The smell of blood clung to Caleb like a curse. His arms burned, legs trembled, and every step through the snow felt like dragging stone. But he had done it. The boar—gutted, bled, and nearly frozen—slid behind him, wrapped in the last usable strips of bark he'd scavenged. The trail of red behind him was a warning to others—or a lure.
He finally reached the door of his hut. A sharp kick and shoulder push got it open. The warmth inside, barely more than a flickering ember in the stove, felt like a small victory.
As the boar flopped against the wooden floor, Caleb collapsed next to it, panting. Then—
Ding.
Not a sound, exactly. More like a vibration in his head. He sat upright.
In the top-right corner of his vision, something shimmered. Faint at first, then solidifying: a square window, glowing softly with blue light.
[SYSTEM ONLINE]
"First Blood registered. System access unlocked."
"Initializing basic protocol..."
Welcome, Survivor: Caleb Mercer
System Tabs Unlocked:
[Status]
[Inventory]
[Skills]
[Achievements]
[Trade Hub] (Locked)
[Territory Management]
[System Inbox] (1 New Message)
Caleb blinked. The glowing tabs hovered just at the edge of his vision but followed when he moved his eyes. Curious, he focused on
[Status].
[Status]
Name: Caleb Mercer
Age: 29
Level: 1
Territory: 1 Hectare (Protected: 6 Days Remaining)
Vitality: Stable
Cold Resistance: Minimal
Hunger: Rising
His fingers trembled as he opened the [System Inbox].
[A Trophy of Blood] – Reward for First Kill:
"Blood marks the path. Bone carves it. You've taken your first step."
Reward Claimed:
1x Bronze Survival Chest
10x Shivers (System Credit)
Achievement: Hunter of Blood
The chest materialized near the hut's door with a faint pop of light. Caleb stared for a moment before lifting the lid.
Inside:
1x Water Purification Tablet Pack (5 uses)
1x Crude Hide Gloves (+Minor Cold Resistance)
He slid the gloves on. The lining was rough, but better than nothing. His hands stopped aching immediately.
A new tab pulsed: [Achievements]
Hunter of Blood – First Kill Accomplished.
Bonus: +5% Efficiency when skinning or butchering wild beasts.
Then another chime.
"System Trade Hub access granted."
Caleb hesitated, then opened it.
[Trade Hub – Sector 9-AF]
Active Survivors: 744,324/ 1,000,000
Note: Only SYSTEM-CLEARED goods may be traded:
Food, Materials, Equipment, Knowledge, Skills
He sat in silence for a long moment.
More than a quarter already gone? It hadn't even been a full week.
His fingers hovered over the listings, but he didn't dwell too much on it because his stomach already rumbled as the boar's scent filled the room. He cut into the liver first—something in him said it mattered.
As the fire crackled and the meat sizzled, the system flickered again.
Another hint. Written in that same old, sage-like script.
"Meat feeds flesh, fire fends the cold. But minds that barter may survive what blades cannot."
He leaned back, eyes half-closed, watching the snow swirl through the small window. The world had changed.
And so had he.
End of 6th chapter.