The forest was quiet when Ren woke.A faint chill clung to the air, mist drifting between the trees. Sunlight barely pierced through the thick canopy, scattering patches of pale gold over the damp earth.
Ren blinked away the drowsiness, leaning against the rough bark he'd fallen asleep on. His muscles ached slightly — but compared to yesterday, his body felt alive.
"...So this wasn't a dream," he muttered, glancing toward the dim blue light floating beside him.BROTHER pulsed faintly in acknowledgment.
[Condition: Stable]
[Energy: Normalizing]
Ren stood, stretching his arms. His clothes were torn and stained, but they'd have to do.He looked around the clearing — the remains of the boar lay beside the stream, half butchered and already starting to attract flies.
"Better move before the smell draws something worse," he murmured, crouching beside it.
He used sharp stones to cut what remained of the edible meat, wrapping them in broad leaves he found nearby. The process was messy, but his hands moved with growing confidence.
Every movement — identifying the right leaves, knowing which plants could wrap without leaking — came naturally now. His body remembered, guided by something deeper.
The faint chime of the system echoed in his head.
[Skill: FORESTRY used.]
[+10 Skill EXP]
A small, faint progress bar appeared beneath the skill name.
Ren smirked faintly. "So I can level this up just by surviving, huh?"
He tied the leaf wraps together with thin vine strands, creating a makeshift bag.Crude, but functional.
"Bag one — meat," he whispered to himself, setting it aside.
Then he scanned the forest, letting the instincts from FORESTRY guide him.The moment he focused, something subtle shifted.The forest spoke — not in words, but in awareness.
He noticed a cluster of broad leaves near the rocks — edible roots beneath them.A patch of berry bushes that smelled faintly sweet, not sour or sharp like poison.A tree with low-hanging fruits shaped like apples, but the texture beneath the bark hinted they were softer, safe to eat.
Ren moved carefully, using his hands to test and taste. Each time he identified something right, the system hummed softly in approval.
[Skill: FORESTRY used.]
[+10 Skill EXP]
[+10 Skill EXP]
[+10 Skill EXP]
[Skill Level Up: FORESTRY Lv. 2 → Lv. 3]
He paused when the notification appeared, watching the new details unfold.
Skill: FORESTRY (Lv. 3)
• Increased perception of forest terrain.
• Can identify edible herbs, fruit, and safe materials with high accuracy.
• Gain minor stamina recovery in forest environments.
He smiled faintly. "Guess hard work really pays off here too."
By midday, he'd gathered enough to feed several people — though he didn't yet realize who.He crafted two more leaf bags, layering vines tightly to reinforce them.
"Bag two — fruits and roots.""Bag three — herbs and greens."
He checked the weight; each one was heavy but manageable. His newly improved strength let him carry all three without collapsing.Still, his steps were slow, careful.
BROTHER chimed softly as he finished.
[Survival Efficiency Increasing.][Muscle Adaptation Detected.][Skill Proficiency Recorded.]
Ren wiped the sweat from his forehead, staring at the forest canopy above."Never thought I'd thank trees for helping me live," he muttered with a small grin.
He slung the leaf bags over his shoulders — one in each hand, one tied against his back. His clothes were dirty, his face streaked with mud, but there was purpose in his eyes now.
No hunger.No weakness.Just quiet determination.
He turned toward the faint smoke rising far beyond the treeline — thin, almost invisible.From the body's memories, he knew what that meant.
The village.
Ren took one last glance at the clearing, at the blood-stained ground where his new life had started.
"Let's go, BROTHER," he whispered. "Time to find home."
The system pulsed once in reply.
[Affirmative.][Tracking Path Established: Village Outskirts]
And so, with the weight of survival on his back and a new strength stirring in his limbs, Ren began walking through the forest — quiet, steady, step by step — toward the small, fragile life waiting for him at its edge.
He didn't know yet that seven hungry faces waited behind a half-collapsed cottage wall.He didn't know their names, or their fear, or how much they needed him.
But with every breath, with every steady footfall, one truth settled deep inside his heart:
He wasn't living just for himself anymore.
By the time Ren reached the village outskirts, the sun had already begun to dip low.Shadows stretched long across the dirt paths, and the sound of distant chatter and livestock mixed faintly with the whisper of the wind.
He slowed his pace as the houses came into view — small, worn wooden huts with thatched roofs, their walls patched with old boards and straw.Children played barefoot in the mud, and villagers carried baskets of water or firewood, too tired to greet him.
But Ren barely noticed them. His eyes were locked on a small, crooked house at the far edge of the village — one that looked like it might fall apart at any moment.
The memories in his mind stirred again.That was home.
His steps quickened. The three leaf bags bounced lightly against his sides — one heavy with meat, the other two filled with roots, fruits, and herbs.
The old wooden door hung loosely on one hinge. The yard was overgrown, and the faint sound of voices — small, trembling voices — came from inside.
He hesitated for a moment at the doorway, his heart pounding. How do I even face them?
Before he could decide, the door creaked open — and a small girl peeked out. Her clothes were torn, her cheeks thin, but her eyes — big and brown — widened in disbelief.
"...Brother…?"
The word hit him harder than any blow.
Within seconds, six more little faces appeared behind her — each one a mix of exhaustion, dirt, and desperate hope. The youngest was barely a toddler, held by an older sister who couldn't have been more than ten.
Ren opened his mouth to speak — but before he could, they ran.
"Brother Ren!""You came back!""We thought—you weren't—!"
They crashed into him all at once, small arms wrapping around his waist and chest.The force almost made him drop the bags.
Ren froze in place.Their tiny hands clutched his clothes, their tears soaking through the dirt and cloth.
For a moment, he didn't breathe.He hadn't felt warmth like this in years — not since… ever.
He slowly raised his arms and hugged them back.The smallest one hiccuped against his chest, trembling.
"Hey," Ren said softly, his voice rough and quiet, "I'm here now. It's alright."
He looked down at their faces — streaked with tears, thin and hungry but full of something else: relief.Something about it made his chest ache, a lump forming in his throat.
Is this what family feels like?
He forced a smile and crouched down. "Sorry I took so long… but look what I brought."
The children blinked through their tears as he untied the bags.He opened the first — revealing the wrapped meat. The scent made their eyes widen instantly.Then he opened the second and third — showing fruits, roots, and fresh herbs.
Gasps filled the air.
"You… you found all this?" one of the older boys whispered, voice trembling between disbelief and awe.Ren nodded, smiling faintly. "Yeah. Took me a while, but I didn't come back empty-handed."
The youngest tugged at his sleeve. "Brother… you won't leave again, right?"
Ren froze. The question hit deeper than he expected.He looked around at the seven of them — thin, fragile, but smiling now. Each one clung to him like their entire world depended on his presence.
He gently placed his hand on the little one's head. "No," he said softly. "I won't leave again."
For a moment, the broken hut didn't feel so cold anymore.The wind still whistled through the cracks, the walls still leaned, but inside — for the first time — there was warmth.
The siblings laughed and cried all at once as Ren helped them sit, setting aside the food carefully.He tore a few fruits apart and shared them evenly among them, watching as they ate hungrily but quietly, eyes shining with gratitude.
BROTHER's faint blue glow appeared beside him, unnoticed by the children.
[Emotional Resonance Detected.][Motivation Anchor Identified: "Family."][System Stability Increased.]
Ren didn't notice the message, but somehow he felt it — a gentle hum in his chest, a warmth that wasn't physical.
As the children ate, laughter filling the small room, he leaned back against the wall and exhaled slowly.The air smelled like dirt, smoke, and wild fruit — but it was the most comforting thing he'd ever known.
He smiled faintly, whispering to himself. "Looks like I got a real reason to live this time…"
Outside, the forest wind rustled softly through the leaves, and the first stars of the evening began to appear above the crumbling roof.