The First Civilization

The next morning arrived sooner than anyone expected. Before sunrise, the village was already awake.

Nine hunters gathered at the village gate, each carrying a stone spear, a hunting knife, and a small leather pouch filled with dried meat. Unlike every hunt before, no one stood alone.

Chief Rokan stepped forward and looked at the group. "For years, each of us hunted alone." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Today, we hunt together."

The hunters exchanged uncertain glances. Some looked excited. Others were clearly nervous.

Aren walked to the center of the group and picked up a long stick. He knelt and began drawing on the ground. "This is the valley." He drew two cliffs with a narrow path between them, then placed several small stones in the center. "This is the herd."

The hunters quietly watched.

"We won’t chase them. We’ll guide them." He moved another stone behind the herd. "The rear group will slowly push them forward." Then he pointed to both sides of the drawing. "The left and right groups will stop them from escaping." Finally, he tapped the narrow entrance of the valley. "The front group will wait here. When the herd reaches this point, they’ll have nowhere else to run."

Silence filled the air. The hunters stared at the simple drawing. One of the younger hunters scratched his head. "So... we become the trap."

Aren smiled. "Exactly."

Chief Rokan looked at every hunter. "Everyone understands?" They nodded. "Good. Let’s move."

The group entered the forest together. Morning mist covered the trees, and the air was cool. No one spoke. Each hunter quietly moved toward the position Aren had assigned.

After nearly an hour of searching, one of the scouts suddenly raised his hand. "There."

Everyone stopped. Through the trees, a small herd of deer grazed peacefully beside a stream.

Chief Rokan glanced at Aren. "It’s time."

Aren nodded. "Remember. Don’t run. Don’t shout. Move slowly."

The hunters silently spread out. Everything was going according to plan. The rear group moved first. The deer lifted their heads, but instead of panicking, they slowly stepped toward the valley.

"It’s working..." one hunter whispered.

The left group closed in. Then the right. The herd continued moving exactly where Aren wanted. A smile appeared on Chief Rokan’s face.

But just as victory seemed certain—

CRACK! A loud snapping sound echoed through the forest. One hunter had stepped on a dry branch.

Every deer froze. For a single heartbeat, the entire forest went silent.

Then the herd burst into a sprint.

"They’re escaping!" The hunters rushed forward, and the formation immediately collapsed. Within seconds, the deer disappeared into the endless forest.

Only silence remained. Several hunters lowered their heads. "We almost had them..." Another sighed in disappointment.

Chief Rokan looked around at everyone before turning to Aren. "We failed."

Aren nodded. "Yes. But now we know what went wrong. The next hunt will be better."

The old chief smiled. "For years we hunted with our instincts. Today, we began hunting with a plan."

The hunters slowly looked at one another. None of them complained. Instead, they started discussing what they could improve — some suggested better hand signals, others talked about spreading farther apart. For the first time, they weren’t thinking like individual hunters. They were thinking as a team.

Aren quietly watched them. Without realizing it, the first lesson of civilization had already begun.

At that moment, the familiar blue screen appeared before his eyes.

[Civilization Progress Updated]

```text

══════════════════════

Teamwork: Improved

Hunter Coordination

10% → 18%

Memory Synchronization

9% → 10%

New Memory Available

(Requirements Not Met)

══════════════════════

```

Aren stared at the final line. A new memory was waiting for him. But for now, it would remain locked.

End of Chapter 11