章節 9: 9
White snow fell from the skies like raindrops and covered the entire forest like a long veil changing the entire landscape.
The once bright green trees were now cold trunks, the green grass was covered in layers and layers of snow.
Animals in winter have either gone to hibernate with their food stored before the weather changes, or have grown more ferocious and cunning in the face of adversity.
(Fast footstep noises.)
Shake!
A deer ran through the trees panting with an arrow embedded in its body causing it to leave a trail of blood behind and in its pursuit a hooded figure covered in thick wolf skins pursued it with a bow in hand.
The deer panted heavily as he forced his body to keep running, he knew there was a stream ahead which he could leap over and lose his pursuer.
"That deer is smart." Leo muttered as he jumped over a piece of log and continued his pursuit but he was clearly being left behind, "if he jumps across the river I won't be able to catch him again." He thought and decided to change tactics.
Taking a quick look around the terrain he located a small hill that would give him a view of the river before the deer reached it and without hesitating Leo climbed the hill as he drew an arrow from his quiver and knelt when he reached the top.
He soon spotted the deer that was only seconds away from the river and instinctively calculating the route the animal would take he drew his bowstring and nocked the arrow.
Swoosh!
A hissing noise was made as his arrow left the bow and flew through the air towards the deer that didn't notice it until the arrow pierced its neck and made it topple forward, crawling for a few meters until it was close to the stream. .
Leo let out a lo The white snow fell from the skies like raindrops and covered the entire forest like a long veil changing the entire landscape.
The once bright green trees were now cold trunks, the green grass was covered in layers and layers of snow.
Animals in winter have either gone to hibernate with their food stored before the weather changes, or have grown more ferocious and cunning in the face of adversity.
(Fast footstep noises.)
Shake!
A deer ran through the trees panting with an arrow embedded in its body causing it to leave a trail of blood behind and in its pursuit a hooded figure covered in thick wolf skins pursued it with a bow in hand.
The deer panted heavily as he forced his body to keep running, he knew there was a stream ahead which he could leap over and lose his pursuer.
"That deer is smart." Leo muttered as he jumped over a piece of log and continued his pursuit but he was clearly being left behind, "if he jumps across the river I won't be able to catch him again." He thought and decided to change tactics.
Taking a quick look around the terrain he located a small hill that would give him a view of the river before the deer reached it and without hesitating Leo climbed the hill as he drew an arrow from his quiver and knelt when he reached the top.
He soon spotted the deer that was only seconds away from the river and instinctively calculating the route the animal would take he drew his bowstring and nocked the arrow.
Swoosh!
A hissing noise was made as his arrow left the bow and flew through the air towards the deer that didn't notice it until the arrow pierced its neck and made it topple forward, crawling for a few meters until it was close to the stream. .
Leo blew out a long breath and relaxed his muscles a bit before slinging his bow on his back and walking down the mountain. He sighed and relaxed his muscles a little before slinging his bow behind his back and walking down the mountain.
"It's been a month and a half." I mumbled as I recalled everything that had happened to me in the last 45 days, failed hunts, cold nights, growing children.
All these events but a crisis of urgency to survive made me mature very quickly.
With slow, careful steps I slowly approached the body of the deer which was breathing hard and blood flowing from its neck staining the snow red.
Carefully I put my hand over the deer and rubbed at its fur, "you fought well, now rest." I uttered to the animal and saw it look at me first with anger, then with horror and finally peace before it stopped breathing completely.
They were looks I had seen over and over again since I had to struggle to survive in this place, "Rest." I said and bowed my head in thanks for its meat before pulling out my knife and getting ready to dismantle it but I heard a noise behind me.
Woosh!
With impressive speed I drew my bow and using the arrow that was nailed to the deer to fit the bow and threw it back without even seeing what it is.
With a slashing noise my arrow flew at high speed before nailing the tree beside the invader's head.
"Another giant rat?" I muttered upon seeing a giant brown rat with a scared face and a cold sweat as I looked at the arrow in its side, "Must have been attracted by the smell of blood I imagine." I thought and let out a breath before lowering my bow and taking off my hood.
"Come here, come here." The rat's face relaxed a little at seeing that I was another one of its kind but he still remained cautious and approached me as he looked at the dead deer clearly hungry, "Do you want a piece?" I gestured to the deer and to him.
The giant rat was confused for a moment by the gesture before realizing what I meant and nodded as it made a screaming noise.
"Another unable to communicate, well at least this one is smarter than the others I've met." I thought with a sigh and decided to take the entire deer back to my makeshift nest.
Holding the animal's legs I threw it on my back unrealistically compared to my tiny body with the huge deer however I didn't feel the least bit affected by the weight.
"That's probably evolution." I thought remembering the main feature of the game which was the evolution of races, not in a way to bring big changes like gaining wings but in the physical part and general reasoning.
The more you do something here, not only do you become more proficient but your body adapts quickly, I needed to be faster, stronger and more flexible to hunt and after 15 days my body was adapting better to that.
Another important factor in this was that I had enough food to support the changes, without enough nutrition it would take me months if not years to get stronger.
" Come on." I spoke and nodded to the brown rat who stood confused as he watched me leave but remembering that I was carrying the huge juicy deer he immediately ran after me.
"We're at the creek so I'm here on the map." I said to myself looking at the map in the system and started walking, my map before which was just a piece of forest now was about 80% complete and I had already reached the edge at various points but stayed in the forest because I didn't know what was in other lands.
Already the unexplored part of the forest had a family of black bears living there, they were the kings of the forest and the wolves followed just below but with my arrival I started hunting the wolves decreasing their numbers and making them more cunning.
Before the forest had many predators and abundant food, now it had little food and abundant preachers, which resulted in a selective process of nature in the area.
Animals like wild boars, rabbits and others have become rare in winter so much so that I have seen 1 wild boar and 5 rabbits since the beginning of the season.
I kept walking and leading the way with the brown mouse which I'll nickname Jerry following behind.
Soon we arrived in a part of the dark forest with tall trees that didn't let the winter tear their leaves and branches.
Jerry walked on all fours behind me, startled, as he remembered this area was forbidden territory where a pack of wolves lived and any giant rat that got in there would become food.
Jerry began to hesitate whether to continue, although he wishes he had a good meal as he hasn't eaten in days, his life is more important.
Jerry took a look around and prepared to leave that place but when he laid eyes on me and saw me walking along without any fear he hesitated for a moment.
Although his mind was somewhat developed he wasn't smart enough to question or maintain a basic dialogue with Leo making his simple mind go into turmoil when he saw another of his kind entering enemy territory without fear.
Leo noticing Jerry's stop now turned back and looked him in the eye for a moment, "Now let's see what kind of rat you are, a treacherous coward like most or something else." I thought internally.
This wasn't my first encounter with giant rats since I settled down and I've learned one thing in those times is that giant rats in this forest are cowards, willing to sacrifice their own brother for a living.
In the first week of my walk I saw two giant rats being attacked by a pack of wolves and without hesitation I went in front to protect them both but the bastards pushed me forward leaving me food for the wolves.
I of course made it out alive at the cost of 3 large claw marks on my back and a bite scar on my arm, since then I have been wary of the giant rats I encounter and look for a way to test their courage and faithfulness before calling them to my provisional settlement.
I don't blame them for acting like this but I can't accept teammates who would stick a knife in my back at the first opportunity.
"Now Jerry, what will your decision be?"
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票