When I wake up, my watch reads 5 a.m. Based on the sun and moon's movements, the hours in a day in this world seem similar to Earth's.
Looking around, I see that Sophia and Yumi are still asleep. I stretch my muscles, shaking off the stiffness from sleeping on the floor, and decide to utilize this quiet moment for some inventory management. I unzip my backpack and take out my items. Before being summoned here, the destination was unknown—it could have been a freezing cold place like the North Pole, or a dangerous jungle with toxic plants and beasts. Therefore, I had prepared like a survivalist.
Holding the item list and a pen, I begin checking.
First up are my meds and first aid kit. So far, the only things I really need are my sleeping pills, hemostatic gauzes, and a small surgical kit. Being an enhanced human allows me to control and modify my pain perception at will, rendering painkillers unnecessary. Moreover, my digestive tract, respiratory system, and all of my blood vessels are coated with a super-thin bio-layer capable of neutralizing most toxins and killing harmful bacteria, so antidotes or antibiotic drugs are not required. Similarly, I don't need fever medication either since I can control my body temperature at will.
But I still need to be extremely careful. The bacteria here could be vastly different from those on Earth, and there could be new illnesses that I have never encountered before. I will probably need to research this matter further to be safe, which will require access to a library or similar resource.
Setting that aside, I move on to my next important items: weapons.
Two .50 AE custom-made Desert Eagles are always in the holster hidden around my waist, ready to be fired at any time.
But why the Desert Eagles?
The answer is simple: they are some of the most powerful handguns available on Earth.
There are downsides, though. Despite their incredible firepower, these monstrous guns have small magazine sizes and tons of recoil, making them seem like a terrible choice at first. But these drawbacks are not an issue for me. My arms are strong enough to handle the recoil, and my skills are refined enough to dual-wield them without problems. Besides, facing unknown enemies requires me to prioritize sheer firepower above all else. I will be fighting not just humans but beasts, monsters, or even demonic creatures, which only a monster of a gun will suffice.
But those are not my only weapons.
In addition to my trusty Deagles, I also carry a tranquilizer pistol loaded with neurotoxin bullets so potent that a single shot could paralyze a whale for a couple of minutes. If I encounter a monster too formidable for my regular firearms, I can immobilize or at least slow it down with ease.
Now, onto ammunition.
I have one hundred bullets for my guns in total. Some are standard rounds, some are loaded with neurotoxins. Since three were expended, there are ninety-seven left. If I want to conserve ammunition, I can rely on my trusty knife—an army-grade blade crafted from high-carbon steel. Its unassuming black matte finish belies its formidable nature; capable of slicing through most materials with ease, it's a super flexible and reliable backup in any situation.
I have also prepared emergency food. I brought with me twenty highly nutritious bars that can replace meals in case of food scarcity. Each bar contains 500 calories and 50 grams of protein, so the whole lot can last me a couple of days, buying enough time to find a new sustainable source of food. They aren't the best tasting, but their nutritional value is prioritized.
And then there is my most critical item: my phone.
Without the internet or service here, there's not much it can do. But who needs the internet when it already contains billions of gigabytes of information? It can also be a handy device to collect and store information about this world. There's no need to worry about charging it because the phone is powered by a nuclear battery, making it last thousands of years. So, basically, I will be long dead before my phone reaches the end of its life.
With that, I have everything I brought from Earth accounted for.
I proceed with my morning exercises—simple push-ups and planks—to keep myself physically sharp.
Half an hour later, I hear someone stirring awake.
"Huh? Jack? Sophia? What's happening? Where am I?"
It's Yumi. Her face holds a mix of confusion and anxiety. She must be wondering why she's in an unknown cave instead of Tokyo.
I give her a moment to calm down before explaining everything.
Surprisingly, Yumi takes it all in stride. Though she cries quite a bit, she understands that there is no reversing the summoning, no returning home. I worry she might hold resentment toward Sophia for her part in our predicament, but Yumi surprises me with her maturity.
"Like you said, Sophia was just doing her job carrying out the King's order. And it's not like being mad at her would change anything," says the teenage girl, heaving a deep sigh. "Without her, we wouldn't be able to get away."
"I'm so grateful for your understanding," I reply. "And please don't worry, I will do my best to protect you from now on. I will not let you be in such danger like that anymore."
"Yes, I believe you. Please take care of me."
"Of course."
I pat her head slightly, and she gives me a smile. Then, as Sophia wakes up, she and Yumi exchange a few words—nothing serious. Things seem to be going well between them.
"Anyways, are you guys hungry?" I ask, then share my food with both of them. As expected, Yumi doesn't like the meal-replacement bars, but Sophia is the total opposite.
"Delish! Delicious!" Sophia exclaims. "Master, this mini chocolate cake is so good! I've never had anything like that! It's bitter yet sweet at the same time. Its texture is firm and chewy. I literally cannot stop eating!"
"Haha, I see," I laugh at her child-like reaction. "But don't eat more than two if you don't want to have a stomachache!"
"What? Why? Is it poisonous? But Master just ate four!"
"Well, I'm built differently! If you don't trust me, go ahead and see!"
"Tsk!" Sophia clicks her tongue, hesitantly putting the protein bar down, visibly disappointed. Smart move. Those protein bars contain something called sugar alcohol, which can cause bloating and diarrhea if eaten excessively. Since Sophia has never eaten them before, she might not tolerate them well.
After our quick snack, Sophia finds some old hooded cloaks in the hideout, and we change into them.
"So, are we ready to go to the city?" Sophia asks.
"Yeah, let's go."
There is something very important we need to buy, and the only place where we can get them is from the black market.
"And are you sure you want to go with us instead of waiting here?" I turn and ask Yumi. "There are many people who are after us. If something bad happens, you could be in great danger."
"But if something bad happens to you, then I wouldn't be able to survive anyway."
"Haha, you have a point there."
"So please let me go with you, I promise I won't cause any trouble… And besides, I'm… I'm scared of being alone…"
"Alright," I concede. If Yumi insists, then there is no reason not to take her with us. It will even save us some time and energy, since we won't need to return to this hideout anymore.
With everything prepared, the three of us exit the cave when my clock says 8 a.m. Sophia shows us the way, and we arrive at the capital of Valeria in just three hours.