Winter had arrived, and with it came a biting cold that seemed to seep into every corner of our small home. The air was frigid and sharp, and I could see my breath in the air as I exhaled.
Outside, the world was blanketed in snow, the trees and fields covered in a layer of frost that glittered in the sunlight. The air was so cold that it hurt to breathe, and the wind howled through the forest, shaking the walls of our home.
Despite our meager existence, my family had managed to prepare for the harsh winter season. My mother had stored away dried fruits and preserved vegetables, while my father had cut firewood and stored it in our house.
The days were short and the nights were long, but we found warmth in the glow and flicker of our fire. My siblings and I would gather around the fire while our mother cooked hot, hearty meals.
On one of those days, It was my birthday, and although we haven't had much, my family made sure to make it special.
I am now 3 years old in this world.
As we gathered around the table, my mother made a special meal for me. It was a simple meal, but it was made with love, and I savored every bite.
Using whatever ingredients she could gather from the land around us. There was a stew of wild mushrooms, roasted root vegetables, and a freshly baked loaf of bread.
After dinner, my siblings and I gathered around the fire, listening to stories that our mother told. She spoke of magical creatures that roamed the forest and of powerful spells that could be cast by those who knew the secrets of the earth.
We then played games, laughing and joking with each other. We had no grand toys or fancy games, but we made the best of what we had.
As the night wore on, my father presented me with a gift. It was a knife whose surface seemed to glow in the flickering light of the fire.
It is my first knife!
And I knew that it would be my treasure for years to come.
Despite the hardships that came with winter, there was a sense of comfort in our routine. My father taught me how to carve wooden figurines, and my mother taught me how to knit scarves and mittens.
The winter season brought us together, reminding us that we were a family and that we would always be there for each other, no matter what.
***
Winter finally ended, and the land was again filled with blooming flowers. My mother at long last forgot the "accident" from last year, and I was once again allowed to play by myself in the garden.
Helga was curious about what I was doing and followed me there. But when she found out that I was just picking pebbles, she quickly lost interest and went with Konrad to play with other children.
I was curious how much my Mana increased after a winter in which I spent mostly huddled next to our hearth while levitating everything I set my sight on while making sure nobody saw it.
So after a morning spent picking up pebbles, I shot them all in the direction of the woods. After a while of continuous effort, I finally got my answer.
STATUS:
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Name: [Darian]
Race: [Human]
Age: [3 years]
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Mana: 10
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Spells: [Stone bullet], [Small flame]
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It wasn't too great of an increase, but it will do for now. With these thoughts, I continued to improve my aim for the rest of the day.
The next morning, I decided it was time. Time for proper adventure! In the Woods!
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It was a little bit scary thinking about going there alone. But when I was playing with others, I saw multiple villagers and hunters going there, and I'm pretty sure not one of them had any attack spells.
So it can't be that bad, right?
Despite the warnings of my family, I set out to explore the forest, determined to uncover its secrets.
After breakfast, I quickly went out into the garden and to the stream.
I carefully looked around so that nobody saw me and then used some protruding rocks to jump over the stream. I then went over the pastures at the edge of the village, right into the forest.
I took a deep breath as I stepped into the mysterious forest at the edge of our village.
The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves, which crunched beneath my feet, breaking the eerie silence that enveloped me.
The only other sounds were the rustling of the trees and the occasional cry of a bird. The trees towered over me, their trunks thick and gnarled with age.
As I ventured deeper into the forest, the underbrush grew dense and tangled, and I had to be careful not to trip over roots or stumble over hidden obstacles.
Despite the danger, I pressed on, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and excitement.
The ground was littered with fallen leaves and broken branches, making it hard to find a clear path. I stumbled over roots and rocks, trying to keep my balance.
Suddenly, a rustling in the bushes made me jump. I turned to see a pair of glowing eyes staring back at me from the darkness.
I froze, unsure of what to do. Then it moved forward, emerging from the underbrush.
Before I could even react, a small, furry creature darted out from the bushes and ran straight toward me. I stumbled back in surprise, my heart racing.
It was a rabbit with soft brown fur and a twitching nose. Its long ears stood straight up. It looked at me with curious eyes, and for a moment we simply stared at each other in silence.
A rabbit!
As I caught my breath and tried to calm my racing heart, I couldn't help but smile at the little rabbit's boldness.
I then quickly pointed my gun at the rabbit and fired my [Stone bullet].
"This is for scaring me!"
But alas, he couldn't hear me since he was already dead. His head was missing, and the rest of his body was lying in a pool of its own blood.
'Wow, it's so powerful!' I thought as I was looking at the aftermath.
I knew it was strong from the holes it left in the stump back in the garden, but seeing what it can do to a living being is something else.
'Also, so much blood!' Not that I was too afraid of blood. In my short life here, I saw plenty of farm animals being slaughtered for food.
And even back on Earth, I used to spend my summer holidays with my grandparents, who lived on a farm in the countryside. So I was used to sights like these.
But then I remembered that I don't know how to skin the rabbit, and I don't want to waste the meat.
'I should have asked Rolf.' I thought with frustration.
I saw him helping in the kitchen when we were occasionally given some meat for dinner.
"Oh well, I just have to bring it as it is."
I then carefully picked up the rabbit so that I didn't smear my clothes with blood and quickly started heading out of the forest.
Luckily, I didn't go too deep, just a few hundred meters from the entrance.
I couldn't wait to explore the forest further. I felt a sense of excitement and adventure here that I knew I would never be able to find anywhere else in the village.
But now I've decided to call it a day. I wouldn't be able to carry any more animals with me, and I was afraid that some predator could smell the scent of blood.
As the sun began to rise, its warm light slowly permeated the thick foliage of the forest. The crisp morning air filled my lungs, and the dewy grass tickled my feet as I walked towards my home.
I approached the edge of the village, and the familiar sights of humble homes greeted me.
I walked along the pasture, admiring the lush greenery and the tall trees that stood at the field's edge. Birds sang sweetly, their melodious chirping filling the air.
I had a big smile plastered on my face because I successfully finished my first hunt. With this, I can support my family and also enjoy meat for dinner, which is quite scarce here.
"And if I can somehow sell the hide, I can finally make some money!" I exclaimed with excitement.
I then jumped across the stream next to our house and cleaned myself there before I went home.
When my mother saw me with a headless rabbit in my hands, she widened her eyes in surprise, which quickly changed into a worried look, and she ran up to me to check if I was okay.
"Darian! What were you doing out there!? And what’s this?" My mother started loudly interrogating me.
"Ehm…" I stuttered, trying to quickly come up with some sort of excuse.
But before I had a chance to put my thoughts together, my father heard the commotion and quickly came over from the smithy.
His name was Gorn, and he is about thirty years old and always wears a stern look on his face.
'But he was always fair to both me and my siblings, so I'm hopeful there won't be much drama.' I thought nervously as I looked up to him.
"What is this about?" my father asked with furrowed brows after he gestured to my mother to stop reprimanding me.
"I was playing by the stream in the garden and noticed that rabbits came down there to drink each morning, so I built a trap to catch one of them..."
"And where did you learn to do something like this?" He asked.
"Well, I observed the hunters in the village when I was playing there with Konrad and Helga the other day. I also saw that they cut off the heads of their prey, so I did the same..." I told him the excuse I came up with on the spot. "But I don't know how to skin it, so I brought it here..." I quickly added.
"You learned how to make traps just by observing the hunters...?" My father looked at me incredulously for a while before a slight smile appeared on his stern face. "You did good," He told me in the end. "Your mother sometimes worries too much."
My mother looked at him reproachfully, but then she just shook her head and let it be.
After my mother left, my father leaned closer to me and said in a low voice, "I'm sure your mother knows deep down that we won't be there for you and your siblings forever, and the sooner you learn how to take care of yourselves, the better."
He then took me to the kitchen and showed me how to properly skin the rabbit. I looked at it with interest because I knew I would be hunting a lot more in the days to come.