Surviving the Milky Way: An Elite Dangerous Survival Diary – Day 3: Courier by Necessity, Profit by Accident

Day 3 – Courier by Necessity, Profit by Accident

“These are the voyages of Commander Incognito aboard the Rustbucket: navigating suns like they’re magnets, fumbling through manual landings, and somehow turning courier work into profit.”

Starting the Day with Fines

I logged back in and spent five minutes fighting menus, only to uncover the cruel truth: I’d had the cargo all along. Victory, right? Not quite. Because right as that sunk in, I noticed the timer — less than 20 minutes to make 23 jumps.

That mission was doomed before it began, but at least the game let me embarrass myself thoroughly before I abandoned it. So, I dumped the job, paid off my fines (no further comment), and went back into the station to try again.

Switching Careers: From Hauler to Courier

The new plan: data deliveries. No cargo racks, no depot shenanigans, just flying from system to system like a slightly confused interstellar postman.

My route looked clean on paper:

  • Popovich Hub — Col 285 Sector ED-K a38-5
  • Sarrantonio Settlement — Crucis 6
  • Ramasawany Point — Borrelai

Point A → B → C. A straight line, if space ever did such a thing.

Popovich Hub: Fire and Buttons

The Rustbucket left dock, and within minutes I was already sweating. Not from nerves, but from the fact that I skimmed a star so closely I practically gave it a hug. Heat alarms screamed, hull integrity plummeted, and I managed to cook the ship down to 35%.

When I limped into Popovich Hub, I discovered the docking computer was broken. Which meant one thing: manual docking. Five minutes of pushing buttons like a toddler in an elevator followed. Somehow, miraculously, I found the landing pad, dropped the ship without exploding, and paid for repairs. Reward collected. One down.

Sarrantonio Settlement: Suspiciously Normal

After the chaos of Popovich, I braced myself for disaster. Maybe pirates. Maybe another accidental sun-kiss. Instead, I cruised in smoothly, docked without issue, handed over the data, and got paid.

It was so uneventful I didn’t trust it. The silence was suspicious. But I wasn’t about to complain. Two down.

Ramasawany Point: Racing the Clock

The Borrelai system greeted me with a challenge: deliver the last data within 40 minutes for a bonus. Easy enough, provided I could stop trying to barbecue the Rustbucket every other jump.

The first fuel scoop went beautifully, textbook even. The second? Straight back into star-hugging territory. Balance, apparently, is important.

By the time I approached Ramasawany Point, I was certain pirates would interdict me just to ruin my day. But nothing happened. No drama. I docked, handed over the data, and collected the bonus. Repairs covered, credits gained, and — for the first time — I ended a day in profit.

Nightfall in the Rustbucket

Docked safely, hull patched, fines cleared (for now), I stared out of the station’s viewport at the glowing sun that had nearly cooked me twice. Data couriering isn’t glamorous, but at least it pays, and I didn’t manage to set anything else on fire.

Not freezing, not starving, not bankrupt, and still flying: in Elite Dangerous, that’s about as close to a victory lap as I’m likely to get.

Day 3 Pro Tips (Switch Edition)

  • When the HUD says “align with space vector,” stop panicking and throttle down first.
  • Manual docking is survivable. Just breathe. And trust the radar.
  • Fuel scooping is a fine art. Pretend the sun is hot soup: too close, you burn; too far, you starve.
  • Courier missions are calmer than hauling — fewer explosions, less shame.
  • Fines multiply if you ignore them. Trust me.
Continue the journey:
Day 2 | Day 3 (You Are Here) | Day 4

Snowrunner Survival: The Permagear Diaries – Day Eight: Flips, Fuel, and a Double Rescue Mission

Red goes rogue in Smithville Dam, flipping twice while chasing a Watchtower. Frank clears a blocked road, performs a double rescue, secures an engine upgrade, then hauls fuel back to Black River to set up tomorrow’s delivery for “The Essentials.”

📜 Series Hub: SnowRunner Survival: The Permagear Diaries Main Hub

🛠 Rules: SnowRunner Permagear Rules

💡 Why Permagear Works: Read the reasoning behind the challenge

Missed Day Seven? Find it here.


🛣️ Crossing the Dam (and the Line)

With most of Black River mapped and missions cleared, I decide it’s time to see what Smithville Dam has to offer. Red’s fired up and we set “The Essentials” as the main task — one item in Smithville, the rest in Black River. Easy on paper. Reality had other plans.

🚧 First Roadblock: Literal Roadblock

After finding the Smithville garage, I immediately hit a blocked road needing Service Parts. Luckily, there’s a depot basically around the corner. I pencil that in for after I grab the nearby Watchtower.

🔄 Red Goes Rogue (Twice)

I point Red up the Watchtower track and—whoops—he flips onto his side. Full turtle. There’s only one truck for this kind of drama: Frank.

I transport Frank into Smithville, pick up the Service Parts, clear the roadblock, and roll out to rescue Red. Frank rights him like the dependable legend he is… and Red immediately repays the kindness by rolling over again. Cue rescue mission #2. Frank handles it without breaking a sweat.

🔍 Watchtower Found, Upgrade Secured

With Red back on his wheels (twice), we nab the Watchtower and ping a nearby upgrade: an engine that fits both Red and Scout. Whether it’s actually better is a question for the next garage visit — I’ll compare stats when we’re back under a roof.

⛽ Frank Hauls, Like a Pro

While Red takes a breather, Frank gets back to business. He grabs Fuel for “The Essentials,” hauls it over to Black River, and calls it a night — textbook veteran move.

📅 Tomorrow’s Mission

Fuel staged, Frank is ready to finish “The Essentials” delivery tomorrow. Red? He’s on probation until he proves he can stay upright for more than ten minutes.


Want more SnowRunner? Day 9 link coming soon.

SnowRunner Survival: The Permagear Diaries – Day Seven: Mud, Bridges, and Big Dreams


“Sometimes the smallest truck has the biggest heart. And sometimes, Red gets new shoes.”

📜 Series Hub: SnowRunner Survival: The Permagear Diaries Main Hub

🛠 Rules: SnowRunner Permagear Rules

💡 Why Permagear Works: Read the reasoning behind the challenge

Missed Day Six? Find it here.


🛣️ Exploring With Red (and Just a Little Jealousy)

With Pipe Dreams in the rear-view mirror, it’s a well-earned day off for Frank. Today? It’s all about Red. He’s got the boundless energy of a puppy on caffeine and the mud-crawling tenacity of… well, a Scout who’s tired of being second-best.

The target? The wooden bridge task. Along the way, I spot a trailer Red thinks he can handle. He can’t. But you’ve got to admire the ambition.

We reach the bridge and, of course, it needs wooden planks. Frank’s domain. But Red’s not done—he also picks up a SnowRunner throttle upgrade (one for himself and one for Scout). Naturally, Red gets the install. Scout remains benched.

🌊 Mud Wrestling and Watchtower Glory

Tempted to spoil Red with more upgrades, I decide to hold off. Then he earns them. Charging through deep mud and water, Red smashes through the terrain to grab another Watchtower like a tiny, determined hero.

Back to the garage we go—Red gets a roof rack for longer hauls and, most importantly, a tyre upgrade. That’s right: better grip, less slipping, and maximum mud-mashing potential. Watch out, Frank.

🪵 Frank Does What Frank Does Best

Now it’s Frank’s turn. Time to deliver those wooden planks and make that bridge a reality. He follows the same route Red scouted earlier, proving why he’s still the heavy-lifting king.

  • Bridge? Built.
  • Frank? Effective as ever.
  • Red? Flexing in the garage.
  • Scout? Still patiently waiting for relevance.

📍 Next Stop: Smithville Dam

Black River is slowly bending to our will, and tomorrow we head deeper into Michigan—straight into Smithville Dam. There will be mud. There will be breakdowns. But Red’s got new tyres, and morale is high.

🛞 Team Status Update

  • Red: Roof rack, throttle upgrade, fresh set of tyres. Officially a mud-slaying menace.
  • Frank: Old reliable. Still gets the job done. Probably feeling a little upstaged.
  • Scout: Collecting dust. One day, Scout. One day.

📸 Coming Soon

  • Red showing off the new tyres.
  • Watchtower victory shot.
  • Frank delivering planks like a pro.

Want more SnowRunner? Day 8 link coming soon.

Snowrunner Survival: The Permagear Diaries – Day Six


Frank earns his stripes. And then some.

📜 Series Hub: SnowRunner Survival: The Permagear Diaries Main Hub

🛠 Rules: SnowRunner Permagear Rules

💡 Why Permagear Works: Read the reasoning behind the challenge

Missed Day Five? Find it here.


🛠️ Pipe Dreams and Permadeath Nightmares

It’s Day 6, and I decide it’s time to tackle Pipe Dream—a task that demands the delivery of three items, one of which is a heavy fuel semi-trailer. That’s the heaviest thing I’ve hauled to date, and I’m not about to go in blind.

So, I hop into Red to scout the route. Unfortunately, coming down from the Watchtower, Red seems to channel Scout’s spirit. And by that, I mean he flips. Again. Thankfully, nothing too serious—just a bit of an involuntary nap on his side before getting back on track.

After giving the route a once-over, I park Red somewhere out of the way but within reach. Just in case.


🦾 Frank the Certified Beast

Next up, I jump into Frank and take him back to the garage to slap on the Saddle High. With that done, it’s off to retrieve the trailer.

Now, this is the moment Frank becomes “Certified Beast.”
On nothing but his starter wheels, AWD, and diff lock, he hauls that massive trailer from the fuel station to the factory without complaint. One minor reverse maneuver was all it took to get around a tricky bit—otherwise, he made it look easy.


🧱 Bricks, Beams, and Boulder Brawls

With the big job done, the rest felt like a cool-down lap. Bricks? Metal beams? No problem.

Except… Frank met his match today. And no, not in the form of water or mud—stones.
Big ones. The kind that wedge themselves under your bumper and whisper, “You’re not going anywhere, mate.”
More than once, I thought I was going to need Red to bail him out. But each time, it was just a matter of nudging past a rock or repositioning. Still, it’s clear: if I want to take Frank into deeper terrain—especially water—I need to raise his suspension and upgrade those tyres.


🔧 What’s Next?

With Pipe Dream in the rear-view mirror, I took a look at the map. Most remaining tasks are on other maps, but there’s still a wooden bridge in Black River that needs some attention.

That’s a job for tomorrow.

Today belongs to Frank.
He’s earned a break—and maybe a reward. Or at the very least, a long-overdue tyre upgrade.


Want more SnowRunner? Day 7 link coming soon.

Customloper Diaries – Day 7: Bow Before the Blizzard

Customloper Diaries – Day 7: Bow Before the Blizzard

Weather: Clear start → freezing winds → blizzard
Loot Highlights: Survival Bow, cooking pot, skillet
Mood: Excited → frozen → grateful to still have toes

◀ Customloper Diaries – Day 6: Blizzard Send-Off, Ptarmigan Detour, and the Great Cooking Pot Tragedy  | 
What is Customloper?

Morning Discoveries: Max’s Last Stand

Today’s goal was simple: reach the Camp Office without becoming a wolf’s breakfast. That’s really the only bar for success these days. On the way, I spotted one of The Long Dark’s most reliable signals that something is worth investigating: birds circling in the sky, waiting patiently for either my demise or someone else’s.

Luck was on my side for once — it wasn’t my turn. At Max’s Last Stand, a corpse lay frozen in place, and right beside it sat the holy grail of early-game weaponry: a Survival Bow. I snatched it up with the speed and enthusiasm of a raccoon finding a half-eaten cheeseburger.

All I needed now were arrows. With them, I could finally graduate from “rock-throwing medieval PE teacher” to “slightly competent hunter.”

Deadfall + Hypothermia = Great Life Choices

Feeling pretty pleased with myself, I decided to swing by the Deadfall area. That’s when my overconfidence caught up with me. The temperature dropped faster than my optimism during an Interloper run, and I was soon staring at the dreaded red text: Hypothermia.

I lit a fire in the nearby stove, boiled some water, and cooked… something. I’d like to say it was a hearty stew, but given my supplies, it was probably just porridge or whatever counted as “hot food” in my pack. Once I had a bit of warmth and hydration, I grabbed a torch from the fire and pressed on toward my main goal.

Lesson learned: Interloper weather waits for no one, especially those who think they can “just pop over” somewhere.

Camp Office and Instant Regret

The rest of the walk to Camp Office was blissfully uneventful — a rare thing in Mystery Lake. Inside, I scored a skillet and cooking pot. Not exactly a rifle or a quiver of arrows, but after yesterday’s cooking pot debacle, I wasn’t about to complain.

Then I made the fatal mistake: I decided to “just explore the area” before settling in. First came the snow. Then came the blizzard. In minutes, visibility dropped to “guess and hope” territory. Navigation became a mix of scent, instinct, and blind luck.

Somehow — and I truly do not know how — I managed to stagger back to the Camp Office without being eaten, freezing to death, or wandering onto thin ice. The blizzard roared outside as I slammed the door shut, my heart still hammering.

Evening Wrap-Up

Back inside, I set about cooking more porridge, boiling as much water as I could, and letting my core temperature crawl back to something survivable. The bow was now mine. The arrows? Still a distant dream. But tomorrow, I’d change that.

Tomorrow’s Goal

Find arrows. Or a rifle. Or, failing that, a pointy stick and a really bad attitude.

Continue the Journey

◀ Customloper Diaries – Day 6: Blizzard Send-Off, Ptarmigan Detour, and the Great Cooking Pot Tragedy
Customloper Diaries – Day 8 ▶

Snowrunner Survival: The Permagear Diaries – Day Five


Frank puts in a full shift as Road Block and Wet Harvest get cleared in Black River. Red gets a look at the map, and we hit Rank 4.

📜 Series Hub: SnowRunner Survival: The Permagear Diaries Main Hub

🛠 Rules: SnowRunner Permagear Rules

💡 Why Permagear Works: Read the reasoning behind the challenge

Missed Day Four? Find it here.


A Day in the Life of Frank

We begin the day staring down a literal Road Block. It wants two service parts from the warehouse. No problem. This is Frank’s moment. The Fleestar rolls out, collects the goods, and delivers them without so much as a grumble. Road cleared. Mission done. Easy.

With the path open, Red (our sprightly little Scout 800) heads out and uncovers another Watchtower. A little more map, a little more potential chaos.


Wet Harvest, Maximum Effort

With more of the map visible, I queue up Wet Harvest. It’s a multi-stage farm delivery run—only one truck is suited to the task. You guessed it: Frank is back in action.

First stop, the warehouse. We grab some bricks and discover they also stock metal beams—very handy intel for future tasks. Bricks get dropped off at the farm without incident.

Frank heads home for a well-earned breather, some repairs, and a small upgrade: a raised exhaust pipe. It’s not glamorous, but it keeps the engine breathing when the terrain gets swampy.


Wood, Metal, and a Promotion

Next, we’re off to the lumber mill for wood. Frank makes the pickup and hauls it straight back to the farm. No drama. Just dependable grunt work.

Finally, we collect metal beams from the warehouse. One last delivery and the Wet Harvest task is officially in the rear-view mirror.

And with that, we hit Rank 4. Not bad for a day’s work. Frank’s still in one piece, Red’s scouting strong, and the map keeps growing.


🎯 Task Summary:

✅ Road Block – 2x Service Parts delivered

Wet Harvest – Bricks, Wood, and Metal Beams delivered to the farm

📍New Watchtower discovered


🛠 Fleet Update:

Frank (Fleestar 2070A) – Now with a raised exhaust. Still the MVP.

Red (Scout 800) – Cleared the fog and didn’t flip once. Proud of them.


🆙 Rank Up!

We’ve hit Rank 4. A few more levels and we can start unlocking better upgrades, which will come in handy when the terrain stops playing nice.


Want more SnowRunner? Day 6 link coming soon.

Customloper Diaries – Day 6: Blizzard Send-Off, Ptarmigan Detour, and the Great Cooking Pot Tragedy

Customloper Diaries – Day 6: Blizzard Send-Off, Ptarmigan Detour, and the Great Cooking Pot Tragedy

Weather: Blizzard → calm → chilly dusk
Loot Highlights: Maple syrup, ptarmigan, teas
Mood: Mildly triumphant, then deeply betrayed by my own memory

◀ Customloper Diaries – Day 5: Moose Standoff, Bullet Disappointment, and Frostbite Gordon Ramsay  | 
What is Customloper?

Mountain Town Farewell Tour

The plan was simple: head for Mystery Lake. Naturally, The Long Dark decided my departure needed to be as unpleasant as possible. I stepped outside, full of optimism and travel plans… straight into a wall of snow. The blizzard hit so hard I half-expected the wind to demand my boarding pass.

Not keen on becoming a frozen cautionary tale before I even left Milton, I retreated back inside. While the storm roared outside, I repaired my climbing socks — because if I’m going to dangle from a rope over a death drop, my feet should at least be comfortable.

When the snowstorm finally lost interest in my destruction, I made a quick supply drop at my blizzard cache in Milton Park: food, flares, and a little hope for future me. If my track record says anything, future me will absolutely need them.

En route, I spotted a couple of ptarmigans. One made a clean getaway, but the second wasn’t so lucky — a quick stun and scoop secured dinner. My frame rate then staged its own protest against survival, solved with the ancient ritual of a one-hour nap and a full restart.

A Quick Rope-Climbing PSA

For anyone following along at home:
1. Over your carry weight? You’re not climbing.
2. Too tired? You won’t make it far before the rope wins.
3. Both? Prepare for a long fall and a high hospital bill (if hospitals still existed).

The climb up was almost suspiciously smooth. No wolves lurking at the bottom, no moose guarding the top. Just crisp air, creaking rope, and the growing certainty that something unpleasant was saving itself for later.

At the top, my guy was winded but not dying — a personal best. It was a short slog to the transition cave, where I took one last look at Mountain Town and stepped into the dark unknown.

Cave Navigation Pro Tip

Pick a wall — left or right — and stick to it the entire way. You’ll either find the exit or discover you’ve been walking in circles for hours. Either way, you’ll feel like a pro.

The cave was mercifully straightforward. I found a pre-built campfire setup and used it as an excuse for a much-needed coffee break. The simple act of brewing coffee pushed my Cooking skill to Level 2: Novice — still a long way from “Chef,” but I’ll take it.

With caffeine restored, I pressed on until daylight spilled through the cave mouth. Welcome to Mystery Lake.

Mystery Lake: The Training Wheels Region (With Wolves)

The Hunt for a Rifle… and a Cooking Pot

The sun was already sliding toward the horizon, so I aimed straight for Trapper’s Cabin. First thing I checked: the rifle rack. Empty. The loot gods remain cruel.

The safe offered a small consolation prize in the form of maple syrup — proof that at least one deity in this frozen world still cares about my morale.

Finally, I harvested the ptarmigan… and immediately remembered that every single one of my cooking pots was still back in Milton. All of them. My dreams of a hearty stew crumbled faster than my willpower in a wolf chase.

Instead, I brewed a round of reishi and rose hip teas, boiled water, and contemplated the life choices that had brought me to “hot leaf juice” as my primary meal. The only upside? I now have a reason to return to Milton, assuming I survive long enough.

Day 6 Summary

  • Location: Mountain Town → Mystery Lake
  • Finds: Maple syrup, ptarmigan
  • Wildlife Watch: Ptarmigan spotted and secured
  • Conditions: Blizzard start, calm finish
  • Status: Alive, caffeinated, cookware-less

Continue the Journey

◀ Customloper Diaries – Day 5: Moose Standoff, Bullet Disappointment, and Frostbite Gordon Ramsay
Customloper Diaries – Day 7 ▶

Sunburnt & Sinking – A Stranded Deep Survival Diary: Day Three

Sunburnt & Sinking: A Stranded Deep Survival Diary – Day 3

Difficulty: Normal
Optional Features: Permadeath enabled (naturally)

“Hydration success, culinary failure, and the return of a long-lost knife.”

Weather / Loot / Mood

  • Weather: Warm morning sun, light breeze, suspiciously perfect for false optimism
  • Loot: Cloth (from mystery container), water still, refined knife (found in sand), shattered coconut dreams
  • Mood: Parched → euphoric → regretful → betrayed

Water Still Victory

I woke with a tongue like sandpaper and the hydration levels of a sun-bleached raisin. Today’s mission was clear: build a water still. The problem? I had no cloth — or at least, that’s what I believed.

While digging through my supplies, I remembered the sealed storage container I’d been dragging around like some clueless beach hoarder. Inside, lying there like a treasure in a castaway’s dream, was one glorious piece of cloth. Just enough for what I needed.

Moments later, I had all the parts gathered, and the still was built — my first real piece of survival infrastructure. It stood proudly in the sand, a guarantee that thirst would no longer be my most urgent problem. I almost gave it a name.

Floating Cloth and Coconut Regrets

Of course, before the still came together, my cloth had to put on a show. When I dropped it on the ground, it stood upright like it was trying to defy gravity — or audition for a magic act. Strange, yes, but soon incorporated into my new pride and joy.

With water secured, I turned my attention to food. Variety was key — crabs and coconuts had kept me alive so far, but they weren’t exactly a balanced diet. I set my sights on fish, convinced a fire spit would be my ticket to grilled seafood glory.

But first, a quick survival PSA: never eat too many coconuts. The consequences are… unpleasant. I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say my digestive system filed an official complaint and threatened industrial action.

Island Limits & A Knife’s Return

My island had been generous, but the easy loot was running out. If I wanted to thrive — or even just eat something different — I’d have to explore further afield. I wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment, but survival doesn’t really take “maybe later” as an answer.

While gathering materials for the journey, I spotted something glinting in the sand. It was my refined knife — the same one I’d apparently dropped days ago, possibly while fleeing a crab with attitude issues. I picked it up and welcomed it back into my inventory like an old friend who’d just wandered back from the pub.

I also discovered I could make a wooden farming plot. Long-term food production sounded fantastic… until I realised I didn’t have a hoe. That idea went straight onto my “future ambitions” list, somewhere between “build a smoker” and “stop capsizing my raft.”

The Fire Spit Betrayal

Finally, the fire spit was built, my visions of sizzling fish nearly within reach. I placed my catch over the fire and… nothing. Turns out the fire spit is not the universal cooking solution I hoped for. Apparently, fish require a more advanced setup — a smoker, or perhaps a deal with the culinary gods.

So the day ended with me sipping fresh water and eating yet more crab, while the dream of grilled fish drifted out to sea like an unanchored raft. Still, progress had been made: hydration secured, knife recovered, lesson learned.

Tomorrow, I’ll brave the sea and head for another island. If I find my way back here, great. If not… well, coconuts probably taste the same everywhere.

Continue the Journey

Day 1 |
Day 2 |
Day 3 (You Are Here) |
Final Day

This Week on Survivor Incognito – From Frozen Lakes to Flooded Engines

Stranded Deep Day 2, a winning Dead by Daylight survivor build, The Long Dark Day 10, Subnautica Day 1, and SnowRunner Day 4—chaos included

This week was all about variety — and a little bit of chaos.

Sunburnt & Sinking – Day Two (Stranded Deep):
Water was scarce, knives kept breaking, and island life felt less “tropical paradise” and more “DIY dehydration challenge.”

Survivor’s Dread – Dead by Daylight:
I tried a survivor build that shouldn’t have worked on R.P.D.… and somehow it did. Consider me pleasantly confused and very alive.

The Cold Chronicles – Day Ten (The Long Dark):
The Voyageur dream continues: careful route planning, stubborn weather, and only the occasional questionable decision.

Submerged – Day One (Subnautica):
Ship explodes, pod catches fire, I jump into alien waters armed with optimism and a fire extinguisher. Classic first day energy.

Snowrunner Survival – Day Four:
More permagear trucking through icy mud. Reminder: “off-road” sometimes just means “off my sanity.”


Thanks for reading! If you like chill survival (with a side of chaos), stick around—more diaries and guides are on the way.

The Cold Chronicles Day Ten: A Voyageur’s Tale of The Long Dark


The Cold Chronicles – Day 10: Ravine Roulette, Floating Deer, and Finally Mystery Lake

Day 10 in The Long Dark sees me teetering over the Ravine’s abyss, harvesting meat from a deer that’s apparently learned levitation, and finally—finally—reaching Mystery Lake. Bonus: new socks, because morale matters.

Missed the previous day? The Cold Chronicles Day Nine


Leaving the Trailer, Chasing the Horizon

I stepped out of the trailer at the Train Unloading area, the morning air biting in that way The Long Dark seems to enjoy. The plan was simple: follow the train tracks east until the Ravine transition zone, then cross into Mystery Lake. Simple plans in this game never stay simple.

The tracks carried me into the Ravine—beautiful in the kind of way that makes you briefly forget it’s also a death trap. Narrow ledges, collapsed rails, and drops you don’t get back up from. One balancing section across a busted bit of track nearly gave me a heart attack, but I made it across without testing the fall damage mechanics. Small victories.


The Floating Deer Incident

Birds circling in the distance caught my attention—never ignore free protein. I hiked over, expecting a standard carcass. Instead, I found a deer hovering several inches above the snow like it had unlocked some kind of ungulate wizardry.

I harvested the meat quickly, mostly to avoid breaking whatever fragile laws of nature were keeping it afloat. Then, in my post-butcher haze, I realized the deer had been “pointing” toward the right path all along. Thanks, floating friend.


Birch Bark and Bullet Rewards

Further along, a lone backpack waited at the edge of another narrow crossing. Inside: one revolver cartridge. Not much, but when you live in a world where bullets are basically gold, you don’t complain.

I also found an absurd amount of birch bark—seven pieces in total. If this run ends, it will not be because I ran out of tea. Deer hunting? Optional. Birch bark tea? Mandatory.


Mystery Lake at Last

The Ravine eventually spat me out onto the familiar terrain of Mystery Lake. Relief hit harder than the wind. I spotted a trailer and decided it would be my base for the night. Outside, I lit a fire, cooking up the deer meat and a rabbit I’d nabbed earlier. The smell alone was enough to make me feel like I was thriving rather than just surviving.

Inside, I scored a pair of climbing socks—a glorious upgrade from my starting sports socks. Harvested some spare clothes for cloth, then realized I’d left a rabbit steak outside. That’s tomorrow’s wolf bait or breakfast, depending on how fast I am in the morning.

I dropped my deer and rabbit hides, along with the guts, to start curing. Mystery Lake had officially welcomed me—with warmth, food, and better footwear.


Continue the journey: Day 9 | Day 11 – Coming Soon


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