The dawn spilled over the horizon in shades of amber and gold, warming the small hut as faint light filtered through the wooden seams. Ren was already awake, quietly folding his blanket and strapping on his belt pouch. His movements were deliberate, controlled — habits that came from routine and necessity rather than comfort.
He turned his gaze toward Lyra, who was tying her hair near the corner of the room. Her silver-threaded locks caught the morning glow, shimmering faintly. It had been a few days since she arrived, and though the children had grown used to her gentle presence, the way she effortlessly blended in still amazed him.
"Morning already?" she asked softly, noticing his stare.
"Yeah," Ren said, smiling faintly. "We should get ready. The guild opens early, and I want to finish the paperwork before the crowd piles up."
Lyra nodded. "We're going together, right?"
"Of course," he replied as he adjusted his pack. "It's your first day as an adventurer. I'll guide you through the process."
She smiled faintly. "It feels strange, honestly. I never thought I'd be able to walk into the guild as a free person."
Ren looked at her, his tone warm but steady. "Then let's make it count."
After breakfast — a simple meal of roasted root vegetables and stew — Ren waved to his siblings before stepping outside. Lyra followed, her bow slung over her shoulder, the light leather armor fitting her frame naturally.
The village was slowly waking up; shopkeepers lifted shutters, the smell of baked bread drifted through the air, and faint chatter echoed from the market street. As they walked, Lyra noticed Ren's thoughtful silence.
"You seem… oddly sure of yourself today," she said. "You've been smiling since morning."
Ren chuckled lightly. "Just intuition."
"Intuition?" she raised a brow.
He nodded. "Yeah. My brother used to tell me that sometimes the air feels different when something good is about to happen."
Lyra smiled, amused. "You trust your feelings that much?"
Ren shrugged. "So far, they haven't been wrong."
She laughed softly. "I'll remember that."
The guild was moderately crowded when they arrived. The scent of iron and parchment mingled with faint traces of ale from the tavern corner. Kara, as usual, stood behind the reception counter, flipping through a pile of quest papers.
When she saw them approach, she smiled. "Ren, back again already? You've been quite busy this week."
Ren smiled faintly. "Trying to stay productive."
Kara's gaze shifted to Lyra. "And who's this?"
"She'll be joining as an adventurer too," Ren replied. "Her name's Lyra."
Kara looked pleasantly surprised. "I see. Well, it's always good to have another capable person. You're lucky to have him as your guide."
Lyra blushed faintly. "I'll do my best."
"Then let's get you registered," Kara said, pulling out the forms and a small crystal orb used to measure aptitude.
Lyra placed her hand on it, and the orb glowed with a brilliant emerald hue. The light pulsed three times before fading, causing even Kara to blink.
"…That's impressive," Kara murmured. "Archery affinity — expert level proficiency. You must have trained before?"
Lyra nodded, though she looked a bit uncertain. "I… practiced whenever I could."
Ren raised a brow slightly — he didn't expect her affinity to be that high.
The registration was done quickly. Lyra received her bronze guild tag engraved with her name, and Kara gave them both a stack of basic quest papers.
As they stepped aside to look over them, a faint notification flickered before Ren's eyes:
[System Notification]
Party Function Unlocked
You may now form parties of up to 4 members.
Note: Party feature only allows you to view member status and synchronization rate.
Ren mentally tapped to open the feature, linking with Lyra through a faint azure thread.
[Party: Ren | Lyra]
Lyra
Level: 6
Strength: 10
Agility: 16
Endurance: 9
Intelligence: 12
Vitality: 10
Skills:
– Archery (Expert)
– Keen Sense Lv.5
– Basic Dagger Mastery Lv.2
Her agility was remarkable — even higher than his. And that expert proficiency in archery… she wasn't just talented; she was born for it.
Ren let out a low whistle. "You're full of surprises."
Lyra tilted her head. "Why?"
"Your stats are… solid," he replied vaguely, not wanting to give away the system's existence. "You could easily pass for a seasoned hunter."
She smiled faintly, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Then I'll make sure to live up to your expectations."
As they turned to leave, another message appeared before Ren's eyes — this one golden:
[Achievement Unlocked: "Formed Your First Party"]
Reward: Skill Scroll (Random)
Ren's heart skipped a beat. He discreetly opened his inventory, where a faintly glowing scroll rested inside.
[Skill Scroll — Random (Unidentified)]
"A scroll containing a random usable skill. Unwrap to learn instantly."
He didn't open it yet. Instead, he smiled subtly. Today truly was different — just as he had felt in the morning.
Lyra looked up at him curiously. "What's with that grin?"
"Nothing," he replied, walking ahead. "Just a feeling… that good things are about to begin."
Lyra caught up beside him, her soft laughter echoing against the cobblestone street.
And as the two walked toward the quest board together — two fledgling adventurers side by side — a new chapter of their journey quietly began.
The guild's courtyard was alive with chatter and clinking armor as adventurers gathered around the quest board. Ren scanned the rows of parchment requests while Lyra leaned beside him, her keen eyes following his movements.
Most of the high-paying quests were D-rank or above — clearly beyond what new adventurers could take. But tucked near the bottom corner, Ren found one written in neat script:
Request: Eliminate Forest Razorboar sighted near the southern ridge.
Rank: E
Reward: 8 silver coins
Notes: Known for charging unpredictably. Avoid the tusks.
He tapped it lightly. "This one's within range. Razorboar meat sells well, and it'll be good combat practice."
Lyra nodded, pulling her quiver tight. "Then let's go hunt."
But before they left, Ren remembered the faint golden scroll resting in his inventory. He stepped aside from the crowd and opened the translucent system window.
[Use Skill Scroll — Random?]
"Let's see what luck looks like today," he murmured.
He confirmed. The scroll burst into threads of golden light that spiraled into his chest. For a brief second, warmth flooded his veins — like liquid sunlight coursing through him.
[New Skill Acquired: Arcane Bolt (Basic)]
A fundamental magic attack that condenses raw mana into a projectile. Damage scales with Intelligence.
Mana Cost: 12 per cast
Ren's eyes widened slightly. A magic skill. His first.
He quickly opened his updated status window to check the new slot now visible beside his HP bar — a faint blue one pulsating steadily.
Name: Ren
Level: 6
EXP: 590 / 1000
HP: 180 / 180
MP: 120 / 120
Strength: 17
Endurance: 17
Agility: 14
Intelligence: 10
Vitality: 18
Skills:
Forestry Lv.7
Skinning Lv.4
Tracking Lv.1
Combat Instinct (Experienced)
Mana Sensitivity (Experienced)
Arcane Bolt (Basic)
Passive Traits:
Field Adaptation (Basic) — Reduces stamina consumption during fieldwork or travel.
Field Proficiency (Fragmented) — Slight increase in efficiency when performing environment-based tasks.
Shared Growth (Linked — Lyra) — Lyra gains +10% experience when assisting Ren.
Blessing:
Tutelary Light — Increases all skill and teaching efficiency by 50%, and EXP gain by 30%.
Ren felt a quiet pulse of energy settle behind his ribs — the sensation of mana, steady and tangible.
"Ren?" Lyra's voice pulled him back. She noticed the faint blue shimmer fading around his hands. "Did you just…?"
He smiled faintly. "Let's just say I learned something new."
Lyra blinked. "Magic?"
"Maybe," he replied with a mysterious grin. "You'll see it in action soon enough."
They left the village through the south gate, moving into the wild outskirts where the forest thickened and the scent of damp earth clung to the air.
Lyra's Keen Sense Lv.5 proved invaluable — she paused now and then, listening for movement, marking faint hoofprints in the soil.
"Tracks — fresh," she said quietly. "Two adults, one juvenile."
Ren nodded. "Perfect. Stay behind me until I draw them out."
He crouched low, scanning the underbrush. The Forest Razorboar wasn't hard to spot once you knew what to look for — thick tusks, dark mossy fur, and red eyes that glowed faintly when they felt threatened.
Three of them grazed near a small stream.
Ren tightened his grip on his short blade. "Lyra, be ready to shoot when I give the signal."
She nodded, already nocking an arrow.
Ren took a steady breath, activating Combat Instinct (Experienced). His perception sharpened instantly — each movement, each sound, felt magnified. He could almost predict the Razorboars' next twitch before it happened.
He stepped on a twig deliberately. The sound snapped through the clearing.
The nearest Razorboar lifted its head, snorting aggressively. Its crimson eyes locked onto him, and within seconds, it charged.
Ren braced.
[HP: 180 → 164]
The impact shoved him backward, but his stance held firm. He rolled to the side, slashing at its flank — a clean wound opened, spilling red.
[Forest Razorboar HP: 230 → 180]
Two more emerged from the brush, trampling through fallen leaves. Lyra's bow thrummed, her first arrow sinking deep into one's shoulder.
[Forest Razorboar (B) HP: 220 → 160]
Ren leapt back, raising his hand instinctively. He channeled mana — it coiled into his palm, spinning and condensing into a faint orb of blue light.
"Arcane Bolt!"
The bolt shot forward with a sharp hiss, striking the first Razorboar directly in the chest.
[Forest Razorboar (A) HP: 180 → 110]
It squealed, stumbling as faint scorch marks spread across its fur. Ren's heart raced; the mana inside him fluctuated but didn't waver.
[MP: 120 → 108]
"Good shot!" Lyra called, releasing two more arrows in rapid succession. The second beast collapsed, its HP bar fading from Ren's vision.
[Forest Razorboar (B) — Defeated][Shared EXP Gained: +80]
The last one charged in fury, tusks gleaming. Ren ducked under its swipe, slashing its leg before sending another Arcane Bolt flying.
[Forest Razorboar (C) HP: 240 → 150 → 40]
Lyra's final arrow struck between its eyes, ending the fight. The forest grew silent once again.
Ren exhaled slowly, sheathing his blade. His hands trembled faintly — not from fear, but from exhilaration.
"First hunt together," he said, smiling.
Lyra nodded, brushing a lock of hair back as her breathing steadied. "You weren't kidding. That magic… it was beautiful."
Ren chuckled. "Still rough. But it worked."
[Shared Growth Activated — Lyra gains +10% EXP]
[Quest Complete: Eliminate Forest Razorboar]
[EXP Gained: +180]
[Current EXP: 770 / 1000]
He looked at the fallen beasts, already thinking of how to skin and harvest the meat properly.
As they began their work, the morning light filtered through the canopy — golden rays glinting off his faintly glowing mana threads.
Ren had felt it earlier — his intuition was right again. Today was the start of something good.
The forest fell still once the Razorboars lay silent, the scent of blood thick in the damp air. Ren exhaled slowly and wiped the sweat from his brow. His blade glimmered faintly in the sunlight filtering through the branches.
"Let's start before the flies come," he said, crouching beside the first Razorboar.
Lyra nodded, retrieving her arrows from the fallen beasts with careful precision. "I'll keep watch and start packing the meat once you're done."
Ren unsheathed his hunting knife — its edge slightly chipped from the last few battles, but still serviceable. He placed his hand on the Razorboar's hide and activated his Skinning skill.
[Skill Activated: Skinning Lv.4][Efficiency Increased by 50% due to Tutelary Light.]
His movements became instinctively smoother. With practiced precision, he traced along the muscle lines, cutting through the thick outer layer. The blade moved fluidly — almost guided by unseen rhythm.
As each clean slice revealed glistening muscle and thick fur, faint white motes of energy drifted from the corpse and entered his body.
[Skill Proficiency Increased][Skinning Lv.4 → Lv.5 → Lv.6]
Ren's breathing steadied as he worked, his hands unshaken. The boar's hide peeled free with minimal tearing, and he set it aside on a clean cloth.
"Your hands move like you've done this all your life," Lyra commented softly, eyes fixed on him.
Ren smiled faintly. "Maybe it's just my instincts catching up."
He continued onto the second Razorboar, this time adjusting his grip slightly, making finer cuts to preserve the inner membrane — a trick that would increase the fur's value.
[Skill Proficiency Increased][Skinning Lv.6 → Lv.7 → Lv.8 → Lv.9]
The translucent skill window pulsed with light.
[Skill Rank Approaching Mastery.]
He blinked. "That was fast…"
Then he remembered — Tutelary Light. The divine blessing that magnified his growth. Each motion, each adjustment — his understanding deepened exponentially.
By the time the last Razorboar was stripped clean, three piles of pristine hide, ivory tusks, and thick meat cuts lay neatly before him.
Lyra whistled softly. "I've seen seasoned hunters butcher beasts worse than this. You're frighteningly efficient, Ren."
He chuckled, sheathing his knife. "I'll take that as a compliment."
He wiped the blade clean, and as he did — a soft pulse rippled through his body.
[Forestry Skill Reaction Detected.][Trigger: Unknown Resource Signature Found Nearby.][Analyzing...][?????? Detected][Data Incomplete — Requirements Not Met.]
Ren frowned. "That's… odd." The system window shimmered faintly before fading back into transparency.
Lyra noticed his expression. "Something wrong?"
"Not exactly. Just… found something I can't identify yet."
He rose, storing the materials into the cart. The weight didn't seem to bother him anymore — his strength growth was becoming noticeable.
But one thing stuck in his mind. His Skinning skill had surpassed even Forestry, which had always been his leading talent. That imbalance could be both an opportunity and a problem.
He opened his system interface.
[Skill: Skinning Lv.9][Mastery Threshold: Reached][Evolution Possible: Requires Enhancement Catalyst][Available Upgrade Token Detected — Use to evolve skill?]
Ren's eyes flickered. The skill upgrade token from the Fangwolf hunt. He had nearly forgotten it.
He selected Yes.
Golden threads of light burst from his chest, wrapping around his hands and knife. For a moment, he could feel the texture of every fiber in the boar hide, the density of every sinew, the perfect cutting path through flesh and fur.
[Skill Upgrade Applied.][Skinning Lv.9 → Lv.10 (Evolution Initiated)][Skill Evolving…]
A surge of energy flooded through him, and a new window appeared — sharp and clear.
[New Skill: Butchery Art — Tier 1 (Evolved)]A master's art of skinning and processing materials from hunted creatures. Greatly increases material yield and quality.Additional Effect: Automatically detects hidden resources within carcasses (mana cores, essence threads, or internal nodes).Stamina cost reduced by 30%. Efficiency increased by 80%.
Ren exhaled, staring at his glowing hands. The forest seemed clearer now — every fallen leaf, every feathered movement of a branch resonated with life.
[Skill: Forestry Lv.7][Skill: Butchery Art Lv.1 (Evolved)]
He stood, flexing his fingers. The callouses on his palms felt warmer — tougher, refined.
"Ren," Lyra said quietly, watching the faint shimmer fade. "You're glowing again."
He chuckled. "Guess it's just my luck lately."
Packing the hides and tusks, they began their walk back through the forest trail. Each step carried quiet satisfaction — not from wealth or reward, but from progress.
For the first time, Ren didn't just feel like a survivor.He felt like a craftsman — someone carving his own path in this new world.
And deep within his system interface, a faint line of golden text pulsed once before fading:
[Hidden Skill Path Unlocked: Artisan of the Hunt]