Chapter 10: The Hunt
The new storage shelves quickly became the talk of the village. At first, many of the elders didn’t understand why Aren had asked them to build them. But after spending the morning moving baskets and dried meat onto the raised platforms, even they had to admit the storehouse felt cleaner and easier to manage.
"It’s easier to find everything now," one of the women said.
"And nothing is getting wet," another added.
Aren smiled quietly. It was a small change. But small changes often made the biggest difference.
"Aren." Chief Rokan approached, his expression more serious than usual. "Come with me."
The two walked toward the center of the village, where several hunters had gathered around a flat stone. On top of it lay the morning’s catch — three rabbits, a handful of fish, one small deer. That was all.
The hunters lowered their heads. Chief Rokan let out a slow breath. "This is everything we found today."
Aren frowned. "For the whole village?"
The chief nodded. "The forest has changed. The animals are moving farther north."
One hunter slammed his fist against the stone. "If this continues, we’ll have nothing left before winter."
Silence followed. No one had an answer.
Aren looked at the meat on the stone, then at the hunters. "How do you usually hunt?"
An older hunter answered. "We spread out. Each hunter searches alone."
Aren thought for a moment. "Doesn’t that make it harder to catch larger animals?"
The hunters exchanged confused looks. "We’ve always hunted this way."
Again, the same answer.
Aren closed his eyes. His head began to ache. Fragments flashed through his mind — people moving together, voices giving signals, a line closing around frightened animals. The images disappeared almost instantly.
[Memory Synchronization: 9%]
Recovered Knowledge: Coordinated Hunting
Aren opened his eyes. "What if... you hunted as one group instead?"
The hunters stared at him. "One group?"
"If one hunter scares the animals, they’ll run away. But if several hunters surround them, they’ll have nowhere to escape."
The younger hunters looked at each other. One slowly nodded. "I’ve never tried that."
Chief Rokan folded his arms. "It will require trust. It will also require discipline."
Aren smiled. "Then let’s start with something small. Tomorrow, we hunt together."
The chief remained silent for a long time. Finally, he gave a slow nod. "Very well. We’ll do it your way."
That night, as the village slept, Aren stood alone near the repaired fence. The stars stretched endlessly across the sky. The world felt impossibly ancient.
Suddenly, the Civilization System appeared once more.
[New Main Mission Unlocked]
```text
══════════════════════
Main Mission
Lead the village through its first winter.
Current Progress: 0%
Failure:
The village will collapse.
Reward:
???
══════════════════════
```
Aren stared at the final line. For the first time, even the reward was hidden.
He looked slowly toward the endless forest beyond the walls. Winter was coming. And he had the feeling the wolves were no longer the greatest threat waiting for them.
End of Chapter 10