The unsettling message from the system, "Unregistered Data Signature Detected," had burrowed deep into Eron's thoughts. It was like a whispered secret in the quiet hum of the forest. Raiv, curled beside him in the small Shelter Cave, seemed oblivious, breathing steadily in his sleep. But Eron knew. He knew Raiv wasn't just an F-rank wolf cub. He was something more, something the game itself couldn't quite classify. And that mystery, instead of terrifying him, sparked a thrill he hadn't felt in years.
He shifted, the rough virtual ground surprisingly comfortable beneath him. The paralysis that gripped his body in the real world faded here, replaced by the full sensation of movement, the ache of muscles, the bite of cool air. This was life. And Raiv, his small, grey companion, was making it real.
"Morning, you," Eron whispered as Raiv stirred, stretching his front paws out and letting out a tiny, sleepy "woof." The cub's eyes, normally a cloudy grey, seemed to hold a sharper intelligence this morning, a reflection of the "Instinctual Forager" trait that had activated yesterday.
Their Glow-Berry haul from the previous day had provided a temporary reprieve from hunger, but it wasn't enough for the sustained energy they needed. Especially for Raiv, who was still growing, despite his low rank. They needed something with more substance, something that hinted at protein.
"Time for a real hunt, I guess," Eron murmured, standing and stretching. The idea sent a flutter of nerves through him. A "hunt" for them still meant scavenging, avoiding, and perhaps, if they were lucky, finding something already defeated. Actual combat felt a world away.
The Wounded Fang Forest stretched out before them, a dense tapestry of ancient trees and thick undergrowth. Sunlight struggled to penetrate the canopy, leaving the forest floor in perpetual twilight. Every rustle, every distant cry of a beast, sounded amplified. This place was beautiful, but lethal.
They moved carefully, Eron leading, Raiv sniffing the air and ground, occasionally nudging Eron in a particular direction. The cub's "Instinctual Forager" trait was proving invaluable, guiding them around dense thickets where predators might lurk and towards areas with edible roots or fallen, less-decayed fruit. It was a slow, cautious dance of survival.
After an hour of weaving through the shadowy woods, Raiv suddenly froze. His ears swiveled, his nose twitched, and a low, almost imperceptible growl rumbled in his throat. Eron stopped, his heart quickening.
"What is it, boy?" he whispered, straining his own senses.
Then he heard it. A series of deep, guttural grunts, followed by the snapping of twigs. Close. Too close.
A moment later, a hulking shape burst through the undergrowth – a Forest Bristleboar. Its hide was like knotted bark, and a ridge of sharp, bone-like bristles ran down its back. Its tusks, though still small, looked menacingly sharp. This wasn't a high-level beast, but for an F-rank cub and a fresh Tamer, it was a genuine threat. It was rummaging through a patch of disturbed earth, clearly looking for something to eat.
Eron's mind raced. He had no combat skills. Raiv was small and injured. Direct confrontation was suicide. He remembered the Bristleboar's common attacks from the game's basic bestiary: a powerful charge, and a short-range stomp. Speed was their only advantage.
"Raiv, stay low," Eron commanded, his voice tight. "Don't engage. Circle wide. We need to lure it."
The Bristleboar lifted its head, its small, beady eyes fixing on them. It let out another warning grunt, its bristles rising like an angry porcupine. It pawed the ground, preparing for a charge.
Eron had an idea, a desperate one. He remembered the Viper Vines from yesterday. While they were dangerous, perhaps their paralyzing pollen could be turned against the boar. He quickly scanned the environment. There! A small patch of the sickly purple vines grew near a cluster of jagged rocks, just a few yards behind the boar.
"Raiv! Quick! Lead it around the rocks, towards those purple vines!" Eron mentally projected the image of the vines. He knew their bond wasn't strong enough for complex tactical commands, but Raiv's "Instinctual Forager" trait seemed to have granted him a greater understanding of environmental hazards.
The Bristleboar charged, a surprisingly fast blur of brown and bristles. Eron dodged, rolling awkwardly to the side. Raiv, agile despite his limp, darted past the boar, barking sharply. The boar, enraged by the nuisance, swung its head, then turned to pursue the cub.
Raiv led the boar in a wide arc, weaving between trees and over roots with surprising grace. He was small, but he was fast. Eron watched, his heart pounding against his ribs, urging the cub on. Raiv was leading the boar exactly where Eron wanted it – towards the Viper Vines.
As the boar thundered closer to the purple patch, Raiv, with a sudden burst of speed, leapt over the vines, almost a blur of grey. The boar, blinded by rage, plunged directly into the middle of the patch.
A cloud of fine, purple pollen burst from the agitated vines. The Bristleboar stumbled, letting out a confused grunt, then another. Its movements became sluggish, its charge slowing to a halt. It was paralyzed.
Eron let out a shaky breath. It had worked! But now what? They still had no way to finish it. He had trapped it, but not defeated it.
Just then, a figure emerged silently from the deeper shadows of the trees. It was a girl, slender and cloaked in dark, forest-green leather. Her long, black hair was pulled back in a practical braid, and her eyes, an intense, almost startling shade of amber, observed the scene with unnerving calm. She carried a sleek, unadorned bow.
It was Selene. Eron had seen her name on the region's sparse leaderboards. A silent, formidable player known for her solo exploration and efficiency. She was one of the few who seemed to navigate the Wounded Fang Forest with genuine ease.
Selene's gaze flickered from the paralyzed boar to Eron, then to Raiv, who was now cautiously circling the immobilized beast. She didn't speak. Her eyes, however, seemed to linger on Raiv for a moment longer than on anything else. She then slowly raised her bow.
Is she… helping? Eron wondered, stunned.
With a soft thwip, an arrow, tipped with something that shimmered faintly, flew from her bowstring. It struck the Bristleboar precisely in a vulnerable spot behind its ear. The boar shuddered, then collapsed, a system notification flashing.
[System Notice] – Forest Bristleboar defeated. Experience Gained: 50. Loot Acquired: Forest Bristleboar Hide (Common), Bristleboar Meat (Common).
Selene lowered her bow, her expression unreadable. She turned, her gaze meeting Eron's. For a fleeting moment, a flicker of something passed through her amber eyes – not pity, not judgment, but a strange, quiet acknowledgment. Then, without a word, she melted back into the shadows as silently as she had appeared, leaving Eron and Raiv alone with their unlikely bounty.
Eron stared at the spot where she'd been, then at the fallen boar, then down at Raiv. The cub nudged the boar's flank with his nose, then looked up at Eron, his tail giving a short, decisive wag.
"Meat, huh, buddy?" Eron knelt beside the boar. This was their first real meal. And they hadn't just survived; they had strategized. He felt a surge of exhilaration, a fierce joy that vibrated through every virtual nerve.
As Eron began to carefully gather the meat and hide, another system notification popped up, not for him, but for Raiv.
[System Anomaly Detected] – Raiv's bond signature with Tamer Eron is evolving beyond standard parameters. Core system attempting to re-calibrate. Warning: External influence on evolutionary pathways detected. New Trait pending activation.
Eron froze, his hand hovering over the boar meat. "External influence on evolutionary pathways?" What did that even mean? He looked at Raiv, who was now gnawing happily on a small piece of meat Eron had torn off. The cub looked innocent, but Eron knew better.
He glanced towards the spot where Selene had disappeared, a new question forming in his mind. Was she just a quiet ally, or was there more to her, and to Raiv's mysterious capabilities, than he could possibly imagine?
[System Update!] –
Trait Unlocked: [Mana Sense – Latent].
Raiv can instinctively detect minute fluctuations in environmental mana, even within sealed systems. This trait is currently dormant.