The morning sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Aoki stood sideways, longbow in hand.
His long black hair was casually tied back; he was athletic, with a handsome and masculine appearance, and his clear, dark eyes held a wildness.
Takina carefully arranged the tangled arrows, glancing at Aoki every now and then.
Aomura Kazuhiko sat in a chair, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and a satisfied smile spread across his face.
Wisps of smoke rose from the roof of the nearby wooden house.
Thud!
The arrow struck the bullseye precisely.
"Aoki, your archery has improved again!" Aomura Kazuhiko exclaimed with admiration.
A barely perceptible hint of disappointment flickered in Aoki's eyes as he put down his longbow. "Master, when will we go into the mountains again?"
Aomura Kazuhiko tapped his pipe, shaking off the burnt tobacco, and chuckled, "Don't rush, don't rush. Let's wait a couple more days. I'm going to town today to buy some tobacco. Also, the bow I ordered for you is ready!"
"The bow is ready?"
Aoki's eyes lit up.
He was currently using his master's old bow, which was barely usable, but not particularly comfortable.
Aomura Kazuhiko then suggested, "Aoki, why don't you come along this time?"
Aoki's eyes narrowed. "Master, have you run into any trouble?"
"No, no!"
Aomura Kazuhiko waved his hand and chuckled. "You've been stuck on the mountain all year, either training or hunting. You're so young, there's no need to work so hard. There's a market in town, why don't you and Takina go have some fun for a couple of days!"
"Dad, I still have a lot of work to do!"
Takina looked up, her long blue hair cascading down her fair face, her bright eyes and white teeth, her features exquisite, her beauty breathtaking.
Aoki added, "Let's talk about it next time, Master. I want to study those two traps you taught me before a bit more."
"Alright then!" Aomura Kazuhiko said with a regretful expression.
Wearing an apron, the voluptuous Aomura Rie stepped out of the wooden house, a gentle smile on her face, and waved to the three.
"Come eat!"
"Coming!" the three replied.
As he walked forward, Aoki glanced at the system.
[Name: Aoki]
[Strength: 4]
[Constitution: 4]
[Intelligence: 5]
[Agility: 4]
[Occupation: Hunter]
...
[Hunter]
Quality: ☆
Level: lv4 (397/400)
Skills: Hunting Instinct, Dexterity, Eagle Eye, Blood Boiling (Not yet learned)
Quest: None
"Not even a single point of experience!"
Aoki shook his head inwardly.
A year ago, he transmigrated to this world.
The original owner was an orphan who accidentally fell off a cliff and died while chopping wood in the mountains.
After transmigrating, he was rescued by Aomura Kazuhiko, who was hunting in the mountains, and lived with them ever since.
After recovering, he became Aomura Kazuhiko's apprentice, awakening the system and the "Hunter" profession.
After that, he spent most of his time grinding to reach the "Hunter" level.
The main way a "Hunter" gains experience is by hunting.
The stronger the prey and the more difficult the hunt, the more experience points are gained.
Initially, he could gain a small amount of experience through practice, but since reaching level 3, he hadn't gained any more experience from practice.
"Cluck cluck!"
Next to the cabin was a chicken coop enclosed by a fence, where three yellow hens were leisurely pecking at grass seeds.
Aoki glanced at them as he passed by: "I wonder if killing them would give me 3 experience points?"
He was only 3 experience points away from leveling up.
It was like having a feather in his shoe, making him restless.
"Quack?"
The three hens raised their heads warily, but finding no danger, they continued pecking at the grass seeds. Ads by Pubfuture
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Breakfast consisted of rice, miso soup, fried fish, and homemade pickles.
Aomura Rie was an excellent cook, making even simple home-cooked meals exceptionally delicious.
The four ate breakfast together.
Aomura Kazuhiko took a bundle of furs and went down the mountain.
Aoki continued practicing archery.
Although he couldn't gain experience directly, improving his archery skills would increase hunting efficiency and speed up experience gain.
The next day,
Aoki practiced archery at his usual spot.
Takina moved a small stool and sat beside him, tanning leather.
She looked up at Aoki, then back again.
Aoki put down his longbow.
"What's wrong?"
Takina's face flushed, but her eyes didn't dart away. She said earnestly, "It's not that I don't want to go out and play with you, I just wanted to make you some clothes first. Winter is coming soon, and you don't have any suitable winter clothes yet."
A smile appeared on Aoki's face.
"Then let's go to town together after you've finished dressing!"
"Okay!" Takina tossed a few strands of her playful blue hair behind her ear.
For some reason, Aoki's mind went blank: "Takina, do you know why Master wants us to go out together?"
He immediately wanted to slap himself.
Master's idea?
Of course, it was to give them time alone, to let them develop their relationship!
But how could he ask a girl that directly?
Takina looked to the side, her delicate ears turning pink, and whispered, "I know."
Aoki blinked.
Knowing but willing meant…
he knew very well that Master and Mistress wanted him to marry Takina.
He could also sense that the girl didn't reject him, but this was the first time she had so clearly expressed her feelings.
Aoki looked at the sky: "Hmm… it's almost dark, why hasn't Master returned yet?"
Takina glanced at him, a smile appearing on her lips: "He's probably been kept out drinking by some old friend. This has happened before."
The mountains weren't safe.
Bears and wolves, these top predators, are all present.
Even experienced hunters wouldn't venture into the mountains after drinking.
"But Master used to always give advance notice."
This thought flashed through Aoki's mind, but he didn't dwell on it.
With Master's strength, even if they encountered a top predator, he could escape unscathed.
The weather in the mountains changes in an instant.
Suddenly, large swaths of dark clouds drifted in, and muffled thunder rumbled and echoed within them.
Inside the wooden cabin, the dim candlelight flickered gently.
Aoki, Takina, and Aomura Rie sat around the table, working and chatting.
Bang.
The door was suddenly pushed open, and a dark figure appeared outside.
He had his head down, his face hidden in shadow, his hair disheveled, and one hand rested on his shoulder, as if carrying something.
Plop, plop.
Blood dripped from his arm to the ground, turning into crimson petals.
The three of them recognized him immediately: it was Aomura Kazuhiko.
"Dad!" Takina stood up.
Aomura Rie quickly walked towards the door, her voice filled with worry as she asked, "What happened? How did it get like this?"
"The smell of blood is so strong!"
Aoki frowned slightly, a faint unease rising in his heart, his hand instinctively reaching for the longbow leaning against the wall.
Crack!
Suddenly, a clap of thunder struck, illuminating the room.
Aomura Rie's steps came to an abrupt halt, and Takina involuntarily took a step back.
A jolt of electricity shot through his spine and into his brain, Aoki's skin went numb, and his heart almost stopped beating.
(End of Chapter)