The field was still quiet after the fight. Three hulking boar corpses lay where they had fallen, their blood soaking into the dirt.
JP wiped sweat from his brow, chest still heaving. His Status Board flickered faintly at his mutter, numbers that felt heavier now—stronger.
HP: 62/62MP: 28/28Strength: 8Endurance: 9Agility: 7Intelligence: 12Luck: 10
He clenched his fist. I can feel it… faster, steadier. It's not much, but it's something.
Instead of rushing back, JP pulled the carcasses near the edge of the irrigation ditch and set to work. With his knife, he made careful cuts along the boars' throats, letting the blood drain cleanly into the soil.
The sun slid lower, painting the sky orange and gold. JP worked methodically, pulling the thick hides free in heavy sheets. They were coarse, but dense, with potential for armor—or something more creative.
His alchemy instincts hummed at the possibilities.
Wolf hide was for insulation. Boar hide… tougher, more durable. Maybe shields, straps, or reinforced bands.
By the time night crept in, the meat was hung on makeshift cords to drain, and the hides were spread across branches to dry. The smell was sharp, metallic, but it was the scent of survival.
He flexed his arm, testing the Heated Hide Band again. The emberstone flared hotter this time, reacting with his stronger endurance. Sweat beaded across his forehead, but he held it longer, steadier.
"Not just tools," JP muttered. "Extensions of me. The stronger I get, the better they'll work."
He chuckled, remembering something his niece once said when bragging about game characters. "Uncle JP, stats don't lie! Grind them, or die trying."
With a tired smile, he packed the meat, hides, and tusks into bundles, ready for morning.
At dawn, JP trudged back into the village, the weight of boar parts dragging across his shoulders. Farmers eyed him warily as he passed, muttering about "another crazy rookie camping outside."
When he pushed through the guild doors, the sleepy clerk jolted upright at the sight of three boar hides slapped onto the counter.
"Three wild boars… culled?" she stammered, flipping through her ledger. "All in one day?"
JP nodded, too exhausted to brag. "Quest slip."
She stamped it quickly, sliding him a neat stack of coins. "Six silver, plus a bonus for the meat and tusks. Total, ten silver."
The weight of the pouch in his hand sent a small thrill through him. His first real pay as a hunter, earned with blade, lamp, and grit.
As he turned from the counter, he caught Lyra's gaze from across the hall. Her hood was low, her expression unreadable—but her silver eyes lingered on him, sharp and curious.
JP slipped the pouch into his belt, hiding the faint grin tugging at his lips.
I survived. I invented. I leveled up. This world… I'm starting to find my place in it.