The sun was beginning to rise from behind the snow.
Thomas stood there, his eyes red, his hair standing on end.
"My stomach's growling… I couldn't sleep properly at all."
"If I don't find something to eat, I'm done for…"
When he looked outside, he saw a desolate land surrounded by snow in every direction. Beyond it, the taiga stretched out.
"It's going to be hard to find anything to eat here…"
Thomas glanced at the cat.
"A gigantic cat that can cling to walls… but it doesn't look like it can conquer the world or anything…"
"The more I think about it, this really feels like reincarnation…"
He added more wood to the dying embers of the fire. Gripping the spear he had made, he turned in a slow circle, surveying his surroundings.
"If there's anything edible here, it'll have to be animals. Maybe plants, but still…"
Holding the spear, he began his search.
At that moment, the scraping sound of the spear woke the cat.
It stared silently at Thomas.
"Ahh… still, I did hunt animals many years ago. I should still be able to do it."
"Deer or gazelle would be impossible. I'll aim for birds or rabbits."
The spear's edge grew sharper, beginning to gleam more brightly than before. Thomas raised it and looked up.
"Alright. That should do it."
He noticed the cat staring at him.
"Come to think of it, ever since I got this spear, I'm not as afraid of this cat anymore…"
"Well, having a weapon gives you options…"
Thomas gave the cat a mocking grin.
The cat glared back at him unpleasantly.
He layered several animal hides over himself. Feeling thirsty, he went outside, grabbed a handful of snow, and quenched his thirst.
"Puhh… that's cold."
After fully wrapping himself up, he headed toward the forest.
The cat, completely uninterested, went back to sleep.
Thomas carefully scanned his surroundings, searching for tracks of small animals.
"This is more fun than I expected. I'd completely forgotten about my hobbies…"
"Maybe this is a gift from God."
As he walked further, he spotted rabbit tracks. He approached and examined them closely.
"Yes…"
People tend to think rabbits can't survive the cold and assume they're scarce, but during the Ice Age, they were an important food source for cave dwellers.
Thomas knew this well. When he was younger, he had been fond of hunting.
Before long, he spotted the rabbit. It blended into the snow, faint and hard to see.
"Alright… how do I catch it?"
This time, Thomas needed knowledge more than force. He left that rabbit alone and checked how many others were in the area. Then he chased several rabbits repeatedly, observing their behavior. In doing so, he identified their usual paths and escape routes.
After that, he didn't chase them anymore. Instead, he waited for the right moment—
"Swish!"
He failed to catch it.
The rabbit sprang away in an instant and vanished.
"Well, it's been a long time since I last did this."
"That was to be expected."
"At least it's good I don't have some ridiculous ability like that cat. I've got time—I'll try again."
He calmed himself and started over.
The 13th attempt.
The rabbit ran off again.
"Damn it! What am I doing wrong?!"
Thomas was on the verge of losing his mind, his face red as a tomato.
Before long, the sun began to set. In the corner of his eye, he noticed a strangely shaped tree.
From behind that tree, he saw a rabbit feeding.
"Should I try my luck today?"
At the cave entrance, the cat sat with an angry expression, shivering. The cat spotted Thomas returning from beyond the ridge, carrying a large bundle of bark.
"Damn it… damn it…"
"I'm freezing to death."
"Does it really get this cold the moment night falls?"
Thomas saw the cat standing angrily at the entrance.
"Starting to feel cold?"
He quickly rubbed pieces of wood together and lit a fire. It ignited faster and cleaner than any of his previous attempts.
"Come warm up, Spidey!"
The cat looked at him in surprise—and irritation.
"What? You don't like being called a cat, do you?"
Thomas smiled faintly.
He unpacked the bark he had brought and began digging a pot-shaped hole with his spear. He placed small branches inside and lit a fire, then set a flat, slab-like stone he had picked up near the river on top.
"Alright, now…"
Next, he peeled the bark and sliced the thin inner layer into strips. He placed them on the heated stone along with snow.
Spidey watched curiously.
"I had a lot of hobbies, you know. That's why I've got quite a bit of knowledge."
Spidey continued staring without interest.
"Well, whatever."
"Now if I just wrap it in hide and cover it with a bit of dirt…"
"And there we go."
Softening the bark and removing its bitterness—this was the simplest way to eat it.
While waiting, Thomas reflected on his past.
Observing alone.
Learning alone.
Hunting and spending nights alone.
Doing handicrafts alone—experiments, processing many kinds of materials.
"I really did have a lot of hobbies…"
"But now… it doesn't feel like I'm alone anymore."
He said this while looking at Spidey.
Soon, the bark was ready. He swallowed, his stomach feeling hollow enough to fit a whole person inside.
"Alright… just a small bite first."
"If it tastes strange, I'll stop."
Drool forming at the corner of his mouth, he reached out and bit the tip of the bark.
The moment it touched his tongue—
"What the hell?!"
Thomas's eyes lit up as he devoured the bark without leaving a single piece behind.
In disbelief—
"I'm literally eating bark…"
"How can this be so good…? It's like chocolate…"
"Whew!"
"Well, it is another world after all. Even the taste of trees is different."
Midnight came.
In his dream, Thomas saw an unfamiliar woman clinging to him, pressing her chest against him as she hugged him.
"H-hey… no, stop… that's not allowed…"
Spidey lay there, looking at him with an exhausted expression.
Suddenly, a roar shattered the silence of the night outside.
Spidey instantly sprang up, assuming a battle stance and preparing to fight.
The roaring grew louder, and it woke Thomas as well.
"Spidey, no!!!"
He opened his eyes.
He immediately understood what was happening.
As the roar echoed again, closer and more powerful, Thomas grabbed his spear and took a battle stance as well.
Swallowing hard, he tried to calm himself, staring toward the cave entrance.
Beyond the darkness