The Primal Hunter Chapter 4 - First Battle

The party had already discussed their initial strategy for when they reached the surface, prioritizing the discovery of a secure location to establish a camp. During their brief stay, the artificial sun overhead had shifted slightly, suggesting the existence of a day-night cycle.

Bertram speculated that the darkness of night would likely bring greater peril than the day. If the forest was crawling with beasts, it was logical to assume some were nocturnal predators. Furthermore, they couldn't dismiss the possibility of other humans using the shadows to their advantage.

Leaving the clearing where the pillar had descended, the group ventured into the woods. Anxiety spiked as the open space gave way to a cramped, claustrophobic environment. Their primary goal was to locate a water source to camp near. However, the thick canopy made it impossible to see anything from the height of the pillar, forcing them to navigate the terrain blindly.

While the others walked in a state of high alert, Jake felt strangely at ease. He remained vigilant of the shadows between the trees, yet he possessed an intuitive sense that nothing would catch them off guard. He maintained his focus on potential threats, which was difficult given that the forest was far from quiet. The air was filled with bird calls, the echoing roars of distant beasts, and a rustling of leaves that seemed far louder than anything he had heard before. He suspected his heightened Perception was responsible for this sensory clarity.

Bertram, acting as their heavy frontline warrior, crested a small ridge and suddenly froze. Jacob hurried forward to join him. Although Jake remained at the rear of the formation, the close proximity allowed him to overhear their conversation clearly.

“What are those things?” Bertram whispered, staring down into a small hollow. Jake moved up to join them, the last of the group to arrive. Below, he spotted a pack of what he assumed were some of the beasts they had been warned about.

“They look like oversized badgers. Though, seeing as they’re tearing into that deer-like creature, I’d say their diet is significantly more aggressive,” Jacob noted, looking back at the group. “We already agreed that hunting might be necessary. These don’t appear too formidable, so we should be able to manage. What do you all think?”

Jake studied the creatures. There were four of them, each roughly the size of a German shepherd. As they ripped flesh from the deer carcass, their sharp teeth and claws were on full display. Despite being only thirty meters away, the beasts seemed to have poor situational awareness, as they hadn't noticed the group yet.

Jake felt no sense of danger from them. On the contrary, he had a gut feeling that taking them down would be a simple task.

Casper, the group’s other archer, broke into Jake’s thoughts:

“I’m in favor of hunting. Based on those roars we’re hearing, there are much worse things out there, and these could be our dinner. They look like low-level beasts,” he said, earning a nod of agreement from Jacob. Hearing the word 'level' made Jake mentally scold himself. He wondered why he hadn't thought to use Identify yet; that was exactly what the skill was intended for.

Tuning out the chatter, Jake focused his intent on the beasts one by one. Information finally appeared.

[??? - lvl 3]

[??? - lvl 4]

[??? - lvl 3]

[??? - lvl 3]

“…I’m telling you, they look more like ferrets than badgers!”

“I’m not saying there isn't a resemblance, I’m saying you don’t know the difference between a ferret and a weasel!”

Jake’s attention returned to the group, where Dennis, the light warrior, and Lina, a caster, were embroiled in a trivial argument. It wasn't a surprise; the two were cousins who frequently engaged in pointless debates that could last for days before ending in a stalemate.

Jake personally couldn't see the likeness to either animal, but he didn't know the difference between them anyway. He was certain of one thing, though: whether it was a ferret or a weasel, a well-placed arrow to the vitals would kill it regardless.

Theodore, the other medium warrior, interrupted the cousins' bickering, having reached the same conclusion as Jake. “Guys, I just used Identify. One of them is level 3, but I couldn't see a name.”

“Good thinking! I should have tried that myself!” Jacob remarked, clapping Theodore on the shoulder. He then turned to Jake. “Hey Jake, what’s your take on this?”

“I don't have a preference, but I checked them too. Three are level 3, and one is level 4,” Jake replied. He felt uncomfortable being the center of attention for the other nine people. He secretly wished they would stop talking and just start the fight.

It was ten against four, and they held the element of surprise. They had every possible advantage, making this prolonged hesitation feel unnecessary.

“Alright, we’re moving in. Here is the plan…”

Several minutes were spent over-analyzing their strategy. They had ducked back behind the ridge to remain hidden. Peeking over the edge occasionally, Jake saw that the badger-weasel hybrids were still preoccupied with their meal.

The strategy was basic: lead with ranged volleys to thin the numbers while Bertram moved in with his shield to draw aggro. Jacob and Theodore would then move to protect Bertram’s flanks. The plan relied on the assumption that the beasts were both unintelligent and aggressive.

While the level of preparation seemed excessive for a few large badgers, no one wanted to take risks. Jake understood the caution, but he found it stifling. A battle without risk felt... dull.

A flaw in the plan emerged when the casters revealed that their magic bolts only had a range of about ten meters; any further and the spells would simply dissipate. This was information Ahmed had received during the initial tutorial.

This left the opening moves to Jake and Casper. No one trusted Dennis with his throwing daggers at thirty meters—or even ten, for that matter. As for Casper, he had never even touched a bow until he selected the Archer class earlier that day.

“So, Jake. Are you confident you can hit one from here?” Jacob asked, his tone suggesting he had little faith in the very plan they had just spent ten minutes crafting. Jake agreed the planning was a waste; the beasts would have been dead by now if he were in charge.

“I am,” Jake replied, his growing frustration with the group’s passivity helping him overcome his social awkwardness.

He pulled an arrow from his quiver to inspect it. It featured a wooden shaft, a steel head, and fletching made from an unfamiliar type of feather. It was well-balanced and sharp—high-quality equipment.

“Okay, we’re ready when you are,” Jacob said, though the entire group looked nervous. They weren't warriors; Bertram was the only one who seemed to have any real training.

Jake stepped over the ridge, the others following closely behind.

He nocked an arrow and locked onto his target. As he raised the bow, his vision sharpened instantly—Archer’s Eye had triggered. Time slowed down as he drew the string back to his cheek.

For the first time all day, things felt right. The morning routine, his job, the tutorial—it had all felt wrong. But in this moment, with the bow in his hand, everything was as it should be. A small smile touched his lips as he released the string. Before the first arrow even landed, he was already nocking a second in one continuous, fluid motion.

He aimed for the neck of the level 4 beast. He had considered the heart or head, but he didn't know their anatomy well enough to be sure of the heart's location or the skull's thickness. The arrow streaked through the air with far more velocity and precision than Jake had ever achieved before.

The projectile tore through the beast’s throat just as it began to look up from its prey.

The creature collapsed. Before the rest of the pack could react, the second arrow struck the leftmost badger in the chest, burying itself deep. The two survivors immediately snarled and charged toward Jake, ignoring their own safety.

They hadn't even covered five meters before a third arrow hissed toward them. This time, the beasts were alert; the one on the right managed to twist away, taking only a minor graze. Jake loosed two more shots before they reached the line, but both only inflicted superficial wounds.

Just as the beasts prepared to leap at Jake, a massive shadow stepped in front of him. Bertram stood firm with his shield and short-sword, flanked by Theodore and Jacob. Jake moved to the side, staying behind the protective line while searching for a clear shot.

The uninjured badger slammed into Bertram’s shield and was sent reeling back by the impact. The wounded one followed, but it was more hesitant as Jacob kept it at bay with sword thrusts. Jacob took a few scratches to his arms, but he managed to land several hits in return.

As Jake lined up his shot, Theodore managed to stab the first badger in its hind leg, crippling it. With its mobility gone, the two warriors quickly finished it off.

Jacob continued to duel the injured badger, which was darting around his swings. Seeing an opening as the beast dodged one of Jacob's strikes, Jake released an arrow that buried itself in the creature's side. Stunned, the beast couldn't recover before Jacob’s sword came down, splitting its skull.

Bertram and Theodore finished their target at nearly the same moment. Jake looked back at his first two targets; both were dead. The one shot in the throat had died instantly, while the second had only managed a few meters before collapsing from internal damage. Given the amount of blood, Jake suspected he had pierced its heart.

“Holy shit, we actually did it!” Theodore shouted, waving his blood-stained blade. Behind them, Caroline ran toward Jacob, chanting softly. A white light gathered in her palms, and Jake watched as the wounds on Jacob’s arms began to close. Jacob thanked her, then shot a strange, contemplative look toward Jake.

Jake ignored the attention. As his adrenaline began to fade, he checked the system notifications he had missed during the chaos.

*You have slain [Badger Cub – lvl 4] – Bonus experience earned for killing an enemy above your level. 8 TP earned*

*’DING!’ Class: [Archer] has reached level 1 – Stat points allocated, +1 free point*

*You have slain [Badger Cub – lvl 3] – Bonus experience earned for killing an enemy above your level. 4 TP earned*

*You have slain [Badger Cub – lvl 3] – Bonus experience earned for killing an enemy above your level. 2 TP earned*

*’DING!’ Class: [Archer] has reached level 2 – Stat points allocated, +1 free point*

*’DING!’ Race: [Human (G)] has reached level 1 – Stat points allocated, +1 free point*

*You have slain [Badger Cub – lvl 3] – Bonus experience earned killing an enemy above your level. 2 TP earned*

That was more than he expected, Jake thought. He felt incredible. The warmth of the stat increases was pleasant, but the satisfaction went deeper than that.

He had won. It had been a simple fight, but the thrill was undeniable. The memory of the arrows hitting home and the rush of the kill lingered in his mind. He wanted to hunt again.