Kael moved cautiously through the forest, his steps slow and deliberate. His body had adjusted to the aches of his previous wounds, his shoulder feeling better, but not perfect. The tight bandage helped keep the pain at bay, though he occasionally winced when he overextended his movements.
His mind, however, was sharper than ever.
Recent events had forced a shift in his thinking. He wasn’t just moving through unfamiliar terrain anymore; he was going to try to forage or hunt in it; he had no choice. Every sound, every shift of wind through the leaves, every oddly placed shadow it all mattered now. He had already encountered creatures far more dangerous than anything that roamed his old world. A single mistake could mean death.
He couldn’t afford mistakes.
Kael tried his best to memorize his surroundings as he retraced his steps toward the treehouse. He needed to remember the way back; he couldn’t risk getting lost.
The dense trees stretched endlessly in every direction, their trunks massive and twisted, with thick roots bursting from the ground like ancient veins of the earth. He took note of the subtle details of the way one tree had a particularly deep groove in its bark, the patch of strange, glowing moss clinging to another. Landmarks. Visual cues. If he got lost in this place, he might never find his shelter again.
His grip tightened on his knife as he passed through the undergrowth. He was growing more aware of how vulnerable he was in this environment. Back home, the small town he had left behind he had hunted before. Nothing big, mostly deer or small game, and that continued when he moved to live in the wilderness. But out here? This wasn’t the same.
The animals weren’t normal. The rules of the wild had changed. A snapping twig to his left made him freeze. His breath caught in his throat as he slowly turned his head, heart hammering. He lowered his stance, fingers tightening around the hilt of his blade. Listening. Watching. Waiting.
Silence.
Just the wind.
Kael exhaled through his nose, forcing himself to relax. Paranoia was good. Paranoia kept him alive, especially here.
After another few minutes of careful maneuvering, he reached the treehouse. The small structure stood exactly as he left it, barely hanging together yet surprisingly sturdy. He looked up at it from below, studying how it blended with the surrounding trees. The vantage point was good, giving him a good view.
He climbed up quickly, testing the strength of the rope ladder with every step before putting his full weight on it, he hadn’t gotten to see how well it held up last night, basically flying up as he did. No surprises. No sudden noises. Good.
When he reached the small wooden platform, he crouched by the entrance, scanning the area again. Nothing. The eerie silence of the forest remained unchanged, the inside of the treehouse being simply an empty cramp, barely fitting space when he sat straight. Keal mused that it must have been randomly placed here when the world changed.
Kael allowed himself a brief time to relax, before lowering himself onto the floor of his makeshift home. He didn’t linger long, though. He needed to move.
The river was west, which meant he would head north this time.
Kael descended the treehouse, gripping his knife as he moved through the underbrush. He had a new goal in mind food.
Water was secured for now, how safe it was, had yet to be decided, but if he didn’t eat something soon, his body would start feeling the effects.
He moved carefully through the terrain, eyes scanning the foliage for any sign of berries or plants he recognized. Survival training and hunting trips had taught him that certain berries were safe to eat, but the ones he saw here?
Completely unfamiliar.
One bush had clusters of small, deep-purple berries hanging from its branches, the skin of the fruit slightly translucent in the sunlight. Another bore tiny red fruits, growing in uneven bunches along the vine-like stems. Some plants had subtle bioluminescence, similar to the glowing veins in the trees.
He crouched beside one of the bushes, studying the berries closely.
They looked edible. But so did plenty of poisonous plants.
Kael ran his fingers over the surface of the purple berries. There was no wax coating and no obvious sign of toxicity. But that didn’t mean anything. He knew better than to take risks with unknown food sources.
His stomach growled in protest.
“Yeah, yeah. Not dying over some mystery berries,” he muttered to himself.
He stood up and continued searching. If he couldn’t find recognizable plants, he needed to hunt. That’s when he saw it.
Tracks.
Kael crouched low, eyes narrowing as he examined the impressions in the dirt.
They were similar to a hare’s footprint elongated, the back feet leaving deeper impressions than the front ones. But the size was wrong.
Far too big.
Kael frowned. “This thing’s huge for a hare.”
The tracks led deeper into the woods, winding through the undergrowth. His instincts sharpened the old familiar thrill of tracking kicking in.
Kael had always been a capable hunter. Back home, when he first moved into the wilderness, he hadn’t hunted much at first buying food was easier. But over time, he had grown to appreciate the skill, and hunting small game when he needed fresh meat.
He could read trails, interpret signs, and move without making too much sound.
Putting those skills to use. Keal started following the Trail
Tracing the footprints deeper into the woods, moving with precision. Step carefully. Avoid breaking twigs. Stay low.
The morning sun was still high, meaning he had a good amount of time before he needed to think about heading back.
As he followed the trail, more signs of the creature became apparent a small patch of fur caught on a bush, and scratch marks on the bark of a nearby tree.
Then, he heard it.
A faint rustling ahead.
Kael slowed, lowering his stance as he moved toward the sound. Silent. Cautious. Controlled.
He pressed himself close to a nearby bush, peering through the leaves.
There it was. A hare or at least, something that used to be a hare.
The creature was almost twice the size of a normal adult hare. Its fur was thicker, its muscles were more defined. But the most surprising feature?
Small, sharp horns jutted from the sides of its cheeks. Another mutation, but not as drastic as some of these other monsters, hopefully meaning it was good to eat.
He watched, waited, observing.
Then movement.
A flicker by the base of a tree, just to his right.
Kael’s eyes snapped to it immediately.
Something was there.
Something sneaking up on the hare.
He kept still, patient.
A small, humanoid shape emerged from behind the tree, creeping closer to the hare. Thin, gray skin. Black, hollow eyes. Sharp yellow teeth.
He knew what that was.
A prompt flickered into view.
[ Gloomkin – Level 2 ]
Kael’s fingers tightened, his hand going for the antler blade and holding it ready.
It was the same creature he had seen die, the same type of goblin-like thing that had been eaten by the Venom Maw.
This one was alive. And hunting.
Its black, soulless eyes flickered toward the hare, but it hadn’t noticed Kael.
Kael suppressed a shiver. Those eyes were worse in daylight.
Then, he noticed something else. The Gloomkin was holding a bow.
A crude, primitive thing just a bent stick strung together with what looked like sinew. The arrow? A sharpened stick, its tip made from a crude stone.
Kael’s lips pressed into a thin line. That’s barely a weapon. The thing looked like it would break after one shot.
Then The Gloomkin drew the string back struggling and fired.
The arrow flew and managed to barely hit the hare at all, missing the body and hitting the hare’s neck.
Blood spilled into the dirt.
Kael didn’t move, he just watched. Waiting.
The hare’s body twitched as it struggled to escape, its powerful legs kicking against the ground, but the crude arrow had done its job well enough. The wound was deep, dark blood soaking into the dirt beneath it. Its struggles grew weaker with every passing second.
Kael continued to remain still, observing the creature.
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The Gloomkin let out a delighted, guttural chuckle, its thin fingers flexing excitedly as it slowly crept toward its dying prey. It moved with an unnatural twitchiness, its joints shifting in sharp, deliberate motions. In the broad daylight, Keal couldn’t get over how its black eyes showed its pure sadistic intent.
Kael suppressed a shiver.
He had planned to observe the hare for a while, maybe lure it into a trap later when he knew what it ate, how it moved, how it reacted. But that would have taken time.
This?
This was perfect.
Kael’s grip on his tightened as he calculated his chances.
Level 2.
That was the same as him. It was small too, not even half his size, and was distracted.
This was his best opportunity to kill something close to his power.
If he could get close enough before it noticed him, he could take it down quickly.
His heart pounded as he made his decision.
He was going to kill it.
Kael moved slowly, shifting his weight onto the front of his feet as he began his approach. His steps were measured, avoiding loose branches and dry leaves as he crept closer.
The Gloomkin, completely focused on its catch, paid him no mind. It bent down, inspecting the hare’s weakening body, giving another sharp, giddy laugh.
Kael did his best to slowly breathe, easing his nerves. No hesitation, do it quickly and fast. No mistakes.
He reached the edge of the bush, just a few feet behind the creature.
His muscles tensed then with the smallest feeling in both his arm holding the antler blade, and legs. Keal moved with a bit more power than he expected but was welcome. Making what followed easier.
Kael lunged forward fast, the crude blade flashing as he slammed into the small creature’s back.
The Gloomkin shrieked, its arms flailing wildly, but Kael was already moving. He wrapped his left arm around its throat, pulling it back as he drove his blade forward.
The knife buried itself deep into its ribs.
A sickening gurgle escaped the creature’s throat as it twisted violently, struggling against his grip. Its face was away from him, and he luckily didn’t get any of the nasty blood on him.
Kael gritted his teeth, adjusting his stance as the thing kicked and clawed at him, making shallow cuts with its nails. He pulled the blade free, then plunged it back into its chest.
The Gloomkin convulsed, a final shudder running through its small body before it went limp in his grasp.
Kael continued holding the body for a moment longer to make sure it was dead.
Then, the chime rang in his mind.
[ You have slain Gloomkin – Level 2 ]
[ Experience Gained: 20 EXP ]
Pushing aside the notification, Kael turned his attention back to the hare’s corpse and the dead Gloomkin.
He needed to move fast.
He didn’t want to stay too long in one place, especially if this thing could make a weapon, it could mean it had some intelligence, and perhaps be sapient, and that could mean it might have friends nearby, he couldn’t take the chance.
Kael crouched next to the hare, pulling his blade free from the Gloomkin, noticing how badly it held up, already whatever energy was inside was gone. He sighed before wiping it on his pant leg. If not a reliable weapon, It would come in handy for something.
He had to skin the hare here, storing away the antler blade in the hole he had made in his back pockets, allowing it to fit for easier access, he took out his knife instead.
Carrying raw meat through the forest wasn’t ideal, but he had no choice, instead, he would limit the amount.
With practiced hands, he set to work, making quick incisions along the belly of the hare, peeling back its thick fur. He worked efficiently, ignoring the discomfort of doing this in the open.
The process was messy, but in just a few minutes, he had several cut sections of meat, the rest left behind with the bones and fur.
Kael sighed. Now, he has a new problem, carrying the meat.
He didn’t have a proper way to store this.
If he carried raw meat, the smell would follow him, as well as the dripping blood might as well give his home address to any would-be predator.
Every predator in this damn forest would be able to track and follow him.
He needed to mask it, at least as best as he could. Thinking that an idea came to him.
His shirt.
Kael hesitated, then pulled off his black KISS concert shirt, one of his few favorite bands, as well as one of the few things he still had from his old world. Looking at it made him hesitate again.
Then, he cut into it.
With his knife, he tore it into strips. Now, wearing only his jacket, he went for his water bag.
He picked the meat up and grabbed his water bag. He needed to rinse and squeeze the blood off, before wrapping the pieces tightly around the meat, layering it multiple times to reduce the scent as much as possible. Which he did shortly after one by one. Getting a total of 3 chunks of meat
It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than nothing.
“Hopefully, I won’t be dripping blood through the damn forest,” he muttered.
Then he froze.
A sound.
A branch snapped.
Kael whipped his head around, scanning the trees.
Nothing. But something was there. Maybe it wasn’t so far-fetched to think it might have some friends nearby.
Time to Go. Kael didn’t waste a second.
He stood up, securing the wrapped meat in his grip as he turned and headed back toward the treehouse.
His movements were quick, but controlled, his senses on high alert.
He didn’t look back.
Whatever it was he wasn’t sticking around to find out.
Kael moved swiftly but carefully, his mind already running through potential scenarios. The snap of the branch had been too distinct, too sudden, to be natural. He had no proof of what it was, but he had learned by now, better to assume something was hunting him than to get caught off guard.
His heart was racing, but his mind was steady, and focused, his handle on the wrapped meat tightened as he ducked low beneath a twisted root, maneuvering his way through the thick underbrush. He kept his knife in his free hand, ready for anything.
The journey back felt longer, every rustling leaf and shifting shadow setting his nerves on edge. But he wasn’t panicking.
He was learning, though it had only been 2 days, and he was adapting fast, he had no choice but to.
Already, he was moving differently than before. He stuck closer to natural cover, stepping where the earth was soft to muffle his footfalls. His eyes darted between the trees, checking angles, looking for anything that might indicate movement other than his own. In the back of his mind, he knew this was more than he would have done before, he could feel the changes to his mind and enhanced perception.
His overly high level of caution made the trip slower, but it was necessary.
Better cautious than dead.
After what felt like an hour, and couldn’t have been more than 2, he finally spotted the treehouse through the gaps in the thick foliage. He forced himself to stop, forcing himself to watch the area first.
Was anything waiting for him? Had something followed?
Silence.
The same unnatural quiet that had settled in his bones since waking up in this world.
After another minute of observation, he was satisfied enough to move forward.
Reaching the base of the tree, he looked up, checking the rope ladder. Still there. Still intact.
With one last glance around, he slung the wrapped meat over his shoulder and began climbing.
The accent was awkward with only one arm, but he made do, pulling himself up with firm, measured movements. When he finally reached the platform, he exhaled deeply, letting the tension bleed out of his muscles.
For a moment, he just sat there, back against the wooden wall.
He had done it.
Keal's first real hunt in this world. As well as his first proper kill on one of the monsters.
He still had no idea what the level system actually meant. The increase in stats was more obvious now, he could feel it in his body and mind, but how did it work? What did each stat truly affect?
He needed answers and needed to experiment more on this sensation he kept feeling, specifically how it helped boost his body. But right now, food, his stomach was growling, at this rate it might just get him killed.
Kael took a moment to re-secure the wrapped meat, making sure it wouldn’t come undone. The smell would still linger, but at least it wouldn’t be as obvious.
Now, the next step.
He couldn’t just sit here and eat it raw.
Which meant…fire.
He started rubbing a hand down his face, not caring about how dirty it was. He had been avoiding that issue entirely, there was no safe space to make a fire that didn’t attract things, but unless he wanted to chew on raw meat like a goddamn savage, he had no choice.
Thinking more about it he concluded that the river was the best place.
Open space. A clear view of approaching threats. A natural escape route, if necessary, and should something big show up, he could always dive in and let the current take him away. Not the safest option, it would also risk him being stuck somewhere more unknown for the night and unable to leave. Not a good thing to think about. but anything is better than getting torn apart.
Shaking off the thoughts, he descended the tree once more, making sure to move quickly this time.
The sooner he did this, the sooner he could get back.
The trip was tense but uneventful.
Kael moved with purpose, keeping close to any place offering cover, and avoiding open areas. He checked behind himself more than once, just in case something had chosen to follow him.
Nothing.
Still, he didn’t let himself relax until he reached the river clearing.
The glowing light of the veins running through the trees, and roots shimmered off the surface of the water, giving the entire scene an otherworldly glow.
It was… calm. Had he nothing to worry about, he would have enjoyed the view, as it was Kael stayed within the tree line, crouching low as he scanned the area.
His eyes locked onto something on the far side of the river.
Movement.
His muscles tensed, his thoughts racing as he tried to observe as much as he could.
Three creatures.
At first, he thought they were Wildhorn Bucks, like the one he had killed before.
But these were different.
They were similar in appearance, massive, muscular deer-like creatures, with sharp, jagged blade-like antlers, but these had a subtle vein of grey light running down them.
But their fur was a darker shade, and there was something almost predatory about the way they moved. The way they drank the water, constantly flicking their ears, scanning their surroundings. Watchful. Calculating.
“…Guess the water was safe, after all,” he muttered to himself, a dry smirk tugging at his lips. “No need to worry about some super bacteria coming out the rear end.” He chuckled lightly at his own bad joke.
Then, the System chimed, and several small notifications showed up before each one.
[ Twilight Wildhorn – Level 6 ]
[ Twilight Wildhorn – Level 6 ]
[ Twilight Wildhorn – Level 7 ]
Kael froze. Level 6 and 7?
Those things were stronger than the first Wildhorn he had killed, did it mean that it was just a simpler version of these? Thinking that the prompt updated as if waiting for him to ask for the information.
[ Twilight Wildhorn (uncommon) – Level 6 ]
[ Twilight Wildhorn (uncommon) – Level 6 ]
[ Twilight Wildhorn (uncommon) – Level 7 ]
Kael’s eyes went wide.
He hadn’t done anything, yet the system had given him more information.
Did I just unlock some kind of rarity display? He stared at the prompt, realization creeping into his mind. Could it be that just wondering about it in the right way had triggered some hidden feature? Was there more information locked away unless he actively sought it out?
If that was true… then how much else was hidden from him?
The creatures finished drinking, bringing Kael’s focus back, after a moment, they moved on, disappearing back into the forest again.
Kael waited. Five minutes. Ten minutes.
When he was sure nothing else was lurking nearby, he finally stepped out into the clearing. Time to work.
Kael had no real supplies, no lighter, no proper tools.
But he knew how to make a simple survivor fire.
He crouched down, digging into the dirt with his knife and the antler blade creating two holes close together, connecting them with a narrow tunnel underneath.
A Dakota Fire Hole.
One hole for the fire itself.
One hole for ventilation, allowing oxygen to keep the flames strong.
The advantages were obvious—less smoke, harder to see, and more efficient burning.
It was one of the first things he had learned when he started practicing survival skills.
Hell, the first time he even heard of it was from this old group back in Ridgewood.
It was called, “Survival lessons in the Wilderness with Tom”. With you guessed it Tom.
It was a small group of idiots playing survivalists, watching too many of those “I survived 100 days in the woods!” YouTube videos.
They had all laughed about it at the time.
Kael hadn’t thought much of it back then just something to pass the time. But it had grown on him in his late 20ties and come in handy when he was hiking, and now it was saving his life.
Tom might probably be dead if monsters like this were everywhere. The last he heard of him, he had married but had an accident shortly after paralyzing him, the only thing that helped him keep the constant happy/goofy smile he always had as far as Keal could remember was his daughter, and how much joy she had brought him. But she was too young to make much of a difference here, not with monsters like this.
Keal finished digging, then got up and moved to gather sticks.
Finding dry wood wasn’t difficult this place was full of broken branches and deadfall.
Kael worked fast, collecting enough twigs and kindling to get a flame going.
When he had enough, he returned to the fire pit, arranging them into a small, tight bundle.
Now, the hard part.
With no lighter or matches. He needed to go old school, simple friction.
Kael grimaced, rubbing his hands together for warmth before picking up a dry, thin branch. He pressed the stick into a small groove he had made in a larger piece of wood, rolling it between his palms, fast and hard, generating friction. Now if this was before the system Keal would have been stuck going back and forth, for a while maybe even tiring his hands in the meantime. Now a different problem reared its head up, he was too strong. Every time he put pressure on the branch it broke resulting in him using bigger and bigger sizes, discarding the broken ones in the going to burn pile.
All this resulted in this taking several minutes, but the reward was when he finally managed to both be delicate and firm plus generate a good deal more friction. Faster than he could manage before, he noted. A good-sized ember being made.
Kael leaned in, cupping his hands around it, gently blowing. The ember caught, tiny flames licking at the dry twigs. Fire.
Kael grinned. “Still got it.”