The morning sun peeked through the trees, casting streaks of gold on dew-dappled grass. I stretched with a yawn, belly still half-full from last night's jerky, when—
Sniff. Sniff-sniff.
I looked down.
Shirayuki's little nose was twitching furiously. Her whole body was still, ears perked. Then suddenly—she squeaked, spun around, and darted off into the brush.
"Oi—Shirayuki! Where are you—!?"
Too late. She was gone.
I scrambled after her, heart pounding. Branches whipped at my face as I pushed through thick undergrowth—until I emerged into a small clearing.
There, standing arrogantly beneath a leaning tree, was a red-furred boar—snorting and pawing at the dirt.
Massive. Tusks the size of daggers. Eyes gleaming with hunger.
But I wasn't the only one staring.
Shirayuki crouched low a few meters away, hiding behind a bush. Her quills bristled, eyes narrowed like a little assassin.
I crouched beside her, whispering.
"You found this guy, huh?"
She squeaked confidently.
"Alright then… time for your first real hunt."
> [Commanding Companion: ACTIVE] You may issue simple commands in battle. Success depends on tone and bond strength.
"Shirayuki—Burrow Ambush. Go!"
She chirped sharply and began digging with lightning-fast paws, tail twitching with excitement. I couldn't help it—I burst out laughing. The sight of her tiny paws kicking up dirt like a white whirlwind was just too damn adorable.
"Damn it—focus!"
FWOOM! She vanished underground.
The boar tensed. It had seen her.
"Now—strike!"
She burst out beneath the boar's underbelly in a flash of white and silver, knocking it off balance.
> [Burrow Ambush – Success!]
The boar squealed, staggered back—and glared at her.
"Dodge and use Quillstorm—GO!"
She spun like a sawblade, quills shimmering mid-air, and slammed into its side, forcing the beast to skid back.
> [Quillstorm Lunge – Direct Hit!]
The boar growled and charged.
"Time it—Spiral Drill now!"
Shirayuki's body began spinning tighter, faster—becoming a living bullet. Then she launched, drilling right into the boar's chest.
> [CRITICAL STRIKE – Boar Defeated!]
The beast crashed down. Dust settled. Silence.
Shirayuki walked back, a little wobble in her step, covered in dirt but looking smug as hell.
I stared, wide-eyed… then whispered with a grin.
"…This is the power of a Gamer."
A Bit Later…
Dragging the boar back to camp was rough—but the reward? Oh, it was glorious.
I set up the fire, sliced the meat with care, and laid it over sizzling flames. The scent of roasted wild pork filled the air.
Shirayuki flopped beside me, licking her paws like nothing happened. When I handed her a crispy chunk, she snatched it and chirped, curling her tail like a cat.
I took a bite too.
"…Perfection."
I leaned back against the log, belly full, letting the crackling fire warm my side.
"Man… that was one hell of a first hunt."
Shirayuki was still nibbling on a bone, cheeks puffed like a tiny riceball.
I turned to her. "Hey, girl… any idea where we should head next?"
She blinked at me, then sniffed the air once, twice… and lifted her nose—pointing straight north.
I raised an eyebrow. "North, huh? That's pretty specific."
She gave a soft chirp, flicked her tail, and trotted a few steps forward before looking back at me expectantly.
"What, you smelled something useful that way?"
Shirayuki nodded—well, her version of a nod: a firm snort and a tiny stomp.
"Treasure? Food? Or danger?"
She paused, then made a confused little sneeze noise.
"…All of the above? Great."
I stood up, dusted off my hands, and slung my bag over my shoulder.
"Well, partner, north it is. Lead the way, Shirayuki."
She puffed proudly, gave a squeaky grunt, and started waddling ahead—tail held high like she owned the forest trail.
I chuckled, following close behind.
"…Honestly, you're starting to feel more like a GPS with attitude."
She made a loud huff.
"Fine, fine. Magical beast navigator. Happy?"
She let out a high-pitched chirp, clearly pleased.
And just like that, our next adventure had already begun—me and my grumpy, food-powered hedgehog guide, heading north toward whatever the wild world had in store.
We hadn't even gone ten minutes north when Shirayuki suddenly froze mid-waddle—nose twitching fast.
"Huh? What's up, girl?" I whispered.
She didn't answer. Instead, she dove into the bushes with the grace of a falling potato and vanished into the undergrowth.
"Wait, what the—?"
That's when I heard it.
Thud.
Another thud.
Then came the guttural breathing.
GHRRHHHHH…
I slowly turned my head—and my heart nearly jumped out of my spine.
There it was, stomping out of the trees: a massive orc, nearly three meters tall, tusks glinting in the sunlight. It wore cracked iron plates and dragged a blood-stained club the size of a telephone pole.
"...Yeah, no. Nope. Absolutely not."
I hit the ground and belly-crawled into the bushes after Shirayuki.
She was already curled up behind a log, shivering slightly—but not in fear. More like… irritated that we had to stop.
I carefully peeked through the leaves. The orc grunted and sniffed the air, eyes scanning.
My heart hammered. I covered Shirayuki's mouth—er, snout—before she could let out a defiant squeak.
"Shhh! Unless you want us both to be club jam."
The orc stomped around for another minute… then let out a grumble, lost interest, and stomped off into the deeper woods.
I waited. Ten full seconds. Twenty. Nothing.
Shirayuki uncurled and gave me an annoyed chirp, like, "You panicked over that ugly guy?"
I whispered, "Hey, you're the one who dove into a bush first!"
She snorted. Touché.
I sighed and sat up.
"…Right. So note to self: wild forests aren't just boars and berries. We got big green nightmares too."
Shirayuki shook off a leaf and jumped into my lap like nothing happened.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. We're alive. Let's… maybe be a little more cautious from now on?"
She responded by licking her paw and ignoring me.
I didn't know what time it was exactly, but judging by the sun creeping past the trees and the sleepy way Shirayuki was yawning on my shoulder, it had to be around ten in the morning.
That's when we saw it—just past a thinning line of trees and a worn dirt trail.
A small village, tucked away in a clearing like a secret. Smoky chimneys, wooden fences patched with rope and cloth, and rooftops made of hay. It looked like it had been standing for decades, maybe longer—held together more by love than money.
Shirayuki's nose twitched. She sniffed the air, then chirped softly and pointed her snout forward like a compass.
"Yeah… I smell food too," I muttered, rubbing my stomach. "Let's check it out."
As we stepped into the village, a few heads turned. Some kids paused their game of kicking a bundle of rags. A grandmother looked up from a bucket of laundry. For a second, I tensed up—expecting stares, suspicion, the usual Isekai outsider treatment.
Instead…
"Welcome, traveler!" one old man called out from his porch, waving.
A young woman with a scarf covering her head offered a warm smile. "You've got quite the fluffy little companion there!"
Even a couple of scruffy-looking boys ran up to me and pointed. "Whoa, mister! Is that a hedgehog or a bread roll with legs?"
Shirayuki puffed up in offense, letting out a low squeak.
"Bread roll?! She's a warrior, thank you very much."
The boys laughed. "She's cool!"
Despite the worn clothes and the cracked walls of their homes, there was no bitterness in their voices. Just simple warmth. These people had little—but they shared smiles like they were made of gold.
I let out a slow breath I didn't realize I was holding.
"…It's nice," I murmured. "Peaceful."
Shirayuki gave a quiet chirp, then leapt from my arms to explore a nearby basket of carrots.
"Hey, hey! Don't steal, we're guests!"
She paused, then sniffed one curiously. A little girl noticed and giggled. "It's okay, mister. You both look hungry. You can have some."
I blinked.
"…Seriously? Just like that?"
The girl nodded. "Mama says to share when people look tired."
I scratched my head, cheeks heating a bit. "Man… this world's not all bad, huh?"
The little girl handed Shirayuki a small carrot. She held it in her tiny paws, nibbling with loud little crunches that made the surrounding kids squeal with delight.
"She's eating it like a princess!" one of them laughed.
I smiled, finally relaxing. Just for a moment, it felt like I wasn't a lost gamer tossed into another world. I was just… me. Cian. Sitting on a sunny patch of dirt in a quiet village, watching a grumpy hedgehog munch vegetables.
Then—
THOOM.
The ground shook.
A distant, hollow boom echoed through the trees beyond the village. Chickens scattered. A wooden bucket tipped over. Shirayuki froze mid-bite, ears twitching.
THOOM.
Closer now.
The villagers went still.
An old farmer near the well narrowed his eyes toward the northern trail. "That... ain't thunder."
Another villager muttered, "Not again. Please, not again…"
I stood, heart climbing into my throat. "What is it?"
A wiry man with a hoe over his shoulder answered grimly. "Bandits? Or beasts. Either way… something big."
Shirayuki hopped into a battle stance without hesitation, little nose sniffing the wind sharply.
I clenched my fists. "Guess peace never lasts long."
The bushes rustled violently.
Then they burst open.
"GIIIIIIIIII!!"
One after another, goblins poured from the treeline—small, green, and nasty, their jagged weapons glinting in the sunlight. Ten? No—more. They shrieked and howled, hungry for loot, blood, and chaos.
Villagers screamed. Some ran. Others froze in terror.
"Shirayuki!" I shouted. She growled, fur bristling, standing between me and the goblins.
My mind raced. We just got here…
But as the goblins rushed forward—
I smirked.
Raised one finger.
And with the dumbest grin on my face, I muttered:
"Looks like it's time to go full gamer."