"Four points just to reach Level 4, huh?"
Leo blinked at the screen, his brows furrowing slightly.
With the current growth rate of one Stat Point per day, that meant four whole days just to level up once.
"If I could eat more beast meat, maybe I could cut it down to two days," he muttered, a faint, bitter smile creeping across his face.
But that was easier said than done.
Even with yesterday's successful hunt, it was unlikely his family would receive much. Two pounds of beast meat was already considered generous.
Tonight, he'd already eaten nearly half of that. Meanwhile, his father—who was supposed to be the pillar of the family—had only eaten a few pieces.
That couldn't continue.
'No… I should focus on leveling up Basic Archery first. I don't need to rush the physical upgrades. After all, Father and the others aren't that much stronger than normal people. I can't let them take all the risk.'
Taking a deep breath, Leo drew back his bow. The motion felt significantly easier now—clearly the effect of his body's recent upgrade.
He released the string.
"Whoosh—thunk!"
The arrow slammed straight into the target.
He adjusted his stance, took a breath, and fired again. One shot. Then another.
In the distance, deep in the wildlands, came the occasional roar of a savage beast. But after each cry, silence followed—dead and cold.
He had no idea how long had passed when sleepiness began creeping up on him. His arms, especially, were starting to throb with dull soreness.
"Guess that's it for tonight."
Yawning, Leo checked his Skill panel.
----------------------
Skill: Basic Archery – Lv.1 (25%)
— Trait: Reinforce Body Lv.1
— Trait: Iron Arm Lv.1
— Trait: Slowfire Lv.1
----------------------
"A little better than I expected."
A relieved smile touched his lips.
At this pace, two or three more hours of practice tomorrow morning should push Basic Archery to Level 2. Add the afternoon and evening to that… hitting Level 3 might be possible.
And if he made it that far, he'd finally be able to go out with the hunting party.
If he could help take down some prey, not only could they survive—he could grow stronger.
…
The next morning, night gradually faded from the horizon as a pale light emerged in the east.
By the time the sun rose, the camp's entrance was already surrounded by a crowd—mostly women, children, and the elderly. Gaunt faces, sunken cheeks, and eyes filled with unease watched a group of more than ten men and women gathered near the gate.
Everyone knew what this meant.
These people were leaving to join Stonefort.
The largest and safest human stronghold in the region—rumor had it there was no shortage of food or supplies, and life inside was stable, even comfortable.
Of course, not everyone could get in.
Strong, able-bodied men could bring their families.
Women under forty were accepted.
But the elderly, sickly men, and children? They could only watch from afar.
Today, Wayne and Travis were taking their families and leaving.
Once they were gone, there'd be even less food left for those who stayed.
Standing at the front of the crowd, Grant Carter's eyes were glassy.
This farewell meant one thing: they'd probably never meet again.
Unless it was out in the wild—where they'd no longer be allies, but competitors.
"Take care of yourselves."
Grant's voice trembled as he patted Wayne's shoulder and glanced over the familiar faces behind him.
"You too, Grant," Wayne replied, gripping his hand firmly.
"Stay safe out there, Grant!"
"If you ever make it to Stonefort, we'll put in a word for you."
"Yeah, we'll be waiting!"
Grant simply shook his head.
He'd made his decision. It wouldn't change.
"Take care, all of you."
Behind them, wives and children waved goodbye to their friends and neighbors, tears streaming down many faces.
If there had been any other choice, none of them would be leaving.
But staying meant clinging to a hope that no longer existed.
Crying echoed across the settlement as the group slowly departed, shrinking into the distance, until they disappeared completely.
"...They're gone."
A flat-voiced man with a buzz cut muttered numbly, his eyes filled with uncertainty and fear for what came next.
Grant finally turned away, clearing his throat as he faced the remaining villagers.
"Alright, everyone. Go on back. Those of us who remain—let's get ready to hunt. Wayne and the others may have left, but I still believe we can survive on our own."
People dispersed quietly, some in twos and threes, others alone.
But in their hearts, a single question lingered:
Can we really survive?
Once the non-combatants had gone, the team was cut nearly in half.
Including Grant, only eight remained.
"Hah! Still got eight of us!" Briggs Mason laughed.
The others managed half-hearted smiles.
Some of them could've left for Stonefort too… but they stayed, unwilling to leave Grant behind.
"You sure sound optimistic," muttered a stocky, round-faced man.
"With the Wells brothers gone, we've got no archers left. Hunting's gonna be ten times harder."
Briggs' grin faltered for a second, but then he shrugged.
"Eh, we'll use traps."
"…"
No one responded.
"When we get back, we should all practice our archery," Grant said with a sigh. "We need some kind of ranged attack if we want to survive long-term."
He swept his gaze over the group.
"Let's head out."
…
Meanwhile, Zach Mercer limped back from the gate and immediately spotted a lone figure practicing in the distance.
"Huh. Young people really do recover fast."
But then he frowned.
Wait… he hadn't seen this kid at the farewell earlier, had he?
Did he… not go?
Zach slowly walked over.
"You didn't go to the gate this morning?"
Leo turned his head and smiled. "Nope. I had breakfast and came straight here."
"..."
Zach stared at him, dumbfounded.
"You mean the Wells brothers leaving?"
Leo loosed another arrow. "Yeah, they came to say goodbye to my dad last night. I was there. Whether I went this morning or not wouldn't have changed anything."
"I suppose you're right."
Zach nodded thoughtfully.
The Wells brothers had already made up their minds.
No one could've changed that.
He glanced again at Leo, a strange look in his eyes.
Maybe… this kid really was different.
And by the looks of it, he actually enjoyed archery practice.
Maybe, just maybe, he really could take over for the Wells brothers one day?
'Yeah right… I'm getting ahead of myself.'
He shook his head.
That kind of thinking was too naïve—replacing Wayne and Travis wouldn't be that simple.
"You lot—quit slacking off and focus!"
He hobbled over to bark at a few drowsy teens nearby.
Leo chuckled to himself and turned back to the target.
Draw. Aim. Loose.
Draw. Aim. Loose.
Again and again.