Then it appeared.
From behind the trees, the massive shadow tore through the green curtain, revealing a black-gray mass moving with heavy momentum.
It was a tapir… but not just any tapir.
A beast nearly three meters long, weighing close to 700 pounds, resembling a short-legged bear with a strange-looking head.
"Damn it… what kind of cursed luck is this?!"
He didn't think.
He raised the Remington 783 and fired straight at its head.
The shot hit.
But the tapir… didn't stop.
On the contrary, it moved faster, as if it hadn't felt a thing.
Ding!
The system window appeared instantly:
[Target detected: Giant Tapir]
Rewards: 45 Vital Points or 60 Coins (Optional)
Bonus Reward: +10 points if killed with the first shot
"Go to hell with this nonsense! I just need to survive right now… that's my only reward at the moment!"
He had tried hunting larger creatures before—and the result had been disastrous.
Size was a concept that often deceived players: the bigger the target… the easier they imagined it would be.
But the truth was completely different.
The larger the animal… the thicker its hide, and the more its mass absorbed bullets.
Like the water antelope he had tried to hunt days ago—seven full bullets pierced the skin but failed to reach the organs.
The antelope escaped… and he was left with no ammunition.
And now… history was repeating itself.
He reloaded his weapon quickly.
Fired.
Reloaded again.
Fired a third time.
"Damn you, you lunatic… just die! Or at least change direction!"
But the tapir looked like a zombie monster.
Its eyes were lifeless, its body swaying, yet it never stopped.
Finally… after the fifth shot, the beast began to slow down.
Its steps faltered…
Its massive body trembled…
Then—
It collapsed to the ground with a crash that thundered through the area.
"Hah… hah…"
Renji dropped onto his backside, his chest rising and falling, his hands shaking.
Adrenaline was still surging wildly through his veins, but amid it all… he began to feel a small sense of euphoria.
The reward… was big.
Even if he had spent six bullets.
He approached slowly.
And when he stood over the tapir, a new screen appeared:
───────────────────────
[Target Eliminated]
■ +45 Vital Points / 60 Coins (Optional)
───────────────────────
Naturally… he chose the Vital Points.
The shop was closed, and ammunition couldn't be purchased yet.
Leveling up was his top priority—it was the only thing that granted real privileges.
But the next notification confused him:
[5 points deducted for failing to land a lethal hit with the first shot]
He let out a heavy sigh.
"I shouldn't have been brave… or greedy."
Still… the gain was good.
And most importantly—he was still alive.
He had only one bullet left now.
But he decided to save it for tomorrow.
A long-term strategy… that was what he needed to adopt.
Especially since he still had daily tasks to complete before sleeping.
After walking for several long minutes, he reached his camp.
It resembled a scout's hut raised on a tree trunk.
Seven square meters of space, seven meters above the ground—simple, but far better than sleeping with snakes and tigers.
He raised his hand and touched the system symbol, and in an instant… he was teleported inside.
"I'm back, my dear…"
He said it in a silly tone that reminded him of bad American TV shows.
Immediately, a three-dimensional girl appeared before him, with blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
Warm features—but her voice… was robotic.
"Welcome back, Renji."
"Ah… if only she'd say more than that."
She was like a smart assistant in games, or a guide… but a primitive version of one.
At first she seemed amazing, then he began to realize she was painfully stupid.
"This whole world is insane… but couldn't they build a better character for her?"
He thought about it a lot.
Then he accepted it.
And despite her stupidity… he began to feel a kind of companionship with her.
And he wouldn't deny it—
Some perverted thoughts crossed his mind.
But she was nothing more than a hologram.
Which was why he resorted to… the method every man living alone for ten days in a forest knows—masturbation.
He lay down on his bed, not even removing his rifle.
The girl asked him:
"Would you like a meal?"
As if she had read his thoughts.
He opened the menu and selected the free meal.
Cheap canned food, something like what's sold in sketchy shops.
But he didn't want to lose coins.
Food prices were high.
A single loaf of bread alone cost one full coin.
"At least I'm not eating insects."
He thought back to his early days here.
He had slept out in the open, on the ground, sometimes in caves, and sometimes he didn't dare sleep at all, fearing monsters.
Until a notification appeared:
[Available: Build Camp]
At first, it was a crude ground-level hut, primitive, with no doors.
But after gathering coins and upgrading it… he managed to raise it off the ground, add a bed and a chair, and modify its shape.
And he didn't need more than that.
He lived alone here…
And had no intention of receiving guests.
"Would you like to complete your daily missions?
Don't forget you still have three training sessions and one marksmanship test remaining."
Renji raised his hand to his forehead.
"Mercy… please."
He muttered without enthusiasm.
"I feel like you're my mother, nagging me about my chores."
But despite his complaining… he knew he needed this kind of discipline.
Without these reminders, he would have spent his time lying on the bed, thinking about hot food, or staring at the forest through the window, waiting for death to suddenly fall on him.
The daily missions seemed trivial at first:
Shooting at wooden targets, push-ups, running in place, deep breathing…
Things any beginner would do in a gym.
But the rewards? They weren't trivial—they were incredible.
From just the first stage—which lasted seven days—he obtained:
• A Remington 783 rifle after having used a miserable bow.
• An early level-up, even if it was small.
• And most importantly: the accelerators—accuracy, discipline, stability…
True, their levels were shallow, mostly D-rank, but their effect on him was massive—and sometimes shocking.
Perhaps because his original ratings were… as he described them:
"Garbage."
So even the slightest improvement felt like a huge leap.
He took a deep breath and stretched out on the bed before speaking in his mind:
"Training Room."
The virtual girl replied in a cold voice:
"Transferring…"
______
Author's Explanation:
Tapir:
The tapir is a large mammal resembling a mix between a pig and a horse, possessing a short, flexible trunk that helps it grasp food. It usually lives in rainforests and is known for its excellent swimming ability and skill at hiding among dense vegetation.