Ray lay in the straw-stuffed mattress that passed as his bed, staring at the wooden ceiling of the hut. Moonlight leaked through the window, casting pale beams across the dirt floor. His body still ached from the boar hunt, and his hands were blistered from hours of digging, carving, and fighting.
But that wasn't what kept him awake.
> [System Notification: "First Hunt" Completed.]
The words had appeared in his vision—not as hallucinations, not as dreams, but clearly, brightly, undeniably real.
"A system…" he whispered.
Back in his old world, he had read dozens of manhwa, webnovels, and light novels. He always thought having a system was just a cool fantasy gimmick. But now, in this world of monsters and nobles, swordmasters and archmages—he might just have one.
He sat up slowly, glancing around the dark room. No one else was inside. Just him. His breath quickened.
"Okay… let's try this like in the stories."
He raised his hand toward the air dramatically, then whispered, "Status window."
For a moment—nothing.
Then—
> [STATUS WINDOW – RAY]
Age: 10
Race: Human
Title: [First Hunter of the Village]
Level: 2
Health: 37/40
Stamina: 52/60
Mana: 5/5
Strength: 7
Agility: 9
Endurance: 8
Intelligence: 6
Skills:
– Primitive Hunting (Lv.1)
– Improvised Trap Making (Lv.1)
– Survival Instinct (Passive)
System Quests:
– [Ongoing Quest: Feed the Village – Help the village hunt 3 wild animals (2/3 completed)]
– [Side Quest: Slay 1 Goblin (0/1)]
System Notes: Guidance Mode [Active]. Tutorial in progress.
Ray's eyes widened. His heart skipped a beat.
"It's real…" he whispered, staring at the glowing blue screen hovering in front of him. "I actually… have a system."
He reached out to touch it instinctively, but his hand passed through the window like it was smoke. "So this really is like the games… quests, stats, levels… Titles too?"
Reading through the quests, he spotted something that made him pause.
> – [Side Quest: Slay 1 Goblin (0/1)]
"A goblin?" he muttered. "There are goblins near the village? How close? Are they already watching us?"
His pulse quickened. He clenched his fists. "If there's even one close enough for the system to give me that quest, that means it's a threat."
He stood up, ignoring his fatigue. If he was going to survive here—and help this village survive—he needed to get stronger. Goblins were usually low-tier monsters in fantasy stories, but that didn't mean they weren't dangerous. Especially to an untrained child.
"I'm not going to sit around and wait for something to go wrong."
---
The next morning, the village square was buzzing more than usual.
Word had spread fast—Ray had taken down a wild boar and fed the children. The once-despairing villagers now looked at him with something new in their eyes: curiosity, even hope.
Ray stood before a group of five men and two women—volunteers. Former farmers, a woodcutter, and even an old mercenary who had a limp and a long scar over his jaw.
"We heard what you did," said the old man, who introduced himself as Varun. "You hunted the boar with the kids and set traps. If you're heading back into the forest, we want in."
Ray blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected this.
"You sure? It won't be easy. I got lucky last time."
Varun gave a rough chuckle. "Son, I've lived in this village since I was a lad. I may not be fast anymore, but I know where the goblins nest when the season changes. The hunters used to wipe them out before things fell apart."
Ray's expression sharpened. "You've seen goblins?"
"Aye. Little green bastards. Always sniffing around old ruins near the eastern hills."
That matched the quest perfectly.
"All right," Ray nodded. "Here's the plan: we split into two groups. One goes after another boar to feed the village, the other comes with me. We track a goblin, take it down, and come back alive."
The villagers exchanged glances. No one objected.
Lio and Toma stood near the edge of the crowd, looking up at Ray with excitement and awe.
"You're really gonna fight a goblin?" Toma asked.
Ray smiled faintly. "Yeah. Time to see what this system of mine is really worth."
---
Later that day, Ray and three villagers moved quietly through the forest toward the eastern ridge. The undergrowth thickened as they neared a crumbling stone path, half-swallowed by nature. Varun led the group with a surprising lightness to his steps, despite his limp.
They stopped at a clearing. The ruins of an old watchtower stood ahead, vines curling around broken stones.
"There," Varun said, pointing. "That's where the goblins sometimes camp."
Ray crouched low. "I'll scout."
He moved carefully around the edge, keeping low in the bushes.
Then he saw it.
A single goblin sat gnawing on a bone, its crude dagger stabbed into the dirt. It was smaller than Ray expected—barely his size—but its yellow eyes gleamed with malice.
Ray's fingers tightened around his makeshift spear.
> [Target Identified – Goblin Lv. 2]
Weakness: Exposed throat
Alert Level: Unaware
[Quest Progress: 0/1]
Objective: Slay the goblin
Ray slowly returned to the group.
"There's only one," he whispered. "We'll set a trap like before. Funnel it into the pit."
Varun grinned. "This one's got brains. I like him."
---
As the sun began to set, the trap was ready.
Now they just needed the goblin to fall in.
Ray crept toward the camp with a small stone in hand.
He hurled it at the goblin's head.
The stone cracked against the creature's skull, and it shrieked, stumbling to its feet.
Ray didn't wait.
"HEY, GREEN RAT!" he shouted, running back toward the trap site.
The goblin snarled and gave chase, bounding after him with its dagger raised.
Ray reached the pit and leapt over it at the last second.
The goblin wasn't so lucky.
It plummeted in with a screech.
Ray didn't hesitate. He thrust the spear down, aiming for its throat.
One hit.
Two.
Then silence.
> [Quest Complete – Goblin Slain]
EXP Gained: +40
Level Up!
Ray is now Level 3.
Stat Points +3
Skill Unlocked: [Spear Proficiency Lv.1]
Ray stepped back, breathing hard. "I can really get stronger…"
And so began his path—not just as a survivor.
But as a hunter.