At ninety years old, he had achieved the awakening he'd dreamed of and desperately wanted, reborn in a strange world with a young body.
Even when he blinked to see if he was mistaken, the text wouldn't disappear. Zen tried to calm his trembling heart and started doing the first thing you should do after awakening, something he knew all about.
'Status window'
As he recited the activation word through his thoughts, a window appeared before his eyes.
[Status Window]
[Traits]
-
[Skills]
-
A translucent status window with incredibly simple contents appeared.
But when Zen saw it, tears welled up from the overwhelming emotions.
What he'd wished for his entire life. It was right there in front of him.
'Damn it...'
Joy and sorrow hammered at his mind. It was like a lifelong obsession for the old man.
The pursuit of that unreachable, mysterious singularity had been madness, rage, and pain.
But he'd finally obtained it.
'Okay, enough getting emotional...'
But now wasn't the time to get sentimental.
'I shall observe the sea of stars.'
Whoosh!
The moment the thought came to him, a massive flood of stars spread through his mind. Thousands upon thousands of incredible stars... Anyone else might have panicked, but Zen wasn't surprised at all. He already knew what this was through many hunters, and he'd already simulated what he dreamed of hundreds of times.
'Sagael's Constellation'
As he focused on his target in his mind, thousands of stars quickly scattered past, and eventually one massive red star positioned itself in the center. A completely blood-red star—though of course this wasn't a real star. This was the starting point of the source that became the foundation for the supernatural abilities that awakened ones possessed, something he'd wanted so desperately.
'There were dozens of constellations that dealt with bows, but this one's the best.'
Research on awakening had continued steadily until his death, and most of those who used bows as their main weapon chose Sagael's constellation. It guaranteed safe and decent growth...
'But... is this really right?'
Zen hesitated as he was about to choose Sagael's star. Was this really the right choice?
If he chose this constellation, it would guarantee stable growth. Of course, that growth would require bone-scraping effort, but it was still a smooth path. But was this really what he wanted?
'No.'
Zen's eyes changed. He stared at one spot among the constellations. That place where nothing could be seen... invisible but existing.
Whoosh...
As he concentrated, a yellow light rippled.
And after a moment, one tiny constellation appeared...
'Pioneer's Constellation'
The Pioneer's Constellation was literally a constellation where nothing had been decided yet.
A constellation that could be made however its owner wanted... At first glance it seemed good, but while existing constellations aimed for stable growth directions and had already been verified by thousands upon thousands of hunters, the Pioneer's Constellation was still an unverified, unknown constellation. The number and positions of the stars making up the constellation were completely unknown, and if you wanted excessive abilities, it would create tasks you couldn't overcome.
But Zen had already made up his mind. He would create his own constellation, not walk a path someone else had laid out...
'Unfold.'
As he gave the command through his thoughts, a small white star that would serve as the starting point appeared.
[Star Task begins.]
-Kill a living creature. (0/1)
Text rose from the star.
-Task: Kill one living creature.
Reward: Strength Amplification: 10% increase
'Good.'
The tasks of the 'Pioneer's Constellation' varied each time. It wasn't something he decided, but something the system assigned after comprehensively considering what the status window owner needed, their possessed abilities, surrounding environment, and so on. According to his research on several hunters, it had quite a luck-of-the-draw tendency.
'What I need to kill must be that thing.'
Zen looked down at the wolf emitting blue light from below the tree. That creature was dripping with killing intent because its mate had died, and it clearly looked about 1.5 times bigger than the one he'd just killed. Well, even so, it wouldn't be able to climb up the tree due to its natural limitations...
"Zen! You little bastard!! Get up here right now!"
Dad's roar echoed loudly.
But Zen didn't answer. His eyes looking at the wolf from the tree were cold, and his right hand was already fingering the pocket knife at his waist.
'The noose trick only works once. This time I have to do it directly.'
He took a deep breath into his mouth and slowly exhaled. The wolf was still circling below the tree. Anger at losing its mate, hunger, and wariness toward this incomprehensible being were mixed in those eyes.
He slowly drew his pocket knife from the sheath at his waist.
Small and with a short blade, but if he stabbed the vital spots properly, it would be enough.
What he needed was a small opening... and he would create it.
Rustle...
Zen untied the leather shoe he was wearing and dangled it down.
His aim was for the wolf to bite the shoe. That would neutralize the wolf's teeth temporarily.
'And that'll be your last moment.'
Zen's eyes gleamed as he gripped the knife, and before long the wolf that jumped up bit Zen's shoe.
It was the moment he'd been waiting for, but the sound of something moving roughly above stopped his next action.
"No!!!"
Dad threw his body down from the branch above.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!"
Dad's falling body collided with the wolf and they tangled on the ground.
Fur and blood, screams, the sound of bones colliding...
"Dad!"
Startled, Zen reflexively shouted. Even when any of his comrades died in his previous life, he'd never raised his voice this urgently, but his body reacted first.
"Woof!!"
The wolf bared its teeth and bit into Dad's arm.
At that moment, the short sword at Dad's waist flashed up and stabbed straight into the wolf's side.
Blood spurted, but the wolf wasn't easy either. Even with the sword stuck in it, it growled and bit down deep with its jaw.
"Damn it!!!"
Zen immediately jumped down from the tree.
'Fall toward the legs, put my weight into it. After absorbing impact, roll left, secure vision.'
He moved instinctively. His joints screamed as he hit the ground, but he swallowed the pain.
He was already an old man who'd lived ninety years—his trained 'combat memory' offset the body's limitations to some extent.
Zen threw his body toward where Dad and the wolf were tangled.
"Graaaah!!"
The moment the wolf turned its head and opened its mouth toward the newly appeared enemy, Zen stabbed the pocket knife straight into the wolf's neck.
Swoosh!
Blood spurted like a fountain, and the wolf struggled for a moment then went limp.
His breathing was ragged and his heart pounded mercilessly.
But... the leather bracer on Dad's arm was completely shredded.
"Dad!"
Zen hurriedly pulled Dad back. Fortunately the flesh wasn't torn, but only clear teeth marks were left on the bracer.
"You little shit, who told you to jump in like that!"
"S-sorry."
"Never! Don't ever do that again!"
"Yes. But are you okay?"
"Kid, you think your dad would get hurt by just this much?"
"You're already hurt..."
"Shut up. As long as you're okay."
"What do you mean by that?"
Zen stopped mid-sentence. The man before his eyes was someone who had thrown his life away for him.
Suddenly his heart sank.
This wasn't a simple survival calculation. This was... family.
"Hoo... hoo... Anyway, you're not hurt anywhere?"
Zen was speechless at Dad's words, not caring about his own wounds.
It was that emotion he'd received so long ago in the distant past that he barely remembered.
His chest felt strangely choked up.
His heart became hotter than his body.
"I'm fine. But are you really okay?"
"You brat! What do you take your dad for..."
"My dad."
Dad and Zen looked at each other and smiled.
In that blood-reeking forest of wolves, a quiet peace flowed between them for the first time.
***
"Ow..."
Zen slowly opened his eyes as he woke from sleep, feeling slight pain throughout his body. The smell reaching his nose was dirt, mold, and the fishy scent of beasts.
'...So it really wasn't a dream.'
Animal hide that wasn't fully dried hung by his bedside, and below that were several pieces of kindling neatly dried along the wall. This space where the ceiling was so low that raising his head properly would bump his forehead was like an old hut.
As he sat up, the hay rustled and tickled his back.
The animal hide that was too pathetic to call a blanket slipped down from his shoulders.
Where he'd been lying was just some straw laid on the dirt floor with a few cloth scraps added on top.
The smell aside, his body was stiff and cold.
Zen slowly got up and leaned against the wall to catch his breath.
The aftereffects of yesterday still remained.
His head was complicated, and his arms and legs were full of muscle aches.
"It's really real."
He'd thought death was the end. While feeling himself age day by day, he'd habitually spoken of eternal rest, but that was just another expression of regret for his lost young past. But somehow the restart button had been pressed. Was this a bonus life?
"Ha, haha..."
He didn't know if it was reincarnation or possession, but what did that matter? What was important was that he existed like this now.
"Well anyway, let me check first."
[Status Window]
Strength Amplification: 10%
[Traits]
-
[Skills]
-
A new stat called Strength Amplification had appeared in his status window.
"It worked."
He'd seen the message the moment he killed the wolf, but he still couldn't believe he'd 'awakened.'
But now it seemed he could believe it.
"Good. Next is..."
Flash...
'Sea of Stars'
With the activation word, his vision went black for a moment and a massive cluster of stars spread out.
Among them, the largest approaching thing was the 'Pioneer's Constellation' he'd chosen.
At the very bottom, one small star sparkled especially brightly, showing off its presence.
[Strength Amplification 10%]
He couldn't really feel it, but it was the power of the constellation currently integrated into his body. A 10% increase in physical strength. Of course, it was just a very small first step for now, but later when they accumulated to 1000%, 2000%, he could become a powerful superhuman incomparable to ordinary people. If he gained skills and traits through even larger stars, he could achieve everything he'd dreamed of in his previous life.
Zen was confident.
He was someone who had received an elite education at World Academy, recognized as the world's strongest in archery for his genius talent.
And that wasn't all? From age twenty when he put down his bow until age seventy, he was a giant of his era who left achievements rivaling awakened hunters.
And now he had a new body too.
This wasn't arrogance or conceit. This was confidence that only someone who'd walked that lonely path once could have.
"Zen, are you awake?"
Just then the door creaked open and a woman's face appeared.
The person who appeared was a typical Western woman in her early thirties. Under a dirt-stained headscarf were frizzy brown hair, skin tanned black, and hands red and cracked.
But her eyes were warm, and her voice was gentle.
"Uh... Mommy."
The moment he said that word, the emotions contained in this strange body surged up and hit his chest.
Was it longing, awkwardness, or something newly forming...
Zen briefly closed his eyes at the complex emotions he couldn't explain even to himself.
"What's with calling me 'Mommy' so formally?"
"Oh, yes. Um, Mom. How's Dad doing?"
"His arm's fine but his ankle's severely swollen. Geez, really... that man wasted his age, tsk..."
Mom clicked her tongue with a face full of complaints.
Actually, Dad's condition was largely Zen's fault, but Dad had suggested they tell Mom it was his own fault. The scolding would be the same but the amount of nagging would be different.
Mom held out a large wooden bowl and spoon she'd been carrying.
"Here, eat this first. You won't have energy if you're hungry."
The wooden bowl was filled with meat soup containing large chunks of meat. It was meat from the wolf he and Dad had caught together yesterday.
Zen took the bowl and stared blankly at the wolf meat for a moment.
The pale gray meat had fat intricately woven through it, and greasy broth floated on the surface in small bits.
From the steaming bowl, the distinctive gamey smell of beasts and a savory aroma spread simultaneously.
He spooned in a bite of meat.
'...It's tough.'
Even though it had clearly been stewed thoroughly in soup form, the meat was tough and crude.
He could faintly taste salt, but it was almost like plain water.
"What? Is something wrong?"
"No. It's delicious."
"Then hurry up and eat, then come out. We have a lot to do today."
"Yes."
After Mom left, Zen sat on the bed and began eating the meat soup.
Despite the terrible gamey smell, tough meat, and grease floating on top, once he started eating he couldn't stop. After finishing everything including the broth, Zen put down the bowl. After sleeping well and filling his stomach, his confused mind felt a bit more organized.
"I am..."