The first thing Hiro noticed as he stirred awake was the gentle swaying of branches overhead. He blinked, adjusting to the dim morning light filtering through the canopy, and that was when he saw them.

  All around the clearing, monkeys were strung up in silk hammocks, their limbs dangling limply as they snored softly, swaying slightly in the morning breeze. Hiro sat up, rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn’t imagining things.

  From the edge of the clearing, Yamiha perched atop a tree root, lifting one of her eight legs in a crisp salute.

  Hiro sighed, shaking his head as he stretched. “Well, I guess this is why ‘secure the camp’ was on the list.”

  He pushed himself to his feet, retrieving his instruction sheet for the day. The tasks remained simir to the first day—maintain the camp, ensure safety, gather food—but now, a new directive had been added.

  Build up a food supply to st at least a week.

  He noted the line underneath. “Direct interaction with your summons is now encouraged. Use this time to build synergy and efficiency.”

  Hiro rolled his shoulders, already feeling better about this. The previous day had been a mess of miscommunications and differing survival instincts. Now, at least, he could properly work with Chūta and Yamiha to refine their techniques.

  With that in mind, he formed a hand seal and summoned Chūta. The small squirrel nded lightly on the ground before stretching and blinking up at Hiro, his eyes still heavy with sleep. Then, he froze, his tiny nose twitching as he scanned the clearing. His eyes widened as he finally noticed the silken-strung monkeys swaying all around them.

  Chūta let out a loud chirp of arm and immediately scrambled up onto Hiro’s shoulder.

  Hiro patted his head reassuringly. “Rex. That was Yamiha’s work. Apparently, we had some uninvited guests st night.”

  Chūta’s tail flicked, and he let out an unimpressed chittering noise. Yamiha, as always, remained perfectly pleased with herself.

  With the morning light casting long shadows, Hiro turned to the next task: improving the shelter.

  Hiro reinforced the frame using thicker branches, ensuring it wouldn’t colpse under heavy wind or rain.Yamiha wove silk into the structure, creating a waterproof yer over the top.Chūta tested its durability, leaping onto it to make sure it held steady.It was a vast improvement over the haphazard pile of leaves Hiro had spped together the night before. Now, it actually felt like a proper shelter.

  With their home secure, they moved on to the next task: hunting.

  Hiro took a step back, letting his summons take the lead. They had struggled with food gathering the previous day, but now he could actively guide them.

  Yamiha spun out tripwires of webbing between dense brush, setting up carefully concealed traps.Chūta used his wind bdes to drive prey into the snares.Once an animal was caught, Chūta would deliver a finishing blow, swiftly and humanely.By midday, they had managed to catch several rabbits and rge birds, a vast improvement over yesterday’s sad collection of seeds and insects.

  Hiro, still limiting himself from directly assisting in combat, focused on other foraging efforts, carefully storing his finds within his Summoner Storage. With each new item he registered, he was able to activate his tracker vision to quickly locate additional quantities, making the process far more efficient than simple searching.

  He scoured the area for rare herbs, identifying several medicinal pnts he hadn’t seen near his home, and immediately stored them away in his Summoner Storage to preserve their potency.He found uncommon insects that could be useful for future concoctions, ensuring they remained fresh by pcing them within his Summoner Storage.He carefully harvested wild mushrooms, recalling Kaya’s lessons on which were safe to eat, before sealing them away in his Summoner Storage for ter use.As the sun began its slow descent, Hiro sat near the fire, working on preserving their food supply.

  He skinned and cleaned the game.He set up racks of meat to smoke over the fire, ensuring their food would st longer.He carefully stored excess herbs, sealing them in woven leaves to keep them fresh.The air filled with the rich scent of slow-roasting meat, blending with the crispness of the evening wind. For the first time since this challenge started, Hiro felt like they were truly thriving. He was thankful for the survival skills his mother had taught him.

  As he read over the day’s final instructions, Hiro noticed one st note at the bottom of the page.

  “Your food supply levels will be checked in the morning. Ensure you have an adequate amount.”

  Hiro tapped the paper thoughtfully. If they were checking their supply, that likely meant another test was coming.

  He had slept through the st raid thanks to Yamiha’s natural instincts, but there was no guarantee that tonight’s attackers wouldn’t adjust their tactics.

  Hiro turned to Chūta, who was happily nibbling on a piece of roasted meat. “You should head home early tonight,” he said, reaching out to pet the squirrel’s head. “But be ready. If anything happens, I might need to summon you back.”

  Chūta chirped in response, nudging Hiro’s hand before vanishing in a soft puff of smoke.

  Yamiha, still perched nearby, watched the exchange before turning her gaze toward the darkening treetops, her legs flexing in anticipation. She could sense it just as well as Hiro could.

  Something was coming.

  As Hiro settled down inside the shelter, he exhaled slowly, feeling the warmth of the fire against his skin.

  Tomorrow morning would bring its own challenges. But first, he had to survive the night.

  And this time, he would be ready.