Jace spent only a couple dozen of minutes climbing down the tree with the equipment he needed for the day. Then he lowered the tiger creature he had somehow tamed to the ground using the vine levy system he was using. The ground around the tree was just as pristine as he thought it would be.
The burnt pieces of wood he used for cooking and the rocks he was using to contain the fire were still there. Just like they were yesterday. But the offal and other organs he intentionally left out yesterday were picked clean, there was not even any blood left over.
As for the flying creature that came after them last night, it appeared to have completely disappeared. None of the bones or blood were left of the creature. The only signs that it was even there were the two branches turned into stakes that the flying creature had impaled itself on. They were sitting on the ground still sharpened but with all of the blood gone from them.
The most disturbing thing had to be the missing blood. Because that meant that there was a creature that could absorb or drink blood, even if it had begun drying. There were not many creatures like that, but they always ended up with a high level of danger classification.
He would have to avoid going out at night at all times. But as far as he could tell it was contained to the plateau on this mountain. Otherwise all those reports about minor injuries between the groups would have resulted in deaths.
After the tiger was on the ground he walked up and checked its leg injury. The injury had completely healed overnight. But what was even stranger was that the tiger's leg, which was a scaled claw, useful for climbing had at some point transformed into a normal tiger's paw. Jace blinked in surprise as he looked over the tiger. By all accounts it now looked like a perfectly normal tiger, except it most certainly was not.
So far the only thing he had determined was that this planet was extremely dangerous. The planet had creatures that were adapted to survive in certain ways that were not consistent with the environment they were in. Then there was the water, where did it run from. Why was it not reacting adversely with the acid? Actually he just thought of a better question, why were most of the species he had seen so far similar to earth based species?
He had been listening in on the second radio channel the most. It appears that each of the islands and the main continent on this planet had drones operating. Most of the observations about the various creatures they were looking at were labeled by a designation instead of species name when they talked about them. He would keep listening in case there was something important that popped up but he doubted there would be.
After removing the vines and stick that was keeping its leg straight he backed up while it began stretching its leg. Then as he dismantled the vine pulley system he saw the tiger jumping around and double checking its leg.
Once he was completely prepared he left toward the northern side of the plateau where it was still those mantis-lizard's territory but it was not as heavily populated. As he walked through the forest he had his bow draw with an arrow notched while vines were stuffed in his bag. He had brought enough to make it down the roughly quarter of a mile-long cliff face on the side of the mountain.
As he arrived in the mantis-lizard's territory he listened carefully for movement while he turned off his radio so he could hear disturbances more easily. Jace quietly walked through the territory but frowned as he glanced over his shoulder. Following behind him at a distance was the tiger, it was moving quietly but he could still hear it.
They stared at each other for a moment as the tiger blinked in confusion at him. Then he turned back around and kept moving. Jace was able to easily make it to the edge of the plateau and glanced down.
Using his enhanced sight he spotted the two groups that were located near the lake on opposite sides. It seemed they were both able to set up camps and were now working on walls and other defenses for those camps. From here he could see that they were mostly uninjured, but they had set up a small hut where they likely kept people that were more injured. Seemed both groups were setting up in the same way.
These groups and the others likely all got directions from someone else on the essentials they would need for survival. It was a bit boring but made sense in a way.
In order to be picked for the Tartarus Project you had to have a certain capacity for intelligence. Which means they could easily display independent thought. But it also means they understand when they are out of their depth and need another person's help.
For now it would not be an issue but down the line they would need a clear understanding of operating procedures. But that might be the whole point of this survival training exercise. To understand that their knowledge is limited.
Jace pulled himself out of his contemplation as he moved over to a tree and tied off the vine. Looping it twice before tying it off. Then he walked to the edge and threw the other end outwards. Causing it to quickly unravel before falling and smacking into the side of the mountain.
The vine rope did not make it to the base of the mountain but it managed to get halfway up the trees that were down there. It would make do for an emergency situation. Like if he had to get down there quickly, but it would be more difficult to climb up.
Nodding he turned around and almost laughed at the sight of the tiger that was lying next to the edge of the plateau and slowly crawling closer to the edge. It was comical sight seeing such a large creature scared of the edge.
Jace shook his head and laughed a bit before he started walking back toward his tree. He left another bundle of vines he would lower on the other side of the plateau, roughly where the river was located.
As he walked back through the mantis-lizard territory he continued to remain at a state of high alert. It was a good thing he did because near the edge of the area he determined to be their territory he had to roll away from an invisible scythe arm while the tiger growled at the creature.
After rolling away he let loose three quick arrows. A moment later the creature appeared and collapsed on the ground. Of the two arrows he had fired blindly in the creatures direction, only one of them had missed and hit a tree in the distance.
One of the arrows that hit had pierced its midsection but had likely not done any actual damage. The last arrow had gone through one of the creature's eyes, it probably pierced the creature's brain and killed it instantaneously.
But just in case as he approached it he pulled out one of the makeshift scythe spears he had made and decapitated the creature. Then he began cutting off a chunk of the meat. Once he was done he continued his walk back to his tree.
When he arrived he cut up the meat and placed it in a makeshift sack. Then he placed the sack along with the vine rope and a canteen in his bag with the other things he would need. He had run out of water last night, so he would descend the mountain and retrieve the water he needed from the river that the other groups had set up camps near.
As he walked through the forest he was not as alert as this area was not as inhabited, there were gigantic webs interconnecting the trees but the local, a giant spider as far as he could tell, was far away at the moment. It appeared to be a semi-nocturnal creature as it was awake during the night and part of the morning but asleep the rest of the day.
Which was why he waited until the afternoon to come to this area. Jace was able to easily make it to the south side of the plateau and looked over the edge as he tied off the vine to the tree again.
This time he was not able to make out the groups or their base camps because of the heavy foliage. Seems the river side was more heavy on trees.
Once Jace was finished tying off the vine rope and double checking its stability he tossed it out. This time the rope reached almost to the base. It would just take a quick jump to reach the bottom of the rope.
He double checked all of his gear making sure everything was secure. Then he began descending, chuckling when he heard the tiger make a noise like it was pouting. Making it down to the base of the mountain only took minutes, it would be more difficult to climb back up.
Jace walked to the river and put his flask in, filling it back up. Then he pulled out the meat chunks from the mantis-lizard and washed them in the river. After spending a few minutes doing that he was ready to go back up.