Yuichi Senku gripped his long sword, moving cautiously through the dense forest. While he had no experience in wilderness survival, he wasn't about to give up. Besides, he was now a cultivator. He might not be able to defeat a powerful monstrous beast, but taking down a smaller one to fill his stomach should be manageable.
He continued to weave through the trees, his senses alert. Suddenly, a rustling sound caught his attention nearby. Yuichi's heart pounded. He quickly ducked behind a thick tree trunk, peering out cautiously.
Moments later, a massive wild boar lumbered into view.
"Holy smokes, are the wild boars in Eternity Online always this huge?" Yuichi was utterly dumbfounded. A wild boar larger than a cow—this had to be some kind of spirit beast.
He hesitated for a moment, wondering if this behemoth would be his dinner. Observing it closely, he noticed that despite its immense size, the aura it exuded seemed weaker than his own. If he could sneak up and launch a surprise attack, he might just have a chance.
"Nah, wild boar meat isn't my favorite. I'll find another target," Yuichi quickly rationalized, abandoning the idea of a frontal assault after a brief internal struggle. The main reason was his current Aura Training Fourth Level cultivation lacked any learned combat techniques. The fancy spells and immense powers that cultivators were supposed to wield—like moving mountains or parting seas—were, for him, still just fantasies.
Yuichi currently possessed only raw strength. He had to rely on the long sword in his hand or directly use his fists. To be honest, he didn't have much faith in his long sword, which had cost him 50,000 yen. Could an ordinary sword made in Tokyo truly kill a monstrous beast from Eternity Online? Yuichi had his doubts. Wielding the sword was mostly for courage. That was all.
First Hunt
After carefully bypassing the giant wild boar, Yuichi encountered several more monstrous beasts. Still, he chose not to engage. Their auras were either similar to his own or even stronger, filling him with a healthy dose of dread.
"I'll leave them alone for now," he comforted himself. "I'll come back for meat in a few days once I've improved my strength." He continued his search for dinner.
"Hey, this looks promising. Yellow sheep meat should be delicious, right?"
The forest was indeed teeming with beasts, and Yuichi quickly spotted a new target. It was a creature resembling a yellow sheep. He decided to just call it that. This "yellow sheep" wasn't particularly large, roughly the same size as a domestic sheep in Tokyo. Crucially, the aura it emitted was very weak, probably similar to his own when he first broke through to the First Level of Aura Training.
"That's the one."
For his first hunt in Eternity Online, Yuichi felt it was wise to play it safe, so he chose the weakest creature he could find. He moved stealthily towards the yellow sheep. The unsuspecting creature was still leisurely munching on leaves, unaware its life was about to end.
Clang!
Yuichi leaped forward, drawing his long sword. The aura in his core rapidly flowed into the blade. With a sharp flash, the sword descended upon the yellow sheep's neck. Due to the significant difference in strength and the element of surprise, the yellow sheep had no time to react.
The blade flashed, and the sheep's head separated from its body. Only the small yellow sheep's corpse remained on the ground, accompanied by two shining wooden boxes.
"Haha, something dropped! What could it be? Could it be a magic weapon for me?" Yuichi was ecstatic. Finding two items after his first kill in Eternity Online for the first time was an unexpected bonus.
He quickly opened the first box. A stone, radiating spiritual aura, appeared before him. It wasn't large, only about the size of a dice.
"This must be a spirit stone." Yuichi quickly picked up the glowing stone. "Not bad! A spirit stone is a great find."
Spirit stones were universally used in the world of immortal cultivation. They can aid cultivation, be used to set up powerful formations, but most importantly, they served as currency—the universal exchange medium in this world. Navigating Eternity Online without spirit stones was like having no money in Tokyo; it meant you couldn't move an inch.
A Strange Drop
Putting the spirit stone away, Yuichi opened the second box. A burst of savory, meaty aroma wafted out.
"Huh, is this... a plate of barbecue?" Looking at the contents, Yuichi was momentarily speechless. He had imagined all sorts of drops: secret martial arts manuals, magical tools, or even rare treasures. He'd even fantasized about finding a divine weapon. A plate of fragrant barbecue, however, was entirely unexpected.
"My imagination still isn't broad enough," he thought. Still, a ready-made dinner was exactly what he needed right now.
Yuichi carefully took the barbecue out of the box. He had to admit, the game system's design was quite considerate. The barbecue was neatly arranged on a plate, so he didn't have to grab it bare-handed.
"Time to eat and then get back to practicing." Yuichi held his long sword in his left hand and the plate of barbecue in his right, quickly making his way back to the shrine. He didn't even spare a glance for the yellow sheep's corpse on the ground. He suddenly remembered he hadn't brought any seasoning or a way to make fire. There was no way to eat a raw, unseasoned yellow sheep. He wasn't some survival expert; he simply couldn't eat raw meat.
A short while later, Yuichi was back in the dilapidated shrine. He cut the barbecue into smaller pieces with his long sword and slowly savored it. With each bite, a wave of comfort washed over him.
"This smells amazing. Let's see what other people are doing." Yuichi opened the chat channel while eating his barbecue.
The chat wasn't as chaotic as it had been initially, but messages were still refreshing, just at a slightly slower pace.
"I'm starving! Does anyone have food? Can you add me and send some?"
"Haha, I brought a box of instant noodles with me. It's enough for several days."
"There are monstrous beasts everywhere! Why be hungry? Go out, kill one, and eat meat!"
"What are you talking about? Can you even beat them? I should've brought an assault rifle with me!"
"An assault rifle? Useless. You can't even make a fire out here."
"No way, is that true?"
"Yeah. I brought a sniper rifle, but I couldn't start a fire at all. It's not even as good as a simple flint and steel."
"That's right. Firearms are useless here, and even lighters don't work."
"Seriously? Are we going to starve to death?"
"What are you scared of? At worst, fight wild beasts. If you die, you just go back to sleep and log in again tomorrow."
"Don't overthink it. If you can't stand it, just log off. Today's only the first day. Understand the situation, then come back tomorrow fully prepared."
"The guy above is right. It won't take much real time anyway. Cultivating immortals takes hundreds or thousands of Eternity days, so a hundred days isn't a big deal."
"Right, I'm logging off for now. Bye-bye."
"Hey, I'll hold on a bit longer."
"It's getting dark, so scary. I'm in a deserted village. There won't be ghosts at night, right?"
"Perfect if there are ghosts! Just imagine a supernatural encounter—that'd be amazing!"
"Damn, buddy, I respect you as a man."