The forest air was cool and damp as Ray pushed through the undergrowth. He had no map, no tools, and no experience in this new world—but he had something better: desperation and memories of Earth's survival shows.
Behind him, the three village kids trailed quietly. Their names were Lio, Toma, and Sera—skinny, barefoot, and frightened, yet stirred by something new: a spark of hope.
"You sure about this, Ray?" Lio asked nervously. "That boar… it's huge. We've seen it gore a tree."
Ray didn't turn around. He kept walking, eyes sharp, looking for something—roots, vines, a slope, anything usable.
"Yeah. I'm sure," he said. "I'm not planning to wrestle it head-on. I'm planning to trap it."
He stopped by a narrow animal trail. The path curved sharply beside a shallow ridge, forming a natural funnel. Boar tracks dotted the muddy ground.
> Perfect.
"This is where we'll do it," Ray said. He crouched and began sketching a rough trap plan in the dirt with a stick. "We dig here, cover it with branches. When the boar steps in—bam—falls into a pit. If that doesn't kill it, it'll be stuck long enough for us to strike."
The kids blinked. "A… pit?"
Ray nodded. "We'll need sharp stakes at the bottom. Wooden spears. Just deep enough to wound it, not kill it outright—we don't want it dead inside the pit. We finish it after."
"That's…" Toma whispered, eyes wide. "That's something a hunter would do."
"I am a hunter," Ray said firmly, even if the title felt borrowed. "Now start gathering rocks, vines, and sharp sticks. We've got one shot before it wanders somewhere else."
---
Hours passed.
The sun dipped behind the trees. Sweat ran down Ray's face as he dug the pit with a sharpened branch and his bare hands. The kids gathered dry leaves, stacked sharpened branches for stakes, and helped weave a simple cover of foliage.
It wasn't pretty, but it would work. It had to.
Ray collapsed beside the trap, panting. "Okay… now we wait."
The group huddled behind a fallen log ten meters away. Night crept in, and the forest stirred with eerie sounds—rustling leaves, distant howls, the hum of insects.
Then it came.
A rustle. A grunt. Heavy steps pounding the dirt.
Ray peeked through the leaves.
A massive wild boar—larger than he imagined—emerged from the brush. Its tusks gleamed pale under the moonlight, and its hide was thick with old scars.
It trotted forward, sniffing the path, heading straight for the trap.
"Please…" Ray whispered.
The boar stepped onto the false ground.
Crack.
The leaves gave way. A loud squeal tore through the night as the beast tumbled into the pit, impaling itself on two of the wooden stakes. It thrashed violently, kicking and snorting in rage.
Ray didn't wait.
"Now!"
He and the kids rushed forward. Toma hesitated, but Lio followed, holding the crude spear Ray gave him. Ray jumped beside the pit and aimed for the boar's eye.
The first jab missed. The second struck the beast's shoulder.
It roared, blood splattering against the pit walls.
"LIO, flank the side!" Ray shouted. "TOMA, stay back—watch for escape!"
Lio stabbed down as the boar tried to pull itself free. Ray drove his spear again—and this time, it hit deep.
A final squeal.
Then silence.
The boar stopped moving.
They stood over the pit, breathing heavily, the coppery scent of blood thick in the air.
They had done it.
They had taken down a monster.
---
Later that night, back in the village, smoke curled into the sky from a hastily-built fire pit. Ray and the kids roasted slices of boar meat while the others gathered close, eyes wide.
Dozens of villagers. Silent. Watching.
Ray tossed a piece of charred meat to Lio. "Eat. You earned it."
Lio bit down and nearly cried. "It's… real meat. I forgot what this tasted like…"
Toma tore into his share with shaking hands. "We really did it…"
Ray stood, facing the villagers. He held a chunk of sizzling meat high.
"This village doesn't have to rot," he said loudly. "There's food out there. There's strength in here—in us. But only if we choose to fight for it."
An old man in the crowd spoke hoarsely. "And what do we fight with, boy? We've got no money, no magic, no blessings."
Ray pointed to his spear—just a stick and a stone. "You fight with this. With your hands. With your anger. With your will to survive."
He threw the meat to the crowd. "We're not weak. We've just forgotten what it means to live."
That night, something changed in the ruined village.
Not the buildings. Not the land.
But the people.
---
System Notification:
> [Hidden Achievement Unlocked – "First Hunt"] Ray has slain his first monster. Primitive Hunting Skill increased. Party Morale: +40% Influence Gained: Local Reputation (Minor)
> [World Remark: "A spark flickers in the ruins."]