Chapter 1: Which will come first, tomorrow or an accident?

The morning sun shines through the gaps between the leaves, casting patches of light and shadow on the ground.

Aoki stands sideways, holding a longbow.

His long black hair is casually tied back, complementing his sturdy figure and heroic, masculine appearance. His black-and-white eyes are filled with wild intensity.

Takina carefully sorts through the scattered arrows, glancing up at Aoki from time to time.

Aomura Kazuhiko sits on a chair, lights a cigarette, takes a deep puff, and smiles contentedly.

Wisps of smoke drift from the roof of the wooden house nearby.

Thud!

The arrow strikes the bull's-eye with precision.

"Aoki, your archery skills have improved again!" Kazuhiko said, his face brimming with admiration.

Aoki's eyes showed a flicker of disappointment as he set down his longbow. "Master, when will we go into the mountains again?"

Kazuhiko tapped the pipe bowl, shaking out the burnt tobacco, and smiled. "Don't worry, don't worry. We'll go in a couple of days. I'm heading into town today to buy some cigarettes, and the bow I ordered for you is ready!"

"The bow is ready?" Aoki's eyes brightened.

For now, he was using an old bow discarded by his master. Though serviceable, it wasn't particularly well-suited to him.

Kazuhiko suggested, "Aoki, you should come with us this time!"

Aoki's eyes narrowed. "Master, did you encounter any trouble?"

"No, no" Kazuhiko waved his hand with a reassuring smile. "You've been up here in the mountains for a year, always training or hunting. You're still young; there's no need to work so hard. There's a gathering in town. You and Takina can go and enjoy yourselves for a couple of days"

"Dad, I still have a lot of work to do" Takina protested, looking up. Her long blue hair fell gracefully over her fair face. Her eyes were bright, her teeth white, and her eyebrows beautifully arched, making her stunningly attractive.

Aoki added, "Let's talk about it next time, Master. I want to study the two traps you taught me earlier."

"Well, okay" Kazuhiko replied with a hint of regret in his voice.

At that moment, Aomura Rie, wearing an apron and with a plump, motherly figure, stepped out of the wooden house. She smiled gently and waved to them. "Come eat!"

"Coming!" the three responded in unison.

As they walked toward the house, Aoki glanced at his system interface.

---

[Name: Aoki]

[Strength: 4]

[Constitution: 4]

[Intelligence: 5]

[Agility: 4]

[Profession: Hunter]

---

[Hunter]

Quality: ☆

[Level: lv4 (397/400)

Skills: Hunting Instinct, Dexterity, Eagle Eyes, Boiling Blood (not yet learned)

Quest: None

---

"Not even a single bit of experience!" Aoki thought, shaking his head in disappointment.

A year ago, Aoki had been transported to this world.

The body he now inhabited belonged to an orphan who had died after accidentally falling off a cliff while cutting wood in the mountains. After his arrival, Aoki was found and rescued by Kazuhiko Aomura, who had been hunting nearby. Since then, he had lived with Kazuhiko and his family.

Once his injuries healed, Aoki became Kazuhiko's apprentice. He awakened a system and the "Hunter" profession. From that point on, he devoted himself to leveling up his "Hunter" skills.

For "Hunters," gaining experience primarily came through hunting. The tougher and more challenging the prey, the more experience points earned. Initially, Aoki could gain a small amount of experience through practice. However, after reaching level 3, practice alone no longer provided any experience.

"Cluck, cluck!"

Next to the wooden house was a chicken coop, separated by a fence. Three old yellow hens were pecking leisurely at grass seeds. As Aoki passed by, he glanced at them and mused, "I wonder if I could gain 3 experience points by killing them?"

He only needed 3 more experience points to level up. The thought of being so close but not quite there was like a pebble in his shoe, a constant source of unease.

"Huh?"

The hens looked up warily but, sensing no threat, resumed pecking at the seeds.

For breakfast, they had rice, miso soup, fried fish, and pickled vegetables. Aomura Rie was an excellent cook, and even simple meals tasted delicious. The four of them ate together, enjoying the meal and each other's company.

After breakfast, Kazuhiko took a bundle of furs and headed down the mountain. Aoki returned to his archery practice. Though he couldn't gain experience directly from practicing, improving his archery skills would increase his hunting efficiency, and consequently, the speed at which he gained experience.

This disciplined routine was part of his commitment to becoming a better hunter.

The next day, Aoki was back at his usual spot, practicing archery.

Nearby, Takina had set up a small stool and was busy tanning leather. She kept glancing at Aoki, then looking away.

Noticing this, Aoki finally put down his longbow. "Just say what's on your mind!" he said, a bit amused.

Takina blushed but didn't avoid his gaze. "It's not that I don't want to go into town with you," she began seriously. "I just want to finish making you some clothes first. Winter is coming soon, and you don't have the right winter clothes yet."

A smile spread across Aoki's face. "Then once you've made the clothes, let's go to town together"

"Okay!" Takina agreed, brushing a few wayward strands of blue hair behind her ears.

Suddenly, a thought made Aoki blurt out, "Takina, do you know why Master wants us to go into town together?"

He instantly regretted it. Why did he ask that? The master's intention was clear: to give them time alone together to develop their feelings. How could he bring this up so directly?

Takina looked away, her ears turning a delicate shade of pink. She whispered, "I know."

Aoki blinked in surprise. Knowing and being willing meant…

He realized that both Kazuhiko and Rie hoped he would marry Takina. It was clear Takina didn't reject the idea, and this was the first time she had hinted so openly at her feelings.

He could sense that Takina didn't reject him, but this was the first time she had expressed her feelings so clearly.

Aoki glanced at the sky. "Hmm… It's almost dark. Why hasn't Master come back yet?"

Takina looked at him, a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth. "Maybe an old friend invited him to stay for a drink. It's happened before."

The mountains were dangerous, home to top predators like bears and wolves. Even experienced hunters avoided the mountains after drinking.

"But Master always lets us know in advance," Aoki mused, a flicker of concern crossing his mind. Still, he reassured himself with the thought that with Kazuhiko's strength, even encountering a top predator wouldn't pose a threat.

Mountain weather was unpredictable. Suddenly, dark clouds rolled in, and the rumble of thunder echoed ominously.

Inside the wooden house, dim candlelight flickered gently. Aoki, Takina, and Aomura Rie sat around the table, working and chatting.

Bang.

The door burst open, and a dark figure stood in the doorway. His head was bowed, face hidden in shadow. His hair was disheveled, and one hand clutched his shoulder as if holding something.

Plop.

Blood dripped from his arm, forming scarlet drops on the floor. Aoki and the others immediately recognized him—it was Aomura Kazuhiko.

"Dad!" Takina cried out, jumping to her feet.

Aomura Rie hurried to the door, her voice filled with worry. "What happened? How did you get like this?"

"What a strong smell of blood!" Aoki muttered, frowning. A sense of unease washed over him, and his hand instinctively reached for the longbow resting against the wall.

Crack!

A flash of lightning lit up the room, freezing Aomura Rie in her tracks and making Takina step back. A shiver ran down Aoki's spine, his skin tingling, and his heart almost stopped beating.