrick's eyes shone brightly as he looked at Shōgo, his mind already working on how to utilize this trap to hunt larger prey.
Nash, on the other hand, seemed more rational in his response, suggesting they should try it.
So, the three of them quickly killed the catfish, dug a small hole, poured in some muddy water, threw in two small catfish, and returned to the previous thicket, waiting for their prey to take the bait.
Under the scorching sun, the three of them remained silent, staring at the area around the pond without speaking.
It wasn't until the sun started to set that, in the last three minutes before they were ready to return, a large warthog approached the pond.
Seeing the warthog, the heartbeats of the three accelerated. The experienced hunter, Friedrick, drew his bow and shot an arrow, hitting the warthog. The warthog, in intense pain, fled, leaving a trail of blood as it ran.
Twenty minutes later, guided by Nash and Shōgo, they found the warthog, and Shōgo used his spear to finish it off.
Nash opened up the carcass, removing the innards, and the two of them carried the warthog back to the pond. Along with Friedrick, who was carrying the catfish, they returned to the campsite.
With this catch, the three of them could now enjoy a worry-free, vacation-like life. With dried gazelle meat, catfish meat, and warthog meat, their days suddenly became easier.
Apart from the disturbances caused by various animals during the night, overall, life was pretty good.
Soon, the third week passed, and they entered the fourth week. Two days went by in the fourth week.
Nash, Shōgo, and Friedrick lay in the campsite, gazing at the starry sky, talking about life, careers, and women.
"Brothers, I still don't know what you do. Can I hang out with you in the future?"
"I play basketball, part of a street basketball team. We specialize in playing basketball games related to money. Mainly in the USA for now, but I plan to challenge globally."
Shōgo was a bit surprised that Nash was the one who initiated sharing his profession and plans. However, soon Nash turned the question to Shōgo.
"And you, Shōgo?"
"As for me, I'm currently a high school student. After high school, I might end up like you. But who knows, fate is unpredictable! By the way, if you come to Japan, you can find me. I'll treat you to a big meal."
"If the opportunity arises, I'll go!"
"Me too!"
After talking about themselves, Shōgo passed the conversation to Friedrick.
"What about you, my tall friend?"
"Hahaha!! Brothers, once I complete the mission, I'll have money. I'll pay off my debts and buy a big house in the countryside. I don't know what else I'll do."
The three didn't continue talking, each lost in their thoughts about their futures and prospects.
However, silence among the three didn't mean there was no one else speaking or that other creatures weren't making sounds.
"Roar!" "Roar!" "Roar!" "Roar!"
A deep voice resounded right near the campsite. The three instantly stood up, each grabbing their weapons and staring out into the pitch-black surroundings.
A pair of large eyes appeared and disappeared intermittently, reflecting a chilling light.
Without asking, without waiting, that familiar deep roar, those massive eyes, it was the same lion that had approached Shōgo and his group's campsite before.
The low roars echoed around the campsite, and Shōgo, Nash, and Friedrick remained quiet, attentively focused on the direction of the sounds, alert.
None of them dared to relax, as the massive lion, surrounded by the thorns of the campsite, made everyone unsure whether those thorns could keep the lion at bay.
Moreover, this lion might be starving, which is why it boldly risked approaching the humans who had lit the campfire.
Shōgo's guess was accurate, the lion around them hadn't eaten for over ten days, which was why it took the risk of hunting Shōgo and his companions.
The lion outside Shōgo's campsite was getting desperate due to hunger, relentlessly searching for vulnerabilities in the campsite to catch and kill them.
The low roars, the rapid breaths, the pounding heartbeats of the three, were audible in the darkness of this night, echoing in their ears.
"Thud!" "Plop!"
Suddenly, all three of them heard two unusual sounds.
Friedrick was the first to react. His voice trembled as he said, "This lion might, perhaps, have fallen into the trap I set up. It should be injured."
"Are you sure?"
"Really?"
Nash and Shōgo each asked a question, their nervousness and relief evident in their voices.
"I don't know either. We'll find out when it's dawn."
That night, the three held their weapons, facing the direction of the low roars, not letting their guard down for a moment.
Tension, darkness, fear, the unknown... Various emotions continually tested and struck the nerves of the three. Fortunately, all three of them endured it.