"Now that we're finally left alone, let's begin your survival training lessons. I'll only teach you for an hour today; you can return tomorrow with the others to learn more," the elder said.
"Yes, teacher, we'll definitely come back tomorrow," Hob and Friz said in a tired voice.
"I know you're both tired right now, but do pay attention to what I say because it may very well save your life in a critical situation. Sometimes even things we may think of as harmless can be deadly," the elder said patiently.
"Yes, teacher," Hob and Friz replied.
"The first thing I'll teach you is advice: if it is possible not to go into the wild, do not go into the wild. It's as simple as that. You can't be in danger of the wild if you aren't in the wild," the elder told Hob and Friz.
"As for the lessons, there are three essential parts of surviving in the wild. First is to know the threats, second is to know the food, and the third is where to go. If you know all three of these things, congratulations, you have a 20% higher chance of survival. But a 20% chance isn't really enough, is it? Therefore, what you have to do is master these three things as much as you can. The more you master them, the higher your chances of survival are. But always remember one thing: it is nearly impossible to have a hundred percent chance of survival unless you become omniscient," the elder explained to Hob and Friz.
"So if we master these things, we can survive almost anything?" Friz asked the elder.
"Not anything, because the truest hunters of this world do not hunt to satiate themselves; they hunt for pleasure. If you catch the eyes of one of them, you are almost certain to die. Unless you can kill them, they will continue to chase after you for days, months even, waiting until you break to satisfy their pleasure. Even coming to a safe zone won't help you because we are unable to deal with them for now, and the zones will drive you away as soon as they know you're being hunted by a true Hunter. So my only advice if you ever come to be hunted by them is to buy yourself and humanity as much time as you can by leading it away from the safe zones and dealing as much damage as you can to it before you die."
"But doesn't that mean we have no chance of survival then?" Hob asked.
"Indeed, it may seem that way. But how do you think all of you have survived this far? It is all by the sacrifices your predecessors have made in order to ensure that the Hunters have someone to entertain them, someone to hunt, thus making them less likely to attack the safe zones. But of course, we're also trying to develop methods that can kill the Hunters and send some people out there to try them on the Hunters, thus making it a positive cycle for us in which we'll eventually kill the Hunters and be free to roam the world again... Hopefully," the elder said with a hint of sorrow and longing in his voice.
"Wait, so we used to be able to roam the world freely? What was it like? What is the world outside like? Is there a lot of resources in the outside world?" Hob asked excitedly at the mention of the outside world.
"Yes, indeed we used to be able to roam the world freely a long time ago. I am one of the very few survivors that remain from back then. If not for being a mercenary with proper survival skills, I may not have survived this long. And yes, there were a lot of resources back then, so much so that we humans almost forgot that they were actually limited and fought each other for them. But enough of that; you've heard enough for now. You'll get to know more when the time comes," the elder said, smiling kindly at Hob and Friz.
"Thank you, teacher, we'll make sure to survive," Hob and Friz said resolutely.
"Now come, let me teach you the first thing in as much detail as I can," the elder said.
After that, the elder taught Hob and Friz about various threats that can kill them or cause injury, such as poisonous plants and animals, the difference between edible and non-edible plants, what parts of an animal can be eaten and which parts need some treatment or cooking before eating, which monsters roam in the area they'll be going to hunt, as well as the characteristics of various animals and their weaknesses, how to make a shelter, and how to hide your presence. The elder even taught them about how to know if you're being followed and what to do to get someone or something off your trail.
Time flew rapidly as the elder taught them one thing after another, and Hob and Friz listened attentively, afraid of missing any important details.
"Also, always try to end the hunt without appearing in front of your prey and end it as quickly as possible because in the wild, you never know what might be watching you. So being quick and staying on the move is the best way to survive and accomplish your hunt," the old man said, ending the lesson for today.
"Yes, teacher, we'll definitely keep this in mind," Hob and Friz said respectfully.
Hob and Friz were in awe of the knowledge the old man had. In just an hour, the old man had taught them so much that it was enough to put together a book on how to know what threats can be around in the wild. Yet the old man did not show even the slightest hint of pride; if anything, he even looked like he was ashamed that his knowledge was not enough yet and was eager to know more about the world and its dangers.
Soon, Hob and Friz left the training facility after saying goodbye to the elder man and went back to their own room to read more about the monsters in the monster booklet they had gotten the other day.