CHAPTER 04…………………………………………………….
- The first time is always the hardest. #3
“I remember seeing the words about gaining experience points, and then it said I leveled up afterward.”
I recalled the letters that had appeared before my eyes. No matter the circumstances, it seemed that once a certain amount of experience points were gained, a level-up occurred, strengthening the body and its abilities.
Then, how exactly could one gain experience points?
I quickly ran through several hypotheses and guesses.
The most plausible was similar to games—just like gaining experience by killing monsters or animals, I might also grow stronger by killing the beasts around me. This system is standard in most games, so it seemed like the royal road approach.
Another plausible hypothesis was that consuming other creatures would increase experience points.
With slimes, killing and consuming were simultaneous, so it was hard to notice, but in the case of wolves, experience points appeared not when I snapped its neck and killed it, but when I bit into its body and drank its blood.
“I wish I had more samples… creatures I could kill or eat…”
I lifted my head and looked at the tree I had fallen onto. A spider dangled from a branch, staring down at me with eight red, menacing eyes.
Having always been repulsed by multi-legged insects, I had no courage to challenge it.
The three-eyed wolf at least resembled a dog and I could roll on the ground with it, but imagining myself entangled in a deadly struggle with this spider gave me goosebumps all over. Just picturing its legs touching me made me shudder.
“What should I do?”
While racking my brain, I remembered a scene from a documentary I’d watched before: primitive humans throwing stones or spears at animals.
One of humanity’s biggest advantages in surviving the wild was the ability to throw things, I recalled.
No matter how I looked on the outside, internally I was still a human capable of using tools. There was no need to attack the spider barehanded.
I picked up a large rock from the ground.
Whether to call them fingers or fore-claws, the jointed limbs, like human hands, allowed me to easily grip objects.
After alternately glancing between the rock in my hand and the spider above, I hurled it at the creature.
The rock, reasonably heavy, flew swiftly, brushing past the spider’s side.
━Zzz…
It raised two front legs and bared its fangs at me from below the tree. It was likely a threat display, but I didn’t think it could reach me from several meters away.
━Zzz!
━What, punk? If you’re jealous, become human too. Hard to hit, though. Stay still.
My aim was terrible. Every time a rock neared the spider’s body, it skillfully dodged, narrowly avoiding my throws. My rocks only destroyed parts of the spiderweb tangled in the tree.
━Zzz!
The spider raised its two front legs and made an irritating sound. Though we couldn’t communicate, it seemed to mock my poor throwing skills.
I scanned the dark forest floor. Next to the wolf carcass, I spotted a rock of just the right size—round and flat.
As if custom-made for my hand, I gripped it tightly.
Like a pitcher with bases loaded facing the batter, I flexed my arms, feeling my muscles tense as I hurled the rock like a cannon.
‘Feels good!’
Whoosh.
The rock sliced through the air and hit the tree trunk with a solid thud. The tree shivered, dropping something onto the ground.
━Zzz
━Zzzzz
━Huh… what’s this!?
I was startled at the sight of black objects raining down like dust. They weren’t as big as the spider above, but countless palm-sized spiders fell to the ground.
Even palm-sized, they were about as large as tarantulas from my previous life.
“Fall!”
I frantically shook off the spiders clinging to me and ran.
I headed for the flowing stream, feeling the urgent need to wash off these disgusting creatures.
“Ugh, this is disgusting!”
I plunged into the waist-high stream and scrubbed myself furiously. The water was ice-cold, but it was far better than having insects crawling all over me.
After scrubbing my body raw, I crawled up the streambank, shivering.
With no towel, I shook myself like a wet dog or cat. Water droplets splashed everywhere.
“Brr, cold… do beasts catch colds too?”
I heard the howls of beasts nearby. Maybe it was my imagination, but it felt like someone was watching me.
I remembered that predators tend to gather near water, where prey comes to drink.
Most creatures need water to survive, so predators hide and ambush them at water sources.
This law applied in jungles from my previous life; there was no reason it wouldn’t happen in this world.
“Better get away from the water for now.”
I crouched low, trying to stay silent and alert. Even the slightest rustle could be a threat, so I kept distance from the water.
Being wet might also reduce my scent, hopefully throwing off any predators.
In survival, it was said to never lose hope or positivity, no matter the situation.
Back then, I’d taken survival shows as mere entertainment, but now, that advice was a guiding principle, almost like a talisman or faith.
After walking a while, the sound of running water faded—I had moved far enough from the stream.
The wind rustled the branches, brushing against my wet body, sending shivers through me.
If only I could make a fire…
I made scratching sounds with my throat, half-hoping fire would come out of my mouth—but only disappointment followed.
“What do I do now?”
Several hours remained until dawn.
“After killing the wolf that harassed me for nights, maybe I can try sleeping.”
Since awakening from the egg, I hadn’t slept properly, and my eyelids felt like lead.
Sleeping anywhere carelessly would be suicidal.
I considered sleeping in a tree again, but the memory of the spider made me hesitate.
“I should make some kind of den or nest for myself.”
During the day, animals like rabbits surely lived in the forest, hiding at night.
If small creatures like rabbits could manage, I could too—though my den would have to be bigger.
While serving in the engineer corps in Gangwon-do, I’d dug more earth than most. Digging was one of the few things I was confident about.
Looking at my sturdy forelimbs and claws, I resolved to act. Then I remembered a skill I had: “Strong Claws.”
“Let’s give it a try.”
I dug into the nearby soil and bushes with my arms. Stones and roots occasionally blocked me, but I easily overcame them with force.
After a while, I had a deep burrow or trench, large enough to fit my waist.
“My claws are better than I thought.”
I lined the bottom with leaves and grass, then covered the entrance with fallen branches. The makeshift shelter looked decent.
I crawled inside, covering myself with branches.
Crouched tightly, I felt sheltered and relatively safe. Despite being hastily made, I felt satisfied.
“From tomorrow, I’ll spend the daytime moving to ensure safe nights.”
After a short nap, I woke to the sun high in the sky. Crawling out of the burrow, I stretched.
The makeshift shelter from last night came into view.
“I slept here?”
In daylight, I could clearly see how reckless that was. Despite some camouflage with branches and leaves, it was bare and exposed. Any night predator passing by would have attacked.
“Today, I need to find food and a safer shelter.”
Determined, I began moving quickly.
First, I returned to the place where the wolf had been. Last night, I hadn’t thought of it, but with claws and sharp stones, I could possibly harvest the meat.
The forest paths all looked similar, but retracing my steps along the stream, I recognized familiar trees and scenery.
“Huh… what is this?”
I found the wolf lying on the ground and gasped.
Once intact, its body was now scattered like a wet rag, decomposing and infested with flies. My appetite vanished.
What kind of beast could tear through a wolf’s thick skin and bones?
Footprints were visible among the sparse undergrowth. Judging by their depth and width, the creature was massive—perhaps a bear or tiger.
Given this world had three-eyed wolves and slimes wandering freely, it could be a monster beyond imagination, stronger and sharper than me.
“Who did this?”
I looked up and saw the spider busily rebuilding its web in the tree.
━Zzz…
━Zzz…
Though strange, spiders couldn’t talk. I scratched my face awkwardly and turned to move elsewhere.
“Better keep moving. There might be more monsters around.”
I followed the stream, planning to relocate my living area.
Perhaps downstream, I might find people or someone who could help.
“Surely this world isn’t completely devoid of humans or civilization…?”
A fleeting worry crossed my mind, but following the endless stream cleared my thoughts. The forest seemed infinite.
“What kind of place is this?”
At that moment, [Demon Realm: Nest of Antiquity] appeared in front of me.
As usual, I brushed at the letters with my forelimbs, then paused, considering if they could give me any clues or hints.
“Demon Realm” usually referred to places rendered uninhabitable by radiation or filled with urban legends. In games, it was a polite term for monster-infested dungeons, forests, or mountains.
The “Nest of Antiquity” likely referred to this forest’s name.
Nest of Antiquity…
The name sounded suspicious, hinting at a forest preserved for ages.
But what did “nest” imply? I imagined a home for creatures to lay eggs. Perhaps the forest was a habitat for many species, hence called a nest.
━Tap, ━tap.
As I walked, I noticed a rhythmic knocking sound, like striking a flat surface with a sturdy stick. Unlike natural sounds, it seemed artificial.
Having been alone for days, the thought of encountering someone made my heart race. I instinctively moved toward the sound.
As the thudding grew louder, I discovered a clearing filled with neatly stacked flat stones, appearing like ruins.
Even if the stones were natural, the nearby statues were clearly human-made.
“Someone was here!”
━Tap, ━tap. The sounds came at regular intervals from between the stones and statues.
I crouched low in the bushes, preparing for any danger.
