The Primal Hunter Chapter 4 - First Battle

The party had already discussed their strategy for when they hit the deck, with their primary goal being the discovery of a secure location to establish a base. High above, the artificial sun had shifted noticeably since their arrival, suggesting the existence of a day-night cycle in this place.

Bertram hypothesized that the darkness would bring even greater peril than the light. If this forest was teeming with predators, it stood to reason that many would be nocturnal hunters. Beyond the beasts, one also had to consider the danger of other humans using the shadows as a veil for an ambush.

Leaving the clearing where the stone pillar had retreated into the earth, the group ventured into the woods. Anxiety spiked as the open space gave way to a claustrophobic environment. Their immediate mission was to locate a water source and set up camp nearby. Because the thick canopy of the trees blocked any view from the top of the pillar, they were forced to explore the terrain blindly.

While the others walked with wide-eyed trepidation, Jake felt strangely at ease. He remained alert to anything hiding behind the trunks, yet a gut feeling told him nothing would catch them off guard. He kept his ears open for danger, though the forest was far from quiet. Birds chirped, the distant bellows of monsters echoed frequently, and the wind through the leaves sounded much sharper than he remembered. He suspected his heightened Perception was responsible for this sensory clarity.

Bertram, acting as their frontline heavy warrior, crested a small ridge and suddenly froze. Jacob moved up quickly to stand at his side. Though Jake was positioned at the very rear, their proximity allowed him to overhear their hushed voices.

“What are those creatures?” Bertram whispered, staring down into a small hollow. Jake approached them, being the last to see the sight. Below them sat a cluster of animals he assumed were the beasts they had been warned about.

“They look like oversized badgers. But considering that deer-like carcass they’re ripping apart, I’d say their diet is much more aggressive,” Jacob noted, turning back to the group. “We already decided that hunting might be necessary. These things don’t look too formidable, so we should be able to take them. Thoughts?”

Jake studied the massive badgers. There were four, each roughly the size of a large dog. As they tore flesh from the deer, it was clear they possessed lethal claws and teeth. However, their situational awareness seemed terrible; despite the group being only thirty meters away, the beasts hadn't noticed them at all.

He felt no sense of dread looking at them. On the contrary, he had an intuitive feeling that killing them would be straightforward.

Casper, the group's other archer, chimed in and broke Jake's concentration:

“I’m in favor of hunting. Judging by those roars we keep 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 from Jacob. Hearing the word 'level' made Jake mentally curse his own forgetfulness. He wondered why he hadn't used Identify yet. That was the whole point of having the skill, he thought irritably.

Focusing his gaze on the creatures one by one while tuning out the chatter around him, he managed to get the information he wanted.

[??? - lvl 3] [??? - lvl 4] [??? - lvl 3] [??? - lvl 3]

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

“I’m not saying they don't look like ferrets, I’m saying you don’t know the difference between a ferret and a weasel!”

Jake snapped back to reality, listening to Dennis, their light warrior, and Lina, a caster, bickering over nonsense. It wasn't a surprise. As cousins, they were constantly locked in ridiculous debates that could last for weeks before ending in a stalemate.

Jake personally didn't think the beasts looked like either animal... then again, he couldn't tell a ferret from a weasel anyway. He was certain of one thing, though: whether it was a ferret or a weasel, an arrow through the brain or heart would kill it just the same.

Theodore, the other medium warrior, cut through the cousins' argument, having reached the same conclusion as Jake. “Guys, I just used Identify. One is level 3, though the name was hidden.”

“Good thinking! I should have tried that myself,” Jacob praised, clapping Theodore on the shoulder. He then turned to Jake. “Hey Jake, what do you think we should do?”

“I don't mind, but I identified 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. Honestly, he just wanted the talking to stop so the fighting could start.

It was ten against four. They had the element of surprise. With every advantage on their side, all this hesitation felt pointless.

“Alright, we fight. Now, for the tactics…”

Several minutes were wasted as they hammered out a strategy and an engagement plan. They had ducked back behind the ridge to stay out of sight. Peeking over the edge, they saw the badger-ferret things were still preoccupied with their meal.

The plan was basic: open with ranged fire to soften them up, then Bertram would move in with his shield to draw aggro while Jacob and Theodore covered his flanks. It was a plan built on the hope that the beasts were both aggressive and dim-witted.

Preparing this much for a few giant badgers seemed like overkill, but the group was terrified of taking risks. Jake understood the caution, but he didn't share it. A fight without any danger seemed... dull.

The main flaw in their plan was the casters' range. According to Ahmed, their last caster, their bolts would dissipate after only ten meters. This was information he’d received during the initial briefing.

That left the opening to Jake and Casper. Dennis was ignored because no one trusted his ability to hit anything with a throwing dagger at thirty meters—or even ten. As for Casper... he had held a bow for the first time only hours ago after selecting the Archer class.

“So, Jake. Think you can hit one from this range?” Jacob asked, sounding skeptical of the very plan they had just spent ten minutes crafting. Jake agreed the planning was a waste; if it were up to him, the beasts would already be dead.

“Yeah,” Jake said, his social anxiety fading slightly as his frustration with the group’s passivity grew.

He pulled an arrow from his quiver. It was a well-balanced wooden shaft with a steel head and fletching made from an unknown bird. It felt like a high-quality weapon in his hands.

“Okay, we’re ready when you are,” Jacob whispered, the group tensing up. It was obvious they lacked confidence. They weren't warriors; Bertram was the only one who looked like he had any real combat training.

Jake stepped up to the crest of the hill, the others following closely behind him.

He locked onto the beasts and nocked his arrow. As he raised the bow, his focus narrowed. His vision sharpened instantly—Archers Eye had triggered. Time slowed as he drew the string back to his ear.

For the first time all day, he felt a sense of belonging. The morning, the office, the tutorial—it had all felt wrong. But in this moment, with the bow drawn, everything was as it should be. He smiled, adjusted his aim, and released. Before the first arrow even landed, he was already nocking a second in one smooth, continuous motion.

He aimed for the throat of the strongest beast, the level 4. He’d considered the heart or head, but he didn't know their anatomy well enough to be sure where the heart was or if the skull was too thick. The arrow hissed through the air with more velocity and precision than Jake had ever achieved before.

It struck the beast dead center in the throat just as it looked up from its meal.

The creature collapsed. Before the others could react, a second arrow arrived, burying itself deep into the chest of the leftmost badger. The surviving two snarled and charged the hill, sprinting toward Jake with reckless fury.

They hadn't even covered five meters before another arrow flew. This time, the beasts were ready; the one on the right swerved, taking only a superficial graze. Jake managed to fire twice more before they reached the line, but he only inflicted minor wounds.

Just as the badgers reached him, a massive form stepped into the gap. Bertram stood his ground with his shield and short-sword, while Theodore and Jacob moved to the sides. Jake repositioned, staying behind the melee fighters to look for an opening.

The uninjured badger slammed into Bertram’s shield and was sent reeling by the impact. The wounded one followed, though it was more hesitant as Jacob kept it at bay with sword thrusts and feints.

While Jake lined up his shot, Theodore managed to stab the first badger in its hind leg. With its mobility gone, the two warriors made quick work of it.

Jacob was still dancing with the injured beast, trading blows. He had taken a few scratches on his forearms, but the badger was also bleeding from several cuts.

Jake tracked the movement. As the beast lunged away from Jacob’s blade, Jake let fly. The arrow pierced the badger's flank. Before it could recover, Jacob’s sword came down, splitting its skull and ending the fight.

Bertram and Theodore finished their target at nearly the same time. Jake checked his initial targets; both were dead. The one shot in the throat had died instantly, and the one hit in the chest had only made it a few steps before collapsing. Based on the blood trail, Jake had likely pierced its heart.

“Holy shit, we actually did it!” Theodore shouted, waving his blood-stained sword. Behind them, Caroline ran to Jacob, chanting under her breath. A white glow emanated from her palms, and Jake watched as the cuts on Jacob’s arms began to close. Jacob thanked her, then shot Jake a complicated look.

Jake wasn't in the mood for talk. As his pulse slowed, he checked the system notifications that had popped up during the skirmish.

*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 it was more than just the numbers.

He had won. The fight was simple, but the thrill was real. He could still feel the impact of the arrows and the rush of the kill. He wanted to do it again. He wanted to hunt.