"That makes three. My breakfast is ready!"

I ran up and gathered the third bird, bringing them back to my camp. The sun was high in the sky, and ever since this morning, I had been trying not to think about my dream from last night. The only thing I'd been doing was hunting birds for today's meal. This was my second day in this place. After bringing the birds back, I rushed to the river and drank as much water as I could. When I stood up, despite my efforts to avoid it, her words echoed in my mind again.

"Astarte! Larrios Astarte…"

I started running back to my camp. This back-and-forth journey felt strange. I was running away from the sadness I had felt after the dream ended. Lost in thought, I reached the camp, but something was wrong. The birds were gone—nowhere to be seen! I quickly began searching for them and noticed animal tracks to my left. I started following them as fast as I could.

"No one is stealing my food!"

The tracks led back into the woods. As I followed them, I saw it—a gray wolf! From behind, I could make out its features. It stood about a meter tall and had a large, muscular body. Its thick gray fur glistened in the sunlight. Its head was level with its back as it ran with the birds in its mouth. Fear gripped me; the wolf was as threatening as any predator could be. But I had worked hard for that food, and I wasn't about to let anyone, or anything, take it from me. Still, I needed to be smart about this. As I followed the wolf from behind the trees, I started thinking of a plan.

"Should I wait for him to drop the food and snatch it? No, that won't work—he's a predator. He'll catch me before I even know what hit me. I don't have any weapons, so if I want my food back, I need to find one!"

The rush of adrenaline was getting to my head. Nothing else mattered now—just me and the wolf in the woods. After a while, the wolf slowed down and looked back. Luckily, I had hidden behind a tree. He sniffed the air, then turned and continued toward a small cave, which he entered. I cautiously approached, but the menacing howl of the wolf echoed from within, low and terrifying, reverberating through the trees—a primal warning that sent chills through the silence. He knew I was following him.

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As the adrenaline surged, I thought to myself, "I need to run. He might not be alone, and if one wolf is this scary, a whole pack could end my life instantly. I have no weapons—this was a mistake."

I quickly turned and ran back to my camp.

After a few minutes, I arrived back at the camp feeling utterly miserable. My hard-earned food had been stolen by an animal, and I didn't have the strength or guts to go retrieve it. I was weak. Just then, my stomach growled angrily, reminding me that it was time to hunt again.

The birds had gathered around the camp once more, and I grabbed some pebbles to start hunting. This time, luck was not on my side. The birds seemed to have become wary after the previous encounters, darting away swiftly at the slightest hint of danger. From the corner of my eye, I noticed some birds flying east, heading toward a secluded spot. I decided to follow them cautiously, hoping I might catch some with my pebbles.

Slowly and quietly, I trailed after them. After a while, I saw where they had settled. They were perched atop some plants, picking insects from the foliage. I gathered the pebbles in my right hand and, with a swift motion, hurled them at the birds. I managed to hit one, and I quickly ran to collect my prize. I felt a surge of determination—I'd survive!

Hunting → Level Up!

→ Level 2

→ XP needed for Level 3 → 200 XP

→ Current Effect → +2 Dexterity

The notification startled me, making my heart race. Levelling up my hunting skill? Was this because of how often I'd killed birds and the experience with the wolf? And what was this about an "Effect"? As I puzzled over this, the window vanished, only to be replaced by another.

Stats

Strength → 6

Intelligence → 8

Stamina → 6

Dexterity → 10 (+2)

This was new—stats that affected my abilities. Skills, stats, inventory, and personal information all seemed to be part of this strange system. I couldn't shake the feeling that this was linked to what "Astarte" had told me the night before. The "gift" she mentioned might be influencing my growth and skill development.

I felt a renewed sense of purpose. The shame from losing the food to the wolf began to fade. I approached the bird I had caught and noticed it was lying near a peculiar plant. Intrigued, I examined it closely. The plant was small, with rough, mottled skin in earthy hues. It looked familiar from a distant memory.

"Wild potato," I said softly, realizing what I had found. Even though I wasn't completely sure, I knew it was edible. I carefully dug up the plant and discovered a small patch of wild potatoes. I gathered about twenty of them and picked up the bird before heading back to my camp.

"Tonight, I'll have a good meal," I said, feeling a mix of satisfaction and relief as I began preparing my food.