As if invisible tripwires were waiting for me, I continued to push through the undergrowth, being cautious with each step. There was a loud thump with each stride. My shoulders stiffened with each change in the trees. The unsettling feeling of being observed persisted. It dragged with invisible teeth as it slid into the backdrop.

I was unable to pass through the branches unscathed. They tugged at me, grabbed my sleeves, and ripped my collar, trying to see how patient and determined I was. It was not subtle. I did not recoil as one clamped down on my wrist.

With my jaw clenched, I continued to walk. Despite the pulsating nerves beneath my skin, I proceeded. I had to.

After one last mess of twisted limbs and leaves, the canopy opened. I stumbled into a clearing and nearly fell on my face.

In the center stood a massive boulder, its surface cracked and layered with thick green moss.

I climbed it anyway. My hands slipped on the moisture, but I gripped harder and hauled myself up until I stood above the treeline. For a second, nothing happened.

Then I saw it.

Hidden under a rise in the land, half buried beneath vines and brush, sat a cave. Shadow swallowed part of the opening. No path led toward it. A stream wound beside it, water sliding clear over smooth stones.

I dropped from the boulder and hit hard, knees jolting with the impact.

The air appeared to move more slowly the closer I got. The vegetation developed in deliberate groups close to the cave’s entrance. With peaceful order, ferns leaned forth. Even in the low light, wildflowers opened, drawing their pale petals inward cautiously.

A chilly breath caressed my skin as it drifted from the shadows. Enough to make every hair on my arms stand up. Intent was in the air, the controlled release of something that was waiting.

Leaning in, I gazed into the hollow. Shadows moved with a tenacity unmatched by any wind as they slid across the stone. Deeper within, the water maintained a constant, certain rhythm against the rock that was too precise to be the result of chance.

I crouched next to the creek and collected water in my hands before entering. It tasted cleaner than anything from a bottle and hurt with cold.

I took my time drinking. The world became slightly quieter, or perhaps I did at last.

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and turned toward the entrance. The vines draped over it looked too perfect now. I grabbed a handful and pulled them aside. The stems tugged back before they finally gave way.

That was when I caught it. A flicker. Small, buried deep within. The light was dim, like it was trying to brighten.

And something settled in my gut right then.

This could’ve been a checkpoint. Or a trap. Or maybe both.

I probably should’ve walked away, right? Yeah, not happening.

“Hello?” I called into the dark. “Anyone in there?”

Nothing. No growl, no movement, no ambush. Just quiet. Cold and still. But not threatening.

After everything, I did not trust it, but I was not walking away either.

I stepped inside. The light grew clearer as I moved deeper. The walls opened up wider than I expected. No crouching. No squeezing through cracks. Just a wide, open path, cool air wrapping around me. No animals. No old blood. That alone felt like a miracle.

I kept going until I was maybe twenty or thirty steps in, then stopped. No sudden monsters. No magical spikes from the ground. Honestly, it felt safe. In the way a quiet room could be, when nothing was asking anything from me.

I headed back outside and started gathering whatever was lying around. Dead branches. Small sized boulders. A few thick leaves for padding. Nothing strong, but enough to piece together a rough barricade across the cave’s mouth. It was ugly, but it would make noise if something tried to push through. That was all I really needed right then.

I left a space wide enough to squeeze through. Could not risk boxing myself in. Not until I knew what else was hiding in there.

Once it was done, I sat back against the wall and let go of the breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. My spine hit the stone, and it felt grounding. Solid. A place to stop, even if just for a minute.

The pressure in my chest eased. Not gone. Just manageable.

I summoned the Status Window.

A new icon flashed at the top. Online Store.

Of course. Level-up perks.

I tapped it, and the display shifted. Tabs and categories unfolded across the screen, crisp, organized, and unmistakably functional. I didn’t even have to think. My hand moved toward the one that mattered most at that moment.

Weapons.

My finger tapped the icon. The menu slid open.

 ________________________________________

1.     TANKER WEAPONS

2.     MAGE WEAPONS

3.     BLADEMASTER WEAPONS

4.     SUPPORT WEAPONS

5.     MARKSMAN WEAPONS

________________________________________

I selected the Marksman option, and the screen shifted before my eyes.

________________________________________

Based On Your Level And Subclass, The Following Weapons Are Available For Your Usage:

Hunter Slingshot (50 gold)

________________________________________

I groaned while staring at the description.

Seriously? A slingshot?

Despite my reservations, I knew it remained far better than hurling rocks like a caveman. With a reluctant tap, I bought the thing. It blinked into existence in my hand, sleek and unnervingly solid.

I turned it over, checking the grip and balance, testing it as though experience had prepared me for this moment.

I triggered the Status Sight.

________________________________________

Hunter Slingshot:

A modern high-quality slingshot designed for hunting and outdoor activities. These slingshots are built to provide power, accuracy, and durability, making them suitable for small game hunting and target shooting. To use, pull the pouch, chant the loading phrase, and then release the projectile.

________________________________________

I took a breath, held it for a second, and lined up the shot.

“Sōten Ishi.”

The stone fired forward with a sharp snap. Fast, clean. It smacked dead into the cave wall, loud and satisfying.

But then, it bounced straight back and nearly rearranged my face.

“ACK!”

I lurched to the side, arms flailing, barely avoiding a rock smashing straight into my nose.

Note to self, do not test the slingshot at point blank range and look like an idiot.

I could not help it. I laughed. A real one. A tired laugh that escaped before thought could chain it down. My face probably looked ridiculous, grinning in the dark.

Whatever. I would run a proper test tomorrow. For now, I had more pressing matters. Four shiny, free stat points waited.

I opened the menu again, tapping through, hovering over STR and DEX. WIS caught my eye too.

I hesitated. My finger hovered over choices that whispered of short term power or long term survival.

Then it sank in, an understanding that did not need time to form.

What if I picked none? What if I just trained? Grinded it out the way people used to. No quick fixes. No menu crutches.

I backed out of the screen. Decision made. Sometimes waiting proved smarter than rushing. I had earned at least one slow choice.

Like clockwork, my stomach grumbled, protesting the decision with its own voice.

Right. Food.

I opened Tools/Items, pulled out a rabbit and the goblin’s knife. The second the blade touched my hand, muscle memory took over. I started skinning and cleaning with a fluency that felt instinctive, though it should not have. Every movement landed exactly where it belonged. No guessing. Just action.

The fire I had built was going strong, flames licking at the rabbit meat as it cooked. Cheap flint from the Online Store, but it did the job. Orange light flickered across the cave walls, soft and low.

And the smell.

Oh man, the smell.

I took a bite and blinked hard. It was actually good. Rich, a little gamey, but juicy in a way that made up for everything else.

“Didn’t think a horny rabbit would taste this decent,” I mumbled through a mouthful. “No offense.”

The words came out strange but honest. There was something about eating what had tried to kill you. A weird gratitude followed, as though the act carried meaning.

When I was done, I cleaned the bones off to the side, then walked out to the stream again. I crouched, filled up my canteen I had bought, and watched the moonlight hit the water. Big and bright tonight. Everything glowed in soft, pale silver.

Yeah. This place worked.

Water. Shelter. Safe enough for now.

If this had been a game, this would have been where the Fast Travel Unlocked notification floated across the screen in bold white text.

I headed back inside. The cave was still warm from the fire. I lowered myself to the floor and leaned into the wall, every part of me tired in that deep, worn out way that sleep loved.

I let out a slow breath.

Rabbits. Goblins. Slingshot misfires. Digital shops in the middle of nowhere.

None of it made sense. Not really. But a presence pressed behind it all, just beyond my sight. The System was not just throwing garbage at me. It was too tuned.

There was more going on.

My body sank into the stone. The chill did not bite anymore. The silence here was not empty. It wrapped around me.

My eyes started to shut.

Before they did, I made a quiet promise, just to myself.

Whatever that world threw next, whatever was hiding behind the chaos, I would survive it. And I would figure out what was really going on.

Even if that meant fighting every single horny rabbit it had decided to send my way.