Chapter 4: The First Hunt

At dawn the next morning, the pale red light of the two moons slowly faded into the morning mist. Amidst the thin fog blanketing Mạt Gia Village, Lâm Dạ stood in rough leather armor beside Mạt Sa Yên and the hunting party. He took a deep breath—the cold air stung his lungs but brought a strangely refreshing clarity.

"This is Mạt Ưng, Mạt Lôi, Mạt Tiêu… your teammates from now on," Sa Yên introduced each member. Their eyes carried both scrutiny and warmth, giving Lâm Dạ a strange sense of comfort.

Mạt Hùng—the captain—was a towering man with gray hair, a massive greatsword slung over his shoulder. His voice boomed like thunder:

"This is your first time with the team. Don't drag us down."

Lâm Dạ nodded silently. He knew he was still weak.

It wasn't until the sky fully brightened that the group left the village, stepping into a dense forest tinged in hues of crimson and violet. On the way, curiosity got the better of Lâm Dạ:

"Why do we wait until morning to hunt?"

Mạt Hùng replied while scanning the terrain:

"The fiercest beasts hunt at night. By now, they've returned to their dens to rest. This is the safest time for us humans to be out."

Lâm Dạ nodded thoughtfully. Truly, this world was vastly different from Earth. Even simple things like food, travel, and survival had to be carefully timed.

🌿 After nearly an hour of weaving through the forest...

A heavy roar echoed, and the ground trembled.

From the thick underbrush emerged a Tier-2 magical beast—Hắc Mao Tông Trư. Its iron-black bristles stood on end, hooves the size of human heads, and its breath reeked with a foul stench.

"That's the one! One of these is enough to feed the whole village!" Mạt Hùng signaled for everyone to get low.

The hunters quickly fanned out. Sa Yên nocked an arrow, eyes locked on the target. Lâm Dạ gripped his iron sword tightly, his heart pounding. This was his first real confrontation with a magical beast.

The first arrow shot out—"Whizz!"—striking the beast's flank, but it barely pierced the thick fur, only enraging it.

"It's charging! Scatter!" Mạt Hùng shouted.

The beast charged like a hurricane, snapping a small tree in half. Mạt Ưng and Mạt Lôi leapt aside, their long spears striking at its legs but failing to penetrate its thick coat.

Lâm Dạ spotted an opening, slipped behind the creature, and slashed at its side—Clang!—his blade left only a shallow gash, not nearly enough to cripple it.

"Damn... too well-defended!" Lâm Dạ backed off, his arm numb from the recoil.

He panted hard. That swing had drained nearly all his strength. Though he had grasped basic sword techniques, his body and energy were still that of an ordinary person—not even at Tier-1 Swordsman yet.

The beast turned and rammed toward him. Lâm Dạ couldn't dodge in time and was thrown backward, rolling across the ground. His shoulder ached, blood seeping through the leather armor.

"Dạ!" Sa Yên cried out and was about to rush forward, but Mạt Hùng held her back.

"I'll handle it! Everyone else hold your positions!" Mạt Hùng bellowed.

His eyes locked on the beast, his aura surging—not flashy, but immensely oppressive. The greatsword in his hand glowed with a faint gray light.

"Tier-2 beast… not easy to kill. But I'm no novice either!" he roared.

Using three swift techniques, Mạt Hùng targeted the beast's weak points previously exposed by his team—the neck-shoulder gap and the arrow wound in its side. Blood sprayed. The beast thrashed and howled madly.

It took nearly half an hour, with constant pressure from Sa Yên and the others, before Mạt Hùng landed a finishing blow to its neck while it staggered.

The Hắc Mao Tông Trư gave a final screech before collapsing to the ground, blood soaking into the grass.

🔥 After the battle...

The team caught their breath. Clothes were torn, some bloodied. Lâm Dạ sat slumped against a tree, clutching his shoulder, sweat and blood mixing—but his eyes gleamed.

"I… I really can fight in this world."

"Nice sword work!" Mạt Hùng shouted, then brought his greatsword down on the beast's head with a mighty crash. The boar shrieked, black blood spurting, and finally fell still.

Silence followed.

Only the heavy breathing of exhausted warriors remained.

🍖 A while later...

The team built a fire and began processing their prize. The beast's hide was carefully removed, meat portioned. Lâm Dạ drank water with trembling hands.

Mạt Hùng approached, eyeing him from head to toe, then burst out laughing:

"Your sword technique… looks like you've got the basics. With some physical training, you'll hit Tier-1 Swordsman soon enough."

Lâm Dạ froze.

"Just one touch… and I gained basic sword technique. Truly, my gift—Seize – Inherit – Bestow—is unbelievably powerful."

He couldn't help but smile.

"It seems this world… isn't just full of danger. There's hope too."

After the fierce battle, the team rested briefly. Lâm Dạ leaned against a large tree, panting, sweat and blood streaking his face. Though his body was worn out, his gaze stayed fixed on the fallen beast before him.

"If my gift is real… it should activate now."

Lâm Dạ quietly stepped forward and placed his hand on the thick black fur of the beast. Nothing happened.

He frowned slightly.

"No reaction? Could it only trigger during combat?"

He tried touching it again and again, changing positions, focusing his mind into his palm. Still nothing—no strange energy, no voice in his head, no newly acquired skill.

"Maybe… it only works when the target's still alive?" he murmured, filled with doubt.

After several fruitless attempts, he gave up—only remembering the fleeting sensation of success during battle. He didn't understand the mechanics, but he was sure… this power wasn't simple.

Far ahead, Mạt Hùng and the others had already begun processing the corpse, tying it up with rope to drag it along. The team resumed their journey—not in haste, but not dawdling either. Despite the big catch, they hoped to snag a few smaller beasts to divide among the households.

Lâm Dạ silently walked among them. Though tired, he felt oddly light inside. No more doubtful glares. No more wary words. He… was one of them now.

By late afternoon, as sunlight painted the forest red, the hunting party returned to the gates of Mạt Gia Village.

The creak of the wooden gates opening brought immediate cheers from women and children. Faces that had worried all morning finally broke into smiles.

"They're back! They're back!"

"Mom! I see Auntie Sa Yên!"

"Wow… it's huge! Is that really a Tông Trư?"

Children ran circles around the beast, eyes wide with wonder. Elders raised hands to the heavens in gratitude. Young villagers not yet old enough to hunt gazed at Lâm Dạ with a mix of curiosity and awe.

Lâm Dạ stood amid it all, feeling—perhaps for the first time—truly at home. Not because of victory, but… because he felt he belonged.

"Is this… where I'm accepted?" he thought silently.

Behind him, Sa Yên passed by, leaving behind a curt comment:

"Not bad for a newbie."

Lâm Dạ chuckled. Not quite praise, but not criticism either. For someone as cold as Sa Yên, that was enough.

That evening, the village held a bonfire celebration.

Tông Trư meat was grilled on stone stoves, its savory aroma drifting throughout the village. People gathered around the fire, singing old songs, sharing hunting tales… and honoring three hunters who'd fallen in previous battles.

Laughter mixed with quiet sobs. Children still played, adults raised their cups, while old eyes quietly wiped away tears.

Lâm Dạ sat silently by the fire, his thoughts wandering. He knew—if he truly wanted to protect these people, he'd need to become much stronger. Not just relying on his gift—but building real power, enough to change fate.

Just then, the village elder Mạt Lý emerged from the shadows, holding a leather flask of wine.

"You've awakened something… quite extraordinary, haven't you?"

Lâm Dạ stiffened, then nodded slightly.

Mạt Lý sat beside him, gazing up at the night sky—where a single moon now hung, casting a pale silver glow.

"You… have the right to know more about this world."