"Javelin Throwing!"
I shouted at the top of my lungs.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Forty arms released their spears all at once. The sound of them slicing through the air filled the cave.
"GRUOH!"
"GRUUURGH!"
The bears screamed. Stone spearheads dug into thick flesh, spraying the beasts' blood.
More than half of the javelins bounced away, but that did not matter. What mattered was that some of the spears had struck home.
The creatures that had always been prey were fighting back.
Behavior the bears had never witnessed before.
The eyes of the beasts that had come to enjoy a feast wavered.
TAP-TAP-TAP!
Urgent footsteps and shouts came from behind us.
"Uugh! Uugh!"
The elderly, the women, and even children who looked younger than 10 desperately carried spears from deep within the cave.
With small hands and trembling hands, they passed a ceaseless supply of spears to the sturdy men.
Grab!
The men expertly raised the fresh spears over their shoulders. Their stances were excellent, as though they had trained as warriors all their lives.
"Javelin Throwing!"
Another command.
Then came the second volley. Spears blanketed the bear pack once more.
It was possible because the cave was narrow but fairly tall.
Only one bear could approach at a time, but there was no reason for us to throw only one spear at a time.
THUNK-THUNK-THUNK!
"GRUOH, GRUUUOH!"
One bear collapsed with a scream, five spears buried deep in its neck and another five in its chest.
A pool of blood spread in an instant. Two others, their bodies covered in wounds, staggered away in an attempt to flee.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Adrenaline surged through me.
If we could maintain this, we could win.
Javelin Throwing by humans with five-fingered hands. It was a uniquely human "technique" that wild animals could never perform.
"Javelin Throwing!"
The attacks continued. Each time, spears flew true toward their targets.
The bear pack was in chaos.
The bears struck by javelins in front backed away and roared.
"GRAAAARGH!"
The bears in the rear, untouched by the javelins, roared back because they could not understand why the others were abandoning their prey.
"GRAAAAAARGH!"
Javelin Throwing continued against the tangled pack.
In the end, several bears escaped, but three had become corpses in the meantime.
"Grrrrr."
The remaining five bears did not retreat. Despite their bleeding wounds, they advanced closer and faster. Their eyes held nothing but maddened bloodlust.
"Javelin Throwing! Javelin Throwing!"
I screamed the words. Spears kept flying. They struck. Blood burst from the beasts' bodies. Still, they did not stop.
That was when it happened.
Swoosh.
I instinctively reached behind me. My hand found only empty air. Cold air brushed my fingertips.
"?"
I hurriedly looked back.
"Ugh, uugh."
A stooped old man held out a trembling bundle of spears in his withered hands. The last ones.
'Wait. How many?'
I counted. Only 12 spears remained. There were five bears.
"Uu ugh."
"Kii, kii."
Fear spread like a plague again. The Primitive Humans' eyes, filled with courage only moments ago, wavered in an instant. The hands gripping their spears trembled. The formation began to collapse.
At that very moment.
"GRUUUUURGH!"
The nearest bear charged at full speed. Its enormous body kicked off the ground and hurtled forward.
10 meters.
The ground shook.
7 meters.
I could see its drool-slick muzzle.
5 meters!
Its claws flashed in the sunlight.
"Damn it!"
I snatched up a spear and gripped it with all my strength. The wooden shaft bit into my palm.
"Stop throwing!"
I roared until my throat felt ready to tear.
The Primitive Humans all flinched to a halt. Their arms froze in midair before they could throw.
Swoosh.
Slowly and clearly, I drew the spear back beside my waist. The blade pointed forward. Both hands clenched the shaft.
A thrusting stance.
This was not Javelin Throwing. It was close combat. We would face those monsters head-on.
For the first time, doubt appeared in the Primitive Humans' eyes.
It was understandable. The bears had gathered near the cave entrance, but those throwing javelins stood in a chamber midway through the cave, where it briefly widened.
In that chamber, not one but three bears could attack at once.
Did I have a death wish?
'This is our only option.'
If we threw every spear here, that truly would be the end. But with 12 spears.
I met the charging bear's eyes. Three meters away. A drooling mouth. Bloodstained claws.
It was clearly an enormous beast.
Grip!
I tightened my hands around the shaft. Bent my knees slightly. Braced for the impact. Then I turned toward the men holding the remaining spears.
"Copy me! Right now!"
Swoosh! Swoosh!
The men changed stances in unison. Spears beside their waists. Blades forward. Both hands gripping firmly.
They were perfect copies of me. Seeing it once had been enough to imitate it precisely. Their S-grade Adaptability was not merely for show.
"Close ranks!"
I shouted and gestured for them to gather beside me, behind me, and on both flanks.
TAP-TAP-TAP!
The Primitive Humans moved quickly. Twelve of them gathered in an instant.
The spacing was so narrow that our shoulders touched. The spearheads formed a single row pointed forward.
A close formation. Like an ancient Greek phalanx, the spears formed one wall.
I was gasping for breath, but I spoke.
"Hold this formation. Never break apart."
I glanced to the side. The large man bit his trembling lip and nodded resolutely. The others did the same. Their hands trembled, but their eyes did not.
"Grrrrr."
The bears ahead hesitated.
The prey that had been scattered moments ago had suddenly united, and 12 spearheads now aimed at them together. Instinctively, they sensed the threat.
"Haa... Haa."
"GRUUU!"
Silence held for a moment as we glared at one another. Only breathing filled the cave.
"GRUOH!"
But bestial instinct overcame reason.
"GRUUUUURGH!"
At last, they charged us. The ground pounded beneath their feet. Their enormous bodies surged forward like a wave.
A charge launched from 3 meters away.
"Thrust!"
I drove the spear forward with all my strength, putting my entire weight behind it.
SQUELCH!
"GRAAAAGH!"
My spear pierced the lead bear's chest. I felt it punch through bone. The impact transmitted through my hands until my arms went numb.
SWISH! SWISH! THUNK! THUNK!
The Primitive Humans' spears shot forward on either side of me. Twelve spearheads entered the bears' bodies almost simultaneously. Perfect coordination.
"GRRRRRGH!"
"GRUOH! GRUOH!"
Two bears backed away screaming. Spears protruded from wounds all over their bodies, and blood dripped as they staggered. Then they fled and vanished into the darkness.
'We did it!'
But my joy lasted only an instant.
"GRRRRRRK!"
The remaining three were different. Driven mad, they accepted death and swung their claws wildly. Their enormous forepaws tore through the air.
CRACK! THUD! SNAP!
Spear shafts broke all around us.
"Kii!"
"Uugh!"
The Primitive Humans screamed. Those raked by claws fell, spraying blood.
CRACKLE!
The spears broke one after another. Their shafts, hastily fashioned from primitive materials, could not withstand the bears' thick hides and tremendous strength. They were too weak.
It happened in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, 10 of the 12 spears shattered. Only the spear in my hand and one barely held by the man beside me remained.
Just two.
Three bears still stood ahead, drooling and growling.
Broken shafts protruded all over their bodies and blood poured down them, but not one was wounded badly enough to die on the spot.
"Fuck."
The curse escaped on its own.
This was why we had relied on Javelin Throwing, and of course we had run out.
What did we have left? Two spears against three bears? It was absurd.
Cold sweat streamed from my hands. My heart pounded madly.
But there was nowhere to retreat.
'The children.'
I looked back. Seventy Primitive Humans watched me with terror in their eyes. The elderly, the women, the children.
If I did not stop the bears, they would all die. If I gave up now, it was over.
Could I survive by running? No. If they died, I was finished too.
I gritted my teeth and tightened my grip on the spear. The wooden shaft slipped against my sweat-soaked palm, but I clutched it harder.
"AAAAAGH!"
With a roar, I lunged forward. Toward the nearest bear. Spear in hand. At full speed.
At that moment, I saw death.
The bear's sharp claws. Its teeth. The image of it biting through my throat and ripping open my belly. Vividly.
Goosebumps covered my body. My legs trembled. My knees went weak.
Was I going to die? Here? Like this?
Fear crashed over me like a wave.
But my feet did not stop. Forward. Only forward. Even if I died, I would die fighting.
Just as I steeled myself.
DING-DING!
A clear chime rang in my ears.
[Emergency Alert!]
Awakened Emergence
→ You have devoted yourself to the Primitive Humans at the risk of your life.
Influenced by that devotion and your combat techniques, the first Awakened has emerged among the Primitive Humans!
Awakening Type: Combat (Spearmanship)
Abilities: Rapid Spear Proficiency Growth / Physical Enhancement / Combat Instinct Awakening
What?
My body froze before I knew it. An Awakened? Among Primitive Humans at this stage? The probability was 0.1%, and one had already emerged?
...My influence had caused one to appear sooner? This function existed too?
"No way."
Just as disbelief was about to burst from my lips.
"GRAAAAAARGH!"
A strange cry came from behind me. It was not a human voice. It sounded closer to the roar of a beast.
SWIIIIISH!
At the same moment, wind whipped past my ear. Something shot right beside me at tremendous speed.
THUNK!
"GRUOH!"
There was no time to turn. A spear sliced through the air and pierced the bear's head with perfect accuracy.
It punched through the skull and into the brain. The beast collapsed without even managing a proper scream.
But two bears remained. Even an Awakened might be in danger against them.
[Emergency Alert!]
Ruler of Civilization.
→ You not only rule civilization but also lead from the front. Through the emergence of an Awakened, you gain a portion of their power.
Ability Conversion Rate: 20%
The remaining two bears charged at once.
"Grrrrr!"
TAP-TAP-TAP!
At the same time, one man sprinted forward. The large man. No, he was different now.
An Awakened.
His movements were different. His speed, his strength, everything.
TAH!
He kicked off the ground and leaped. He rose at least 2 meters and reached down in midair to snatch up a broken spear shaft from the floor.
It was short.
About 60 centimeters.
But it was enough for him.
WHOOSH!
Before he even landed, he swung his arm.
THUNK!
The broken spear punched through the first bear's head, squarely between its eyes. Penetration. Instant death.
He landed.
His knees did not even bend.
I did not stand idle either. New vitality surged through my exhausted body.
I scooped up a broken spear from the ground and quickly threw it.
―SQUELCH!
"GRUUUURGH!"
The spear sank deep into its flank.
Of course, that was not enough to kill it. But distracting it for a moment was enough.
―SPLURT!
The Awakened, already upon it, tore another broken spear from its flank. Blood sprayed from the beast's flesh, but he paid it no mind.
WHOOSH!
He threw it with a spin.
SWISH!
The rotating spear pierced the last bear's eye and buried itself in its brain.
"Grrrgh."
The beast collapsed.
THUD.
It was all over. It had taken less than 10 seconds.
Silence fell.
The Awakened slowly turned around. His breathing was perfectly steady. Blood dripped from his hands, but it was not his.
His eyes were completely different. He was no longer the frightened primitive man from before.
A predator. No, something greater.
A warrior.
"Uu ugh."
He let out a low cry. A cry of victory.
I could only stand there and stare blankly at him.
'This is an Awakened.'
That was when it happened.
THUD.
The Awakened knelt before me. He bowed his head deeply, his body drenched in blood.
Yet even now, he showed absolute loyalty to his ruler—to me.
My chest grew warm.
I slowly reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. A broad shoulder covered in blood and sweat. I could still feel the heat radiating from him.
"Thank you."
I meant it. Without him, those bears would have torn me apart by now.
DING-DING!
[Tutorial Complete]
You have experienced the Planetary Ruler's authority.
Species placement and initial crisis resolution complete.
[Return in: 10 seconds]
My heart sank the moment I saw the message. Already? I had to go back?
I hurriedly looked around the cave.
The Primitive Humans watched me. More than 70 pairs of eyes. The fear that had filled them moments ago was gone, replaced by gleaming hope and relief that they had survived.
There was no time. I could do only one thing.
I looked at the Awakened again. He still knelt before me, gazing up as I spoke clearly.
"Lead the group. Protect them."
"Uuu!"
The Awakened nodded vigorously. He seemed to understand perfectly. He struck his chest with a fist, a gesture that said to leave it to him.
[Return Starting: 5 4 3]
My vision began to blur. The cave drew farther away. The Primitive Humans faded like watercolors bleeding across a page.
'I'm counting on you.'
I left him with that final thought.
[2 1]
Light engulfed my vision.
HUM!
[Return Complete]
"Haa."
I opened my eyes.
A familiar ceiling came into view.