Ren woke to silence.
Not the peaceful kind—but the tense, listening silence that made his body react before his mind did. His eyes snapped open as he inhaled sharply, muscles tightening.
Nothing attacked.
The cave ceiling loomed above him, uneven stone catching faint light from the cave entrance. The steady, heavy breathing near the mouth of the cave told him the bear was still there, still guarding.
Ren exhaled slowly.
"I'm alive…"
His body ached. Not sharply, not dangerously—but deeply. The kind of soreness that came after exhaustion rather than injury. The healing elixir he drank the previous night had done its job, but it hadn't erased fatigue.
He sat up carefully and leaned against the wall.
Then his eyes fell on it.
The book.
Plain. Untitled. Empty.
Ren reached for it.
He had checked it many times already, but something about today felt different. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe desperation. Maybe just hunger forcing him to think more clearly.
He opened the book and began flipping through the pages.
One.
Two.
Ten.
Twenty.
Nothing.
Still blank.
"…Why?" Ren muttered.
He flipped faster, rifling through the pages from front to back. Not a single word. Not even a symbol.
He closed it and stared at the cover.
"In a game-like world," he said quietly, "nothing exists for no reason."
Ren leaned his head back against the stone wall and closed his eyes.
I need food.
I need weapons.
I can't fight everything up close.
His thoughts slowed, becoming more focused.
"…A bow."
The moment the idea formed clearly—
The book grew warm in his hands.
Ren's eyes snapped open.
Ink bled into the page, spreading like veins beneath the paper. Lines formed. Shapes followed. Words etched themselves cleanly and deliberately.
Ren sucked in a breath.
[Concept Registered: Basic Bow and Arrow]
The pages filled with diagrams.
Wood types.
Flexible branches.
Vines usable as string.
Arrow shaft shaping.
Fire-hardening techniques.
Balance and draw strength.
Ren stared, stunned.
"So… it doesn't teach me," he whispered. "It responds."
The book wasn't a manual.
It was a recorder of intent.
Ren closed it slowly, heart pounding.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Let's see if I can actually do this."
He stepped out of the cave and into the morning air.
The river shimmered nearby, sunlight reflecting off its surface. Beyond it, the jungle rose like a wall—dense, shadowed, alive.
Ren didn't rush in.
He moved carefully along the edges, gathering what he needed.
Finding wood was easy.
Finding the right wood was not.
Some branches snapped too easily. Others were stiff and useless. Ren tested each one, bending it gradually, guided by the knowledge now sitting in his mind.
His hands worked slowly.
Sweat formed quickly.
By the time he selected three usable branches, his palms were already roughened.
Next came vines.
Ren searched the jungle fringe, cutting carefully, pulling down long, fibrous strands. He tested their strength, twisting them, stretching them until he was satisfied.
Then came the arrows.
That's where everything went wrong.
His first attempt snapped as soon as he applied pressure.
Ren clenched his teeth. "Too brittle."
The second attempt looked fine—until he tested it.
The shaft warped when heated, bending just enough to ruin its balance.
Ren closed his eyes and breathed out slowly.
"…Again."
The third attempt, he slowed down.
He trimmed carefully. Heated gradually. Turned the shaft evenly over fire. Sharpened the tip patiently using his dagger.
When he tested it, the arrow pierced the dirt cleanly.
Ren nodded once.
By midday, his arms were trembling.
Crafting drained him faster than fighting ever had. Every movement demanded precision. Every mistake wasted time and strength.
Still, he pushed on.
By the time the sun lowered slightly, Ren had completed:
One crude bow
Six usable arrows
He dropped onto a rock and laughed quietly, breathless.
"That took way more out of me than it should have."
He drank from the clay jug and rested until the shaking in his hands subsided.
Only then did he move again.
Fishing came next.
Ren returned to the river, stepping into the cool water. He sharpened a stick and stood motionless, eyes tracking movement beneath the surface.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
His first strike missed.
His second grazed a fish but failed to pin it.
By the third attempt, his timing improved.
He caught two fish—not large, but enough.
Satisfied, Ren returned to the cave.
Using the basic lamp, he ignited a small fire. Its warm glow pushed shadows back, making the cave feel less like a hole and more like shelter.
The bear stirred.
"Help me," Ren said, pointing outward.
The massive creature lumbered outside and returned dragging thick branches in its jaws.
"…Good," Ren murmured.
They smoked the fish slowly. The smell filled the cave, rich and comforting.
Ren ate in silence.
Food tasted better when earned.
That night, he slept deeply.
The next morning, Ren woke with purpose.
His hunger was less urgent now—but it wasn't gone. He couldn't rely on fishing alone forever.
He returned to crafting.
Using leftover materials, he refined his bow—adjusting grip placement, tightening the vine string slightly. He didn't make another.
"One is enough for now."
He also fashioned a simple arrow pouch, tying it from scraps and vines.
A soft chime echoed.
[Craftsmanship Proficiency Increased]
Ren exhaled.
He stood at the cave entrance and checked his equipment.
Dagger.
Bow.
Arrows.
Book.
The bear watched him silently.
"I'm going hunting," Ren said. "Stay here."
The bear rumbled but didn't move.
Ren stepped forward.
The jungle loomed.
Dense. Dark. Waiting.
As Ren crossed beneath the canopy, the book at his side pulsed faintly.
And then—
A sharp chime echoed in his mind.
[Main Task Issued]
Survive and hunt within the jungle for 24 hours
Reward:
+20 Points
Survival Proficiency Increase
Punishment:
Forced re-entry into Trial Zone for 1 hour
Ren's grip tightened on the bow.
"So it starts now."
The jungle answered with a rustle.
And Ren moved forward.