CLINK-CLANK.
The bolt of the Kar98k snapped back and forth, ejecting a spent shell. Rahul stood over the lifeless wild boar, now drenched in its own blood. It had taken three rounds of 7.92×57mm Mauser ammunition to bring down the beast.
A few moments earlier…
The first shot had torn through the boar's sturdy jaw, shattering bone and shearing off its left tusk, which landed several meters away. The second bullet narrowly missed. But the third—a direct torso hit—had sealed the creature's fate.
A tough son of a beast, no doubt.
OINKKKKKK!
It had squealed in pain, sprinting ahead while leaving behind a vivid trail of fresh blood—a trail that Rahul followed to its bloody conclusion.
➖ Ping ➖
[Earned 450 EXP + 120 Soul Points for killing a wild boar]
A satisfying reward. Yet without an XP bar or level-up notification, Rahul remained uncertain of his progress. The boar was a level 5 creature, which meant things would only get tougher when facing humans—if any were out there.
One unexpected discovery was that anything stored inside his [Store] didn't decay. Items came out exactly as they went in. This made storing meat from large animals like this boar incredibly efficient. Food preservation was no longer an issue.
Just as Rahul prepared to skin and store the boar, a new notification appeared.
➖ Ping ➖
[Assessment Skill Activated]
(User can extract more loot from kill)
2x Tusk
Hide of Boar
A pleasant surprise. The Assessment skill was proving to be quite valuable.
Rahul had been wandering through the jungle for days with no sign of civilization—no humans, no settlements, nothing.
One night, while lying under the vast, starlit sky, he began to doze off. The full moon cast its silver glow, and the air was filled with the soft rustle of leaves, cricket chirps, and the haunting hoot of distant owls.
The night was breathtaking.
The jungle, dangerous as it was, offered a kind of beauty Rahul had never experienced back in his "concrete jungle." It was peaceful. Pure. For a fleeting moment, he forgot about the threats hiding in the darkness.
A nearby water body mirrored the moonlight, adding a layer of tranquility to the scene. Risky as it was to sleep near a water source—especially since predators often came to drink at night—Rahul was too exhausted to move.
He had set up two torches at a distance to light up a larger area. And then...
➖ Ping ➖
[Intruder Alert, Host!]
[Imminent Danger]
[Enemy at ~100 meters]
The sudden alarm yanked him back to full awareness. He wiped his eyes and stared into the darkness—and there, two glinting eyes shone like moonstones.
His mini map displayed a red dot.
Something was approaching—silently, swiftly. If not for his gaming interface warning, he'd have been dead.
Drawing his rifle or MP40 was too risky; the creature might strike faster than he could aim. But there was always the Browning pistol, stashed beside his head.
He grabbed it.
The red dot moved closer—now 60 meters.
He opened fire—burst shots, three at a time, with milliseconds between each volley. Nine rounds total.
A guttural growl echoed through the trees.
Then silence.
➖ Ping ➖
[Earned 950 EXP + 340 Soul Points for killing a Dire Wolf]
[Earned 2500 EXP + 920 Soul Points: First kill of an enemy 10 levels higher than host]
[Host Leveled Up]
It had been a level 11 Dire Wolf.
Before approaching the body, Rahul reloaded. Always better safe than sorry.
From the wolf's remains, he collected:
4x Dire Wolf Teeth
8x Wolf Bones
Dire Wolf Hide
He considered storing the meat, but something about eating a wolf felt... wrong. Civilization still had its hold on him.
The level-up had also granted him 10 new attribute points, raising the total to 20 in reserve. His hit points had increased as well.
[STATUS: HOST - RAHUL SHIKDER]
Level: 2
Health: 1165 / 1165
END: 7 + 3
STAM: 4 + 3
INT: 13
DEX: 10
CHARM: 1 + 4
MANA: –
Unspent Attribute Points: +10
Skills:
Passive: Basic Firearm Mastery, Assessment, Smooth Talker
Active: None
[Shop] [Exchange] [Store] [Notification]
Spending 10 of his attribute points gave him a noticeable power boost. He poured points into Endurance for better survivability and Stamina to improve mobility.
Dodging, ducking, and trekking through the jungle had become easier. His movement felt lighter. Stronger. More agile.
Intellect and Dexterity were fine for now.
Charm, though... who knew when it might save his life? When guns failed, influence might do the trick.
In this world, every decision mattered. Every point, every shot, every night spent under moonlight brought him closer to something unknown.
The point of no return had long since passed.
--------------------
🔜 Coming Up Next – Chapter 3: The Widow, the Wolves, and the Man with the Gun
Rahul finally spots human life on his minimap—but what he finds is anything but hopeful. A young tribal widow faces the cruelty of a corrupt landlord's lackey, and no one is there to help… until now.
As bullets fly and blood is spilled, Rahul steps in—not as a savior, but as a man who understands power and justice in a lawless land.
In this world, survival means more than killing beasts. Sometimes, it means pulling the trigger on humanity itself.
❤️ If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to vote, comment, and follow! Chapter 3 drops soon.