"Ugh."
The first thing I noticed was the smell. Earth, mold, and roasting meat.
'I've arrived.'
A fire burned at the center of the cave. Beside it stood the hearth I had seen yesterday, a structure piled from stones. Meat cooked on top.
The Primitive Humans sat around it making spears.
"Uugh!"
Then someone spotted me and shouted.
Every head turned at once. One hundred pairs of eyes fixed on me.
Silence held for a moment.
"Uugh! UOOOOOH!"
The Primitive Humans rushed over and surrounded me. Their faces showed surprise, delight, and curiosity.
I reached out and gave a small wave.
"Yes, it's me. Has everyone been well?"
They could not understand my words, but perhaps the meaning came through, because they smiled broadly and nodded.
'They really are alive.'
That was when it happened.
"Uugh."
Someone approached through the crowd. The large man. The Awakened. It had been only 2 days, yet he somehow looked stronger.
He stopped before me, slowly lowered his right knee, and bowed his head deeply.
'He hasn't changed.'
Warmth filled my chest. I reached out and placed a hand on his broad shoulder.
"You've worked hard. Thank you for protecting the tribe."
The Awakened slowly raised his head. His eyes shone.
I crouched to meet his gaze and spoke clearly.
"I came to hunt with all of you."
I emphasized the word "hunt" and mimed throwing a spear. The Awakened's eyes shone even brighter. His expression said he understood.
Then a System window appeared.
[Dimensional Transfer Time Remaining: 30:00]
'Thirty minutes.'
That was shorter than expected. We had to move quickly.
"Let's leave immediately."
The Awakened nodded vigorously and sprang to his feet. Then he roared toward the back of the cave.
"Aoh! Aorul!"
TAP-TAP-TAP! TAP-TAP-TAP!
The sturdy men moved at once. They grabbed the spears propped against the cave wall.
'Those spears.'
They had made them after I left. They were poorer in quality than the ones supplied during the tutorial, but they still looked usable.
'They made these themselves. After seeing it once.'
Admiration escaped me. They had perfectly recreated the spear-making method I demonstrated. They were evolving from primitives who knew nothing into "people" who created and used tools.
My chest grew warm.
'They really are incredible.'
They looked capable of hunting ordinary wild animals. With this equipment, they could do it.
I felt proud.
Was this how a father felt watching his children grow?
Swoosh.
At that moment, the Awakened approached with a spear. He respectfully offered it with both hands.
"Uugh."
'One for me too?'
I accepted the spear. It had a reassuring weight.
WHOOM!
A solid, weighty spear.
He had probably selected only the finest items they had made and presented them to me.
"Thank you."
I had no intention of refusing such kindness.
[Dimensional Transfer Time Remaining: 29:12]
Time continued to pass even now. In this situation, it was more valuable than gold.
"Let's go. Lead the group from the front."
"Ugh! Uugh!"
At my words, the Awakened took the lead.
TAP!
Twenty warriors formed ranks behind him, with me among them.
The hunt began.
***
About 5 minutes after we left the cave.
Something moved in the brush. Rustle. Rustle.
The Awakened raised a hand to signal a halt. Everyone stopped at once.
A moment later.
Grrrrr.
The brush parted with a low growl, revealing the monsters within.
'Those are.'
Monkeys? No. They were far more grotesque. Gray fur covered their torsos, and their arms were unnaturally long. Black, sharp claws curved like sickles at the ends.
'Black Apes?'
They were not a selectable species, but they were notorious early monsters that killed Primitive Humans at every opportunity.
There were seven in total.
The creatures spotted us and approached slowly, baring their teeth as drool ran from their mouths.
'How should we fight?'
My thoughts raced. Seven monsters. Twenty people were enough to defeat them, but we needed tactics.
Surround them? Form a line? Start with Javelin Throwing? Or engage in close combat?
'How am I supposed to teach them?'
Should I issue orders? Use gestures? Or take the lead myself?
That was when it happened.
"Uugh! Ugh!"
The Awakened turned and shouted at me. His gaze was intense.
DING!
[Translation]
*I will handle them alone.*
― The Awakened wishes to prove his abilities.
'There was an automatic translation function too? More importantly, he wants to take them alone?'
Seven Black Apes. By himself?
But I looked into the Awakened's eyes. There was no uncertainty, only confidence.
'Let's trust him.'
I nodded.
"Good. Do it your way."
The corner of the Awakened's mouth rose. He tightened his grip on the spear and strode from the brush.
GRRRR!
All seven monsters turned their heads. They stared at the Awakened.
SKREEE!
The one in front screamed and charged. The others followed.
Swoosh!
The Awakened raised the spear above his shoulder. It was the Javelin Throwing stance I had first shown him, but something was different. It was more refined.
He gathered all his strength and swung his arm.
SWIIIIISH!
The spear cut through the air.
THUNK! SQUELCH!
"SKREE!"
It was astonishing. A single spear pierced two monsters at once. It passed squarely through the first one's chest and continued into the belly of the one behind it. Both fell, skewered on the same spear.
'What the hell?'
My mouth fell open.
"Auuugh!"
The Awakened shouted.
TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP!
At his signal, the brush erupted. Twenty warriors charged out at once.
It happened in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, they surrounded the remaining five. A circular formation. Every spearhead pointed inward. There was no gap.
Kii! Kii!
The monsters looked around in panic, but there was nowhere to escape.
'Ah.'
Only then did I realize.
'We don't need tactics.'
My concern had been pointless. Encirclement? Formation? None of that needed thought. The Awakened was overwhelmingly strong, and the other warriors moved instinctively.
Against enemies like these, they could simply overpower them.
I laughed.
"I worried for nothing."
SWISH! THUNK! THUNK!
The warriors' spears thrust inward together. The remaining five collapsed without even managing a proper scream. Blood sprayed everywhere.
"AUUUUGH!"
The Awakened roared at the sky, a cry of victory that echoed through the entire forest.
"Uugh! Uugh!"
The other warriors raised their spears and shouted. Their faces flushed with excitement as they turned toward me in unison.
'At this level.'
I could not help smiling.
They were far, far stronger than I had expected. Killing seven had taken less than 3 minutes.
This should earn a fair number of points.
"Dig a pit and store the bodies. Then we'll move on immediately."
I explained with gestures, miming the act of digging and then burying the bodies. I demonstrated as clearly as possible.
"Aoh!"
The Awakened understood at once. Without hesitation, he began digging with his bare hands. His enormous hands moved like shovels, flinging away heaps of earth.
The pit was completed in an instant. He put all seven bodies inside and covered them with soil. It seemed he planned to retrieve them later. Smart.
"Aoh! Aoh!"
Then the Awakened looked at me excitedly. He pointed deeper into the forest and tried to tell me something.
DING!
[Translation]
*I know a place with more prey.*
'Oh?'
My eyes lit up. This was unexpected. I had not known he understood the terrain.
"Good. Lead the way."
I nodded and gestured for him to go ahead.
The Awakened took the lead. The warriors followed. Gripping my spear, I walked with them near the middle of the formation.
***
Had we walked for about 5 minutes?
The forest gradually opened, revealing a broad clearing.
'A stream?'
I heard the water first. Murmur, murmur. A clear, cheerful sound.
But that was not all.
"That."
My mouth fell open.
Animals crowded the stream. No, "crowded" did not begin to describe it. They swarmed everywhere.
A herd of deer drank from the water, boars wallowed in the mud, and I could even see enormous bison in the distance. There had to be dozens at least.
'This is a treasure trove.'
My heart pounded. How many points could a group this large earn?
The Awakened looked back and grinned, baring his teeth.
I smiled too and patted his shoulder.
"Good work. You really did well finding this."
"Begin the hunt."
I raised a hand and gave the signal.
"Aoh!"
The Awakened roared and charged toward the stream. The 20 warriors shouted and followed in unison. The deer drinking from the stream snapped up their heads, but it was already too late.
It happened in an instant.
SWISH! THUNK!
A spear pierced the first deer's flank. It fell without even screaming. Then came the second and third. A boar tried to flee, but the warriors surrounded and stopped it.
'Huh?'
I felt almost embarrassed to be waiting in the rear to catch anything that escaped.
The Awakened stood out even among them.
He killed two deer in an instant, then chased down a fleeing boar and finished it in one blow. Each spear struck a vital point with perfect precision.
The warriors also moved as though they had undergone flawless training, communicating with glances alone. One drove a deer while another surrounded it and threw a spear. There were no openings.
'There's nothing for me to do?'
It felt strange.
In game terms, it was like turning on auto-hunt.
THUD!
The Awakened charged at an enormous bison. It swung its horns, but that did no good.
The Awakened's spear flew like lightning and pierced a vital point. The bison dropped to its knees, then collapsed.
'Something that big should be worth plenty of points, right?'
My anticipation grew.
I simply stood and watched, spear in hand. When the occasional small deer fleeing the hunt came my way, I threw my spear, but even that happened only a few times.
'This is easy.'
I laughed. Is this the life of a Development-type Awakened? The ones I raised did everything on their own. I just gave orders and watched.
In the meantime, they seemed to have divided their roles anew.
The Awakened handled only the dangerous bison, while the others formed driving, Javelin Throwing, and blocking groups. They had created basic hammer-and-anvil tactics.
Me? I simply watched from the rear. Occasionally, I called out things like "Good!" or "Well done!"
'Is this the ruler's role?'
Not fighting directly, but raising my species and watching over them. Becoming stronger when they grew stronger.
It was not bad. No, it was good.
Twenty minutes passed that way.
The streamside was filled with carcasses. Deer, boars, bison. There were more than 30. The reek of blood hung in the air.
DING!
[Hunt Complete!]
Prey Killed:
― 15 Deer
― 10 Boars
― 5 Bison
[Total Points Acquired: +102P]
[Current Points: 102P]
As a bonus, my points had multiplied in an instant.