Chapter 7: Planning
For the first time in weeks, Hari slept like a dead man.
Considering that he had technically died once already, he thought it was a rather appropriate achievement.
Ever since arriving on Hiruda, he had spent most of his days struggling to survive. Every rustle in the forest might have meant a predator. Every unfamiliar animal might have been something capable of tearing him apart. Even when he rested, a part of his mind remained alert, waiting for the next disaster.
But now he was inside a human settlement, surrounded by people who could speak, build houses, and cook food. The knowledge that he was no longer alone had finally allowed his exhausted body to claim the rest it had been demanding.
When Hari opened his eyes, sunlight streamed through a gap in the wall.
For a few seconds, he lay still, enjoying the rare luxury of waking up without immediately wondering whether something intended to eat him.
Then he noticed the room around him.
The walls were made of mud, and the roof was supported by wooden beams. The room itself was reasonably clean, but when he stepped outside and glanced into the other rooms, he found them covered in dust. Nobody had lived in them for a long time.
"Is this a house or a haunted mansion?" he muttered. "At least a haunted mansion might come with some treasure."
"Hey, Hari! Are you still sleeping?"
Joseph's voice came from outside.
"I'm awake!" Hari called back. "Just inspecting the other rooms."
Joseph appeared at the doorway.
"This house belonged to a man named Silva. He died during a hunt last year. As far as we know, he has no relatives left alive, so we planned to give the house to the next couple who got married."
Hari looked around again.
"And then I came out of the forest."
"Exactly. We never expected anyone to arrive from the forest alive, much less someone who needed a place to stay."
"Thank you for letting me use it, Brother Joseph. But I should tell you something. I don't intend to live in this village forever."
Joseph's expression changed slightly.
"Are you planning to travel to the capital like the other youngsters?"
He sighed before Hari could answer.
"Young brother, let me remind you of something. In the world we live in now, humans are no longer the masters of nature. We used to think we were at the top of the food chain. Now, we are closer to the bottom."
His voice carried the weight of experience.
Joseph had watched young men leave the village, convinced that their strength and courage would be enough to carry them to the nearest surviving city. Some had promised to return with help. Others had spoken of finding their families or rebuilding their old lives.
None had returned.
Joseph had tried to stop them, but he had never found the right words to convince them. Eventually, he had learned that a warning could only do so much against youthful confidence.
Hari understood what the older man was trying to say.
"I don't intend to go to the capital or any other city," he explained. "I want to move to a safe zone I discovered a few days ago. The animals can't enter it."
Joseph stared at him.
"A safe zone? You mean there really is a place like that?"
"Yes. At least, as far as I can tell. I've spent time there, and I haven't seen any dangerous animals entering it."
"Can my villagers go there too?"
Hari hesitated.
This was the reason he had wanted to speak with Joseph. His mission required him to bring villagers to the safe zone, and he had hoped the village leader could help him accomplish it.
But there was a difference between guiding a few people through the wilderness and moving an entire settlement.
"If it were only one or two people, we could probably manage it," Hari said. "But moving several hundred people is another matter."
Joseph frowned.
"Is there not enough room for everyone?"
"No. The problem is the journey. We have to cross the territory of the wind wolf pack. A large group would be difficult to hide, and the wolves would almost certainly notice us."
For a while, neither man spoke.
Hari could practically see Joseph weighing the possibilities. The man had spent years protecting this village. He would not abandon his people merely because someone had discovered a place that might be safer.
Hari needed to offer him more than hope.
"Brother Joseph, are you and the other hunters as strong as Joan?"
Joseph looked at him as though he had asked whether the village could fly.
"Of course not."
"Then why is that little girl so ridiculously strong?"
Joseph let out a quiet breath.
"Children born after the cataclysm are different. They have strength that people of our generation never possessed naturally. Even among those children, Joan is the strongest in this village."
Hari remembered the stone Joan had thrown at the wind wolf.
He still found it difficult to accept that a child could kill a monster that had nearly eaten him.
"Then why not train the children to help us?"
Joseph's expression hardened.
"I won't send children into a fight. Not until they are at least sixteen. They have their whole lives ahead of them. They should be allowed to grow up before we ask them to risk their lives."
He paused, then added, "Please understand, Hari. I know their strength could help us, but I won't use them as soldiers."
Hari nodded immediately.
He had no desire to involve children in a battle against a pack of magical wolves either. Whatever advantages this world offered, it had a cruel way of demanding payment for them.
Their conversation had also exposed a flaw in Hari's own thinking.
When the system had assigned him the mission to kill the wind wolf pack, he had imagined that he could simply recruit the village hunters and let them do most of the work. He would provide the plan, perhaps make a few clever moves, and somehow emerge victorious.
Now he had met the hunters.
They were not legendary warriors or powerful cultivators. They were ordinary people with decent physical conditioning, practical experience, and the determination to protect their families.
In other words, they were much like the people Hari had known on Earth.
And he was no legendary warrior himself.
He was a young man who had spent much of his previous life preparing for government examinations and arguing with strangers on the internet.
The internet army had not prepared him for an actual army.
"How many wolves are in the pack?" Hari asked.
Joseph considered the question.
"There were sixteen a few years ago. Joan's father led a hunting group into their territory. They killed three wolves, but ten people died in the fight."
Hari's stomach tightened.
Ten lives for three wolves.
Joseph continued, "We heard that the alpha changed recently. If the pack hasn't suffered other losses, there should be twelve wolves left."
Twelve.
Hari pictured twelve creatures like the one that had chased him through the forest. Then he remembered the information in his system: the lone wolf he had encountered had lost its position to another alpha.
That meant the pack's leader was probably stronger than the monster that had nearly killed him.
Wonderful.
His first major leadership assignment involved a group of people who could be killed by a single attack, a pack of monsters that could launch wind blades, and an alpha that might be stronger than the wolf he had barely escaped.
The system certainly knew how to motivate its employees.
"Can we kill them with ranged attacks or traps?" Hari asked.
"We've considered that," Joseph replied. "But if we injure them without killing them, they may follow our scent back to the village. Then the hunt will come to us instead."
Hari thought for a moment.
"Then why don't we fight them near the safe zone? You said yourself that the wolves can't enter it. If we can draw them close enough, we can retreat into safety whenever things go wrong."
Joseph slowly nodded.
"That might work. But what happens to the villagers while we're away? If another danger appears, there won't be enough hunters here to protect everyone."
Hari had anticipated that objection.
"We don't need to take every hunter. We need the fifteen best ones, preferably those with the greatest agility. The rest should stay behind to protect the village."
"Only fifteen?"
"More people won't necessarily make us stronger. They'll make us easier to detect and give the wolves more targets. If the pack attacks with those wind blades, a crowded group will have a difficult time avoiding them."
Joseph folded his arms.
"Your idea of using a small team is sensible. But you don't understand how dangerous those attacks are. We might dodge the first wind blade. We might even escape the second. But once we turn and run, we won't be able to watch the wolves properly. We can't keep our eyes on the enemy and watch where we're going at the same time."
He shook his head.
"Those few seconds are enough for the wolves to catch us."
Hari fell silent.
He had read countless fantasy novels. He had watched protagonists face impossible enemies, escape devastating attacks, and return later to take revenge. The heroes always seemed to have some convenient technique, magical artifact, or hidden ability that solved the problem at the last moment.
Unfortunately, Hari had not been given the protagonist's instruction manual.
He could not block a supernatural wind blade with determination alone.
"Is there no way to defend against the attack?" he asked.
Joseph studied him for a moment.
"There may be."
Hari immediately looked up.
"I have a shield left over from my time in the army. It was designed as part of our military equipment. Agnes has another one."
"Agnes?"
"Joan's mother. She keeps it as a relic of my brother."
Joseph's voice softened briefly.
"My brother carried that shield when he went hunting. Agnes has protected it ever since he died."
Hari understood the significance. The shield was not merely a piece of equipment. It was a reminder of someone the family had lost.
"Would she let us use it?" he asked.
"If we explain what we're planning, I believe she will."
Joseph began thinking aloud.
"We could divide the hunting party into two main groups. The first group would attract the wolves' attention and draw their attacks. The second would strike from behind."
He paused, working through the details.
"The second group should be divided into four smaller teams. Each team must maintain a safe distance from the others. If the wolves attack one group, the others must be able to move without getting caught in the same attack."
Hari listened carefully.
It was a simple plan, but it was better than anything he had come up with alone. Joseph understood hunting, the terrain, the behavior of the wolves, and the limits of his people. Hari might be the one receiving the mission, but Joseph was the person who knew how to keep a hunting party alive.
They still had many problems to solve. A shield might protect one person, but they had not established how effectively it could withstand the wolves' attacks. Their plan depended on timing, coordination, and the hunters' ability to hold their positions under pressure.
Still, for the first time since receiving the mission, Hari felt that victory might be possible.
"Let's speak to Agnes about the shield," he said.
The two men left the house and headed toward Agnes's home.
Along the way, Joseph glanced at Hari.
"By the way, what exactly happened with that bad doggie Joan mentioned?"
Hari nearly stumbled.
Of all the questions Joseph could have asked, why did it have to be that one?
He quickly assembled a version of events that would preserve at least some of his dignity.
"Well, I encountered a wolf in the forest. It attacked me, and we fought. I was about to defeat it when Joan threw a stone at the wolf. She happened to hit it in the head and killed it."
Joseph gave him a questioning look.
"You were about to defeat it?"
"Yes," Hari replied, with as much confidence as he could manage. "It was a difficult fight, but I had things under control."
That was technically a story about the same event. The details had merely undergone a little professional editing.
Hari had no intention of admitting that he had been distracted, that the wolf had nearly bitten through his neck, or that a little girl had saved his life with a single stone.
He was about to lead fifteen hunters against an entire pack. He could not afford to become the village's favorite joke before the hunt even began.
"Don't tell Agnes anything different," he told Joseph. "Just say I told Joan a frightening story about a dog to keep her entertained while bringing her home."
Joseph looked amused, but he agreed.
They had not yet reached Agnes's house when they heard a child's sobbing.
"Uncle Joseph! Uncle Hari!"
Joan came running toward them, tears streaming down her face.
"Please help me! Mother won't let me leave the house today. I want to play with everyone. Even John came here to make fun of me!"
She wiped her face with both hands.
"Please tell Mother I'll be a good girl from now on!"
"JOAN!" Agnes shouted from inside the house. "If you cry one more time, I won't let you play for an entire week!"
Joan immediately looked even more miserable.
Joseph sighed.
"Sister Agnes, she's still a child. Give her a chance."
Agnes appeared at the doorway, looking exhausted.
"Brother Joseph, she's all I have. If Hari hadn't brought her back, I might never have seen my daughter again."
Her voice broke.
"She could have disappeared into the forest forever. How am I supposed to let her run around as though nothing happened?"
Hari lowered his eyes.
He had not thought much about the incident after reaching the village. He had been too busy worrying about his mission, the wolves, and the possibility of becoming their next meal.
But Agnes had spent the day believing her daughter might be dead.
And Joan, despite her extraordinary strength, was still a child who wanted to play with her friends.
Hari silently decided that he would never tell Agnes the full story of the wolf. Joan had already saved his life once. He had no desire to make her mother even more frightened.
Agnes turned toward him.
"Brother Hari..." She wiped away her tears. "What kind of person am I? You brought my daughter home safely, and I haven't even properly thanked you."
She took a breath.
"We don't have much of value to offer you, but would you join us for dinner tonight? Brother Joseph and the other hunters should come too. I was already planning to invite them to thank everyone who helped search for Joan."
"Thank you, Sister Agnes. I'll be there."
Joseph nodded.
"We actually came to speak to you about my brother's shield. We intend to hunt the wind wolves tomorrow. Your invitation has come at the perfect time. We can gather everyone tonight and discuss the plan."
Agnes's expression changed.
"The shield?"
She looked at Joseph for a moment before asking, "You really intend to go after those wolves?"
"Yes."
"But are you certain?"
"I've been thinking about this for five years," Joseph said. "Now we have found a place where the wolves cannot follow us. The pieces are finally coming together. It's time to end this threat."
Agnes was quiet.
Then she nodded.
"You can take the shield. If it can help protect the village, I won't keep it locked away."
Joseph thanked her and began making arrangements for the hunting party. He needed to select the hunters, prepare their equipment, and make sure the people remaining in the village understood their responsibilities.
Hari watched him go, realizing that the hunt had become real.
Until now, the mission had existed mainly as words on a blue screen. He had thought about it in terms of rewards: respect from the villagers and an increase in strength.
He had barely considered what failure would mean for the people standing beside him.
That evening, Agnes's home filled with villagers and hunters. Food was served, but the gathering felt less like a celebration than a memorial for people who had not yet died.
Hari noticed the expressions on the faces around him. Some people were quiet. Others spoke to one another in low voices. The families of the hunters knew what the next day might cost them.
These were not faceless characters in a novel. They were parents, siblings, spouses, and friends. Each hunter had someone who would wait for him to return.
A heavy feeling settled over Hari's chest.
He had wanted to complete his mission. He had wanted to become stronger and obtain the guild building promised by the system. But now he was about to ask real people to risk their lives for a plan he had helped create.
What if he made a mistake?
What if the shield failed?
What if his plan led these people straight into the jaws of the wolves?
A hand settled on his shoulder.
Hari turned and found one of the hunters standing beside him.
"Don't worry too much, brother," the man said quietly. "This isn't because of you. Even if you hadn't come here, we would have hunted those wolves sooner or later."
He glanced around the room.
"They have always been dangerous to our village. Most of us have lost someone to them. We cannot keep waiting for the next attack and hoping it won't be our family."
Hari looked at the people gathered around the table.
For the first time, he understood that the hunt was not simply about revenge. The villagers had endured years of fear, loss, and uncertainty. They were willing to fight because they wanted their children to grow up without facing the same dangers.
They were not asking for glory.
They wanted to live.
Something shifted inside Hari. Until now, he had thought of the villagers as people who could help him complete his mission. But somewhere between the planning and the dinner, that way of thinking had begun to change.
These people had welcomed him when they had every reason to be suspicious of a stranger who appeared from the forest. Joseph had trusted him enough to discuss the hunt. Agnes had offered the family's treasured shield. The hunters were preparing to face a dangerous enemy together.
They were placing their lives in one another's hands.
And Hari was now part of that responsibility.
He looked around the room and made a decision.
Whatever happened the next day, he would do everything in his power to bring these people home alive.
He would protect this village, even if doing so meant putting his own life at risk.
For a moment, he felt something he could not quite explain—a connection, as though an invisible thread had been tied between him and the people gathered there.
He had come to Hiruda seeking survival, strength, and a path toward godhood.
Perhaps leadership meant something more than giving orders or completing missions.
Perhaps it meant having people who trusted you enough to stand beside you when the odds were terrible.
As the dinner came to an end, Joseph rose to his feet. He picked up his spear and thrust it toward the sky.
"FOR LIFE!" he shouted.
The room answered as one.
"FOR LIFE!"
Their voices filled the house.
Not for revenge.
Not for glory.
Not for the promise of greater strength.
They would hunt because they wanted their families to live. They would fight because the people they loved deserved a future beyond fear.
And tomorrow, Hari would stand with them.