Leo and his parents walked silently through the dusk, heading toward the fire-lit house at the end of the path.
"You're back!"
A scrawny boy, no older than twelve or thirteen, sprinted out from inside and threw himself into Grant Carter's arms. It was Leo's younger brother—Nate Carter.
Nate looked up eagerly, scanning around them. But when he spotted the absence of any food or sacks, his bright eyes dimmed. "Did you… not bring anything back this time?"
Almost on cue, his stomach let out a loud growl.
Grant's face flushed. He rubbed Nate's head awkwardly. "We ran into some trouble out there. Next time… for sure."
"But… that's what you said last time too."
Nate's voice was soft, but his eyes were clear and honest.
Helen quickly stepped in and pulled him away. "Don't bump him! Can't you see your father's hurt?"
She didn't tell the boy the full truth—that Grant had barely made it back alive this time.
"Oh—!" Nate looked again, saw the bloody bandages on his father's arm, and stepped back in alarm. "S-Sorry, Dad."
"It's not your fault."
Grant ruffled his hair, then glanced at Helen. "Can we cook a little rice porridge? Maybe just enough to fill our stomachs. Do we have anything left to trade? I might try my luck at Songfort tomorrow."
"We've already sold everything," Helen said with a bitter smile. "Even the wedding ring you gave me."
She turned and walked inside, scooping half a ladle of rice from the bottom of the nearly empty jar.
Maybe a week left—if they stretched it. After that, there'd be nothing left to eat.
"Leo," Grant called softly. "How's your body?"
"I'm fine now, Dad."
Leo answered as calmly and familiarly as he could. In the original owner's memories, the father-son relationship had always been a little strained—distant. Honestly, that worked in his favor.
Grant opened his mouth like he wanted to say more but simply nodded. "Good."
Dinner was watery porridge—mostly just hot water with a few lonely grains at the bottom. The family of four scraped their bowls clean. Grant, the pillar of the family, quietly drank an extra helping before they all retired to rest.
Leo and Nate shared the western room. Through the thin walls, the muffled voices of their parents could still be heard.
"I really thought today was the day I'd lose you..." Helen whispered, voice tight with emotion. "I was terrified, Grant. Absolutely terrified."
"I made it back, didn't I? It'll be alright," Grant said, steady as ever.
"But what about next time?"
Silence.
Leo let out a quiet breath.
As hard as this life was—never knowing if the next meal would come, fearing each day might be their last—it was still better than nothing. Some people didn't even have a roof over their heads. And reaching the so-called safe cities? Ordinary folks would need ten lives just to survive the journey.
In this world, strength was the only answer.
He closed his eyes and focused.
And just like before, the status panel appeared in his mind—clear, crisp, and undeniable.
----------------------
Rank: NoneLevel: 1 (0/1)Physique: 8Strength: 7Agility: 7Clarity: 5Skill: NoneStat Points: 1 (+1 per day)
----------------------
The [+] icon beside his level glowed brightly. Just an hour ago, it hadn't even been there.
He'd awakened yesterday. Twenty-five hours had passed, and finally, his system had come online.
Leo took a deep breath.
"Let's try it."
He willed the icon to activate. Immediately, a surge of warmth erupted from his heart, rushing through his limbs like a tide of molten energy.
Crack. Crack.
Tiny popping sounds echoed from within his bones and joints. A strange relief flooded his body—like finally stretching after being bound too long.
Am I… getting stronger?
That was the only explanation. He could feel it, deep in his core—the rise of raw strength, subtle but unmistakable.
After a few moments, the heat faded. His body was drenched in sweat, but the feeling wasn't unpleasant. If anything, it made him certain this was real.
He clenched his fists.
Power. Real, tangible power.
He checked the panel again.
----------------------
Rank: None
Level: 2 (0/2)
Physique: 8
Strength: 7
Agility: 7
Clarity: 5
Skill: None
Stat Points: 0 (+1 per day)
----------------------
His eyes lit up.
All four attributes had jumped by roughly ten percent—just enough to match the average adult male. No wonder his body felt stronger.
Excitement surged through him. For the first time since arriving in this world, the future didn't look completely hopeless.
Of course… that was it for now. His stat points were spent. The [+] icon was gone. Leveling up to 3 would require 2 points next time.
"One point per day…"
Leo muttered under his breath. "At this rate, I'll be dead before I get strong enough."
His eyes drifted down to the Skill section.
Still empty.
Was this the system's way of telling him to start learning real techniques?
The problem was—who in this fortress actually knew any?
Sure, Leo remembered a bit of Taichi from back in his school days. But it was shallow, and he'd barely paid attention back then. Besides, barehanded combat wasn't ideal in a place with no medicine. Get hurt bad out here, and you didn't get better—you just died.
If he had to learn something, archery was the best bet. Long weapons came next—spears, staves, anything that gave reach. Swords and knives came last.
"Let's try tomorrow."
His mind was made up. He would learn to shoot.
Metal weapons were rare in the hold. Only a few elite hunters like his father had longbows. The rest used spears, shields, or makeshift blades.
As for guns?
Forget it. They were worth more than most lives. One shot from a rifle could drop a low-tier beast—but good luck affording one.
That didn't matter. Leo would make do. He'd find wood, some leftover string, maybe harvest some beast sinew. A crude bow would be enough for now.
It wasn't some legendary martial art, but it would let him fight back.
He couldn't rely on others forever.
In this world, if you couldn't fend for yourself…
You didn't survive.
The thought stayed with him as he drifted off to sleep.
Until a sharp scream shattered the early morning silence.